EV Digest 5884
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) RE: EVLN(Customs agreement ends Pasadena EV fleet)
by "Roger Stockton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Golf Carts Gone Wild: London now has 1000s of electric cars)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(Corpus Christi GEM bubble nEVs save $)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Cornells' EVs cost ~$8k each to convert)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(just say no: EVs would get everybody off petrol the drug)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(Is the G2 a man riding a battery?)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) Re: Driveway charging, was Re: "Ultracapacitor-Battery" blows away Current
Lithium-I
by "Paul G." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) EVLN(CA littered w/ charging for EVs that didn't meet expectations?!?)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) EVLN(Freightliner parallel hybrid Class 7 truck)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) EVLN(Plug and play: CCEAA members get juiced)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) EVLN($2517.14 China EV using Li-ion batteries)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
Sam Thurber wrote:
> There's always the mysterious bad guy too. Hope the city
> pursues Nissan on this one, sounds suspiciously like when
> Ford tried to claim to the Sacramento Bee that their electric
> Rangers had to be crushed because they had received a safety
> waiver from the NHTSB. That was probably the lie that forced
> Ford to negotiate, maybe if Nissan's lie is exposed they will
> negotiate as well.
>
> Ask Nissan to produce any customs documentation, or at least
> give the customs officials' names that "demanded their
> destruction or return." I'd be willing to bet they can't come
> up with a name or a document.
Actually, Nissan's claim sounds perfectly valid. Was the HyperMini
crashtested and fully approved DOT/NHTSA/whatever for on-road use in the
US?
I suspect the answer is no, and I know that here in Canada the same
restriction (or loophole, depending on your viewpoint) applies: you can
secure permission to import a (probably limited) number of samples of a
vehicle that is not (yet) legal/approved for on-road use, however, the
permission is conditional on the vehicles being destroyed or removed
from the country upon conclusion of the testing or agreed time period,
etc. The vehicles cannot remain in the country (in a usable form) after
the agreement expires.
It may be that Nissan didn't fight as hard with the powers that be on
this as they might have (or perhaps they did; who knows), but that's a
different issue.
Cheers,
Roger.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Golf Carts Gone Wild: London now has 1000s of electric cars)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/aug06/4365
Alt Fuels Rule at British International Motor Show
By John Voelcker
Returning to London after 30 years, the show touts technology to
raise fuel economy and lower carbon emissions
[...]
Cars that run on diesel, ethanol, and pure electricity surround
me, each a small step toward a future less dependent on fossil
fuels.
[...]
Golf Carts Gone Wild
London now has thousands of electric cars, due largely to the £8
($15) daily congestion charge for entry into the citys core.
Electrics are exempt, as are certain hybrids. Now, small boxy
e-cars are seen on the streets of very tony neighborhoodsparked
next to cars like Porsches and Jaguars.
Three e-cars were announced. Most noteworthy was a full-electric
version of the Smart ForTwo. Up to 200 Smarts will be modified in
the UK, with a 30-kW motor and battery pack replacing the
gasoline drivetrain. Thanks in part to regenerative braking,
which recovers energy normally wasted on stopping a car and turns
it back into juice you can use, the Smart has a range of 70 miles
(112 km). Top speed is 70 mph (112 km/h), and it does the
stoplight drag (0 to 30 mph, or 0 to 48 km/h) in a tolerable 6.5
seconds.
The other two cars, from specialty makers, were smaller and
cruder. The NICE (no internal combustion engine) fiberglass
two-seater, from France, has a tiny 4-kW motor that propels it to
40 mph (64 km/h), with up to 50 miles (80 km) of range from eight
6-V lead-acid batteries. The G-Wiz AC, another fiberglass
two-seater, offers similar range and speed. Because the average
urban trip is 10 miles or less, and the speed limit on Londons
surface streets are 30 miles per hour, these cars will serve
perfectly well for dropping off kids at school and the like.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(Corpus Christi GEM bubble nEVs save $)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0%2C1641%2CCCCT_811_4929650%2C00.html
Family's electric car gains attention
Its bubble shape stands out just like the savings on gas
By Mike Baird Caller Times August 19, 2006
Total electric vehicles are becoming a viable and affordable
alternative form of transportation, but the technology has some
kinks.
Corpus Christi's Diane Prewitt, 51, learned this week that paying
at the pump sometimes is more reliable than pinching fuel pennies
with her new electric low-speed runabout. "Sparky," the GEM
(Global Electric Motorcars) vehicle, she purchased July 3 for
about $15,000, already needed a new battery.
"It's kind of disappointing," said Prewitt, "but the manufacturer
is taking care of it, and it's still worth it, gas is only going
up."
It's very rare to have a battery problem so soon, said Belinda
Forknell, marketing manager for the manufacturer, a
DaimlerChrysler company. Prewitt's car is one of about 31,000
neighborhood electric vehicles in use, Forknell said. In most
states they are legal only on roads with speed limits of 35 mph
or less, which may cause some users to plan their routes. Each
state is responsible for its own legislation. Texas is one of 39
states that has approved their use.
While waiting for the replacement battery Wednesday, Prewitt
loaded her twin girls into the family's 2005 hybrid Highlander
SUV to get them to Wynn Seale Academy. The hybrid helped the
Prewitts breach the alternative fuel world after their gasoline
cost shot to about $200 a month in a 1996 Isuzu Trooper.
Sparky's new gel battery was delivered late Wednesday by the
Allen Samuels dealership in Katy where the car was purchased, and
the family GEM goes about 30 miles at speeds up to 25 mph after
its onboard charger gets eight hours of juice from a 110-volt
outlet. The girls rolled at low speeds Thursday morning for about
a penny a mile.
Several years ago the family tried to shift from two cars to one
by getting an electric-assist bicycle, which has a drive system
and charger with lead-acid batteries, amped up by pedaling, to
help riders climb hills with less effort.
"I used to ride it to work," said David Joshua Prewitt, 46, who
works for a large regional retailer. "It was good exercise," he
said, "however it was not possible to use the bicycle for smaller
errands, since its carrying capacity was so limited."
Diane and the girls love their blue snub-nosed bubble-car, he
said. "It sure does seem to attract a lot of attention."
A purple state inspection sticker is plastered only a few inches
above the not-much-larger-than Grade AAA egg-sized headlamps
mounted beneath the swept-back windshield with its one-armed
wiper.
"Everybody says 'Whoa, what is that strange thing?' " said Margot
Prewitt, 11, as she waited for her sister to climb into the
backseat. Their GEM is the e4 model, a four-door, and the back
door has to latch before the front door can close. The girls have
assigned seats, their mother said.
"People also say, 'look at the funny car,'" Naomi Prewitt said
peeking through the back window of the passenger compartment.
"I'd rather be in this because it's different - I like to stand
out."
A display screen above the steering wheel has a charge level
indicator, and Sparky is equipped with four-wheel hydraulic
brakes, three-point anchored seatbelts and the Prewitts opted for
the passenger enclosure to protect against wind, sun and rain.
The street model exceeds all federal safety standards, but the
use is versatile enough that open-air models can be used by
master-planned communities for short jaunts, or in industrial
settings, inside warehouses because of no emissions, to move
goods, or by security patrols on campuses or military bases. Many
are used in theme parks to shuttle VIPs. Smaller versions offer
flatbeds for hauling and a two-person, open-air model starting at
about $8,000.
Maintenance costs are about one-third that of maintaining a
gas-powered vehicle. Other than wear and tear on tires, wipers
and other moveable parts, Prewitt says her only monthly
maintenance is checking windshield wiper and brake fluid levels.
"It shouldn't be any problem for the average mechanic shop to
work on an electric car as long as the service information is
available to us," said Steve Shook, owner of Shook Enterprises
that specializes in foreign car service. "Most cars these days
have a lot of electrical components already."
Contact Mike Baird at 886-3774 or bairdm@ caller.com
© 2006 Scripps Texas Newspapers, L.P. A Scripps Howard
newspaper. All Rights Reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Cornells' EVs cost ~$8k each to convert)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060820%2FBUSINESS%2F608180331%2F1003
Pump pain keys electric car charge
By Kiley Russell Contra Costa Times
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- With high gas prices and the release of
the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?," plug-in auto
advocates hope more people will come to see the electric vehicle
as something that fits into their everyday lives.
It may be easy for naysayers to dismiss the film and the
spotlight it shines on the electric car as a passing cultural
fancy, but enthusiasts say the technology is here, ready for mass
production and can easily dovetail into the average American
household.
To spread the word, electric car junkies have glided silently to
movie theaters in their home-built and store-bought vehicles.
They've passed out flyers and talked up the technology, hoping
their friendly enthusiasm sparks wider consumer interest.
Scott and Anna Cornell of Pleasant Hill, Calif., own four
electric cars and a gas-powered Volkswagen van. They converted
two of the electrics, a 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit and a 1968 Karmann
Ghia, themselves.
While Scott is an electrical engineer and Internet technology
manager, he said even people without vast technical knowledge can
build an electric car out of an old gas-powered vehicle by
purchasing a conversion kit.
The Cornells said they're an average American family with the
same travel needs as most.
"We have two kids. I work; she stays at home. We live in the
suburbs," Scott Cornell said.
Anna Cornell took two years to convert the Rabbit herself,
stealing into the garage while their then-infant daughter was
taking her afternoon naps.
"I don't have an electric engineering background," said Anna
Cornell, who once went an entire decade without driving a
gas-powered car. "Making pillows, doing cross-stitch -- that I
know how to do."
Scott Cornell converted the Karmann Ghia in just a few weeks. The
Cornells' converted cars each cost about $8,000 to build.
The couple spend about as much to maintain and power them as they
would the smallest subcompact, gas-powered vehicle. They
regularly change the water in the lead-acid batteries. They
rotate the tires and change the brake pads. And that's about it.
They can drive about 50 miles on a full charge and easily keep up
with freeway traffic of up to 80 miles per hour. Soon, Scott
said, he'll add solar panels to their home so they won't even
have to buy electricity.
The film that is drawing new attention to electric cars is a
whodunit that opens with a mock funeral. The murder victim is
GM's EV1, a fully electric, plug-in car leased to customers in
the late 1990s but never sold.
GM executives eventually killed the electric car program,
recalled the vehicles and sent them to the crusher for disposal.
In the film, filmmaker Chris Paine finds that GM, the oil
industry, the federal and California governments and consumers
all contributed to the EV1's murder. The "defendants" are
motivated in turn by greed, incompetence, ignorance and
complacency.
"It's a metaphor for why it's so hard to get America out of the
20th century," Paine said.
Little by little, the message seems to be getting out.
In San Francisco, for example, a coalition of environmental
groups and electric car advocates recently stood up at a news
conference with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's senior adviser on
energy and the environment.
They announced a new campaign to get local governments and
businesses to promise to buy plug-in hybrid vehicles if auto
manufacturers ramp up the production of the cars. Unlike pure
electric vehicles, these hybrids run primarily on electricity and
then switch to gas or diesel when the power runs out.
Showing that there are enthusiastic buyers is a way to encourage
the auto industry to start mass-producing plug-in hybrids, said
Sam Haswell, spokesman for the Rainforest Action Network, one of
the organizers.
Still, filmmaker Paine said the No. 1 reason people won't switch
to electric cars is because they can't drive 300 miles on a
charge. The other issue is they can't recharge in five minutes.
The range problem is solved by the plug-in hybrid car.
As for the recharging time, Paine said consumers initially
weren't excited about the prospect of recharging their cell
phones, either. "But people got used to it."
He insists the technology for electric cars is ready for mass
production.
"They're totally here and ready to go," he said. Copyright ©
1997- 2005 The Advertiser Co.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(just say no: EVs would get everybody off petrol the drug)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=240378
Electric car, companion film have a just say no message
Myron Pitts
[image
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/photos/2006/08/1b40824hwc-scaled.jpg
Staff photo by Marc Hall ]
Nasim Kuenzel with the Cameo Art House Theatre poses with an
electric car that will be on display at the theater through the
weekend. The theater is showing the documentary, Who Killed the
Electric Car?
A boxy white electric car is sitting outside the Cameo Art House
Theatre.
The car, courtesy of Bleecker, will be around through the weekend
as the Cameo shows the excellent documentary, Who Killed the
Electric Car?
Travis Hibler, the cars handler, has not seen the movie but has
his own answer.
Oil is a drug, he says to me. The oil companies are like drug
dealers.
Hibler and the electric car are based in Dunn. Bleecker uses the
car for promotion, and it will be part of this weeks Fourth
Friday.
The car would get everybody off drugs, Hibler continues. That
would impact the drug dealers.
I resist saying Speak upon it, brother.
Hibler, who told me he hates having to gas up a car, struck me as
the perfect guy to be doing what hes doing.
I drove the car. You may have heard electric cars make no sound
when they come on.
When I pulled away from the curb I knew right way that this
model, made in China, is not the one that will lead a revolution.
The cars top speed is 35 or 40 mph.
Hibler said the Low Speed ZX40 will be targeted to campus
security forces, resorts, prisons and the like.
We hit 27 mph going down Person Street. I pulled onto U.S. 301
briefly, decided I might get run over, then turned onto Adams
Street and drove by the church.
We later detoured through the vandalized cemetery, Cross Creek
No. 1. Hibler marveled at the damage, as I had days earlier.
Basically, the electric car outside the Cameo is nothing like the
car whose deliberate destruction is documented on the big screen
inside.
The EV1 burned bright and brief in automotive history. The car
actually looked like something first of all, with sleek lines.
The car had good pickup and could hit 80 mph. Sold mostly in
California, it drew a number of devoted fans.
Most of these drivers would still have their EV1s if GM, the
manufacturer, had not snatched them all back at the end of their
leases. The auto-maker then destroyed each one, except for a few
disabled models that sit in museums.
Actor and EV1 enthusiast Peter Horton told the camera he had
never seen a company cannibalize its own good product in such a
way. The movie attempts to explain why and who is at fault.
I reflected not for the first time that cowardice outstrips
corruption as the chief flaw of politicians. In a key stand-off
between the state of California and Big Auto, the state turns
purest yella.
Meanwhile, EV1 advocates go to ever-greater lengths to save the
last 78 models from the crusher. Their actions make sense to
people who have ever loved a car.
One thing Who Killed the Electric Car? makes clear: America
should be well past the plucky but limited box parked outside the
Cameo.
Columnist Myron B. Pitts can be reached at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or 486-3559.
Copyright 2006 The Fayetteville (NC) Observer
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Is the G2 a man riding a battery?)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060824%2FBUSINESS06%2F608240317
Electric cycle could revolutionize your commute
MICHELLE THERIAULT THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
[image
http://vh10018.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=J6&Date=20060824&Category=BUSINESS06&ArtNo=608240317
RUSS KENDALL THE BELLINGHAM HERALD ]
Ken Trough sails along Wednesday on his environmentally friendly
G2 electric bike, a recumbent cycle powered by easily
rechargeable batteries.
The future is just around the corner, and it's driving an orange
bike.
That's Bellingham resident Ken Trough on the bike - silent,
packed with batteries and smoothly zipping down the sidewalk.
Is it a bike? Is it a man riding a battery? Is it a motorcycle?
It's the G2 - an innovative all electrically powered cycle being
developed here. And it has the power to change the way we get
around.
VISIONARY SOLUTION
Trough and his associates - a group of designers, engineers and
"visionaries" - are The Dragonfly Project. Though scattered
throughout Washington and California, they meet online to develop
a technology Trough says could change the way we move about.
"The electric recumbent design is really unusual," says Trough, a
38-year-old who has lived in Bellingham for 20 years.
It's an electric bike that runs on six lead-acid 12-volt
batteries, which Trough compares to a high-powered version of a
car battery. The batteries are cradled in the frame underneath
the bike. Another innovative element of the design is the two
tricycle-like back wheels that torque as you turn a corner - an
increase in stability so far not found in many high-speed
electric bikes. And you can sit back and rest on the recumbent
bike, and thus, Trough says, have a more comfortable ride.
Part of the beauty of the electric cycle project is the ease with
which people can buy in: They meet federal electric bicycle
standards, so riders don't have to have a license or insurance to
hop on.
Back in the 1980s, a fleet of fanciful electric motorcycles in
the Japanese animated film "Akira" inspired Trough. He started
hooking up with electric vehicle visionaries via the Internet,
and found a mentor.
"I see it as a workable solution to social problems," he says.
INCREASING DEMAND?
Trough says his bike, which is called the G2 for
"second-generation" prototype, has a top speed of more than 40
mph. On one battery charge, it can go about 25 miles.
They plan to price the bikes at around $1,500 for entry level -
similar to the price of a scooter.
"Filling up" requires 25 cents of electricity. That means it
costs about a penny per mile to operate. To charge the bike,
Trough plugs a "mini-briefcase" of chargers into an electrical
outlet, and hooks up his bike. It charges in about 20 minutes.
But the cycles aren't for a long haul down I-5 to visit your
friends in Centralia. Yet.
The group plans to develop several models, including a higher-end
two-seater bike that will reach 80 mph and can be driven on the
freeway.
The applications, especially in Third World countries where many
people ride polluting but cheap two-stroke engine scooters, could
be staggering.
"Certain cities in China have banned the two-stroke engine," says
Michael Seal, who headed Western Washington University's Vehicle
Research Institute.
"Electric scooters have caught on in a big way."
As political crises and unstable gas supplies merge to drive up
prices, getting around on an electric or hybrid will become
common, Trough believes.
Seal agrees.
"I'm sure they'll become more popular by quite a bit."
The Vehicle Research Institute, which Trough and The Dragonfly
Project are not affiliated with, makes Bellingham a natural locus
for electric and hybrid vehicle research.People here are excited
about the technology, Trough says.
The Dragonfly Project is based in Bellingham because of the
"favorable public atmosphere," Trough says.
"The reception here has been stronger than anywhere else we've
shown it." A long-term goal is to create a major alternative
energy festival in Bellingham.
FUTURE IS HERE
Trough cruises around Bellingham on his G2 bike, often attracting
a crowd when he parks it on the sidewalk. He once jump-started a
stranded motorist's car with the battery from his bike.
"She said I was her new best friend," he says.
For now, The Dragonfly Project members are financing the
development themselves but they're looking for sponsors, or
"angel investors," to continue the work.
The technology has been around for ages, Trough says.
But as everything from battery strength to public opinion becomes
favorable, the time is right.
"The future is finally getting here."
Reach Michelle Theriault at 756-2803 or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Copyright ©2006 The Bellingham Herald. All rights reserved. [...]
The Bellingham Herald. 1155 N. State. St., Bellingham, WA 98225,
Phone (360) 676-2600.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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--- Begin Message ---
On Sep 18, 2006, at 2:05 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Lainaus David Roden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
On 18 Sep 2006 at 21:17, David Ankers wrote:
> I have to admit that multiplying the existing Lion
> battery performance in all respects gets my dreams
> a bit more wet. :B~
You have wet dreams? About batteries?
Obviously they're flooded batteries. ;-)
David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
Right.. all kinds of weird guys hanging around the list.... I dare to
suspect that I'm not even from the weirdest end... 8)
An unhealthy obsession with golf cart batteries is a simple problem.
Take 13 Optimas with a Zilla chaser and check back with the doctor in
the morning <G>
Paul G.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(CA littered w/ charging for EVs that didn't meet
expectations?!?)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20060824%2FFREE%2F60821008%2F1041%2FMICROSITE
[image
http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CW&Date=20060824&Category=FREE&ArtNo=60821008
]
Charged Up
U.S. dealers are set to sell Chinese electric vehicles
By HARRY STOFFER | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AutoWeek [...]
A little-known company, Miles Automotive Group
[ http://www.milesautomotive.com ], is importing electric
vehicles from China. In the process, it is challenging two
widespread assumptions about the auto industry.
One is that Chinese-built vehicles are a long way from satisfying
U.S. regulatory requirements and consumer tastes. The other is
that vehicles powered only by batteries are unlikely ever to
provide full functionality.
"The skepticism is totally reasonable," says Miles Automotive CEO
David Hirsch. "California is littered with charging stations" for
electric vehicles that didn't meet expectations, he says.
Still, Miles has certified an electric neighborhood runabout for
sale in the United States "to get a foot into the market," Hirsch
says. And it is conducting certification tests of a
highway-capable electric vehicle that uses advanced lithium-ion
batteries. Miles says the latter will achieve a top speed of 80
mph and have a range of at least 200 miles.
Both are built by Tianjin-Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co., Hirsch
told Automotive News.
Miles has signed up a handful of U.S. dealers to sell the
vehicles. They include Ron Tonkin, a multifranchise dealer in
Portland, Ore., and a longtime leader in national dealer
organizations.
"I believe that (Miles executives) are entirely and totally
legitimate," Tonkin says. He concedes the market for the
low-speed vehicle is limited but says it would be "explosive" for
a full-function electric car.
Who's Miles?
The owner and chairman of Miles Automotive is Miles Rubin, whom
Hirsch calls a "78-year-old visionary." Rubin is a former top
executive of companies in a variety of fields: clothing, direct
marketing, steel, manufacturing and optical systems. He was not
available for an interview.
Hirsch says Rubin decided to sell electric vehicles after he
attended a conference on hydrogen power. He concluded that a more
immediate remedy had to exist to address the energy and
environmental problems posed by automobiles, Hirsh says.
"Electric is one part of the answer, not the entire answer," he
says.
Miles Automotive is taking a low-key approach and trying to avoid
China "hype," Hirsch says. The company is fully capitalized and
does not have to sell itself to investors, he says.
Hirsch, 46, of Malibu, Calif., has managed nonprofit groups and
operated online businesses. He acknowledges that Miles Automotive
executives are "not even car guys." The company acquires the
vehicles as finished products, says Ben Texter, Miles
Automotive's operations manager.
Low-speed standards
The first Miles vehicle is a small electric wagon called the
ZX40. It has an advertised top speed of 25 mph and a range of 40
miles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the ZX40
is the first Chinese-made vehicle larger than a motorcycle that
has been certified for sale in the United States. It qualifies as
a low-speed vehicle.
The government sets safety standards for such vehicles, including
lighting and seat belt rules, but they are more limited than for
regular cars and trucks. The vehicles do not require airbags, for
example.
Federal regulations allow the use of low-speed vehicles on roads
with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Most states also regulate
the use of low-speed vehicles.
Hirsch says the ZX40 is mainly a fleet vehicle operated in such
areas as college campuses and military installations. The company
anticipates shipping 5,000 to 7,000 of the vehicles in the fiscal
year that starts Oct. 1, he says.
It is priced at $14,800, according to a Miles ad in Automotive
News. The highway-capable vehicle, called the XS200, will sell
for about $28,500, the ad said.
Dealers are eager to offer something new as an alternative to
gasoline-powered vehicles, Hirsch says. Miles expects to have
about 40 dealers on board by the time the highway-capable vehicle
is available -- perhaps late next year.
Scott Donahoo, a multifranchise dealer in the Baltimore area, has
signed on with Miles. He says he keeps a ZX40 on his lot for
buyers to evaluate. He plans to sell the ZX40 out of his Ford
commercial-vehicle business to malls, colleges and local
governments.
No one wants to spend "hundreds (on gasoline) idling around
campus," Donahoo says.
It makes sense that the first vehicles from China should be
electric, he says. They have no emissions and far fewer moving
parts than vehicles with internal-combustion engines. Thus,
Donahoo says, emissions and reliability hurdles are easier to
overcome.
Says Donahoo: "This has the possibility of being huge."
All Content © 2006 Crain Communications, Inc.
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EVLN(Freightliner parallel hybrid Class 7 truck)
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informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/news/news.asp?ID=4656
Lawn & Landscape Magazine » News »
Freightliner Introduces Medium-Duty Hybrid Prototype
In a press conference at the Great American Trucking Show,
Freightliner president and CEO Chris Patterson introduced a
proof-of-concept prototype utility truck and discussed the
company's plans to bring medium-duty hybrid vehicles to the
market.
The prototype vehicle on display, a Class 7 Business Class(r) M2
106, is an example of how Freightliner can integrate engine,
powertrain and other vehicle functions with environmentally
responsible technology.
The prototype is a full-parallel hybrid, similar to hybrid
electric cars, with regenerative braking that recharges the
batteries and electric launch functionality. It has an integrated
electric motor in line with the engine and transmission, enabling
operation with electric or diesel power, either separately or in
combination. The truck launches with electric power and the
diesel engine provides additional torque as required.
The prototype is a Business Class M2 106 model with a
33,000-pound GVWR chassis powered by a 230-horsepower MBE 900
engine that offers 660 pounds per feet of torque. By
incorporating a 44-kilowatt, 59-horsepower electric motor, the
engine can achieve 290 horsepower and 860 pounds per feet of
torque when the electric and diesel motors are paired.
Simulations and testing have shown significant fuel economy
improvements over conventional diesel engines and promises to
greatly reduce vehicle operating costs for customers.
"Freightliner LLC has been testing hybrid vans for some time
through our Freightliner Custom Chassis business unit, says
Michael Delaney, senior vice president of marketing for
Freightliner. "This prototype is an important step toward future
production of a medium-duty hybrid commercial vehicle. We are
bullish on hybrid technology and its future in the commercial
marketplace."
Delaney adds, "While other companies also are testing hybrid
technology, we are proud to have the most hybrid vehicles of any
North American commercial manufacturer on the roads today. We
look forward to leading the expansion of commercial hybrid
vehicle offerings as well."
Of special interest to utility customers, the prototype vehicle
on display integrates the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) system
with hydraulics for electric power takeoff (ePTO) operation. On a
jobsite, the engine remains off for the majority of the operation
with the hydraulics being run by batteries. When the batteries
get low, the engine automatically turns on to recharge them. This
takes approximately five minutes and, when the batteries are
fully recharged, the engine automatically turns itself off. Work
is not interrupted during this process.
Besides the significant fuel savings, this prototype vehicle
features additional advantages for utility customers. Because of
the ePTO operation, utility companies will be able to perform
their duties with significantly less idle time, meaning lower
levels of noise, heat and exhaust emissions. And, because the
batteries are charged by regenerative braking, brake shoes will
receive far less wear, extending their life and reducing
maintenance costs.
Pending final results of tests currently underway with this
proof-of-concept vehicle, Freightliner is considering
implementing the hybrid system in a variety of medium-duty
trucking segments, including beverage, school bus and pick-up and
delivery applications.
Freightliner is collaborating with the Hybrid Business Unit of
Eaton Corporation on this effort. Eaton Corporation is a
diversified industrial manufacturer with four major business
segments, including development of intelligent drivetrain systems
for safety and fuel economy.
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Freightliner LLC,
headquartered in Portland, Ore.
© 1997-2006, GIE Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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EVLN(Plug and play: CCEAA members get juiced)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/August/26/style/stories/01style.htm
Plug and play: Electric car enthusiasts are all juiced up
By Justine DaCosta SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT
It's not what you see when you first encounter Jay Friedland's
car that might make you do a double-take. It's what you don't
hear.
No roaring engine or shaking tailpipe. No dripping oil or clouds
of exhaust. The sporty, battery electric Toyota Rav 4 is almost
silent.
Friedland, president of the Central Coast Electric Automobile
Association CCEAA, purchased the battery electric car more than
five years ago, after waiting seven months for his name to make
it to the top of the waiting list. The wait was worth it, he
said, and owning an electric car has been a way for him to help
improve air quality.
"If you want to be really green, you've got to get an electric
car," he said.
Friedland, who works in marketing and business consulting, pays
about $3 in electricity to charge his car, which has a range of
about 100 miles. While the cost of the car was originally more
than $30,000, federal and state reimbursements dropped his total
cost to closer to $20,000, he said.
Friedland's not alone in his dream to be green. More than 500
electric cars now travel the California roads, according to
CCEAA, and that's not including hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius
and Camry hybrid.
Tesla Motors, a San Carlos-based electric car company, recently
revealed the Tesla, a sports car expected to be released in the
spring. The company has already found buyers for the first 100
cars, each with a $100,000 price tag.
The continued development and support of electric vehicles gives
hope to people like Friedland, who believes electric cars offer
an opportunity to clean up the environment and reduce the
country's dependency on foreign oil.
The battery-charged vehicles also offer perks, such as a free
parking pass to the Front Street garage, which is equipped with
charges for electric vehicles. One of the largest perks, however,
is the ability to avoid the gas pump. Friedland just plugs his
car in at night, and it's ready to go in the morning.
"People understand the power of that convenience," he said.
"Imagine never having to stop at the gas station."
Friedland, whose car gets about 50 miles above the average range
for an electric vehicle, said he often travels to Palo Alto
without fear of losing his charge. While he loses power going up
Highway 17, he actually gains more than 10 percent on the
downhill, thanks to regenerative braking.
"Literally, I coast and add power," he said. "I'm using the hill
as a generator."
Electric vehicles are nothing new to Will Beckett, who serves as
vice president of CCEAA.
In 1994, he purchased his first electric car a Chevy S10 Blazer
and now owns a Solectria Force.
"I didn't have the fears of owning an electric car that others
have," he said.
Growing up in Marin, Beckett's father, an engineer, built an
electric train, which helped entertain his entire neighborhood,
he said. His brother went on to build an electric go-cart, and
Beckett continued the family tradition and tried to build an
electric car in the 1980s.
"We were very in tune with what it should be like," he said.
Beckett said he can't understand people who say the world isn't
ready for electric vehicles.
"How is it not ready?" he said. "I was riding it when I was 7."
The first electric car he rode in had a dashboard full of throw
switches, and the driver would turn different banks of batteries
to gain power.
"There was no smooth acceleration," he said.
Electric cars now have volume control and maximum torque right
away, he said.
"At a standstill, you can burn a lot of rubber," he said.
Beckett, who works in personal computer support out of his
solar-powered Aptos home, sees electric cars as a clean, viable
commute alternative for people who drive less than 100 miles a
day. For long trips, Beckett suggests renting a car or investing
in a hybrid as a second vehicle. A hybrid uses both gasoline and
electricity, but the gasoline actually recharges the car's
batteries.
"There's nothing more efficient than an electric car," he said.
"We have to train ourselves to understand that if we're going to
be conservationists we must rethink the way we drive today."
Beckett's car comes plug and play, with the ability to plug into
just about any electrical outlet. Others need adaptors in order
to recharge easily.
Many people feel that the production of electric cars belongs in
Silicon Valley, not Detroit, Beckett said. The venture
capitalists that are backing companies such as Tesla Motors see
the electric car's far-reaching potential.
"They feel this is just another dot-com," he said.
Power of conversion
Shari Prange and her husband Mike Brown saw the electric car's
potential decades ago. The Bonny Doon couple opened Electro
Automotives in 1979, and Prange said the demand for electric cars
continues to be a booming business.
"It's nuts, it's just nuts," she said.
The business supplies conversion kits to people all over the
world who want to turn their gas-powered vehicles into battery
electric cars. She said the kits are easy to use and contain
almost everything needed for the transformation, including a
controller and motor. "Converted," a book written by Mike Brown,
details the process, and is also included in the kit.
"We've had high school kids do their own cars," she said.
She said they receive anywhere from 50 to 100 e-mails a day from
people interested in converting their vehicles. They've made kits
for people converting everything from Mustangs to a 1949 Willy's
Jeep. They even received a phone call from someone wondering how
to convert a DeLorean.
Converting a car includes removing the internal combustion, such
as the gas engine, fuel tank and exhaust system, and replacing it
with a more basic system, Prange said.
"If you look at the gas cars over the years, they keep getting
more and more complicated," she said. "Instead of getting more
complicated, we're getting more simple."
She said some people argue that electric cars simply move
pollution by switching dependency from gasoline to electricity,
some of which is created from coal-burning plants. This argument,
she said, is unfounded, since electric cars burn cleaner than
their gasoline-powered counterparts, and oil refineries are not
known for their environmental cleanliness.
Natural gas and renewable resources hydro, solar, wind are the
predominant sources of electricity in the state, according to the
California Energy Commission.
Friedland said that while he supports a free market, and early
adopters such as those who are supporting the production of the
Tesla, he also believes government mandates would help to push
the market.
For more than 10 years, those mandates were in place. In 1990,
the California Air Resources Board CARB passed the Zero Emissions
Vehicle Mandate, which was supposed to lead to the increase of
car manufacturers' production of electric vehicles. In 2003,
however, CARB loosened its requirements, and most of the large
car companies, including Toyota, recalled the electric vehicles
they had produced.
"They really wanted the car back," he said, adding that the
company even offered him money.
Friedland, along with others at groups such as Plug In America,
protested the recall, and luckily, he said, he was able to keep
the car. While supporting the electric car industry has sometimes
been an uphill battle, Friedland said he feels more people are
catching on to its potential.
"If you give people a choice, and they can make a green choice,
they will," he said. "Green's the hot color, I like to say."
Contact Justine DaCosta at [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
[...]
WHAT: Central Coast Electric Automobile Association meetings
WHEN: 11 a.m. on a Saturday [see http://eaacc.org ]
WHERE: Aptos Public Library, 7695 Soquel Drive, [Aptos, CA].
COST: Free.
DETAILS: [831-420-1042]
More information
Plug In America: www.pluginamerica.org .
Electric Automobile Association: www.eaaev.org .
Electro Auto: www.electroauto.com .
Copyright © 1999-2006 Santa Cruz Sentinel. Ottaway Newspaper,
Inc. All rights reserved. 207 Church Street, Santa Cruz CA
95060 USA (831) 423-4242
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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EVLN($2517.14 China EV using Li-ion batteries)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20060826/101170.shtml
Pollution free car battery Source: CCTV.com 08-26-2006 13:18
[image
http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20060826/images/101170_n1.jpg
]
A new pollution free electric car has been developed by Chinese
companies and are now ready for mass production. This new car
signals a clearer future for China's energy and environment
problems.
You are looking at an electric car. It is the second model from a
Beijing based auto design company. The first model has been sent
to showcase in France.
According to its designers, the car will only use 2 to 3 yuan of
electric power to run each kilometer. Its makers say it will have
a huge market, as it costs only around 20 thousand yuan to
produce one.
Bright LI's auto design GM Li Guangming said:"We have this mass
produced car. And we are ready to cooperate with other car makers
to manufacture it. We hope supply the market with 30 to 50
thousand cars each year."
The new electric car can save energy and realize low or even
'zero' exhaust discharge, a big step forward for the global
problem of over consumption of petroleum by motor vehicles.
And its advanced technology recently made significant
breakthrough. The core technology of electric cars is its battery
and electro motor. The weight of an advanced car storage cell is
around 300 kilograms. But China has invented a Li-ion type
battery, which weighs a mere 60 kilograms.
Peking university tech & materials for new resources Qi Lu
said:"Traditional nickel cadmium batteries need to be charged for
5 to 10 hours to support an electric bus running for 100
kilometers. But the new Li-ion battery only needs to be charged
for 1 to 3 hours, for the bus to run 250 kilometers."
China currently has more than 20 auto research and designing
companies like Li's firm. But not a single electric car can be
seen in the market, as there is not yet a national standard, and
they are not allowed to acquire a license tag. Experts say with
the maturing technology, China should issue related standards as
soon as possible.
In China, 70 percent of energy consumed in transportation
industry is petroleum, 10 percent is various other resources,
leaving electric power accounting for only 20 percent.
Editor:WangKe
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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