Bio-fuels, electric cars don't suit India: Ramesh

Minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh came down against the use of bio-fuels in automobiles, saying food security concerns were the priority.

On the sidelines of an automobiles event in New Delhi, Ramesh said, ''We should take a cautious approach towards it (bio-fuel) as its production would require land and crops. It will be difficult as there are other needs like food security in the country.''

According to the minister, there are differences between India and other countries that produce bio-fuels, as the country is faced with enormous population and shortage of land. This precludes the mass production of bio-fuels, which are procured from crops, plants and trees, although such fuels are environment friendly and cleaner than fossil fuels.

''We are a country of a billion people adding ten million every year, and we have serious food security issues. Diverting land or crops for bio-fuels cannot be a sustainable option,'' the minister said.

His comments seem to contradict the union government's stand. The government has given a directive of blending of bio-fuel with diesel. In 2007, the government had mandated addition of 5 per cent of bio-fuel (ethanol) in diesel. An indicative target of 20 per cent blending of bio-fuels, both for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol, by 2017 has been proposed.

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Manhattan Parking Lots to Get EV Chargers

The expansion of the charging points for electric vehicles will soon reach several parking lots in Manhattan thanks to the Car Charging Group, an EV charging solutions provider which will begin installing such systems in parking lots.

The parking lots in question belong to Icon Parking Systems. Some 200 locations will benefit from the services provided by the Car Charging Group following the deal signed with Icon. The company that will install the chargers will also own, maintain and upgrade them, sharing the profits in an undisclosed manner with Icon.

The chargers to be installed at the locations are Level 2 (220-240 volts) stations sourced from Coulomb, but the possibility of Level 3 chargers making it into parking lots is also open to discussion.

There is no precise word yet on how much charging your EV in a Manhattan parking lot will cost, but Andrew Kinard, president of the Car Charging Group says that in some states, where the billing by the kilowatt-hour isn't allowed, it would cost $3 for one hour of charging.

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ODOT seeks money for electric vehicles, NASA runway strip

Plug-in electric cars in Oberlin and a new runway for NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County are on Ohio’s wish list for new transportation projects.

Local and state officials hope to score federal money that would pay for the projects, which are among a dozen requests compiled this week by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The state transportation agency is seeking a share of $600 million available through the U.S. Department of Transportation program known as TIGER II, the second round grants from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program.

ODOT is seeking $11.29 million for the Plug-in Electric Vehicle program to deploy 136 plug-in electric cars and trucks and 864 charging stations around Ohio, including in Oberlin.

The program would make electric car trips available, while studying the effects of plug-in electric cars and trucks on the road. The program also would reduce emissions and fuel consumption while creating up to 191 jobs, including 156 jobs in vehicle manufacturing.

One partner in the project is CityWheels, a Cleveland-based car-sharing agency that lets members drive cars when needed. The agency also has cars available in Oberlin.

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Land-speed record set for battery-electric vehicles

A team of Ohio State University engineering students has set a world land-speed record for a battery-electric vehicle this week.

Professional driver Roger Schroer guided the university team’s Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 car to an average speed of 307.7mph on 24 August 2010.

The lithium-ion battery-powered car eclipsed the previous 245mph world land-speed record for battery-electric vehicles, which was set in 1999 by White Lightning, driven by Pat Rummerfield.

The team anticipated making further tries at besting its time this week but decided to stop after trying to replace the vehicle’s broken clutch - too much torque from the motor ripped apart the half-inch steel teeth that connect the motor to the gearbox.

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Six Clean Energy Markets That Will Change Life as We Know It in the Next Five Years

Renewable energy is receiving a big push from the Obama Administration and from governments around the globe. Stimulus packages and government incentives for green technology have created jobs and established new industry, which in turn has sparked a brighter outlook on the world's economy. Going into 2011 and beyond, SBIEnergyhas identified six clean energies that will not only gain double-digit growth in the next five years, but will also alter the lifestyle we know today.

Electric Vehicles -- For years the marketing and advertising from government and car companies alike have boldly stated that electric cars will take over the car industry "real soon now." Now, electric vehicles, in the form of hybrids that combine both gas and electric motors, are finally beginning to do just that. The world populace is accepting hybrid electric vehicles, giving them equal weight as an option in their car purchases. Just how quickly this market will grow depends on several factors including gas prices, government incentives and vehicle price. According to market research from SBI Energy worldwide hybrid electric vehicle sales will double from just under 700,000 units sold in 2009 to 1.5 million passenger hybrid vehicles sold in 2014. Exponential HEV market growth will occur in smaller existing markets such as Europe, Australia and South Korea, and in new markets such as India and China where product sold will increase from 95,000 vehicles in 2010 to 440,000 vehicles in 2014, a phenomenal 47% compound annual growth rate.

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US-based Neah Power may acquire EKO Vehicles

US-based Neah Power Systems has announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Bangalore-based Eko Vehicles, a manufacturer of electric two wheelers to explore acquisition or merger plans. Neah Power Systems is into development of fuel cells for the military and portable electronic devices. No transaction details were disclosed.

According to a statement from Neah Power Systems, this combined venture is expected to provide additional opportunities for the expansion of product lines and global growth. Both companies are undertaking due diligence efforts to determine the viability and the structure of the combination.

Eko Vehicles, is a 3-decade-old company based in Bangalore with experience in non-polluting powered vehicle design, testing and manufacturing, industrial consulting and business management. The company is developing “Rapid Battery Charging Stations” at several locations in Bangalore and Mysore to enable customers to charge Eko electric vehicles in under 15 minutes. EKO is planning to introduce electric three-seater, three-wheeler and four-seater, omni-type four-wheelers with the same capabilities.

The company is understood to have mandated PriceWaterhouseCoopers to raise around Rs 25 crore as part of its expansion plans. According to investment bankers, Mahindra & Mahindra were also understood to have shown interest in having an alliance with Eko Vehicles.

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Car built by high school students achieves 444 mpg

This story will challenge your beliefs about what high school students, especially

those who live below the poverty line and face alcohol and drug problems, are

capable of. Autopia, a blog at Wired.com, reported on the story of a class

project at the Automotive Design Studio at the DaLeSalle

Education Center which serves as an alternative high school. The project was to

design and build an electric car that weighed less than 1500 pounds,

half the weight of 98% of most electric vehicles today.

The car the students had to work with was a damaged 2000 Lola

Champ Car which was purchased for $2500 and repaired by students who had

collision repair courses. One of the eye-catching traits of the car is its

transparent body, which is made of a material by 3M which is the same that is used

to shrink wrap windows. The student’s attached the film to the bottom wire of

the body and then stretched it using a heat gun across the rest of a wire frame

in a process that takes an hour. To date, the skin has shown no fatigue or

damage after trial runs.

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Want to take an electric vehicle for a test drive? You are not alone.

When, exactly, did cars become considered consumer electronics? I suppose when the market for the gadgets inside them became one that that the likes of Microsoft cannot ignore. In any case, electric vehicles will be featured for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Association’s 2011 International CES. The rationale? CEA has just released a new survey indicating that 40 percent of American adult consumers would like to test-drive an electric vehicle.

According to the online study, called “Electric Vehicles: The Future of Driving,” about one-third of consumers are aware of hybrid vehicle options while only a quarter know much about electric vehicles. The three biggest perceived disadvantages of electric vehicles:

1. Running out of battery power on the road
2. Lack of charging stations or places to recharge
3. Limited mileage potential

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Chief Mentor: Reinventing the Wheel for India

The transportation sector in India is witnessing rapid
growth as India urbanizes and the economy continues to expand. Car sales for
July recorded a jump of 38% from a year earlier, rising to an all-time
high. Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata are all building up mass-transit
systems. The national capital has just opened a swanky new airport
terminal and the civil aviation industry has never been more competitive.

Consumers today have lots of choices in how they choose to
get around. This is a far cry from the earlier times when government carriers
dominated the skies and entry into the automotive industry was heavily
regulated and just a handful of players allowed to manufacture cars. With the
exception of railways, which continue to be a government monopoly, every sector
of transportation is witnessing a vibrancy never seen before in India.

The upward shift in the standard and quality of
transportation in India is one of the most visible and tangible benefits
bestowed by economic growth. The problem - and investment opportunity - is that
we have only scratched the surface.

India currently has just one automotive company, Tata
Motors, in the global top 20, while China has three in the top 20 and ten in
the top 30. Interestingly, many of China’s large automotive firms are
home-grown, while international auto companies like Suzuki, Honda and Hyundai
dominate the Indian market.

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Toyota to sell 5mn hybrids by 2015

Toyota Motor Corp says it wants to nearly double sales of its gasoline-electric vehicles to reach cumulative sales of 5 million units by the middle of this decade.

The Japanese company, already the biggest player in the hybrid market, has a goal to sell one million hybrids annually in the first half of this decade, Reuters reported.

The world's largest automaker announced earlier this month it had sold more than 2.68 million hybrid vehicles globally since it launched the first model in 1997.

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Electric cars to be in the spotlight

After taking a hiatus last year because of the struggling economy, the Inland Empire Auto Show returns this weekend charged with electricity.

Appearances by electric vehicles soon to be on the market, including the long-touted hybrid Chevrolet Volt and fully electric Nissan Leaf, are planned. Toyota is sending two electric concept cars for display.

The emphasis on electric and other energy-efficient cars signals the advances manufacturers are making in the market, event organizers said.

"As green products become more available, the technology's changing, and that's what manufacturers will be showcasing," said Bob Brown, general manager of the Ontario Convention Center, where the event is set to take place Friday through Sunday.

Last year, organizers canceled the show after manufacturers suggested pushing it back, Brown said. The show is in its third year.

"The economy and state of the auto industry last year was really prohibitive for manufacturers to come in," Brown said.

At least 20 manufacturers are scheduled to display vehicles this year. Missing from the lineup is Honda.

The Volt, the plug-in hybrid electric car that General Motors has marketed as its commitment to green vehicles, is set to debut in California, five other states and Washington, D.C., in November. Sales for the Leaf, Nissan's first all-electric vehicle, which can run for 100 miles on pure electricity, will also begin in coming months.

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DF Cast: Getting Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles

With the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf being rolled out this fall across the country … and the more pricey Tesla Roadster already making its electric vehicle debut … the next concern is where to charge these electric vehicles. While most folks will have or will be getting the capability to do it at home, the lack of infrastructure for these new cars could be problematic.

In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast President of Car Charging Group Andy Kinard says his company will be able to provide these away-from-home chargers at a variety of locations, including shopping centers, parking garages and movie theaters. He explains his company’s system is put in for free at these types of locations, and then the revenues generated are shared. There’s even an application for smart phones that will help electric vehicle owners find the charging locations, generating traffic for that business that has a charger put in.

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NEAH and India's EKO Vehicles to Explore Merger and Acquisition Opportunities to Facilitate Global Growth

NEAH Power Systems, the company leading development in fuel cells for the military and portable electronic devices, announced today it has signed a letter of intent to explore acquisition or merger plans with EKO Vehicles of Bangalore, Private Limited, India's leading technology producer of two-wheeled electric vehicles. This combined venture is expected to provide additional opportunities for the
expansion of product lines and global growth. Both companies are undertaking due diligence efforts in order to determine the viability and the structure of the combination.

NEAH had previously announced a customer relationship with EKO to build fuel cells for EKO's electric scooter product line. The third generation of EKO product is currently being sold in Asia and will shortly be available in the United States and Europe. "We intend to take the synergistic relationship between Neah and EKO to new levels. In addition to the fuel cells for electric two wheelers, we see high demand for Neah's fuel cells for a variety of military and industrial applications in India and Asia, and this relationship could enable us to meet this demand. Our micro fuel cells may eventually replace batteries for most uses," said Dr. Chris D'Couto, President and CEO of Neah Power.

"We welcome NEAH's technology and we share the common goal of reducing the levels of air and noise pollution, provide cost effective power solutions for two wheeler and four wheeler applications, and enable global growth for our products," said Mr. Anil Ananthakrishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EKOVEHICLES Pvt. Ltd.

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U.S. Anticipates Major Drops in Costs of Solar Power, Electric Vehicles by 2015

The U.S. Department of Energy says that Recovery Act funding programs are on track to help cut the cost of solar electricity in half by 2015, and the cost of batteries for electric vehicles by 70 percent in the same time.

Energy generation from renewable sources is expected to double by 2015, along with manufacturing capacity for U.S. renewable energy industries, the government said.

The announcement Tuesday, led by Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, along with numerous private industry representatives, has the unintended effect of suggesting that solar and plug-in vehicles are too expensive now.

In fact, non-subsidized solar is already cost-competitive with peak retail electricity prices in some places, and with incentives may offer significant bargains to attentive consumers. The same will be true as plug-in vehicles are rolled out in 2011. What the report means is that if such cost reductions are achieved, solar and plug-in vehicles will not only be the cleanest but among the cheapest ways to obtain electricity and to travel just five years from now.

The report is called "The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy Through Innovation."  It mentions that with more than $787 billion in funding, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is one of the largest investments in the U.S. economy in the nation’s history. More than $100 billion has been invested in programs aimed at innovations in technology and science, including alternative energy and transportation research and development.

The jury is still out, of course, on whether the goals will be achieved. But officials in the solar and electric vehicle industries are at least as confident as the government officials.

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Electric Vehicles for US TARDEC

With the rapid expansion of the electric vehicles engulfing most of today's world, it was only a matter of time until the military began contemplating the idea of operating environmentally friendly vehicles while going out to conquer the world.

Although this is not the first time the EV world merge with the military one (remember the hybrid tanks to be tested in the Army's new Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory), it is the first time a pure electric vehicle will begin testing in the service.

The vehicle is being manufactured by Canadian company Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV, a Honeywell Aerospace subcontractor) and is meant as an Ancillary Power Vehicles (APV). It is powered by a 125 kW permanent magnet AC motor paired with a gearbox drive system that delivers 300 Nm of torque. The REVs will be using Ford Escape and Ford F150 platforms.




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Charging Guides for Electric Cars to Be Issued

China will issue three standards in October to regulate charging facilities for electric cars, the Shanghai Securities News reported Monday, citing an unnamed source from the State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

China will issue three standards in October to regulate charging facilities for electric cars, the Shanghai Securities News reported Monday, citing an unnamed source from the State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Related readings: China's 1st electric car sold to individual Electric car purchase to be subsidized in 5 cities Shanghai to build 400 E-car charging stations Electric car recharging station opens in E ChinaFive more standards are being drafted and will be released before the year's end, the newspaper said. 

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Toyota Prius available with Approaching Vehicle Audible System in Japan

In the face of concerns that new hybrid and electric vehicles are dangerously silent, Toyota Japan has added a noisy new option to its third-generation Prius range.

The Approaching Vehicle Audible System (AVAS) is an optional speaker setup in the front of the car that makes a humming sound equivalent to the volume of a standard petrol-powered vehicle.

Despite not yet being required by law in Japan, sales of AVAS will begin on August 30 for 12,600 yen ($170, excluding installation) for those who want their Prius to be heard.

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Ford, PGE team up on electric vehicles

Ford Motor Co. and Portland General Electric Co. are teaming up to share information about vehicle charging needs, as both companies prepare for higher numbers of electric cars in the coming years.

Ford said Tuesday it plans to bring five new electric vehicles to market over the next two years, including an electric version of the Transit Connect commercial van.

"To support the roll out and acceptance of these vehicles it is important to work with local utilities to make sure the necessary infrastructure and grid capability are ready," said Mike Tinskey, Ford manager of vehicle electrification and infrastructure, in a statement.

Ford and Portland General will share information about charging needs, with the goal of making sure the electrical grid can support the higher demand resulting from more electric cars on the road.

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