AutoblogGreen

Club Assist: Ready to save a stranded EV near you

Richard Canny — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference

We've all heard the predictions of thousands of electric vehicles (EVs) stranded along the roadside, creating real world-victims of the dreaded "range anxiety" phenomena. Most drivers will never experience this, but if you're unfortunate enough to actually get stuck on the side of a road with an EV with no juice, Club Assist and your local auto club might be ready to ride to the rescue with their portable Level 2 emergency charging unit. Just like the emergency gallon of gas provided by traditional roadside assistance crews, the Club Assist charger will quickly get you enough electrons to go four to five miles. But be sure to have a book handy, because in addition to the time it takes to get the unit to your electric car, it will take about 20 minutes to get you that charge and get back on the road to a fixed charging point.

Club Assist, an Australian company that partners with more than 70 automotive club organizations around the world, launched a new mobile EVSE unit at the 2011 Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) conference in Washington, D.C. this week. Al Bradshaw, vice president of product and technical development doesn't want to speculate on just how many Leaf owners might need his unit:

It's really more about peace of mind. Our customers, the Auto Clubs, want to show their members that they are supporting EVs. Whatever roadside help those customers need, we want to provide it.

Being a Level 2 unit, the portable EVSE can generate about 5 kW - which should be about what most of today's EV's can take as their maximum AC charging rate using the Level 2 system. But the next-generation system that Club Assist is working on is even faster (and cleaner!). Using a lithium-ion battery and DC/DC connection using the CHADEMO protocol, the system should offer a five- or ten-minute top up for anyone stuck at the roadside. Club Assist believes that their portable unit is a much better solution than towing the EV from the roadside, just remember to not stop on the left hand shoulder if you need a charge. Bradshaw said:

We need to consider safety as the top priority. We can't be stuck on the left hand side of the road for 20 minutes causing a gawker slowdown, so we'll probably only use it on the right-hand side emergency lanes. If the car's stuck on the left, we'll send a tow truck.

Hopefully we're not going to see too many of these units out in use any time soon, but for those early adopter EV owners out there, it's nice to know that the auto clubs are moving with the times.

Club Assist: Ready to save a stranded EV near you originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM: 90% of Chevy Volt customers are new to GM, most trading in a Prius

Richard Canny — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Toyota, EDTA Conference

2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors says customers love their new Chevy Volts - and the number one vehicle they are leaving behind is the Toyota Prius. Quoting some interesting statistics from an early GM Volt Customer Satisfaction survey, GM's marketing manager for the Chevrolet Volt and EV Technologies, Rob Peterson, says the Volt launch is exceeding GM's expectations.

Speaking at the 2011 Electric Drive Transportation Association annual conference, Peterson claims Volt drivers are getting 1,000 miles between visits to the gas station, and when they do need to top up, their monthly gas bill is about $36. That translates to stopping for gas about once a month.

The same survey also gained deeper insights into what customers are feeling about their new cars through a series of word associations (click the word cloud image above to read a larger image of these associations). The number one impression? "Fun to Drive." For those of us involved in the EV industry, it's not really surprising perhaps to hear this news, but GM's Volt word cloud from the survey confirms that electric drive = fun to drive. Also prominently heard from customers were the phrases "comfortable" and "quiet."

And those customers aren't your typical GM customers. Ninety percent of them are new to GM. They're coming from a wide range of vehicle brands and types. The number-one traded in vehicle? A Toyota Prius. Peterson describes the typical Volt customer:

These people fit the early adopter profile, but they also stand out as exceptional community influencers. They're leaders in their communities in various ways, and they want to get out there and demonstrate the Volt and electric drive to everyone they can reach.

Peterson is pretty cautious about patting himself or GM on the back too much. Even though he says customers love the Volt, GM needs to manage expectations carefully. And behind the smiling faces of the Volt customer base lies danger in the shadows, with some folks working to subvert GM's success:

There are groups out there that want to see this not succeed. They will go to great lengths to achieve this. But we've proven to our doubters and detractors that it's a success. It's a pity that the EV industry often gets politicized - associated with one or other administration, not because of the technology but because of who supports it.

And although Peterson says it's not a red state, blue state political issue, he does believe the industry in general and the Volt in particular are still facing lots of sensationalism and negativity from folks like Fox Nation and Rush Limbaugh. His response: "The EV experience will eventually prove customers are right, negative political commentators are wrong. We have an educational opportunity."

[Source: GM]

GM: 90% of Chevy Volt customers are new to GM, most trading in a Prius originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA's Brian Wynne: "We don't do well with bans on choices"

Richard Canny — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:56:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA

EDTA Chief rejects Euro-style interventions for EV market growth

President Obama looks at a Chevy Volt and electric Ford Focus, July 15, 2010

In an exclusive discussion with AutoblogGreen at the 2011 Electric Drive Transportation Association's (EDTA) annual conference this week in Washington, D.C., EDTA president Brian Wynne rejected EV-only mandates as a way to drive the industry forward in the United States. While recognizing that some cities, regions and even the EU community are utilizing both 'carrot' and 'stick' incentives to buy and use electric vehicles (EVs), Wynne rejects measures which would ban fossil fuel vehicle usage in any way.

Wynne believes the EV industry needs to work much harder to expand awareness, and even though he believes the industry is at a transition point, there's a lot of work to be done:

We've got our work cut out to expand awareness and understanding of EVs. It takes so many impressions to get the message through. I don't assume the U.S. public is aware of electric drive, and we're going to need to be at this for a long time. It's going to take years to really get our message through. And although it might work elsewhere, we're not going to see any bans on certain type of vehicles. We just don't do well with bans on choices here.

And it's not just consumers that are slow to get the EV message. The process for permitting and installing Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is also too slow across many parts of the country according to Wynne. He also believes that although some electric utilities are actively leading the charge, many of the thousands of utilities that operate across the U.S. are apparently happy to fall behind:

Of those 3,000+ utilities, not all of them are at the forefront. Some of the tail-enders appear to be focused just on the business of keeping the lights on.

Continue reading EDTA's Brian Wynne: "We don't do well with bans on choices"...

[Image: AFP/Getty Images - Saul Loeb]

Continue reading EDTA's Brian Wynne: "We don't do well with bans on choices"

EDTA's Brian Wynne: "We don't do well with bans on choices" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2011: "85 miles is the best case scenario" for Mitsubishi i electric

Richard Canny — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:48:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference

Mitsubishi i - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mitsubishi's much delayed electric car for America, the Mitsubishi i, will be launched with demo units in November 2011 for phase 1 markets in the West Coast U.S., followed by the North East region in March 2012 and a nationwide launch in the fall of 2012. Along with the attractive price of $27,990 (just $20,490 after federal tax incentives) the bigger, heavier U.S. version will stretch the little Mitsubishi's battery capability and Mitsubishi's Chief Engineer for North American R&D, Dave Patterson, told AutoblogGreen that the vehicle's 85-mile rated range is "the best case scenario." Speaking at the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) meetings in Washington DC this week, Patterson explained:

85 miles is the best case range scenario. It's better to put in a network of DC fast chargers in the right locations for our customers than to put in a lot more expensive batteries in our vehicle.

While it's not clear exactly how much the range will drop below 85 miles in real-world situations, the i's 16-kWh battery will have its work cut out to meet U.S. driver expectations. Mitsubishi hopes that partnerships with local communities and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) partners will help roll out the necessary charging infrastructure to support sales. Looks like Google's new EV charger location app will come in handy.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

EDTA 2011: "85 miles is the best case scenario" for Mitsubishi i electric originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC 2010: EDTA president Brian Wynne: "This is not your father's automotive business"

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, Washington DC Auto Show

Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), was a busy man at the Washington Auto Show/EDTA Conference this week. Considering all of the attention being focused on the industry his association represents, this isn't a big surprise. But, after almost six years with the EDTA, does he see the recent intensity change in plug-in vehicles as more of a revolution or an evolution? A little bit of both, and it's playing out in a lot of ways. "There is a real acceleration going on right now, not only of product announcements but also partnerships forming to support a really good consumer introduction," he told AutoblogGreen.

The acceleration Wynne is talking about takes shape in the natural technological progression from hybrids to plug-in hybrids, as well as the political shift from, say, biofuels or hydrogen vehicles in years past to plug-in support today. The change isn't as dramatic as it might look from the outside, Wynne said:

I frame [political support] in terms of challenges that we're trying to address, because that's what a Congressman cares about, that's what President Obama cares about, that's what's important to the country. In that context, the electrification of transportation is a stand-alone topic and there are lots of subtopics that are important to educate people about. There's a ton of opportunity here.

And what about the change in products announced by automakers that obviously trend more toward plug-in vehicles and not so much toward hydrogen fuel cell vehicles? Wynne said that, "There isn't a single manufacturere that isn't looking at electric drive," and some see a different path than others (i.e., fuel cells vs. pure electrics), depending on the company's market strengths. "This is not your father's automotive business any more," he said, "and that's the fun part."

DC 2010: EDTA president Brian Wynne: "This is not your father's automotive business" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC 2010: EVA/DC displays tasty home-brewed electric car collection *UPDATE

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, EDTA Conference, Washington DC Auto Show

EVA/DC booth at EDTA 2010 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

What you're looking at in the picture above is not an early Aptera prototype. Nope. What this is, is the Solar Aztec, an old solar race car built by MIT that the members of the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C. (EVA/DC) group have restored and are displaying at the Washington Auto Show/EDTA Conference this week. The car sits next to a converted 200 Plymouth Neon EV, a bright red 1985 Mercedes 190E, a 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV and a 2000 Ford Ranger Electric.

These are vehicles with a lot of love in them. Just look at the wear on the EVA/DC sticker that graces the Aztec. We spoke with Michel Bonard, who converted the Neon, who told us that he spent $16,000 on his project. The group doesn't make EVs for profit, he said, but to show off that it's possible to drive electric today. EVs from the big automakers are coming, but they're certainly nothing new. Learn - and see - more in the gallery below.

*UPDATE: Our friends at EVCast have some fun with the Aztec. Watch the video after the jump.

Gallery: DC 2010: EVA/DC converted electric vehicles

Photos copyright (C)2010 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.
Our travel and lodging for this media event were provided by the Auto Alliance.

Continue reading DC 2010: EVA/DC displays tasty home-brewed electric car collection *UPDATE

DC 2010: EVA/DC displays tasty home-brewed electric car collection *UPDATE originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC 2010: NAS' li-ion battery cost predictions are too high, battery makers say

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, EDTA Conference, Washington DC Auto Show

During one of the sessions at the Electric Drive Transportation Association meeting here alongside the Washington Auto Show, our friend Felix Kramer from CalCars got an answer to a question that's been on his mind for a while: just how much will large-format lithium-ion batteries cost in five or ten years?

It's not that Kramer doesn't have his own estimates based on reading lots of reports and studies, it's just that, a while back, the Committee on Assessment of Resource Needs for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies put out a report with the help of the National Academies of Science (NAS) that said that li-ion batteries would go from $1,000 per kilowatt hour (kWh) today to maybe $400/kWh by 2020. This is higher than a lot of other estimates (that the cost is closer to $600 or maybe even $500 per kWh today, for example), but with the NAS imprimatur, the high cost got a lot of play in the media. More importantly, the Department of Energy is likely to trust a report from the NAS, and if the number is too high, it could have a big impact on future funding and legislation.

Yesterday, Kramer asked A123 Systems, Ener1, Electrovaya and Johnson Controls-Saft how much their kWh cost is today and what their response was to the NAS study. The short version: there was broad consensus among the battery makers that the NAS numbers are too high, with Sankar Das Gupta, CEO of Electrovaya, saying that, "there are a lot of crazy reports out there." A123's Ric Fulop said that he expects his company's packs to sell for less than the NAS' 2020 price as early as 2012. Cheap packs are coming, and soon, is the message from the battery makers. Read Kramer's full report of the exchange here.

[Source: CalCars]
Our travel and lodging for this media event were provided by the Auto Alliance.

DC 2010: NAS' li-ion battery cost predictions are too high, battery makers say originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA, Washington DC Auto Show

Last year, BorgWarner and Robert Bosch LLC founded the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars. For the first anniversary party, the group is present in the EDTA advanced technology section of the Washington Auto Show to announce three new menbers - Tenneco, Dow Automotive and Umicore - and to explain that the latest diesel vehicles are clean, available today and need to stop being the ignored child in federal green vehicle policy.

Scott Gallett, vice president of marketing and public relations for BorgWarner, told AutoblogGreen that the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars is about more than simply promoting diesel in the U.S. Yes, it is U.S.-focused and it's pro-clean diesel, but it's specifically about passenger vehicles and it's only an advocacy group, not an educational organization, and lobbies to give diesel a level playing field against other technologies.

Specifically, the group is working on the consumer tax credit that applies to hybrid and other lean burn vehicles. The tax break is currently available but it is being phased out and no longer applies to some popular models, The value of that tax credit is based on how that vehicle performs in the city, which "is not really technologically neutral," Gallett said. At the very least, the Coalition is asking that the credit be based on a vehicle's city and highway miles per gallon rating. Gallett doesn't fault the lawmakers for this situation - the law was written for hybrids, which perform better in the city, after all. "I think it was just missed," he said.

The other side of the tax law they want to go after is the discrepancy at the pump, where diesel taxes are 33 percent higher than gasoline taxes (diesel is federally taxed at 24.4 cents per gallon, gasoline at 18.4 cents per gallon). Gallett said:

There's a good reason why it's like that. In the past, fuel prices and taxes went to repair roads, and they still do. Diesel was used only in large commercial trucks, which have a little more wear and tear on the roads, so they should pay more to have the roads maintained. That all makes sense. Now, though, there is clean diesel available in passenger cars.

The Coalition's proposal is to bring back a federal tax return rebate similar to a rebate that was available in the 1980s (worth, say, $400 a year for driving a diesel car). Gallett said that, for the most part, when lawmakers learn about the disparity, they are receptive to adjusting the laws, but just when and how things will change is unclear. Since the five members of the Coalition supply parts to automakers for all sorts of powertrains, Gallett said:

We're not trying to have some special push for diesels. We don't think it needs it. We think if you make the playing field level, consumers will vote and diesel will play its proper role in the U.S. market.

More details after the jump.

Continue reading DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so

DC 2010: Would a federal diesel tax rebate be in order? Diesel coalition thinks so originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC 2010: NRDC gives us some numbers to crunch about why tough standards are a good thing

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:36:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Hydrogen, MPG, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA, Washington DC Auto Show

Among the gleaming vehicles on the Washington Auto Show floor, there are some policy and discussion sessions happening as well as part of the EDTA Conference. We thought a quick run through a presentation by Roland Hwang, the transportation program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), would be a good thing for our more detailed-oriented readers to delve into. Technically delivered as part of the EDTA/SAE Joint Opening Session, Hwang's presentation gets into the numbers (as collected and analyzed by the NRDC) and makes the case that setting strong long-term standards is actually good for auto industry.

Take, for example, the chart above (full size), which shows what's possible in tank-to-wheel emissions in 25 years for a lot of gasoline alternatives. Compared to today's average standard gasoline engine, which requires 8.9 liters of gasoline to go 100 kilometers, a plug-in hybrid that can go 30 miles on electric power would require 2.2 l/100 km (equivalent). A fuel cell vehicle would need 2.3 liters (equivalent) and a pure electric would need 1.7 liters. Follow us past the jump for more.

Continue reading DC 2010: NRDC gives us some numbers to crunch about why tough standards are a good thing

DC 2010: NRDC gives us some numbers to crunch about why tough standards are a good thing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: EnerDel's Th!nk City

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference, Green Daily, Th!nk (Think)

Click above for high-res gallery of the EnerDel Th!nk City

In the back corner of the EDTA Conference last week was the EnerDel booth featuring the prototype Th!nk City with EnerDel's lithium battery pack. We chatted with Ener1 Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer about the car, the battery packs and the future (Ener1 owns EnerDel).

Gassenheimer told AutoblogGreen that 2009 is the year that EnerDel will turn the corner from a "science project" (as some call it) to a profitable company. EnerDel has received a purchase order for $34 million battery packs for next year, about half of EnerDel's $70 million contract with Norway's Th!nk. EnerDel isn't saying the actual price of its packs, but Gassenheimer said that, "Analysts have estimated that we're selling packs for about $17,500 per pack, so quick math tells you that's about 1,900 to 2,000 packs for next year."

Aside from the Th!nk order, Gassenheimer said EnerDel has, "shipped a battery pack to one of the largest Tier 1s in Europe and they've already installed the pack into a vehicle for testing. What we've done is tried to diversify our customers a little bit so we're not just solely dependent on Th!nk. I anticipate we will be able to announce fairly substantial programs and get into volume production in 2009."

Read more after the jump.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Ener1 Th!nk City

Continue reading EDTA 2008: EnerDel's Th!nk City

EDTA 2008: EnerDel's Th!nk City originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: Prototype Toyota plug-in Prius is locked, darn it

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:07:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference, Green Daily

click above image for a high-resolution gallery of the plug-in Prius

At the EDTA Conference this week in DC, a nicely-decorated plug-in Prius sat in the Toyota booth. As you can see in this picture, the prototype was locked and this was duly noted in stickers on each door. We briefly spotted Toyota's Jaycie Chitwood by the car but when we went back to see if there was any sort of update available on the PHEV, we couldn't find her. Thanks to the magic of email, though, we got our update today. Chitwood told AutoblogGreen that, "We've continued our testing of the first-gen prototype, and will be expanding our testing and demonstration program with our 2nd-gen prototype late next year, which will have Li-Ion batteries." Last year, we got to take a ride in the plug-in Prius and we're ready for that second-gen drive when the chance presents itself.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Toyota Plug-in Prius

EDTA 2008: Prototype Toyota plug-in Prius is locked, darn it originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference

Click above image for high-res image gallery of the Dueco hybrid truck

For big jobs, only a big hybrid will do. This is where the Dueco/Odyne plug-in hybrid (PHEV) trucks come in. These heavy duty vehicles can save 5-10 gallons of fuel a day, according to Dueco, and that adds up quickly, even with sub-$2 gallons of gasoline. The savings come from the stored electrical energy that can power up the " aerial lifts, digger derricks and other hydraulically powered equipment" that the rigs are outfitted with. The climate control system is run off the battery system as well, so these trucks don't need to idle - getting 0 mpg - at the work site. When in motion, the hybrid system provides launch assist and can store captured braking energy.

Not all is perfect with these trucks. The Dueco PHEV needs a three-phase, 240-volt outlet to recharge at the end of the day and Dueca says that they expect the batteries to need replacement once during the life of the vehicle.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck

[Source: Dueco]

EDTA 2008: Dueco Hybrid Power truck originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: This is how ChargePoint's public electric car charging station will work

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference

Click above image to see a step-by-step gallery of the Chargepoint ystem

Back in May, California-based Coulomb Technologies announced the "smartlet" public electric vehicle charging system. At this week's EDTA conference in Washington, DC, Coulomb has a working prototype on display (it was charging a converted Prius from Green Gears) and we got a step-by-step explanation of how the system will work.

Basically, each subscriber will have an RFID card that talks to the Smartlet. By holding the card, which will have a picture of a key on it, to the space on the charging station where the lock icon is, the system realizes who's plugging in their car and gets ready to charge it. By plugging in your cord and making the connection, a few things happen. First, the system notes that a connection has been made. If this connection is stopped before the owner returns with their card (either by an accident or vandalism), a text message or email is sent to the owner notifying them of the disruption. This will prevent someone else from coming up and stealing your juice by putting the cord into their own car. The plug door on the smartlet locks to prevent accidential disruption and accidents. This door only unlocks when you return with your card, at which time the charging stops and you're on your way. See what we mean in the gallery below.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: ChargePoint Smartlet Station

[Source: Coulomb Technologies]

EDTA 2008: This is how ChargePoint's public electric car charging station will work originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CalCars: US customers could prepay for plug-in hybrids at $10,000 each

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA

click above image for a high-res gallery of the Ford Escape PHEV

At the EDTA Expo in DC this week, Felix Kramer of CalCars is circulating a proposal to a.) help the auto industry and b.) bring more plug-in vehicles (PHEVs) to market. The idea is for customers to pre-pay for PHEVs now and take delivery by 2012, at the latest. CalCars says the idea would deliver "the fuel-efficient low-emissions plug-in cars people want, using today's technology and today's infrastructure" (read it in full after the jump). While in some ways the proposal is a loan from the end users (us) to the companies, the idea really hinges on making those bailout billions dependant on the automakers actually getting plug-in hybrids to market. They would be "encouraged" to take $10,000 deposits on the highway-speed PHEVs with at least 4kWh battery packs in them. Loan guarantee bailout money becomes available to the automakers once they "commit by year-end 2008 to have at least one eligible plug-in vehicle for sale by the end of 2010 in volumes greater than 10,000." The amount of the loan guarantee is dependent on the volume of prepayments they collect.

So, what do we get out of the deal? Well, aside from potentially saving the auto companies, the proposal suggests a 100 percent refundable tax credit for the $10,000. There would also be tax credits or grants for fleet purchases. Don't say CalCars isn't ambitious: the groups says that, "We aim to enlist five million pre-purchasers. At an average of $10,000, this will generate $50 billion for carmakers. Buyers will get the money back in less than a year via tax credits."

Read the full details after the jump. Then, tell us, would you - today - give Ford or GM $10,000 for an Escape PHEV or the Volt?

Gallery: ABG First Drive: Ford Escape PHEV

[Source: CalCars / Felix Kramer]

Continue reading CalCars: US customers could prepay for plug-in hybrids at $10,000 each

CalCars: US customers could prepay for plug-in hybrids at $10,000 each originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: The View from Congress

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, USA

It was very likely because of who the audience was, but all the panelists at today's "View from the Hill" seminar at the EDTA show agreed that electric drive is the way to go for the future of the American car. Congressional staffer JJ Brown, from Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) office, Pat Bousliman, the natural resources adviser to the Senate Finance Committee, and Mike Carr, counsel to the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee (he also works for Senator Bingaman, D-NM), spoke about how lawmakers view the options for moving America to cleaner sources of energy. The overall message was that Congress will do what it can to affect change, but that Congress is looking for help from the outside - like the people in the room, for example.

Brown said that Senator Hatch realizes that, "We cannot have an anti-oil policy on the Hill right now." Members of Congress know that ethanol is not a silver bullet, and electric drive is a "great answer" to the problem of oil dependency, but it's exactly that oil that is available right now and will therefore continue to be supported.

Carr added that lawmakers don't want to be in the position of trying to pick the winning technologies - when they've tried to do so in the past they've made mistakes (*ahem*ethanol*cough*). Still, there will be a new comprehensive energy bill started up in the new Congress, Carr said. This is where the EDTA members, and others, can help with their input. We'll certainly be watching to see what the now-Democratically-controlled Congress and President-elect Mr. Change can craft.

EDTA 2008: The View from Congress originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: GM shows off EcoCar Saturn Vue

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, GM, EDTA Conference

click above image for a high-resolution gallery of the GM EcoCar

Last year, at the end of the Challenge X, GM announced the EcoCar competition for engineering students at universities in North America to rework a GM vehicle to be better and cleaner. The Challenge X teams worked on Chevrolet Equinoxes, but the EcoCar students will all be re-engineering Saturn Vues. In this first year of the competition, the teams are doing the theoretical design work, including life cycle analysis and mechanical, electrical and control work. Starting in June 2010, when Year 2 kicks off, the teams will get their mule vehicles and get to apply their strategies - whether they're pure electric, hydrogen, hybrid or PHEV. The EcoCar Vue on display here at the EDTA show in Washington, DC, then, isn't any different under the hood, it's just all fancy and decorated on the outside. More details on the EcoCar challenge here and here.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: GM's EcoCar

EDTA 2008: GM shows off EcoCar Saturn Vue originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA 2008: Medium Speed Vehicle Coalition makes the case for 35 mph electric cars

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference, NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle)

click above image for a high-resolution gallery of the Columbia Mega

Right now, there are two types of electric passenger cars: low speed half-cars that appeal only to a small subset of drivers (see: Miles EV's current lineup, E-Z-Go golf carts, etc.) and highway speed vehicles that are either way too expensive (Tesla) or just being tested by the automakers (MINI E, smart ed, iMiEV). The Medium Speed Vehicle Coalition is pushing for a new, third class: EVs that can go up to 35 mph and have some - but not all - of the safety equipment that "real" cars have. Airbags and crash testing are a good idea, but does a car that can't go faster than 35 mph and would be restricted to streets with speed limits of 35 or slower need electronic stability control? Rick Sikes, Fleet Manager for the City of Santa Monica, told AutoblogGreen that ESC is expensive to add to a vehicle, a cost that most electric car start-ups can't afford.

So, what's the big deal with 35 mph? Currently, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are electronically-limited to 25 mph and can drive on streets with posted speed limits of up to 35 mph. But, when drivers are on a 35 mph street and someone in front of them is going 25, Sikes said, it's common for them to act somewhat reckless in order to pass. On the other hand, when traffic is going 35 in a 35 zone, everyone's pretty much OK with the situation.

The other main benefit, of course, is that electric cars that can go 35 mph exist today (most NEVs have software that limits their top speed - the motor and batteries could handle the extra 10 mph or, at the most, would need just a bit of tweaking to get to 35) and at reasonable prices. Some of these EVs would need to be buffed up from their current NEV status by adding airbags and whatnot, but if the MSVC gets its wish and the laws are changed, then perhaps EVs like the Columbia Mega (above) that's on display here at the EDTA show could one day be more than a zero-emission curiosity.

Gallery: EDTA 2008: Columbia Mega

EDTA 2008: Medium Speed Vehicle Coalition makes the case for 35 mph electric cars originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA Conference: Final Overview

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:22:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Hydrogen, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference

All right, my last post on the EDTA Conference is now on the site. From here, I have to get ready for the entirely different experience of the Alt Car Expo in Santa Monica this weekend. But, sine I spent the last few days writing about what was on display and what was said at the EDTA Conference (you can see the titles of all those stories in the links at the end of this post) I now realize that there are a few tidbits that didn't find a home anywhere else. And I'd like to share them with you here.

The showroom floor. UQM and the U.S. military brought the converted Silverado truck, and GM was there with their HydroGen 3, but one thing that was really missing from the show were domestic car companies. Hyundai, Honda, Toyota and Lexus dominated the "show floor" (which was in the basement of the hotel and all of the cars were driven inside the building, which makes me very glad they were low-emission vehicles). The best showing by a domestic company, inside, was ZENN (GM and Ford did bring their fuel cell vehicles to the ride and drive). I know that this distinction between domestic and foreign is becoming less and less discernable (Toyota plants in Kentucky, GM plants in Mexico and all that), but the domestics were outgunned by foreign auto companies at EDTA.

Many, many presenters at the conference mentioned the fact that most Americans drive less that 30 miles a day, made up of 3-5 short trips. This statistic, floating on its own, makes it seem like a modest-range EV could really make headway in the market. I'm not discounting this possibility at all, but it's going to take more than the right specifications to sell units. American consumers are not known for buying what they need, but what they want. It's going to take a lot of work and marketing to make LSVs take off, but I think it'll happen in the next few years when the cars get better and cheaper and people realize they can work their lives with an EV..

On PHEVs: One speaker in a session on PHEVs gave the warning that we need to address issues of the actual plug that will be part of these plug-in hybrids. There are differences physical plugs in different countries (esp. Europe), different voltages and safety issues, and questions of how customers will pay for the electricity they get from the grid. Communication between car and the grid needs to be figured out as soon as possible, whether this is through smart meters and/or official electric meters on the vehicles themselves. These issues need to be addressed now; otherwise plug-in hybrids will never really be able to plug in.

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the entire conference was made carbon neutral thanks to carbon offsetting by Carbonfund.org's Carbonfree program.

AutoblogGreen's complete coverage of the 2006 Electric Drive Trade Association Conference:

EDTA Conference: Final Overview originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA Conference: how to land the fat government grants for advanced vehicle research

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:09:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Legislation and Policy, EDTA Conference

Sure, the government has spent a heap of money promoting hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells and other green car technologies. But it shouldn't come as a surprise to many that the federal government has a lot more to give away. One of the sessions at last week's EDTA conference was dedicated to find ways to pork out on these funds. Over 100 people came to listen to Kelly Carnes, of Techvision 21, give the skivvy on these grants, and here's what she had to say.

One of the most important sources of funding for advanced drive vehicles is the Department of Defense, Carnes said, "because the dollar amounts are quite large" (EDTA attendees UQM and Saft America have figured this out).

The next big thing the government is ready to roll out the funding red carpet for is nanotechnology, Carnes said. Nanotechnology is all about understanding and controlling matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. The funding for nanotechnology has gone from around $174 million to the billions since the Clinton era, and total U.S. government investment since 2001 is over $5 billion. But you can't just tell the government that you're working on nanotechnology and get a pile of money. Nothing is that easy. Carnes made clear that receiving federal grants is a complicated process, and because these funding opportunities are competitive and merit-based, there are a lot rules to follow. The grants need to be publicly advertised, and EV firms should look over broad agency announcements (BAA) and requests for proposals (RFP) for the notices. For example, in November, the Army put out a BAA in the vehicle technology area for the next five years. Alternatively, companies can try to arrange a Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) with the government.

The rest of this story follows after the jump.

Continue reading EDTA Conference: how to land the fat government grants for advanced vehicle research

EDTA Conference: how to land the fat government grants for advanced vehicle research originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EDTA Conference: Miles Automotive chairman previews 2007 LA Auto Show

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EDTA Conference, Miles EV

The chairman and owner of Miles Automotive, Miles Rubin, gave a presentation at the EDTA Conference that was refreshing because it wasn't a PowerPoint slideshow. I admit those slides are a great way to show graphs and charts to a large audience, but they're also pretty boring. When Rubin got up to speak, he just launched into his and his company's reasons for being in the electric drive business.

Readers will know about Miles Automotive from their OR70 NEV, but Rubin announced that at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2007 the company would have something new to show, probably the XS200. This new car probably won't be NHTSA certified at that time, but if it's anything like the car that Rubin said is his company's goal car, then people will be enthused anyway. This goal car can reach highway speeds, has a 200-mile range and has an on-board charger for a battery that lasts 125,000 miles. The estimated price for the XS200 is $28,500. The reason for building a car like this are obvious, Rubin said: electric make sense because the infrastructure exists; if we wanted to, we could make clean electricity; and hydrocarbon emissions are an "absolute disaster" that our children will have to deal with, but we can start working on the problem now.

Rubin said Miles Automotive is working with Chinese battery makers not because labor there is cheaper, but because those companies are "doing wonders" with lithium-ion batteries that are safe and have the range required (Miles' low-speed OR70 has a range of about 70 miles).

Related:

Chinese-made Miles OR70 NEV drawing interest on East Coast

EDTA Conference: Miles Automotive chairman previews 2007 LA Auto Show originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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