EV Digest 6645
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Hybrid Battery Concept.
by Jeff Shanab <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) EVLN(Tofu maker Toya pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) EVLN(WA speed up EV limits)-long
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) EVLN(I Can't Drive 25)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) EVLN(BugE is sexier than award-winning doomed Gizmo)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) EVLN(Lincoln, CA nEV-Only Lanes)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) EVLN(Richmond, CA Pilot Xebra Electric Truck Fleet)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) EVLN(NC Topsail HS students build electric car)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) Re: C,mm,n (common) open source car project by Dutch universities
by John Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) EVLN(Think EV powered by new business model)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) EVLN(Test Driving Your Electric Dream Car)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) Re: Intro
by "Timothy Balcer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) OT: SVO, was: EV APU (Biodiesel) emissions & FE
by [EMAIL PROTECTED]
14) Re: C,mm,n (common) open source car project by Dutch universities
by Lee Hart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
When making LiFePo4 (actually, all battery cells) cells, compromises are
made between the amount of volume used for collector grids and
interconnects and volume used for active material. So there are, for
example 1500mah 18650's and 1100mah 18650's or 2.3ah 26650's and 3.2ah
26650's.
I was thinking of a different tack on the Lifepo4 module. So far I was
thinking of 144 of the high power 26650's for, example, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Using A123's for example this would be a theoretical 2500 AMPs if the
interconnects could take it.
What if, inside the same packageing we put 1/3 hi-power and 2/3
hi-energy cells and the BMS uses a small dc to dc to shuttle charge
between the hi-power and the hi-energy sides. This could make a module
at 13.2V that is only capable of 888A peaks but contains 104 ah.
This would be a little harder on the hi-power cells and a more expensive
BMS.
Would it be worth it?
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Tofu maker Toya pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/05/business/sxhybrid.php
Mileage maniacs push limits of hybrids
By Terje Langeland Bloomberg News April 5, 2007
TOKYO: Toyota Motor says its Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car
can get about 55 miles to the gallon, making it one of the most
fuel-efficient cars on the road. That is not good enough for
Takashi Toya.
Toya, a 56-year-old manager for a tofu maker in central Japan,
puts special tires on his Prius, tapes plastic and cardboard over
the engine and blocks the grill with foam rubber. He drives
without shoes and hacks into his car's computer - all in the
pursuit of maximum distance with minimum gasoline.
Toya is one of about 100 nenpimania, Japanese for "mileage
maniacs," or hybrid owners who compete against each other to
squeeze as much as 115 miles per gallon out of their cars. In a
country where gasoline costs more than $4 a gallon, at least $1
more than the average U.S. price, enthusiasts tweak their cars
and hone driving techniques to cut fuel bills and gain bragging
rights.
"My wife thinks I've joined some strange secret society," Toya
said last January at a nenpimania gathering in Nagoya in central
Japan.
Mileage maniacs are not alone in pushing the limits of hybrid
vehicles. As the U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor
race to introduce their own models, first rolled out by Japanese
companies in 1997, engineers at Toyota and Honda Motor are trying
to increase hybrid performance to maintain their advantage.
[...]
Hybrids combine a conventional gasoline engine with an electric
motor. The electric motor powers the vehicle at low speeds, and
the gasoline engine kicks in as the car accelerates. The motor
uses the motion of the wheels to recharge the batteries.
[...]
While the nenpimania may take things to extremes, there is a long
history of car owners tinkering with their machines to improve
gas mileage.
"The Gas Mileage Bible" (Infinity Publishing, 2006) promises to
help drivers improve fuel efficiency by more than 30 percent. It
is the latest in a line of books stretching back to at least
1942, when an American author named Lee Richter published a
64-page pamphlet on increasing tire and gas mileage to help save
resources for the U.S. war effort.
Since the 1997 release of the Prius, the first mass-market
hybrid, owners in Japan and elsewhere have fiddled with their
cars to raise mileage and shared tips, including the best driving
techniques, over the Internet. The mileage maniacs strive to
perfect what they call the "pulse and glide" driving method.
On a chilly Saturday afternoon in Aichi Prefecture, a short drive
from Toyota's world headquarters in Toyota City, Toya removes his
right shoe to demonstrate. Pulsing and gliding demands
sensitivity when pushing or releasing the accelerator, so only
his big toe touches the pedal.
Toya accelerates, or pulses, to 29 mph, then glides down to 25
mph before pulsing again. The car uses no fuel when gliding.
While driving, Toya monitors three pocket-sized electronic
gadgets designed by Yoshiyuki Mimura, a fellow hybrid enthusiast.
The dashboard devices use the car's computer to display engine
rotation speed, coolant temperature, accelerator position, brake
pressure and battery charge.
[...]
"We listen to our customers' opinions and accept them as
materials for product development," a Toyota spokeswoman, Shiori
Hashimoto, said in response to questions about the mileage
maniacs.
Toyota and other Japanese automakers are focusing on improving
hybrid batteries and making the vehicles cheaper, Endo said. The
cars now cost about ¥600,000, or $5,100, more than the equivalent
conventional vehicles.
Toyota plans to introduce a new Prius by 2009 that will be
smaller and cheaper, Endo said. The mileage maniacs say they look
forward to the challenge of improving its fuel efficiency.
"The vehicle will be high-tech," said the enthusiast, Mimura. "I
think it'll be more difficult to hack."
Copyright © 2007 the International Herald Tribune All rights
reserved
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(WA speed up EV limits)-long
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--- {EVangel}
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003636241_electriccar26m.html
Legislature likely to let electric cars speed up By Andrew Garber
Seattle Times Olympia Bureau Monday, March 26, 2007 - 12:00 AM
[KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/03/25/2003635923.jpg
Scott MacDonald, a roaster at Espresso Vivace, loads an electric
car with supplies for a run to the company's stores around
Seattle. A sign across the back of the car tells other drivers it
can only go 25 mph.]
OLYMPIA Geneva Sullivan loves almost everything about her
electric car the way it looks, its quiet power, the fact it
doesn't belch fumes. She just wishes it could go faster.
"I was so concerned I had lettering put on the back, so people
would know I can only go 25 miles per hour," said Sullivan, whose
company, Espresso Vivace, uses the car to haul coffee beans to
its stores around Seattle. "I sure would like it to go 35 mph."
Sullivan could soon get her wish. The Legislature is expected to
pass a law that would let electric cars like hers zip along at 35
mph, which is the top speed on many city streets.
State lawmakers passed legislation in 2003 that allowed
low-speed, battery-powered vehicles on city streets but limited
them to 25 mph. Dealers could not sell four-wheeled models that
went faster. But back then, many of the so-called "neighborhood
electric vehicles" looked like souped-up golf carts.
Vehicle specs
The details on a Dynasty IT sedan similar to Geneva Sullivan's,
pictured above:
Size: Four-door sedan; 90-inch wheelbase; 140 inches long; 60
inches wide; 63 inches high; weighs 1,450 pounds
Range: 30.4 miles on a single charge
Maximum speed: 24.5 mph
Price: Sullivan paid about $18,000.
Acceleration: 0 to 24 mph in 10 seconds
Maximum recharge time: 11 ½ hours
Source: Dynasty Electric Car Corp.
Nowadays, the newer models such as the one Sullivan owns look
like real cars. They're enclosed, with heaters, windshields, seat
belts, impact-resistant bodies, and often come with either
unibody construction or safety cages. They're recharged by simply
plugging into a standard electrical outlet.
The cars have not passed federal safety tests, so they aren't
legal to use on highways, such as Interstate 5 or Highway 99. But
that's not what they're designed for anyway, boosters say.
Electric-car dealers in the Seattle area predict a surge of
interest in the vehicles if House Bill 1820 becomes law. The
measure has already passed the House and is expected to be
approved by the Senate. They also expect new types of electric
cars to be imported from Europe. The cars cost from under $10,000
to around $18,000.
While a boost of 10 mph might not sound like much, it's a big
deal, said Greg Rock, co-founder of the Green Car Co. in
Kirkland.
"Electric cars have been kept alive with the low-speed-vehicle
law vehicles that can go 25 mph. But they really are only
functional for, like, golf communities. If you live in Seattle
and plan to drive from your house to a grocery store, most of the
time the road between you and there is 35 miles per hour," Rock
said.
"You're constantly holding up traffic and you feel like a putz."
Rock said he sells three-wheeled electric cars that are
classified as motorcycles and thus can go 35 mph or more because
the 25-mph cap doesn't apply to motorcycles. However, he plans to
start selling four-wheeled cars if the new speed limit is
approved.
Electric cars in Washington
Total statewide: 369
In King County: 107
In Snohomish County: 44
In Pierce County: 20
In Kitsap County: 7
Source: State Department of Licensing
Steve Mayeda, vice president of sales at MC Electric Vehicles in
Seattle, expects more people would buy an electric car if it
could just go a bit faster.
"There are two reasons why they don't buy the car. One is that it
doesn't go far enough. The other is that it doesn't go fast
enough. The distance issue I can explain to people. You really
don't drive as far as you think you drive," he said. "The speed
thing, I can't help them with that."
Mayeda said many of the electric cars being sold today, such as
Sullivan's, can be easily upgraded to travel at 35 mph. "It's
just a couple of buttons on a computer. You plug it into this
controller and the car goes 35 miles per hour," he said.
Electric cars available today generally carry two to four people
and can travel 20 to 35 miles, or more, on a single charge. The
range varies depending on the make and model.
The batteries can last three to five years and cost around $800
to $900 to replace, local dealers say. People typically recharge
the batteries overnight by plugging the car into a standard
outlet.
"It costs 2 cents per mile to drive a light electric vehicle, and
it costs 13 to 14 cents per mile to drive a 20-miles-per-gallon
car," Rock said. "It's a great way for people to insulate
themselves from the costs of transportation that are coming."
Sullivan said she and her husband bought their four-door electric
car, a Dynasty IT, for around $18,000 last year. It is driven
about four miles a day, well within its range.
"It was philosophical for us. We're both bicyclists," said
Sullivan, 49. "We're both big on the environment and try to have
as little impact as possible."
Danial Reid, the head roaster for Vivace, often drives the car.
He gets a lot of stares: "I can never think of one time I've
parked the car and gotten out and not had someone ask me about
it."
Joanna Loehr, 64, gets the same reaction to her ZENN electric car
in Port Townsend. "People follow me home to find out about the
car," she said.
Loehr and her husband use the two-seater to run errands around
town and, at most, drive about 10 miles on a single charge. Loehr
said the car has a 30-mile range, though they've never tested
it.
"It sort of feels like a VW Beetle from years ago. I just enjoy
riding in it," she said. "It's kind of like riding around town on
your bicycle. You're close to the ground and you sort of feel
like a part of your environment."
But like Sullivan, she'd like to go faster. "Even though our
speed limit is 25 mph, there are a lot of people who tend to go
30 mph. So they sort of pile up behind me ... ," she said. "If I
could go 30, that would be just great."
Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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Bored stiff? Loosen up...
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(I Can't Drive 25)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.seattlest.com/archives/2007/03/27/i_cant_drive_35.php
I Can't Drive 35 March 27, 2007
Someone wrote in via our tip widget:
What's going on with electric vehicles in WA? I just watched
"Who Killed the Electric Car?", about California's journey to
almost make the electric car a part of our every-day lives. They
go into how recent (as of 2002) technology allows electric cars
to easily go freeway speeds and can easily compete with other
cars in terms of acceleration.
Then I read this.
Washington is creating a law that will allow electric cars to go
35mph? And they used to only be able to go 25mph? What useless
set of laws is this?
Are they telling me that if I go out and buy a Tesla Roadster,
that goes 0-60 in 4 seconds, 135mph top speed, with a range of
250 miles (all at $0.01/mile), I can only drive the thing less
than 35 mph and only on city streets?
Please tell me I'm misunderstanding this story.
Actually, we can't. It does seem from that Seattle Times article
and others that we've read that the speed limit for electric cars
in the state of Washington is currently 25 mph, however, there's
legislation pending to get that changed to a screaming 35. Wow,
just imagine yourself tearing up the fairway freeway at 35 miles
per hour in an electric auto... We hear you can feel the low
emissions in your testicles.
That Tesla he mentions that gets to 60 in four seconds? Assuming
(probably incorrectly) a flat acceleration you'd break the speed
limit in Washington a little less than two seconds after you
mashed down the pedal. In the Seattle Times article most of the
electric cars they talk about sound more like golf carts than
automobiles. We have yet to see Who Killed the Electric Car for
ourselves, but we've been under the impression that it talks a
lot about GM's EV1 which was governed at 80mph. The computer of
Toyota's RAV4 allows it to reach 85mph. Why, if they're legally
capped at 25? We suspect that there's some legal distinction
between your EV1s, RAV4s and Tesla rockets and the cars mentioned
in the Seattle Times article, but we can't find any proof of
that.
What we can find proof of is one of those EV Sparrows driving
around Seattle at 55 and higher. Is this guy breaking the law
then?
2003-2007 Gothamist LLC. All rights reserved.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
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Never miss an email again!
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--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(BugE is sexier than award-winning doomed Gizmo)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/03/28/b1.bz.car.0328.p1.php?section=business
48 volts and off you go By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard Published: Wednesday, March 28, 2007
[Kevin Clark The Register-Guard
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/03/28/images/xlg/bz_ecar1_0328.jpg
Mark Murphy drives the BugE electric vehicle, which has three
wheels and a fiberglass body.]
CRESWELL - Designer Mark Murphy knows what killed his first
electric car.
Lack of manufacturing capital doomed the award-winning Gizmo,
with only about 50 of the $12,000 "personal commuters" sold.
"We needed to build at least one a day to make it profitable,"
said Murphy, of Eugene's defunct Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
Co. "We tried to raise the money, and we attracted the interest
of a lot of small investors, but we could never sock away enough
- probably $1 million - to build the factory and stock all the
parts to manufacture them on that scale."
Now Murphy is back with a new product and a new approach to steer
around that problem.
Working out of the garage at his vintage Creswell home, Murphy
has created the BugE. It's a sleeker, lighter, electric vehicle
that Murphy plans to sell as kits people can assemble
themselves.
By skipping the manufacturing step, Murphy can sell the BugE kits
for $3,200. Customers typically will need to invest $2,500 more
for a motor, batteries and other items needed to finish their
vehicles. Murphy declined to give the start-up cost of his new
venture but said it was a fraction of the amount needed for his
previous one.
A test-drive of the prototype Murphy now drives around Creswell
shows that the three-wheeled rig has a surprising amount of zip
for a 10-horsepower motor. There was no noticeable lug-down on an
uphill stretch of Hollbrook Street at Creswell Butte. Yet just 40
cents worth of electricity will fully charge the battery for its
30-mile range.
The BugE is also sexier than its golf cart-like forebear.
This time around, Murphy took a page from his Aerocoupe electric
racer kits, the bread-and-butter product of his Blue Sky Design
company. The former BMW and General Motors auto designer has sold
more than 200 such kits at $1,500 to $1,800 each. Most are
purchased by schools for students creating race cars for
Electrothon America - "a sort of soapbox derby for the 21st
Century," Murphy said.
The BugE incorporates the racers' rocket shape. The Plexiglas
canopy looks more like a fighter-jet cockpit cover than a
windshield. The vehicle is licensed as a motorcycle and
engineered for a top speed of 40 miles per hour.
Eugene area residents can get their first look at the prototype
at the community's Earth Day celebration April 22 - the same day
Murphy will begin selling kits online.
Word of the new rig already is getting around, thanks in part to
a web site (www.blueskydsn.com) designed by fellow Creswell
resident Ed Gunderson.
"I immediately started getting hits - `What is it?' `When can I
see it?' `Where can I buy one?' " Murphy said. "I had people from
Italy asking, `Can you do 1,000?' "
Not yet - although Murphy is not opposed to other people buying
kits in bulk and selling assembled, customized BugEs.
"That's all part of this `unfactory' approach," he said. "And
that way, lots of people can be part of this."
Several local businesses already are involved, manufacturing
parts for the BugE kits. Tom Smith Fiberglass of Goshen is
molding the bodies. Metal Zen of Eugene is fabricating the
chassis. Pro Cycle in Eugene is supplying head and tail lights,
turn signals and other motorcycle parts.
But Murphy is leaving some components to purchasers.
They will have to buy their own motor, for example. He insists
that assembly will be easy using kit instructions - "like
building a big model car." No welding is required, and the kit
lists sources for all "off-the-shelf" parts.
Taking the plunge to assemble your own vehicle provides a
long-term benefit, he added. "You'll know how to fix it, so you
won't have to pay a mechanic."
[...]
The BugE won't haul passengers or bulky cargo. But most people
don't do either on a regular basis, Murphy said.
"I see this as the vehicle for the iPod generation, where you
rent what you need for the occasional big job, instead of owning
it and driving it around all the time when you don't need 90
percent of what it can do."
Nor is the vehicle designed for freeway driving. "It's too small
and light to be out there with trucks and buses in high-speed
traffic," Murphy said. "But it's quick enough to move with
traffic on city streets."
In a recent test drive up back roads to Springfield and then down
Franklin Boulevard to Eugene, Murphy found the BugE drawing lots
of interest - and one particularly annoying question - from other
drivers.
"They ask, `Isn't it dangerous?' And I tell them: No. It may be
vulnerable. But it offers more visibility, stability and
protection than a bicycle. It's the big vehicles that are
dangerous. If there were more of these and less of them on the
road, our streets would be safer, quieter, less congested and
less polluted."
ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Details on the BugE:
Length: 93 inches
Height: 52 inches
Power: Four rechargeable 12-volt lead acid batteries
Range per charge: 30 miles
Top Speed: 40 miles per hour
More Information: www.blueskydsn.com
Copyright © 2007 The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
: MEPIS Linux & WiFi powered :
____________________________________________________________________________________
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
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Lincoln, CA nEV-Only Lanes)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_087203153.html
Lincoln Paves Way For Electric Vehicle-Only Lanes
John Iander Reporting Mar 28, 2007 5:29 pm US/Pacific
(CBS13) LINCOLN, Calif. The city of Lincoln has just won a big
statewide award for being plugged in. Lincoln beat more than 100
other cities for the progress it has made in developing roads
just for electric vehicles. John Iander says it's changing the
city's lifestyle.
Jim Hobbs heads to the grocery store with the road to himself,
just like growing number of Lincoln residents, Jim gets around a
lot now in his electric cart.
"It saves on gas it's easy to get over here to Safeway, and lots
of fresh air!," said Hobbs.
The city of Lincoln has always given a little extra right of way
to golf carts, mostly because of the 10,000 retirees who live
nearby in Sun City, and bigger, faster electric cars are also
catching on. So the city has created special NEV's (neighborhood
electric vehicle) lanes.
Local businesses are really going out of their way to attract
electrical vehicles. They have their own parking, and many now
offer free charging stations so you can fill up with electrons
while you shop.
Golf cart salesman Joe Labedis says customized models are hot,
from a red fire engine to a hot rod. Joe figures 80% of the carts
he sells are used for running local errands. Lou says his
customers often justify a electric car purchase by selling their
second car.
"You save on insurance and gas, all kinds of things. And you just
plug it in at night and that's it," said Labedis.
The city continues to expand NEV lanes and build new pathways.
Public works director John Pedri says that's just the beginning.
"We're looking at close $1million in additional improvements to
be able to get vehicles throughout the whole town," said Pedri.
For hundreds of electric vehicle owners in Lincoln like Jim, the
soft hum of an electric motor is the music of their
transportation future.
Exactly where you can drive your electric vehicle depends on how
it is equipped and licensed. Some of those vehicles can go up to
35-miles an hour and use energy equivalent to
150-miles-per-gallon of gasoline.
© MMVII Sacramento Television Stations Inc. All rights reserved.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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TV dinner still cooling?
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EVLN(Richmond, CA Pilot Xebra Electric Truck Fleet)
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http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=232449
Richmond, California Mayor Gayle McLaughlin Introduces Pilot
Electric Truck Fleet Program With ZAP
First City Fleet in the Nation to Incorporate ZAP Trucks
RICHMOND, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 29, 2007 -- Alternative
Fuels and Vehicles Conference and Expo in Anaheim, California --
In a city usually known for big industry and emissions, newly
elected Mayor Gayle McLaughlin has committed to turning Richmond
into a flagship for sustainability and environment with the
introduction of three electric trucks from Bay Area electric car
pioneer ZAP.
With a pledge to ask the Richmond City Council to create a
Department of Environment within 4 years, McLaughlin also
announced her commitment to fight global warming by demonstrating
Richmond's new electric vehicle pilot program.
[SOURCE: ZAP
http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200703/TN-323929_richmond_mayor_xebra_March2007.jpg
Electric car pioneer ZAP announced a pilot program with the City
of Richmond, California to test its new electric trucks in the
city's fleet, the first in the nation says Mayor Gayle
McLaughlin.]
[...]
"As the first fleet in the country to incorporate all-electric
city-trucks we are proud to promote zero emissions vehicles,"
said Richmond Mayor McLaughlin. "We're signaling a direction. Our
legacy for the young people of Richmond is lower green house gas
emissions, cleaner air, less pollution and a greater commitment
to make Richmond vibrant and sustainable."
ZAP calls the XEBRA sedan and truck "city-cars," an electric car
design for inner city driving up to 40 MPH. Able to plug into any
standard electrical outlet, the XEBRA was designed to quickly and
affordably fill the need for all-electric cars and trucks brought
on by recent high gas prices. The XEBRA is manufactured through a
strategic partnership with a Chinese auto manufacturer and
available through ZAP's authorized dealers at a price of about
$10,000.
[...]
About ZAP [...] Forward-looking statements [...] Contacts: City
of Richmond Office of the Mayor 510-620-6503
Copyright Market Wire
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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. (originator of the above ASCII art)
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EVLN(NC Topsail HS students build electric car)
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http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/1107
Topsail High School students build electric car
Submitted by [ http://wwaytv3.com ] on 30 March 2007 8:51pm
PENDER COUNTY -- Some of them aren't even old enough to drive.
But that's not stopping a group of high school students from
putting the petal to the metal, and then some.
Every year a group of students at Topsail High in Pender County
work together to build a car. It's a tedious project, but a
project that has earned this group national recognition for the
last three years.
Topsail High School student Garrett Sessions said, "Once we
finish it it'll probably have better performance than it did
coming off the factory floor."
Students say it'll be about another month before work is complete
on the vehicle, but say once it's done, it'll run just as well or
even better than your average car. But unlike your average
vehicle, this car runs solely on electricity. In fact, every car
that's worked on in this shop is environmentally friendly.
"It's all electric, so we don't really have any output
whatsoever. We even took out the exhaust... No output, no
pollution or anything like that," Sessions said.
Students say while the average vehicle runs on a single battery,
these cars require 16, which are plugged into an electrical
outlet to charge.
The car can go up to 75 miles per hour for about 75 miles, just
right for the average driver.
Topsail High School student David Ruehle said, "The average
commuter's daily drive is under 20 miles, so these are great for
every day use and, really, everyone in Wilmington."
While others will be spending their spring break under the sun,
these kids say they'll spend their time under the hood.
They plan on finishing their work over the next month.
The students plan on entering the new car into another
competition next year, and like years before, they plan on
bringing home the gold.
Copyright © 2007 Morris Network Inc. & WWAY-TV 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)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
: MEPIS Linux & WiFi powered :
____________________________________________________________________________________
TV dinner still cooling?
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.
http://tv.yahoo.com/
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I think this is an interesting argument about the nature of engineering
and organized projects and so forth, so I'll take it off-line with jerry.
back to EVs...
JF
jerryd wrote:
Let's see, Microsft, HP, most medicine, Rudman,
Otmar, Lee amoung a hugh number of others.
...
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Think EV powered by new business model)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=21709&hed=Recharged+Runabout§or=Industries&subsector=Energy
Recharged Runabout March 26, 2007 By Jennifer Kho
Think electric car returns, powered by new business model.
Think Nordic
LOCATION Aurskog, Norway
URL www.think.no
SECTOR Other
FOUNDED 1973 (but re-launched in 2006)
PRESIDENT Jan-Olaf Willums
EMPLOYEES 41
FUNDING $32.7 million, 1 round
KEY INVESTORS Wintergreen Partners, Canica, Sundt Invest, Home
Invest, Andre Heinz, and founding shareholders Alf Bjorseth
(founder of REC and another of our RH 100s, Norsun), Jan-Olaf
Willums, Reidar Langmo, and Jan Otto Ringdal (and original
founder of Think)
Think Nordic has been around the block and back. The company
first introduced its cute two-seater electric cars in Europe in
1998, and made about 1,000 of them before Ford Motor bought the
company in 1999. Ford stopped production of the Think and sold
the subsidiary in 2003. Switzerlands Kamkorp Microelectronics
bought Think, hoping to develop a car with motors in the wheels,
but it ran out of money, according to Jan-Olaf Willums, Think
Nordics President. Last year, Norwegian investors led by Mr.
Willums, chair of green investment firm InSpire Invest (and
former head of Volvo Petroleum), bought the company.
Now, Think is ready to start where Ford stopped. Ford spent $150
million to give Think drivers the safety of a larger car, with
centralized batteries, a motor that slides under the car in a
crash, and wheels that crumple outward, Mr. Willums says. The car
is safe, low-maintenance, and greenits 96 percent recyclable.
And it will be low-cost, because its steel chassis is covered
with a plastic body that doesnt need painting, he says.
Then theres Thinks business model. High battery costs have kept
electric cars from the mainstream. But Think will exclude
batteries from the purchase price, and charge drivers a monthly
fee to rent them instead of buying fuel. That way, the car can
price around $16,000 to $17,000, and drivers will pay less per
month than theyd spend on fuel and maintenance for a regular
car, Mr. Willums says. Think also will use part of the fee to
offset carbon emitted from the electricity the cars use.
Think began producing cars in February, and plans to make 400
this year in Norway. It will make 3,500 next year and begin
exports to European countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland,
and the Netherlands, as well as to the United States. It also
plans to introduce a four-seater as early as 2009, and produce
20,000 cars annually.
Of course, the car industry is notoriously difficult to enter.
Think would compete with other small cars, including the Toyota
Yaris and the DaimlerChrysler Smart Car, which are cheaper and
serve as primary cars. Most Think drivers will also want a
conventional car in case they need to drive farther than 100
miles (the farthest distance the Think can go on one charge),
says Alliance Bernstein analyst Saurin Shah. In a few years,
Think hopes to produce a primary car: a plug-in hybrid to give
drivers the option of charging or filling up.
But Gartner analyst Thilo Koslowski says Think has big potential.
Consumers have heard of the Think brand, and thats important,
he says. People want to work with a company thats been around
longer and that has this expertise.
Think is betting that enough drivers will be lured by the
environmental benefits and fuel savings to make the venture
worthwhile. Considering the success of the $100,000 electric
Tesla Roadster, the time could be right for Think.
© 1993-2006 Red Herring, Inc. All rights reserved.
===
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/business/article1685413.ece
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
: MEPIS Linux & WiFi powered :
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sucker-punch spam with award-winning protection.
Try the free Yahoo! Mail Beta.
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/features_spam.html
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(Test Driving Your Electric Dream Car)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2109194,00.asp
Tesla Roadster: Test Driving Your Electric Dream Car
By Cade Metz 03.29.07
We take a ride in the Tesla Roadster, a 100-percent electric car
inspired by PC technology. Due on the market this fall for under
$100K, the Roadster does zero to 60 in 4 seconds.
[Slideshow | All Shots
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/0,1206,l=&s=1489&a=204251,00.asp
]
Dear PC Magazine reader: I just took a ride in your dream car. If
there was ever a vehicle whose design was inspired by PC
technology, it's the Tesla Roadster, a 100-percent electric car
under development at a 170-person startup just south of San
Francisco.
Due on the market this fall, at a price of $92,000, the Tesla is
powered by the same lithium-ion battery cells that drive the
average laptop or smartphone, and you can charge it from an
ordinary wall socket. There's even a grate under the rear fender
where the car expels hot air, just like the typical desktop PC.
Introducing the Tesla Roadster [
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2109316,00.asp ]
Several prototypes are already assembled, and last night, I was
invited down to the company's Silicon Valley offices for a spin
down the freeway. No, I didn't get to drive. Each prototype was
built at a cost of over a million dollars, and only the lucky few
covered by the company insurance policy are permitted behind the
wheel. But I did get the rush of sitting in the passenger seat of
this Lotus-like two-door convertible. And what a rush it is!
[Video
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2109898,00.asp
]
Equipped with an AC induction motor that's no larger than a
watermelon, it does zero to 60 in about 4 seconds. But it's not
just the acceleration that amazes. It's the way this car
accelerates. Unlike a gasoline-powered car, which has very little
torque at low RPMs, the Tesla reaches 100 percent torque from the
instant it starts forward. You don't wait even a moment for that
acceleration to kick in. It kicks in immediately. The effect is
like nothing you've ever experienced.
And that's not the half of it. Even as it reaches the performance
of leading sports cars, emissions are non-existentwhen I say 100
percent electric, I mean 100 percent electricand according to
the company, the car gets the equivalent of 135 miles to the
gallon. Translation: If you charge your car at night, during
off-peak hours, when it makes the most sense to charge it, you're
paying as little as one cent per mile.
The Tesla has yet to be independently testedthe final version
doesn't roll off the assembly line until the falland what you
may save powering the car is certainly offset by the initial
$92,000 price tag. But it's hard not to admire the Tesla simply
as a feat of engineering.
The car's 900-pound battery, or Energy Storage System, includes
6,831 lithium-ion cells, each about the size of a double-A
alkaline. Plugged into an ordinary wall socket, it charges in
about 7 hours. But if you use a specially designed in-home
charging unit, which the company plans to include with the car at
no extra cost, you can charge up in under four hours. A
full-charge gets you 250 miles of driving on the open road (the
company has yet to test stop-and-go performance).
According to Phil Luk, the Tesla engineer who hand-built each
prototype, the battery is equipped with 13 separate processors
that monitor everything from voltage and temperature to smoke
levels. To maintain appropriate temperatures inside the battery,
the car includes both radiator heating and a liquid-cooling
system. And that wasn't a joke: The cooling vents in the rear of
the car work much like the cooling vents on an ordinary desktop
PC.
The AC motor weighs a mere 70 pounds, and there are no more than
two moving parts. It sits in the rear of the car, along with the
battery and the cooling system. Under the hood, you'll find only
the radiator and an air conditioning unit (the one used to cool
the passengers).
The entire package is monitored and controlled by an onboard
computer known as the PEM (Power Electronics Module), also
situated in the rear of the car. The Linux-based PEM controls and
monitors everything from the speed and rotation of the motor to
braking and battery charging. From a digital display just under
the steering wheel, you can monitor performance stats on your
own. You can even see if someone has recently opened the trunk.
Like I said: This is your dream car.
Copyright © 1996-2006 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
~/__|o\__
'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
: MEPIS Linux & WiFi powered :
____________________________________________________________________________________
The fish are biting.
Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing.
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Thanks for all the replies! :-)
Sure I'll share the source.. I have NOT verified it yet though, was
going to do that on Monday.
http://sg-photo.com
Go To the military surplus link and find Nicad.
I've done the math too and I realized to do this I HAVE to go AC, and
probably have to use chemistry other than lead acid, yep. NiCad seemed
to just have the range i need.. its not 100 EACH way.. its 100 round
trip, by the way :) Its a bit less than that, but I want to have some
wiggle room for weather, mistakes, incomplete charging, etc.
Also did you guys know Marathon is still making NiCads? I haven't
priced them from the manufacturer yet, but I'll probably check them
out directly and see if they still do BB600s, and how much 1000 lot
costs. Here they are:
http://www.mptc.com/batterydistributors.htm
Looks like they have a distributor in CT!
http://aeroqualitysales.com/
That sure looks like BB600s in that box... ;)
I can probably not charge at work.. maybe I can.. maybe I can't. I
wanted to push the envelope anyway. :) I'd be happy to come down next
saturday, Bob. Love to commish with other EV heads! If someone from
this-a-way can hook me up, I'll be all set. I just need the details
and to meet up with the pool.
Thanks again folks! This is the first inch.. hopefully I'll cover the
last thousand miles too.
--Timothy
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
> 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.
Thanks for that link - any similar studies using unaltered vegetable oil
(WVO/SVO) like I feed my old 300SD? Would love to see a plug-in hybrid that
would take *any* oil-type fuel...but how to address that increase in NOx?
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
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.
From: John Fisher
> This is really not supported by the evidence IMO. No scientific
> problems will be solved by home tinkerers (like me) and the real
> engineering problems center around manufacturing and cost, not
> design.
I think you would find it enlightening to study history a bit. Make yourself a
list of the greatest scientists, engineers, and inventors. Look up where they
were when they made their most remarkable breakthroughs. In almost every case,
you'll find they were working almost alone, or in some small company. Also, you
will find that what they came up with was well outside the "conventional
wisdom" of all large companies.
> You could argue that re-packaging old ideas is innovation
I would argue the opposite; that re-packaging old ideas is *not* innovation.
Large companies call it "innovation" but it is really just perfecting someone
else's ideas -- making them cheaper or in larger quantities than the originator
(and often, with little or no credit to the real inventor).
History is full of examples of inventors that had to fight long and hard
battles with big companies that stole their ideas. The inventors of the vacuum
tube, of FM radio, of the transistor, of the integrated circuit, and of the
microcomputer all come to mind.
> 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. 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.
I guess we have different opinions on the definition of "engineering". I see
engineering as the process of taking a scientific possibility and turning it
into reality; something that that actually works. For example, the scientists
figure out that it is possible to put a man on the moon. The engineers design
the vehicles to actually do it.
>From that point, the actual building of the vehicles is a job for technicians
>and machinists and other tradesmen. Figuring out what they cost and how to pay
>for it is not engineering; it is economics and management.
With respect to EVs, all the record-holders in range, acceleration, top speed
etc. were built by small companies; not big ones. Look up Paul MacReady, Alan
Cocconi, James Worden, Dennis Berube, and others. Tiny shoestring start-up
Commuter Vehicles built and sold more EVs than GM, Ford, and Chrysler combined.
> Software is fundamentally different. It is oddly amenable to
> small group design and open source development
As a hardware design engineer, I see quite the opposite. Hardware lends itself
very well to brilliant designs coming from small groups. Where do you think
companies like Apple, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, etc. came from?
--
"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the one who is
doing it." -- Chinese proverb
--
Lee A. Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377
--- End Message ---
