UK's getting plugged !

The U.K. government has outlined its Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator scheme, which it said will pave the way for the creation of the world’s biggest network of electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations.

The £25 million project (U$ 41 millions) will implement eight demonstrator programs across the U.K., bringing together organizations that have committed to installing more than 500 roadside, car park, business and home charging stations by June 2010. The majority will be produced and installed by Brighton-based Elektromotive.

Eight separate consortia, involving car manufacturers, power companies, regional development agencies and academic bodies will each receive a portion of the funding. The consortia will coordinate trials of approximately 340 EVs and plug-in electric hybrid cars in London, Glasgow, North-East England, the West Midlands and Oxford.

Many of the new charging stations that will be installed are Elektrobays, identical to 160 already sited in London and in other locations around the U.K. The Elektrobay is the only recharging station currently in widespread day-to-day use anywhere in the world, and the high level of around-the-clock usage of the stations in London provides an insight into how the creation of a proven infrastructure has become a prerequisite for the widespread adoption of EVs and plug-in hybrids by consumers.

Source : The Canadian Driver, June 28th, 2009

Energy providers start going green

A demonstration project by Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) of Wisconsin will create a series of electric vehicle charging stations that will have emissions offset through renewable energy, and provide users with options that extend the range and use of their electric vehicles.

MGE, which purchased the stations from Carbon Day Automotive of Chicago, said that the project is the first of its kind in the U.S. Only a handful of public vehicle charging systems are in place throughout the world.

MGE plans to install the first charging unit this summer, and have the network up and operating by early next year. Last year, the utility purchased one of the state’s first plug-in hybrid cars, and this summer it will install vehicle-to-grid technology in a new Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, making it “Smart Grid” ready. This technology allows the vehicle to recharge at lower power demand times, and can also be discharged to supply the grid with power during peak power demand hours.

Source : The Canadian Driver, June 28th, 2009

EVs to rent in Baltimore

Electric cars will be available to rent or share in Baltimore through a program announced Tuesday at the Maryland Science Center. The car, a Maya 300, has a lithium-ion battery and was manufactured by Canadian firm Electrovaya Inc., according to the announcement. The Maya 300, with a top speed of 35 mph, boasts zero emissions and 120 miles per charge, said Sankar Das Gupta, chairman and chief executive of Electrovaya, based in Mississauga, Ontario. The cars can be charged with a standard household electric outlet.

The Maryland Science Center will be offering free test drives of the electric car, with center admission, through July. Starting in August, 10 cars will be available for the car-sharing program, Van Reiner, president and chief executive of the Maryland Science Center, said.

Two types of membership will be offered through the Altcar car-sharing program. One involves a monthly fee, with discounted hourly rates and bonuses, while the other type charges only hourly rates, according to Reiner. There will be rental kiosks outside and inside the science center.

It is interesting to note that this program is partially sponsored by ExxonMobile company.

Source : The Baltimore Sun, by Kaila Cross, June 23rd, 2009

A new NEV hits the road !

After four years of development, Augusta electric vehicle maker Tomberlin Group is ready to produce the Anvil, a four-person, street-legal, low-speed electric car.

"Tens of billions of miles are driven every week by people commuting less than seven miles," company executive Mike Tomberlin said. "We think we have a neat alternative and solution."

More than 60,000 neighborhood electric vehicles are already on streets across the country, said Jennifer Watts, spokeswoman for the Electric Drive Transportation Association.

"It is a growing market. People are finding how useful the vehicles can be as a second vehicle. More fleets are purchasing them," Ms. Watts said.

Even the Army wants 4,000 electric cars in operation at its bases by 2011 for passenger transport, security patrol, maintenance and delivery services.

It is asking for bids.Mr. Tomberlin said the Anvil will target a niche market: close-by commutes and planned communities, such as Riverwood Plantation on Washington Road in Evans, or gated golf course communities, such as West Lake. He calls it an "aggressive" neighborhood electric vehicle targeting an area that is being served by vehicles based on a golf car platform.

"We felt that we could deliver a better owner experience if we were able to design an electric vehicle from the ground up," Mr. Tomberlin said. He said the market for the neighborhood electric vehicles is in the billions of dollars. New York-based International Market Solutions studies the small, task-oriented vehicle market, which includes forklifts and golf cars and neighborhood electric vehicles. By 2012, it reported, the entire market could reach $5.5 billion in sales. The marketing firm sees a lot of that growth in neighborhood electric vehicles.

"Heading into an environment of continuing increases in the cost of hydrocarbon- and bio-based fuels and stringent regulation of emissions, IMS sees major opportunities for small-vehicle manufacturers across all segments, especially when it comes to electric power," said Stephen Metzger, International Market Solutions' managing director.

Gasoline prices might not be high enough to drive a demand for the vehicles, but there is a tax credit that could spark some interest, Ms. Watts said. The American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has a 10 percent tax credit, up to $2,500, for the purchase of a electric scooter or neighborhood electric vehicle.

Golf car makers E-Z-Go and Club Car have been diversifying over the years into low-speed electric vehicles for uses off the golf course, including neighborhood transportation.

Mr. Tomberlin said he has a "healthy respect" for the two golf car giants that make Augusta the electric-vehicle capital of the world but doesn't feel his company really competes with them.

The Anvil has the appearance of a small Jeep. It has been driven on Broad Street in tests. "Neighborhood electric vehicle" is a federal classification, so it is limited to a 25 mph speed. The Anvil, which is recharged through a normal household plug, has a range of more than 40 miles. "Driving these things around Manhattan will be a real kick," said Batt Humphries, Tomberlin's marketing director.Tomberlin executive Andy Johnson said production will begin at the end of July. The vehicle will be assembled locally.

Source : Augusta Chronicle, by Tim Rausch, June 28th, 2009

U.S. writes down its green revolution

The energy bill that was approved by the House of Representatives on June 26 is the “American Clean Energy and Security Act”. It mainly establishes a US plan to reduce greenhouse gas emission.

Targets for these emissions are a bit higher than wanted by President Obama, which is good for us.

The bill mainly targets housing and transportation, which are exactly LHS EV Company markets! Greenhouse gas emission will have to be cut down by a certain percentage every year. The figures are:

• 2012 à -6%
• 2013 à -6%
• 2014 à -9.5%
• 2015 à -9.5%
• 2016 à -13%
• 2017 à -13%
• 2018 à -16.5%
• 2019 à -16.5%
• 2020 à -20%
• 2021 – 2039 à -20%

The main idea is that by 2050, US greenhouse gas emissions will have to be cut down of 80% compared to actual figures, which is enormous. But when you also know that by 2016, all US states gas emissions standards for vehicles will have to be the same than the Californians ones (that are among the World’s most draconian), the 80% doesn’t appear like an impossible one. It is very important for us to understand that ONLY EVs and PHEVs can allow global standards.

Alternative compliance payments are 2.5 cents per KWh in violation of the standard, adjusted for inflation beginning in 2010. This will help to finance the main objectives of the bill:

1. Each electricity provider who supplies over 4 million MWh will have to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. 5% of this standard can be met through energy efficiency savings.
2. The Bill provides modernization of the electrical grid, EV Plug infrastructure will be able to push clean energy (solar panels) to the grid and will also provide an intelligent analysis of consumption made by the vehicles plugged to it. Energy providers and automakers will be very interested by this information because, for example, it will allow them to know where people need the most energy for transportation (EVs and PHEVs) and where the clean vehicles get used the most.
3. The Bill provides for expanded production of electric vehicles, EV Plug infrastructure will be the best availability to allow all these vehicles to plug-in.
4. The Bill mandates significant increases in energy efficiency in buildings, home appliances, and electricity generation. The EV Plug infrastructure will be a part of the answer our customers’ hotels will have to bring for this energy efficiency.

Ford will be a leader in fuel efficiency

The US Government has loaned US$ 5.9 billion to Ford, for the development of fuel-saving technologies including hybrid-electric systems, alternative-fuel power plants, direct-injection as well as other developments that are related to help reduce fuel consumption such as dual clutch transmissions, vehicle weight reduction and aerodynamic efficiency.

On that note, Ford has revealed more information about its electric car programs. First on the list, is a ‘pure battery electric’, or (BEV) Transit Connect commercial van that would be introduced next year. Ford will be working hand in hand with Smith Electric U.S on the development of the electric Transit.

Next on the list is something that is more interesting, which is the production of a BEV Focus. The emissions-free Focus would be co-developed with Magna, and can hit the streets by 2011. Both the BEV Transit Connect and BEC Focus are expected to deliver up to anywhere between 160 and 257 kilometers (100 miles and 160 miles) in terms of driving range.

Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally revealed, “This green partnership between Ford and the U.S. Government will help accelerate the development of advanced technologies for even better fuel efficiency and emissions. Ford is absolutely committed to fuel economy leadership with every new model we introduce. In fact, we plan to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years.”FoMoCo will also work on plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) as well as “next generation” hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). Both the PHEV and the HEV could be introduced by 2012.

Source : paultan.org, June 24th, 2009

A PHEV elected car of the year !

The Fisker Karma Sunset PHEV hardtop convertible coupe has been named 2009 Production Preview Concept of the Year, part of the North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards. Henrik Fisker, CEO of California-based Fisker Automotive, accepted the honors today during a ceremony at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan.

The North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards, now in its eighth year, recognizes those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry. A jury of more than two dozen automotive journalists selected the Karma Sunset over vehicles from seven other major manufacturers. The Production Preview category is for vehicles based on a model that has already been announced or is planned for production. The Fisker Karma Sunset was unveiled to rave reviews in January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Based on the same architecture and driven by the same Q-DRIVE(R) hybrid electric powertrain as the Fisker Karma -- scheduled to be the world's first commercially available Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) -- the Sunset's hardtop convertible coupe configuration gives it the perfect blend of style, sportiness and efficiency. It will be available in 2011 through Fisker's global retail network. The company is already accepting deposits.

"We are honored the Karma Sunset has received such great recognition," said Fisker Automotive CEO and lead designer Henrik Fisker. "The Karma Sunset, along with the talented Fisker Automotive team that helped develop it, proves environmentally friendly vehicles can be fast and sexy, too."

"As the industry's emerging paradigm shift rewrites the book on how cars are designed and manufactured, the Fisker Karma Sunset concept is a bellwether for the auto industry's second century," said Tom Kelley, juror and founder of the North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards.

Source : Carz Unlimited, June 24th, 2009

Korean hybrid-car battery makers boost investments

South Korean makers of batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are rushing to increase their capital spending in an effort to secure a spot in the rapidly growing global market.

Aggressive investment by LG Chem Co., Samsung SDI Co., SK Energy Co. and similar firms is also timed with Hyundai Motor Co.'s launch of South Korea's first HEV in July. Market watchers are expecting its release to be a catalyst for the embryonic local industry.

"The launch of the Avante LPI Hybrid will help expand the HEV battery market in South Korea. But the market is forecast to grow at a modest pace as it will take a while for the hybrid car to be popular," said James Park, an analyst at Hyundai Securities Co.

HEVs are powered by both batteries and fuel, and achieve better fuel economy than conventional vehicles, substantially reducing air pollution. LG Chem plans to spend 1 trillion won (780 million dollars) to build an HEV battery plant by 2013 with the aim of increasing its global market share to over 20 percent. The company also plans to build a plant in the United States to provide batteries to U.S. automaker General Motors Corp.

GM's plug-in hybrid electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, will come equipped with LG Chem's lithium-ion polymer battery beginning in November 2010. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which has batteries that can be recharged when connected to a power outlet.

In June 2008, Samsung SDI, the world's third-largest producer of rechargeable batteries, signed a deal with Germany's Bosch Corp., the world's largest supplier of automobile components, to set up a 50-50 joint venture called SB LiMotive. The company is scheduled to start commercial production of HEV batteries in 2010. SK Energy, Korea's top refiner, has been increasing its investment in HEV battery development. "We are planning to start mass production of lithium-ion polymer batteries starting 2011," said Hong Gyeong-pyo, a spokesman for the firm.

Last January, the refiner broke ground for a 159-billion won (124 million dollars) plant to produce lithium-ion battery separators (LiBS), a key material in HEV batteries, starting June 2010.

Japan has led the global HEV battery market since the mid 1990s, but South Korea has been at its heels since 2000, according to data by LG Chem. The global HEV battery market is expected to grow to 10 trillion won in 2015 from 1 trillion won (780 million dollars) in 2010, with the number of HEVs rising to 4.6 million units from 950,000 units.

Source : Yonhap News, by Nam Kwang-Sik, June 25th, 2009

Running Prototype of Chevrolet Volt

General Motors may still be in bankruptcy protection but that doesn’t mean work at America’s largest automaker has stopped. In fact, engineers have been hard at it, especially those working on the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.Today Chevy has released a few photos of a pre-production model of the Volt.

Until now, every other version was either a show car or a test mule and not an actual representation of what the Volt will look like - or be like for that matter.The pictures show top Volt engineer Andrew Farah testing the car in a real world scenario and then plugging it back in to charge the battery pack.

The Volt uses state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries and if the car makes it to market soon enough, it will be the first mass-market vehicle to do so with lithium-ion power.The Volt is a PHEV (a plug in hybrid electric vehicle). It is a full hybrid that can operate on gasoline, electric power or a combination of both and will be able to travel as many as 40 miles on pure electric power before the gasoline engine needs to kick in.

Source : Edmunds.com, by Scott Doggett, June 24th, 2009

Ford Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars

Ford Motor Company unveiled an aggressive plan for delivering a suite of new plug-in hybrid electric cars to the market. Some of the electric vehicles include a pure battery Transit Connect commercial van and a series of next-generation hybrid cars. The announcement came after Ford was approved for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program by the U.S. Department of Energy.

"This green partnership between Ford and the U.S. government will help accelerate the development of advanced technologies for even better fuel efficiency and emissions," Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement. Ford plans to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles during the next seven years. The green partnership with the Department of Energy will also help the automaker retool its plans to produce fuel efficient vehicles that meet new requirements.

While Ford has an aggressive plan for the commercial market, it is also developing new hybrid electric systems. Ford is now in its fifth year producing the world's most fuel-efficient SUV, the Escape Hybrid, and added the Ford Fusion earlier this year. The Fusion is still the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the market.

However, the automaker plans to expand its line of hybrid cars by offering different levels of electric vehicles. For example, Ford is already working on a three-year program to test the new Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). This plan will evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the electric grid.

Ford, in collaboration with 10 utilities and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), are currently testing the Ford Escape PHEV. The utilities are collecting data on battery technology, vehicle systems, and the grid infrastructure. The automaker plans to introduce several PHEVs in 2012.

The future for hybrid cars does seem to be heading towards plug-in technologies. The automaker will launch two pure battery electric vehicles (BEV) during the next two years. The BEV Transit Connect will be available in 2010 and the BEV Focus will launch in 2011.

The new battery electric cars are expected to have a range of 100 miles. These vehicles also will reduce operation and maintenance costs for the consumer. It will take about eight hours to fully charge the new plug-in automobiles.

Technologies that go into hybrid cars are advancing fast. The market does seem to be leaning towards plug-in electric car solutions. This not only will help reduce our dependency for foreign oil, but will help clean our environment at the same time.

Source : NewsOXY, by Andy Hodges, June 24th, 2009

Mitsubishi ready for EV !

WHEN politicians start talking about electric cars, you just know it’s going to happen some time soon.

That “it” is the roll-out of financial incentives, a network of charging points and a general endorsement of the whole project.

The idea of being able to replace the trusty internal combustion engine is, frankly, a bogus one.

So Mitsubishi believes it has hit on a smart solution – an electric version of its unusual i car, called the i MiEV.

In petrol-powered form, it works remarkably well and, like it’s fossil-fuelled sibling, the i MiEV is a piece of cake to operate – you just stick it in drive and off you go. And boy does this thing go. You could call it the anti-car: the controls are easy to use, the car is exceptionally easy to manoeuvre around town and, despite its size, it can carry four adults with ease.

Electric cars are often saddled with a list of compromises longer than the vehicle’s range. Mitsubishi is all too keen to remind you of the i MiEV’s sub-100 mile range, although if you stay within the city limits and do only a handful of miles a day, this is unlikely to be a problem.

Being a city runabout, the car’s modest range isn’t really an issue at all. Granted, cold weather will reduce that, but hooking up the car at a place of work, for example, would alleviate that issue on the spot.

The stop-start nature of urban traffic is no longer a chore as the little Mitsubishi boasts a sense of urgency that’s lacking in conventional, lethargic, fuel-powered cars.

And don’t worry, it stops as well as it goes. And it steers well, too. In fact, thanks to the battery pack – never a small item in cars like this – being underneath the cabin, the car feels more stable and agile than its petrol cousin.

It’s clear that, on paper and in practice, the car works: it’s easy to drive, practical and could easily be a supermini substitute for urban dwellers. But one important issue that will put it out of the reach of most buyers is the cost.

An outright purchase option is unlikely as you would be looking at tens of thousands of pounds. Leasing is a more attractive option, and it’s also something that would attract local authorities and business customers.

Think meals on wheels, home help, pool cars for local travel and you’ll have a better idea of the car’s place in the motoring pecking order.

Mitsubishi has bold plans for the i MiEV. It has been well received in Japan and has all the hallmarks of a no-compromise electric vehicle for the masses – so much so that a few hundred, not a few dozen, are expected to (silently) hit the streets.

Source : The Press and Journal, by Iain Dooley June 24th, 2009

Nissan EVs coming up !

Nissan Motor Co. said it would unveil its first electric vehicle in Japan on Aug. 2 and begin sales next year.

Nissan will sell electric cars first in Japan and the U.S. after April 2010, and then mass produce them globally in 2012.

Source : JC Online, June 24th, 2009

Ford, Nissan, Tesla's electric plans get $8B jolt

Cultivating the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles, the Obama administration said it would lend $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Co. and about $2.1 billion to Nissan Motor Co. and Tesla Motors Inc. in a government-industry partnership to build green cars.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the three automakers would be the first beneficiaries of a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.

The loans to Ford will help the company upgrade factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio to produce 13 fuel-efficient vehicles.

Nissan will receive loans of $1.6 billion to retool its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., to build electric vehicles and construct a battery manufacturing plant.

Tesla will get $465 million in loans to build electric vehicles and electric-drive powertrains in California.

The loans were designed to help auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current standards. "These loans will help the auto industry meet and even exceed the president's tough fuel standards," Chu said at Ford's Research and Innovation Center. "This means the most fuel-efficient cars in the world must be made right here in America."

Dozens of auto companies, suppliers and battery makers have requested $38 billion from the loan program, which was created last year to give car companies and suppliers low-interest loans to retool their facilities for green vehicles and components such as advanced batteries.

Ford had been seeking about $5 billion in loans by 2011 and a total of $11 billion from the program to invest $14 billion in advanced technologies over the next seven years. The loans will help Ford convert two truck plants to produce cars and help the company raise the fuel efficiency of nearly 2 million new vehicles a year. The government said it will help Ford transform nearly 35,000 jobs into "green" engineering and manufacturing jobs. Ford has said it intends to bring several battery-electric vehicles to market starting next year, with a plug-in hybrid vehicle coming by 2012. "We want to be in every market segment in the U.S.," said Ford CEO Alan Mulally. "Every year forever we want to continue to improve fuel efficiency."Ford expects to begin repaying the loans in 2012, with an interest rate based on the current U.S. Treasury rate hovering between 3 and 4 percent, said Ford spokesman Mike Moran. The company would have faced much higher interest rates from private lenders.Ford can draw from the loan for work done to retool its plants going back to late last year, Moran said. The retooled plants must be at least 20 years old and build cars that improve fuel efficiency by 25 percent.

Nissan said it would use its $1.6 billion loan to modify its Smyrna, Tenn., plant to produce zero-emissions vehicles and build a new facility to produce lithium-ion battery packs. The Japanese company has previously outlined plans to develop an all-electric car with 100 miles of pure battery range for release in late 2010.The electric car will initially be built in Japan. Dominique Thormann, Nissan North America's senior vice president for administration and finance, said the loans could create up to 1,300 jobs at the two facilities and lead to U.S. production of the electric car beginning in 2012. Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said in Japan that the U.S. would be "a very important market" for the company's electric strategy. "I can tell you I'm not at all worried about how to sell these cars because there is an appetite for zero-emission cars."

Tesla, based in San Carlos, Calif., will use $365 million for production engineering and the assembly of the Model S sedan, an all-electric vehicle that is expected to travel up to 300 miles per charge and go on sale in 2011. It will use $100 million for a powertrain manufacturing plant expected to employ 650 workers.Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the automaker would use the loan "precisely the way that Congress intended — as the capital needed to build sustainable transport."

General Motors Corp. has requested $10.3 billion in loans from the energy program, while Chrysler Group LLC has asked for $6 billion. Energy officials have said the loans could only go to "financially viable" companies, preventing GM and Chrysler from qualifying for the first round of loans.Chu said the Energy Department has started discussing details of the loans with Chrysler and has begun reviewing the "technical side" of the loan requirements with GM. GM officials said they hoped to get the money shortly after emerging from bankruptcy protection.

Source : Associated Press, by Kimberly S. Johnson & Ken Thomas, June 24th, 2009

Smart ED will hit the road in 2010 !

Reaction from customers taking part in the UK trials of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, including police, universities, local councils, architects and energy companies, has been so encouraging that Daimler has confirmed it will go into production, with cars coming to the UK in early 2010.

The second-generation Smart ED will also be taking part in projects in Rome, Milan and Paris. Several cities in the US are also due to start trials of the battery-powered Smart and their feedback will be incorporated into future production models.

The production ED will have a lithium-ion battery giving longer range, shorter charging time and improved performance compared to the test vehicles, 100 of which have been on lease to UK fleet customers since December 2007 at £375 (about U$ 600) a month.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: "It's wonderful to see manufacturers such as Smart leading the way to make the battery vehicle an easy choice. The move to battery vehicles will have a huge impact on cutting carbon emissions to curb climate change whilst improving air quality and noise levels."

London director of transport Kulveer Ranger said: "We are working with manufacturers through the London Electric Vehicle Partnership and urge the auto industry to invest in this technology. Not only can we create "green collar" jobs but also smooth the way for less polluting transport choices."

Mercedes-Benz UK managing director Dermot Kelly said: "We're delighted that the UK trial is proving so successful. The Smart Electric Drive is exempt from road tax and the London congestion charge and has very low operating costs so the companies taking part in the trial are finding it makes financial sense too."

Source : Motoring, June 23rd, 2009

US green loans soon to come

The U.S. Department of Energy is set to announce tomorrow which car companies would receive federal loans promoting fuel efficient cars.

Tesla, Nissan and Ford should be part of the announcement. Ford has applied for up to $11 billion from the program. Tesla has asked for $350 million to build the Model S, its four-door all-electric sedan, and another $100 million for a powertrain manufacturing plant. Nissan hasn't disclosed how much it would like to receive.

Congress set aside $25 billion for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM), which aims to fund efforts by automakers and parts suppliers to manufacture equipment for building energy efficient cars.

Tesla, based in San Carlos, Calif., is counting on federal loans for bringing the Model S to the market. The company, founded in 2003, designed its first all-electric vehicle to be an expensive sports car, called the Roadster. The Roadster is priced at around $109,000. Tesla is charging $57,400 for the Model S, and hopes to roll out future models that would be cheaper. The company unveiled a prototype Model S earlier this year. The plan is to bring the car to market in late 2011.

Source : Green Tech Media, by Ucilia Wang, June 22nd, 2009

Industry starts to organize itself for green transportation

Magna Electronics, a division of Ontario-based auto parts supplier Magna International, has formed a 50/50 joint venture with technology company Semikron to develop and produce power electronics for future electric and hybrid vehicle applications.

“This joint venture with Semikron, a global player across multiple industries, provides us with an experienced and strong partner in the field of power electronics,” said Matthias Arleth, vice-president of Magna Electronics Europe. “In combination with Magna Electronics’ experience as a worldwide automotive supplier, we are well positioned to anticipate the challenges of the market and exceed customer requirements for electric and hybrid vehicle components and systems.”

Semikron, a privately-owned company, was founded in 1951 and employs 3,000 people worldwide through a global network of 35 companies. It produces chips, discretes and power modules, along with integrated power electronic systems

Source : Canadian Driver, June 22nd, 2009

UK running nationwide green transportation test !

The UK government will shortly unveil the world's largest ever coordinated trial of environmentally friendly vehicles. The £25m (40.7 million dollars) scheme, which is designed to accelerate the introduction of electric cars to the UK will allow people to take part in long-term trials of everything from electric Minis and Smart city cars to sports cars and electric vans.

From the end of this year, around 340 of the vehicles will be available to qualifying members of the public in eight different locations around the country including Oxford, London, Glasgow, Birmingham and the north-east. Power companies, regional development agencies and universities will also be involved in coordinating the experiments, building infrastructure such as charging points and analysing the way the cars are used.

"Here's an opportunity to position the UK as a world leader in the adoption of this technology by supporting the largest ever trial of such vehicles," said Paul Drayson, the science minister. "That encourages companies working in this field to do their research and development here. That knowledge generated by the trial then gets fed back to the follow-on systems that come through."

Around 22% of the UK's carbon emissions come from transport, with 13% of these from private cars. According to a study for the Department for Transport (DfT), widespread adoption of electric vehicles capable of a range of 50km or more could cut road transport carbon emissions in half.

"We have about 33m cars on the road at the moment and it's going to go up by another 4-5m in the next 10 years," said David Bott of the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the government-backed agency that promotes the development of new technologies and is coordinating the national demonstration project. "There's a lot of people buying new cars anyway so the question is how quickly can we get credible alternatives out there?"

Moving the UK's drivers onto cleaner forms of road transport would not be addressed by a single piece of technology, said Bott, and so the demonstration project had been designed to try out different cars in different places. "We get to find out what we can't do and we get a whole bunch of new problems that are real. We get confidence that we're on the right path or the knowledge that we need to change."

One branch of the trial will involve around 40 of BMW's Mini E available to those living in Oxford and south-east England. The 12-month project will evaluate the technical and social aspects of living with an all-electric vehicle and scientists at Oxford Brookes University will keep track of the drivers.

Anyone interested in taking part will need to meet certain criteria. "You'll have to have a garage, for example, and you'll have to have a fairly modern electrical wiring system," said Emma Lowndes of Mini UK. "A conventional cable on a normal socket would take over 10 hours to charge the Mini's battery. We're talking with Scottish and Southern Energy about putting in a 32 amp box into homes which would mean a charging time of just over 4 hours."

The cost of the Mini E has not been finalised but, in a similar scheme in the United States, the company charged customers around $850 (£520) per month to lease the car, a cost that included maintenance and insurance.

In Glasgow, 40 battery-powered cars will be made available by Peugeot, the local council and in partnership with the battery company Axeon. Scottish Power will provide 40 charging points around Glasgow and, during the year-long trial, the cars will be monitored using GPS to record the number and length of individual journeys. That data will be analysed by researchers at Strathclyde University.

Mercedes-Benz will make 100 of its latest electric Smart cars available in the west Midlands and in London."We're asking the public to come forward and apply to be one of the drivers of these vehicles," said Dermot Kelly, managing director of Mercedes-Benz cars.

"What we want is a diverse group who are commuting to work every day, who have the ability to charge their cars at home. The power supply companies will be supplying smart metering to work out when people would charge their cars up and when they would use them."

Kelly said he wanted to know how people used electric cars. "What we're hoping to learn is ... what we need to do to make the car as friendly and adaptable as possible to people's lifestyle."

For those who want their environmentally friendly cars with a bit more power, the EEMS Accelerate consortium — a group of small independent manufacturers — are making 21 electric sports cars available. These will include models from the Lightning car company, Westfield and Delta Motorsport. In addition, wind energy company Ecotricity will build and test an electric sports car that it claims will be the world's first charged only using energy from wind turbines.

Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner Tony Bosworth welcomed the new scheme, but said: "Ministers must boost the UK's flagging renewable energy industry because electric vehicles are only as green as the power they run on. Low-carbon vehicles are certainly needed, but we need broader changes to make the necessary cuts in transport emissions. Urgent action is needed to get people out of their cars by making public transport, cycling and walking more attractive options."

The government's demonstration project will also examine people's attitudes and behaviour around owning electric cars. Some people might hesitate to buy a typical electric car that might only have a range of 100 miles on a full charge, said Bott, but their attitudes might change if they tried the cars in question or realised that 95% of all UK journeys tend to be under 25 miles.

The demonstrations announced today are part of the government's wider £250m electric car strategy, unveiled in April, which includes potential incentives of up to £5,000 (U$ 8,100) for consumers to buy electric cars. London's mayor, Boris Johnson, has also announced his intent to make the city the electric car capital of Europe. He wants to introduce 100,000 electric cars to the capital's streets and build an infrastructure of 25,000 charging points in public streets, car parks and shops.

Source : guardian.co.uk, by Alok Jha, June 23rd, 2009