Sunday 19 September 2010

Electric cars? Not charged up yet

As recently as a few years ago, people thought of electric vehicles as being closer to golf carts than they were to functional cars. While rapid advances in technology in recent years have led to the development of a few low-speed EVs, these cars are largely impractical for city driving because they are too slow to keep up with traffic.

However, with the release of the Hyundai Motor BlueOn, Korea’s first high-speed EV, we may soon be seeing more of these vehicles around.

The vehicle was introduced on Sept. 9, with President Lee Myung-bak taking it for spin during a press event at the Blue House.

I recently had a chance to test drive the vehicle for myself at Hyundai Motor’s Namyang Research and Development Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi.

To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the vehicle before my test drive, even though I found the company’s efforts to promote it intriguing.

When I arrived at the Namyang Center, five BlueOn vehicles were waiting for me.
The first thing I noticed was the car’s exterior is similar in design to the Hyundai i10, on which the BlueOn is based.



THINK joins consortium of leading car manufacturers for electric cars

THINK joins consortium of leading car manufacturers led by Jaguar and Land Rover to support project to deliver next generation high-performance electric vehicles.

THINK joins consortium of leading car manufacturers for electric cars

Commenting on the announcement made by the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB), and a consortium of selected vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, THINK CEO Richard Canny said: "We are very proud to have been chosen to play such a vital role in this pioneering project, and to sit alongside such auto industry and technological leaders. THINK has been chosen for its experience and pioneering developments in the electric vehicle industry, perfected over nearly two decades and 30 million miles of real world knowledge of Electric Vehicles being driven by our customers.”

He added: “The timing is perfect for THINK, as we have just delivered the world’s most advanced commercially available drive-train in our fourth-generation controller and we are about to start on the next, fifth-generation of the technology. Now we can do this among more of the best engineers in the world and with the backing of the UK Government – which should provide the perfect environment to take this industry and its technologies to the next level.”

Fully electric car makes pit stop at Wilton Library

Sick of paying for gasoline?
Most Americans probably are.
Enter the fully electric car.

On Tuesday, one such car — a smart fortwo, a two-seater “microcar” made by smartUSA — was on display in front of the Wilton Library. Jennifer Ferreira, the regional director for smartUSA’s Northeast operations, showcased one of the six prototypes the company has in America.

Ms. Ferreira said that smartUSA has been making energy-efficient vehicles since 1998 and started selling them in the United States in 2008. But those cars weren’t powered solely by electricity.

Though the solely electric car won’t be available for lease until 2012, Ms. Ferreira said she thinks the time is right for electric cars.

“We believe there’s a great opportunity for electric vehicles,” she said. “It’s a fun, affordable, interesting vehicle.”


US Energy Department Aids Electric Car Industry

The US Energy Department has awarded more than US$10 billion in grants and low interest loans to manufacturers and suppliers of advanced vehicles, mainly battery-powered cars.
In an ironic twist - since the program was set up to promote US industry - more than 15% of funding to date has gone to US subsidiaries of foreign firms.

Among these are BASF Catalysts, a subsidiary of German chemical giant BASF SE; Compact Power, a subsidiary of South Korea's LG Chem; Saft America, part of Saft Groupe SA; and Nissan North America, the US manufacturing arm of Japan's Nissan Motor Company.

With the exception of Nissan, which has a joint venture with the NEC Corporation to make lithium-ion batteries for the Leaf EV, an electric car due out in December, no Japanese battery-maker has been awarded a Department of Energy grant or loan.

Japanese battery-makers - namely Panasonic, Sanyo Electric (now a subsidiary of Panasonic), Hitachi Automotive Systems, and GS Yuasa Corporation - account for 95% of 'secondary' batteries for hybrid and pure electric vehicles on the road today.

GM Daewoo electric car to raise global competition

Korea is set to become the main test bed for General Motor’s new generation of electric vehicles after GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., auto giant’s local unit, yesterday unveiled its first compact-sized EV model.
The prototype vehicle, based on GM Daewoo’s Lacetti Premiere, can travel up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) on a single charge. Earlier this month, Hyundai Motor launched its own EV, the BlueOn. The GM Daewoo EV is powered by high-performance battery and propulsion systems made by LG Chem and LG Electronics, respectively, while 50 other Korean companies took part in the development process, according to the company. Road tests of the EV in Seoul will begin shortly to gauge consumer response to the model, which will be known as the “Chevrolet Cruze” in foreign markets.
The EV boasts a 31-kilowatt-hour electric battery that can generate a maximum power output of 150 kilowatts in transit. The vehicle can reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 8.2 seconds and has a maximum speed of 165 kilometers per hour. The battery can be fully charged in 8 to 10 hours on a standard household 220-volt outlet, according to tests.