Autoblog Green http://www.autobloggreen.com Autoblog Green http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog Green http://www.autobloggreen.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan RothThe podcast by the people who obsessively cover the auto industry.<![CDATA[Chip Yates announces plan to trace historic Lindbergh transatlantic flight in electric aircraft]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/23/chip-yates-announces-plan-to-trace-historic-lindbergh-transatlan/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/23/chip-yates-announces-plan-to-trace-historic-lindbergh-transatlan/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/23/chip-yates-announces-plan-to-trace-historic-lindbergh-transatlan/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

chip yates electric plane

Chip Yates retired his electric motorcycle last year after setting records at the Mohave Mile and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and notching several (slower than Lightning) FIM World Land Speed achievements on the Bonneville Salt Flats. If you thought he was done with his pursuit of battery-powered feats, however, you have underestimated just how crazy this Californian is. Case in point? He's just announced a plan to trace the path Charles Lindbergh took during his historic flight from New York to Paris in an electric airplane.

Not just any electric airplane though. To get around the energy density limits of today's batteries, the craft is to be refueled during in-flight rendezvous with drones, which will either recharge or swap packs. No, we're not making this up.

In the time it takes to make this flight of fancy flight of the century happen, Chip will keep busy with other high-flying adventures. He is currently converting a Burt Rutan Long-EZ (now dubbed the Long-ESA, for "Electric Speed & Altitude") to battery power, with which he will attempt altitude and speed records this summer. He is also in the midst of taking another important step in achieving immortal airborne fame: getting his pilot's license.

Scroll below for more transatlantic flight details in the official press release. You can keep up with Chip's flying adventures on his Twitter feed and at his new Flight of the Century website.

Continue reading Chip Yates announces plan to trace historic Lindbergh transatlantic flight in electric aircraft

Chip Yates announces plan to trace historic Lindbergh transatlantic flight in electric aircraft originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 23 May 2012 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chip yateselectric airplaneelectric airplane speed recordelectric altitude recordelectric vehicletransatlantictransatlantic electric flightWed, 23 May 2012 07:51:00 EST<![CDATA[House Committee votes to end military biofuel programs]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/20/house-committee-votes-to-end-military-biofuel-programs/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/20/house-committee-votes-to-end-military-biofuel-programs/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/20/house-committee-votes-to-end-military-biofuel-programs/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



So about those plans for more military biofuel production...

A Republican-led group within the House Armed Services Committee recently voted to ban the U.S. Department of Defense from paying more for biofuels used for military vehicles than regular fuels, putting at risk hundreds of millions of dollars worth programs approved during the past few years for the purpose of cutting foreign-oil dependency, according to Talking Points Memo.

The projects that may be on the chopping block include the Air Force's testing of a blend of camelina (made from a mustard-like plant) and jet fuel for its Thunderbirds show-pilot team and the Navy's testing of other biofuels used in both ships and planes flown by its Blue Angels team. The biofuels programs had been enacted in part to cut some of the $300 billion in annual U.S. spending on crude oil as well as to boost revenue flowing through U.S. farms. Last year, the Pentagon said it pays around $400 a gallon for fuel in Afghanistan.

Last August, the USDA teamed with the Defense Department on a three-year, $510 million project that involved developing biofuels for the private sector. The prior month, ASTM International, which writes technical standards for global industries, green-lit the use of renewable fuels in military and commercial aircraft. Components of the renewable fuel were to come from sources such as algae, camelina, jatropha or tallow (animal fats).

House Committee votes to end military biofuel programs originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 20 May 2012 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>air forcearmybiofuelblue angelscommitteegovernmenthouseHouse Armed Services CommitteemilitarynavyrepublicanthunderbirdsSun, 20 May 2012 16:02:00 EST<![CDATA[EVS: Utah State University quietly working on in-road wireless charging]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/evs-utah-state-university-quietly-working-on-in-road-wireless-c/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/evs-utah-state-university-quietly-working-on-in-road-wireless-c/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/evs-utah-state-university-quietly-working-on-in-road-wireless-c/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

utah state university wireless charging

If you had to name one of the biggest game-change moments that the electric vehicle could bring to the world, try this one:

Every prior attempt to electrify the car has assumed the vehicle would be the energy carrier. By comparison, the grid is much more efficient at moving energy from point A to point B, so if you can make dynamic charging safe and affordable, you are truly introducing something new.

That's the vision of Jeff Muhs, director of Strategy and Business Development for Utah State University's Energy Dynamics Laboratory (EDL), whom we spoke with at the 26th Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) in Los Angeles recently. Dynamic charging is another way to say charging while a vehicle is moving by using in-road wireless charging units, something that USU has been working on for a while.

Most people believe that in-motion charging is inevitable.

For now, USU is focusing on stationary wireless charging and will launch an electric bus route later this summer in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah campus. The electric bus will travel along a mile-and-a-half route, stopping at either end for a few minutes to charge up. Using a bus at this stage makes sense as a way to test the technology because it's big, it travels along a fixed route and there is recharge time built into the schedule. An electric bus also helps reduce noise and emissions on campus, which is something the university wanted. USU's wireless charging team is also working on improving the space tolerance (making the charger work even if things are not perfectly aligned), the power levels (systems that are 20-50 kW instead of just 5-10 kW) and efficiencies.

Continue reading EVS: Utah State University quietly working on in-road wireless charging

EVS: Utah State University quietly working on in-road wireless charging originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dynamic chargingelectric buselectric vehicleevsevs26in-road chargerjeff muhsusuutah stateutah state universitywirelesswireless chargingFri, 18 May 2012 19:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Neal Saiki claims battery breakthrough gives more range, costs less]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/neal-saiki-claims-battery-breakthrough-gives-more-range-costs-l/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/neal-saiki-claims-battery-breakthrough-gives-more-range-costs-l/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/neal-saiki-claims-battery-breakthrough-gives-more-range-costs-l/#commentsFiled under: ,

Computer render of battery pack design

Engineering challenges are like a siren's call to Neal Saiki. Since leaving Zero Motorcycles in early 2011, the company he co-founded with his wife Lisa, he's spent lots of time and effort wrestling with the human-powered helicopter conumdrum. As engaging as that might be, however, he still hasn't been able to keep himself from considering how to build a better electric motorcycle; work that has, it seems, proved slightly less Sisyphean as he has just announced a pretty cool battery pack breakthrough.

His approach tackles the big battery drawbacks of cost and energy capacity head on by employing the same "18650" cylindrical cells that Tesla Motors so successfully uses. Then, to get around the labor intensive connection method of welding thin strips of nickel to each one, he has devised a way to mechanically connect the cells with enough pressure to keep the current dependably flowing through them.

This configuration makes it easy to replace a single cell if it goes bad - each one is thermally monitored for signs of failure - and also makes it super easy to upgrade when new, better cells become available. What's not to like?

Saiki calculates a 200-pound pack will hold a nominal 16.1 kWh of energy using 1440 individual cells. That, he says, should provide for a real-world, driving-down-the-highway, 100-mile range. By contrast, the "100-mile" bikes by Zero Motorcycles and Brammo hold around nine kWhs.

The system can also be adapted to four-wheeled vehicles. In that application, the pack would be arranged as a three-inch thick plate holding 26.6 kWh of energy per square meter (22.2 kWh per square yard). It's too soon to say whether or when the pack will be commercially available. Saiki's new company, NTS Works, is currently looking to work with "select OEM's on custom battery pack design and licensing." Scroll down below for the official press release for more details.

Continue reading Neal Saiki claims battery breakthrough gives more range, costs less

Neal Saiki claims battery breakthrough gives more range, costs less originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 18 May 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100 mile electric motorcycle1865018650 battery packbattery breakthroughbattery packbattery pack breakthroughneal saikints worksFri, 18 May 2012 09:58:00 EST<![CDATA[EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/eestor-and-zenn-still-alive-and-kicking-out-the-press-release/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/eestor-and-zenn-still-alive-and-kicking-out-the-press-release/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/18/eestor-and-zenn-still-alive-and-kicking-out-the-press-release/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Zenn Motor Company, the former purveyor of a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV), and Eestor, the eternal purveyor of promises of a supercapacitor-based energy storage unit, have managed to defy at least one of the predictions hurled their way. The two intertwined companies have survived.

Despite the loss of its CEO a year ago, Zenn has been idling along, putting out mundane press releases about its financial maneuverings. Eestor, as is its custom, has remained mostly quiet. Until now. Both companies have issued announcements that are sure to excite the handful of people who still believe they will achieve the energy storage breakthrough that we first heard about in 2006.

Zenn's missive is mostly about a doubling sextupling down on its Eestor relationship, upping the ante to $30.5 million and receiving, in return, all rights to supply eventual energy-storing product regardless of territory or vehicle type.

For its part, the Eestor statement concerns technological developments. Apparently, the company has now successfully manufactured 20 micron-thick voidless squares of material capable of handling more than 3,500 volts that have "a dc resistance of greater than 700 terra ohms" (mmm... terra ohms... mmm). While this obviously sounds very impressive, the company warns that the aforementioned layers "do not yet achieve the level of permittivity necessary for commercial production." They are working on that though.

For all the pertinent details, you can check out both official press releases by scrolling down below.

Continue reading EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases

EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 18 May 2012 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesome sauceeestoreeyoremagicpermittivitypress releaseterra ohmsvaporwarezennFri, 18 May 2012 07:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/17/nissan-leaf-ensures-high-quality-whisky-from-isle-of-islay/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/17/nissan-leaf-ensures-high-quality-whisky-from-isle-of-islay/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/17/nissan-leaf-ensures-high-quality-whisky-from-isle-of-islay/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Nissan Leaf Scotch whisky

The Bruichladdich Distillery has been making artisan single malt Scotch whisky since 1881 on the Isle of Islay in the UK. As the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, you may not expect the island's 620 square kilometers (239 square miles) to be the ideal habitat for electric cars.

Apparently, though, the Nissan Leaf works out quite well for Mark Reynier, managing director at the distillery. The island's inhabitants are also benefited, says Reynier, by Nissan's Power Control System, which allows the Leaf's high-capacity lithium ion battery to power other devices - important when a single storm can completely cut the island's link to the outside world.

Watch Reynier describe how the Nissan Leaf has improved his life and his distillery in the video below. And, if you're interested in other ways to use Bruichladdich's whisky as a biofuel, you can also watch James May run a Radical SR4 race car on the spirit in a separate video.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay

Nissan Leaf ensures high-quality whisky from Isle of Islay originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BruichladdichBruichladdich distilleryelectric vehicleisle of islayleafnissanscotchscotch whiskywhiskyThu, 17 May 2012 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Honda finds a way to make the Segway look elegant [w/video]]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/honda-finds-a-way-to-make-the-segway-look-elegant/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/honda-finds-a-way-to-make-the-segway-look-elegant/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/honda-finds-a-way-to-make-the-segway-look-elegant/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Honda Uni-Cub Personal Mobility Device

Honda is jumping into the personal-mobility vehicle market associated with the Segway, and the Japanese automaker even has a cute name for the device.

Honda will start demonstration tests for its UNI-CUB vehicle in June of 2012 with Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

Honda, which has been working on a plan for personal mobility devices since 2009, says the vehicle will offer firm balance and all-directional capabilities, similar to the Segway, though the person will be sitting lower on the device, allowing for "eye-level" stature, the company said.

No specifics as far as sales and price have been disclosed, but Honda says the UNI-CUB sits about 29 inches tall, has a maximum speed of about three and a half miles per hour and a single-charge range of about three and a half miles. Read all about it in the press release below, along with a video of the machine in action.

Continue reading Honda finds a way to make the Segway look elegant [w/video]

Honda finds a way to make the Segway look elegant [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric vehiclehondajapanpersonal mobilitysegwayuni-cubTue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mazda skewers EV technology with overseas CX-5 launch]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/mazda-skewers-ev-technology-with-overseas-cx-5-launch/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/mazda-skewers-ev-technology-with-overseas-cx-5-launch/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/mazda-skewers-ev-technology-with-overseas-cx-5-launch/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Mazda recently may have made the coolest car commercial in history by backing its pitch for SkyActiv technology with Bo Diddley's "Road Runner" (see here), so we're leaning toward forgiving them for this one.

The Japanese automaker, as part of the international marketing launch of its CX-5 crossover in Scotland, reinforced its caustic stance on battery-electric vehicles by injecting some humorous references to the "range anxiety" that EVs can cause, according to The Charging Point blog.

Mazda planted fake roadside signs saying things like "Abandoned EVs ahead" and "EV drivers hitchhiking," according to the blog. Mazda has pitched the CX-5 as having the best fuel economy among SUVs in North America.

Mazda continues to poke fun at EVs even as it prepares to launch its own Demio (Mazda2) EV later this year. The company, at last month's New York Auto Show, hung a banner that described SkyActiv as "Not Electric. No Hybrid. Not a Drag to Drive."

The automaker last year said it was looking to boost fleetwide fuel economy by about 30 percent over the next three years largely through its SkyActiv program, which includes models such as the CX-5 and which uses better engine, transmission, aerodynamics and lightweight technology to cut fuel use in its internal combustion engines. Mazda, which starting selling the CX-5 in the U.S. in March, has set a goal to sell as many as 160,000 SkyActiv vehicles a year.

Mazda skewers EV technology with overseas CX-5 launch originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 15 May 2012 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 mazda cx-5cx-5electric vehicleEVsmazdampgscotlandskyactivTue, 15 May 2012 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[EVS: Aerovironment's been around long enough to not pick sides in SAE/CHAdeMO debate]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/evs-aerovironments-been-around-long-enough-to-not-pick-sides-i/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/evs-aerovironments-been-around-long-enough-to-not-pick-sides-i/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/15/evs-aerovironments-been-around-long-enough-to-not-pick-sides-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

General Motors EV1 at Aeronironment

There's a good reason that Aerovironment proudly displayed the 20-year-old EV1 in its booth at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26): it's not a newcomer.

Aerovironment's Wahid Nawabi, the senior vice president and general manager of efficient energy systems, told AutoblogGreen the car illustrates that the company has decades of experience with plug-in vehicles.

"The cornerstone of our message in this booth is the EV1, which is a vehicle that is considered by the industry as the mother of the modern electric vehicle," he said. "We were the co-developer of that product back in the [19]89-90 time frame. We have this vehicle here to demonstrate that we understand EVs, we're involved in this and we have a deep history."

That history means Aerovironment has a variety of offerings for companies looking for a charging station supplier, he said. "We are probably the best company that has an entire, end-to-end offering, a one-stop-shop in terms of charging. So, whether you need software capabilities, network subscriptions, chargers of all types or pretty much anything else, we offer all those categories," Nawabi said.

Which means AV has a stake in the most interesting charging story at EVS26, the new SAE combo charger for DC fast charging. This plug was announced in Los Angeles but has been in the works for a while, and Nawabi said Aerovironment was involved in the standards discussion over Level One and Two chargers and has been involved with the Combo charger from day one. "We were involved in the charging standards for years," he said. "In fact, we were one of the first proponents of coming up with some sort of standard." The official news of the combo charger was great, he said. "We are very excited there is a standard," he said. "It is not a standard there are a lot of cars for, so it is something very new. Today's demand in the market is for the CHAdeMO charger, which we offer. If the market were to change, we intend to support it. We are standard agnostic."

There has been a lot of discussion about the combo charger, but it's a fight that Nawabi said is not really that important - right now. He said:

People are making a big deal about a standard that there is not a lot of market for, yet. I believe that one uniform standard that everyone can agree to is very positive for the industry. Whether that ends up being CHAdeMO or combo or something different, to me it's semantics. Today, the standard that makes the most sense for the consumer is CHAdeMO because that's out there and that's what the cars are shipping with. So, should that be the one? I think that makes a lot of sense. You can argue that one is better, I'm sure. But it's what's better for you, an apple or an orange? If you're hungry, you need food.

Since the cars on the ground from Nissan and Mitsubishi accept CHAdeMO, AeroVironment has a number of CHAdeMO chargers installed in places like Texas, Oregon and Hawaii. Nawabi said EV drivers today are happy because these stations support the cars that they bought. "The consumer is just looking for something that works and allows them to charge fast, at the end of the day," he said.

EVS: Aerovironment's been around long enough to not pick sides in SAE/CHAdeMO debate originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerovironmentaerovironment chargerchademocharging stationdc fast chargerelectric vehicleev1level 3plug-in hybridsae combo chargerwahid nawabiTue, 15 May 2012 09:57:00 EST<![CDATA[EVS: Bat'Lib, new battery swapping system for scooters, coming from Matra, DBT]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/evs-bat-lib-new-battery-swapping-system-for-scooters-coming-f/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/evs-bat-lib-new-battery-swapping-system-for-scooters-coming-f/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/evs-bat-lib-new-battery-swapping-system-for-scooters-coming-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

batlib electric scooter

The easiest battery-swapping station we've laid eyes on was unveiled at the 26th Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) in Los Angeles this week, but it's not for cars.

The Bat'Lib system, developed by DBT and Matra, is a cabinet (on rolling wheels, for some reason) that holds and charges nine batteries - you can see there are ten slots, but one is always kept open to receive discharged packs, so you have to return a pack to get a new one. These packs, roughly the size of a loaf of bread and weighing 16 pounds, can be exchanged for a depleted pack in seconds, providing easy "endless" range in the electric scooters that are designed to use them. In the e-scooter on display in LA (a Matra e-MO XP, we think), the battery slipped into the seat column, and it certainly did look ridiculously easy to exchange one pack for another.

The removeable batteries, built by Chicago-based AllCell Technologies, hold 1.125 kWh of energy and can be recharged up to 1,800 times. The swapping station can use either 110- or 220-volt electric outlets and uses a contactless card reader to accept payment and open and lock the charge bay doors. According to press materials distributed at EVS26, the Bat'lib system could come to scooters in Europe (Matra brand) and Asia (E-Ton and Tajima) later in 2012, but Matra MS president said in a statment that, "The Light Electric Vehicle Market today is leading the global EV market. Two wheelers will continue to play a major role in solving city congestion in US and European markets for years to come," so we'll be on the lookout for these all over the place.

Continue reading EVS: Bat'Lib, new battery swapping system for scooters, coming from Matra, DBT

EVS: Bat'Lib, new battery swapping system for scooters, coming from Matra, DBT originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 11 May 2012 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allcellbatlibdbte-tonevsevs26matratajimaFri, 11 May 2012 15:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Chrysler fetes its most eco-friendly dealers, with bamboo]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/chrysler-fetes-its-most-eco-friendly-dealers-with-bamboo/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/chrysler-fetes-its-most-eco-friendly-dealers-with-bamboo/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/11/chrysler-fetes-its-most-eco-friendly-dealers-with-bamboo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The company may be best known for tire-melting Hemi engines, but at least some of its dealerships are showing some love for the environment.

Chrysler, which launched a program last year to commemorate its most eco-friendly dealers, has named its first batch of 30 winners as part of its Dealer ECO (that stands for Environmentally Conscious Operations) Program.

The U.S. automaker awarded five dealers in Michigan as well as three dealerships each in New York and California among the 30. One Arkansas dealership was rewarded for having a 2,000-square-foot solar-panel system on its roof (pictured), while another, in Michigan, was singled out for using used motor oil to heat the facility.

In all, the dealers were noted for their energy efficiency, oil containment, waste recycling and community involvement. And each of the dealers received a bamboo plaque commemorating their achievements.

Continue reading Chrysler fetes its most eco-friendly dealers, with bamboo

Chrysler fetes its most eco-friendly dealers, with bamboo originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 11 May 2012 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>californiachryslerecologyenvironmentmichigannew yorkFri, 11 May 2012 10:04:00 EST<![CDATA[EVS: How Enron's 2001 mess leads to more plug-in vehicle chargers from NRG Energy today]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/10/evs-how-enrons-errors-led-to-more-plug-in-vehicle-chargers-fro/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/10/evs-how-enrons-errors-led-to-more-plug-in-vehicle-chargers-fro/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/10/evs-how-enrons-errors-led-to-more-plug-in-vehicle-chargers-fro/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

eVgo charger installed in Dallas, TX

Turns out, the Enron scandal will end up benefiting electric cars.

At EVS26 in Los Angeles this week, we caught up with Arun Banskota, the president of electric vehicle services for NRG Energy, and he filled us in on some of the plug-in vehicle projects that NRG is working on. Last fall, NRG launched the first commercial-scale V2G project in Delaware and has also been installing "Freedom Stations" - EV charge stations that have a DC fast charger and a Level 2 charger - in Texas. The stated plan was to have 120 installed there by the end of 2012. Banskota said that plan is still in effect, but will take longer than originally predicted.

NRG launched the Freedom Station plans in Houston in November, 2010 and Dallas in April, 2011. Currently, there are 11 Freedom stations in operation Houston in front of places like Walgreens, HEB grocery stores, Whole Foods and Cracker Barrels and five are in operation in Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Several more are about to be installed in both areas. NRG has committed to installing 50 of these stations in Houston, 70 in DFW. To put this into context, the first UL-certified DC fast charger became availalbe in the U.S. in September, 2011, so we're still in the early stages of the game.

"First, we had a very expidited schedule, but now, as we talk with our consumers, I think once we get a core - probably around 25 in Houston and maybe 30-35 in Dallas-Fort Worth - we're going to be much more strategic in terms of where, exactly, we place them as EV adoption grows," Banskota told AutoblogGreen. "Our target is to have at least 25 in Houston by the end of this year and probably around the same number in Dallas-Fort Worth by the end of this year and I'm guessing we get to 50 by the end of 2013 in Houston and 70 in Dallas-Fort Worth by the middle of 2014." Banskota added that, "Not very loudly, but we've also committed to the Washington and Baltimore market and California will be next for us" (that's the Enron tie, as described below).

How much do these Freedom Stations get used? Some are visited by electron-hungry vehicles six or seven times a day, some just once every other day. NRG recognizes that most charging takes place at home, but that the public chargers have an effect even when they're not being used. "Seeing them gives [EV drivers] a certain comfort level, that they can drive their EVs even when they may not need to get a charge," Banskota said.

Continue reading EVS: How Enron's 2001 mess leads to more plug-in vehicle chargers from NRG Energy today

EVS: How Enron's 2001 mess leads to more plug-in vehicle chargers from NRG Energy today originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric vehicleevgoevsevs26freedom stationsnrgnrg energyplug-in hybridv2gThu, 10 May 2012 15:53:00 EST<![CDATA[Lithium ion battery 'overcapacity' could arrive by 2015, would push prices way down]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/07/lithium-ion-battery-overcapacity-could-arrive-by-2015-would-p/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/07/lithium-ion-battery-overcapacity-could-arrive-by-2015-would-p/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/07/lithium-ion-battery-overcapacity-could-arrive-by-2015-would-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Too many lithium-ion batteries? That's not something battery makers want to hear, but it's music to our ears. It's also the prediction of Munich-based Roland Berger Strategy Consultants

Over the next few years, as battery makers like AESC, LG Chem and A123 Systems ramp up for what's expected to be a surge in electric-drive vehicle purchases, we could be awash in li-ion batteries. Global lithium-ion battery sales will total $9 billion by 2015 and will be marked by what the consultants say will be "massive overcapacity." While about four million hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles will be produced worldwide that year, battery supply will be about twice as high as demand, potentially driving battery costs down to less than 200 euros ($261 U.S. at current exchange rates) per kilowatt hour.

Either way, AESC, LG Chem, Panasonic/Sanyo, A123 Systems and SB LiMotive will control about 70 percent of the global market by 2015, when light-duty vehicles will account for more than 85 percent of the world's lithium-ion battery demand, according to RBSC.

Batteries are said to account for 25 percent or more of an electric-vehicle's total costs, making the subjects of lithium-ion battery capacity and costs particularly important to the overall EV market. Last month, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that lithium-ion battery-pack costs fell 14 percent during the past year and have declined 30 percent during the past three years because of technical advancements and higher production capacity. Specifically, EV battery costs dropped to $689 per kilowatt hour during the first quarter from $800 a year earlier, BNEF calculated.

Continue reading Lithium ion battery 'overcapacity' could arrive by 2015, would push prices way down

Lithium ion battery 'overcapacity' could arrive by 2015, would push prices way down originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 07 May 2012 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batterybattery costselectric vehiclehybridli-ionlithium ionlithium ion batteriesovercapacityplug-in hybridroland bergerMon, 07 May 2012 19:43:00 EST<![CDATA[SAE Congress: GE charges up Nissan's EV plans]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/06/sae-congress-ge-charges-up-nissans-ev-plans/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/06/sae-congress-ge-charges-up-nissans-ev-plans/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/06/sae-congress-ge-charges-up-nissans-ev-plans/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

nissan leaf at SAE World Congress 2012

Nissan and GE shared a booth at the SAE World Congress in Detroit recently to emphasize the way the two companies want to connects your car and various appliances to the emerging smart grid.

The common piece of equipment is the new WattStation, which is an electric vehicle charging station that - along with the companion piece of software called WattStation Connect - gives plug-in vehicle drivers "the ability to manage and set customer pricing for EV charging, provide access control at their facilities, generate valuable reports and engage with customers in new ways." Some of those new ways include powering your home from your electric car, keeping track of electricity usage and having the charging stations (when used publicly) talk to navigation software to broadcast availability. Rental company Hertz was also involved in the development of the WattStation Connect software. You can see a video of the WattStation at the Congress down below.

Nissan was also proudly displaying a placard about the expansion of the CHAdeMO fast-charging protocol. It said that when the CHAdeMO association was established in March, 2010, there were just six CHAdeMO DC quick charger manufacturers, all of them Japanese, and only 192 chargers were installed globally. Two years later, at the end of March 2012, there are 33 manufacturers and 1,071 DC quick chargers installed around the world. Those are good numbers for the charging protocol, but a challenger is coming in the form of a new, eight-automaker-approved alternative fast-charging standard being unveiled at EVS26 this week. How these two options will battle it out in the coming years will be most interesting to watch.

Continue reading SAE Congress: GE charges up Nissan's EV plans

SAE Congress: GE charges up Nissan's EV plans originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 06 May 2012 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chademodc fast chargerelectric vehiclegenissannissan dc fast chargernissan geplug-in hybridsmart gridwattstationwattstation connectSun, 06 May 2012 08:58:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S., German automakers will demo fast-charging system at EVS26]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/04/u-s-german-automakers-will-demo-fast-charging-system-at-evs26/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/04/u-s-german-automakers-will-demo-fast-charging-system-at-evs26/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/04/u-s-german-automakers-will-demo-fast-charging-system-at-evs26/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,



BMW, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen are among the eight U.S. and German automakers that will demonstrate a single-port fast-charging system for electric vehicles at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 26 (EV26) in Los Angeles starting next week.

Audi, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and Porsche will also show off the so-called DC-fast system, which will be able to recharge most battery-electric vehicles in as little as 15 minutes.

With a combination AC and DC charging capabilities, the DC-fast system is supposed to start sales by the end of the year and will enable U.S. and German plug-ins to be able to be recharged at most public charging stations while also accommodating high-powered fast-charging stations. The International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has officially tapped the system as the standard for fast-charging.

Electric-vehicle proponents consider the establishment of a fast-charging standard to be an important key to plug-in vehicle adoption because the availability of publicly accessible fast chargers that can recharge a vehicle in minutes instead of hours makes range anxiety a moot point. Pike Research said last year that annual revenue generated by makers of electric-vehicle charging equipment will increase more than tenfold between 2011 and 2017 to about $4.3 billion.

Still, the fast-charging issue is far from settled because a separate fast-charging standard - CHAdeMO - has been proposed by the Japanese automotive industry. Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries are all partners in the CHAdeMO Association.

Continue reading U.S., German automakers will demo fast-charging system at EVS26

U.S., German automakers will demo fast-charging system at EVS26 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 04 May 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audibmwchademocharging stationschryslerdaimlerdc-fastelectric vehiclefordgmporschevolkswagenFri, 04 May 2012 09:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Thailand's green car manufacturing took a beating, back to ticking]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/03/thailands-green-car-manufacturing-took-a-beating-back-to-tick/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/03/thailands-green-car-manufacturing-took-a-beating-back-to-tick/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/03/thailands-green-car-manufacturing-took-a-beating-back-to-tick/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

chevy volt in thailand

Last fall, Thailand was hit by a devastating flood that damaged parts of 65 of Thailand's 77 provinces, killed 815 people and affected the lives and homes of more than 13 million. Some parts of Bangkok were under over two meters (6.5 feet) of water (PDF) and normal life in the city came to a halt. Those are incredible numbers, but the story of what happened since then is just as amazing. Aside from the intense work of the people, which is astonishing in its own way, we recently learned that the country - the local auto industry included - is bouncing back.

This is something that the Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) was eager to show a group of invited journalists earlier this year, and we got to see first-hand how Thailand recovered from the flood and is now ready to once again make cars for markets around the world. Thailand's auto industry was hit hard during the flood, forcing Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda had to stop production. Both have since restarted, and Honda could spend up to $650 million to re-open a 240,000-cars-a-year plant in Ayutthaya Province, 50 miles north of Bangkok, that was hit hard by the flood. Once the waters receded, it became clear that the flood did not damage the enthusiasm of outside companies to keep investing in Thailand. Toyota said in January that it would it would spend $257 million in Thailand, for example. This is good automotive news for Thailand and its neighbors.

After all, Thailand is the 12th largest automotive manufacturing country in the world, building 1.6 million vehicles in 2010 and exporting 55 percent of them to countries in the Pacific, Asia and the Middle East. We were interested in visiting Thailand for a few reasons, but the most applicable one was to get some details about the country's Eco-Car program. We ended up learning far more than we expected.

Continue reading Thailand's green car manufacturing took a beating, back to ticking

Thailand's green car manufacturing took a beating, back to ticking originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 03 May 2012 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boiboi fairchevroletecocarelectric vehicleplug-in hybridthailandthailand board of investmentthailand ecocarthailand floodingthailand manufacturingvoltThu, 03 May 2012 19:47:00 EST<![CDATA[SAE Congress: Magna Flex4 offers slight fuel savings in a Land Rover LR2 [w/video]]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/sae-2012-magna-flex4-offers-slight-fuel-savings-land-rover-lr2/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/sae-2012-magna-flex4-offers-slight-fuel-savings-land-rover-lr2/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/sae-2012-magna-flex4-offers-slight-fuel-savings-land-rover-lr2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

magna flex4 land rover lr2

Flex4 may sound like something sold during the 3 a.m. hour on advertorial television, but it's really Magna's part-time all-wheel drive system that offers the benefits of AWD with lower emissions than standard AWD. How? Because Flex4 can disengage the power going to the rear wheels when it determines that it isn't needed, changing the vehicle to a more-efficient two-wheel-drive ride. The AWD is also engaged every time the vehicle stops and, most of the time, when the vehicle goes above 30 miles per hour, the rear wheels disengage. Whenever the system detects a slippery road, the AWD reconnects in a few hundred milliseconds. The AWD also engages if there is a "yaw event" (i.e., a hard lane change). The benefit? A fuel economy improvement of around .8 to 1 mile per gallon compared to standard AWD systems.

Flex4 on display at the SAE World Congress was just a prototype, and is being designed to be purely automatic but it could theoretically be driver-selectable. At this stage, too, there is no estimated cost for such a system, but Magna knows that OEMs will be looking for ways to add AWD capability to vehicles even as CO2 emissions regulations get tighter and tighter. As a Tier 1 supplier, Magna says it is ready to start production of Flex4 now.

Magna has been working on Flex4 for at least two years, but not a lot of information about the system is available online. We did find one video about Flex4, which we've pasted down below, but it happens to be in German. Still, you can see Flex4 at work in all it's animated glory.

Continue reading SAE Congress: Magna Flex4 offers slight fuel savings in a Land Rover LR2 [w/video]

SAE Congress: Magna Flex4 offers slight fuel savings in a Land Rover LR2 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 02 May 2012 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>all-wheel driveawdflex4four-wheel driveland roverlr2magnamagna flex4magna powertrainWed, 02 May 2012 15:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Alt-fuel vehicles generated more than $150 million in incentives last year *UPDATE]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/alt-fuel-vehicles-generated-more-than-150-million-in-tax-credit/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/alt-fuel-vehicles-generated-more-than-150-million-in-tax-credit/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/alt-fuel-vehicles-generated-more-than-150-million-in-tax-credit/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

car2go smart fortwo in washington dc

Now here's something that will make fiscal conservatives feel warm and fuzzy.

U.S. buyers of new electric-drive vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf battery-electric and Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug in were eligible for more than $150 million in federal and state incentives in 2011, or more than $8,000 for every one of the approximately 18,000 electric-drive vehicles purchased or leased last year, Edmunds.com's Inside Line reported.

The federal government accounts for about $135 million of those tax credits, with states and local governments covering the rest, according to the website. Leaf buyers are eligible for about $72 million of those tax breaks.

Not surprisingly, California, which isn't exactly flush with cash, was a big payer with more than 5,000 electric-drive vehicles purchased or leased in the Golden State alone. California offered as much as $5,000 in incentives per vehicle during the first half of 2011, and $2,500 for the second half of the year.

InsideLine points out that, while $150 million is a substantial sum, it pales in comparison to the more than $10 billion in low-interest loans that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded to makers of alt-fuel vehicles and their components over the past few years. The publication added that the tax-credit number will likely jump for 2012, with new electric-drive vehicles such as the Ford Focus Electric set to debut and President Obama talking about increasing the EV federal tax break by another $2,500 to $10,000.

And just in time for the election.

*UPDATE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that California is extending tax credits for the purchase of electric-drive vehicles and references the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP).

A representative of the CVRP said the program "provides rebates of up to $2,500 for CA purchasers or lessees of light-duty zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. These rebates are not tax credits, and were not tax credits in the past. The CVRP is funded through CA vessel and vehicle registration fees, as well as smog abatement fees."

Alt-fuel vehicles generated more than $150 million in incentives last year *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 02 May 2012 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Department of Energyelectric vehiclegovernmentobamaplug-in hybridtax breakstax incentiveswashington d.c.Wed, 02 May 2012 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[ANSI releases detailed electric vehicle deployment 'roadmap']]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/ansi-releases-ev-deployment-roadmap/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/ansi-releases-ev-deployment-roadmap/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/05/02/ansi-releases-ev-deployment-roadmap/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It may not be an electric-vehicle junkie's version of "War and Peace," but it's pretty close.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which last year formed its Electric Vehicles Standards Panel (EVSP) to accelerate electric-vehicle component standardization, last week released the first version of its "standardization roadmap" about four months after its initial deadline.

And we think we know what took so long. The roadmap, which ANSI said last year would cover everything from charging standards to safety requirements to power-rating methods to battery-recycling procedures, is 122 pages long. The documents, which includes contributions from Con Edison, General Electric, General Motors, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), can be downloaded here.

ANSI, which formed the EVSP last May to help the collaboration between automakers, governments, utilities and other public and private entities to better enable EV expansion throughout the U.S., is looking to help ease what is expected to be a mass deployment of plug-in vehicles while ensuring a compatible and effective infrastructure is compatible and effective. ANSI said last May that its goal was to finalize the roadmap's first version by the end of 2011.

EV proponents are hoping such standardization quickens the adoption of plug-in vehicles as the U.S. looks to cut its dependence on foreign oil and reduce its vehicles' greenhouse-gas emissions. Plug-in vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf battery-electric and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in accounted for about one in 700 new cars sold, though that number is expected to jump during the next few years. Last year, green-technology research firm Pike Research forecast that the U.S. would account for about 300,000 plug-ins sold in 2015, while Michigan's Center for Automotive Research estimated that U.S. electric-drive vehicle sales will hit about 140,000 units in 2014. President Obama has said repeatedly that he hopes there would be a million plug-ins on the road by 2015.

Continue reading ANSI releases detailed electric vehicle deployment 'roadmap'

ANSI releases detailed electric vehicle deployment 'roadmap' originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 02 May 2012 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American National Standards Instituteansielectric vehicleelectric vehicle standards panelelectrification roadmapevspgovernmentplug-in hybridroadmapsafetystandardsWed, 02 May 2012 07:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020]]>http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/04/29/some-cars-to-be-as-clean-as-electric-train-travel-by-2020/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/04/29/some-cars-to-be-as-clean-as-electric-train-travel-by-2020/http://www.autobloggreen.com/2012/04/29/some-cars-to-be-as-clean-as-electric-train-travel-by-2020/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Chevy Volt

Ex-Ford engineer Richard Parry-Jones is now chairman-designate of the UK's Network Rail. Having looked into the futures of both car and train development, he believes that by the end of this decade the most Earth-friendly internal-combustion engine cars will be about as polluting, on a per-passenger basis, as high-speed electric trains.

Parry-Jones says carmakers are targeting 40g/km of CO2 tailpipe emissions by 2020. If the "average" occupancy of 1.6 people-per-vehicle stays the same in eight years, that would equal 25 gm per person per kilometer and put such cars in the same environmental category as the cleanest mass transit.

Since the emissions of electric cars and trains is usually given as zero, we're assuming he means diesel-electric high-speed trains; life-cycle emissions wouldn't be a valid comparison since those aren't factored into a car's tailpipe number. According to The Guardian's table of emission numbers by transport, right now you'd have to load four folks in a small diesel topped up with ultra-low sulphur fuel to get down to 42 grams per passenger per kilometer (gpkm), which would put you right with one of Virgin's Voyager class diesel-electric trains at 75-percent capacity. If you want to go all the way low, though, you'll need a 50cc two-stroke and a passenger: at that point you're rocking just 19.5 gpkm. Slowly.

Some cars to be as clean as electric train travel by 2020 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>co2electric trainsemissionsmass transitnetwork railrichard parry-jonestraintrainsukSun, 29 Apr 2012 09:02:00 EST