The Tesla Motors duo

If you thought electric vehicles, EV were already involved in the most frenetic of all races, that of the automobile dominance, another race has started which could yield great competition amongst manufacturers.  EPA and pollution ratings for EV is coming to fruition.

The gist is that at one point or another, we will have to gauge how much an EV consumes and eventually pollutes.  That is what the U.S. EPA has started to tackle and the answer is the first 200,000 units of a manufacturer’s EVs will be considered as zero emission in order to fit the corporate average fuel economy, CAFE.  After the first 200,000 EVs, pollution credits will be based on the pollution from generating the electricity that powers the car. One question should come to mind at this point, how will this be done?  Will the EPA take into consideration each and every state’s particular way of creating electricity, e.g. the ratio of coal burning versus clean alternative energy?  It will be interesting to see how the EPA goes about that.

The idea here is that after 2016, all EVs will be assessed with some level of pollution in order to meet the criteria of 34 mpg by then.

Sources: EVs and Energy from Paul Scott, AutoBlogGreen.

Introducing the Nissan Leaf, by Nick Zart

Nissan announced the end of the Leaf tour in New York City with overwhelming positive feedback.  The company is now opening the registration process to everyone.

The gist is the Leaf Zero-Emission Tour culminated on the 11th in New York City after 63 stops in 24 cities.  The opportunity for interested drivers to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and in some cases to test drive the electric Versa has  started the vehicle-purchase process.

The Nissan LEAF will be available to consumers via lease or sale, in a single transaction, battery included.

What Do You Need To Do? In the U.S. you can start by registering at www.NissanUSA.com.  Close to 50,000 people have already registered and will have first priority to reserve one.
Next, reserve. The reservation process will begin in April, as well as the price.  After paying a fully refundable $100 reservation fee, you will be among the first in line able to order a Nissan LEAF.
Lastly, the order. Orders will begin in August and deliveries will start in select markets as early as December 2010.
Here is what Nissan has to sat about the tour:
“The Nissan LEAF purchase process is effortless, transparent and accessible, offering value with a one-stop-shop approach for everything related to the car, including the assessment, permitting and installation of in-home battery charging units,” said Carlos Tavares, Chairman, Nissan Americas. “We want everyone to feel good about having a car that is affordable, fun to drive and good for the environment.”

Coinciding with this next phase of the Nissan LEAF launch is the debut of Nissan’s initial global marketing campaign, which is called “The New Car.” A first look at the campaign – which illustrates Nissan’s passion about the potential for zero-emission mobility and a better, cleaner world – was shown in New York as part of the culmination of the Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour.

The Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour covered 10,000 miles in the United States and Canada, providing the first opportunity for more than 100,000 people to see and learn about the Nissan LEAF first hand.

“There was a groundswell of grassroots support from coast to coast,” said Tavares. “Everywhere we went, people recognized a new form of mobility – a turning point – and they wanted to be a part of it. The response was spontaneous and diverse. We were joined by mayors and government officials, CEOs, utility partners, car enthusiasts, students, dealers, media, environmentalists, Twitter users and lots of families.”

Tour Highlights:
·                     Diverse tour stops, stretching from Stanford University to the Kennedy Space Center. Other stops included: Phoenix on New Year’s Eve, in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl; Qwest Field in Seattle; the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland; and a charging-station-equipped McDonald’s in Cary, N.C. The tour also stopped at Nissan Americas in Franklin, Tenn; the Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing facility where the Nissan LEAF will be built starting in 2012; and Nissan Design Americas in San Diego. New York area stops include Madison Square Garden (Feb. 10), and upcoming public displays at the Time Warner Center (Feb. 12) and the Liberty Science Center (Feb. 13).
·                     Due to the high level of interest, Atlanta and Boston were added to the original tour schedule, bringing total cities to 24.
·                     Nearly 50,000 people have registered to receive information and learn more about the Nissan LEAF on www.NissanUSA.com as a result of the tour. Signing up online is the first step in the reservation and purchase process.
·                     Already, the Nissan LEAF has received more than 10 media and environmental awards, including the Green Car Vision Award, presented at the Washington Auto Show by Green Car Journal.
·                     The announcement of the closing of Nissan’s loan with the U.S. Department of Energy. The $1.4 billion loan will fund the modification of Nissan’s Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing plant to produce the Nissan LEAF and batteries to power it. Groundbreaking for the new battery plant will take place in May.
·                     The announcement of a joint commitment with Hertz, the world’s largest general market rental brand, to bring zero-emission mobility car rental to the United States and Europe in 2011. Hertz is developing a rollout of the Nissan LEAF at select rental sites in both major markets.
·                     Nissan announced that AeroVironment will supply and install home charging stations for the Nissan LEAF, creating a one-stop shop for the Nissan LEAF and its charging equipment.
·                     The tour reached all markets that are part of The EV Project, the world’s largest EV infrastructure deployment ever undertaken. The EV Project, funded by a $98 million grant from the Department of Energy and led by EV infrastructure provider eTec, a division of Ecotality, will provide an unprecedented number (6,510) of public charging stations across the 5 participating markets and will provide home charging stations for up to 4700 Nissan Leafs sold in those markets. The public stations will include both Level 2 (240V) and Level 3 DC fast chargers.  The EV Project markets are Seattle, Oregon, Tennessee (Knoxville, Nashville and Chattanooga), Phoenix/Tucson, Ariz., and San Diego.
·                     The tour also served as the backdrop to announce newly established partnerships with Reliant Energy of Houston; the City of Orlando and the Orlando Utilities Commission; the City of Houston; and the State of Massachusetts. These agreements, like three dozen others globally, are designed to promote the development of an electric-vehicle charging network and policies to support the widespread adoption of electric cars.
·                     Existing partnerships furthered progress, taking steps like securing letters of intent for vehicle fleet purchases and the formation of working groups and task forces to foster the development of the electric-vehicle infrastructure, such as Oregon’s Governor’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group. In North America, Nissan has spearheaded a holistic approach to zero-emission mobility by working with states, municipalities, utility companies and other partners, to prepare markets and infrastructure. Nissan has formed 18 partnerships in the United States, in areas including State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, San Diego and San Francisco in California, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., Washington D.C., Seattle, with the City of Orlando and Orlando Utilities Commission, with Progress Energy in Raleigh, N.C., with the City of Houston and Houston-based Reliant Energy, with the State of Massachusetts. Nissan also has formed partnerships with Mexico City and Vancouver, Canada.

Nissan, along with alliance partner Renault, is the only automaker committed to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass market on a global scale.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.  More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car.

Nissan Leaf

Nissan has been awarded a loan to bring its lithium battery production to the U.S.

The gist is the Department of Energy, DoE announced the closing of the loan agreement to bring the Leaf battery production to the U.S. at the Smyrna, Tennessee, manufacturing plant by 2012.

Two days ago, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the DoEnergy closed a $1.4 billion loan agreement with Nissan North America, Inc. to support the modification of the Smyrna manufacturing plant for the LEAF’s lithium-ion battery packs.

Why is this important? The U.S. has aggressively pursued the manufacturing of anything related to the electricdrive home in order to have an advantage in tomorrow’s new landscape.  Betting heavily on the two obvious electric vehicle, EV mainstream makers, Ford and Nissan shows the country is aware of the importance of creating jobs locally and regaining some lost momentum.

Click here for the press release.

Ford Focus BEV

Ford is posting impressive numbers and has confirmed the production of the Ford Focus EV. Much to celebration from the comeback kid.

The gist is in the midst of the chaos shaking Detroit, Ford has maneuvered very well.

Ford posts its first full year of profit in 2009 with its 4th quarter 2009 netting $868 million. The company feels it will profitable in 2010.

The company reported a full year 2009 pre-tax operating profit, excluding special items, of $454 million, a $7.3 billion improvement over a year ago and expects to be profitable in 2010 for North America.

What does this mean particularly for the electric drive?  Two things, mainly that the U.S. has a reliable candidate that will put out a real electric vehicle, EV by 2011, only a few months after Nissan’s Leaf.  It also will spell optimism in the investment world, which can also be a double edge sword if history is anything to learn from.

See the rest of the Press Release below.

Full year net income of $2.7 billion, or 86 cents per share, a $17.5 billion improvement from a year ago. Pre-tax operating profits of $454 million, a $7.3 billion improvement from a year ago
Fourth quarter net income of $868 million, or 25 cents per share, a $6.8 billion improvement from a year ago. Pre-tax operating profits of $1.8 billion, a $5.5 billion improvement from a year ago
Ford North America fourth quarter pre-tax operating profits of $707 million, a $2.6 billion improvement from a year ago++
Reduced Automotive structural costs by $500 million compared with the fourth quarter 2008, bringing the total 2009 reduction to $5.1 billion, exceeding the target of about $4 billion
Strong products drove full year market share gains in North America, South America and Europe as well as continued improvements in transaction prices and margins
Ended the year with $25.5 billion of Automotive gross cash and $34.3 billion in Automotive debt
Achieved positive Automotive operating-related cash flow of $3.1 billion for the fourth quarter. Full year Automotive operating-related cash outflow was $300 million, a $19.2 billion improvement over 2008
Ford Credit fourth quarter pre-tax operating profits of $696 million, a $1.1 billion improvement from a year ago
For full year 2010, Ford plans to be profitable on a pre-tax basis excluding special items, for North America, total Automotive and total company, with positive Automotive operating-related cash flow, based on its assumptions.

Click here for the PDF version.

GM Voltec

If GM’s direction has not been very clear in the past when it comes to the electricdrive, we now know the company is going to invest in making electric motors themselves.

The gist is that all car manufacturers talk about the electrification of vehicles but it means little if you do not actually build, and eventually innovate with what is currently available.  If in the past we could lament that car makers were in charge of everything, from engines to chassis, and horror of all horror, body design, the electricdrive has wrestled away this form their greedy paws.  Not for long however, as more and more are turning to inhouse manufacturing.

In-House Versus Outsourcing.  Here goes the old debate as to whether building in-house makes more sense than outsourcing.  The obvious answer is simple; it depends.  On a purely financial basis, building in-house makes sense but the past few decades have also shown that it can be carried away to the point of extinction.

GM Makes A Stand.  Now fresh out of bankruptcy and with public money in its pocket, it is high time for the company to commit to a direction, and building electric motors is what it wants to add to its arsenal.  According to AutomotiveNews, the motors will be 25% smaller with 20% greater output than the current generation.

We welcome the direction from GM and can only hope the design will help enrich what is out there and not be used, as in the past to hold back competition.

An electric Alfa Romeo

Brian Sutin ended up with an electric Alfa Romeo spider.  Knowing how much fun these cars are and the adoration of their fans, we felt it was interesting who would convert one and drive it.

Here is an interview we had:  Brian, what drove you to finding an electric car?
When I moved to Claremont, CA, we had just refinanced and had a false sense of being flush with cash.  I was looking for a green hobby.  My boss was an electric vehicle, EV nut, so an EV seemed appropriate.  Since I have lot of experience with electronics but not with welding, I decided that I would rather find an already converted car, so I could skip the heavier work.  I wanted something with at least some elan, and a search through the for-sale ads revealed the red Alfa I ended up with.  I was about $2000, give or take.

Once I got the car, I replaced the lead-acid batteries with flooded NiCd Marathon BB600′s, put in a new 144V controller, power breaks, a decent accelerator pedal, low-drag tires, decent charger, and so forth.  The car went from a golf cart to something that could go out a play on the freeway.  I had never driven an Alfa before, so I don’t know how the handling was with a ton of lead in it, or after my changes, when it was lighter than the original gas car.

At this point the greatest improvement that could be made was to add a intelligent battery-monitor/balancer system.  Flooded NiCd’s have the nice quality that they will produce good voltage right up to the moment they get (harmlessly) discharged.  This unfortunately means that there is no decent way to figure out how much charge is in the system except by over-charging and then counting amperes and hoping for the best.  Since I could come up with no good way to monitor 150-odd 1.5-volt batteries to reasonable cost (at least, nothing that wouldn’t get destroyed by 3000V of static zap), I decided that the project was finished, and sold it off.

Someday I might do another EV and would definitely use a kit car since they are good platforms for such projects.

This is what was used:

• Advanced DC X91-4001 series motor, 6.7″ diameter, 10 HP continuous, 40 HP peak, 72-144 VDC, reversible
• Curtis Instruments PMC #1231C-8601 motor controller 96-144 VDC, 500 A max, with mondo heatsink
• Curtis Instruments FP-6 footpedal and pot box
• 118 Marathon Norco Aerospace 36H120 (BB600) flooded nicad batteries, 40 Ah, for a total pack voltage of 142 VDC
• Manzanita Micro PFC20 Charger
• Zivan NG1-DC AC-DC/DC-DC converter, 108-168 VDC to 13.8 VDC @ 55A 900W continuous
• KTA Services Power Brake System
• Bridgestone Potenza RE92 165/65/R14 Tires — very low rolling resistance
• Kidde Auto 5B-C Fire extinguisher

To read more about this particular project, go to Brian’s page here.

One thing we are happy to recognize from the picture is that this particular Spider is from the early 1980′s when the DOT was strangling foreign competition with pollution regulation.  The original Alfa Romeo engine was but a shadow of itself.  Good platform to use.

So if you feel the urge to tinker with an oldy and replace its fuely with an electric motor, drop us a comment and we will feature you.

Thanks Brian.

Nissan Leaf

Nissan is working with AeroVironment to supply electric vehicle home-charging stations and installation services for the LEAF later this year.The gist is that the Nissan LEAF will be able to be recharged by Nissan-branded charging stations from AeroVironment that will be available at the sale of the electric vehicle, EV.  The home-charging stations are designed to provide a safe and reliable charge when installed with a connection to a 220-volt line and will take eight hours to fully charge the Nissan LEAF from a fully discharged state.

While this is good news for AeroVironment, we wonder why the car company did not choose to go with Coulomb Technologies.  We will try to find out more about it.

Ioxus ultracapacitors

Ioxus has not been idling while the economy tries to figure out which direction it needs to take. With no less than a NY State Energy grant for new products in the pipeline, the company aims to start marketing their Made In The USA ultracapacitors to a broader area than it has in the past.The gist is that it is good to see companies that are active, not using the economic mood as an excuse to complain. Ioxus has been busy and their products have been very impressive. Matching, if not surpassing products made in Asia in terms of costs but mostly quality and power density. It is also pursuing the application of more patents and the 2010 roadmap shows how serious they are; additional products, a new generation 2 series of products that will enhance power. The company has also been active with patents and added an extra 12 patents in 6 months, now up to 21.
New ultracapacitors. The 1st new product launch is their 1000F. 2.7V prismatic ultracapacitor. The new subsystem is a smaller hybrid ultracapacitor that starts at an aggressive $62 and lower depending volume. With 24% less volume than its direct competitors, it has the same power output, same ESR than a larger product but by using better electrode, it lowers the resistance which means it loses less energy. The next product is the 3000F 2.7V prismatic ultracapacitor series which aims at bigger applications. With a starting price of $90, it has 10% less volume, 5% less leakage than its direct competitors. The product is aimed squarely at helping electric vehicles, EV with launching them and regenerative braking capacity. The last product is the 5000F 2.7V prismatic ultracapacitor which also has 10% less weight and more energy than the competition. While the applications are the same as the 3000F it makes it a perfect candidate for heavier vehicles, such as buses and rail.

In addition to these new products, Ioxus is the only U.S. manufacturer of another type of product called pseudocapacitors (also called hybrid capacitors), while matching prices of those made by only two other manufacturers in Asia. This is a commendable feast these days where offshoring has become a common sports for corporations. The company wants 2010 to increase energy storage and density, as well as power. The company is also making great strides I working with the automobile field explaining how the ultracapacitor is a great assistance to batteries, raising their lifeline by intelligently balancing the energy load. This is probably the biggest contribution Ioxus will make to EV, it will help squeeze efficiency out of current battery technology with the intelligent use of ultracapacitors. We say, well done.

AC Propulsion with Yokohama

Yokohama’s 2010 motorsports program is continuing its “eco-racing’ with orange oil-infused tires races.
Yokohama Tire Corporation had many major motorsports successes last year and is eager to continue in 2010 with its orange oil -infused ADVAN® ENV-R1™.

According to Mark Chung, director, corporate strategy and planning, the historic introduction of the orange oil compound ENV-R1 race tires has yielded success in 2009 and the company looks to introduce an even more eco-friendly tire for the Patrón GT3 Challenge at Sebring in March.  This new tire will further reduce the use of petroleum which increases recyclability while performing at the same level as previous compounds.

Check out the 12 Hours of Sebring, on March 18-20.

In the meantime, get out and ask for EVs, won’t you?