Dr Automotive Design and Tools

The team that has won the World Solar Challenge for the last 4 consecutive years, Delft University, has unvelied their lattest solar racer ahead of this years event. The Australian based Solar race is probably the toughest race in the world. It covers 3000km of mostly desert road between Darwin and Adelaide where teams must set up camp on the side of the road each night where their car stopped when the sun went down. This year vehicles are required to have treaded tires, which create more rolling resistance and makes it more difficult to achieve the incredible level of efficiency required to win the race.

Like its predecessor the Nuna4, the vehicle is covered with 6 square meters of solar panels made up of 2120x Gallium Arsenide triple joint cells with 34% efficiency. These drive an Australian CSIRO developed Axial Flux BLDC in wheel motor that produces 50 Nm of torque at 97% peak efficiency. When the solar cells are producing more power than is required to drive the motor the excess is stored in a 25 kg lithium polymer battery pack.



The team have reduced vehicle weight by 30 kg to a super low 160 kg excluding driver. The aerodynamic load is approx 1/12 th that of a noraml road car while the rolling resistance is 1/10 th.

The team are aiming for their 5th consecutive win on the World Solar Challenge, this year held on the 25th of October and will run for several days.

Molti negli USA hanno sperato a lungo di poter ricevere la popolarissima 500 negli scorsi due anni, ma il ritorno di una mancanza di interesse per le piccole vetture lo ha impedito. Ora, con l’alleanza di Fiat con Chrysler, la Casa piemontese dispone di un accesso al ricco mercato statunitense e il primo modello ad arrivare sotto la bandiera della nuova alleanza sarà proprio la 500, anche se il suo lancio è ancora lontano 18 mesi. La 500 sarà venduta dai rivenditori Chrysler e costituirà l’unico modello a marchio Fiat presente sul mercato U.S.A. . Arriverà in quattro diverse varianti, che saranno tutte realizzate in uno stabilimento Chrysler negli U.S.A. oppure a Toluca, in Messico, all’inizio del 2011. I quattro modelli disponibili includeranno la normale 500, la nuova 500C convertibile, una giardinetta e un modello ad alte prestazioni, probabilmente una versione Abarth come quella attualmente in vendita in Europa. C’è anche un’alta probabilità che una quinta versione AWD SUV sarà lanciata più in là. Le informazioni sono state rivelate ad Automotive News dal progettista della 500, Roberto Giolito, al lancio della nuova 500C convertibile. Il fatto che la 500 sarà venduta presso i rivenditori Chrysler, in ogni caso, non è una sorta di “ammiccamento” che Fiat sta preparando semplicemente portando una manciata di veicoli Fiat per poi ribattezzarli come Chrysler. Mentre Chrysler si aspetta di utilizzare piattaforme Fiat per realizzare i propri veicoli, Giolito insiste nel dire che non sarà un semplice lavoro di “rietichettatura”, ma piuttosto che queste saranno “specifiche per Chrysler”. Mentre ci si aspetta che le piattaforme e alcuni motori siano condivisi per circa sei o sette modelli Chrysler basati su Fiat, Giolito si è affrettato ad assicurare che “i veicoli saranno veicoli statunitensi, progettati per la clientela americana da una compagnia americana”. Con la notizia che Fiat porterà la 500 dall’altra parte dell’Oceano, gli altri costruttori potrebbero sentirsi costretti a competere con la piccola vettura. Questo potrebbe significare che si potrà vedere la Ford Ka uscire negli Stati Uniti più o meno nello stesso periodo.
(Fonte: www.autonews.com - 29/6/2009)

Is green becoming mainstream? A new global survey shows nearly six in 10 people would choose an environment-friendly car over a petrol-powered one, even if they had all the money in the world.

The survey of 13,500 city dwellers in 18 countries, by market research firm Synovate, also showed that over a third of respondents said they would either use public transport, walk, or cycle more often this year, partly to save on fuel costs but also for the sake of the environment.

"More and more, owning a car may not be viewed as that responsible," said Scott Miller, CEO of Synovate Motoresearch. "But car makers are producing more and more options that will appeal to this fast-growing group of green-inclined people.

"Cars are freedom, and people value freedom. If they continue to enjoy guilt-free freedom, the car will stay a large part of daily lives for many people," he said in a statement.

The survey asked respondents to forget about cost and choose between "green" or "dream" -- that is an electric or hybrid car versus a luxury, powerful sports car.

The survey, conducted in March, included the world's top passenger car markets, China and the United States.

Even with money being no object, nearly 40 percent of respondents said green would be their preferred purchase. An additional 20 percent said green cars were their "dream" car.

More than 70 percent of Chinese said they would buy a green car, compared with 42 percent of Americans, the survey showed.

Chinese, at nearly 40 percent, were also the people most likely to take public transport more often in the next year, while Americans -- at 2 percent -- were among the least.

The nation most likely to choose green cars over petrol-powered ones, regardless, was Germany, with nearly two-thirds choosing the environment over their dream cars.

The environment, however, meant little to a third of all respondents, which the survey showed would choose the car they desired the most, green-be-damned.

The majority of these buyers were in South Africa and India, where cars are regarded as a status symbol, Synovate said.

Overall, 15 percent of respondents said they would buy a new car in the next 12 months, despite the economic downturn.

The new car would-be buyers were topped by India, Egypt and Turkey, which Synovate said showed developing countries presented a good opportunity for car manufacturers.

Least likely to be buying a new car were Australians and Germans, while 6 percent of overall respondents say they would buy a used car in the next year.

While 36 percent have a pragmatic view about cars, the survey also showed that nearly a third of all respondents said the would love a car that turned heads, especially in the United Arab Emirates, India, China and Egypt.

"Car makers have to get the balance right," said Tim Englehart, US-based vice president of Synovate Motoresearch.

"A car can still be very cool while offering practicality and a lower price. Success in the auto business comes from understanding people well enough to meet their emotional needs as well as practical ones."

The survey was conducted in March across 18 markets -- Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States.

Sanyo Electric Co. said Friday that it has revised up its production plans for nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries for hybrid cars, citing growing demand for these vehicles. In fiscal 2008, Sanyo made such batteries for hybrid cars at a rate of one million units a month.

When it announced its business results in mid-May, the company said it would boost production by 150 per cent and make 2.5 million units a month in fiscal 2009. But now, Sanyo has decided to boost production by 250 per cent to a monthly rate of 3.5 million batteries in fiscal 2009.

It said it will invest several billion yen to expand production lines at its Sumoto plant, in Hyogo Prefecture, which is the only plant where it makes NiMH batteries for hybrid cars.

Sanyo, which already supplies NiMH batteries to Honda Motor Co. and U.S. firm Ford Motor Co., is now looking to win business from other automakers.

Si delineano le prima novità concrete dell’era Fiat-Chrysler. A Balocco (Vercelli), alla pista sperimentale del Lingotto, due giornate full time, in pieno stile americano, per il team Fiat-Chrysler che ha lavorato alla messa a punto del piano per il rilancio del marchio di Detroit. L’ad Sergio Marchionne insieme agli uomini della produzione e del marketing cerca di capire su quali modelli puntare per il mercato a stelle e strisce. In particolare, si tratta di decidere quali saranno le vetture Chrysler cui applicare motori e tecnologia Fiat per risalire nelle graduatorie di vendita Oltreoceano. Da tempo si parla dello sbarco della 500 negli Stati Uniti, operazione dal sicuro effetto immagine. Ora bisogna stabilire in quali stabilimenti Chrysler produrre la vettura portabandiera del Made in Italy. Ma Marchionne è altrettanto concentrato sulle strategie con cui aggredire i segmenti superiori del mercato americano, dove bisogna affrontare la concorrenza di big come Toyota e Honda. Si tratta per ora di ipotesi, ma nonostante il riserbo, dalle prime indiscrezioni sembra che lo sforzo di Fiat-Chrysler si concentrerà sulla creazione di sinergie con i nuovi modelli della Alfa Romeo, la Milano e la Giulia, prossime eredi rispettivamente della 147 e della 159. Un pianale comune, pur con qualche modifica, verrà probabilmente condiviso anche dalla Chrysler Sebring e dalla Dodge Avenger. C’è poi il capitolo dei monovolume. Il restyling della gamma dovrebbe prevedere una piattaforma unica per Chrysler Voyager e Lancia Phedra, mentre sparirà, da questa parte dell’Atlantico, il Fiat Ulysse.
(Fonte: www.ilgiornale.it - 29/6/2009)

German luxury car maker Daimler has launched its first hybrid model, almost 10 years after the market leader, Toyota.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S Class is powered by the 3.5-liter Mercedes V6 gasoline engine and produces 279 hp and is mated to a Mercedes seven-speed automatic transmission. The small 900 watt hour (0.9 kWh) lithium-ion battery is the first to be offered in a hybrid. Although it is still not a plug-in the battery is guaranteed for the life of the car. The electric motor has only 20 hp but delivers 160 Nm of torque which gives a combined torque of 385 Nm.

The S400 can do 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, run off electricity alone at speeds 9 mph and below, and Mercedes estimates that the S400 will get 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Daimler recently acquired a battery company and a 10 percent stake in the US electric car maker Tesla—so the next step for the German auto maker should be fully electric automobiles.

Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard unveiled Friday the prototype of a solar powered plane he plans to fly around the world to highlight the potential of alternative energy sources.

The project was launched in 2003 and after six years' work by 70 engineers and technicians on the Solar Impulse, which has a number of high profile backers including Deutsche Bank, watchmaker Omega and Swiss chemicals maker Solvay and a budget of 70 million euros ($97.53 million).

The Impulse has the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400 and the weight of an average family car (1600 kg), resulting in new standards for size to weight. Over 12,000 solar cells mounted onto the wing will supply renewable energy to the four electric motors with a maximum power of 10 HP each. During the day they will also charge the lithium-polymer batteries (400 kg), which will permit the HB-SIA to fly through the night.

The question of energy determines the whole project, from the structure’s dimensions to the extreme weight constraints. At midday, each m2 of land surface receives the equivalent of 1000 Watts, or 1.3 horsepower of light power. Over 24 hours, this averages out at just 250W/m2. With 200m2 of photovoltaic cells and a 12 % total efficiency of the propulsion chain, the plane’s motors achieve no more than 8 HP or 6kW – roughly the amount of power the Wright brothers had a available to them in 1903 when they made their first powered flight. And it is with that energy, optimized from the solar panel to the propeller by the work of a whole team, that Solar Impulse is striving to fly day and night without fuel!

The HB-SIA is the first prototype of the Solar Impulse project. Its mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of a complete day-night-day cycle propelled solely by solar energy. After fine-tuning on the ground, the aircraft should make its first test flights between now and the end of 2009, first of all at Dübendorf airport. A first complete night flight is programmed for 2010 and will take place over Switzerland.

The results from the HB-SIA and their analysis will serve to develop and build a second aircraft, the HB-SIB for circumnavigating the word in five stages, each lasting several days, in 2012.

The pilots will spend 36-hours in the plane's tiny one-man cockpit and fuselage in initial flights to test its ability to fly overnight. The round-the-world attempt will be made in five stages, each lasting several days.

The 600hp petrol/electric hybrid coupe, rear-wheel drive Infiniti Essence concept car, shown for the first time four months ago in Geneva, will make a final European appearance at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

In specification the car looks very much like a hybrid Nissan GT-R. (Infiniti is a Nissan owned brand) With a 3.7 liter V6 DOHC Twin Turbo VQ based engine (VQ37DETT) putting out 434 hp (320 Kw) in a rear wheel drive FM (Front Midship) platform currently used in modified form in both the Nissan GT-R, 350Z and Infiniti V36. An additional 158 hp (116 Kw) and 500 Nm comes from the twin clutch mounted Disc type electric motor giving a total of 592 hp (435 Kw). No combined torque figure was released by Infiniti but it should be in the region of 1088 Nm (802 Ft/lb)

Joining Essence on the Hillclimb – and later in the Sunday Times Supercar paddock – will be the V6 powered G37 Convertible in right-hand drive form, the first example ever produced. The car's appearance at Goodwood will be particularly momentous for the two British Infiniti engineers who will drive it as they have worked on the Infiniti Europe project since it started.

With the US having passed legislation that would, for the first time, require limits on pollution blamed for global warming, mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, we are about to be deluged with politically biased analyses from reporters who really don't know what they're talking about.

First cab off the rank is an old timer from Associated Press, H. Josef Hebert (re-published here by Businessweek). In rhetorically asking what, if this legislation became law, this will mean to the average person, Hebert immediately implies such a law would impact how much people pay to heat, cool and light their homes and he says that IT WOULD COST MORE. I have to conclude that this guy has a political agenda or he simply can't add.

The definition of renewable energy is that it is 'renewable'. The three most common sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydro have no fuel cost! Perhaps the AP reporter who has covered energy and environmental issues for The Associated Press since 1990 is unaware of the fact a 1 Gigawatt coal fired power station consumes 10,000 tons of coal every-single-day.

That coal doesn't just fall out of the sky into the furnace of a coal fired power plant. To keep the fires burning at base load coal power plants a 100 carriage, 2 kilometer long coal train (pulled by up to 6x 5000 hp diesel electric locomotives) is required to make a delivery 7 days a week and the appetite is insatiable. Larger 3+ GW coal power stations require up to four such train deliveries every day consuming in excess of 36,000 tons of coal DAILY. In many cases the coal must be shipped by sea from half way around the world. The world's largest exporter of coal, Australia in 2006 exported 237 million tonnes of coal to power many east Asian countries.

At an energy efficiency of around 40%, for every Gigawatt of generation capacity used, an average coal plant converts something like 6,000 tons of coal every day into waste heat which results in enormous plumes coming off cooling towers to dispose of that unused heat into the atmosphere (See the 4GW Drax power plant pictured above). So over half of the coal being mined, transported and processed is wasted as an unavoidable by-product of the heat cycle generation process.

A 1 GW power plant generates enough electricity to supply base load to a population of around 1 Million people. Once you multiply those 10,000 tons per day by the applicable global population the costs involved just to supply fuel quickly become astronomical. With renewable energy those costs are eliminated, yet ignorant journalists still claim renewable energy will cost more.

Admittedly there are up front costs in the wholesale replacement of a significant proportion of the power generation capacity (54% of all US electricity is coal sourced), but those costs are already being absorbed with utilities able to balance the up front costs of new generation infrastructure against the free renewable fuel supply.

The medium to long term results of investing in renewable energy are significantly reduced energy costs.

While the momentum towards next generation cars has started to favor Battery EV s at the expense of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell concepts that have been a favourite of major auto manufacturers, the recently launched Riversimple EV concept car is still very interesting.

The Riversimple vehicle is conceived within an innovative new architecture for cars. It embodies various key features - hydrogen fuel cells, four electric motors, one on each wheel, regeneration of electricity by these motors when the car is braking – known as regenerative braking - and a body made of lightweight composites. However these do not on their own explain the breakthrough in energy efficiency achieved.

Although novel in the industry, they are not unique and none make economic or performance sense on their own. The breakthrough really comes through the synthesis of them all – the benefits derive from their interactions, requiring that we combine them all. Here is an illustration of how Riversimple has rearranged the components in what we call a Network Electric Vehicle.

The two principles that really are new (conceived by Amory Lovins and the Rocky Mountain Institute) and that make this synthesis so powerful are decoupling acceleration and cruise demands and mass decompounding

Decoupling acceleration and cruise means that the fuel cell needs only to be large enough to meet the maximum steady demand when cruising, which is usually only about 20% of the maximum power required when accelerating.

In a conventional car, acceleration also has to be provided by the engine; but as a car is only accelerating for about 5% of the time, and the power needed then is five times what it is when cruising, it means that for 95% of the time the car is carrying around an engine and transmission that is five times larger than necessary.

In our network electric vehicle, almost all braking is done by the electric motors, capturing the energy of the car in motion, rather than using conventional brakes that just waste the energy as heat. This energy is then stored in a bank of ultracapacitors which can provide 80% of the power required for acceleration. This allows us to have a fuel cell a fifth the power than would be required in a conventional car.

Mass decompounding is an emergent property of whole system design – designing the car as a whole system rather than attempting to squeeze a fuel cell into a car architecture that is designed for a combustion engine. The reduced size of the fuel cell and elimination of a gearbox and driveshafts, results in a weight reduction. This leads directly to a lighter chassis, as this is usually designed to hold on to a heavy engine and gearbox in accidents. This in turn means less power is needed, which means lighter components, which means a lighter chassis, meaning less power and so on, and this effect is magnified by using lighter materials, composites, for the chassis as well. These weight reductions make power-assisted systems for brakes and steering redundant, leading to further mass decompounding and improvements in efficiency.



The hydrogen fuel cell is about 50% efficient, double that of a petrol engine. The combination of this efficiency and the new, and much more efficient, architecture allows for a vehicle which is more sustainable because it needs far less hydrogen energy. Further fuel and emissions savings are gained because, unlike an internal combustion engine, the electric motor is not running when the car is stationary in traffic.

The Riversimple urban car uses a 6kW fuel cell. (For comparison, Honda is using a 100kW fuel cell in its new Clarity model currently being trialled in California - admittedly in a four seater car, not a two seater). In the Riversimple car, less hydrogen needs to be carried (and less held at the filling stations) and the costs of the fuel cell drop dramatically.

They have been working with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies of Singapore, who have developed a highly efficient yet simple fuel cell system for their urban car. As the output required of the fuel cell is less than in most fuel cell prototypes, Horizon has been able to prioritize cost reduction in the development of the system. This has been the focus of their research since they were founded and so there is a natural synergy between their technology and our approach to commercializing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Together they are pursuing a combined development programme on the next generation for their production prototype vehicle.

The ultracapacitors which store electricity can also be smaller: Riversimple urban cars have just 21 kg of ultracapacitors, capable of absorbing over 30kW of power from regenerative braking, and of delivering 15 kW for bursts of acceleration of up to ten seconds, enough time to reach maximum cruising speed.

The result is a car with an expected fuel consumption equivalent to 300 miles per gallon, a range in excess of 200 miles, a top speed of 50mph, and greenhouse gas emissions at 30 gms per km (well to wheel), less than a quarter of the most efficient petrol-engined cars currently available. Note: The Polo Blue Motion is currently the lowest emission car available at 99g/km but this is only “tank to wheel” – when extraction, refining and distribution of the petrol is included this rises to 121 g/km “well to wheel”.



While no technical details at all are provided about the Wheel Motors, based on their Ultracapacitor specs and the fact they state the caps can provide up to 80% of the power needed to accelerate we estimate the wheel motors output at 5 kw peak each at most. With a total vehicle weight of 350 kg that's only 77hp per ton, about average for a mini car.

Only time will tell if the Riversimple open source business model is too radical to reach critical mass but we're sure the huge energy efficiency improvements resulting from the use of wheel motors on all four wheels that allows the use of such a small energy source will also be applied to hybrid and battery EV vehicles.

L'amministratore delegato di Fiat, Sergio Marchionne, conferma l'interesse del Lingotto per Opel, ma dichiara che non ci sarà nessuna nuova offerta per l'azienda tedesca. "Non credo che si possa migliorare l'offerta della Fiat. E' la cosa più razionale dal punto di vista industriale che potevamo offrire". Quanto all'ipotesi dell'emissione di obbligazioni per il valore di un miliardo di dollari, il numero uno della casa automobilistica torinese a margine del Consiglio Italia-U.S.A. in corso a Venezia, ha spiegato "Sono solo indiscrezioni, quando l'annunceremo lo saprete". Il quotidiano tedesco Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung aveva annunciato nuove offerte per la casa automobilistica Opel: "Fiat, il gruppo austro-canadese Magna e gli altri due investitori interessati, la cinese Baic e l'americana Ripplewood si preparano a presentare offerte più dettagliate e non vincolanti". L'amministratore delegato di Fiat ha rivelato "da quello che ho sentito tra Opel e Magna non sta andando molto bene". Secondo alcune fonti i negoziati tra l'ex socio di Fiat Auto e Magna si sarebbero arenati su ostacoli relativi all'utilizzo della tecnologia e del design. Ma certo non agevola la fuga di notizie che ha quantificato in 5-6 milioni al giorno l'entità reale delle perdite di Opel, contro i due milioni di euro di cui si era finora parlato. Un'emorragia che richiederà interventi drastici, come proponeva Marchionne, e un'abbondanza di capitali, visto che lo stesso aiuto di stato rischia di esaurirsi, a questi ritmi, in pochi mesi. D'altra parte i cinesi sembrano fortemente interessati ad Opel e si sarebbero offerti di mantenere in attività i quattro impianti tedeschi di Opel per almeno due anni senza tagliare alcun posto di lavoro. Sempre che il governo di Berlino si impegni a fornire garanzie pubbliche sul debito, per una cifra comunque inferiore a 5 miliardi. "Alla chiusura del primo semestre 2009 tutti gli obiettivi dell'azienda torinese sono stati raggiunti e confermo ciò che avevamo previsto per la fine dell'anno". Fiat ha fissato un target per l'utile netto superiore ai 100 milioni di euro e un cash flow industriale di oltre un miliardo. "Il primo consiglio di amministrazione di Chrysler sarà convocato entro la fine di luglio", ha annunciato Marchionne parlando del neo acquisto del Lingotto e ha continuato "Non mi posso lamentare, ma è poco tempo che l'operazione su Chrysler è stata conclusa. Sono particolarmente contento della velocità con cui abbiamo selezionato il management. Ho trovato manager eccellenti. Stiamo mantenendo oltre il 90% delle persone. Quello tra Fiat e Chrysler è un matrimonio in paradiso, renderemo Chrysler la società solida che deve essere. Non ho assolutamente intenzione di deludere il presidente degli Stati Uniti". Per quanto riguarda le priorità in agenda Marchionne ha spiegato che il rimborso al Tesoro americano dei fondi stanziati rimane il punto cruciale.
(Fonte: www.repubblica.it - 26/6/2009)

Dale Vince, the CEO of UK wind power company Ecotricity seems to fancy himself as a shameless self promoter from the same mold as Richard Branson. The company has been funding an EV project based on a Lotus chassis.

To generate PR for the project Ecotricity hired their own TV production company to produce a reality style series of videos. They seem to mainly feature inane comments from Mr Vince and a complete absence of any technical detail. The latest episode has the car fired up for the first time with a couple of passes of an airfield.

First impressions are that it sounds like a supercharger and it is capable of 100 mph on it's first ever test run. Technical specs are extremely thin on the ground but we'll try and peace together what they have used.

The car uses Prismatic Lithium ion cells that give a range of 150 miles. They have used 2x BLDC motors, one for each rear wheel, connected to the standard CV drive shafts with a reduction gear arrangement using Gilmer belts (hence the supercharger sound track). The motors are powered by a pair of UQM inverters. The car will do 0-60 in 4 sec.

Unfortunately no further specs on motor power or battery capacity have been provided (estimate approx 35 kWh battery pack) as Vince seems to be primarily obsessed with naming the car and getting the attention of the crew from Top Gear.

Zero Carbonista

«Il finale per Opel è ancora tutto da decidere, General Motors continua a parlare con diversi investitori. In questo momento, con Magna, esiste solo una dichiarazione d’intenti senza vincoli legali». Le dichiarazioni di Fred Irwin, presidente della società fiduciaria incaricata di amministrare temporaneamente la casa automobilistica di Rüsselsheim, riportate ieri sul quotidiano Handelsblatt, si prestano a due interpretazioni: il tentativo di Fritz Henderson, amministratore delegato di GM, di alzare la posta e costringere Magna a essere più generosa (non bisogna dimenticare, in proposito, che Detroit vuole riservarsi la possibilità di tornare in possesso di Opel, una volta risanata; altra pressione sugli austro-canadesi, poco inclini però a sottoscrivere questa clausola); la presa d’atto che l’opzione Magna, in cordata con i russi di Gaz e Sberbank, consegnerebbe di fatto - e chiavi in mano - il patrimonio Opel a Vladimir Putin. Secondo il quotidiano tedesco, il cambio di strategia del gruppo U.S.A. sarebbe direttamente legato all’aumento delle vendite realizzato da Opel grazie ai contributi pubblici per la rottamazione e ai buoni risultati conseguiti dall’ammiraglia Insignia. Ciò non toglie che i pretendenti tagliati fuori dopo i recenti lunghi negoziati con GM e Berlino siano pronti a farsi avanti nuovamente. Tra questi, molto attivi sono i cinesi di Baic che stanno passando al setaccio i conti della casa automobilistica. Impegnato nella due diligence è pure Ripplewood, anche se è opinione diffusa che il fondo americano potrebbe essere solo una soluzione temporanea per Opel nel caso la vendita al gruppo Magna non andasse in porto. L’azienda guidata da Carl-Peter Forster, infatti, ha bisogno di un vero partner industriale. Ecco allora rispuntare anche l’ipotesi Fiat. Per ora l’amministratore delegato Sergio Marchionne continua a restare alla finestra, convinto di aver messo nelle mani di GM e del governo di Berlino l’unico programma di rilancio valido per la casa tedesca. Marchionne, poi, sa di poter contare sul governo italiano, pronto a dare il suo apporto sul piano del rispetto delle regole UE in tema di concorrenza. Nei giorni scorsi il ministro dello Sviluppo economico, Claudio Scajola, aveva confermato la possibilità di un «forte intervento» perché si mantenga la libera concorrenza europea nel settore dell’auto. Scajola ha poi assicurato il pressing di Palazzo Chigi affinché Bruxelles vigili «con molta attenzione sugli aiuti di Stato che alcuni Paesi (Francia e Germania, in particolare) hanno dato o si accingono a dare, come sembra profilarsi nel caso di Opel». In proposito i vertici di Magna stanno trattando in questi giorni con le autorità di Regno Unito, Spagna e Belgio, gli altri Paesi dove esistono fabbriche Opel (Vauxhall oltre la Manica) proprio per garantirsi nuovi finanziamenti.
(Fonte: www.handelsblatt.com - 24/6/2009)

Caterpillar Inc. is getting into the hybrid vehicle business. Except these won't be vehicles you'll see on the highway.

The company Tuesday officially launched its line of Diesel-electric hybrid bulldozers - the D7E - that it says will improve fuel efficiency 30 percent or more while not skimping on the power its customers expect from Caterpillar equipment.

The launch came at Caterpillar's demonstration center in Edwards, with trade media and several of its biggest customers on hand to see demonstrations of that power.

Caterpillar said the D7E, a product 10 years in the making, is the first tractor in the world with an electric drive system. The electric drive tractors were first introduced to the public during ConExpo 2008 in Las Vegas more than a year ago.

While there are many test D7E tractors running today - including 18 of them placed with customers to get feedback - Caterpillar will begin production in October at its track-type tractor plants in East Peoria. It expects the machine to reach full production by the middle of 2010, said David Nicoll, commercial manager of tractor products in the company's Earthmoving Division.

Customers on hand who have been using the machines - including one company with more than 1,600 hours on the machine - lauded the D7E as reliable, comfortable and more efficient while still capable of delivering the power they need for different applications.

"We're very excited about the power it has, the visibility from the cab, the maneuverability - all of it," said Curtis Valencia of Crossfire Construction LLC in Colorado. The company mostly uses the D7E for building, reclamation and cleanup work in oil fields.

Those sentiments were echoed by Dale Hill, director of mine operations for Dolet Hills Lignite Co. in Mansfield, La., whose company has been running the machine 24 hours a day and has topped 1,600 hours of operation with no problems.

Dan Plote, owner of Plote Construction Inc. in Hoffman Estates, said he parked the larger, more powerful Caterpillar D8 bulldozer while testing the D7E and has found the new machine "is more than keeping up, pound for pound. And it's 30 percent more fuel efficient."

The comments from customers included urging that Caterpillar find a way to denote on the machines that they are a hybrid. The users said that would help with the public image of big machines. The company made no promises.

Nicoll did say Caterpillar has been collecting the thoughts of users and already has made several modifications to the D7E to keep it user friendly.

More than 50,000 machine and lab hours have been spent to date on the machine that engineering manager Mike Betz said is a completely Caterpillar design with more than 100 patents, granted or pending.

While Caterpillar declined to give prices for its machines during the event, the company said the D7E cost about 20 percent more than the D7R. However, Nicoll said, Caterpillar believes that extra cost will be recouped in improved efficiency within 2 1/2 years.

The machine, he added, uses 10 percent to 30 percent less fuel per hour of operation, and thus can move an average of 25 percent more material per gallon of fuel than the D7R.

Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motors, and San Carlos-based Tesla Motors Inc, will all receive government financing to speed production of fuel-efficient cars.

Ford, which will get financing of $5.9 billion to retool factories in five states, will be among the first recipients of the loans within the Energy Department’s $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, which promotes fuel-efficient vehicles, according to a department statement.

Nissan will get $1.6 billion to refurbish a factory in Tennessee to produce electric cars.

Tesla will receive $465 million. The bulk of the money will go toward retooling a factory to build its Model S – a more affordable electric vehicle than its high-end Roadster – and about $100 million will be used to fund an electric-powertrain manufacturing facility that will sell parts, including motors and battery packs, to other carmakers.

The technology development loans were created by Congress in 2007 to help automakers increase fuel economy by 40% to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. President Barack Obama has moved up that 35mpg deadline to 2016.

British commercial electric vehicles maker Tanfield Group Plc said it has been named as preferred supplier in the UK government's electric van programme, administered by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The first phase of the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme will have four suppliers deliver up to 150 electric vans to 12 public sector bodies, Tanfield said on Wednesday.

The company said it would supply the Smith Edison, a vehicle already in production at its Washington facility, which is based on the "popular Ford Transit panel van".
"If the first phase of the programme is successful, the DfT will look to expand the trials into the wider public sector," said the company, whose Smith Electric Vehicles unit has a collaboration with Ford Motor Co.

Earlier in the day, Tanfield said it would be eligible to receive government funding of 1.6 million pounds ($2.6 million) to develop electric passenger vehicles.

The company said it was part of a consortium that successfully bid for the development and trial of 16 vehicles under the Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme, adding that the total project was worth 3.2 million pounds.

Tanfield said building on its relationship with Ford, it will develop five people carriers and a executive minibus.

Tanfield also said it would deliver 10 electric taxis, through its collaboration with Manganese Bronze Holdings Plc.

Following the success of the TTXGP race held on the Isle of Man on June 12, the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has decided to create a FIM Series for electric bikes in 2010. This new FIM Series will be run inside the Road Racing Grand Prix Commission, a project led by Mr Azhar Hussain a UK Entrepreneur founder of the TTXGP.

No further details about the FIM sanctioned Series for electric bikes have been released at this stage.

A marzo Fiat aveva annunciato il suo nuovo sistema elettro-idraulico MultiAir. Questo è un sistema di controllo del motore che consente di realizzare progetti più semplici, con minori esigenze di potenza, minori costi, minori consumi oltre che una migliore risposta dall’acceleratore. Questa tecnologia verde debutterà nel 2010 nella nuova Alfa MiTo e in futuro verrà usata in una famiglia di piccoli motori a quattro cilindri (sia aspirati che turbo) sviluppati per il mercato europeo. Secondo indiscrezioni riportate da GreenCar, la nuova alleanza Fiat-Chrysler contribuirà al passaggio di questa tecnologia oltreoceano nelle nuove produzioni realizzate dal binomio automobilistico sotto la guida di Marchionne. MultiAir dovrebbe garantire una riduzione del 10% nelle emissioni di anidride carbonica, del 60% del protossido di azoto (N2O), un aumento del 10% della potenza erogabile, un aumento del 15% della coppia. Questa nuova tecnologia ecologica dovrebbe anche essere efficace nell’aiuto al motore in partenza da freddo e nelle fasi di riscaldamento, con una riduzione del 40% nelle emissioni di monossido di carbonio e idrocarburi non bruciati. Il risparmio nei consumi di carburante sarà nell’ordine del 25%, anche grazie alla ridotta cilindrata necessaria. Aumentare le prestazioni riducendo le emissioni e l’impatto ambientale sono grosse promesse che daranno una mano al gruppo torinese nella conquista dei mercati americani assieme alla rinnovata Chrysler.
(Fonte: www.greencar.com - 18/6/2009)

Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday its electric vehicles will be affordable, setting sights on the potentially lucrative market with a plan to mass produce zero-emission cars globally from 2012.

Japan's No. 3 automaker said it would unveil its first electric vehicle in Japan on August 2 and begin sales next year.

"We are moving forward with zero-emission vehicles," said Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn at a shareholders' meeting.

Nissan will sell electric cars first in Japan and the U.S. after April 2010, and then mass produce them globally in 2012.

Along with production in Japan and Europe, Ghosn said Nissan would make electric vehicles in the United States at its Smyrna plant in Tennessee with initial output capacity of more than 100,000 units per year.

"The U.S. is going to be a very important market" for the company's electric vehicle strategy, he said.

"I can tell you I'm not at all worried about how to sell these cars because there is an appetite for zero-emission cars."

Other carmakers are also racing to produce fully electric cars. U.S.-based Tesla Motors has a prototype that is scheduled to be produced by 2011. Toyota Motor Corp. has said it plans to sell electric vehicles in the U.S. by 2012 while Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp. has teamed up with a Dutch-based company to develop and make electric cars.


Ghosn gave few details, but stressed that Nissan's zero-emission cars will come "with a very reasonable price."

"If it's not affordable, it's not going to work," Ghosn told reporters.
"We are not going to come with a very high price. We are going to come with a reasonable price," he said. "We are here to mass market them."

Earlier in the month, Nissan's smaller rival, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., launched its electric vehicle, the i-MiEV, with a price tag of 4.59 million yen ($48,300). Even the company acknowledged the i-MiEV is too pricey and said it aims to cut the price in the future.

Ghosn said expensive electric cars are "for a niche" market which Nissan doesn't plan to target.

Ghosn brushed off criticism that Nissan is falling behind its bigger rivals _ Toyota and Honda Motor Co. _ in the increasingly competitive market for gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

Ghosn said the global market for hybrid cars remains too small, with hybrid cars accounting for just 3.5 percent of the Japanese auto market in 2008, and 2.3 percent in the United States.

Globally, the market for hybrid cars is below one percent, Ghosn said, attributing hype over gas-electric cars to heavy media coverage.

The meeting of Nissan shareholders came after the company reported a net loss of 233.7 billion yen in the financial year to March 2009. It was the first time Nissan had sunk to an annual loss since Ghosn took the helm a decade ago under an alliance with Renault SA of France.

Hit by a collapse in demand amid the global economic crisis, the company's sales tanked worldwide. It expects to sell 3.08 million vehicles in the current fiscal year to March 2010, down 9.7 percent year-on-year.

Ghosn said a prolonged slump in the global market is continuing, with sales projections in Japan, the United States and Europe all looking grim this year.
"Is the worst behind us? I don't know. I cannot tell you," he said. Nissan forecast its global market share will stand at 5.7 percent in the current financial year, up just 0.2 of a point year-on-year.

Nissan shares closed at 571 yen Tuesday, down 4.7 percent from Monday.

La società di consulenza IHS Global Insight ha reso noto quali saranno i probabili piani industriali di Chrysler, Dodge e Jeep all’indomani dell’accordo con Fiat e che, man mano che i giorni passano, prendono sempre più forma: infatti, la Fiat 500 verrà assemblata nell’impianto messicano di Toluca, mentre la tanto attesa erede dell’Alfa Romeo 166 - più volte denominata Alfa 169 - verrà realizzata sulla piattaforma LX, nello stabilimento in Ontario, Canada. In Messico sarà prodotta anche la Fiat Panda 4×4 griffata Jeep, mentre dalle SUV Cherokee e Grand Cherokee potrebbero derivare le rispettive varianti Alfa Romeo. La nuova Grand Cherokee fornirà la piattaforma WL per la SUV Alfa Romeo di grandi dimensioni, il cui nome in codice è GTX. Entrambe le vetture saranno realizzate nell’impianto di Jefferson, in Michigan. Invece, la piattaforma C-Evo verrà utilizzata per la prossima Cherokee - venduta negli USA come Liberty - e la gemella della Casa del Biscione. Queste due SUV saranno assemblate nello stabilimento di Toledo, in Ohio. Per quanto riguarda le SUV compatte di Jeep, Compass e Patriot non avranno eredi e saranno lasciate al loro destino, senza subire alcun restyling. Sempre sulla piattaforma C-Evo si baseranno anche le future generazioni di Chrysler Sebring e Dodge Journey, Caliber ed Avenger. Inoltre, è allo studio la nascita della Dodge Hornet sulla piattaforma “199″, la stessa della Alfa MiTo. Entrambe le vetture potrebbero essere assemblate nell’impianto di Belvidere, in Illinois, a partire dal 2011.
(Fonte: www.globalinsight.com - 10/6/2009)

La Chrysler ce la farà sotto la guida di Marchionne, ma per le case automobilistiche americane è vitale togliersi dal controllo del governo il prima possibile. A parlare non è uno qualsiasi, ma Lido Anthony Iacocca, meglio noto come Lee, uno dei santoni dell’auto americana, nato in Pennsylvania nel 1924 e figlio di due immigranti della provincia di Benevento. Lo dice uno che nel 1980 divenne famoso perché, grazie al prestito di un miliardo di dollari, riuscì a risollevare l’allora (anche allora…) morente Chrysler. “Ci stavano addosso giorno e notte, la loro supervisione era semplicemente esagerata”, dice Iacocca ripensando a quei giorni che somigliano molto a quelli che Chrysler sta rivivendo, con effetti ancora maggiori, insieme a General Motors. “Ecco perché abbiamo estinto il nostro prestito decennale in 3 anni. Non potevamo sopportare il governo. La burocrazia ti uccide”. Naturalmente questo suona come un consiglio alle due Case di Detroit, ma l’anziano manager deve ammettere che senza il denaro dei contribuenti, Chrysler e GM sarebbero potute crollare causando una disoccupazione di dimensioni nazionali davvero disastrosa, con perdita di migliaia di posti di lavoro. Secondo Iacocca i problemi più grossi li ha la General Motors, mentre è più ottimista per Chrysler e nutre piena fiducia in Sergio Marchionne che risolleverà la Casa di Auburn Hills anche grazie alla presenza di un uomo di grande esperienza come Jim Press. I due – secondo Iacocca – non dovrebbero azzerare la gamma esistente, in particolare per i modelli più tipici come Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Ram e Challenger o Chrysler 300C, ma integrarla con modelli piccoli. È invece favorevolmente sorpreso del fatto che riesca a sopravvivere senza l’aiuto dei fondi governativi la “sua” Ford, sua perché alla Casa di Dearborn Iacocca ha regalato nel 1964 un modello che è entrato nella storia come la Mustang. Fu poi licenziato da Henry Ford II nel 1978 per un errore che evidentemente rappresenta un’altra ricorrenza nell’industria americana: in piena crisi petrolifera aveva puntato a modelli troppo grandi e potenti. Pochi anni dopo, alla guida della Chrysler, dimostrò di aver capito la lezione tirando fuori una generazione di K-car capaci di riconquistare il favore degli americani anche puntando all’orgoglio patriottico. Sua è la famosa esortazione “Buy American!”, compra americano accompagnata da una pubblicità che suonava come una sfida “Se puoi trovare una macchina migliore, comprala!”. Iacocca concluse la sua avventura in Chrysler nel 1992, vittima allora della concorrenza giapponese che stava spolpando proprio la fetta che la Chrysler era riuscita a cucirsi nel settore delle compatte. Oggi la sfida invece è sopravvivere sperando che il mercato riparta. I debiti contratti dalla Chrysler con lo stato sono ben maggiori e solo dopo che essi verranno ripagati, Fiat potrà aumentare la propria quota del 20% ad Auburn Hills. La ricetta del nonno Lee dalla sua magione di Bel Air, sulle alture di Los Angeles, è molto semplice: “Prendetevi cura dei clienti, è la sola cosa solida che avete”.
(Fonte: www.ap.org - 22/6/2009)

The move to battery powered electric cars poses several challenges when it comes to climate control within the vehicle. Gone is the hugely inefficient internal combustion engine who's coolant system can easily be tapped for cabin heating while powering a 3 - 5 kw air conditioning compressor takes on a whole new meaning when your typical EV consumes only 200 wh/mile to drive down the road at highway speeds.

In an effort to improve the energy efficiency of ICEs the US DoE has been funding development projects for Thermoelectric Vehicular Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and for Waste Heat Recovery. There are several approaches to the problem.

The first is localized or zonal heating and cooling. Current vehicular HVAC technology heats and cools the thermal loads of the surrounding structures such as the headliner, windows, flooring, and seat backs in addition to the occupants. These systems consume between 3,500-5,000 W. To reduce this load heating or cooling can be plumbed directly into the seats. These seats are called Climate Controlled Seats (CCS) and usually feature internal ducting, their own blower and a perforated leather surface.

As the seat has direct contact with the occupant it has much higher thermal conductivity compared to air which is a poor conductor. With direct contact cooling or heating load per person could be reduced to less than 700 Watts compared to 5,000 W to heat/cool the entire cabin. Imagine the difference in power requirements between an electric blanket compared to an electric space heater that uses 10x the energy.

Reverse cycle air conditioning

In an EV with no ICE to drive the A/C compressor it has to be driven electrically much the same way as a residential air conditioner. Where some cars today have started to improve fuel efficiency with electrically driven power steering pumps and racks, the 12v electrical system in most cars isn't powerful enough to drive a 5 kw A/C compressor. However, most battery EVs have a 350 volt main battery with more than enough power to drive a compressor. The challenge is to reduce the load so that running the A/C doesn't overly drain the battery and dramatically reduce range.

As with residential air conditioners, variable speed compressors driven by inverters operate more efficiently, mostly because they avoid the high current drain require by repeatedly starting the electric motor driving the compressor. The combination of Climate Controlled Seats and variable speed compressor will reduce loads significantly compared to systems used on ICEs today. Also like residential air conditioners, with the addition of a simple valve, these A/C systems can be run in reverse cycle to provide heat as well as cooling.

Occupant cooling requirement are much reduced to start with in an Ev as the largest heat source in any vehicle, the ICE, is removed. In a normal fossil fueled car the engine, transmission, coolant and exhaust systems are all radiating enormous amounts of heat any time the engine is running. To get some idea, an ICE is only 15% energy efficient at the wheels, meaning up to 70% of the energy in the fuel is converted into waste heat. For every 100 kw of engine power, 300 kw of waste heat energy is produced. A significant percentage of that can radiate into the cabin increasing the need for air conditioning.

In super cold climates where cabin heating is essential, there are several sources in an EV. An electric vehicle is approx 80% energy efficient meaning there is some waste heat available from the power electronics, the motor and battery pack. In production Evs most of these parts have a liquid coolant system so cabin heating can be plumbed in exactly like a conventional car heater system and/or into climate controlled seats.

Effect Thermoelectrics

Another approach to zonal heating / cooling that is in the very early stages of development is the use of Peltier Effect Thermoelectric (TE) devices located in the dashboard, headliner, A&B pillars and seats / seat backs. TE devices convert electrical energy directly into either heat or cold. The DOE Vehicle Technologies (VT) Program has funded selected project teams headed by Ford and GM to develop automotive thermoelectric heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (TE HVAC) systems, using the zonal concept of cooling or heating only the occupants and not the whole cabin.

Current TE devices are very inefficient at around 5-10% compared with 40–60% achieved by conventional compression cycle systems so significant development is still required before TE HVAC could be used in EVs. Most effort is focused on multi-layer Quantum Well Thermoelectric devices originally developed for CPU cooling. Most of the efficiency gains are theoretical at this stage with 15% having been achieved in lab tests and up to 25% being 'possible'. These types of TE HVAC systems under development are being considered where the power to run them is generated from TE systems that generate energy from the waste heat in an ICEs exhaust and cooling system and could make it into production vehicles by 2012 to 2015.

Nissan Motor Co plans to launch production of electric vehicles and their batteries in the United States to tap low-interest loans for green vehicles, the Nikkei business daily said.

The overall investment is estimated at 50 billion yen ($516.4 million) and may rise to 100 billion yen, it said.

Under the plan, the new electric-car assembly lines are to be built at a plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, where Nissan North America Inc is based, the paper said.

The facility, capable of making 50,000 to 100,000 eco-friendly vehicles a year by 2012, is expected to first produce a small passenger car, it said.

Nissan also intends to construct a production facility for high-capacity lithium ion batteries at the Smyrna site with NEC Corp.

The company has applied for funding from the U.S. government under a low-interest-loan program to support the automobile industry.

Nissan intends to assemble up to 50,000 electric cars a year in Japan starting in fall 2010, the paper said.

Toyota Motor Corp. got 180,000 orders for the new Prius hybrid in Japan in just a month, far surpassing its target of 10,000 vehicles in monthly sales, the automaker said Friday.

The third-generation Prius, which rolled out a month ago, has been a big hit here, partly because of tax-breaks and other new government incentives that are meant to perk growth during the nation's downturn.

The Prius was the No. 1 selling vehicle in Japan for May, clinching the top spot in the domestic market for the first time and overtaking Honda's new hybrid, the Insight, which fell to third after taking the top spot in April.

Competition in the hybrid vehicle market has intensified after the Insight debuted in February in Japan at 1.89 million yen ($19,700). Toyota is offering its new Prius at just over 2 million yen ($20,900), about 300,000 yen ($3,100) cheaper than the previous model. The upgrade has a larger 1.8-liter engine but gets better mileage than the older one.

The new Prius is just starting to arrive in the U.S., where sales for last month totaled just 700. Dealers are still selling mostly the second-generation Prius, making for total Prius sales of 10,091 for May, Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said.
Strong hybrid sales are a rare bright spot for Japan's automakers, which have been battered by the global slowdown, a strengthening yen and the U.S. credit crunch.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, which also makes the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, recorded its worst loss in its seven-decade history for the fiscal year ended March.

In Japan, hybrids are now tax-free, delivering savings of about 150,000 yen ($1,500) for a Prius buyer. Other fuel-efficient models qualify for lower savings.

Also helping is a "cash-for-clunkers" program similar to the plan initiated by President Barack Obama, which offers vouchers worth up to $4,500 for a gas-guzzler turned in for a new car in the U.S.

In Japan, people who trade in a car 13 years or older get a 250,000 yen ($2,500) rebate for buying an ecological model. Those without a trade-in get 100,000 yen ($1,000).

Toyota is also continuing to sell the old-style Prius in Japan at the same price as the Insight. That's relatively unusual as manufacturing of old models is usually discontinued with the arrival of the new model. Those sales numbers aren't included in Friday's orders number from Toyota.

But while hybrid sales are booming, demand for other models is plunging.
The overall auto market continues to sag in Japan. Vehicle sales in Japan fell for the 10th straight month in May, dropping 19.4 percent from the same month the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association.

The decline has been easing from previous months as sales fell 29 percent in April and 31.5 percent in March. Toyota's vehicle sales in Japan tumbled 24 percent in May from the same month a year ago.

La Fiat, appena sbarcata di nuovo sul mercato americano acquistando la Chrysler, ha un potenziale di innovazione per l'auto simile a quello della Apple per i computer e la telefonia mobile. Lo scrive il settimanale americano Time nel numero di questa settimana. Secondo Time, l'ad Sergio Marchionne "ha sfruttato Apple come un modello", concentrandosi sul modo in cui Jobs ha trasformato l'azienda in "una icona globale del cool".
(Fonte: www.time.com - 18/6/2009)

Since Subaru announced the world's first mass production lithium ion battery powered plug in electric vehicle would go on sale next month, a few motoring publications have got their hands on one if only very briefly. Edmunds took it for a spin but the contributor obviously is not up to speed technically on Evs as he kept referring to the cars constantly variable transmission (CVT). As with all Evs the Stella has a single speed reduction gearbox for maximum energy efficiency to the wheels and because the 47 Kw (63 hp) BLDC electric motor has 170 Nm (125 ft/lb) from zero rpm.

Caradvice.com.au took an early prototype for a spin in February and the Stella EV has some interesting features. The gear lever the Edmunds writer was confusing with a CVT is actually use to adjust the level of brake regeneration the driver prefers. With the 'transmission' lever in D the car drives with mild regen. Putting the lever into L engages heavy brake regeneration and the Subaru EV can be driven in city traffic almost completely without using the friction brakes at all.

There are a couple of unfamiliar gauges in the instrument cluster. Replacing the fuel gauge is a battery charge gauge with increments in km. Interestingly it is not a linear scale as while 'full' is 80 km, 2/3rds full equals 30 km range. The second new gauge shows how much power the motor is drawing or returning to the batteries.




The Stella Ev tops out at a max speed of 100 kph (60 mph) which Subaru say helps keep to energy consumption in check and the batteries cool. Seeing as around 100 kph is expressway speed in most countries it seems a reasonable limit for an urban commuter car. The Stella body shell isn't the most aerodynamic we've ever seen and as aero load increases as the square root of speed (i.e. double your speed and you quadruple the wind resistance) the shape of the car, no doubt, has a lot to do with the imposed speed limit.

Range from the small 9.2 kWh battery pack of 90 km (55 miles) is quite impressive when you keep in mind that much like the Chevy Volt, not all the battery capacity is used. In the Volt only 8 kWh of the 16 kWh capacity is actually usable.

It is believed Hitachi Maxell are the suppliers of the high performance Lithium Ion batteries found in the Subaru Stella EV. The battery will accept an 80% charge in as little as 15 minutes or take 4 hours to charge with a 240 volt outlet. Perhaps the best part of owning an EV is how much they cost to run. To 'fill' the Stella will cost less than $1.00 @ $0.10 kWh. The additional weight of the battery only ads 120 kg to the car compared with the ICE version and curb weight is still in the 'lightweight' range of around 1000 kg.

Ten points to Subaru for being first to launch a production li-ion battery powered EV while other car companies, noticeably Toyota, who even in their 3rd generation Hybrid still don't sell either a plug-in or lithium ion batteries.

While some headlines have focused on the relatively expensive purchase price of these new Evs due to the very new technology in the batteries, if you add up your fuel costs with an ICE powered car over the life of the vehicle, in many cases you will have paid more to fuel the car than you did to purchase the car in the first place.


Plug-in Stella specifications:
Dimensions (Length x Width x Height): 3395mm ×1475 ×1660
Curb weight: 1060 kg
Passenger seating: Four
Maximum speed: 100km/h
Per-charge driving distance: 80km
Electric motor: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Max. power output: 40kW
Max. torque: 150Nm
Drive-train: Front-wheel drive
Battery type: Lithium-ion batteries
Total voltage: 346V
Total energy capacity: 9.2kWh

Northrop Grumman Corporation have successfully load tested the most powerful electric motor ever tested by the U.S. Navy and the world’s first 36.5 megawatt (49,000 horsepower) high temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor, double the Navy’s power rating test record.

Incorporating coils of HTS wire that are able to carry 150 times the power of similar-sized copper wire, the motor is less than half the size of conventional motors. It will help make new ships more fuel-efficient and free up space for additional war fighting capability.

This system was designed and built under a contract from the Office of Naval Research to demonstrate the efficacy of HTS motors as the primary propulsion technology for future Navy all-electric ships and submarines. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) funded and led the successful testing of the motor.

The Navy has invested more than $100 million in the development of HTS technology, paving the way not only for use in Navy ships but also in commercial vessels, such as cruise liners and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, which can also take advantage of the space and efficiency benefits of HTS motors.

Technical Background

Load testing demonstrates how a motor performs under the stresses and operating conditions it undergoes when powering a vessel at sea. This final development stage of the motor provides engineers and ship propulsion integrators with vital information regarding design options and the operating characteristics of the new superconductor motors.

Significantly, the HTS motors being developed by American Superconductor involve no major changes in fundamental motor technology. The machines operate in the same manner as conventional motors, gaining their substantial advantages by replacing copper rotor coils with HTS rotor coils. The rotors of HTS motors run "cold," so they avoid the thermal stresses experienced by conventional machines during normal operation. The inability to achieve proper thermal management has been a key impediment in developing power dense, high torque motors required for naval and commercial marine applications. Stresses caused by heat in other advanced, high power motors often necessitates costly motor repair and refurbishment.



The 36.5-MW (49,000 horsepower) HTS motor does 120 rpm and produces 2.9 million Newton-meters of torque. The motor is being specifically designed to provide propulsion power for the next generation of Navy warships. A motor of this scale also has direct commercial application in large cruise ships and merchant vessels.

As an example, two 44-MW conventional motors are used to propel the famous Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship. These motors each weigh over 400 metric tons; the 36.5-MW HTS motor will weigh approximately 75 metric tons.

Chrysler ha reso nota la decisione di far ripartire a partire dal 29 giugno la
produzione in sette impianti attualmente fermi a causa della grave contrazione della domanda. Lunedì 15 giugno Chrysler aveva riavviato la produzione della Dodge Viper nell'impianto di Detroit a Conner Avenue. Gli impianti in cui la produzione sarà riavviata alla fine del mese sono quelli noti con i nomi di "Sterling Heights Assembly Plant", a Sterling Heights, in Michigan, dove si producono i modelli Chrysler Sebring e Dodge Avenger; di "Warren Truck Assembly Plant", a Warren, sempre in Michigan, dove si producono i Dodge Ram e i Dodge Dakota; di "St. Louis North Assembly Plant", a Fenton, nel Missouri (modello Dodge Ram); di "Toledo Supplier Park", a Toledo, in Ohio (modelli Jeep Wrangler e Jeep Wangler Unlimited); di "Brampton Assembly Plant", a Brampton, in Ontario, Canada (modelli Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger e Challenger); di "Windsor Assembly Plant", a Windsor, sempre in Ontario (modelli prodotti Chrysler Town & Country e Dodge Grand Caravan); e di "Toluca Assembly Plant", a Toluca, in Messico (modelli prodotti Dodge Journey e Chrysler PT Cruiser). Nel comunicato diffuso dalla società americana, si legge anche che a operare saranno anche le divisioni "Powertrain e Stamping" che riforniscono questi impianti di assemblaggio. Da segnalare che proprio lo scorso lunedì, 15 giugno, Chrysler aveva riavviato la linea di produzione della Dodge Viper, nell'impianto di assemblaggio di Conner Avenue,a Detroit, per la prima volta dal 30 aprile scorso, quando andò in amministrazione controllata. Tutti gli impianti di Chrysler Group saranno comunque chiusi - continua il comunicato - in occasione della pausa estiva che durerà due settimane, relativa alle settimane del 13 luglio e del 20 luglio. La ripresa della produzione in altri impianti di assemblaggio di Chrysler Group sarà resa nota più tardi.
(Fonte: www.ilsole24ore.com - 17/6/2009)

In our series of articles where we take a look at the worlds biggest electric vehicles in an effort to dispel the myth that EVs have to be low powered vehicles we've already looked at a 3650 hp dump truck, a 24,460 hp Bullet train and a 140,000 hp ship this week we'll look at Diesel electric hybrid locomotive.

Although the V12 Diesel in the GE Evolution Hybrid Locomotive is 'only' 4,400-horsepower, on a typical fully loaded coal train, for example, pulling 100 coal hoppers with 10,000 tons that stretched 2 kilometers (enough to keep a 1 GW coal fired power plant fueled for a single day), up to 5 such locomotive would be used giving a combined output of 22,000 hp with close to half a million newton meter (489,000 Nm) of starting torque from it's AC electric traction motors.

What sets the GE hybrid locomotive apart from the rest is while standard diesel electric locos burn off brake energy as heat through a large roof mounted resistor bank called a rheostat, the hybrid captures the energy dissipated during braking and store it in a series of large batteries. This stored energy can allow operators to draw an additional 2,000 horsepower when needed while reducing fuel consumption by as much as 15 percent and emissions by as much as 50 percent compared to most of the freight locomotives in use today.




The energy dissipated in braking a 207-ton locomotive during the course of one year is enough to power 160 households for that year. In fuel savings the recycling of energy through regenerative braking saves approximately 1 million gallons of fuel over its lifetime or approximately $2.50 million at $2.50 per gallon.

For the man who has everything, a swiss company called Code-X have developed a boat for maximum exclusivity that uses renewable energy combined with two Formula One spec motors. It's not your average speed boat that requires a low loader semi trailer to be transported on land, while any boat the comes standard with 2 x 710 hp Ilmore V10s is very impressive. Code-X combines those with 2 x electric motors and a deck lined with solar panels.

No specs are provided at all for the EV power system so we have no way of judging if they are anymore than novelty value but solar electric pleasure craft is something we are sure to see more of in the future.


Engines:
2 x electric engines
2 x Ilmor marine combustion engines MV10-710
Configuration : 90 degree V 10
Horsepower : 2 x 710 HP
Torque : 882 Nm @ 4800 rpm
Full throttle rpm range: 5400 - 6300
Capacity: 2 x 8.3 liters
Performance: 90 kn


Source of Energy:
Fossil fuel (2 tanks)
Solar-power

CODE-X

The chairman of automotive components giant Bosch says it will take more than a decade for Electric Vehicles to even “make a noticeable mark” on the world car market and the the internal combustion engine is likely to be "unchallenged in the next 20 years”.

Speaking at an automotive seminar at the company’s Boxberg research center near Stuttgart, Bosch chairman Dr Bernd Bohr says the company estimates that by 2015 electric car sales will account for just 500,000 units annually, from a car production total around 100 million units.

Improved and downsized turbo petrol and diesel engines, their efficiency boosted by as much as 50 percent over today’s designs, will remain the main motive power for cars for at least 20 years, and probably beyond, Bosch believes. They could only possibly be referring to potential fuel efficiency improvements as opposed to energy efficiency which is fairly fixed for an internal combustion engine.

However, Dr Bohyr does believes that electrically powered vehicles will eventually dominate based on simple efficiency grounds. For the oil equivalent of one kilowatt hour of power, today’s internal combustion engine delivers 1.5 to 2.5 km of range, he says, a figure that improves to about 3.2km in a diesel hybrid. Under the same conditions, an electric motor delivers about 6.5km of range.

The major hurdle for electric cars remains the weight and cost of their batteries, says Dr Bohr. Bosch is “working hard” to develop the lithium ion variety it believes has the best development potential for cars, through a recently-arranged joint venture with Samsung.

At present, says Dr Bohr, a li-ion battery that can propel a 1000 kg car for the 200-km range most buyers say they need weighs 250kg and costs around 17,000 Euros, far too much. Bohr is “very confident” that by 2015 it can cut weight by around 30 per cent and cost to by nearly half, figures it believes are approach acceptability for production cars.

Of course Bosch are pushing their own barrow here as they make both diesel and petrol direct injection systems that stand to benefit from a continuation of ICE dominance, they are not a Li-ion battery company.

Their biggest cash cow, ABS and ESP may also be under threat by the move to EVs as computer controlled independent wheel motors will make the use of electro-hydraulics to actively control vehicle dynamic safety systems obsolete.

BOSCH