Monday 29 November 2010

CHINA PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORUM March 10&11 2011, Shanghai, China

China Plug-In Electric Vehicle Forum 2011 with the main theme of "Improving Infrastructure & Facilitating Industrialization", organized by Genesis Resourcing Consulting China, to be held on 10 & 11, March, 2011 at Pudong Ramada Plaza Shanghai, China. This two-day conference and exhibition will gather 200+ EV OEMS, Utilities, Charging Infrastructure Developers, EVs Charging Equipments, Technologies and Solutions Providers, Regulatory and Standards Bodies, Battery Technologies Providers, Components Manufacturers, Application Developers, Consulting and Investing Companies, Research Institutions and Associations to create win-win business models for China EV charging infrastructure economy.

Read full information @ http://www.evhub.biz/chinaevforum

Sunday 28 November 2010

Electric Vehicles Get Government Incentives

Good news to Indian electric vehicles industry, the ministry of new and renewable energy on Monday announced a 20 per cent financial incentive on the ex-factory price of electric cars and scooters sold in the country.
As the expectations soar in the camps of Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles in India. The firm anticipates a 100% growth for Rs 95 crore incentive scheme offered by the Indian government on electric vehicles. Under the scheme every electric car sold during this 11th Plan in the next two years will be eligible for incentive. The government has announced this incentive scheme, as a part of 11th five year plan.

Mitsubishi reveals the "I" electric vehicle at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show

LOS ANGELES -- Mitsubishi Motors renamed its MiEV electric vehicle to be called simply "I." It was introduced on the second media day at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The "I" is a five-door hatchback electric car with a range of 100 miles in Japan or 75 miles in the United States. It was launched for fleet customers in July 2009 and on April 1, 2010 for the rest of the public. Sales in the U.S. should begin in November 2011 with a starting price of $30,000, before any state or federal incentives. The "I" is equipped with a 64 hp permanent-magnet motor.
The Mitsubishi MiEV concept was first introduced in 2006. The production version came out in 2009. The name remains the same in Japan and in Europe, however it was shortened to just the "I" for the United States and Canadian markets, powered by MiEV technology.
"This car can be charged three different ways, there's also three different driving modes," said Laura Arbios, a product specialist at Mitsubishi Motors. "You can charge on a 110-outlet, a 220 or a 440 direct current. The 110 gets you a charge in about 12 hours, 220 gets you a charge in about six, the DC gets you an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes."
The "I" is a completely electric vehicle. It has no on-board charger or gas tank whatsoever. That also means it produces zero emissions.

Sunday 21 November 2010

Utilities thrilled and worried about electric cars

New York • The first mass-market electric cars go on sale next month, and the nation’s electric utilities couldn’t be more thrilled — or worried.
Plugged into a socket, an electric car can draw as much power as a small house. The surge in demand could knock out power to a home, or even a neighborhood. That has utilities in parts of California, Texas and North Carolina scrambling to upgrade transformers and other equipment in neighborhoods where the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are expected to be in high demand.
Not since air conditioning spread across the country in the 1950s and 1960s has the power industry faced such a growth opportunity. Last year, Americans spent $325 billion on gasoline, and utilities would love even a small piece of that market.
The main obstacles to wide-scale use of electric cars are high cost and limited range, at least until a network of charging stations is built. But utility executives fret that difficulties keeping the lights on for the first crop of buyers—and their neighbors—could slow the growth of this new niche.
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," says Mike Rowand, who is in charge of electric vehicle planning at Duke Energy.

Automakers to Roll-Out EVs in the US Market

American carmakers have laid out big plans to launch electric vehicles or EVs in the US market by next month.
The world's second largest automaker General Motors announced it will launch sales of its first EV vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt in December.
Volt won the title of "2011 Green Car of the Year" at the LA Auto Show.
The vehicle is capable of running up to 64 kilometers on a single charge and once its battery power is depleted it would operate its internal combustion engine to supply electric power to travel up to 480 kilometers.


New study has bad news for electric vehicle makers

Automakers who have invested in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids may have difficulty selling those products in the UK, according to a study released today.
Technology and services company Bosch's survey entitled, 'Driving Green Britain' discovered only five per cent of motorists planning to buy a new car would consider green credentials.

When asked to rank what was the main influence behind their purchase decision, 63 per cent of motorists surveyed said that price was the most important factor, closely followed by 56 per cent who said vehicle size was also influential. Motorists ranked design, style, brand and safety ahead of a car’s environmental impact, saying that green vehicles are just too expensive.

Impact for automakers
Withimpending release of green vehicles, the results of this study couldpose concerns for automakers. Nissan willrelease its EV, LEAF in the UK early next year along with Toyota’sexpected release of the Prius Plug-in EV later in the year. 

Peter Fouquet, president of Bosch in the UK, said that consumer attitudes provide a challenge for companies that want to invest in green automotive technologies.


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Saturday 20 November 2010

Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Nissan Electric Cars At LA Auto Show

LOS angeles, ca - november 18:  mitsubishi mot...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Written by Jim Motavalli
LOS ANGELES — I love L.A., and not just because of that Randy Newman song. If you ignore the traffic snarls, the smog and the crime, you can find great neighborhoods, incredible food trucks, amazing music — and a very high state of green awareness.
Believe it or not, although I’m a regular in Detroit, this is my first Los Angeles Auto Show, and I decided to come because the bill of fare was irresistibly green. And the show lived up to its billing — I was immersed in cutting-edge electric vehicle programs for two full days that left me drained. It will take a while to sort it all out, but here are a few vignettes from the floor:

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Electric vehicles seen as sliver of 2020 market

(Reuters) - Automakers around the world are pouring money into developing a slate of hybrid, plug-in and electric vehicles, but pure EVs are expected to make up just a sliver of the global auto market in a decade's time.
Pure electric vehicles-- which do not have an internal combustion engine and are plugged in to recharge-- will make up around 5 percent of the global auto market by 2020, some auto experts said.
Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has a more bullish projection of 10 percent. Other industry insiders, like Ford Ford Motor's (F.N) Derrick Kuzak, say that percentage will be far smaller.
"The business model doesn't compute," BorgWarner Inc (BWA.N) CEO Timothy Manganello said at the Reuters Global Autos Summit. "The more these guys make electric vehicles, the more money they are going to lose."
Manganello projects pure electric vehicles will make up between 2 percent and 5 percent of the overall market by 2020, potentially including some range-extended vehicles.

Friday 19 November 2010

Seoul public transport to shift to electric vehicles

Seoul, November 19 - Seoul city aims to switch half of its buses and taxis to electric power and set up recharging facilities throughout the capital over the coming decade.

The measures are part of plans announced by Mayor Oh Se-hoon to transform Seoul into a leading green-car city.

They include providing 120,000 electric cars by 2020, switching 50 percent of public transportation and 10 percent of automobiles to battery-only electric vehicles, and establishing 110,000 charging stations across the city.

Read full news @ http://www.eco-business.com/news/2010/nov/19/seoul-public-transport-shift-electric-vehicles/

Electric sports car roars into Japanese market

California-based electric sports car manufacturer Tesla has roared into the Japanese market with the opening of its first dealership in Asia.

The company's showroom is in the swish Minami-Aoyama district of Tokyo and opened earlier on November 12. And there has been a high level of interest in the first week of business, according to the company. And that is even more impressive given the number of high-performance vehicles that Japanese companies produce. Thanks to Nissan and Mitsubishi, Japan is a global leader in electric vehicles.

"There has been a lot of interest since our grand opening and we even sold several vehicles at the opening party," said Shin Io, sales manager for Tesla Japan.


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Electric cars run on coal, partly

Environmental groups and power companies are touting the benefits of emissions-free electric vehicles as a way to cut pollution in Texas.

But do electric vehicles, especially in Texas where much electricity is generated with coal, simply move emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack?

"The electricity grid is a mix of generation technologies, some dirty and some clean. With electricity generation that tends toward dirtier feedstocks (like coal), you get fewer emissions benefits from electric vehicles," said Luke Tonachel, senior analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

About 37 percent of Texas power comes from coal, according to July data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's grid operator.

But even charged with power from dirtier sources, electric cars are cleaner than today's average vehicle and on par with the cleanest hybrids, Tonachel said.

Thursday 18 November 2010

Toyota to Sell Plug-In Hybrid for About 3 Million Yen

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. will sell a plug- in hybrid model for about 3 million yen ($36,000) in Japan and introduce 11 regular gas-electric cars by the end of 2012 as the company aims to keep its position as the leading maker of the vehicles.
Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, will introduce the plug-in hybrid in Japan, Europe and the U.S. from early 2012 and plans to sell 50,000 of the vehicles a year, it said in a statement today. The carmaker will also add two electric vehicles including a model based on its iQ compact that can run 105 kilometers (65 miles) on a single charge, the company said.
Automakers are under pressure from governments, customers and environmentalists to sell fuel-efficient vehicles that producer fewer or no emissions amid concerns over global warming. Toyota, which introduced its Prius hybrid more than a decade ago, faces increased competition as companies such as Nissan Motor Co. and General Motors Co. add electric models that run longer distances on battery power alone.

L.A. Auto Show: Alternative-fuel vehicles in spotlight

Rival Japanese automakersToyota MotorCo. andHonda Motor Co.unveiled prototypes of upcoming electric cars as alternative-fuel vehicles took center stage Wednesday at the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Amid buzz aboutGeneral MotorsCo.'s multibillion-dollar initial public offering, major automakers scrambled to show off their latest electric car offerings to hundreds of reporters gathered for a preview of the annual event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show opens to the public on Friday.
In their global debuts,Hondashowed off the concept for its Fit EV as well as the platform for a plug-in hybrid.Toyotapreviewed its second-generation battery-powered RAV4, whileJaguarteased show attendees with its sleek C-X75 hybrid-electric concept car – a vehicle that will likely never be commercially produced.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Eco-friendly production vehicle to lead the way into the automobile's next century

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the company's more than 35 years of involvement in advanced electric vehicle development, Mitsubishi Motors has unveiled its first all-electric production vehicle bound for the North American market.
Based on the very popular gasoline-powered "i" minicar in the Japanese market, this roomy and practical four-door 2012 model serves as the basis for the new 100% battery-powered Mitsubishi "i" for the North American market. The zero tailpipe emission "i" will be the first North American production vehicle to be powered by Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology – cutting edge drivetrain engineering that will serve as the basis for future ultra-environmentally-friendly vehicles from the company. Gone are conventional automotive systems including a gasoline engine, transmission and a fuel tank, having been replaced by advanced components including a lithium-ion battery system, electric motor and an efficient battery charging system in the all-new "i". This electric vehicle has already proved itself a viable and reliable form of transportation as Mitsubishi has been selling the car in its home market since the summer of 2009; production has already commenced for the European-spec i-MiEV, with deliveries beginning later this year.  

Electric cars are charging into the marketplace

Stalled for nearly a century, electric cars are about to move into the fast lane when the first of a new generation of vehicles reaches dealer showrooms next month.
Every major automaker plans some sort of electric or plug-in hybrid offering over the next several years, a wave of competing technologies reminiscent of the beginning of the automobile age.
General Motors Co. this month will start shipping its Chevrolet Volt, which uses a gas engine to generate electricity when the batteries run out. It will be available for sale in December. By year's end, Nissan Motor Co. will launch its Leaf, which is powered only by batteries. Ford will come out with an all-electric version of its Focus compact car next year.
Many of the new generation electric vehicles will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other alternative-fuel vehicles, such as Honda's hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, also will be showcased.
"Electric vehicles are finally real and not an R&D project," said Mark Sogomian, a partner at Ernst & Young.

Mahindra mulls electric vehicles for US market

NEW DELHI:Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra plans to enter the US market with its electric vehicles from group firm REVA's portfolio within next five years, a top official said today.
The announcement comes at a time when the homegrown firm is fighting a legal battle with its erstwhile sole US distributor for delaying the launch of its pick-up truck in the American nation.
"US is an important and big market for electric vehicles. We are looking at that market. We will be there before our target of full global presence in next five years, but exactly when, that we have not decided yet," Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles chief of operations R Chandramouli said.

Nissan aims to sell 500,000 electric vehicles annually by 2013

Automaker Nissan Motor will sell 500,000 electric vehicles annually by the end of 2013, Renault Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told reporters on eve of the market debut of the Nissan Leaf.
Nissan is launching its all-electric Leaf, which has a 100 mile range, in December. It plans to sell 20,000 Leafs in the United States over the next year.
Ghosn predicts that because of strong consumer demand, Nissan will be "capacity constrained" for the Leaf for the next three years.
Nissan and Renault will each have four electric vehicle models by 2013.  Nissan also plans to produce 200,000 battery packs annually and 150,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone by 2014 in its Leaf factory in Tennessee.

Sunday 14 November 2010

Going electric, one fleet at a time

Fuel-efficient and low-carbon cars hold one key to dramatically reducing our reliance on petroleum, but can we make the transition quickly enough? With plug-in vehicles like the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt just now becoming available to consumers, what’s the best way to speed up adoption of these newer, smaller-footprint models?
Countries like the UK, the US and China have offered incentives like “Cash for Clunkers” to encourage drivers to replace their old gas-guzzlers with more efficient cars. But these have tended to be one-time-only and limited-time offers, and often didn’t apply to the motorists who need greener vehicles the most: people without a lot of money who continue to drive aged, inefficient cars and trucks because they can’t afford to replace them … period.
In recent years, in fact, the average age of cars on US roads has been trending nowhere but up, most recently reaching a high of 10.2 years, according to R.L. Polk & Co. So if individual car-owners are hanging onto their jalopies longer than ever, what’s the answer to getting more hybrids and plug-ins on the road as quickly as possible?
Look to big business fleets to lead the way.
FedEx, for example, began adding hybrid vehicles to its fleet way back in the early Noughties. And earlier this year, it began using its first all-electric parcel delivery trucks in the US.

Batteries still drag 'green vehicle' effort

Combined global sales of hybrid and battery electric vehicles are expected to total 5.2 million units in 2020, about 7.3 percent of the 70.9 million passenger vehicles forecast to be sold worldwide that year, according to a recent report from JD Power and Associates.
Of those 5.2 million vehicles, 3.9 million units are expected to be hybrids, with sales coming mostly in the US (1.7 million units), Europe (977,000) and Japan (875,000), the report said. Fewer than 100,000 are expected to be sold in China in 2020.
Of the 1.3 million battery electric cars sold, Europe and China will account for 742,000 and 332,000 units respectively. About 100,000 will be sold in the US and a similar number in Japan, the report said.
Global sales of hybrids and battery electric vehicles are expected to reach 954,000 units this year, or 2.2 percent of the 44.7 million vehicles projected to be sold through the end of 2010.

Entrepreneurs taking up initiatives to bring down cost of e-bikes

Given the relative success that Reva Electric Car has achieved and with M&M and Tata Group looking at an lineup of electric vehicles in its portfolio, the scenario in India of entrepreneurs looking to play in this sector is growing. Reva Electric Car has been growing in strength and after M&M taking this company under its fold, it is expected that the costs will come down so will the network of sales and service will expand.
One more of Bangalore’s entrepreneurial set up Eko Vehicles is expected to come under the fold of US-based NEAH Power. And with more and more people expected to buy electric vehicles, the market is expected to move forward. According to industry data, around 200,000 electric two wheelers are being sold with only a handful of players like BSA Motors, Yo Bykes, Ultra Motors being the large national players.
such a scenario, one more player — iBike — from Bangalore has emerged on the scenario in an effort to spread the concept of clean energy. i-Bike started by two entrepreneurs — Sandeep Dama and R Manikantan — has started rolling out its network of dealership for their range of bikes. The company has set up an assembly unit at Jigani with motors, the main component, being imported from China.
“While there has been an overall growth of the E-bike market in the last three years, the market is still very small compared to the petrol 2-wheeler market. We want to go out to the market and establish ourselves stating that we are here for the long run,” said Dama. The e-bike market, besides the established players, has been facing some problems due to some individual players being just importers and not being able to service post the sale, which has left a bitter taste with the consumers. “We want to change this and offer a network of service as we grow,” added Dama.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Save Earth, Save Life...Stop Global Warming

The group of young and and socially concerned citizens have got together to begin the mission of saving earth, saving Human life of generations ahead by contributing to reduce the global Warming.

Global Warming is not a small or localized environmental problem. The effects and consequences could be horrific. Temperature changes, alteration in rainfall patterns , and an increased frequency of cyclonic activity are occurring and being measured around the world. As a result of ongoing climate change, the climate of India has become increasingly volatile over the past several decades. It has melted the polar ice caps, raised the level of the oceans and flooded the earth's great cities. It is destroying and changing our ecosystem on which the whole natural habitat is depended and cause many traditional inhabitants to leave their inhabitants. This may also cause extinction of species.

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How the electric bike market in India will improve

India has a large business in cycles and petrol bikes. Electric bikes come under middle segment and India is seen as future hub for electric vehicles business. Market is expected to rise by 100% this year and then 200% in the consequent years. But in order to realize this trend, we need to collectively work on the following points.

1. Strict adherence to the quality practices and should meet the automotive standards. Customer should be happy to buy using his hard earned money.

2. Entrepreneurs should take up the projects to manufacture e-bike components i.e. Battery, motors, controllers, chargers, converters, wire harness, chassis etc.

3. Best after sales service will attract the end user. Spare parts should be available easily.

4. Government should give subsidy to EV companies.

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Best practices while using electric bikes

Electric bike are most common form of transportation in China. India is seen as future hub for e-bikes business. Within 3 years India now has more than 125 EV companies. This business is growing steadily but still in nascent stage due to various factors. Most important factor is ignorance of the end user towards EV technology. Hence this article concentrates on the providing best practices while using e-bikes.

Before understanding e-bike’s best practices, Let us understand its concept first. Electric bike has five major components – Battery, Motor, Controller, Charger and Converter. Let us understand the basic functions of these components. Battery is the energy source to power the drive train of e-bike and the functioning of the lighting accessories. Motor drives the wheel taking the instruction from power electronic base controller. Charger is used to charge the Battery. DC-DC converter is used to reduce to standard voltage sufficient to automotive accessories.

Practice the following points to use your e-bike in a better, safer and comfortable way.

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Monday 8 November 2010

Upcoming event - SCADA 2011, Singapore

SCADA 2011, to be held from 22-25 February 2011, Singapore, will bring together local and international operational and IT representatives from the electricity, water, transport, & oil & gas sectors, to discuss the investment and implementation of leading edge SCADA and process control systems to meet evolving business dynamics, business process improvement and enhanced profit margins in your organization.

It features insights on how you can design & plan your operations to effectively monitor, control and maintain your assets within budget and ensure maximum return on investment in your SCADA system. SCADA 2011 is a must attend event that will fast track your sophisticated SCADA and process control systems.

Full information @ http://www.evhub.biz/scada

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Monday 1 November 2010

Future of Electric vehicles in India by Chetan Maini of REVA, India

Chetan Kumaar Maini, Deputy Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Reva Electric Car Company Private Limited (RECC)

Enhancing the quality of life is the ultimate objective and the driving force behind many of the critical decisions we take. However, for this to happen, we as a community need to shift from individualistic mindsets and take responsibility for the environment we live in. It is only then that we would see holistic improvement.

Against the backdrop of environmental concerns and depleting resources, it is imperative not only to preserve what's left but find new alternatives to drive engines of growth in the economy. The effort, however, requires a collaborative approach by the government, regulatory authorities industry, R&D institutions and the community.

As a nation of keen minds, the answer lies in innovation, which has always been the force behind powerful changes in our times. This has been recently proven at the Asian Wall Street Journal awards. Out of the twelve finalists short-listed for the Asian Innovation Awards five of them were Indians, recognised for their inventions that improve the quality of life or productivity. These included an electric walking stick, modified pulley and energy efficient electric vehicles amongst others.

The most sustainable invention recognised for applying technology to a strong business model and commercial potential has been the electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are the long-term solution to India's urban pollution and planning problem.

Rise in economic activity and population has led to a tremendous demand in the transport sector especially in urban India. By 2020, India's population in cities is expected to grow five-fold to a staggering 200 million while pollution is expected to grow by seven times. With this tremendous growth has emerged a very critical issue of keeping air and noise pollution in urban areas under control.



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Enter your company for the prestigious Future of Electric Vehicles Awards
All submissions must be received by Monday 22nd November
Enter your company for the prestigious IDTechEx Future of Electric Vehicles Awards which recognize company innovation, success and development. Any company operating within the Electric Vehicles industry - land, water or air - is welcome to apply.
The award ceremony will be held on Tuesday December 7, at the unique event - Future of Electric Vehicles being held in San Jose on December 7-8, bringing together companies from around the world.
If you would like your organization to be recognized for outstanding achievements in one or more of the following categories simply follow the entry instructions.

The Award Categories include:

»Imaginative Vehicle Award - land, water or air
 This award will be given to a company which has developed and launched an imaginative vehicle either for land, water or air (in the lber 2008 - December 2010) and is in the process of bringing it to market. The category will be assessed on the technical development of the product, its market potential, and benefits it brings over alternatives.
»New Vehicle Application Award - land, water or air
 This is the award given to an actual commercial success with an end-product (in the last 24 months, December 2008 - December 2010). Judges will look for success in terms of products sold and revenues generated.
»New Component or Material Technology Award
 This award will be given to the most significant technical development over the last 24 months (December 2008 - December 2010) in the field of component or material development.

Full story @ 
http://www.evhub.biz/idtechex/future-of-electric-vehicle-awards