Electric Car Blogging

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Middle East

If competition spurs companies to improve the quality of their offerings and the speed with which they innovate, then we may soon expect more from Shai Agassi’s Better Place and its partner in Israel, Renault. While BYD already announced they would be selling electric vehicles in Israel earlier this month, that pronunciation gains serious weight with the news that IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. is said to be close to officially announcing a deal with the Chinese automaker to bring both its all-electric E6 and its 60 mile plug-in serial hybrid (PHEV) F6DM to the Jewish state.

IDB, which is run by its largest shareholder, Nochi Dankner, has interests in most areas of the Israeli economy save for automobile importing. The shouldn’t prove overly problematic as the Lubinsky and Livnat families, who together hold 50 percent of the company, are currently importers of Peugeot and Citroen and have experience in the truck industry. They also operate a network of service stations and “logistic centers.” It should be interesting to see whether they employ a cooperative or confrontational approach to competing with the Better Place and their partner, Renault. You bring the popcorn and we’ll bring the details of any upcoming battles royale.

[Source: Globes Online]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid

Battery-powered cars have a lot to recommend them, but they still have one major flaw - the batteries! Compared to almost any other energy storage solution, even the best of today’s electrochemical batteries still have very low energy density and very high cost. Every major car manufacturer is pursuing electrically-driven vehicles with lithium ion batteries as a solution to the problem of CO₂ emissions and oil consumption. They all are aware of the fact that virtually all of these cars will be money losers for at least the first few years until production volumes are ramped up. The presumption is that as more batteries are made in larger volumes the price will come down to a point where the cars might become profitable.

But is this a realistic assumption? It might not be if extracting lithium from the ground becomes increasingly expensive in the same manner that oil is from older fields and other unconventional sources. With dramatically increasing demand for the material, it becomes a real possibility that the price of batteries may never come down. Recycling lithium from depleted batteries is apparently also far more expensive than virgin material. There is of course the possibility of new material breakthroughs that would eliminate the need for lithium. There are also possibilities like silicon nano-wires or ultra capacitors that could dramatically increase energy storage density and reduce the size and requirement for materials like lithium. The only thing we know for sure right now is that we don’t know. All this just goes to show the need for pursuing multiple parallel paths for energy diversity, because there doesn’t appear that any one solution will be sufficient.

[Source: Autoblog]

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Cadillac, Rumormill

With enormous V8 land-yachts and even bigger Escalades rolling down America’s boulevards, Cadillac doesn’t have the most environmentally friendly of images. But that’s a perception that the premium GM division is working hard to combat. After unveiling the Escalade two-mode hybrid, reports have begun to surface that Cadillac is considering a four-cylinder model for the American market like the Saab-based BLS it offers in Europe.

New emerging reports now suggest that Cadillac might get its own version of the highly-anticipated Volt plug-in hybrid from its sister-company Chevrolet. No telling at this point if the Cadillac version would be based on the Volt, transplant the Volt’s powertrain into an existing Cadillac model, or breed an entirely new Caddy - or for that matter if there’s any substance to the rumors - but sources suggest a higher sticker price than the Volt’s anticipated k.

[Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd) via AutoblogGreen]

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green

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Design. It’s certainly a cornerstone of the auto industry. And as cars get cleaner from a fuel/emissions perspective, the look often does, too. What should we make of the Hinterland 1 concept car, then? I think there might be clone troopers inside, while the exterior - and interior - of the new Ed Hardy(R) Smart is also a place where design runs wild. That should delight more than a few people. As for the design of the rumored Cadillac “Volt”, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

• Looks of a aerotank, heart of a hybrid: the Hinterland 1 concept car
• Range-extended electric-vehicle to come from Cadillac?
• Mahindra puts trucks on holding pattern till late ‘09
• million ZAP! plant for Kentucky to be announced today
• Three of the fastest EVs meet for lunch
• Will lithium battery costs ever come down?
• Tatoos and upgrades galore on limited edition Ed Hardy(R) Smart
• Cadillac to reportedly offer new smaller four cylinder sedan in 2010
• Volvo launching hybrid bus at Hanover
• BMW to focus on green tech, not supercars
• Next-gen Saturn Astra to be built in the U.S.
• Which cars would a President Obama or McCain promote?
• IndyCars expected to switch to down-sized turbocharged engines
• BYD getting Israeli partner to compete with Renault and Better Place
• Seat Ibiza Ecomotive gets “most ecological vehicle award” in Germany

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