tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71472490921294649602024-03-05T09:21:55.897-08:00Tesla Electric Cars - Electric Powered Cars SalePuneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-26580628744530470582011-08-19T05:23:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:23:00.555-07:00Electric vehicles have potential<span style="font-weight: bold;">Electric vehicles</span> have the potential to gain customer attention in India in the context of increasing fuel prices and their desire to go green, according to a new report.
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<br />The report 'Gaining traction: Will consumers ride the electric vehicle wave?' by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited's Global Manufacturing Industry Group is based on a survey conducted across 17 countries including India, China, Japan, Europe and USA covering 13,500 respondents.
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<br />The majority of potential consumers are likely to be educated and from urban locations, according to the report. India seems to have almost equal number of male and female potential buyers unlike some of the more developed markets where male buyers tend to be significant, it said.
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<br />Interestingly, the early adopters are likely to be from the affluent sections as compared to the middle income groups in the developed economies.
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<br />"Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer just an idea in the minds of car buyers. They are willing to consider the EV as a practical commuting option.
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<br />While this is good news for manufacturers of EVs, it must also be recognised that there are a number of barriers that they have to cross before this interest to consider electric vehicles translates into sales for them," Kumar Kandaswami, Manufacturing Industry Leader, Deloitte in India, said.
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<br />A third of Indian customers expect to purchase Electric Vehicles around Rs 4 lakh and another third willing to go up to Rs 7 lakh. This would correspond to the prices they would pay for their conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. Clearly, there is unwillingness to pay a premium for clean technology, as is found to be the case in most markets.
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<br />According to the report, the manufacturers have to overcome the challenge of charging time. About half of the customers would expect this to be two hours or less.
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<br />The realities that can influence the pace of adoption are the price of fuel and fuel efficiency of the ICE vehicles. A little over 70 per cent of the respondents said they would consider the EV if the fuel prices crossed Rs 85 per litre.
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<br />Conversely, 74 per cent of the respondents are less likely to consider <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">buying an Electric Vehicle</span></a> if the ICE cars were to deliver 32 km per litre of fuel.
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<br />"These are important parameters for the manufacturers to consider while looking at the market opportunity for Electric Vehicles. It is important to note the willingness to trade off one parameter against another would depend on the economics of owning an EV and the capabilities that are offered by the manufacturers evolve," Kandaswami said.
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<br />"On the basis of the cost, range and charging time realities of the Electric Vehicles available in the market, we estimate EVs to be less that 5 per cent of the total passenger vehicles sold in India by 2020. This, of course, can change dramatically if the OEMs are able to achieve technology and price breakthroughs," he said.Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-17942891046662348912010-12-29T02:00:00.000-08:002010-12-29T02:07:19.841-08:00Toyota's Electric Vehicles With BHEL<div style="text-align: justify;">The entire auto industry in the Indian market is now choosing the optional mode of fuel from electricity. However, Toyota is wooing the government based electricity firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd for designing <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars">electric vehicle</a>.<br /><br />According to a report from the Ministry of Heavy Industries of India, Toyota is on the verge of negotiating with the officials of BHEL for availing subsidy for electric vehicles. The move comes in the wake of earlier moves by the firm on producing electric buses and electric locomotives. Hence there will be an official visit by the team of personnel from BHEL and the Ministry to the camps of Toyota Nagoya in Japan. Prior to Toyota, GM and Nissan-Renault have been on the electric vehicle concept globally. <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Toyota%20Cars">Toyota</a> is on the scene with its Prius hybrid while M&M is running its Reva. However, the major players like Maruti, Hyundai, GM, Tata Motors are all set to step into this EV concept.<br /><br />The ultimate aim for Toyota is to have a pioneering partner for delivering good vehicles under electric version. The proposal may end up either as a JV or as a sharing of technical set up. BHEL has earlier got a similar offer from Dutch based DHBC BV for availing such facility under Inter-Ministerial Governing Council on EVs. Almost important ministries will come under this purview.<br /><br />The Indian auto market is gradually gliding towards alternative fuel in the wake of rising fuel costs. To promote such moves, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is offering an incentive of 20% subsidy for <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com">electric cars</a> and two wheelers on factory price. The scheme is valid till 2011-12 and the fund allocated is Rs95 crore but on a precondition that there must be a minimum of 30% localized components.</div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-39560657683388702112010-01-01T11:38:00.000-08:002010-01-01T11:41:00.220-08:00Ford Plans to Start Electric-Car Tests in Germany<div style="text-align: justify;">Ford Motor Co. will start a two-year test program of <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric Focus compact cars</span> and Transit vans in Germany on Jan. 4 as the U.S. company prepares to introduce battery-powered models as early this year.<br /><br />The 25 vehicles will be driven under normal traffic conditions in Cologne, where Ford’s European division is based, said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen, which is overseeing the 15 million-euro ($22 million) study.<br /><br />The drivers will include researchers and customers selected by Ford, Dudenhoeffer said today in a telephone interview. Data from the models will be monitored on computers that can simulate testing of more than 10,000 vehicles, he said.<br /><br />Bernd Meier, a spokesman for Ford in Cologne, said the study is the automaker’s first in mainland Europe. The company is already trying out battery-powered vehicles in London, Meier said.<br /><br />Ford, the first U.S. automaker to offer a hybrid model, said on Dec. 8 that it may spend $300 million to $500 million on factories in its home state of Michigan to build electric vehicles and batteries. The Dearborn-based company has a target of rolling out an electric-powered version of the Transit Connect commercial van next year, followed by an <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ford electric Focus</span> in 2011.<br /><br />Local utility RheinEnergie AG will supply vehicle-charging stations for the test, which is being financed by the German government’s economic-stimulus package, Dudenhoeffer said.</div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-21491922612716319282009-11-28T12:04:00.000-08:002009-11-28T12:07:13.909-08:00Electric cars target capital<div style="text-align: justify;">London could be awash with <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span> by the middle of the next decade, as PSA Peugeot Citroen admitted it is targeting the capital in a big sales drive for its new iOn and C-Zero models — but only if the Government offers good enough subsidies for motorists to buy them.<br /><br />The French motor giant said that it intends to put its first mainstream <span style="font-style: italic;">electric cars</span> in London motor showrooms by this time next year.<br /><br />The company's research and manufacturing chief, Guillaume Faury, told the Evening Standard that a three-year, €3 billion (£2.7 billion) ramp-up will see Peugeot Citroen aiming for 25,000 sales in Europe by 2015.<br /><br />"We will be targeting big cities with congestion charges and emissions zones," said Faury. "London is naturally an important place for us."<br /><br />The iOn and C-Zero hatchbacks which are being developed with Mitsubishi of Japan will have an 80-mile range on a single charge.<br /><br />The most expensive part of the <span style="font-style: italic;">electric cars</span> are their lithium-ion batteries costing around £10,000 each.<br /><br />Peugeot Citroen is making it plain that its <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span> will not be commercially viable unless there are substantial government subsidies. In the UK, Government incentive schemes being talked about could provide up to £5000 to buy a new electric car.<br /><br />"Incentive schemes will make or break this technology," said Faury. "We are saying on price that in a pay-per-month finance package the cost of an electric car will be no more expensive than running a conventional car on finance."<br />Source:[thisislondon.co.uk]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-18627977135924592592009-11-10T06:42:00.000-08:002009-11-10T06:45:16.856-08:00Honda Plans For Electric Car Launches In US & Japan<div style="text-align: justify;">According to the head of Honda Motor Co, the automobile major has plans for rolling out <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Honda%20Cars"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Honda electric cars</span></a> in Europe, Japan as well as the United States. This is an indication of the change in strategy adopted by the Japan's No. 2 automobile manufacturer, while it gears up for the launch of next gen fuel-efficient automobiles.<br /><br />Honda had earlier scrapped the idea of plug-in <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/11/electric-cars-have-bright-future-in-nz.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> saying that such cars were fit for short-range use, when the costs of batteries are considered. Honda had been projecting hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as the best zero-emission alternative to current gen combustion engine automobiles.<br /><br />But the automobile major, in a recent statement, had mentioned that the setting up of hydrogen fuelling stations is so slow that it can restrict the sale of automobiles using hydrogen as fuel. It also mentioned that it will have to launch ‘pure’ electric cars for meeting the stringent Californian regulations.<br /><br />Chief Executive Takanobu Ito said that in addition to the US market, the automaker would consider <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> for other markets including Europe and Japan.<br /><br />He mentioned that Honda still believes in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles would be the final word in car technology, with <span style="font-style: italic;">electric cars</span> being just a medium for achieving the target.<br />Source:[india-server.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-15964219486039482092009-11-10T06:33:00.000-08:002009-11-10T06:39:11.162-08:00Electric cars have bright future in NZ<div style="text-align: justify;">Electric vehicles have a bright future in New Zealand and could save the country $8.2 billion over 50 years, according to a new report.<br /><br />The report, undertaken by Hyder Consulting and jointly commissioned by Contact Energy and Meridian Energy, outlines a cost-benefit assessment of electric vehicles in New Zealand.<br /><br />Most of the benefit - 91% - comes from decreased operating and maintenance costs to private vehicle owners.<br /><br />Drivers would save on fuel costs, and there would be less reliance on imported fossil fuels.<br /><br />Private drivers' benefits would be so high from electric vehicles that demand would most likely exceed available supply until 2030.<br /><br />Carbon and air pollution savings would contribute $769 million, or 9%.<br /><br />"With so much of our electricity produced from renewable sources, and so much of our current greenhouse gas emissions coming from transport, electric vehicles offer New Zealand a real opportunity to reduce emissions without compromising on quality of life," Meridian Energy chief executive Tim Lusk said.<br /><br />Electric vehicles would have other benefits as well that were unable to be quantified such as enhanced energy security, improved stormwater quality, a reduction of noise pollution and balance payments, diminishing demand for offshore oil over time.<br /><br />"This technology can make a contribution to decreasing our reliance on imported fossil fuels and improve our energy security and self sufficiency," said David Baldwin, contact managing director.<br /><br />The report argues there will be a $9.4b saving on petrol and a $1.5b saving on diesel over the next 50 years.<br /><br />However, energy expenses would rise by $1.9b. The report shows the amount of energy consumed if electric vehicles are adopted would increase from nil to 4.7 million MWh by 2059.<br /><br />Purchase and maintenance would also cost $1.6m, though total private benefits would be $7.4b. Air pollution savings would be $395m.<br /><br />Contact and Meridian commissioned the report to provide information for future decision making and policy development.</div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-89760226526164758492009-11-10T05:42:00.000-08:002009-11-10T06:30:07.764-08:00Chrysler Holds Off on Sale of Electric Cars in 2010<div style="text-align: justify;">Chrysler has broken up its team of engineers who were rushing to produce the automaker’s lineup of electric vehicles and get them into dealer showrooms. Chrysler Spokesman Nick Cappa said that an in-house team of <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car</span> development engineers had been disbanded in favor of a more traditional organization, Reuters reports.<br /><span class="”fullpost”"><br />The announcement comes as Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne unveiled the automaker’s five-year plan last week.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO748XhiBUnMeanlhWvE-k7u0lgX_xWgoBmzYDrOb0KYtr8jJSFy_lvc5gUPXmdKjZf-541Sc22GjFt-wcSxn62dZxYAy6byyoAGZRObt-gw6Led3N3WuOmTHd9Qqqt-YyGANuOwMrU4o/s1600-h/Dodge_Electric_Cars.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO748XhiBUnMeanlhWvE-k7u0lgX_xWgoBmzYDrOb0KYtr8jJSFy_lvc5gUPXmdKjZf-541Sc22GjFt-wcSxn62dZxYAy6byyoAGZRObt-gw6Led3N3WuOmTHd9Qqqt-YyGANuOwMrU4o/s320/Dodge_Electric_Cars.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402471613604750306" border="0" /></a>Chrysler's electric vehicle concepts won't be hitting showrooms any time soon, as the automaker has put plans to sell them in 2010 on hold.<br /><br />Remember that as late as August, Chrysler took $70 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a test fleet of 220 <span style="font-weight: bold;">hybrid pickup trucks</span> and minivans. Plans for those vehicles are now scrapped. Chrysler had used its electric car program as part of its case for a $12.5 billion federal aid package.<br /><br />Chrysler is the only automaker of the six top-selling automakers in the U.S. market without a hybrid vehicle. Chrysler announced in September 2008 that it was developing three electric vehicles and would begin selling the first ones by 2010.<br /><br />"Until the (battery) storage gets resolved, I think electric vehicles are going to struggle," Marchionne said.<br />Source:[autoloandaily.com]<br /></span></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-26815309218327273582009-10-24T05:53:00.000-07:002009-10-24T05:59:40.200-07:00Electric cars to be assembled in central New York<div style="text-align: justify;">Bannon Automotive, LLC, will locate its plug-in electric vehicle manufacturing site in Central New York. The company will invest $26.6 million to open a manufacturing facility in Onondaga County, creating 250 new full-time jobs in three years. Empire State Development (ESD) has offered Bannon a $3 million capital grant to proceed with the project.<br /><br />“New York’s research infrastructure and manufacturing base will help to drive the automobile industry into a cleaner future, as well as create much-needed jobs in the State,” Governor David Paterson said. “By locating in Central New York, Bannon Automotive is helping to establish our State as the global leader in the clean energy economy and is building on my initiative to accelerate innovation in electric vehicle technology through the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium. The market for both <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> and new battery technologies is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, and that means jobs for New Yorkers.”<br /><br />Bannon Automotive CEO Paul Wimer said: “We are proud that we will produce these electric cars for the North American market in the United States. Syracuse’s proximity to half the population of the United States allows us to easily reach key markets for <span style="font-style: italic;">new electric cars </span>that extend well beyond the northeast. Central New York’s position as a national leader in green technology and the support we received from elected officials and economic development agencies were major factors in our decision.”<br /><br />Bannon will use technology based on that developed by <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/10/reva-to-roll-out-two-new-electric-cars.html">REVA Electric Car</a> Company Private, Ltd., (RECC) to build REVA’s NXR model, which was recently introduced to the public at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany. The NXR is a lithium-ion powered <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car</span>, suitable for urban driving, with three doors and four seats. Depending on the model, the hatchback has a top speed of up to 100 mph and can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge. The car can be fully charged in eight hours from a standard outlet or in one-and-a-half hours from a quick-charge station.<br />Source:[<a href="http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20091024-6.html">Electric cars assembled in New York</a>]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-19810656725260327922009-10-21T23:26:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:28:18.412-07:00Electric Vehicles Revive Auto Industry<div style="text-align: justify;">Increasing demand for electric vehicles has everyone uttering about alternative fuel solutions. Auto manufacturers have ambitious plans in the coming year to deploy new <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> that are powered by batteries.<br /><br />During the past year, the auto industry has faced some dark times, but new Electric Vehicles are about to change all that. A new <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car industry</span> is building and car manufacturers are planning to deploy a new fleet of fuel efficient alternatives. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car</span> race is on, and it's been brought to you by the consumer.<br /><br />Many things have changed during the past year. For example, gas prices soared to new highs in 2008, prompting many consumers to rethink about their transportation needs. This has prompted consumers to trade in their conventional gas vehicles for new hybrids.<br /><br />In 2009, the economy slid into a recession and the government offered new incentives to help the auto industry while removing some of the old gas-guzzlers from the road. The program, Cash For Clunkers, was a huge success. The program ran out of funding during its first week. Moreover, congress extended the program by adding another $1 billion in funding. Two weeks later, the Cash For Clunkers ran out of funding again.<br /><br />Sales for Toyota and Honda climbed during the length of the program. The 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight made huge gains. However, Ford seemed to benefit the most.<br /><br />Ford offered the best deal because they still offered a $3,400 hybrid tax credit for the 2010 Ford Fusion. This means that a new car buyer who wanted to trade in their clunker could get up to $4,500 from the clunker rebate, plus get an additional $3,400 government tax incentive. As a matter of fact, several people traded in their Honda and Toyota cars to Ford in order to get in on the hybrid tax credit.<br /><br />In late 2007, we used to receive emails about the news we wrote on hybrid cars. Most people wrote in and said that the hybrid and electric vehicle technology was laughable. Times changed when gas prices went up during the summer of 2008.<br /><br />The tone of the emails sent in by consumers changed. People wrote in and started asking what the best hybrid car was. Others wrote in and asked what the driving range was on new electric vehicles. The entire auto industry changed in two years. Most people have done their research and have accepted the idea that hybrid cars and electric vehicles can save them money, reduce our dependency for foreign oil, and they can help our environment.<br /><br />Amazingly enough, the auto manufacturers like this idea too. They are ramping up the competition and cashing in on this new market of fuel efficiency. Some people have asked why it took so long for the automakers to build electric cars. Most people believe that the technologies weren't available until earlier this year. While some of these explanations are true, but as long as conventional vehicles were selling, why put so much effort into building a car that runs on a very expensive battery?<br /><br />The good news is, the cost of those lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries are getting cheaper due to higher demand. The more we buy vehicles that have these new batteries, the more the price will come down. There was a time when these batteries were $15,000 and the auto manufacturers just couldn't justify building a $25,000 vehicle and adding all that extra cost to the base price.<br /><br />Some of these electric batteries today are between $1,500 to $3,500. It just makes better sense to drive electric automobiles and achieve the same commute without using a drop of gasoline. It's a smarter choice.<br />Source:[newsoxy.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-6443044329834680092009-10-21T23:23:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:25:35.741-07:00Electric Car Plant May Open in Syracuse<div style="text-align: justify;">New York State appears to be close to securing one of the nation’s first assembly plants for electric cars.<br /><br />Reva, an electric car company based in Bangalore, India, plans to work with Bannon Automotive, a new <span style="font-style: italic;">electric car company</span> in Freeport, N.Y., to assemble a three-door plug-in hatchback, the NXR, at a still-to-be-determined site near Syracuse.<br /><br />The plans were first reported by The Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper. Many details remained unclear on Tuesday; an official announcement is expected late in the week.<br /><br />The NXR was introduced at the Frankfurt auto show in September, one of a new class of small <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/10/utilities-onboard-for-electric-cars.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> from scrappy Indian and Chinese companies hoping to beat the big car companies to market. Other <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/10/reva-to-roll-out-two-new-electric-cars.html">Reva electric car</a> models are already on sale in Europe and Asia.<br /><br />Jeffrey Leonard, a board member of Reva, said that from the beginning the board had understood that “if you’re going to really sell and distribute this car in a big way in the U.S., you should have a production facility here,” for reasons both logistical and political. Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials involved in the discussions said the plant would receive $11.6 million in funding and incentives from New York State, with the companies putting in $26.5 million. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said the project’s backers were also seeking $52 million in loans and loan guarantees from the federal government. He acknowledged that he had been involved in discussions about the plant for several months.<br /><br />Some of the parts needed for the cars could be made by contract manufacturers, Mr. Leonard said, though he stressed that he was not familiar with the particulars of the New York deal. Final assembly would be carried out by as many as 250 workers in the Syracuse-area factory under a recently negotiated agreement between Bannon and Reva, officials said.<br /><br />“We have a very good labor force,” Mr. Schumer said. “It’s experienced in manufacturing.”<br /><br />Efforts to contact Bannon Automotive were unsuccessful. The Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York declined to comment.<br /><br />Morgan Hook, a spokesman for Gov. David Paterson, said that the deal was “one in a long line of major announcements that the governor has helped make a reality in New York, in driving New York toward a clean energy economy.”<br /><br />Discussions with Reva and Bannon Automotive began nearly a year ago, according to David Valesky, a state senator from the Syracuse area.<br /><br />“This is a major victory for upstate New York and for our efforts to grow and attract the green jobs of the new economy,” Mr. Valesky said in an e-mailed statement.<br /><br />Only a couple of electric car plants exist in the United States, but many are on the drawing board as companies bet that some drivers are ready to make the switch. Fisker Automotive, an American electric car start-up that is making cars in Finland, plans to build its next-generation model in the United States, but it has not said where.<br /><br />A company called Tesla also expects to announce a site for an assembly plant in Southern California for its forthcoming Model S. It also plans a powertrain plant in Palo Alto, Calif. Tesla already does final assembly for its Roadster at a plant in Menlo Park, Calif.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-48969142503707341552009-10-21T23:06:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:21:17.573-07:00Toyota’s FT-EV II gives glimpse at electric future<div style="text-align: justify;">With new battery technology and a fresh ground-up design the radical FT-EV II concept car from the Tokyo motor show is a vision of tomorrow’s <span style="font-style: italic;">electric car</span>.<br /><br />The 2009 Tokyo motor show has shed more light on Toyota’s electric future with the unveiling of the FT-EV II concept car that highlights the flexibility of electric vehicle design.<br /><br />The FT-EV II is an evolution of the original FT-EV concept and gives a glimpse of how an electric-powered city car of the future could look.<br /><br />Smaller than any Toyota on the market – it’s even smaller than the diminutive iQ hatch that’s on sale overseas – the FT-EV II can accommodate four people in a three-plus-one layout; like the iQ, the fourth seat can accommodate a child or luggage.<br /><br />Sliding side doors allow easy access and make it easier to get in or out in tight car parks.<br /><br />The electric motor can travel around 90km at up to 100km/h, making it most useful in the city.<br /><br />Rather than a conventional steering wheel, Toyota has fitted the FT-EV II with joystick like controls more reminiscent of some aircraft.<br /><br />Key to the FT-EV II’s space efficiency is careful placement of the battery and electric motor, freeing up space at the front of the car.<br /><br />Toyota has also paid attention to improving vision with a large windscreen and airy cabin feel.<br /><br />Even the LED tail lights form part of the rear vision, allowing the driver to see through them when reversing.<br /><br />Toyota says the FT-EV II assumes that battery technology will advance significantly beyond the current lithium-ion batteries that are finding their way in to electric cars and hybrids and will be used in an <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car</span></a> to be sold initially in the United States from 2012.<br /><br />“We are looking ahead of the lithium-ion battery,” said Akihiro Yanaka, Toyota’s project manager for advanced vehicles.<br /><br />“This vision [the FT-EV II] is a little bit further out in to the future. It assumes more developed forms of batteries, so that’s why it’s more compact and smaller (than other <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/07/electric-cars-to-be-studied-in-sullivan.html">electric cars</a>, including the original FT-EV)”<br /><br />As part of the push for improved efficiency Yanaka said Toyota is working on improving the efficiency of all ancillary items, such as air-conditioning, with the view to reducing the load on the power source.<br /><br />“We are trying to have a more effective way of creating comfort. You don’t have to heat up or cool down the entire compartment, but if the person’s body can be heated then that is sufficient.”<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-16352193434930122052009-10-21T23:02:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:05:58.840-07:00Utilities onboard for electric cars<div style="text-align: justify;">The nation's electric companies have pledged to pull together and modernize their infrastructure to support plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demand.<br /><br />The effort will include prepping the power grid for increased electricity use and adding charging stations, said Anthony Earley, CEO of DTE Energy in Detroit.<br /><br />The utilities also will push for new incentives, such as tax credits and subsidized parking, to encourage consumers to make the switch, said Earley, who also is chairman for the Edison Electric Institute, an industry group for publicly held electric companies.<br /><br />His remarks came on the final day of "The Business of Plugging In" conference in Detroit, a three-day event that drew more than 600 attendees to the MotorCity Casino-Hotel this week.<br /><br />While utilities have taken steps independently to prepare for plug-in vehicles, the pledge will allow them to tackle the transition with a unified front.<br /><br />"It makes it universal," Earley said. "We need to have a national infrastructure so as you drive across country you know your vehicle is supported."<br /><br />There are no immediate timelines or financial commitments, he said, because many of the logistics have yet to be worked out.<br /><br />The initiative will focus on several key areas where utilities can improve the framework for plug-in electric vehicles. They include building out an infrastructure that can withstand increased electricity use, educating consumers on plug-in technology and adding electric vehicles to power company fleets.<br /><br />"This will ease the shift to a more robust charging infrastructure needed to serve full battery electric vehicles long term," Earley added. Unlike plug-in hybrid electrics, full electric vehicles use no gas and emit no carbon tailpipe emissions.<br /><br />For now, most utilities have the capacity to handle the first wave of plug-in hybrids entering the market. At first, electricity customers may even see electricity rates go down because the added demand will help even out the fixed cost to supply power across a customer base buying more power, Earley said.<br /><br />But eventually -- with millions of plug-in electrics on the road -- power companies will have to upgrade their grids, not only to handle more demand but also to communicate with the vehicles directly. This could push up rates overtime.<br /><br />"You then have to build new infrastructure," Earley said, which will require constructing more power plants.<br /><br />Educating customers on the new technology will also be crucial for fueling sales since many Americans are still confused or reticent about plug-in electric vehicles, said Felix Kramer, founder of the California Cars Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to converting vehicles to electric.<br /><br />"2010 is an unexplored frontier and our most critical year," Kramer said, speaking at a separate panel discussion. In 2010, some of the first plug-in electric hybrids -- such as General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt -- are expected to hit dealerships.<br /><br />At the same time, he added, it will take years for the number of plug-in vehicles to hit a point where they make a real dent in carbon emissions, so converting gasoline-only vehicles to electric could also present an enormous business opportunity for entrepreneurs.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-43102376410048817842009-10-21T22:57:00.000-07:002009-10-21T22:59:19.417-07:00Honda May Launch Electric Car In Japan, Europe, US<div style="text-align: justify;">The carmaker is expected to display a <span style="font-weight: bold;">concept electric car</span>, the EV-N, at the Tokyo Motor Show<br /><br />Tokyo-based Honda Motor, a manufacturer of cars, is considering the launch of <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com">electric cars</a> in the US, Japan and Europe.<br /><br />Reportedly the company said that the slow progress in setting up hydrogen fueling stations could limit the sale of its fuel-cell vehicles, and that it may need pure <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span> to meet tough regulations in California.<br /><br />Takanobu Ito, president of Honda, said: “It’s conceivable a convenient commuter vehicle would be applicable for not just the US, but also for the Japanese and European markets.”<br /><br />The carmaker is expected to display a concept electric car, the EV-N, at the Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota also plans to begin selling fuel-cell cars in 2015 for mid- to long-distance-driving vehicles, including trucks and buses.<br /><br />Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor, and General Motors are the carmakers planning battery-powered autos as environmental concerns spur demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Nissan is expected to start selling its Leaf electric car in 2010, and GM aims to start selling the Chevrolet Volt by November 2010. Toyota plans to begin electric car sales in the US in 2012.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-902952238761426362009-10-15T03:14:00.000-07:002009-10-15T03:37:24.331-07:00Reva to roll out two new electric cars soon<div style="text-align: justify;">The maker of India's sole battery-run car, Reva Electric Car Co., is setting up a second plant in the country's tech hub to roll out two new models next year for domestic and export markets, a top company official has said.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4VfzCIn2RwmrF_4QPHQtzlJcsqsLMK-fNAAvWCxR0zo8BefIFhbyXbmvhxGSnuLBkhiGb5BYYkZ0iyAarOPzHaOHPRuN5whx0NZoCPAJ5eveJPC9_-rHPnFFbK5OBnfRRWw04owHyWk/s1600-h/Reva_NXG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4VfzCIn2RwmrF_4QPHQtzlJcsqsLMK-fNAAvWCxR0zo8BefIFhbyXbmvhxGSnuLBkhiGb5BYYkZ0iyAarOPzHaOHPRuN5whx0NZoCPAJ5eveJPC9_-rHPnFFbK5OBnfRRWw04owHyWk/s320/Reva_NXG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392773112590081618" border="0" /></a>"We are investing Rs 300 million (Rs 30 crore) in the second plant that will eventually have an installed capacity of 30,000 units per annum," Reva co-founder and deputy chairman Chetan Kumar Maini told IANS.<br /><br />The 14-year-old firm has raised $20 million (Rs 960 million) from global investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Global Environment Fund for this.<br /><br />The company displayed prototypes of the two models at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show Sep 15-27.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-81053794806229649182009-09-02T04:39:00.000-07:002009-09-02T04:42:14.650-07:00Electric MINI for just £330 per month<p style="text-align: justify;">MINI is bringing a limited number of its electric MINI E to the UK and is offering everyone the chance to partake in the research project, with the monthly lease costing £330.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini.jpg" mce_href="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-159 aligncenter" title="Electric Mini Car" src="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini.jpg" mce_src="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini.jpg" alt="Electric Mini Car" height="360" width="480" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Just 20 examples of the 201bhp electric MINI will be available for lease, for a period of six months from this December, with a further 20 in a second round of applications later in 2010.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Before you rush down to your MINI dealer with credit card in hand, you'll need to know that the applicants will have to meet certain criteria, including their geographical location and the use of a suitable car parking space.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">As the project is being run in conjunction with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, applicants must live in South East England, within a triangular geographical area joining Andover, Oxford and West London.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A suitable place to park the MINI is primarily required so that Southern Electric may install a high power charging that comes with every car. Using this, the MINI E's lithium ion battery pack can be charged in 4.5 hours from empty.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini-pic1.jpg" mce_href="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini-pic1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-158 aligncenter" title="Electric Mini Car" src="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini-pic1.jpg" mce_src="http://www.newsautomobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/electric-mini-pic1.jpg" alt="Electric Mini Car" height="360" width="480" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Although MINI had initially set the leasing price at £550 per month, the Technology Strategy Board - the Government-backed organisation that promotes technology innovation across the UK - awarded part of a £25m fund to the project, reducing the price to £330 per month. That price includes VAT, insurance and maintenance. Re-charging the car fully should cost between £1.50 and £4.00.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">When MINI invited members of the public to apply to be part of a similar scheme in the USA, the project was significantly oversubscribed and we expect the same to happen in Britain. Go to www.electricmini.co.uk for full details and to apply - you have until the end of September.</p>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-85039941886669017832009-07-20T01:57:00.000-07:002009-07-20T02:09:53.226-07:00Electric cars to be studied in Sullivan County<div style="text-align: justify;">It’s a dream that environmentalists have long harbored but that has, so far, remained beyond the reach of typical consumers: a zero emissions fully electric automobile that will be practical enough for everyday use.<br /><br />It’s still a dream, but it’s moving a bit closer to reality in Sullivan County with a field trial that will be conducted on a fleet of electric cars with the help of Sullivan Renaissance and The Center for Discovery. The organizations have each received seven <span style="font-weight: bold;">MINI E electric cars</span> from the BMW Company and will road test the vehicles over the next year.<br /><br />It’s part of a program that BMW has initiated in the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas to find out how the vehicles perform in real-world conditions.<br /><br />According to the manufacturer, the MINI E can travel about 120 miles at 65 miles per hour on a single charge, depending on driving style and conditions. The company boasts that the car has the handling style of the popular <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mini Cooper</span>. It is powered by an electric motor with the equivalent of 201 horsepower.<br /><br />The energy supply comes from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can push the car from 0 to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 95 mph.<br /><br />According to BMW, the car’s batteries are best recharged with a wall box that is installed in the garages of participants of the study. A full charge from the box takes about three hours.<br /><br />According to an article in the magazine Wired, the cost of a charge that would take the car 100 miles is less than $5 if the electricty is sold at 18 cents per kilowatt hour. A car that gets 20 miles per gallon, by contrast, would use about $12.50 worth of gas to go that far at current prices.<br /><br />The cars were unveiled at a press event at Bethel Woods on July 14. In a statement, Jim McDowell, vice president of MINI USA, said there are several hurdles to be overcome before the vehicle is ready for mass production, not the least of which is the lack of high-voltage charging stations where the vehicles could be quickly recharged. Because the cars have a practical range of about 120 miles, participants in the study are limited to trips of 60 miles or less away from the charging boxes.<br /><br />Still, McDowell and others involved are excited about the development. “As we embark on our field study to determine the viability of electric vehicles, we think it is tremendously beneficial to have The Center for Discovery and the Gerry Foundation driving MINI Es. We are eager to hear feedback from them about the vehicles’ performance in a suburban setting,” he said.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-6096051722689996392009-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:002009-07-18T11:21:36.107-07:00Electric cars key to breaking oil addiction<div style="text-align: justify;">The Star asks why the government is providing a special subsidy for vehicles that can be plugged in. The answer is that electric vehicles, along with better public transit and urban planning, are the key to breaking our addiction to dirty oil.<br /><br />Existing hybrids use electric motors to improve the vehicle's fuel efficiency. This is important, but all of the energy is still coming from gasoline. Plug-in hybrids, and eventually fully electric vehicles, shift the energy source from oil to electricity. In the coming decades, oil will become increasingly dirty as conventional sources are used up and we switch to synthetic crude from the tar sands. Electricity, on the other hand, will become cleaner as we bring wind, solar and geothermal power online, as well as low-impact hydro and biomass.<br /><br />Electric cars can also ease the integration of renewable power into Ontario's grid because their battery packs can store power from intermittent renewables.<br /><br />This is the kind of transformation of our energy system we will need if we are to prevent dangerous climate change. The government has a role in supporting the introduction of these new technologies in the marketplace.<br /><br />Keith Stewart, Director, Climate Change, WWF-Canada, Toronto<br /><br />I am writing to clarify the McGuinty government's plan to have one in 20 passenger vehicles be electric by 2020. Ontarians are already able to receive up to $2,000 in tax rebates when they purchase hybrid vehicles. To strengthen our economy, now is the time to target the next wave of green vehicles.<br /><br />To help consumers make the switch and support the automotive industry, we will be offering rebates of $4,000 to $10,000 for plug-in hybrid and <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-batteries-in-electric-cars-safe.html">battery electric cars</a>.<br /><br />We are not choosing one company over another; we're implementing this plan to support electric cars, regardless of who makes them. This plan will help put Ontarians into cleaner, more efficient vehicles, expand the market for manufacturers and create jobs.<br /><br />We want all automotive manufacturers to embrace this strategy to help Ontario become a centre of production for innovative, world-leading automotive technology.<br />Source:[thestar.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-82196523947033580842009-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:002009-07-18T11:17:31.619-07:00Area cities selected for electric car program<div style="text-align: justify;">Four San Gabriel Valley cities have hit the jackpot.<br /><br />Through a lottery, the cities of Diamond Bar, Glendora, Azusa and West Covina were chosen to participate in BMW's pilot program for its first all-electric vehicle, the Mini E.<br /><br />Each of the municipalities received two of the 200-horsepower Mini Cooper look-alikes at just $10 a month for each. Only 450 of the two-seaters were produced.<br /><br />At the end of the one-year lease, participants will provide feedback to BMW. It is expected that an all-electric vehicle will be mass produced by 2012.<br /><br />The study is being conducted in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey. Non-municipal lessees will have to dish out $850 a month for the all-electric vehicles, which can travel up to 150 miles on one battery charge and reach a top speed of 95 mph.<br /><br />"We thought it would be a win-win situation for everyone," said Glendora City Manager Chris Jeffers, who said it would save the city approximately $500 to $800 on gasoline this year. "For us, it shows our green side as we're trying to be as green as possible. It also allows us to delay purchases for some new vehicles."<br /><br />The lottery for the cars was coordinated through the Air Quality Management District and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.<br /><br />According to AQMD Governing Board representative Michael Cacciotti, who represents the Los Angeles County Eastern Region, about 15 cities expressed interest in gaining the vehicles.<br /><br />"Every exhaust from cars, trucks, whatever vehicle, it releases these terrible things, things that cause cancer, asthma, premature deaths," said Cacciotti, a South Pasadena city councilmember. "Everytime you drive, you're putting that stuff in the air. Alternatives are fun to drive and exciting, and we're going to be saving billions in healthcare costs a year."<br /><br />He added that the industry is moving much too slowly toward this new technology, which holds many benefits such as low maintence costs, and less reliance on foreign oil.<br /><br />"Long term, there's a revolution going on around the world and we need to act fast," he said, adding that the United States is falling behind China and Europe.<br /><br />Cacciotti met with BMW officials a couple months ago and received two Mini E's for the city of South Pasadena. At the same time, he was guaranteed six more. As more became available, additional cities were chosen from the lottery.<br /><br />West Covina has added the two shiny new cars to its fleet. The Mini E's are being used exclusively by the city's building and code inspectors on a daily basis.<br /><br />Glendora, on the other hand, is reserving the cars for its two water conservation officers, who go door-to-door and pass out pamphlets encouraging a 10 percent reduction in water use.<br /><br />Although the city of Diamond Bar hasn't yet put the Mini E's into full use, they will eventually be used for local business-related trips for all city staff and will be on display during city events.<br /><br />The dark silver car with pale yellow door and dashboard paneling runs on a 573-pound lithium-ion battery that occupies the entire backseat and most of the trunk area.<br /><br />The city of Diamond Bar currently uses solar-powered charging stations through the AQMD. A full charge takes approximately 26 hours.<br /><br />But all lessees for the pilot program receive free installation for a high-voltage wall box that reduces charge time to about three hours. Diamond Bar expects to have the new charger installed by this summer.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-254754386421491902009-07-18T10:51:00.000-07:002009-07-18T11:06:57.270-07:00New Incentives for Electric Cars in Canada<div style="text-align: justify;">Looking to put some spark in the green car market, Ontario announced that it would be offering consumers subsidies of 4,000 to 10,000 Canadian dollars ($3,600 to $8,900) against the purchase of plug-in hybrid or <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-batteries-in-electric-cars-safe.html">battery <span>electric cars</span></a>, starting next July.<br /><br />In a statement, Premier Dalton McGuinty said the plan “helps get more people behind the wheel of a green vehicle to create jobs, reduce smog and equip Ontario for the 21st century.”<br /><br />A Toyota Prius plug-in <span style="font-weight: bold;">hybrid electric car</span> is coming on line later this year, but the Ontario government owns 3.9 percent of General Motors, so the subsidy is certainly meant to help boost sales of the new Chevrolet Volt, which goes on sale in 2010.<br /><br />According to The Globe and Mail, “a rebate of $10,000 would reduce the expected price of the Volt to about $30,000 from $40,000, closer to what Americans and Canadians are willing to pay for a mainstream, everyday car.”<br /><br />Ontario’s electric-vehicle strategy also calls for the development of a charging infrastructure and fleet purchases by provincial government agencies. <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars">Electric cars</a> will also be given green license plates and will be eligible to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes at any time, even if there’s only one person in the car.<br /><br />By 2020, Premier McGuinty said he wants to see electric cars account for one in 20 new vehicle purchases by the end of the next decade. With about 300,000 passenger vehicles sold in Ontario in 2008, according to data from Statistics Canada, Mr. McGuinty’s goal translates into a sales target of about 18,000 electric cars by the end of the next decade.<br /><br />In other Canadian <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/">electric car news</a>, Vancouver’s council last week unanimously passed a bylaw that will require developers of new condos and multi-unit residential complexes to ensure that a fifth of on-site parking spaces have 240-volt electric-vehicle charging stations. The council also supported a pilot project for public charging sites.<br /><br />Vancouver is the first North American city to directly link development rules to an electric-vehicle infrastructure, local media reported.<br /><br />While the charge stations will cost $900 to $1,300 each, some builders are concerned that the municipality may be betting on the wrong technology.<br /><br />“We are always supportive of going green and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but we want to make sure that this is the right green-car technology,” Jeff Fisher, the deputy executive director of the Urban Development Institute, told The Vancouver Sun. “There are a number out there. We have had hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and concepts like the ‘hydrogen highway’ for some time. We feel it might be premature to mandate this.”<br />Source:[nytimes.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-34973049869336835982009-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:002009-07-18T10:48:02.774-07:00Nissan to produce electric cars in Britain<div style="text-align: justify;">Nissan will on Monday make an announcement on electric car production in Britain - the second of its kind by a global automaker in less than a week.<br /><br />Toyota yesterday confirmed plans to build a hybrid petrol-electric version of its Auris hatchback in Burnaston, Derbyshire, from the middle of next year.<br /><br />Nissan would not comment on its plans ahead of Monday's announcement. However, industry sources said it concerned <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/06/electric-cars-trialled-in-cities.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a>, which the Japanese carmaker and its partner Renault plan to launch in the US and Japan from next year and globally from 2012.<br /><br />In April the European Investment Bank approved up to €400m ($565m, £345m) for Nissan - to be split between its operations in Britain and Spain - for the "accelerated introduction in the market of low-carbon-emission vehicles".<br /><br />Nissan is Britain's largest carmaker by production volume. Its plant in Sunderland in north-east England has 4,200 employees and is the region's largest single-site employer.<br /><br />Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, is due to address Nissan's employees on plans to create a "low-carbon economic area" in the north-east, including a research and development centre and technology park for automotive suppliers.<br /><br />The government's policies on the car industry were criticised this week by MPs as Jaguar Land Rover, Britain's biggest luxury car producer, announced more job cuts.<br /><br />The House of Commons business and enterprise committee yesterday slammed the government for failing to have disbursed "one single penny" from its £2.3bn automotive assistance programme announced in January.<br /><br />Jaguar Land Rover remains locked in long-running talks with the government on state guarantees for a £340m loan the company says it needs to develop lower-emission cars. The company said this week that it was cutting 300 more jobs as it discontinues production of its X-Type model in Halewood, -Merseyside.<br /><br />Speaking at Toyota's plant yesterday, Lord Mandelson said that the government's low-carbon strategy, launched this week, would "set out to make Britain the best place in the world to develop low-carbon vehicles". Ministers also want General Motors to produce its battery-powered Volt in the UK.<br /><br />Toyota said the hybrid Auris would safeguard 400 jobs at Burnaston and Deeside, North Wales, where engines for the cars will be produced.<br /><br />Toyota is one of several large manufacturers based in or near Derby that have fuelled above-average growth in incomes and the local economy. However, the cluster has been weakened by the recession and by the government's decision to award a large order of trains to a consortium led by Hitachi of Japan rather than to a Derby factory owned by Bombardier of Canada.<br />Source:[ft.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-11084534932407744362009-07-18T10:26:00.000-07:002009-07-18T10:43:39.046-07:00Electric cars could dominate U.S. roads in 2030<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Electric car sales</span> could jump to 86 percent of <span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. light vehicle sales in 2030</span> if consumers don't have to buy batteries themselves, according to a University of California, Berkeley study to be released on Monday.<br /><br />A company called Better Place and emerging rivals plan to offer pay-per-mile plans, similar to cell phone minutes. A family would buy a car but Better Place would own the battery, offer charging stations, and swap out batteries as needed to extend the driving range.<br /><br />The cost of building charging systems will be more than $320 billion over the next couple of decades, although health-related savings due to less vehicle pollution could be $210 billion, according to the study by economist Thomas Becker.<br /><br />The main benefit to drivers would be cars with price tags and operating costs similar to or less than gasoline models.<br /><br />Renault-Nissan is making cars for the Better Place project. Better Place has said its system would be cheaper than using gasoline. The Berkeley analysis predicted the per-mile cost of making and charging batteries, including the cost of building a charging system, would be similar to or sharply less than a gasoline car, depending largely on whether prices of petrol rise.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-42656909378244120892009-06-27T01:42:00.000-07:002009-06-27T01:48:38.466-07:00Tesla slashes production costs, eyes July profit<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Electric car</span> start-up <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Tesla%20Motors">Tesla Motors</a> Inc has slashed production costs for its flagship Roadster sports car by 43 percent to about $80,000 per vehicle as of June, its chief executive said on Monday.<br /><br />Tesla, one of the biggest players in the burgeoning electric car sector, could be profitable as soon as next month, helped by demand for its premium-priced Roadster Sport, CEO Elon Musk said in a blogpost on the company's web site.<br /><br /> "Combined with a steady production volume of 20 to 30 per week in the third quarter this year and a good take-up rate of the higher priced Roadster Sport, we expect to cross over into profitability next month," Musk wrote.<br /><br />Tesla had said earlier this year that it expected to be profitable by the middle of 2009.<br /><br />In his blog post, Musk said the Roadster's production costs had dropped to $80,000 from about $140,000 in 2007, the year before it began delivering the Roadster. The vehicle sells for more than $100,000.<br /><br />Most of Musk's lengthy blog post, however, was devoted to shooting down the merits of a lawsuit filed by former Tesla CEO Martin Eberhard, who was removed from the company's top spot in 2007 and later forced out as Tesla faced cost overruns and production delays.<br /><br />In his May complaint, Eberhard said Musk had sought to take credit for the idea behind Tesla and had defamed him in media interviews after orchestrating Eberhard's ouster.<br /><br />In his blog post, Musk said Eberhard was only fired after the company learned that the cost of the Roadster would be about $140,000, more than twice what Eberhard had promised. Musk also said Eberhard had tried to hide the true production cost from the board of directors.<br /><br />"It would have been forgivable if Eberhard had simply been in over his head and didn't know how bad it was," Musk wrote. "However, here we had a situation where he was in possession of materially negative information, yet failed to inform the board and implied to the management team that they would lose their jobs if the information was discovered by the board."<br /><br />Musk, who made billions founding eBay Inc's PayPal online payment service before starting Tesla, also said the company would soon be responding to the lawsuit in court.<br /><br />Tesla unveiled in March its newest product, the $49,900 Model S four-door family sedan, which it said was the first highway-ready electric vehicle within the price range of most car buyers.<br /><br />Last month, German luxury car maker Daimler AG paid about $50 million for a 10 percent stake in Tesla, expanding its presence in the growing market for low- and no-emissions cars.<br /><br />California, with its strict emissions regulations, is a hotspot for the evolving electric vehicle market. Tesla is vying with a coterie of start-ups, including Coda Automotive, that are developing automobiles for a wider American consumer market.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-8002525533984015642009-06-27T01:20:00.000-07:002009-07-18T11:07:22.178-07:00Electric cars trialled in cities<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/06/electric-cars-for-middle-class.html">Electric cars</a> are to be trialled in two cities in the West Midlands.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryE3mp0DaIiXxXZjX1AiRRNRWK9RvH41XyT7soHJuT0RXLs61gdkatihYTy3qMzwilKYSDj9Qv3PWELFF_97AAaoKI01HkGYxy9RnZdMOEBRjE92hpPt7gUXEmrMk0AoLtFxeGGC10wQ/s1600-h/electric-cars-in-cities.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryE3mp0DaIiXxXZjX1AiRRNRWK9RvH41XyT7soHJuT0RXLs61gdkatihYTy3qMzwilKYSDj9Qv3PWELFF_97AAaoKI01HkGYxy9RnZdMOEBRjE92hpPt7gUXEmrMk0AoLtFxeGGC10wQ/s320/electric-cars-in-cities.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351920275987452034" border="0" /></a>Over the next 12 months 110 <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-batteries-in-electric-cars-safe.html">electric cars</a> and plug-in petrol-electric hybrids will be tested in Birmingham and Coventry.<br /><br />The two cities will get a share of a £25m government grant so electrical points can be installed for drivers to charge up their vehicles.<br /><br />Electric and other low carbon vehicles are being tested in eight separate projects across the UK.<br /><br />People in the West Midlands are also being invited to take part in research trials of 100 smart electric cars.<br /><br />A Transport Strategy Board spokesman said the trials were the biggest step to date of a co-ordinated and holistic approach to getting <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span> onto the roads.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-19338562582261060312009-06-27T00:47:00.000-07:002009-06-27T00:55:24.899-07:00Are Batteries in Electric Cars Safe?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Automakers are pressing ahead with plans for hybrids and electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries, but at what risk?</span><br /><br />Next month will mark another important milestone on the road to cleaner, greener motoring: Mitsubishi Motor will begin mass-producing an electric vehicle, becoming the first major carmaker in the world to do so. By late July, the Tokyo-based automaker will deliver its $48,000 electric i-MiEV minicar to businesses and local governments. The car, which runs 160 kilometers on a charge, will be available to Japanese consumers in the coming months. They will pay just $33,000 thanks to a Japanese government subsidy, but likely won't drive their cars off dealers' lots until April 2010. "With the electric vehicle, we will challenge global players," Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko told reporters at the i-MiEV's official launch in Tokyo on June 4.<br /><br />Other automakers have similar ideas. Subaru, a unit of Japan's Fuji Heavy Industries, plans to sell 170 of its $48,000 plug-in Stella <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span> this year. Nissan Motor will release its first model in 2010 and plans to start production in the U.S. by 2012. China's BYD Auto, which has been selling a <span style="font-style: italic;">plug-in gas-electric hybrid car</span> to businesses since December, aims this year to release an electric vehicle that can go 300km to 400km when charged. The release of General Motors' long-awaited Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is slated for late 2010. To help automakers fund their green car programs, the U.S. Energy Dept. on June 23 divvied up $8 billion in loans to Nissan, Ford Motor (F), and electric-car startup Tesla Motors.<br /><br />Yet even as carmakers race to showcase these green vehicles, some experts are raising concerns about their safety. The worst-case scenario: thermal runaway, which can happen when a short circuit inside a battery sparks a chain reaction, causing overheating or a fire. In mobile phones, laptops, and other portable gadgets, thermal runaway can occur in 1 of every 5 million to 10 million cells, says Brian Barnett, a battery expert at technology firm Tiax in Cambridge, Mass. The incidence can be higher for the products of less experienced battery makers, he says. A laptop battery usually has six cells, but <a href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/">electric cars</a> will likely rely on 75 or 80 cells, meaning they would be more susceptible to problems. Another difference: Cars move at high speeds and carry passengers. "It's not going to happen all that frequently, but the consequences could be catastrophic," says Barnett.<br /><br />There's a big difference in power, too. And defects might not crop up right away. Laptops were on the market for years before the first reports surfaced about overheating products that burst into flames. Sony's (SNE) recall of millions of computer batteries took place just three years ago.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nissan's Stress Tests</span><br /><br />Carmakers insist that safety is a top priority. Nissan got an early start on battery research, collaborating with Sony to develop the first lithium-ion batteries for cars in the early 1990s. (Recently, Nissan has been working with Japanese tech conglomerate NEC) The carmaker is planning to make an initial 50,000 electric vehicles in 2010, and will quickly increase production to begin worldwide sales by 2012.<br /><br />To test for safety, Nissan relies on a series of stress tests. In one, the battery is put to use in extreme heat and cold. In another, the battery is charged and depleted nonstop for weeks. To simulate crashes, engineers crush the battery cells with enormous force or pierce the cells in different spots with nails. The data will help Nissan make "extremely reliable" batteries, says Hideaki Horie, who heads Nissan's next-generation battery group.<br /><br />To increase safety, manufacturers are reinforcing the frame around the batteries. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV's batteries (made by Kyoto-based GS Yuasa) are protected by both the car's rigid steel skeleton and a second anti-impact cage. On-board computers will help monitor the battery's condition.<br /><br />Current gas-electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius run on nickel metal-hydride batteries. Many carmakers and tech firms are betting that an array of new lithium-ion batteries will be better suited for electric vehicles because they store about twice the energy per charge compared to nickel-metal batteries of equal weight. Companies are also hoping that costs can be lowered.<br /><br />Some industry executives concede that lithium-ion batteries might need more time before they're ready. Questions about the reliability of the batteries prompted Toyota (TM) to stick with nickel metal-hydride batteries in its third-generation Prius, which dealers in Japan began selling this month. Toyota is planning to lease a small number of plug-in Prius hybrids powered by li-ion batteries this year and is developing a fully electric car for 2012.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mass-Production Question</span><br /><br />Developing a li-ion battery that's technically sound isn't the problem. Plenty of manufacturers already have the expertise to do that, says Koei Saga, a managing officer at Toyota in charge of hybrids. Safety becomes an issue when carmakers shift to high-volume production. "If we mass-produce, we have to be able to ensure 100% safety for every single product," Saga told reporters during a tour at a factory owned by Toyota's battery supplier, Panasonic EV Energy, earlier this month. To avoid defects, manufacturers must be meticulous in designing and building their plants—and that can cost a lot, Saga said. Perhaps tellingly, Toyota will only lease—not sell—its li-ion-powered plug-in Prius, and says it will limit initial production to 500 units.<br /><br />Even if the battery works properly, other parts might fail. The vehicle's control system, which monitors energy storage and discharge, could go haywire. And unlike the two-year life span of batteries for mobile phones, car batteries need to last 10 years or longer. "In batteries for laptops or cameras, everyone just assumes that after using any portable gadget for a while the battery will wear down and may only recharge to two-thirds of its original capacity," says Nissan's Horie. "You can't design a car battery that way."<br /><br />It's debatable whether carmakers can do enough real-world testing to ensure safety. It will take time for even the top manufacturers to gain confidence about mass-producing batteries. Some worry that the rush to build plug-ins and <a href="http://car-reviews-online.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars"><span style="font-weight: bold;">electric cars</span></a> may come back to haunt automakers. Tiax's Barnett says there's no industry consensus about what causes batteries to overheat or catch fire, and that analyzing the debris after an accident might not help, either. Trying to replicate or test for a condition that's isolated to a few cells of a new type of battery, says Barnett, "represents a tremendous challenge for the battery industry."<br /><br />That Nissan and NEC plan to mass-market globally li-ion EV battery packs by 2012 puts some experts at ease. "If there is any concern about its safety, they would absolutely not be able to say that," says Hideaki Miyata, a professor at the University of Tokyo's School of Engineering Department of Systems Innovation.<br />Source:[businessweek.com]<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147249092129464960.post-45687763208162285002009-06-27T00:11:00.000-07:002009-06-27T00:24:23.893-07:00Electric Cars for the Middle Class<div style="text-align: justify;">It appears that companies are realizing that zero emission electric vehicles should not just be for the “rich”. In May, Nissan announced that it would begin <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/search/label/Electric%20Cars">electric cars</a> in the U.S. to be available in 2010. This week, they announced they would mass produce a zero-emissions <span style="font-weight: bold;">electric car by 2012</span> that would be affordable. However, during a Nissan shareholder’s call Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn refused to speculate on the sticker price.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRcsZPNQ1QTx_C3v8OGLqE3EtZZMP7E2zyjGmQ8IZSTb59gHaHyQDPfuZnFe54dF5iifFgVYkVwfELcs0ZUZDsqkKqx1TUSAs3Z2NURWITThtvHSLwhBzGuhgny-U9_gYCp2vKbZDtCg/s1600-h/nissan-electric-car.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRcsZPNQ1QTx_C3v8OGLqE3EtZZMP7E2zyjGmQ8IZSTb59gHaHyQDPfuZnFe54dF5iifFgVYkVwfELcs0ZUZDsqkKqx1TUSAs3Z2NURWITThtvHSLwhBzGuhgny-U9_gYCp2vKbZDtCg/s320/nissan-electric-car.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351902472823005042" border="0" /></a>According to an Associated Press article, Ghosn said, “If it’s not affordable, it’s not gonna work. We are not going to come with a very high price. We are gonna come with a reasonable price,” he said. “We are here to mass market them.”<br /><br />What I want to know is what the company will consider affordable now that America’s economic turmoil continues to spiral downward.<br /><br />Nissan plans to produce an electric vehicle for Japan this August and then set its sites on America. Ghosn did confirm that Nissan plans to have the zero emission vehicles manufactured in America. This is great news for all the skilled auto workers who are out of work.<br /><br />Now while all electric vehicles are seeming to gain traction in the U.S. it appears that hybrid vehicles are beginning to gain some traction overseas. The Indian company Tata Motors is capitalizing on success with the petrol-efficient Nano to build electric and <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://car-reviews-online.blogspot.com/search/label/Hybrid%20Cars">hybrid cars</a> with their <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://all-electric-powered-cars.blogspot.com/">first electric car</a> to be sold in the Netherlands.<br /><br />In addition, Hyundai and Kia, both Korean car makers, are also planning to compete against Toyota and Honda by entering the hybrid and electric market. Mitsubishi recently announced it will begin mass producing the I-MiEV and is expected to hit the market next month.<br /><br />With oil prices trending upward, and worldwide government incentives on the rise for alternative vehicles, especially utilizing electric and hybrid technologies, it looks like the race is on to see who can mass produce and sell the most electric and hybrid vehicles the fastest.<br /></div>Puneet Thakkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01924673837600940854noreply@blogger.com0