EV Digest 6644
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) EVLN(Bosch: Let's face it not everyone wants a hybrid)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Austin, TX wants to lead phEV R&D)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(SLO, CA County hybrid buses using ultra capacitors)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(Formula Hybrid racing invites student teams)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(Ford like GM complaining phEV limited by batteries)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(Tanfield's 9&12-tonne Smith Newton E-trucks in 2007)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(Camp R-Midland EV/phEV/phfcEV tax credit legislation)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) EVLN(ECOSLO/SLOAPCD EV forum)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) EVLN(India's red postal Reva EVs)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) E-Meter Percent Charge Formula?
by Mike Chancey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) EVLN(Chinese Flybo Electric Car Coming to America)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) Re: EV APU (Biodiesel) emissions & FE
by John Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) Re: C,mm,n (common) open source car project by Dutch universities
by "jerryd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) EVLN(Ex-Big Three workers now build Mi's AECC nEVs)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Bosch: Let's face it not everyone wants a hybrid)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.ch.autoblog.com/2007/03/26/bosch-stop-start-system-available-on-new-bmw-1-series/
Bosch Stop-Start system available on new BMW 1-series
Posted Mar 26th 2007 1:31PM by Alex Nunez
Filed under: Euro, Green, Tech, Etc., BMW
European shoppers interested in BMW's new 1-series will now be
able to have the car with a stop-start system provided by Bosch.
The new system is quite simple, and the only change required to
the existing engine offerings (both gasoline and diesel) is a
different starter motor. According to Bosch, whose press release
is pasted after the jump, the system is good for an 8% bump in
fuel economy plus an obvious reduction in tailpipe emissions when
measured in accordance with the New European Driving Cycle's
urban component.
Trips that require more and/or longer stops would naturally
result in even better numbers. It would be really nice if
stop-start systems were more prevalent in US-market automobiles,
as the positives they offer represent an excellent middle-ground
for buyers looking to improve fuel economy or simply go "greener"
without taking on the extra expense associated with buying a new
hybrid vehicle.
Let's face it, not everyone wants a hybrid car (there are a
number of reasons for this, ranging from price, to brand loyalty,
to simple personal preference), but everyone (or almost everyone)
would certainly welcome optional ways to make new cars more fuel
efficient (read: cheaper to run) without compromising on make,
model, body style, etc. The Bosch system, as described in the
press release, sounds like it's relatively unobtrusive. Combining
something like this with currently-available features such as
cylinder deactivation might be enough to meet the needs of a lot
of people. The question is, would you be willing to give it a
shot, or are you ready to just cede features of this type to the
hybrid segment completely?
[Source: Bosch] PRESS RELEASE: Bosch stop-start technology
featured on latest BMW 1 Series
* Stop-start systems reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
The Bosch Smart Electronic stop-start system, a technology that
cuts the engine in traffic jams or at traffic lights, is now
available on the latest BMW 1 Series petrol and diesel engine
models. "This technology reduces fuel consumption significantly,
especially in city centre driving," said Dr Volkmar Denner,
member of the Bosch board of management. "This, and other systems
supplied by Bosch, will help to reduce CO2 emissions further in
the future." The technology has gone into production at BMW from
this month on the 1 Series. Bosch supplies the key components for
this system, including a starter that has been developed
specifically for this application.
With increasing fuel prices and an urgent demand for the
reduction of CO2 emissions, there is an ongoing requirement for
innovative solutions to tackle these issues. The Bosch system
provides a cost-effective way of conserving resources, as well as
helping to protect the environment, by switching the engine off
when the vehicle is stationary and automatically starting it
again when the driver depresses the clutch pedal, prior to moving
off.
The ECE 15 measuring cycle, the urban component of the New
European Driving Cycle (NEDC), calls for twelve 15 second stops
over a distance of seven kilometres. During such a journey, the
Bosch system reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as
much as eight per cent, depending on the vehicle. If the stops
last longer, the actual savings on CO2 emissions and fuel can be
significantly higher.
The Bosch stop-start technology required the development of a
specially designed starter motor, the Smart Starter Motor. The
company already produces the battery sensor required to detect
the battery's current state of charge and to communicate this
information via the energy management system. "Bosch has drawn on
its combined competence in drive trains, energy management and
starter technology to develop this system and its control
function," said Denner.
Incorporating the Bosch stop-start technology requires no other
change to the vehicle's drive train or the engine. The system
delivers an excellent cost-benefit ratio making it a very
attractive system compared with alternative solutions. The number
of engine starts the system has to make, in other words its
service life, has been increased significantly for this
application. In addition, the starter's improved-performance
electric motor, low noise and stronger pinion-engaging mechanism
ensure that the engine starts reliably, quickly and quietly.
Despite the increased number of functions, the starter is compact
and can be integrated into the vehicle just as easily and
conveniently as other starter motors.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(Austin, TX wants to lead phEV R&D)
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-30-austincars_N.htm?POE=NEWISVA
Austin hopes to lead on plug-in cars
By Elizabeth White, Associated Press
AUSTIN In some ways, Texas' capital city doesn't belong in
stereotypical Texas at all. Its quirky music scene and liberal
attitudes defy the state's well-known rough-and-tumble
character.
Now the liberal enclave of Austin wants to distinguish itself
again.
Austin hopes to be the first city in the nation to put the
emerging technology of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to use in
the fight to reduce dependence on foreign oil, combat high oil
prices and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
Austin Energy, the city's public utility, has big plans for
plug-in vehicles beyond just cutting down on gas consumption. The
city hopes the cars can eventually supplement the city's
electricity supply during peak hours.
"People have said for many years that eventually the electric
grid and the transportation sector will unify into one," said
Roger Duncan, deputy general manager for Austin Energy.
Duncan said it'll take a few years for enough plug-ins to hit the
road to make a difference on the power grid.
"There is a time frame involved, but the concept is solid,"
Duncan said.
Plug-In Partners, an Austin-founded national coalition of
governments, businesses and non-profit groups, is seeking to show
automakers there's a market for the vehicles.
And it seems to be working. A few automakers are planning to roll
out on a wide scale some version of a plug-in in the next several
years after improving the cars' technology, particularly the
battery.
The plug-in car technology contemplates a vehicle that can go
about 25 miles off its rechargeable battery, said Austin Energy's
Daryl Slusher, the deputy coordinator of Plug-In Partners. After
that, a gasoline engine, or perhaps even a flexible-fuel engine
that could use alternative fuels, would power the battery.
Bob Graham, program manager for electric transportation at the
non-profit Electric Power Research Institute, in Palo Alto,
Calif., said most Americans drive fewer than 30 miles a day, with
average trips lasting 5 to 6 miles.
"If we can operate all of those miles on electricity, just think
of what we can do," he said, adding that plug-ins will get up to
30% better fuel economy than the hybrids on the road today.
Austin Mayor Will Wynn said the mass production of plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles is widely considered the technology that can
have the biggest impact on oil dependence, oil price and
emissions.
But wait, says Wynn, there's more.
After charging their cars at night, plug-in owners would drive
the vehicles to work and plug them in there. Then, when peak
demand time hit in the afternoon, the city would be able to draw
down power that's stored in the cars' batteries to supplement
electricity used during high demand times.
"It's very viable technology," said Jon Wellinghoff, a
commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. "We
ought to accelerate it as fast as we possibly can."
Drivers would be charged for electricity their cars take in at
night and credited for electricity Austin Energy uses during the
day.
Wynn said the energy stored in the plug-in cars during the day
would come from renewable sources like wind as the cars charged
at home overnight. So during peak demand time particularly hot
afternoons when Austinites have their air conditioners on full
blast the city would be using renewable energy.
Willett Kempton, an associate professor at the University of
Delaware who first wrote about vehicle-to-grid power a decade ago
and developed the idea, said the technology also could be used to
regulate the system, sometimes drawing power away from the grid.
"Regulation has to be in operation continuously," he said. "You
could have cars doing that with almost no ... change on the
battery."
While the vehicle-to-grid concept did not originate in Austin,
Wynn said he'd be very disappointed if the city isn't the first
to put it to use.
"We here in Austin just like the idea of our cars not emitting
many emissions and using West Texas wind and not Middle Eastern
oil," Wynn said.
Once they're available, Wynn said he thinks the plug-ins, which
use regular old wall sockets, will catch on quickly with the
public, businesses and government, which he hopes will replace
aging fleets with the new models.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(SLO, CA County hybrid buses using ultra capacitors)
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informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
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http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=6301540
Central Coast's First Hybrid Electric Bus Hits the Streets
Reported by: Amber Lee March 29, 2007 08:01 PM PDT
[Featured Videos - Central Coast's First Hybrid Electric Bus
Hits the Streets ]
FIVE CITIES
One community on the Central Coast is the first to go hybrid with
their buses.
The Five Cities is one step closer to eliminating excess noise
from buses by replacing it with a quieter one.
It is the Central Coast's first hybrid electric bus and it hit
the streets after being unveiled today in Grover Beach.
"I'm absolutely thrilled we are finally being smart about our
transportation needs," said Grover Beach resident Carmela
Vignocchi.
It looks and rides like a normal bus but the only difference is
its funny shaped hump which is really an energy storage system
called an ultra capacitor.
"So if it needs extra power to go up the hill or to go faster, it
will take that extra power out of the capacitors and then it will
be recharged," said SLO County Regional Transit Manager David
Lilly.
The bus comes at a hefty price tag of $440,000, about $100,000
more than a regular diesel fueled bus.
And it is made completely out of an old 1990's bus.
"We took it, remanufactured it from the ground up and made it
virtually a new bus. Put a new hybrid technology system inside
and now it's been recycled. It's the ultimate green bus," said
Macy Neshati from Complete Coach Works.
"Hybrid technology is clean, it's green and it's going to be cost
effective to operate and it just looks like the right thing for
our community and the best service we can provide," said Regional
Transit Manager Lilly.
The county is anticipating three more hybrid buses to hit the
streets of San Luis Obispo County with in the next year.
But for now, this bus will be running only in the Five Cities
area.
It seems the Central Coast goes green once again.
Santa Barbara County plans to unveil five of its eight hybrid
buses [...].
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(Formula Hybrid racing invites student teams)
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2007/04/03.html
Dartmouth engineering students launch hybrid racecar competition
Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs Press Release
04/03/07 Rebecca Bailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] 603-646-3661
Gas-electric hybrid automotive technology could get a boost from
a new annual competition organized by a team from Thayer School
of Engineering at Dartmouth.
[Photo courtesy of Dartmouth Formula Racing
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2007/04/images/hybrid.jpg
Thayer Student Henning "the stig" Olsson driving the Dartmouth
Formula Hybrid Racecar during trials this March in Texas.]
Formula Hybrid invites teams of college and university students
to design, build, and race formula racecars with gas-electric
hybrid drive trains. The first annual Formula Hybrid competition
will be held May 1-3, 2007, at New Hampshire International
Speedway, Loudon, NH. In addition to Dartmouth, the schools
registered to send teams are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
of Daytona Beach, FL, Illinois Institute of Technology, Colorado
State University, Florida Institute of Technology, Yale
University, McGill University, and Drexel University.
Along with inspiring students to pursue careers in hybrid-engine
technology, the competition could lead to innovations in the
field, said Formula Hybrid Director and Thayer School Research
Engineer Douglas Fraser. "Students are notoriously able to come
up with novel solutions. They don't go in with preconceived
notions. They sometimes launch off in directions that you think,
'My God, that won't work,' and, lo and behold, it does."
Formula Hybrid is an offshoot of the Formula SAE® program,
established in 1981 and sponsored by the Society of Automotive
Engineers, which challenges collegiate teams to design, build,
and compete with formula racecars. Teams from Thayer School have
competed in the event every year since 1995 and have regularly
placed in the top 20, out of a field of about 150 teams primarily
representing much larger institutions, Fraser said. This year,
for the second year in a row, Dartmouth will enter an
ethanol-fueled car in the competition, which will be held May
16-20 at the Ford Michigan Proving Grounds in Romeo, MI.
Formula Hybrid had its beginnings in 2003 when Dartmouth
engineering students began researching their first hybrid racecar
in hopes of entering it in that year's Formula SAE competition.
However, the Formula SAE competition rules changed that year to
disallow hybrid entries, thus inspiring the students to develop a
hybrid competition. Both the SAE and the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers are sponsors of the program.
One guideline is fuel efficiency: A Formula Hybrid vehicle must
use at least 15 percent less gasoline than a comparable "regular"
formula racecar operated under the same conditions, a goal many
of the entries are expected to surpass, Fraser said. Another
guideline involves recycling: Unlike the Formula SAE competition,
Formula Hybrid teams are encouraged to incorporate used parts of
other racecars rather than build everything from scratch.
The competition itself is a sort of educational hybrid, bringing
together applications of both mechanical and electrical
engineering. "I never would have learned nearly as much about
electrical engineering had I not been involved in this project,"
said Formula Hybrid co-captain Dana Haffner, who holds a bachelor
of engineering from Thayer School and is pursuing a master of
engineering management (MEM). "I've taken classes in electrical
engineering, but this is hands-on. There's just no comparison."
The experience is good preparation for the working world, in
which different types of engineers regularly work together,
Haffner said. Abigail Davidson, the other co-captain and also
holds a Thayer bachelor of engineering, and is an MEM candidate.
Unlike the "parallel hybrid" systems now used in most commercial
vehicles, in which the gas engine and the electrical motor both
are connected directly to the drive train (the mechanism that
makes the wheels go around), the vehicles being built by
Dartmouth and many of the other teams competing in the event use
a "series hybrid" system. In a series system, the gas engine
generates electricity that goes into a storage devicein
Dartmouth's case, an array of 88 bright blue "ultracapacitors,"
each one the size of a can of tennis ballswhich powers the
electric motor that operates the drive train. Haffner said the
greatest challenge has been converting the electricity generated
by the gas engine into a form that can be stored well by the
capacitors and can serve the hugely variable electricity
requirements of a high-performance vehicle, including the bursts
of power needed for acceleration.
The May event will include a design competition as well as three
driving events testing the vehicles' acceleration, handling, and
endurance (how far and fast the vehicle goes on a certain amount
of gasoline).
Copyright © 2007 Trustees of Dartmouth College
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(Ford like GM complaining phEV limited by batteries)
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informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.cnbc.com/id/17951786
New Cars Coming From Detroit: GM Minicar, Ford Plug-In Hybrid
By CNBC.com 04 Apr 2007 04:15 PM
General Motors and Ford gave previews of cars they are working on
today at the New York Auto Show. GM unveiled a mini-car, while
Ford discussed a plug-in hybrid vehicle it is developing.
[...]
Ford Hybrid
Ford Motor is working to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle,
product chief Derrick Kuzak said on Wednesday, adding that the
biggest challenge is developing the battery technology.
Speaking to reporters at the New York International Auto Show,
Kuzak said the automaker is working on advanced battery
technology for the vehicle.
"The battery technology is one of the biggest challenges," Kuzak
said. "There is also the problem of infrastructure. When people
start driving electric cars, where will the electricity come
from? That has to be looked at."
Unlike current gas-electric hybrids, which use a parallel system
twinning battery power and a combustion engine, plug-in cars
could be driven entirely by electric power. But no automaker has
a plug-in on the road yet, due to a host of barriers.
Rivals Toyota Motor, which leads the market in hybrid sales, and
General Motors are also working on lithium-ion battery technology
for plug-in hybrids.
Battery technology is the key to next-generation vehicles as
automakers seek ways to lower the cost of batteries and increase
their power and storage capacity.
GM has said its plug-in would be able to drive 40 miles on pure
electricity.
"Some automakers are saying 40, but we are saying 20 to 25 miles
... to offload the battery (give it a rest) and potentially make
it more affordable," Kuzak said.
© 2007 CNBC.com
===
http://www.reuters.com/article/tnBasicIndustries-SP/idUSN0436918420070404
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels
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EVLN(Tanfield's 9&12-tonne Smith Newton E-trucks in 2007)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.citywire.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?VersionID=90422&MenuKey=News.Home&XDU=bdd9da46-6334-441b-a9e9-8b53b7ac2eb6&XDS=O&XDNG=True&XDKL=0&XDURL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.citywire.co.uk%2fNews%2fNewsArticle.aspx%3fVersionID%3d90422%26MenuKey%3dNews.Home
Some investors trim Tanfield as profit soars on electric vehicle
demand By: Helen Burggraf Shares Reporter 26 March 2007
Growing demand for zero-emission vehicles helped to drive
earnings last year at Tanfield Group, a UK manufacturer of
electric trucks and platform lifts.
Some shrewd investors had already trimmed their stakes before the
shares tumbled in London on profit-taking this morning.
[...]
The acquisition in June of Upright Powered Access, a maker of
mostly battery-powered moveable platforms used by the
construction and buildings maintenance industries, helped
revenues increase 82% to £40.9 million.
[...]
The strong growth in our electric vehicle service and maintenance
operations has underpinned overall growth in our specialist
Electric Vehicles division, chairman Roy Stanley said in a
statement accompanying the results.
[...]
Among the attractions of Tanfields zero-emission vehicles is
that they qualify for various tax and legislative benefits,
including exemption from the London Congestion Charge.
[...]
In 2006, Tanfield began delivery of its Smith Newton, a 7.5-tonne
electric truck said to be the worlds largest high-performance
electric truck.
During the year, Tanfield also signed up new clients and sold
more vehicles to existing customers. Its accounts now include TNT
Express, CEVA Logistics, DHL Logistics, Marks & Spencer and
Sainsburys Online, the company said.
[...]
The company is now working on developing nine- and 12-tonne Smith
Newton trucks which it plans to introduce in 2007 and are aimed
at the chilled food distribution market.
The two trucks will facilitate the development of the lucrative
chilled-food distribution market and will also provide
solutions more suited to the regulatory requirements of markets
in mainland Europe and North America, Tanfield noted.
In addition to zero-emission trucks, Tanfield also makes airport
luggage vehicles and airplane catering equipment.
[...]
© 2007 Citywire.co.uk. All Rights Reserved.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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Looking for earth-friendly autos?
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/
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EVLN(Camp R-Midland EV/phEV/phfcEV tax credit legislation)
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18127635&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6
Camp: Give tax credit to battery-powered vehicles' buyers
03/26/2007
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, on Thursday introduced
legislation that would give individuals and businesses a tax
credit for buying battery-powered automobiles, to reduce
dependence on foreign crude oil.
"Unfortunately, new technologies always cost more at the start,"
Camp said in a prepared statement. "My tax credits will help put
the cost of hybrid electric vehicles more in line with their
traditional, gasoline counterparts."
Camp, who authored existing tax credits for hybrid vehicles, said
the new credit would add incentives to manufacturers already
exploring the viability of plug-in vehicles. A qualifying vehicle
would have to have at least 4 kilowatt hours of battery capacity.
The amount of the credit would be the lesser of 10 percent of the
cost of the vehicle or $4,000 plus $250 for each additional
kilowatt hour of battery capacity above 4 kilowatt hours and up
to 50 kilowatt hours.
Camp's bill does not discriminate between types of plug-in
vehicles such as pure battery electric, extended range electric,
hybrid electric and plug-in fuel cell vehicles.
"In order to maximize the benefits of the new, clean technology,
it is important to have these tax credits available the day these
vehicles hit the salesroom," he said.
Each of the domestic automakers is working on plug-in vehicles.
DaimlerChrysler's Dodge Sprinter van is being tested, General
Motors is working on the Volt and Ford is researching the Edge.
©Midland Daily News 2007
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast
with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
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EVLN(ECOSLO/SLOAPCD EV forum)
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http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=6279464
Electric Vehicle Forum in San Luis Obispo
Monday, March 26, 2007 Reported by: Carina Corral [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Featured Videos
http://www.ksby.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=1323085&h1=Electric%20Vehicle%20Forum%20in%20San%20Luis%20Obispo&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=41367&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D6279464&rnd=30726580
Electric Vehicle Forum in San Luis Obispo]
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Clean air was the focus of an Electric Vehicle Forum in San Luis
Obispo on Sunday.
Pure electrics and hybrids were on display at the Veteran's
Memorial Building with experts on hand to show people what's
available on the market, the motivation behind alternative fuel
vehicles and their viability.
"This doesn't have to be an emotional decision. Let's look at
what it does for you as an individual. Cleaner air is good for
you. Less oil imported is good for you. There are many benefits,
we just need a rational program," said Sam Smith, an electric car
expert.
The forum was hosted by the environmental group ECOSLO and the
San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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The fish are biting.
Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing.
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EVLN(India's red postal Reva EVs)
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--- {EVangel}
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=11&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=21790
Reva to carry snail mail in Thiruvananthapuram
BS Reporter / Kochi March 26, 2007
REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Kerala Postal Services.
As part of the partnership, RECC will provide three specially
customised REVA electric cars to deliver and collect mail in
Thiruvananthapuram city and its suburbs. The project will be
closely monitored both by RECC and the postal department over a
period of 11 months.
Three REVA electric speed post vehicles will be delivered to the
Kerala postal circle from Bangalore on March 27 and the new speed
post service will be inaugurated on April 16 in
Thiruvananthapuram.
Painted a uniform 'post office' red colour, these cars will run
60 km a day on an average and be able to carry a load of up to 70
kg apart from a driver and postman. The vehicles are on display
at the ongoing national conference of head of postal circles in
Bangalore.
The car manufacturer will also work with the Kerala postal circle
to prepare a 450-km route map between Kozhikode and
Thiruvananthapuram to locate charging points at different post
offices where the electric cars can be recharged.
Business Standard Ltd. Copyright [EMAIL PROTECTED]
===
http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20070328/21721.htm
Kerala postmen to ride electric cars
Kerala's postman is all set for a makeover. Come April, he will
switch from his usual mode of service - walking and cycling - to
riding an electric car for speed post delivery.
Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 2007-03-28 17:45:02 (IndiaPRwire.com)
Kerala's postman is all set for a makeover. Come April, he will
switch from his usual mode of service - walking and cycling - to
riding an electric car for speed post delivery.
The Kerala Postal Service (KPS) has tied up with Bangalore-based
Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) Ltd to use the indigenous car in
Thiruvananthapuram.
Three customised electric cars were delivered to KPS Wednesday.
Painted in the post office red colour, the cars will cover 60 km
daily and carry 70 kg of load (articles) with a driver and
postman in tow.
'The Indian Postal Service (IPS) is the most widely distributed
post office system in the world. The emission free battery
operated vehicles will enable the postman to improve the quality
of service and become efficient,' Reva chairman S.K. Maini said
on the sidelines of a national conference of postal circles here
Wednesday.
Kerala postal circle chief postmaster general Uday Balakrishnan
said the Reva cars were suitable for Thiruvananthapuram and
suburbs where only small cars can negotiate the lanes and
by-lanes.
The cars will later be used to ferry postal articles from
Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram, covering 450 km, with charging
points at post offices en route.
Reva's small turning radius and swifter 0-30 second pickup gives
it greater manoeuvrability.
The 13-year-old Reva firm is a joint of the Maini group and the
US-based AEV LLC to manufacture eco-friendly and cost-effective
electric vehicles. The zero polluting electric vehicle was
commercialised in 2001.
Reva car is exported to Britain, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and
Sri Lanka. It is currently being test marketed in the US, Norway
and Spain.
- Indo Asian News Service
© Copyright 2006 India PRwire Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
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It's here! Your new message!
Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar.
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Does anyone happen to know what formual the E-Meter/Link 10
calculates the percentage charge? It isn't part of the data stream
output from the serial port, but I have to assume that it is based on
the data that is output.
Thanks,
Mike Chancey,
'88 Civic EV
Kansas City, Missouri
EV Photo Album at: http://evalbum.com
My Electric Car at: http://www.geocities.com/electric_honda
Mid-America EAA chapter at: http://maeaa.org
Join the EV List at: http://www.madkatz.com/ev/evlist.html
In medio stat virtus - Virtue is in the moderate, not the extreme
position. (Horace)
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Chinese Flybo Electric Car Coming to America)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=120129
Chinese Flybo Electric Car Coming to America 03-26-2007
[Photo courtesy of Globalautoindex.com
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//media/il/news/2007/0326/flybo.500.jpg
Shiny object from China: The Flybo minicar can wget you where you
want to go electrically. It's now being sold by a U.S.
distributor.]
EASTON, Pa. Wuzheng North America [ http://wuzheng.com in
USA, in China http://chinawuzheng.com ], which recently made
headlines by bringing in China-made pickup trucks, has made a
deal with another Chinese company, to sell electric vehicles
here.
The Jinan Flybo Motor Company's [ http://flybo.en.ecplaza.net ]
flagship is called the XFD-6000ZK. The name is almost longer
than the vehicle, which measures 102.3 inches long on a 71-inch
wheelbase and looks similar to the Smart from certain angles.
Top speed is 45 mph (with the 25-mph limiter removed), and it
has a range of 70 miles on a charge. Classified as a
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV), the XFD-6000ZK is "100
percent legal for on-road use," the company says. It and two
lower-end electric cars yes, there are lower-end models
are powered by a 48V electric motor. MSRP on the XFD-6000ZK
is $12,950. Complete details are available at the Flybo Web
site [ http://flybo-ev.com ].
Jinan Flybo Motor is a subsidiary of Shandong Pioneer of the
China Qingqi Group, the oldest and biggest motorcycle
manufacturer in China. Qingqi was the first local partner of
Suzuki back in the 1980s.
What this means to you: You've been hearing about low-priced
Chinese cars coming to America. Here's one sort of that is
already here.
© 1995-2007 Edmunds Inc.
===
http://news.windingroad.com/countriesmarkets/china/nevermind-the-smart-fortwo-here%E2%80%99s-the-flybo-xfd-6000zk/
No, youre not looking at a Smart Fortwothis is the Flybo
XFD-6000ZK, a catchy-sounding rear-drive electric car thats
being imported into the U.S. from China. The 1800-pound car is
designed to be a neighborhood electric vehicle, and is
road-legal. Interestingly, while the company originally claimed
that the car was good for 40 miles-per-hour, the cars website
indicates that NHTSA has required them to lower its stated top
speed to 25 mph.
The company claims that recharging will take about eight-to-ten
hours, and that car has a range of around 70 miles. Oddly, the
XFDs spec sheet claims that the battery life is recharging X
500, which sounds to us like they only expect to get around 500
uses out of the cells, a worryingly low number. Pricing starts at
a steep $12,950.
Flybo is also distributing two other minicars, the XFD-3000ZK-2
(This model is our economy of the economy model - Simple,
reliable, just un-plug & go!), and the XFD-3000ZK (Seats four
adults very uncomfortably, or 2 adults two kids very well -
Surprising amount of room!).
In any case, we thing DaimlerChryslers legal department might
want to have a word with Flybo about the XFD-6000ZKs styling. In
the meantime, we invite you to check out the May issue of WINDING
ROAD, which features a cover story on the new-for-2008 Smart
Fortwo!
© Copyright 2003-2007 Winding Road. All rights reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
: MEPIS Linux & WiFi powered :
____________________________________________________________________________________
Finding fabulous fares is fun.
Let Yahoo! FareChase search your favorite travel sites to find flight and hotel
bargains.
http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
On Apr 7, 2007, at 2:13 PM, John Fisher wrote:
I am not personally convinced by B100 or even restaurant grease for
greeness, but we can take that OT.
As green as electricity, no.
Here is a study of Biodiesel emissions published by the EPA in 2002:
http://www.epa.gov/OMS/models/analysis/biodsl/p02001.pdf
Here is a pro-Bio primer on Biodiesel: http://www.biodiesel.org.au/
biodieselfacts.htm
I can't seem to find anything that makes an argument against Bio use
in cars and trucks outside of extremely cold weather.
John Boy
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Hi John and All,
----- Original Message Follows -----
From: John Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: C,mm,n (common) open source car project by
Dutch universities
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:21:43 -0700
>Lee Hart wrote:
>>
>> Indeed, I think *all* the innovations in the EV field
>(and most other fields) come from small experimenters and
>hobbyists; not from big companies. These small innovators
>invent, build, and test these ideas themselves. Big
>companies just step in *after* the pioneers have proven
>> that the innovation works.
>This is really not supported by the evidence IMO.
Let's see, Microsft, HP, most medicine, Rudman,
Otmar, Lee amoung a hugh number of others.
Take just myself for example, I've built boat hulls
that couldn't be done according to the 'Experts', successful
tidal/river current gens that others still haven't figured
out how to do over 20 yrs later, now building an EV for sale
that should equal the EV-1 in performance for only $13k
which as you say, not to mention others, isn't possible. But
you, them are just plain wrong.
And why are corporations are rarely capable of real
innovation. Why I can is I have no formal education so not
constrained by what 'won't' work. Instead I just do it
anyway. While a corp has to fight a scared management
looking at the next 1/4's profits that keep the good
engineers hemmed in by it and their education from doing
anything good, really different.
No
>scientific problems will be solved by home tinkerers (
>like me )
Those who can't, won't!
and the real engineering problems center around
>manufacturing and cost, not design.
Now just how one can come up with manufacturing,
cost, without a design is rather odd.
You cut costs by innovative design. My design motto
is simplify, KIS, where by good engineering, you make one
part do the job of 3, ect or just completely eliminate it.
You design out labor, parts thus weight, costs. Then by good
design, cut drag, design in safety systems, ect. By
designing them all together, they can be made to reinforce
each other to get great strength, performance, at low
weight, cost. That's what design, innovation is about.
By doing this, lowering your weight, drag, your EV
drive, battery pack can get quite small and still have 100
mile+ range, good speed. This allows you to have excellent
performance at a low cost.
GM almost got it right once with the Ultra-Lite but
conviently used carbon fiber instead of medium tech FG and
kevlar. It would had made a great EV but Management made
sure it was the last one built, probably because it wouldn't
rust. It was interesting as you could switch/rent the drive
pod in the rear between an ICE for long trips and EV for
commuting, around town low costs.
>
>You could argue that re-packaging old ideas is innovation,
>and that influences the marketing groups of manufacturers
>to change their ways - see choppers and hot rods. No doubt
>a swell of enthusiasm for home-built EVs
I hate to tell you this but most things were thought
of decades if not centuries ago. I've read most of the Pop
Sci, Mech back to the 1800's and little hasn't been thought
of. Just now the materials, other advancements allow them to
finally be made.
One of the advantages of living on a boat I did for 20 yrs,
you have time to do things like that and build, study
strange things only working 8-10hrs/week, another of my
'innovations' ;^D.
>
>You have to be realistic - sure you can build a crude EV,
>with enough money you can build a pretty good one, by
>using off-the-shelf parts.
By choosing used, surplus parts correctly, you can
have a very good EV at a fairly low cost, under $4k. If
under 50 mph most of the time, a VW bug makes a great around
town EV at a very low cost. I'd do it under $2.5k. How crude
is more how much time, care you take to do it.
What you will never be able to
>do is design one that can be profitably sold in the tens
>of thousands to DOT standards. That's a *hard* engineering
>problem.
Not really, you just go around it!! That's the
difference between innovators and the rest, we see solutions
where others just see problems. Even take the problem and
make it an asset ;^D
Let's take your above deal killer, it is easily solved
by building to the MC classification by using 2 front and
one rear wheel.
In 1 fell swope you lighten it, lower costs, lower
start up to just $20k, lower drag, have a new exciting
vehicle that will get loads of free publicity, great
handling, speed on a modest EV drive, battery pack, advanced
tech, ect.
To be honest, macked out, I could probably get twice
what I'll be asking I'd bet. Dam it's looking good now it's
windshield, doors, ect are on! It's finally getting ready
for pics ;^D
Another innovation is a monocoque all composite
body/chassis that only me, Ferrari are doing in production
and Ferrari only on their most expensive road model. All
their and others F-1, many other of the fastest race cars
are composite monocoque. Why is safety along with a great
strength/weight ratio, stiffness.
But even at $13k, I'll be making very good money. I'd
bet an auto company could build them for $9-10k and still
make very good profit. Yet they refuse to. Why? Because
they are not capable of changing, innovating away from
steel, ICE's.
Is that enough innovation for you? I do have a long list
;^D And I'm only 1 of a 100 or more just on this list.
As far as open source eV's, I'd say plans or a book
like Locost is doing is the best way to get people building
EV's.
Jerry Dycus
>>
>thats my opinion as a software guy anyway....
>
>JF
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Ex-Big Three workers now build Mi's AECC nEVs)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/032707/loc_20070327001.shtml
Small business plan unveiled to spur economy
By Christy Strawser Daily Tribune Staff Writer
FERNDALE -- [...] State Rep. Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale, picked
the American Electric Vehicle Company [ http://getkurrent.com ]
in Ferndale to launch an entrepreneurship program to spur small
business start-ups. His plan includes tax breaks for small
business owners in Michigan along with education and incentives
for would-be business owners like those who started the electric
car company.
[...]
They met in the American Electric Car Company headquarters, a
loft-like space on Woodward Heights with stylized posters,
lacquered concrete floors and clear plastic walls. It opened in
August.
The car company produces two-seat electric cars with luxe leather
interiors and it exemplifies the vision Meisner and his
supporters have for the new Michigan economy. It was founded by
Scott Thornton and several partners after Thornton was laid off
from his advertising/marketing career in the auto industry.
The electric car company now has 21 workers, several of whom lost
their jobs at the Big Three. Chief Executive Officer Dan Russo
said they've built 1,600 of the cars so far, which retail for up
to $13,800.
"We cannot keep them in here," Russo said, adding that they plan
to sell 2,500 mini automobiles this year.
The top speed is 25 mph on the all-electric automobiles designed
for short jaunts around town. Investors hope they become the rage
in retirement and gated communities, golf course neighborhoods,
resort areas and for municipal parking enforcement workers across
the country.
The environmentally friendly cars are "big in Europe and even
bigger in Japan," Russo said.
The firm could have gone anywhere in the country, Russo said, but
they chose Ferndale for its available space and proximity to the
Detroit auto scene.
"We've had offers from other states, but there's a great
workforce here," Russo said, adding that every laid-off Michigan
worker should think like he and his partners did and "find a way
to re-pot themselves."
Maile Ilac Boeder, director of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce,
said her small town is becoming a haven for entrepreneurs, with
sterling examples like Garden Fresh Salsa and Gage Products.
"We have been the birthplace of a lot of amazing things," Ilac
Boeder said. "I think it's exciting that we're stepping up to
continue that."
Donigan said entrepreneurial success stories could become much
more common if Meisner's plan comes to fruition.
"Michigan must rekindle a spirit of entrepreneurship," Donigan
said. "We can do better."
© 2007 The Daily Tribune
===
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aufbQ7nw1AA
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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____________________________________________________________________________________
Get your own web address.
Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL
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