EV Digest 4138
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(Indias EV duty reduced 50%, 150% deduction benefits R&D)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(John Deere Vehicle First to use UQM full wave commutation)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) RE: Dave Cloud's Rules ideas.
by "Brown, Jay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Segway segues)-long
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Voltage for vroom, Porche thinks JD Power is wrong)-long
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(EV1 dies at 9, cause of death: GM insincere commitment)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(GM is crushing what's possible today)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) EVLN(World's fastest EV, Nakashima's Super Elexceed exceeding 350 kph)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) Re: Dave Cloud's Rules ideas.
by "Roy LeMeur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(India�s EV duty reduced 50%, 150% deduction benefits R&D)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.just-auto.com/news_detail.asp?art=47319
NDIA: New budget seen having positive effect on auto industry
01 Mar 2005 Source: just-auto.com editorial team
The effect of the union budget on India�s automobile industry is
regarded as positive.
While the budget has not touched the core issue of the reduction
in excise duties on passenger cars, there have been duty
reductions and welcome changes in the other areas that will
affect the industry.
The government has reduced peak custom duty from 20% to 15%,
which will reduce the cost of imported raw materials. This will
lower the cost of cars with high import content, mostly affecting
premium models.
A reduction in import duty on aluminium and copper from 15% to
10% has also been announced. This will have a minor positive
impact on the automotive industry.
Customs duty on lead has been lowered from 15% to 5%, which will
reduce the input costs of automotive battery manufacturers. As a
result, Exide has already announced a reduction of battery
prices.
Excise duty on tyres has also been reduced from 24% to 16%, a
move widely welcomed by tyre makers. This is also expected to
have a positive impact on automobile manufacturers.
The government has also announced a cut in the import duty on
used cars and utility vehicles from 105% to 100%, a move that is
not expected to affect the automotive industry.
The custom duty on specified parts of battery-operated road
vehicles is being reduced from 20% to 10%. This is expected to
help Reva Electric Car Company. The extension of 150% deduction
on in-house R&D expenditure till March 2007 will benefit
companies involved in research.
Additionally, the government has implemented some direct tax
reforms that may have a positive effect on consumers� purchasing
power.
Deepesh Rathore / Tilak Swarup
�2005 All content copyright just-auto.com. Published by Aroq Ltd.
Seneca House, Buntsford Park Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs, B60 3DX,
UK. VAT No: GB785642391. Registered in England No: 4307068.
Tel: Intl +44 (0)1527 573600. Toll Free from US: 1-866-545-5878.
Fax: +44 (0)1527 577423. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(John Deere Vehicle First to use UQM full wave commutation)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050301/latu022_1.html
Press Release Source: UQM Technologies, Inc.
UQM Technologies Delivers Hybrid Electric Vehicle to Deere &
Company Incorporating Recent Advances in UQM(R) Propulsion System
Technology Tuesday March 1, 8:30 am ET John Deere Vehicle is the
First to Utilize UQM's 10 to 1 Constant Power Speed Ratio and
Full Wave Commutation Technologies in the Same Vehicle
FREDERICK, Colo., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UQM
TECHNOLOGIES, INC., a developer of alternative energy
technologies, announced today that it has delivered to Deere &
Company (NYSE: DE - News) a John Deere hybrid electric concept
vehicle incorporating both of the latest advancements to UQM(R)
propulsion system technology, 10 to 1 constant power speed ratio
and full wave commutation technology.
Constant power speed ratio (CPSR) is the ratio between the top
speed of a motor and its base speed. Across this speed range, a
motor is able to deliver maximum power. The Company's permanent
magnet electric propulsion systems achieve a 10 to 1 CPSR. UQM(R)
propulsion systems incorporating the proprietary 10 to 1 CPSR
technology deliver both high torque and high speed capability in
the same machine at levels greater than twice that of the
industry's next best performing motor technology. Conventional
vehicles achieve the high torque required for launch and low end
acceleration and the constant power required for high road speed
by using a transmission and multiple gear changes.
Full wave commutation is a proprietary method of electronically
controlling a permanent magnet propulsion system developed by the
Company last year that increases the peak power output of the
Company's motors by 33 percent, continuous power output by 10
percent, and improves system efficiency from two to eight percent
depending on the operating point.
"The delivery of this John Deere hybrid electric vehicle
represents a new level of performance for UQM's electric
propulsion technology. By incorporating both of these proprietary
technologies in one vehicle, we are able to achieve unparalleled
acceleration, top speed and efficiency, while eliminating the
conventional transmission. We are extremely excited about the
potential for these proprietary technologies in the emerging
market for hybrid electric vehicles, particularly for large
vehicles in the over-the-road truck, agricultural, construction,
mining and military market segments," said William G. Rankin,
President and Chief Executive Officer of UQM Technologies, Inc.
"We are excited about the performance of our hybrid electric
vehicle incorporating these two proprietary UQM(R) technologies,"
said Bernard B. Poore, John Deere's Manager, Product Technology.
"Throughout our longstanding development partnership with UQM
Technologies, we have come to expect, and UQM has delivered,
exceptional performance and energy efficiency in a wide range of
John Deere concept vehicle platforms."
UQM Technologies, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of power
dense, high efficiency electric motors, generators and power
electronic controllers for the automotive, aerospace, medical,
military and industrial markets. A major emphasis of the Company
is developing products for the alternative energy technologies
sector including propulsion systems for electric, hybrid electric
and fuel cell electric vehicles, 42-volt under-the-hood power
accessories and other vehicle auxiliaries and distributed power
generation applications. The Company's headquarters, engineering
and product development center, and motor manufacturing operation
are located in Frederick, Colorado. For more information on the
Company, please visit its worldwide website at www.uqm.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" [...]
Source: UQM Technologies, Inc. Copyright � 2005 Yahoo! Inc.
Copyright � 2005 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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--- Begin Message ---
I wouldn't typically post to this kind of thing but this one gets to me
because I am considering trying to actually race eventually.
Fundamentally I disagree with the claimer system...
I will NEVER...EVER... show up for an event if someone has the
possibility of buying my sweat and blood out from under me once I win...
If I was rich I wouldn't care because I would just pay someone to build
me another one. This is not the case however. I will be in my small
garage sweating for months with lots of elbow grease and ingeniuty to
try and win. My sweat is worth a lot of money to me but that won't go
into the price of the vehicle which someone could purchase at what would
be a MAJOR discount...
I doubt I am the only one on this list who feels this way.
Lets leave the rules alone. They may not be perfect, but that's
generally the case with rules.
You can't make everyone happy all of the time...
Jay
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Rich Rudman
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 12:16 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: re: Dave Cloud's Rules ideas.
Rich:
Would you please post this for me on the EV Discussion List?
Thanks. Dave
02/27/05
My name is Dave Cloud (not Steve/Dave Cloud). My brother and I
are not connected at the brain and never have been. We are not in
business together and don't always have the same opinions.
I have never proposed a NEDRA rule change that would benefit only
me as Rich Madman posted (although he later apologized to me on the
phone).
I have discussed my ideas with Rich and others about class
divisions based on voltage. I believe the potential quarter mile time
difference between a 72V system and a 360V setup is less than 0.5
seconds. I realize that this is a controversial point of view, but I
expect to prove it at the racetrack. Obviously, if this were the case,
I hope we would all be in agreement that 10 separate divisions within a
0.5 second difference would be ridiculous.
I have pondered the idea of classes divided based on battery
weight (never wattage). I believe it would have more validity than
voltage and would be much easier to verify. [A cheater could more
easily move a wire than hide a battery.]
If I were to propose a new way to separate class divisions, it
would be based on money, a standard claimer system used in many forms of
racing. What makes a vehicle go faster is more money, not more voltage.
Dragster class might have something like 6 divisions: $5K, $10K, $20K,
$50, $100K, Unclaimable. For example, it you entered your vehicle in
the $10K category, you would have to sell it at the end of the event for
that price. The vehicle would have to be in the same condition and have
the same contents (less driver & driver's gear) as when it crossed the
quarter mile light.
Records would be rewarded in each division based on low ET. If
someone had a better ET than in any division above, they would be
awarded that record also. I believe claimer divisions would have
several benefits. The concern that someone with unlimited funding could
sweep all the records would be eliminated since they would not put their
expensive vehicle at risk in a lower $$ class.
I believe competition would be tighter than voltage classes since
vehicle built with similar funding are more likely to have similar
performance. Looking at past performance NEDRA records, it is true
that generally the higher voltage vehicles are faster. However, these
same vehicles also are much more expensive.
Claimer classes would also result in more competitors. More
spectators would come to the races with the idea of possibly claiming a
vehicle so then the original owner would have to build a new one. This
would help the development of low cost EV's in general.
If you think voltage by itself is still a good way to define class
divisions, why not let low voltage record holders with better ET's than
the higher voltage in the same class have the higher record also? This
change would probably benefit me greatly, but I believe it is the most
fair and logical approach which treats everyone equally.
It has been suggested that a 20 second minimum ET be enforced.
This sounds like a good idea to me, but we should also let all voltage
classes including the 96V and under run the full quarter mile under this
limitation if they so choose.
If any of you NEDRA members (Rich, Otmar, Lee, Bill, Dennis) think
this post was written by a lunatic, please print this, save for one year
and then read again.
This message has been approved by Dave Cloud.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Segway segues)-long
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informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1109547019330&call_pageid=970599119419
Feb. 28, 2005. 07:02 AM
RENE JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR
Robyn Reisler spins on one of his Segway Human Transporters at
his office in Toronto. Reisler is heading up Segway of Ontario,
the first official distributor of the Segway Human Transporter in
Ontario. Sticker prices begin at $5,200 Segway segues into GTA
Our tech columnist takes one for a spin
TYLER HAMILTON
The first official Ontario distributor of Segway Human
Transporters has opened its doors in downtown Toronto, more than
three years after this futuristic, electric scooter-like vehicle
first rolled into the U.S. market.
"We're open for business," says Robyn Reisler, president and
co-founder of Segway of Ontario, which received its dealer
license in October and has been quietly building up inventory in
anticipation of huge summer demand.
But Reisler, and partner Anthony Piselli, are a bit hesitant to
call themselves a full-blown retail operation, for fear of being
overwhelmed by people wanting to test-drive these completely
addictive, ultra-cool personal transporters.
"At this stage we feel we'd have hundreds or thousands of people
walking in every day wanting to give them a try," says Reisler,
adding that the focus right now is on rentals, tourist
attractions and business sales. "But if a person wants to come in
and buy one this is a place to showcase the product."
Reisler is currently in talks with officials at the Toronto Zoo,
Canada's Wonderland, Marineland and Centre Island about setting
up Segway rental outlets, which can easily fetch $50 an hour from
anyone who craves a ride.
A joint-venture with Toronto Tours could see people taking in the
city as part of organized Segway-riding tour groups this summer.
"The goal in our first year is to showcase the product in safe
environments with proper training," says Reisler.
For those not familiar with the Segway Human Transporter or its
parent company of the same name, the hype first began in January
2001 when a patent application obtained by the media provided
details of an emission-free "personal mobility vehicle" that
could travel over uneven surfaces.
Around the same time, a book proposal was leaked to the public
that discussed a "revolutionary" vehicle code-named "Ginger" that
had the potential to transform our transportation infrastructure
in a way that caused less traffic congestion and pollution.
Indeed, the name Segway is based on the word "segue," which means
"to transition smoothly from one state to another." The
speculation took on a life of its own, partly because the brain
behind Ginger was veteran uber-inventor Dean Kamen.
It also had the backing and praise of two giants of the computer
and Internet industry, Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of
Amazon.com, and Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs.
When Ginger was eventually unveiled as the Segway Human
Transporter, it didn't quite live up to its world-altering
reputation but it certainly offered people a new, fun and
emission-free way of scooting around neighbourhoods, campuses,
golf courses or warehouses.
Warning: When I used the word "addictive" above I wasn't just
being cute.
"It's almost like a primal urge that people have to try the
product," says Klee Kleber, vice-president of marketing at
Bedford, N.H.-based Segway LLC.
The Segway has two big wheels on the side, a kind of chariot
platform in the middle to stand on, and a centre shaft that rises
up to a pair of handlebars. It contains two nickel-metal hydride
batteries which can be recharged by plugging the vehicle into a
regular wall socket.
The batteries generally provide enough power to reach up to 20
kilometres an hour and can travel roughly 15 kilometres on a
single charge, though new models being announced tomorrow, based
on lithium-ion batteries, will significantly expand the range to
35 kilometres or more. (There will also be an off-pavement
version with larger tires and an assortment of colour
combinations.)
What's most addictive about the Segway is its ability to reach
harmony with the rider, creating a kind of symbiotic exchange of
energy. There's no accelerator and no brakes. A complex system of
gyroscopes, sensors and high-speed microprocessors keep you
balanced upright.
If you want to go forward, just tilt forward a bit. If you want
to go faster, tilt some more. Just tilt back when you want to
slow down or stop. You can turn by using the steering grip on the
left handlebar. Took me about 30 seconds of training � if you can
call it training � before I was effortlessly buzzing around a
warehouse. It felt like a two-wheeled extension of my body.
Needless to say, when the Segway did hit the market in 2002 the
rich and famous and other early adopters of technology rushed to
get one. Problem was, you could only buy it on Amazon.com, and
after the exchange rate, taxes and training � which cost $700 and
required a flight to New Hampshire � you were looking at a
$10,000 bill.
Through this online sales model, speculation was that Segway had
sold less than 10,000 units in its first two years. Of those
sold, 6,000 were recalled in September 2003 because of a problem
with the batteries losing juice, which caused a few riders to
fall off. Back-up power and better low-battery alerts licked the
problem, but the issue proved a setback for the company.
In early 2004, Segway refocused its sales approach and began
building a network of local dealers, not just in the United
States but in Canada and overseas. Kleber calls the strategy a
"natural evolution" for the Segway and so far sales have exceeded
internal targets, forcing the company to boost output to catch
up.
"What we realized over the last couple of years is that the sale
of the Segway is best accomplished after somebody gets a chance
to ride it," he says, pointing out that Amazon.com served its
purpose as a simple and quick way of getting product to early
adopters.
A mass-market model that lets people kick the tires before
parting with their money required something more elaborate, adds
Kleber. "That's accomplished by somebody who's local, on-site, a
place customers can go, do a demo. As well, the purchaser can get
training and support locally from the dealer."
To date, Segway has about 80 dealers in North America and is
setting up a network in Europe and other countries. In Canada,
there are two Segway dealers in Alberta, one in Prince Edward
Island and now one in southern Ontario.
"Our territory is all of southern Ontario and our mandate is to
open up at least a couple of retail stores during the year," says
Reisler, who is trying to negotiate selling rights for all of
Ontario and Quebec.
His inventory of about 25 Segway HTs will be boosted to more than
100 over the next two months. Special orders only take five to 10
working days. The cost of purchasing one ranges from $5,200 to
$6,000, depending on the model. Check out
[ http://www.segwayofontario.com ] for more information.
Interest is certainly building, not just from individuals but
also private and public organizations, including government. The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Post, Windsor Police and a
bunch of corporations are trying them out.
Reisler says he's waiting for approval from the Greater Toronto
Airport Authority to begin a Segway pilot project at Pearson
airport. Some employees would use a Segway to police traffic at
drop-off and pick-up zones at the airport.
"You put in a Segway and they can do it five times quicker," he
says. "It's a natural fit for police and security."
Another fit is golf. He'll be doing some trials with golf courses
this summer that see the Segway as a way to attract customers but
also to speed up start times off the tee.
The faster the play the more paying customers you can fit on the
course each day. It's part of the reason Segway will announce
tomorrow a version of the Human Transporter with a golf-bag
carrier attached.
A media company is also in the works that would design
advertising billboards that custom fit to the front of any
Segway, similar to what a company called Chariot Media has been
doing around the Toronto area since the summer of 2003.
The venture is in partnership with Innovation Toronto, a
not-for-profit outfit founded by Ron Smith, who is housing Segway
of Ontario's headquarters in his warehouse on Eastern Avenue. In
exchange for the office space, Smith's organization and the
various charities he works with get a cut of the revenue and the
use of Segways for its own fundraising campaigns.
On a side note, Segway of Ontario also represents an anchor
tenant for Smith's plan of turning his warehouse into an
incubator and showcase of new non-polluting and efficient energy
technologies. But more on that later.
So what's the bad part of this good-news story? Well, Segways
aren't well-suited for snow or ice and are vulnerable to sub-zero
temperatures. And unlike cars, there's no protection from rain,
sleet, flurries, hail and other droppings from the sky.
Regulation in Canada is also fuzzy. Where can you ride them? Do
you need a helmet? Insurance? Can you even get insurance?
Police, no doubt, aren't quite sure whether to issue tickets or
not. One man in Niagara Falls made headlines last September for
being the first known Segway rider in Canada to get fined: $8,000
for not having insurance or a license plate.
He also made an illegal left turn off a sidewalk.
According to the first phase of a government-funded study
released last May by the Centre for Electric Vehicle
Experimentation in Quebec (CEVEQ), Segways are prohibited on
public thoroughfares and sidewalks, though there's nothing
stopping them from being used on private property or on trails.
Transport Canada has said that Segways do not fall under the
definition of a motor vehicle for use on roads, but final
authority rests with the provinces. With no lights or brakes,
"they are therefore in non-compliance and prohibited from use on
roads or sidewalks, as is the case in Quebec, Ontario and British
Columbia," the study says.
Discussions are ongoing with authorities in Ontario, and rules
could be put in place as early as this year. CEVEQ, which during
the first phase of its study had 49 people use test tracks to
evaluate Segway HTs, had two commonsense suggestions as the
provinces consider regulation: a minimum user age of 14 and a
requirement to use a safety helmet.
It did say pregnant woman and people with certain disabilities
should avoid use, but did not feel people needed to have a
driver's license.
"They are easy to manoeuvre, accelerate gently, run silently and
can stop quickly in case of emergency," CEVEQ reported, adding
that the Segway can easily tackle hills and can turn at full
speed without skidding or losing control. "An area where they
seem superior to other vehicles, such as bicycles or mopeds."
Phase 2 of the study is expected to begin this summer, and will
involve testing in various urban settings. It will assess the
ability of Segways to replace cars for short trips in the
community and will also try to measure the social impact: Will
people embrace them or find them annoying?
"Obviously the provinces have a range of options and that's what
we're working through right now," says Kleber. "We recommend that
people ride on sidewalks with the Segway during this time of
analysis in Canada . . . . It's when people ride it in the street
that the arm of the law starts to reach."
And if you do get pulled over? Offer the officer a ride. You'll
make a new friend, and just may avoid a ticket.
Clean Break reports on developments in energy technologies. Reach
Tyler Hamilton at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Additional articles by Tyler
Hamilton Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights
reserved.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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EVLN(Voltage for vroom, Porche thinks JD Power is wrong)-long
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05059/464017.stm
Engineer believes hybrid vehicles will gain ground
Sales won't be driven by high gas mileage, he says
Monday, February 28, 2005
By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
For enthusiastic supporters of the new hybrid gasoline-electric
cars like the Toyota Prius, this month's report by auto industry
consultant J.D. Power and Associates may have seemed like a
bucket of cold water.
The Thinkers
This monthly series will highlight people from Western
Pennsylvania who are on the forefront of new ideas in their
fields.
Tony Tye, Post-Gazette [photo]
Name: Isaac R. Porche III
Age: 36
Position: Policy expert, Rand Corp.
Education: Doctorate, electrical engineering and computer
science, University of Michigan, 1998. Master's, electrical
engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 1992.
Bachelor's, electrical engineering, Southern University, 1989.
Previous work: Since 1998, Rand projects on Army's future
communications needs; electric ship design for U.S. Navy;
analysis of California's zero-emission vehicle program; and other
issues. Project engineer for General Motors Corp., 1992-1994,
working on EV1 electric vehicle development. Research engineer,
Environmental Institute of Michigan, 1995-1997, working on
traffic detection technology and transportation infrastructure
studies.
Publications:
"Future Army Bandwidth Needs and Capabilities," March 2004.
"Driven into a Corner: To Clean the Air, California Can Steer Old
Cars and New Cars in Better Directions", RAND Review, Fall 2002.
The Series
[...]
The hybrids, J.D. Power predicted, will never gain more than 3
percent of the total U.S. market, or about 535,000 vehicles,
largely because they cost several thousand dollars more apiece
than standard cars and trucks.
Isaac Porche III believes the consultant is wrong -- but not for
the reasons one might think.
Porche is a 36-year-old policy expert at the Rand Corp. think
tank in Oakland. He spends most of his time these days analyzing
the future communications needs of America's armed forces, but
his hobby, and much of his training, is in energy-saving
automobiles.
Unlike environmentalists or those who want to free the United
States from dependence on foreign oil, Porche is not basing his
bullish prediction for hybrids on the fact that they can get up
to 60 miles per gallon and reduce pollution.
American buyers already have shown that high mileage and cleaner
emissions aren't enough to drive most of them to a new model.
What attracts most U.S. car buyers, he said, is power, safety and
"image" -- all features that they're willing to pay extra for,
and all features that many of the new hybrids will be able to
offer.
To see where the hybrid market might be heading, Porche said, pay
attention to advance orders for the new Lexus hybrid SUV, the
RX400h. Already, buyers have placed sight-unseen orders for half
the 24,000 models that will be offered for sale in the United
States this year -- at an estimated $45,000 sticker price.
Porche cited two salient facts about the RX400h: the
four-wheel-drive SUV will get 30 mpg, and it will be able to
accelerate to 60 mph in eight seconds.
It's the second fact that will drive more sales than the first,
he predicted, and that offers a hint of why bigger hybrid
vehicles may take a sizeable share of the future automotive
market.
The new Lexus, like Toyota and Ford hybrids, uses the electric
motor for starting and early acceleration, with the gasoline
engine kicking in later, while a competing hybrid model made by
Honda uses an efficient gasoline engine for starting and
supplements it at higher speeds with the electric motor.
Voltage for vroom
Electric motors have always been more efficient than gasoline
engines because they don't waste energy by inefficiently burning
fuel or transmitting their power through gears, Porche said.
"So when your neighbor gets that new Lexus that smokes you off
the light because you're in your Dodge Durango that needs to sip
gas for about 10 seconds before it really wants to move, he's
going to go, 'I want that hybrid Lexus and I'll pay an extra
$10,000 for it.' "
When Porche refers to American drivers' lust for power, though,
he isn't just talking about the speed of an automobile -- he's
also talking about the increasing demand for electrical power for
accessories and controls inside the vehicle.
And that is reason No. 2 why he believes hybrid technology may
have a much bigger future than J.D. Power forecasts.
"I call it the 'Pimp My Ride' phenomenon," said Porche, referring
to the MTV program that transforms everyday cars into customized
high-performance vehicles that are often loaded with electrical
gizmos like motorized shoe racks or remote-controlled digital
cameras.
"People want everything in their cars -- all kinds of
electronics, all kinds of gadgets.
"But guess what -- a 12-volt battery in a standard car will not
take care of the power needs that people are going to have. If
you start cranking up power on a car the way it is now, the wires
will catch on fire and burn the car down."
Hybrids will help deal with that reality by making it cheaper to
produce electric motors, nickel hydride batteries and other new
components. Eventually, vehicles may feature auxiliary power
supplies and separate wiring to accommodate all the devices
people want to use.
The other reason hybrids may succeed, at least for the next few
decades, is that they continue to make some use of the internal
combustion engine.
That doesn't please those who want to sharply cut America's
dependency on oil, but Porche noted that it's very hard to change
an industry that has been built around one type of engine for
nearly 100 years.
Moving to a more environmentally friendly auto industry isn't
just a matter of developing new engines that run on new fuels, he
said -- it's also how to do that in a way that won't cause a
whole segment of the economy to collapse.
The auto industry includes not only the big plants that assemble
vehicles, but "engine manufacturers, engine components makers,
radio manufacturers, pump makers, all these systems. You're
talking about changing a business model that's been very
profitable" and is heavily entrenched.
Hydrogen-powered future?
Eventually, Porche believes there will be a new standard
automobile, and it's likely to be powered by an electric engine
that runs on hydrogen and has almost no toxic emissions -- the
technology that President Bush has promoted in his State of the
Union messages.
Porche would be happy to see a hydrogen-powered car come along
and help clean up the skies -- but he didn't always feel that
way.
Ironically, even though he once worked on General Motors'
experimental electric vehicle program, Porche didn't have much
sympathy for environmentalists.
"We used to say 'Who are these green people, these fanatics? Save
a whale, leave us alone.' "
It was only after Porche got his doctorate in traffic control
engineering at the University of Michigan in 1998 that he
developed a "greener" outlook.
It happened when he was hired by Rand and moved with his family
to work in its Santa Monica, Calif., headquarters, near Los
Angeles.
"It didn't occur to me until I was driving into that brown layer
of air out there that this could have health impacts. My kid
developed asthma, and I developed a hacking cough that I still
have to this day.
"The first time I realized that tailpipe emissions were making me
sick, it all of a sudden became a political issue."
GM had recruited Porche when he was a 19-year-old undergraduate
electrical engineering student at Southern University in his
hometown of Baton Rouge, La.
The automaker paid for the conclusion of his undergraduate
education and for his master's degree in electrical engineering
at the University of California at Berkeley, where he helped
develop an automated highway system, a demonstration project that
proved that 15 cars could move safely along an experimental
roadway without any drivers controlling them.
He went to work for GM after that, helping design the electronic
ignition and security system for the EV1 battery-powered car.
GM produced about 700 of the high-performance electric vehicles
starting in 1996, leasing them primarily to drivers in
California, which had developed strict new air pollution
standards.
But for reasons that are still murky, GM eventually decided to
kill off the EV1 program, pulling the cars off the market and
crushing them as their leases expired. The decision has provoked
outrage among EV1 enthusiasts, and as recently as this month, a
group of them led by actor Ed Begley Jr. were staging public
protests in an attempt to change the company's mind.
It was during his two years at GM that Porche also had to undergo
the most unrelenting stretch of jokes about his name.
In Louisiana, Porche is a common Creole name, but once he left
the state and went to work for GM, he had to listen to almost
daily gags, even though his surname is spelled differently than
that of the German luxury automaker.
But at least he didn't go through what his sister did, Porche
said. When she attended Dartmouth College, somebody in the
admissions office made sure her roommate was a young woman named
Ferrari.
A car to power your house
Porche believes the best hope for a commercial low-emission
vehicle in the future is hydrogen technology, in which low-cost
fuel cells would split hydrogen into its constituent protons and
electrons to generate electricity that would power an electric
motor.
Some of the major U.S. developers of fuel cells are based in this
region, including Siemens Westinghouse in Churchill and the
National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, W.Va.
The hydrogen fuel might be supplied by the equivalent of gas
stations scattered around the country, which could convert
natural gas into hydrogen that could be pumped into vehicle
tanks, Porche said.
While many people instinctively fear the explosiveness of
hydrogen fuel, haunted by old newsreels of the Hindenburg
zeppelin disaster, Porche believes the fuel would be as safe as
gasoline.
The bigger challenge would be creating a network of hydrogen
fueling stations.
An intriguing alternative, he said, would be to connect devices
known as reformers to natural gas lines at people's homes. The
reformers would convert the natural gas into hydrogen and carbon
dioxide.
That would let someone fuel up his car at home, and could even
allow the car to generate electricity for the house.
In that scenario, you would drive to your home at night, hook the
car up to the reformer, and use the car's fuel cells to route
electricity into your house, reducing your need for power from
the local utility company.
If such a system were in place, Porche said, "not only would we
have lower emissions but we'd have a safer power distribution
system. If a hurricane hits and you lose power, no big deal. You
turn the car on."
All of this may seem far-fetched today, and Porche is quick to
acknowledge that such changes are probably 50 years away at
least.
Nevertheless, he said, "it's important to take the first steps
now, because you know in the very long run you don't want to be
dependent on oil and gasoline."
(Mark Roth can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or
412-263-1130.) Copyright �1997-2005 PG Publishing Co., Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
-
=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(EV1 dies at 9, cause of death: GM insincere commitment)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://business.bostonherald.com/technologyNews/view.bg?articleid=70689
EV1, 9, dies By John Strahinich Monday, February 28, 2005
General Motors' EV1 battery-powered car - the first modern
electric automobile from a major carmaker - officially died this
month, as the last of its limited line of 1,100 vehicles were
confiscated from their drivers and consigned to a scrap heap in
Burbank, Calif.
The EV1 was 9 years old.
The cause of death, according to the automaker, was a lack of
interest from the car-buying public. ``There are times you have
to make tough business decisions and move on,'' said GM spokesman
David Barthmuss, after the company pulled the plug on the
wedge-shaped two-seater.
But EV1 enthusiasts from coast to coast suspect the vehicle was
the victim of foul play on the part of the Detroit auto giant.
Indeed, the 97-year-old carmaker is lavishing its money and
affections on hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles as if they were the
second coming of Anna Nicole Smith.
``GM claims nobody wants electric cars, but nothing could be
further from the truth,'' said John Iozza, a children's
entertainer in Everett and a card-carrying member of the Electric
Vehicle Association of the Americas.
``I tried to get one,'' Iozza said, ``and so did a lot of others
I know.''
Born in 1996 in a GM plant in Lansing, Mich., the
futuristic-looking EV1 hit the market at a time of high gas
prices and even higher pollution rates - which is to say, a time
not unlike today.
The cars were hailed for their whisper-soft performance, but
worked best in warm climates, and after 100 miles or so had to be
recharged for six to eight hours.
The EV1's were available to the public only on a leasing basis,
fetching between $300 and $500 a month. Most were consigned to
California and Arizona. About 100 were sent to Massachusetts and
New York to be test-driven by public officials.
``I can't find anyone who had one who wasn't in love with it,''
Iozza recalled. ``It was silent. It was quick. It was sexy.''
Iozza likened the EV1 to riding a high-speed elevator in a
skyscraper. ``It just whooshed you to the top,'' he said.
Newton Mayor David Cohen was given two EV1s to test drive for the
better part (meaning the warmer months) of the past two years.
``I thought they were great,'' Cohen recalled recently.
``The feature I liked best about it was, if you drove it
carefully, you could recharge the battery and increase the
mileage,'' Cohen said.
The EV1 leaves hundreds of grieving former lease-holders,
including washed-up actor Ed Begley Jr. and thousands more
electric car lovers.
Memorial services and a 24-hour-a-day vigil are being held
outside GM's Burbank facility, where the remaining EV1s await the
scrap pile, save for the ones destined for various museums,
including the Smithsonian, according to GM's Barthmuss.
``God love them for their passion and enthusiasm and loyalty,''
Barthmuss said. ``They would walk through walls for that
vehicle.''
�Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Interactive Advertising
Systems, Inc.
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=====
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(GM is crushing what's possible today)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2C200~20954~2733094%2C00.html
Article Published: Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 12:00:00 AM PST
EV1 fans rally to save their cars By Associated Press
BURBANK -- Electric car buffs, shocked that General Motors has
ordered lessees to return their pioneering EV1s, have been
standing vigil for nearly two weeks to keep the electric cars
from being put through the crusher.
"If I could get my car back, I would lie in front of a (car)
transporter," Chris Reeves, 46, of Burbank said outside the
General Motors Training Center, where rows of torpedo-shaped
electric cars are being stored prior to demolition.
Reeves and dozens of other EV1 fans have been standing vigil
since Feb. 14 in an effort to save the last of the EV1 fleet --
77 in California -- from the crusher. GM built more than 1,000
EV1s, leasing 800 for between $300 and $600 a month before
finally pulling the plug on its electric car program in 2003.
On Saturday afternoon, a rally begging GM to sell fans the cars
will include actors Ed Begley Jr., Ted Danson and Alexandra
Paul.
"This is Death Row," said Chelsea Sexton, a former EV1
specialist, marketer and customer service representative for GM.
"These cars are just sitting, waiting to be crushed -- to make EV
pancakes out of them."
GM said there wasn't enough support from the motoring public to
make the EV1 program work, saying the automotive future lies in
electric-gasoline hybrids and in fuel-cell cars powered from
hydrogen.
"God love these people, but it's time to move on to other
technology," GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss said.
"GM is not just crushing a car, but a symbol of what's possible,"
Reeves said. "I would offer $50,000 for one of these cars. I
would re-mortgage my house for one of them. They're that good."
Copyright � 2005 Los Angeles Daily News Los Angeles Newspaper
Group
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(World's fastest EV, Nakashima's Super Elexceed exceeding 350
kph)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050228wo11.htm
Entrepreneur speeds toward dream record
Kentaro Kajiura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Tokushi Nakashima, 38, is obsessed with his desire to produce the
world's fastest electric car.
"Speed can be used to measure technological advancement," he
said.
In Tokyo, his car, the Super Elexceed, attracted a lot of
attention at an auto show last month for its streamlined body.
The Tokyo Auto Salon 2005 was held at the Makuhari Messe
convention center in Chiba on Feb. 14 and 15.
Nakashima, who developed the Super Elexceed himself, is calling
for contributions from businesses to finance his dream--creating
an electric car capable of speeds exceeding 350 kph.
The current world record of 311 kph was set in April 2001 in
Nardo, Italy, by an eight-wheel-drive sedan called KAZ, or Keio
Advanced Zero-Emission Vehicle.
In 1994, Nakashima, 38, established the car parts manufacturer
Zero/Sports Co. in a rented warehouse in Gifu.
Four years later, he launched his project to create the fastest
electric car.
"Electric cars were still in their infancy (at the time). I
believed I could bet my fate on their future," he said.
He was scorned by engineers at major automakers, who said he
would need an enormous amount of capital, which could only be
raised by large manufacturers.
But he has proved them wrong.
In December 2000, his first attempt called Zero EV Formula, in
which EV stood for electric vehicle, recorded a speed of 276.6
kph, setting a national record.
He marketed his second vehicle, Zero EV Elexceed RS, in March
2003, as a fashionable sports car.
His third vehicle, Zero EV Celo View, a truck, was released in
July 2004.
Both are priced at about 2 million yen.
"They are selling fairly well," he said.
Cars that are poorly balanced will never reach top speeds, even
with the best-performing engines, he added.
Reflecting on his youth, Nakashima said he failed university
entrance examinations.
"I changed my way of thinking and decided to go to work before my
peers," he said.
He found his first full-time job with a machinery manufacturer,
but he quit shortly after to run his own business, which later
developed into Zero/Sports.
The firm recently has moved to Kagamihara, Gifu Prefecture, and
has about 40 employees on its payroll.
Despite his successes, the road has not been easy for Nakashima,
who suffered health problems from overwork and faced funding cuts
by banks.
No matter what obstacles he encounters, Nakashima still believes
that electric cars are the future and noisy engines will no
longer be an option sooner rather than later.
And so he forges ahead with his dream, getting closer to
achieving the world record for the fastest electric car.
Copyright 2005 The Yomiuri Shimbun
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. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
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===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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--- Begin Message ---
EVDL Folks...
I won't be making a habit of this.
We are trying to get Dave Cloud to hook hisself up to the EVDL :^D
Dave asked me to post this response to Roderick...
---------------------------------------
Roderick wrote:
Horsepower is still watts and watts is
volts times amps. Let's see, to make
a 600,000 watt car you divide by 72. That is over 8000 amps. Show me the
batteries.
Dave responds to Roderick-
To set to the record straight...
8000A... no problem.
4 strings of 72V, 2000A each string.
Of
course that would be with mulitiple high-efficiency motors
Dave Cloud
---------------------------
Roy LeMeur
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.cloudelectric.com
http://www.dcelectricsupply.com
Cloud Electric Vehicles
19428 66th Ave So, Q-101
Kent, Washington 98032
phone: 425-251-6380
fax: 425-251-6381
Toll Free: 800-648-7716
My Electric Vehicle Pages:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/renewables/evpage.html
Informative Electric Vehicle Links:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/renewables/evlinks.html
EV Parts/Gone Postal Photo Galleries:
http://www.casadelgato.com/RoyLemeur/page01.htm
--- End Message ---
