Charged with Electric Vehicle News and Views
For automakers, reluctance in Santa Monica, Calif., underscores how difficult it will be for them to meet strict federal and state mandates on fuel efficiency and pollution. 
Researchers at George Washington University have demonstrated a new class of high-energy battery, called a "molten-air battery," that has one of the highest storage capacities of any battery type to date. Unlike some other high-energy batteries, the molten-air battery has the advantage of being rechargeable.
Although the molten electrolyte currently requires high-temperature operation, the battery is so new that the researchers hope that experimenting with different molten compositions and other characteristics will make molten-air batteries strong competitors in electric vehicles and for storing energy for the electric grid.
This ability to store multiple electrons in a single molecule is one of the biggest advantages of the molten-air battery. By their nature, multiple-electron-per-molecule batteries usually have higher storage capacities compared to single-electron-per-molecule batteries, such as Li-ion batteries. The battery with the highest energy capacity to date, the vanadium boride (VB2)-air battery, can store 11 electrons per molecule. However, the VB2-air battery and many other high-capacity batteries have a serious drawback: they are not rechargeable.
The researchers experimented with using iron, carbon, and VB2 as the molten electrolyte, demonstrating very high capacities of 10,000, 19,000, and 27,000 Wh/l, respectively. The capacities are influenced by the number of electrons that each type of molecule can store: 3 electrons for iron, 4 electrons for carbon, and 11 electrons for VB2. In comparison, the Li-air battery has an energy capacity of 6,200 Wh/l, due to its single-electron-per-molecule transfer and lower density than the other compositions while a typical Li-Ion battery has a capacity of approx 600 Wh/l.
Source: Phys.org
The Buckeye Bullet is a collaboration between Ohio State University and Venturi, and although due to the flooding of Bonneville salt flats (Utah, USA), the FIA and the organizers of the world speed records program decided to cancel the competition for this year, the team were targeting a 400 MPH (640 km/h) world land speed record for electric cars.
The car, called VBB-3, is actually the third “Buckeye Bullet” land speed record car. Driver Roger Schroer took the VBB-2.5 to 307.58 mph in 2010, giving him the current FIA world record.
VBB-3 is powered by four electric motors, which generate 400 horsepower each (750 hp Peak) with energy storage provided by 2,000x prismatic A123 batteries that weigh 1600 kg. The 3.2 ton Carbon fiber skinned vehicle can output a total of more than 2 Megawatts (3,000 hp) which, when combined with a drag co-efficient of only 0.13, the team hope is sufficient to re-write the EV Land Speed Record.
To break the record, the electric car must travel at least one mile and average two runs within an hour. The student team hopes that the new car will break 400 mph, something no electric car has achieved, but this will now have to wait till 2014.
Assembly lines in Leipzig, Germany, today began turning out BMW AG’s new i3 electric car, which is scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships in the second quarter of 2014.
The i3 opens a new frontier for BMW, which has long been known for turning out big, powerful, gasoline-powered vehicles that while fairly efficient, did not rely on their “green” qualities as selling points.
The i3 also marks a departure in design and structure for BMW because the i3s body is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, or CFRP. The strong, light material allows the car to accommodate the weight of its batteries and electric-drive system without becoming excessively heavy. The company said the car will deliver the kind of sporty, fun-to-drive performance customers expect from BMW cars.
Car reviewers describe the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV as “fun,” “spunky” and a “hoot to drive.” With 130hp and 400 lb-ft of instant torque, the all-electric mini-car can go from 0 to 60 in less than 7.6 seconds.
“Spark EV is the new benchmark for electric cars aimed at urban driving and a kick in the pants to pilot around town,” said Lindsay Brooke, senior editor, SAE International magazines. “Spark EV owners who are new to all-electric driving will soon find out how difficult it is to hide their silly grin when they realize how far that car will take them for pennies on the dollar.”
For many Spark EV owners, getting plugged-in to an all-electric, no-gas-required lifestyle will be a new experience.
Here are a few tips to ease the transition:
Expanding the Spark lineup, the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV is designed to make the trip as electrifying as the destination. It is priced under $19,995 with tax incentives and is now available to residents in California and Oregon, with sales expanding to Canada, South Korea and Europe later.
The "2013 Ene-1 GP SUZUKA" next-generation electric energy car event was held last month at Suzuka Circuit.
It was sponsored by Land Mobility Inc, owner of Suzuka Circuit, and Panasonic was an official partner of the event.
Panasonic promoted its "KV-40 Challenge" where cars were powered on 40x AA rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. In this challenge, teams were invited to independently produce single-seater electric vehicles, powered by EVOLTA batteries, and complete 3 laps around the 5.8 km Suzuka circuit which features a maximum elevation change of 50 meters.
75 teams from all over Japan participated, ranging from junior high school teams to serious hobbyists, with average speeds on the track reaching up to 60 km/h and it was noted that driving skill definitely played a large part in participant success.
The winner of the time trial was "Ahiru-Ecopa Racing Togo" team.
With just 17 days to go before 43 teams from 24 countries take to the start line in Darwin on October 6 to contest the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 3,000 kilometre quest across Australia; one team is already putting its revolutionary 4 seater solar family car, Stella, through its paces in Darwin.
First time entrants in the inaugural Michelin Cruiser Class, Solar Team Eindhoven of Eindhoven University of Technology from the Netherlands are hoping their pre-race road testing in Darwin will pay dividends across the Aussie outback. Purpose built for this year’s event ‘Stella’ is the first ‘energy-positive car’ with room for four people, a trunk, intuitive steering and a range of 600 kilometers.
Competition in the Michelin Cruiser Class is not about finishing first across the line. It is about taking the technology to the mainstream and developing a car for the future Competitors will be judged on energy use and efficiency; how many people they’ve carried and over what distance and the potential of the design and practicality to appeal to the mainstream motoring market. ‘Stella’ will have her work cut out for her with competition from the German Bochum team, whose former car, the ‘BoCruiser’ inspired the category; Australian teams from Uni NSW and TAFE SA; and teams from Japan, Taiwan, USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Teams in the Elite Challenger Class are also well prepared. An unprecedented number of crews arrived in Australia early including America’s most successful solar team, University of Michigan who have yet to post a win here. They’ve been venturing out on test runs, and have even organised a ‘mock race’ to simulate the real Challenge in every way possible.
The Dutch Nuon Solar team from Delft University, believes their car, Nuna 7 can deliver their fifth World Solar Challenge from seven attempts. Until recent challenges they dominated, winning in 2001, 2003, 2005 & 2007. Their excellent record was thwarted in 2009 and again in 2011 by the impressively slick Japanese Tokai University team. Team Tokai are here to win and will not give up the title without a fight. Others to watch include Team Twente with their car, Red Engine, and Stanford University, who hope their car, Luminos, will live up to its name and be a leading light.
This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
The European automaker joins a growing field of alternative energy vehicles on the market.