EV Digest 4482
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(NY cabs try to be cleaner)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Mitsubishi will mass-produce electric car in 2010)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(AC Propulsion SoLong Solar Electric UAV)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Electric Superbike is on the way)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Volt 144: 914 Porsche, mimics a quiet electric lawnmower)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(3CC concept EV designer's comments)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(Ambitious vision for Chinese EV technology)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) EVLN(Groovy gizmo superhero who loves delivering pizzas)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(NY cabs try to be cleaner)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/324049p-276999c.html
Speed up clean cabs, pols urge
BY FRANK LOMBARDI DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU
Contending the city is moving too slowly on approving
clean-running taxicabs, the City Council voted yesterday to speed
up the process by imposing a three-month deadline.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission received bids last year on 27
taxi medallions for exclusive use on clean-air taxis. The winning
bids ranged from $220,000 to $225,000 for each medallion.
But so far, the TLC has refused to finalize the sale on grounds
that the prospective buyers haven't come up with acceptable
clean-air vehicles. Another 54 similar medallions are scheduled
to be sold over the next year or so.
Clean-air vehicles include hybrids that combine an electric motor
with a gasoline engine and vehicles that operate on fuels other
than gasoline.
"We have 13,000 taxicabs on the streets of New York City,"
commented Councilman John Liu (D-Queens), chairman of the
Council's Transportation Committee. "These taxis are generally on
the street ... around the clock, and in doing so, they spew a
great deal of pollutants into the air."
He and other backers of clean-air cabs say their limited
introduction into the city's taxi fleet would help spur a more
widespread conversion to such vehicles, and help reduce health
problems and risks.
The TLC has contended that several vehicles proposed by the
buyers of the clean-air taxi medallions lacked adequate legroom
for passengers and had other problems.
But Liu dismissed the TLC's reservations, saying, "Our feeling in
the Council is that's just a lousy excuse for not approving a
clean-air vehicle."
The deadline bill - originally introduced by Councilman David
Yassky (D-Brooklyn) - mandates the TLC to "approve one or more
hybrid electric vehicle models for use as a taxicab within 90
days after the enactment of this law."
The bill was approved unanimously at yesterday's session by 50
Council members.
While the TLC testified against the bill during its hearing
stage, the Bloomberg administration has yet to say whether it
will veto the measure. It takes only 34 votes to override a
veto.
The 90-day count can't begin until the mayor signs the bill or
the Council passes it again over a mayoral veto.
Originally published on July 1, 2005
All contents © 2005 Daily News, L.P.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Mitsubishi will mass-produce electric car in 2010)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000730048453/
Mitsubishi will mass-produce electric car in 2010
Posted Jun 28, 2005, 11:14 AM ET by John Neff
Related entries: Economy, Gadgets, Hybrids/Alternative
Mitsu i car 250 PR Photo
Hoping to turn his company around with new car introductions in
both Japan and the U.S., President of Mitsu Motors, Osamu Masuko,
announced at a shareholders meeting last week that the company
will be mass producing an electric car based on the new i
mini-car by 2010. The electric vehicle will be powered by a
lithium-ion battery and feature an in-wheel motor system where
the motors are attached directly to the wheels. With hybrids all
the rage and fuel cell technology receiving the bulk of R&D
dollars, it seems odd that Mitsubishi would focus its dwindling
resources on electric vehicles.
===
http://motortrend.com/features/news/112_news44/
Mitsubishi Motors To Mass-produce Electric Motorcar In 2010
Kyodo News International, Tokyo - June 24, 2005 Motor Trend
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Thursday it plans to mass-produce
electric motorcars in 2010, while launching a brand-new model of
a sport utility vehicle this fall and a mini-vehicle model in
January next year.
President Osamu Masuko unveiled the plans at a regular
shareholders' meeting as part of the scandal-plagued company's
efforts to regain profitability, which was badly affected by a
series of vehicle defect coverups.
Masuko said the envisaged electric car will have a lithium-ion
battery, emitting no gas and requiring only one-fifth the energy
to drive compared with hybrid gasoline-electric cars.
The electric car will be modeled on the mini-vehicle called i,
also a brand-new model, and have an "in-wheel motor" system in
which a motor is directly attached to the wheels, according to a
company official. The car will make its first test run next year,
the official said.
With the SUV Outlander and the mini-vehicle i both for the
Japanese market, as well as other new lineups including the new
sedan Eclipse debuting in May for the U.S. market, the company
hopes to swing back into the black in the business year to March
31, 2007 with a group net profit of 8 billion yen as targeted
under its revival plan announced in January.
According to its earnings report for fiscal 2004 through this
March, the automaker's group net loss more than doubled to a
record 474.79 billion yen partly because sales continued to
plunge as a result of its defect coverups.
Copyright (c) 2005, Kyodo News International, Tokyo
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail for Mobile
Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/learn/mail
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(AC Propulsion SoLong Solar Electric UAV)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.telematicsjournal.com/content/newsfeed/3622.html
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Makes Record-Breaking 48-Hour Flight
June 27, 2005 | 11:48 AM
Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller
and analog semiconductors, today announced that AC Propulsion
utilized the high-density memory, high pin count PIC18
microcontrollers to control its SoLong Solar Electric-Powered
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) during its record-breaking 48-hour
flight earlier this month. The SoLong's creator and chief pilot,
a self-proclaimed analog guy, selected Microchip because of its
development tools.
"I consider myself a newcomer to microcontrollers I was
strictly an analog guy until four years ago," said Alan Cocconi,
founder, chairman and chief engineer of AC Propulsion Inc. "With
Microchip's MPLAB(R) Integrated Development Environment (IDE), I
only had to learn one set of development tools to use a wide
variety of products, which gave me more time to concentrate on
completing the SoLong."
The SoLong UAV's systems that are controlled by the 12 onboard
PIC18 microcontrollers include: Autopilot
A PIC18LF452 operating at 20 MHz clock speed decodes 13
Pulse-With Modulator (PWM) control inputs from the uplink
receiver, serial data from the Ublox GPS module, and takes in
analog sensor data from 23 channels. The assembly-language code
calculates four PID loops for stability augmentation, as well as
managing the GPS navigation and waypoints. The same PIC18LF452
microcontroller also generates the telemetry data stream and
eight channels of command pulses for the flight controls.
Motor Drive
A PIC18F452 operating at 24 MHz clock speed is used in
conjunction with a Flash memory lookup table to generate nine
sine-modulated 38 kHz PWM outputs for the 800W sensorless
Brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive.
Peak Power Tracker
A PIC18F452 operating at 40 MHz clock speed controls the 4 phase
38 kHz PWM of the 300W DC-DC converter, with a dynamic peak power
tracking algorithm to match the solar array output to the
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery.
Servos
Each of the six servo motors use a PIC18LF1320 operating at 20
MHz clock speed to calculate a 600 Hz PID loop, and output 78 kHz
PWM to run the small DC motor. The PIC18LF1320 stores in-flight
load and wear data to help ensure system reliability for the long
flights.
Battery Monitor
Two PIC18F1220s using the internal clock, operating at 250 kHz,
monitor the individual cell voltages with 20 mV resolution and
protect the Li-Ion battery pack. A serial data-stream is
available for diagnostics.
Tracking Downlink Antenna and Anemometer
A PIC18C452 operating at 20 MHz clock speed communicates with the
telemetry decoding PC (which runs Labview) using the serial port,
and controls two servos that aim the antenna at the airplane
using the GPS data. Analog wind speed and direction data is
acquired and sent to the PC through the same port for display.
AC Propulsion Inc. is a California Corporation founded in 1992 to
develop, manufacture, and license system and component technology
for electric vehicle (EV) drive systems. Since its founding, AC
Propulsion has emerged as a worldwide leader in producing EVs
that meet the functional requirements of daily use.
Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of
microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk
product development, lower total system cost and faster time to
market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.
Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding
technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.
©2005 Allied Business Intelligence
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Electric Superbike is on the way)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4105/
Electric Superbike is on the way
June 20, 2005 Our recent story on the inevitability of the
electric motorcycle brought a number of reader emails pointing
out projects wed missed. One stood out head and shoulders above
the rest. The rMOTO electric superbike concept was developed by
ROBRADY design to showcase the technologies and expertise of
several of its clients but when the first design sketches were
released on the company web site in April, so great was the
interest that the project has been given the green light and a
prototype is to be constructed for unveiling in January 2006. In
terms of design pedigree, no studio could be more appropriate
than ROBRADY which has worked on an array of relevant notable
projects such as the Vectrix electric and fuel cell scooters, a
number of Segway scooters, Parker Hannifins Fuel Cells,
regenerative braking systems and on a number of motorcycle
designs for various companies. See inside for an exclusive
interview with ROBRADY principal, Rob Brady.
Florida-based ROBRADY design is one of the elite design studios
used by the likes of Yamaha, Polaris, Segway, Vectrix, Suzuki,
Volvo, Dell, AT&T, Evinrude et al. Here, ROBRADY principal, Rob
Brady discusses the coming rMOTO electric superbike the company
will produce.
Tell us about the origins of rMOTO?
We Ive had that RMOTO sketch in one form or another for a couple
of years and I was really captivated by the thought of an
electric superbike when we were researching two wheeled markets
in Europe for the Vectrix project.
I thought about with all the technology we have available to us
with our technology partners at the studio and thought wouldnt
it be a great vehicle to showcase everybodys work on a single
product.
The concept behind it isnt the performance and expectations
we have a lot of people wanting to buy it and all those things
are actually secondary to wrapping it all together - the
technological feat of putting it into a single cohesive package,
the battery the battery management system, all the electronics,
illumination, all the different components and systems of the
bike are existing items today from the different people we do
business with so what were trying to do at rMOTO is put it into
a single product LED headlights, the recharging systems, fuel
cell from Parker Hannifin.
Vectrix has really been the cornerstone of Robrady for the last
few years and weve been developing products for Vectrix and its
all about electric transportation and a new way fo doing things
without excessive noise or pollution and renewable energy and
just a better way, a much better way.
Vectrix have all the electronics and the battery management and
regenerative braking system and it has a lot of the IP to
optimise everything for a motorcycle such as this, so we feel
were starting with an enormous head start. It would be very
easy to take an existing motorcycle and slip a motor and a lot of
batteries and I think a few people have done that already and
its kinda disappointing and it becomes a gas bike that morphs
into an electric bike and wed like to do it as an electric bike
from the start
from day one.
It would be easy to ride something like this you twist the
throttle, and hang on. When you want to slow down, just roll the
throttle past zero, depending on how fast youre going of course
(laughs), and the regenerative braking starts turning the
momentum back into energy and storing it into the battery.
So how long will it take before we can see a finished prototype
in carbon and metal?
Probably five or six months at a minimum and maybe a few months
longer. The point is that its all do-able were working with
many companies such as Yamaha and Polaris and Vectrix and we have
a full crew thats very suitable for developing and building a
bike like this. We have the rapid prototypers, the designers, the
technology, industrial designers, the fabricators and so on.
Its not whether it can be done, its how well it can be done. We
have to do some more conceptual homework to finalise the
background on the layout of the components once weve done that
well go to full-size clay.
Were really focussed on the Vectrix scooter right now maybe
next January well have something in metal and carbon that works.
But the progress of the development will be well documented and
were going to keep posting images on the site to keep people up
to date with what were doing. Well also be involving people in
the process we want interaction and opinions and ideas and
were very receptive to hearing what the motorcycle fraternity
wants.
The Vectrix regenerative braking system
the Vectrix fuel cell layout.
Fuel cells to be used in the Vectrix.
So just what sort of performance can we expect from the rMOTO?
Its kind of a balance we need to resolve. We can get a 100 miles
an hour, 120 miles an hour bike but then the range of the bike
suffers so its a matter of starting and knowing that the
technologies and different battery chemistries will evolve in
time, and probably not very much time at that.
As battery technology progresses, as it inevitably will, the
rMOTO will be a kind of a test bed for the technologies for the
Vectrix scooter.
Youll be incorporating some of the Vectrix regenerative braking
system in the rMOTO?
Yes, the Vectrix regenerative braking is awesome. You dont need
to take your hands off the throttle to get on the brakes like you
normally do its one continuous movement and you just roll the
throttle back past zero.
When youre at a standstill, it also provides you with reverse
which is a great idea on a bigger scooter or on a motorcycle
where you want to be able to manoeuvre the bike around without
having to wrestle it really handy when you have a pillion on
board.
the Vectrix scooter
One of the Segway models worked on by ROBRADY design.
Another Segway model touched by ROBRADY.
On a motorcycle its a unique feature. Its a Vectrix patent and
they hired us to develop it with their electrical guys its
super smooth it has springs which are bi-directional and it
feels very sure and robust. I dont want to downplay it by saying
that it feels typical but it feels like what it should feel like
in the normal mode and has that same type of feeling once you go
past the detent in the centre and begin decelerating quickly and
harvesting the energy.
What happens is that it changes the electrical fields and starts
to charge the battery. It takes the momentum of the motorcycle
and effectively harvests the energy contained, or at least some
of it, and puts it back into the battery.
Its all about conserving energy, because the battery capacity
with current battery technologies is limited and we need to make
it as efficient as possible.
The thing about electric motorcycles is that we can make it as
fast as you like but the flip side of that is that the range of
the motorcycle is severely compromised if we unleash all the
power potential.
If you think that in touring through a populated downtown area
this is an ideal bike. It will look fantastic, with that big
electric motor sitting right on the rear wheel, it will have
tremendous acceleration. Its not going to be like having a big
gas motor that you need to get it into maximum torque zone before
you pop the clutch and then fight to keep it there so you can get
maximum acceleration. This baby will have maximum torque at zero
sitting right there inside the rear wheel ready to go I cant
emphasise how fast this bike will accelerate.
Will it be heavier than a normal superbike?
The Buell design that came out of ROBRADY
The Yamaha 1200 is another ROBRAFY design.
The Vectrix scooter was also another to have been touched by
ROBRADY
It depends on what we use and we have some calculating to do
before we finalise the first cut of this bike. We are in the
infancy of electric vehicles.
Right now, people look beyond the nearest powerpoint and they
dont know how they will refill an electric motorcycle quickly
and efficiently. There are a few but not many hydrogen fuel
stations to recharge the fuel cell so it looks kinda barren out
there for keeping an electric or fuel cell vehicle mobile, but
that will change. I can imagine that the very same thing happened
100 years ago you can imagine people looking at the first
gasoline-powered cars and saying, ah, it might be alright for
downtown, but if you want to go any distance, you need a horse.
So fuel cells are an option?
Theres every chance we could have a fuel cell on board so that
can be topped up without needing to get to an electrical outlet.
I think in the beginning when the rMOTO is first shown to the
market and were still in the experimental phase, well see
nickel metal hydride batteries. I think at this stage they will
be the first batteries we use, but things are happening so
rapidly. Working with our partners at Vectrix weve seen new
technologies that are two-thirds the weight and equal power and
less price than what we were using a year ago.
As a designer and trying to imagine where I can extrapolate this
technology, is to build a vehicle like this rMOTO that we can
initially well probably put Nickel metal hydrides and then well
probably put lithium ion batteries and then who knows what well
use in a year or two or three each time we change the power is
going up and the cost and the weight is going down.
Id love to see this bike have a consumer version that will get
you 100mph and an evening of running around downtown and then
therell be a version of this thing thats going to be the exotic
superbike and that might have a limited production custom lithium
ion batteries and we might see the horsepower of such a
motorcycle going off the charts you could see the Exotic rMOTO
running incredible lap times at motorcycle races showcasing the
power available from intelligent electronic design.
I could easily see a fuel cell being used in the RMOTO it
depends on how exotic we want to be the Vectrix scooter that
comes out in the spring of next year is an all electric vehicle
but hot on its heels is the fuel cell version. And those things
are being worked on today right now maybe next January well
have something in metal and carbon that works. But the progress
of the development will be well documented and were going to
keep posting images on the site to keep people up to date with
what were doing. Well also be involving people in the process
we want interaction and opinions and ideas and were very
receptive to hearing what the motorcycle fraternity wants.
In a 12 month period weve seen the power go up and price cut in
half, the size cut in half. There are so many people in the fuel
cell business right now. I think well see fuel cell price
performance improvement similar to computer chips (editor:
Moores Law) for the next few years.
Theres very interesting opportunity here in showcasing what can
be done with electrical power in a two wheel vehicle. Youre not
fighting the big powerful automotive companies for attention in
this market and a motorcycle is an ideal showcase for the
performance.
The RMOTO will be special this is not just seen as a concept
but one we can see developed and manufactured maybe at the
beginning of its life its an exotic but we can see a time when
bikes such as the rMOTO are producable and available
cost-efficiently for everyone.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Volt 144: 914 Porsche, mimics a quiet electric lawnmower)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.news-gazette.com/localnews/story.cfm?Number=18435
Rantoul man untethers his Porsche from the gas pump
By KIRBY PRINGLE
© 2005 THE NEWS-GAZETTE Published Online June 17, 2005
RANTOUL It looks like a Porsche 914, but it sure doesn't sound
like one.
As Jim Snyder backs his red 1972 Porsche away from the parking
space, a high-pitched whine comes from the rear end. But when he
puts it in first gear and moves forward, the sounds mimic a quiet
electric lawnmower.
There are two giveaways for those paying attention: the words
"High Voltage" above the rocker panels on both sides of the car
and the license plate, "Volt 144."
This is a Porsche 914 that was probably never on the drawing
boards at Stuttgart, Germany the internal combustion engine is
missing. Snyder, executive director of the Octave Chanute
Aerospace Museum in Rantoul, has converted his Porsche into an
electric car.
"I just thought to myself, 'There has to be a better way of doing
things with gas prices continuing to go up.' Last year it was $2
a gallon and then $2.10 and now $2.20. Seems like gas prices are
going to keep going up and up, and that doesn't do anybody any
good," Snyder says.
"The Porsche 914 has a fine engine. I just didn't want it."
Intrigued by an electric conversion of a conventional car, Snyder
started doing research on the Internet. Others had already
converted the 914 (as well as other makes and models) into
electric cars, and the light weight and engine layout of the
Porsche offered advantages.
The next step was finding a 914 (an affordable, mid-engined,
two-seat car made by Porsche from 1969 to '76), and he started
scouring the classified ads in local newspapers.
"I found the car in Villa Grove. It was in pretty bad shape,"
Snyder says.
Soon afterward, he started getting all the parts for the
conversion: batteries, controller, contactors, DC-to-DC
converter, drive motor all the things necessary to turn the car
into something Reddy Kilowatt would be proud to drive.
He also had to do bodywork to the Porsche, fixing the dents and
dings, as well as a new coat of paint (it still needs additional
paintwork). Snyder also had some eager helpers with the
conversion his three sons, Patrick, 13, Matthew, 8, and Chris,
19.
"They all helped quite a bit," he says. "The conversion took us
about 100 hours to do, and that was without the bodywork.
"I bought the car in September and it was November when I pulled
it into the garage. I got the parts in January and February and
we didn't really start working hard on it until March and April.
You have to be devoted. There are a lot of people who buy their
projects. I did most of my work after midnight," Snyder adds.
There are 13 batteries in all, which boosts the weight of the
car, normally 1,922 pounds, to around 2,500 pounds. Three of the
batteries are located under the front hood near the windshield
(in place of the gas tank) and the other 10 are in the rear under
the Porsche's engine bonnet.
As Snyder opens the engine compartment and removes the black
targa top to gain access to the electronic components, he points
out the items one by one. Finally, he grabs an orange cord.
"And here's the most important part the plug," he says.
Instead of heading for the gas pump like most car owners, Snyder
reaches for the electric outlet. He plugs the car into a 220-volt
outlet for about 4 hours and figures it costs him in the
neighborhood of $1 a day for a full charge.
"That's a lot better than my Dakota pickup," he says. "And I love
my pickup, but I can't fill it up for $1. I don't see why I can't
save 70 to 80 percent on my gas costs."
He's never tested the limits of how far the fully charged Porsche
will take him. The other day he put on 60 miles just putzing
around.
"I've driven back and forth to Urbana from Rantoul. And I've had
it up to 75 miles per hour um, that's unofficial, of course,"
Snyder says.
A test ride in the Porsche showed it to have more than adequate
acceleration it's just a bit eerie with no gasoline engine and
the relative solitude. The low-slung car, with the electric whir,
has sort of a bumper-car feel.
"Basically, it's just like driving a regular car," Snyder says
except for all the questions he gets from other drivers. "I'll
pull up to the stoplight and someone will lean out the window and
ask, 'How far will it go?' 'How fast does it go?' Things like
that."
All totaled, Snyder estimates that he has $8,000 invested in the
Porsche and that it will take three years for the car to pay for
itself. But even if it takes longer, Snyder is happy to be
untethered from the gas pump.
"It's so amazing all the things they are coming out with as far
as alternative energy. The Internet has a lot of good Web sites
and a lot of good sources," he says. "It's amazing the things
that can be done."
Copyright 2005 News-Gazette, Inc.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(3CC concept EV designer's comments)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/11918241.htm
Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
What drives designers
DIVERSITY AND GROWING NICHE MARKETS FUEL IDEAS FOR NEW CARS
By Matt Nauman Mercury News
In the maelstrom of today's auto market, designers are under
increasing pressure to create cars and trucks that look great,
appeal to specific buyers, neatly fit brand images and sell for
the right price.
It's high-pressure work, yet students are willing to wait in long
lines for the privilege of doing just that.
Which is what they did recently when a dozen top auto designers
met in San Francisco to review student projects as part of the
Academy of Art University's spring show. Much of that work is on
view to the public through August.
For a handful of the school's 350 industrial-design students,
under the tutelage of Miata designer Tom Matano, it was a chance
to have portfolios reviewed by professionals, some of whom came
offering internships and full-time jobs.
And for the designers, it was a chance to see the work of young
minds, and to talk with peers about their craft.
Students started with a design briefing from French automaker
Renault, which wanted them to develop an entry-level car that
could be sold in the United States. They studied the car market,
interviewed teenagers and did hundreds of sketches before
creating quarter-scale clay models and full-color presentation
panels, Matano said.
[...]
John Kinsey, senior designer, Volvo Monitoring and Concept
Center, Camarillo
Claim to fame: His studio created the 3CC concept, a three-seat
electric vehicle with a distinctive, tapered shape, in 2004.
Trends: ``That's a tough one. Trends come and go. Whether it's
soft cars or hard cars, those are like hemlines going up and
down. What people are focusing on most is the equity of brands.
That's the main focus, to establish an identity, a true DNA with
each company.''
Good work: ``A lot of the European brands have a stronger grip on
what their identity is and how it is displayed through their
design.''
On California: ``It's a very new culture. It's a booming culture,
a really mixed culture of different people so you just have all
sorts of influences. It's still sort of the Wild West where
people have come out here to make their mark.''
[...]
The future: Cars seem to be coming back, and there's a push away
from SUVs. Perhaps cross-overs, vehicles that blend car and truck
traits, will continue to grow. It's his job to guess. ``That's
where we work, between 2009 and 2015. We're trying to see if we
can get a good idea of what the future is. We're very lucky. We
have a lot of different brands to work on.''
Contact Matt Nauman at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or (408)
920-5701.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Ambitious vision for Chinese EV technology)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/002899.html
June 15, 2005 Bottom-Up Environmental Revolution -- in China
Leapfrog Nations - Emerging Technology in the New Developing World
Although the presence of officials such as Pan Yue in the Chinese
bureaucracy is a small sign of hope, China remains an
ever-worsening environmental disaster. Air and water pollution
still choke the country, brought on by barely-regulated
industries. Cities are being rebuilt to better-accomodate
automobiles, and China is now the number two importer of oil in
the world, beating out Japan, behind only the United States.
But there are signs that some citizens of China are starting to
take environmental matters into their own hands. Two recent
stories illustrate the breadth of what that can mean: urban
dwellers buying and using electric bikes made by small start-ups
in defiance of city leaders and the national auto industry; and a
peasant uprising over industrial pollution. Read on for details.
IEEE Spectrum is a technologist journal, but it very often has
articles of great interest to worldchangers; "China's Cyclists
Take Charge," posted today on their website, is an excellent
example.
With all of the attention paid to the growing number of
automobiles in China, it's worth noting that over ten million
three electric bikes and scooters will be sold there this year
alone -- that's nearly three times more electric bikes sold than
autos. It's not surprising; electric bikes are inexpensive (as
low as 1500 yuan, or about $180), easy to operate, and
well-suited to the crowded urban Chinese streets. Most are made
by a variety of small manufacturers, lifting designs and ideas
from each other (and from overseas companies), competing
aggressively for the Chinese market. They're used for intra-city
transit and, increasingly, for deliveries.
But city and regional officials, mindful of the auto industry's
status as a "pillar industry," have been trying to crack down on
the use of electric bikes. They claim that the lead-acid
batteries are an environmental risk, and that the use of electric
bikes undercuts the use of public transit. Both arguments apply
far more to automobiles, but there are no attempts to restrict
cars in the same way.
Electric bike owners are ignoring the restrictions, however, and
manufacturers are starting to build up some political weight of
their own:
Although the odds against them are daunting, electric-bike
manufacturers are pushing back, with surprising success. The
mastermind of one of the most high-profile battles is Ni Jie,
president of Luyuan Electric Vehicle Co., a privately owned
manufacturer that has a pragmatic approach to the market, a
sizable R&D effort, and an ambitious vision for Chinese EV
technology. [...]
Ni took people power to surprising limits in 2003 when officials
in Fuzhou, the capital of neighboring Fujian province, decided to
ban electric bicyclesshutting off what until then had been one
of Luyuan's best markets. The city not only ceased issuing
licenses for electric bicycles but also seized 20 electric bikes
from a bicycle shop in the summer of 2003. Ni gathered a
coalition of 126 electric-bike manufacturers and filed suit
against the city in its own municipal court. The coalition scored
a partial win against the city government, forcing it to return
the seized bikes.
Far more valuable, says Ni, was the sympathetic coverage they
received from national media and the warning that attention sent
to other municipalities. "What we told other governments is that
if they do the same as Fuzhou, there will be some trouble," he
says.
The Chinese government will be happy to have this energetic
electric vehicle industry in the years to come, as the growing
reliance on internal combustion autos becomes less and less
tenable. The electric bikes could have some real value outside of
dense urban areas, too. As we reported last month, the
single-cylinder diesel "mules" in rural China, which make up a
quarter of the vehicles in the country, are responsible for over
half the pollution. As rural electrification in China progresses,
electric scooters and delivery vehicles could take over that
niche, reducing a major source of air pollution (and CO2) while
building up a homegrown industry.
But rural China has more to worry about than diesel mules.
Industrial parks are increasingly being located in rural areas
because of the cheap land, with sometimes dire effects on the
local populace. As the Washington Post reported on Monday, In the
Dongyang region, the pollution from local factories (including
one making pesticides) was so bad that it withered crops and
sickened the residents of surrounding village, Huaxi.
But no one, the villagers lamented, would listen to their pleas
to have the factories closed.
It was not for lack of trying. Huaxi officials, including Party
Secretary Wang Wei, visited other factories in the region and
warned in a confidential report that pollution was a danger to
residents and agriculture. A copy of the report was leaked and
posted for all to see. Partly as a result, villagers wrote an
open letter to the Dongyang municipal government demanding the
industrial park be closed.
"The Dongyang government turned a deaf ear to it all," said one
of those involved.
In March, after four years of official complaints and petitions,
the villagers took action, blockading the industrial park.
Initial attempts by police to remove protesters were blocked by
villagers. A subsequent police raid, in April, resulted in
beatings of a number of elderly protesters; as a result, 20,000
villagers came to their defense, destroying police vehicles and
attacking the police with stones, forcing them to flee. Finally,
in late May, local officials relented, agreeing to shut down the
factories, and the protesters returned home. The Post reports
that Dongyang has now sent plainclothes police into Huaxi to
attempt to uncover who led the uprising.
As this indicates, a bottom-up environmental revolution will be
neither bloodless nor smooth. Those in power dislike having their
power challenged. Demands for a cleaner environment -- whether by
protest or by purchase -- can result in restrictions and
reprisals, only to see those demands made again, even more
strongly.
It's increasingly clear that a growing number of Chinese citizens
have decided that it's worth defying the authorities to reduce
pollution. It's a risky decision. But if this trend continues, it
could also be transformative -- and completely worldchanging.
Posted by Jamais Cascio at June 15, 2005 04:26 PM | TrackBack
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
____________________________________________________
Sell on Yahoo! Auctions no fees. Bid on great items.
http://auctions.yahoo.com/
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Groovy gizmo superhero who loves delivering pizzas)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2005/06/15/news/news01.txt
Naked Wes the Flying Lion Photo by Rich Ryan
He can't leap tall buildings, but Naked Wes is a superhero to
some. By Anna Pratt
An electric-powered superhero who loves delivering pizzas
It wasn't much of a stretch for Wesley Sektor to slip into a
clingy spandex bodysuit and spring into his superhero alter ego,
Naked Wesley the Flying Lion - because he's been a superhero for
a long time, or so he says.
At Galactic Pizza, 2917 Lyndale Ave. S., Sektor's entrances and
exits are always melodramatic. That's because his comings and
goings are visible to patrons from a raised platform at the back
end of the restaurant - a stage that blends in with the décor.
A nearby sign reads "For Space Cadets Only." That leads to a
break-room that Sektor and other Galactic superheroes - a.k.a.
pizza delivery folks - call as the "phone booth," akin to
Superman's dressing room.
You may have seen Galactic's Incredibles scooting down Southwest
streets in their space-age, electric-powered, egg-shaped
vehicles. One of the Caped Cuisiners may have delivered a pizza
to your door, to the puzzlement of neighbors and the delight of
any nearby children.
Sektor had never delivered pizzas before starting the Galactic
job in January (though he had couriered flowers), but with a
background in performance and fire dancing, he's a seasoned
superhero.
In fact, he's proud of his cheesy, tomato red uniform and offbeat
superpowers, preferring to go by Naked Wes in or out of Galactic.
The friendly, animated Sektor likes to push boundaries and flesh
out his characters as much as possible, offering daring responses
with a gleam in his eye and a sheepish smile.
That makes him a model employee, Galactic owner Pete Bonahoom
says. A free spirit, Naked Wes - who's not very imposing at just
over 5 feet tall and with no bulging muscles - describes himself
as a "people person."
His mission? To entertain while encouraging people to be
themselves or, in his words, "turn their fears into love."
That meshes well with Galactic's eco-friendly ethos - in addition
to electric delivery vehicles, the place is wind-powered - and
quirky atmosphere. To apply for a job, applicants needn't worry
about résumés or filling out applications. Applicants pen a note
to managers about what people should know about them in a
handmade book near the register. During interviews the manager
asks questions such as, "What's your best break dance move?"
Considering Galactic's funky ingredients such as hemp, and pizzas
with names like "The Hipster" and "The Paul Bunyan," it's easy to
see how Naked Wes wound up with 40 hours a week of work.
Getting Naked Wes
One night, an entire family greeted Naked Wes and followed him
outside for a closer look at his electric vehicle after they
retrieved their pizzas. The kids even tried sitting inside it.
Said Galactic customer Paula Maki, "What's cooler than having a
superhero deliver your pizza?"
The restaurant averages about 15-25 deliveries in one night. When
there aren't any deliveries to do or the orders are covered,
Naked Wes washes dishes, takes new orders, answers the phone and
waits on tables. Some days he acts just as a waiter and wears his
everyday clothes, of the jeans-and-a-sweatshirt variety.
Superheroes dress up their Galactic-provided bodysuits however
they wish. Although the formfitting suit doesn't appear to
breathe, Naked Wes said it was comfortable, especially just after
it's been washed, likening it to "climbing into silk sheets."
For $5.15 an hour plus tips, 27-year-old Naked Wes dons the suit
that zips down the back. He also sports a secondhand utility belt
that he wears to pay homage to his comrade Gus (a fellow Galactic
deliverer who just underwent brain surgery), combat boots,
bug-eyed goggles and brown fringe shorts (left over from a
previous performance with local band Wookie Foot).
Naked Wes enjoys the uniform's impact so much that sometimes he
wears it to nearby bars after work, earning plenty of stares,
pointing, giggles and comments about his apparent style and
self-assurance. Many onlookers aren't familiar with the Galactic
shtick. Recently, a bargoer looked him up and down and judged,
"Man, you got confidence."
Naked Wes rolled his sleeves to expose the tattoos that run
across his forearms. Three black brush strokes and a small circle
on each limb stands for humor, integrity and respect, he said.
"It's kind of like what it means to be a man," he added.
Galactic's stated mission advocates "a world that lacks the greed
and self-centeredness that has led us into the chaotic state that
we see today full of cooperation, sustainability and harmony
with our surroundings."
Naked Wes wholeheartedly seconds Galactic's "Pizza with a
conscience" ethos. "Everyone likes pizza. Here, you know what
you're supporting. I think it's really good for a small business
to make a statement. It's harder to run a business like this," he
said.
Naked Wes' superpowers are philosophical, while other
superheroes, such as Captain Organic's, are focused on
environmental preservation and justice. Naked Wes talks a lot
about freedom from material attachments and says people often
hide behind their clothes.
That accounts at least for the "Naked" part of his title. "I can
be naked even with my clothes on. Naked is a state of mind. It's
all about being yourself, not worrying about what others think,"
he said.
However, that doesn't explain the rest of his super identity.
"Lion" can be traced to a long ago chemical encounter during
which he decided his face resembled a lion's. Similarly, in an
unrelated dream, he envisioned himself falling off the earth's
curve until a giant winged creature swooped down and picked him
up, dropping him on a luscious patch of green earth. "Flying"
then became symbolic for overcoming and landing safely.
Naked Wes sports nose and eyebrow piercings. He now has a buzz
cut, having recently shed two and a half feet of dreadlocks
(trimmed collectively by 29 people who passed the shears around
for two weeks). It was ceremonious because the dreadlocks were a
metaphor for other burdens, "I needed to be lighter," he said.
It should be noted that Naked Wes doesn't wear a cape since
superheroes don't really need capes, he insisted. The one time he
did, the cape got caught in the back wheel of the scooter.
However, it's also true that without his bubble-topped gizmo/car,
the company vehicle, he doesn't feel nearly as super, he said.
Groovy gizmos
Behind the restaurant, Naked Wes unplugs and plugs his electric
delivery vehicle into a power outlet before and after heading
out. One word above the back door seemed to say it all:
"Groove."
The gizmo has a bubble-like door that opens upwards and closes
downwards, like the iconic DeLorean in "Back to the Future."
However, it has three wheels and seats just one person, with a
spot in back of the chair for pizza orders.
As far as looks go, the car, which is partly plastic and canvas,
could be a cross between a Ford Model T and a helicopter (one
that you'd put quarters in to activate). Naked Wes drives it
through all seasons, but the gizmo can't withstand icy conditions
or too much rain, he says.
Naked Wes has the necessary motorcycle endorsement on his license
so he can drive the gizmo. It rises to about 40 mph at most and
can only run about 30 miles before running out of power. Further,
potholes affect it like kryptonite affects Superman. While
driving it, "my biggest job is to avoid potholes," Naked Wes
said.
He also has to be wary of manholes and bumps. Still, the gizmo
allows him to be an aggressive driver since he can go into spaces
where regular cars fear to tread. Other drivers usually see him
and he's only been sideswiped once.
Despite its earth-friendliness, the electric car demands a lot of
upkeep. For example, two-thirds of the Galactic fleet is
currently out of commission -not so good for the tiny cars that
cost $10,000-$14,000, Bonahoom notes, adding that the
manufacturer just went out of business.
Sadly, that means Naked Wes and other superheroes must sometimes
drive the Galactic scooter or their own cars for deliveries. For
Naked Wes, that means using his Dodge van, which also functions
as his home when he's traveling.
Patrons are disappointed when Galactic superheroes don't arrive
to their doorsteps via the gizmo. The car accounts for a lot of
the orders he gets, Naked Wes said.
Kenwood resident Rex Sorgatz first laid eyes on a Galactic
superhero when he and a friend sat outside at another sidewalk
café. The sheer whimsy compelled him to order the Pizza Alla
Vodka. "I've been wanting to do it for a long time," Sorgatz
said.
Additionally, while on the road, pedestrians' heads turn.
Frequently, Naked Wes chats with other motorists during red
lights. But Naked Wes admitted that one of the scooter's perks is
that it makes the other superheroes' silver capes flap stylishly
in the wind.
Just as the car isn't resistant to all of the elements, neither
is Naked Wes. Probably the most dangerous moment during a
delivery was when he was nearly attacked by dogs. Also, the
reason one gizmo is in the repair shop is because Naked Wes
accidentally bumped into another vehicle. Despite such bloopers,
he believes that he was ultimately led to Galactic. "The spirit
moves you where you need to be. Plus, I really like my job," he
smiled.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor, RE & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
--- End Message ---
