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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Sunday, 21 November 2010
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Nissan Electric Cars At LA Auto Show
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Future of Electric Vehicles agenda - book before 19 Nov & receive free report and 20% event discount
Future of Electric Vehicles agenda - book before 19 Nov & receive free report and 20% event discount @ http://www.evhub.biz/idtechex/future-of-electric-vehicles-agenda
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.
The US Postal Service also began testing three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles this year, and has more than 43,000 alternate fuel-capable vehicles in its fleet of nearly 220,000.
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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.
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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.
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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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