Electric Car Blogging

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Transportation Alternatives, Lightweight, USA

The ElectraFlyer C took to the skies at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Sunday, demonstrating to the crowds below the possibilities of environmentally friendlier electric-powered flight. The folks on the ground were also witness to a huge reduction in noise pollution as the converted Moni motor glider made three passes in front of the air show center. Able to climb into the skies at a rate of 500 feet per minute, the aircraft can cruise for one and a half to two hours at 70 mph using an 18 horsepower motor fed by 5.6 kilowatt hours worth of lithium polymer batteries. The designer of the e-flyer and president of Electric Aircraft Corp., Randall Fishman, received the 2008 Dr. August Raspet Memorial Award for his efforts which was awarded at the end of a forum discussing electric flight technology. Although this craft is not for sale, Mr. Fishman’s company does sell “powerplant packages” as well as the Electroflier Trike ultralight. Check out the Kit Planes magazine interview with Randall Fishman with his plane after the jump as well as a bonus video of his electric ultralight taking off and flying.

[Source: AirVenture]

Continue reading Electric plane flies at Oshkosh airshow

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, South/Latin America

Endesa, a Spanish-based (Italian-owned) utility company will be soon distributing to its customers in Santiago Chile an EV car. The model, the Reva EV (which we tried in Barcelona last year) hasn’t been much of a big seller in most of Europe (40 units in Spain) so the distribution via the own utility company in Latin America seems quite a good deal. The Reva is currently going through homologation procedures throughout Latin America, except Argentina. Endesa’s subsidiary in Latin America, CAM, will not only sell the Reva but will also create charging stations once enough models are sold. Details about how the cars will be sold/leased are yet unknown.

[Source: Endesa via Econoticias]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mazda, Tesla Motors, USA

Click above for more shots of the Mazda Furai concept

We’ve received confirmation from both Darryl Siry and Mike Bumbeck at Tesla Motors that Franz von Holzhausen, the designer who since February of 2005 oversaw the design and development of all concept and production vehicles for Mazda North America, has moved on to the EV startup, where he will be the Design Director. This move is an interesting one, as he was reportedly ‘hand-picked’ by Elon Musk for the job. Considering just how awesome the Furai concept from the last Detroit Auto Show was with its E100 fueled three rotor Wankel engine, we think Tesla’s got a good one on their hands here.

Right out of the gate, von Holzhausen will need to assemble a team of designers who will then likely get right to work on Tesla Motor’s next batch of electric cars. This hiring also means that Tesla’s future designs will all be created in-house, ending the need to bring in outsiders like the company had to do with Henrik Fisker. We all know how that turned out.

[Source: Tesla Motors via Car Design News]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, Japan

One of France’s most prestigious newspapers, Le Monde, has published a very interesting article about the real impact and the future of green cars regarding Japanese automakers. Basically, the idea is that automakers are asking (and getting) help to develop green technologies. It quotes Carlos Ghosn’s concerns about hybrid cars really catching on, where he states that hybrids might only be a niche market, while remaining “skeptical about the commercial potential of these technologies.” The truth is that they justify this in the not-so-big impact of hybrid cars sold in the U. S.: 350,289 cars in 2007 (out of 16 million car sales), although I do believe it’s significant enough.

Regarding the Japanese market, the article explains that the impact of hybrid cars is even smaller. And this is because of the price difference between hybrids and its non-hybrid siblings: a Honda Civic Hybrid costs ¥400,000 or ,700 more than the conventional model. Bearing this in mind and that Japan’s target is to reduce emissions by 23.5 percent in 2015, Japanese automakers are asking for help to make these technologies available for more people. And the Japanese government has heard their plea: ¥209 billion (,9 billion) between now and 2012 have been allocated to the auto industry to find green technologies (not only hybrids but also biofuels). ¥32 billion are directly invested in hydrogen fuel cell technology, ¥25 billion for EVs and ¥24 billion for Liquified Petroleum Gas.

[Source: Le Monde]

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Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has proposed a new ten-year 0 billion energy plan today in Michigan. A large part of the plan centers around transportation — both the use of petroleum and the types of cars we are to drive in the future. For automakers, billion in loans and loan guarantees would be made available for PHEV development, with one-million of the vehicles to be ready for sale by 2015. For consumers, a ,000 tax credit would be offered for their purchase of said vehicle. Also, in a more short-term effort, Obama proposes that the U.S. sells some seventy-million barrels of oil from America’s strategic petroleum reserve.

While those PHEVs are being developed, Obama’s plan would increase fuel economy standards 4-percent per year. What’s more, Obama would mandate at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2030 while requiring that fuel producers reduce their fuel’s carbon emissions by 5 percent within 5 years and 10 percent within 10 years. To make those biofuels have as large an impact as possible, all new vehicles would be required to have flex-fuel capability within four years.

Lastly, the entire White House fleet will be converted to plug?ins within one year (does this include the new presidential limo that will debut in January?) and half of all cars purchased by the federal government will be plug?in hybrids or all?electric by 2012. See the entire plan in .pdf form at this link.

[Source: Barack Obama - .pdf]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid

Continental, like its arch rival Bosch, is striving to stay relevant in a changing automotive landscape by expanding into new technology areas for hybrid and electric drive vehicles. One technology both companies are pursuing aggressively is lithium ion batteries. Continental will be supplying packs for Mercedes Benz mild hybrid vehicles beginning in 2009. Continental is also one of the development suppliers for the Chevrolet Volt program. So far Continental has partnered with cell suppliers like A123 Systems and Johnson Controls-Saft while focusing pack integration. But like Bosch, Continental wants to start manufacturing cells as well, either by doing it in-house or buying another supplier like A123. The German supplier has already purchased a stake in Enax, but that company only has capacity for small series production. At the moment lithium ion technology is changing so fast that Continental is keeping its options open but Karl-Thomas Neumann, head of powertrain and chassis operations told Reuters that at some stage the company would likely settle on a single partner or acquisition.

[Source: The Guardian]

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Filed under: Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Mazda

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda Taiki concept.

The rotary engine is world-renowned for many things, but fuel-efficiency isn’t one of them. Mazda wants to make Wankel’s masterpiece the poster child for its hydrogen-powered endeavors, so it’s considering offering a dual-fuel version of the engine in its next RX-badged offering.

According to AutoExpress, Mazda’s RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle will evolve into a new model, dubbed the RX-9, and is rumored to be motivated by a hydrogen-gasoline powertrain that will offer 20 percent better fuel economy and emissions over a traditional gasoline-powered Rotary. The rear-wheel-drive coupe will take styling cues from the Taiki concept and a dash-mounted switch allows drivers to toggle between gasoline and hydrogen fuel systems. For city driving, the hydrogen setting will be employed, which will reduce fuel consumption (at the expense of a 20 percent drop in power), while the gasoline system can be employed when drivers desire more performance.

Mazda’s goal is to make the rotary engine’s performance, fuel economy and emissions up the level of gasoline-electric hybrids, and if AE’s sources are to be believed, the hydrogen-powered RX-9 should arrive in 2012.

[Source: AutoExpress]

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Etc., Green, Lotus, Toyota

Click above for gallery of Lotus’ Safe and Sound Hybrid

Hybrid vehicles have the potential to save a few bucks at the pump, but advocates for the blind have continued to warn about their potential to harm to the seeing impaired. Lotus’ automotive consultancy arm is trying to avert the risk of hybrids quietly running in electric mode with its “Safe and Sound” demo car.

This specially equipped Toyota Prius has been fitted a waterproof speaker mounted above the radiator that can emit a sound similar to a flat-six or V8, based off the vehicle’s speed and throttle position. Once the internal combustion engine kicks in, the system is muted, allowing the 1.5-liter inline four to sing its siren song.

Hit the jump to read the press release and see a video of the “Safe and Sound” demo car in action. Also keep in mind that we’ve yet to run across a report of a blind person being hit by a hybrid car, though there was that one kid who got knocked off his bike.

Continue reading Lotus gives hybrids a V8 soundtrack

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