Hybrid News

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, LA Auto Show, Renault

At the keynote speech this morning at the LA Auto Show, the president and CEO of Nissan/Renault, Carolos Ghosn, announced a new alliance with the start of Oregon to bring electric vehicles there in 2010. The deal will see “a supply” of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) available to the city of Portland, Oregon and to support a network of EV charging stations. Ghosn said, though, that he believes making the cars is more important than getting the infrastructure out. After all, when the very first cars were sold over 100 years ago, there was no infrastructure for them. To that end, Ghosn announced that Nissan/Renault would sell ZEVs the U.S. and Japan in 2010 and they’d be available globally two years later. More details after the jump.

Two things to think about buying an EV in Oregon: first, the state is working on creating a $5,000 tax credit for electric cars and, second, there is no state sales tax in Oregon. Are all other states about to get pwned in the EV race?

Toyota recently announced a partnership with the city of Portland to test old RAV4 EVs there. We also got a tip from AutoblogGreen reader Littlejohn this morning that said: “Portland’s mayor-elect Sam Adams told our class tonight that we have been selected as a city for testing of 26 minute (220v) charging electric autos from Toyota, Honda and BYD.” We’ll be following up on this later.

Related posts:

• Nissan’s EV forays leading to wireless recharging?
• Nissan’s EV to cost same as conventional car… before leasing batteries
• Renault working on three different EVs starting in 2011

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading LA 2008: Nissan announces electric car partnership with Oregon

LA 2008: Nissan announces electric car partnership with Oregon originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Green Daily

An old Chevy S10 that’s missing it’s engine - but has a bank of batteries and an electric motor in its place - has turned up on eBay. The converted S10 has a 27 HP motor (well, that’s what the seller thinks it is, anyway), 20 6V DC batteries and the original 5 speed transmisson. The seller put the batteries in last year and, with the included 30 amp, 220V charger, will charge the truck in about eight hours. This charge is good for about 40 miles and, understandably, the seller has been using this vehicle as an errand runner.The auction ends tomorrow. Current bid is $2,225 but the reserve hasn′t been met. Buy it now price is $8,000.

This isn’t the only ⁶ converted to run on electrons. Stanly Community College converted one as part of their EV truck series.

[Source: eBay via EcoModder]

eBay find of the Day: electric Chevrolet S10 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

The auto future according to Carlos Ghosn

With significant government help and automaker determination, electric vehicles could reach 10 percent of total US auto sales by 2016, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told CNBC today.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

Neil Young suggests that we “turn the page” in the drama that is the Detroit 3′s history of producing automobiles by cutting out all internal combustion engines. The rock star says that the automakers “should only get [a bailout] if they agree to stop building autos that contribute to global warming now.” That’s a tough one. How does Young suggest that the American auto companies put an instant end to cars powered by fossil fuels? Keep building the same cars and trucks that are currently being assembled, minus the drivetrain. Interesting… cars that can′t power themselves coming from Detroit - Young calls them Transition Rollers. What next? Each of the Detroit automakers would need to convert one factory to “repower” the rollers to “self charging electric vehicles.”

Mr. Young’s idea is novel to say the least, but entirely impractical. As Young himself has proven with his Linc Volt electric car, it is possible to create electric vehicles that are powered by motors and batteries, but there are simply not enough batteries around to power every new car sold. Plus, Young’s idea of a “self charging″ electric car needs a little work, as no such thing currently exists with known technology - including with on-demand hydrogen. We happen to be proponents of alternative powertrains, but we also understand that such a drastic switch in our automotive manufacturing is impossible.

[Source: Huffington Post via Autofiends]

Neil Young offers advice for ailing Detroit 3 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan

Imagine a world where you don’t buy cars any more and none of the cars that we do drive emit anything. Unlike the present, where no one buys Nissans Carlos Tavares believes not buying cars at all will eventually happen as a result of moving to car sharing. Such a system might be similar to what we see today with the likes of ZipCar, just on a much larger scale where customers pay for access to cars on an as-needed basis. Long before we get to that point though, Nissan plans to start selling electric cars to the public, beginning in 2010 in markets like Israel and Denmark before moving globally a couple of years later. At the Automotive News Green Car Conference, Tavares told the audience that company’s first EV would have a similar price to other current small cars. Considering what lithium ion batteries cost, this might come as a surprise. However, that’s because as with the toys you buy your kids at Christmas, batteries are not included in the box. The batteries will be leased separately and Tavares believes that even with this extra expense the total cost of ownership over the life of the car will be lower than a gasoline equivalent. Exactly what that cost will be has not yet been revealed.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

Nissan’s EV to cost same as conventional car… before leasing batteries originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Smart electrification close, yet so far away

Interesting piece in Forbes about how close the “smart garage”needed for the electrification of the automobile is to reality, at least technologically. In terms of costs and public acceptance, however, electrification of the automobile might still be a moon shot away.

The technology for both electric vehicles and a smart garage that gives utilities the ability to “create a power network that not only sends energy to users but draws and stores unused energy from homes, businesses and parked electric vehicles to redistribute” when demand requires, is at hand.

However, the “smart garage” won’t be cheap. In fact, it will probably cost hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars, and it will require consumers to completely rethink every aspect of automobile use and ownership.

A new energy paradigm is ours for the taking, will we have the courage to reach for it?

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Pacific Region

The Bolwell Nagari that we looked at a few months back is finally ready for production. Using a carbon-intensive composite chassis and body, the new supercar weighs just over one ton, so its 295 horsepower Toyota-made 3.5-liter ͢ should move it all along quite nicely. That engine is paired with a paddle-shifted transmission, all of which sits in the middle of the car and powers the rear wheels.

Initially, all Nagari’s will be powered by the lone naturally aspirated engine, but the company would like to offer a hotter supercharged version in the future. Even better, the rumors of an electric version of the new Australian sportscar are still alive and well. We don’t have any real details on what kind of motor or batteries would be used, or what the price would be. For what it’s worth, the standard model is slated to go on sale for just under $200K in Australia, about $130,000 in U.S. dollars.

[Source: Go Auto via World Car Fans]

Bolwell Nagari supercar going into production, may get electric drivetrain originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

One of Nissan’s EV concepts

Imagine a range extended electric vehicle, similar to the Chevy Volt, but without the gas. Instead, of using an engine to generate extra electricity, an onboard ultracapacitor would keep recharging the EV.

It might sound a little futuristic, and it is, but that is exactly one such plan that Nissan is working on as it seeks to become the leader in the electrification of the automobile according to Nissan’s Minoru Shinohara, senior vice president of technology development.

And, according to Greentechmedia, Shinohara’s views are not to be taken lightly.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Zap, On Two Wheels

The often-maligned three-wheeled Zap Xebra is getting some upgrades, after shipping a record number of vehicles last quarter, that could make it a much better vehicle overall. We don’t think that anything has been changed that would potentially give the Xebra more range or more power, but an all-steel body definitely is an improvement over the old model’s fiberglass unit. Another big change is the addition of a hatchback at the rear of the vehicle, which will make loading objects into the vehicle quite a bit easier. To go along with the hatch, the rear set of seats now folds flat so bigger items can be loaded inside. The interior also sees a bit of freshening and now includes power door locks and reclining seats.

Also new is the Zapino electric scooter, boasting a top speed of 30 miles per hour and a range of 30 miles. We’ve pasted a video detailing the upgrades to the Xebra along with the introduction of the Zapino for your viewing pleasure after the jump.

[Source: ZAP]

Continue reading ZAP Xebra finally gets some upgrades

ZAP Xebra finally gets some upgrades originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, UK

We’d imagine that the UK Petrol Retailers Association would have a vested interest in making the business model of the tried-and-true gas station survive. So, we aren’t all that surprised to read about the group’s suggestion that future gas stations should carry solar roofs that feed power into electricity dispensers, especially now that the Prime Minister has pledged large sums of money for EV development. The alternative, of course, would be to charge your electric car’s battery right at home while it’s not being used. If you wanted to go renewable, you could set up your own solar or wind-powered charging station right in your garage. Still, there are a number of individuals who don′t have a place to store their cars, let alone its associated charging gear, so the idea of stand-alone charging stations definitely has some merit. Whether or not these solar stations deserve any government help is another matter entirely.

[Source: Auto Express]

UK Petrol Retailers Association suggests solar-powered EV stations originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Many decades before everyone in the UK is plugging in

A joint study by Arup and Cenex for the UK’s Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Transport (DfT) finds that plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles can reduce automotive C̘ emissions by 40 percent per vehicle utilizing the current grid.

Nonetheless, the UK study doesn’t believe that plug-ins are ready to take over market share. At today’s pace the study expects 2.5% of all cars to connect to the grid by 2020, 11.7% by 2030. If the UK takes aggressive measures to develop plug-ins, then those numbers rise to 4.9% by 2020 and 32% by 2030. Under an extreme scenario - the production of plug-in only cars by 2025 - then the numbers plugging in would be 10% by 2020 and 60% by 2030.

More on the study from GreenCarCongress.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Hybrid car sharing

WeCar, is the new car sharing division of Enterprise. It doesn’t reinvent car sharing, although it does use only hybrid cars in its fleet, which is pretty cool. Still, this whole car sharing thing really has me intrigued.

Foreign oil dependency. Global warming. High fuel prices. Financial crisis. Are more expensive hybrid cars and electric vehicles really the answer? Instead of just replacing our 13 million per year fleet of vehicles, why not less vehicles? Isn’t it gluttonous consumerism, not just gas-guzzlers, that is really strangling America?

Bikes, scooters, tiny one-person microcars, and public transportation might not offer much bling for consumers, but for daily commuting, such forms of transportation are far more efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly than a plug-in Prius or a Chevy Volt. And all of these approaches can be supplemented with car sharing.

Instead of buying a Volt, might not the future be a better time to share a Volt?

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, USA

It seems that Neil Young is looking to convert more classic Detroit iron from gas-guzzling V8-powered “hogs” to electric powered “swans.” Young’s quest has already begun, with the rock star converting his own 5,000-pound 1959 Lincoln into an electric vehicle known as the Linc Volt. That car has seen its internal combustion engine yanked in favor of an electric motor from UQM Technologies. We′re a bit sketchy on exactly what else is currently being done to the original Linc Volt, and we′ll write another post about our findings in a bit. In the meantime, we′ve discovered that Young has reportedly started a new company called Linc Volt Technologies with the goal of performing more EV conversions.

According to Mr. Young, “Our main focus is on developing the technology. We can tell people how to do it. Or, we can do it for you.” Marc Benioff, a friend of Young’s, is set to be the newly-created company’s first customer, getting his Ford F-150 truck converted to electric. A documentary film of the Linc Volt’s conversion is currently being filmed.

[Source: SF Gate]

Neil Young has Heart of Gold, will make you a Linc Volt originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

How fast will lithium for autos develop?

What kind of penetration will plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric cars make into world auto sales by 2020?

That depends on the price of oil according to a study funded by Credit Suisse. According to the study, plug-ins will achieve 10 percent world market penetration by 2020 if the price of oil is $100 per barrel. If the price of oil hits $200, then plug-inz could achieve 25 percent penetration.

Original post by Dahcredyns

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid

One of the key functions necessary to maximize the capability of hybrid and electric vehicles is regenerative braking. For those who haven′t been paying attention, regenerative braking uses the property of electric motors where mechanically driving the motor causes it to act as a generator producing electric current. In order to facilitate this, a brake system that can monitor the driver’s braking request and then seamlessly blend the maximum amount of regenerative braking with a corresponding amount of friction is needed. All of the major electronic braking system suppliers including Bosch, Continental Teves and TRW have developed such systems. TRW’s system, dubbed Slip Control Boost (SCB) had its first production application on the General Motors two-mode hybrid SUVs and the fuel cell Equinox that is being used for Project Driveway. Because hybrids and EVs don′t necessarily have a vacuum source available for brake boost, the SCB system incorporates a hydraulic brake booster and a high pressure accumulator to supply brake pressure on demand. SCB also provides full slip control functionality, including ABS, traction control and stability control. TRW has just announced a second-generation version SCB2 that is 25 percent smaller and lighter than the original. The SCB2 system can also be used on diesel vehicles to replace the vacuum pump or hydraulic assist systems for the brakes. This should also be a lower cost which will contribute to automakers reducing the costs of their hybrid and electric vehicles.

Full disclosure: prior to becoming a full-time writer last year, I worked as a controls software engineer at TRW and worked on the original SCB system.

[Source: TRW]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid