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Last Garage Team Standing: Illuminati Motor Works promising big things from Seven

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009 at 11:07AM

It sort of figures that a team named Illuminati would beat all comers. While the Automotive X Prize is nowhere near over, Illuminati Motor Works is the " only 'garage team' remaining in the contest," according to a recent profile in the local State Journal Register. We're not sure what the criteria are for a garage team (it seems like there are still a lot of scrappy little teams involved), but the five guys in Team Illuminati are certainly putting in long hours to make their car, called Seven, a reality. Currently, it's a frame on wheels.

When completed, the Seven will be an all-electric vehicle that, according to the team, will have some impressive numbers: a 500-mile (!) range, a motor good for 30 million (!) miles and batteries will last for 10 years. Get up and go is an impressive 6 seconds from 0 to 60. The team is supported by personal funds and sponsors. Hyundai chipped in $10,000 and EV Components has helped as well.

[Source: State Journal Register]

Mazda i-Stop wins another award, 2009 Japan Eco-Products

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009 at 9:58AM

Mazda has just garnered another award for its new i-stop system that debuted this year on the Axela (3) and Bianti MPV. This is Mazda's take on an automatic start/stop system to eliminate idling but with a novel new twist. Rather than just use a more robust starter and battery to crank up the engine every time you pull away from a stop, it takes advantage of the direct injection. The engine is stopped in a specific position each time (one of the pistons just below top dead center on the power stroke) and fuel is sprayed in directly and ignited. The expansion of the burning gas gets the piston moving and fires the engine with less strain on the starter.

Mazda has been recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with one of its Eco-Product awards for 2009. Like other start stop systems, i-stop can provide up to a 10 percent reduction in consumption in urban driving thanks to the idle reduction.

Gallery: 2010 Mazda3 i-Stop

[Sources: Mazda]

REPORT: Electric Infiniti will be a performance-oriented ZEV

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009 at 9:03AM

Infiniti Essence concept - click above for high-res image gallery

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan CEO announced that Infiniti would be getting one of the four battery electric vehicles planned by the company over the next several years. While Ghosn didn't give any details at the time, we assumed that the Infiniti EV would likely be based on the platform of the LEAF which is designed as a dedicated BEV.

We still don't know what the basis of the vehicle will be, but Infiniti VP Ben Poore told Automotive News that the new EV will live up to the performance image that the brand has been trying to nurture. In recent years, Infiniti has been producing higher performance vehicles based on rear drive platforms in an attempt to be seen as a Japanese BMW.

Getting more performance out of an electric drivetrain is not difficult, but it does come at the expense of range. Since Infiniti is the premium brand in the family, the car could sport a higher capacity battery pack, although that would also add mass.

[Source: Automotive News - sub req'd]

REPORT: Downey, CA mayor claims Tesla Model S plant deal 99.9% done

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 24th, 2009 at 8:01AM

Tesla Model S – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Tesla Motors does get around to building its second product, the Model S, it intends to build the body and chassis in-house unlike the Roadster that is largely assembled by Lotus. To do that, the company has been looking for a location for a factory, and it may have finally done that.

Mario Guerra, mayor of Downey, California – a place rumored to be a possibility for the plant – said on Monday that the deal is 99.9 percent done. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said on several occasions that the most likely plant location is somewhere in southern California and Downey is midway between Los Angeles and Long Beach. The proposed location is a former movie studio. The one possible issue with this plan is that Tesla would be using funds from the DOE-administered ATVM program. That program was intended to help pay for the redevelopment of existing car plants to build new clean vehicles. The fact that the Downey location is not an existing plant may or may not be a problem. The Downey city council is expected to vote on the plan on Tuesday.

Gallery: Tesla Model S in motion

[Source: The Downey Patriot]

Would a hydrogen economy be good or bad for the water supply in the U.S.?

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:48PM

Honda FCX Clarity - Click above for high-res image gallery

Trying to predict the numbers that will define the hydrogen economy are anybody's guess. And guess people will, because it leads to great headlines like, "Will Hydrogen Power Suck the Lakes Dry?" What are some of those numbers? The Hydrogen Association says that it would take 110 billion gallons of water a year to power all 230 million light duty vehicles in the U.S. using hydrogen fuel cells (although, to base your estimate on having all vehicles run on H₂ is pretty bold). 110 billion gallons would be better than the 300 billion gallons of water it takes to make the gasoline that the U.S. uses in a year, but we're not sure if this number takes into account all of the incidental water that would be needed to make the hydrogen. (On a related note, does anyone have a good source for how much water it takes to mine lithium or make batteries?) For comparison, the U.S. uses about 4,800 billion gallons of water each year for "domestic personal water use." So, what's your guess?

[Source: Reuters]

Feeling better? Vehicle miles traveled grow 2.5 percent

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:04PM

The estimated number of miles that all vehicles in the U.S. traveled (the VMT) grew by 2.5 percent in September 2009, the highest year-on-year monthly VMT uptick for 2009. The lowest number was negative 3.1%, recorded in January. Overall, for 2009, the number is up by +0.3% (6.7 billion vehicle miles). These numbers are based on the monthly Traffic Volume Trends report from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. Usually, the number climbs every year, but Americans drover a lot less in 2008, when gas prices shot up. Perhaps the recent VMT increase is signaling a slight boost in confidence, if Jim Motavalli's theory that the reason VMT continued to drop after gas prices went back down was because people are worried about the high cost of everything is correct.

[Source: US Federal Highway Administration via Green Car Congress]
Photo by exfordy. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Lancia to create the new Ypsilon on the Fiat 500 Giardinera platform

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 6:06PM

One of Lancia's achievements with the Y10, later called Ypsilon, was creating the urban chic supermini well before the new Minis or Smarts were on the road. Although not the most successful car in the segment, the Ypsilon has been a Lancia staple since its introduction in 1996. Since the current version is starting to look outdated, the Italian marque is planning to launch an updated based on the future Fiat 500 Giardinera, aka station wagon, that will use an enlarged platform from the current Fiat 500 / Ford Ka. This is a remarkable change, since the current Ypsilon is based on the Fiat Punto model. Expect all the engines installed in the Fiat 500 to appear under the Ypsilon's hood, including the upcoming 0.9 liter Multiair.

[Source: Auto Week]

Mitsubishi brings i-MiEV to Vancouver, might bring gas-powered version to U.S.

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 5:01PM

For all the work that Mitsubishi has done selling the i-MiEV as an electric vehicle around the world – Japan, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, etc. – the car is actually a modified version of the i, a tiny kei car offered in Japan and Europe. The jellybean shape could make it to the U.S. market with not only the all-electric powertrain as an option, but also a gasoline-powered version. Just as it does in Europe, the non-ev i would compete with the Smart Fortwo in the U.S., but considering the nosediving sales of the Fortwo in the States, we're not sure if the business case is there for this shift. If the i does come to the U.S., the 600 cc engine would likely be upgraded to a 1.0-liter three-cylinder powerplant, John Koenig, executive vice president for operations at Mitsubishi Motors North America, told Automotive News (subs req'd).

Meanwhile, the i-MiEV's electric intro tour continues with the introduction of a unit into BC Hydro's fleet in Vancouver, BC. Details after the jump.

[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd), City of Vancouver]

Porsche announces lithium ion starter battery

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 3:54PM

Lithium ion batteries are all the rage these days with so many manufacturers planning to use them for hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Porsche today announced that it will be the first automaker to offer a lithium ion starter battery for conventional vehicles. The new battery will be available as an option for the 911 GT3, 911 GT3 RS and Boxster Spyder. The main reason for using this type of battery is weight reduction, since the 13 pound lithium unit cuts 22 pounds off the mass of the standard lead acid battery. The lithium battery has the same foot print as the lead battery but is 2.8 inches lower.

As always with a Porsche, options don't come cheap. The 18 Ah lithium ion battery will cost €1,904 in Germany including the 19% value-added-tax. Interestingly, when ordered, the car comes with the standard battery as well as the lithium ion. That's because in cold temperatures (below freezing), the lead battery has to be put back in the car, because the lithium performance drops off too much. Since drivers are unlikely to be driving quite as fast when it's that cold having, the heavier battery in place shouldn't be too much of a problem. For those that need to squeeze the absolute maximum performance out of their Porsche, the factory is always happy to help you find ways to spend your money.

[Source: Porsche]

Southern Taiwanese island of Liuqiu going gasoline-car free

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 2:47PM

Who's going car free? The 2012 Olympics in London, a town in Germany, and some people on one day a year. A tiny island off the coast of Taiwan has decided to join the car-free club, at least to shed the gas guzzling kind.

The tropical island of Liuqiu will spend a lot of money – between $9.3 to $15.5 billion – over the next three years to phase out gas cars and replace them with electric vehicles. The plan covers buses, cars and scooters and is intended to make the tourist destination remain a place where divers and snorkelers want to visit. Perhaps the local government can turn to the quirky electric vehicle developed by the Intelligent Mobility Technology division of the Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium (TARC) for some of those new vehicles. If the plan comes to fruition, it might be expanded to other parts of Taiwan.

[Source: Reuters]
Photo by mckaysavage. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

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Last Garage Team Standing: Illuminati Motor Works promising big things from Seven