Electric cars: Considering a Volt or Leaf? Lease it.

By taking the wheel of a gleaming black Chevy Volt and driving all of 10 feet Friday, President Obama may not have convinced anyone to buy into the auto industry's new experiment.

But he did drive home one point: Mass-produced electric cars are coming. Soon.
This fall, the Volt and Nissan's Leaf will face off with dueling plug-in technologies. Next year, Ford, Toyota, and just about every other major manufacturer are likely to unveil their own electric cars. Is it time to consider buying one?
The new generation of plug-in cars come with all sorts of unknowns. How good is the technology? Will the batteries last? Will people want an expensive electric car (the Volt) that can replace their current vehicle? Or a cheaper specialized version (the Leaf) with a more limited range?
Perhaps the biggest risk of all is that gasoline prices would fall, making electric motors more expensive to run than conventional combustion engines.

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Toyota teams up with Tesla to electrify Rav4

Toyota and electric vehicle upstart Tesla Motors will work together to develop an electric version of Toyota's Rav4 medium SUV, with plans to begin selling it in the US in 2012.

Tesla already is working on the electric power system for the Rav4. The electric carmaker has built one prototype for testing and plans to deliver a fleet of them for Toyota to evaluate later this year.

The companies announced a partnership in May to develop and build electric cars at a recently closed automotive factory in the San Francisco Bay area.

Tesla, which last month began selling shares to the public, said it hoped to drive down the cost of electric vehicles so they become within reach of mainstream buyers.

Toyota has said it was investing US$50 million ($70 million) in Tesla, with the electric car company buying the New United Motor Manufacturing factory, known as Nummi, in Fremont, California, where the Tesla Model S electric sedan will be built.

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Soon, used electric car batteries to generate cheap household power

Owners of electric cars might soon be able to use their old car battery to run their household electricity, according to a leading Japanese automaker.

Nissan”s senior vice-president of product planning, Andy Palmer, said the company – which is set to launch its Leaf electric small car in Australia in 2012 – is working on a business model whereby people use their old electric vehicle battery to generate cheap household power.

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SEOUL TO INSTALL OVER 100 EV CHARGERS TO PROMOTE ECO-FRIENDLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to install more than 100 EV charging points until the end of this year.

"We are establishing advanced operation system to compete with EV charging infrastructure established in other advanced cities," said Director Lee In-Keun for Air Quality Management Division at the government.

In an effort to promote the use of the eco-friendly vehicles, the city government is working to secure enough parking spaces to accommodate minimum two electric vehicles and at least one charging station at each of Seoul 25 district ("gu") offices.

In recognition that lack of EV charging facilities is the biggest challenge in promoting the eco-friendly vehicle, the city government, on May 28, signed a joint agreement with three large Seoul-based retailers.

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All about green cars - and not just expensive ones

I love how my Tesla goes from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. All right, technically, it's not my Tesla since it costs $109,000, but it was for 15 minutes Friday.

I had a chance to test-drive the all-electric car, courtesy of Tesla Store Chicago. The two-seater sports roadster resembles a vintage Porsche with one big exception - it runs on a 990-pound battery with a 245-mile range per charge.

It's an odd experience driving a car with a single-speed gearbox, meaning you don't feel the gears shifting, but it's easy to get used to. The Tesla has a regenerative brake system that kicks in when you ease off the accelerator, which slows down the vehicle eliminating the need for excessive pumping.

And the 0 to 60 feature? As good as a roller coaster.

Tesla's coming out with a sedan priced around $50,000 in 2012 with similar features - I can just see the acceleration factor coming into play at the mall parking lot.

Typical buyers range from collectors to sports car fanatics to people who want an alternate fuel vehicle, Tesla Store Chicago General Manager Dustin Krause said.

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EVCA.OB - NASA Showcase Electric Vehicles, CLNE - Expands the Use of Natural Gas - StockHotTips.com

EVCARCO (OTC.BB:EVCA) NASA's Kennedy Space Center held a series of events to showcase electric vehicles and electric drive Systems. The events fell along side Earth day events such as the Beach cleanup as well as educational programs. EVCA, a Texas based Corporation which manages several electric vehicle brands, provided the latest electric vehicles to NASA staff. The event allowed NASA staff to learn about electric vehicles and their advancements. The program showcased the latest in mature, all electric vehicle technology, innovations in renewable energy concepts, and market ready alternative fuel technology.

EVCA and NASA-KSC transportation department showcased the following vehicles: -NEV- Wheego All Electric Vehicle, produced in California- Production model -Highway Speed- Lithium Smart car- Prototype -Tazzari-Zero All Electric Lithium Powered Italian Roadster- Production model -UTV-Mil Spec Vehicle- Prototype EVCA provided a delegation to discuss the advances in the electric car market such as: -CTO, Technology expert Eduard Prous -COO, Operations expert Scott O'Neal -Strategy expert, Richard Griffiths For full article: CLICK HERE ________________________________________ Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE) Legislation being introduced in the US Senate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and intended for introduction in the US House of Representatives by Ways & Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI), will benefit the deployment and use of natural gas vehicles and fuel in the United States, according to CLNE.

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Printed Electronics in Asia - the hot sectors

EVHUB Exclusive news 


29 July 2010
Printed Electronics in Asia - the hot sectors
Cambridge, UK

Printed Electronics in Asia - the hot sectors

There are about 3,000 organizations worldwide actively involved in the development of printed electronics. By number of organizations, Europe has the edge over the U.S., then comes Asia. However, this disguises the fact that those involved in Asia tend to be large conglomerates that can invest much more than those in the West. Territories that are most active in these topics are Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan.

Displays

The display business is huge and there is significant progress and development by East Asian companies in a number of different printed display technologies. Over the past few years there has been some consolidation in OLEDs, for example, with LG buying Kodak's IP in this area and Sumitomo buying CDT. Earlier this year, Samsung underlined its commitment to OLEDs by announcing a $2.5 billion budget for OLED manufacture and others such as LG, Sony and Panasonic are also dedicated to this sector. The focus is on televisions and recent press announcements state that OLED TVs will become cost competitive with LCD TVs as early as 2014. Material and equipment supply is much more global however, with many companies in the West participating now in what will be a huge opportunity, particularly as it is expected to mimic the LCD market - which is currently more than $100 billion.

Display activity is not all about OLEDs, however, as Asian companies tie up the leaders in electrophoretics. PVI, having acquired E Ink, has chosen to rebrand itself using its acquirers company name, showing its dedication to the technology. In a recent interview with IDTechEx, E Ink confirmed that several Asian companies will launch colour e-readers this year. Display giant AUO purchased a 30% stake in SiPix, another e-paper vendor, who do their manufacturing in Taiwan and Wistron, also of Taiwan, acquired Dutch-based PolymerVision, working on foldable e-reading devices.

China has shown the way to reducing the cost of another printable display - AC Electroluminescent (ACEL) displays - with many companies based there able to produce even small quantities of large area ACEL displays for $10 a piece or less, including the driver electronics. These are widely used in promotional short term applications. Indeed, it is not difficult to find t-shirts in supermarkets bearing EL displays complete with microphones so that the display interacts with the environment.

Those involved in material and equipment supply need to pay attention to the region, as it will continue to be the territory where most displays are made. That is why IDTechEx is holding its annual Printed Electronics Asia event in Hong Kong, at the centre of all of this activity, with speakers from companies such as E Ink, Liquavista and Bridgestone.

Photovoltaics

Over recent years China has crept up to become the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaics. Huge investment in silicon refining and manufacture has resulted in conventional silicon PV prices tumbling - to the point that some technologies such as a-Si thin film PV are struggling to compete. There is great interest in other forms of thin film PV which can see costs fall further or enable new markets through new form factors such as semi-transparency and flexibility.



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Future of Electric Vehicles USA 2010 - Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities

Why Exhibit?

Meet, network and do business with senior level decision makers from across the value chain. Exhibiting at the event will give you the highest possible profile to a world-wide audience. Already plans are in place to make this show an international series of events crossing borders and ensuring a growth in new business and attendees at each of our show. By exhibiting you will be able to piggyback our international PR and marketing campaigns across key media before the event, showcase and network at the event and benefit from our post show coverage. Enter our Future of Electric Vehicles Awards programme and you could also benefit from unrivalled peer-review and enjoy the additional global attention.Speaker program and exhibition floorplan released. Sign up now and ensure you have the best stand position.

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EVHUB signed as Media partner to " Future of Electric Vehicles " conference in Sanjose

It gives me immense pleasure to share with you that EVHUB.IN has signed as Media partner to " Future of Electric Vehicles" conference which is going to be conducted on 7th and 8th Dec, 2010 in Sanjose, CA, USA.
This event being conducted by IDTechEx.Com.

For more information on the event go to http://www.evhub.biz/idtechex

No Gas Required

WINTER HAVEN - His car, for comparisons sake, gets 80 miles to a "gallon." But, the car doesn't run on gasoline; it's a 2001 Toyota Rav4 Electric Vehicle (EV).

Gary Francis figures the electricity it takes to recharge the car costs $3, which takes three to five hours, depending on how much it needs. A full charge allows him to travel about 80 miles - hence, the 80 miles for $3, near the current price for a gallon of gas.

"I want to educate people about what a great car it is. I wish everyone could own one," Francis said. "It is better than a gas powered car for many reasons."

He became interested and started learning about electric cars from Al Lococo, who also is a Winter Haven resident. Lococo has converted cars from gas to electric for his own personal use and Francis set out to get him to do the same for him.

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Electric vehicles real life testing by Thierry Koskas

Renault might not be the first car manufacturer to market electric cars, as Fluence ZE and Kangoo ZE will hit the road mid 2011, but in order to give a flavour of those exciting models, a lot of pre series cars will be seen on European roads this year.

Starting this month we intend to visit 16 countries, including Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, UK, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey and Nordic countries, up until February next year.

The roadshow, that will comprise 10 electric cars and a dedicated Renault team, will give some 2,000 people – media, national and local authorities and opinion leaders – a chance to get behind the wheel of Renault's two prototype electric vehicles and experience the difference.


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Which electric car will win?

The Chevrolet Volt andNissanLeaf will square off later this year in a battle that could determine the course of the 21st-Century auto industry.

The Volt and Leaf electric cars take two radically different approaches to reducing oil consumption and emissions. The compact Volt will cover 40 miles on a charge and use an on-board generator for longer trips. The subcompact Leaf’s bigger battery pack promises a 100-mile range but won’t be capable of longer trips and will require hours of charging time after a long drive.
The vehicles’ prices will also differ significantly. Nissan has announced the Leaf will retail for $25,280, after a $7,500 federal tax credit. Chevrolet has not revealed the Volt’s sticker price, but it’s expected to cost around $32,500 after the same tax credit.
The Volt arrives in dealerships this November. The Leaf follows a month later.
The cars represent multibillion-dollar bets by GM and Renault-Nissan. The winner will be the early leader in a new technology that’s expected to eventually dominate the worldwide auto industry.

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AMP seeks dealers for electric vehicles

BLUE ASH

- As it prepares for next week's final competition for the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize, local electric vehicle converter

AMP Holdings Inc.

is planning to establishing a sales and service network among General Motors dealers.

AMP officials say they have retained a former GM executive, Mark Valerio, as a consultant to develop its dealer network.
"As we move forward with a GM car to sell, it makes sense we have GM dealers do the sales and service," said Steve Burns, AMP's CEO.
Launched in 2007 to convert gas-powered vehicles to all-electric drive, AMP (originally Advanced Mechanical Products) has done conversions of Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice sports cars. It recently began converting Chevrolet Equinox SUVs to all-electric drives.
At GM, Valerio was involved in dealer network development, real estate image management and dealer franchising for GM brands in the Northeast.
Burns, one of AMP's founders, said he couldn't disclose the number of GM dealers it hopes to recruit or timing for the effort.

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric, coming late 2011, about $30,000 before gov't incentives

CAPTION

By H. Darr Beiser, USAT

Mitsubishi says it, too, will have a pure-battery car in the U.S. before long -- well, fall of next year. Called i-MiEV (innovative Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle), it'll be more than a year behind the Nissan Leaf's planned U.S. launch late this year.

Even so, it'll be among the first wave of true electrics aimed at showroom shoppers rather than fleet operators. Mitsu forecasts a price of about $30,000 before any government clean-car incentives are applied. Nissan's Leaf is $32,780 before the federal $7,500 tax credit. Nissan notes that at least three states -- California, Georgia and Oregon -- offer their own tax credits.

GM says it'll have the Chevy Volt electric sedan out this December, roughly same time as Leaf. Volt runs entirely on electricity, but unlike the others it carries a small gasoline engine that kicks in to run a generator for power when the batteries get low. Leaf and i-MiEV both claim about 100 miles on a charge. Volt is 40 miles, then the gas engine takes over.

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Citroen mulls building electric racecar (concept car Friday)

First unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, the Citroen Survolt is a techno-organic beauty with its tasteful use of color, sharp creases, and flowing curves. Beneath those curves, the concept packs dual electric motors that convert flowing electrons into a combined 300 horsepower and enough twisting force (738 pound-feet, to be exact) to motivate the Survolt silently to 62 mph in less than five seconds and onward to a reported top speed of 162mph.

The concept's twin 31 kW lithium ion batteries should enable it to cover 124 miles between two hour charging cycles with a vehicle specific high-output charger (or a 10-hour charge from a 220-volt appliance outlet). However, the most interesting tidbit is that Citroen is reportedly considering producing the electric racecar, albeit in limited quantities.

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Will Electric Cars Catch On?

Currently, the U.S. government has a sort of 'if you build them, they will come' attitude towards electric vehicles. Just yesterday, the President appeared at the opening of a new electric battery plant in Michigan, which benefitted from stimulus funds. Electric cars also qualify for generous tax rebates up to $7,500. Yet, an article in the Wall Street Journal argues that consumers in the U.S. might not be quick to embrace electronic cars. Is the government making a poor bet?

Here's the WSJ explaining a major obstacle:

Proponents of the technology will tell you that anyone buying an electric vehicle will want to know at least two things: How far can I drive before I have to recharge? And, where can I go to recharge when I am on the road, far from home? Companies acknowledge that clear answers to those questions aren't yet available--and may not be until a good while after the coming flock of electric cars has hit showrooms.

Of course, there are other obstacles as well. Americans have developed an appetite for giant, fast cars. Most electronic vehicles are on the small side and don't have the same zip. It isn't easy to change cultural norms. So is the industry doomed, despite the government assistance?

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Are electric cars ready to transform Britain’s motoring in the Age of Energy?

There's little doubt that electric vehicles will play an important role in the Age of Energy, eradicating emissions at street level at the same time as cutting costs for motorists.

By Andrew Cave
Published: 6:42PM BST 15 Jul 2010

Andrew Cave in an electric car

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Toyota-Tesla plan to build electric RAV4 shows partnership is serious

Electric SUV is the first project announced by the companies since Toyota purchased about 3% of Tesla for $50 million this year, a move that had raised eyebrows.

A plan to sell an electric version of Toyota's RAV4 sport utility vehicle two years from now demonstrates that the alliance between Tesla Motors Inc. and the Japanese automaker is more than just window dressing, analysts said.
Tesla and Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that they were developing the vehicle and that Tesla was working on a fleet of prototypes to begin testing.
The venture is the first project announced by the companies since Toyota purchased 3.2% of Tesla for $50 million this year.

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Hamilton: Electric cars coming, but can California take charge?

There are two things I couldn’t help but notice last week during a brief trip to Los Angeles. One was the earthquake that shook my hotel room and scared the bejesus out of me. The second was the number of hybrid-electric vehicles on the road.

Californians like their hybrid-electric cars, and it’s widely expected they will become the earliest adopters of a new generation of plug-in electric vehicles such as the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

For companies developing the charging infrastructure and electric cars themselves, this makes California an attractive place to sink roots. And sinking roots they are, something Michigan and Ontario should be watching closely.

Credit, of course, goes to electric car maverick Tesla Motors, which raised $226 million (U.S.) late last month in an initial public offering. Some say Tesla, which is based in Palo Alto, Calif., is the catalyst for turning Silicon Valley into the new Detroit.

Elon Musk, co-founder and chief executive of Tesla, says his company has vision, is nimble and is willing to bet big. “We’re a Silicon Valley company, closer to an Apple or a Google than to a GM or Ford in the way we operate,” Musk said last month during an investor road show. “I don’t think that’s something that GM or Ford is going to be able to replicate – ever.”

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Eco-friendly cars to cruise

PLAINFIELD -- Every Tuesday night classic cars line Lockport Street for a weekly cruise night, but tonight a different kind of auto show is coming to the Plainfield Public Library.

The library will host a Green Car Show, sponsored by Waste Management, at 7 p.m. in the parking lot, featuring hybrid and fuel-efficient cars.

The free car show is part of the village's Green Village lecture series, which is sponsored by Illinois Landscape Supply.

Local dealerships will showcase vehicles and will be on-hand to talk about the vehicles.

Among the green vehicles are hybrid cars, which use both gas-powered engines and rechargeable electric motors, clean diesel vehicles and highly fuel-efficient gas-powered cars.

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