Amidst all this excitement about bailout money, new clean diesel, hybrid and electric cars announcements, joint ventures and collaborations, and battery development progress, I though we’d take a brief look at the history of the electric car. We may learn something from it.

An electric car is a vehicle that uses electric motors for propulsion. It needs electricity to operate instead of an internal combustion engine, or ICE, that runs on fossil fuel such as diesel or gasoline. Despite its long history, electric cars never took off in popularity. Fossil fuels have always been cheap enough so there was no reason to look at alternatives. While the electric car (or its concept) has always been a part of the transportation landscape all along, recent momentum for more efficient energy use and better environmental impact has allow the electric car to quickly become prominent as the search for alternative fuel vehicles plays a more dominant role in the car industry.

Electricity that powers an electric car comes mainly from onboard sources such as a rechargeable energy storage system or battery packs. The energy storage system

1. can be charged externally by plugging the vehicle into a power source when not in operation, or
2. it can be charged while the car is in operation via a small engine.

The former is thus called the electric car, or plug-in electric car (among other variations,) and the latter is what we know today as the gasoline-hybrid, diesel-hybrid, or fuel-cell hybrid depending on the fuel source of the ICE. Collectively they are just called hybrid cars or hybrids for convenience.

Electric Cars – the Early Years

Electric cars have been around since the 1830s, dating back to a time even before diesel and gasoline engines were created. Although the exact year is not known, records show that the first electric carriage was created between 1832 and 1839 by Robert Anderson, a Scottish businessman. In 1835, the first electric car was created by Professor Sibrandus Stratingh from the Netherlands. When the 1840s rolled along, two significant contributors, Thomas Davenport and Robert Davidson, invented more advanced electric vehicles using non-rechargeable electric cells.

It took quite some time for this development to be followed. It was only in 1865 that Frenchman Gaston Plante came up with a better storage technology for electric energy. The technology that Plante pioneered made a significant contribution to the flourishing of electric cars. By 1867, a two-wheel cycle created by Franz Kravogl from Austria that used this specific technology was displayed at a Paris World Exhibition showcase. This technology was later on refined by another Frenchman, Camille Faure, several years later in 1881.

In the same year, Gustave Trouve, a French inventor, also revealed a three-wheeled car that ran on electricity at the International Exhibition of Electricity in Paris. Thanks to the support of France and Great Britain, widespread development of electric cars became possible. It was only later on, around 1891, that the Americans paid attention to the electric cars following the creation of an electric wagon that can hold six people by William Morrison and A. L. Ryker.

The Growth of Electric Cars

During their heyday, electric cars performed rather well in terms of speed, distance, and overall performance. In fact, in 1899, Camille Jenatzy was able to go up to 62 miles per hour (mph) or 100 km/h in an electric car called Jamais Contente, which can even go as fast as 66 mph (105.88 km/h) at maximum speed. Due to the great potential of electric cars in the market, the vehicles increased in number steadily through the early 1900s. By 1897, electric taxis were roaming the New York City streets.

Even with the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in the picture, the electric cars progressed continuously. For a time, the electric cars sold more than the gas-based cars. The electric cars were warmly embraced by the upper class market and mostly in urban areas where light city driving is the norm. The easy to use nature of these vehicles also made them highly ideal for women drivers. However, due to the various limitations of the early electric cars, especially the limited speed, the electric cars could not prove its usefulness as driver demands continued.

Overall, the automotive industry was very much alive, and soon there came steam- and gasoline-powered vehicles in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Electric cars were found to be greatly advantageous over the other types of vehicles in the market because they produced no vibration, no noise, and no smell. They were also easy to use and to maintain unlike gas-powered cars that required gear shifting and steam cars that required longer start-up time and had less range. But since the electric cars were mostly sold to the upper classes, some of the vehicles featured luxurious and ornate carriages and very extravagant materials. All the way until the 1920s, the electric cars enjoyed great popularity.

Early 20th Century Decline of Electric Cars

The electric cars soon met their downfall, brought about by several factors. As more roads were developed, long distance travel became widespread, and the electric cars, which had limited range, could not match up to the needs of the new age. At around the same time, the Texas crude oil was discovered, and gasoline prices significantly fell, making gas-powered vehicles easily within reach of regular consumers. The gas-powered vehicles also received several various improvements (including the invention of the electric starter for automobile by Charles Kettering in 1912) that made them almost as easy to use as the electric cars. Gone were the days of hand-cranking the engine just to be able to drive somewhere.

Soon enough, the demand for ICE, or internal combustion engine, vehicles rose at such a rate that car companies started mass-producing the vehicles to answer to this growing demand. Led by Henry Ford, consumers welcomed several ICE vehicles into the market, and these vehicles were just more affordable and practical than the electric cars.

Despite its fate, the electric cars did not fade into oblivion. They were still used in special cases where the range is expectedly limited. However, when the 1930s came, the electric cars have all but disappeared and cease to be a viable commercial product.

Modern Revival of Electric Cars

It wasn’t until 1966 that U.S. Congress introduced a bill recommending electric cars as solutions to reduce air pollution What followed were a period of hits and misses that included various congressional laws and mandates, car industry attempts at making electric cars viable for consumers, and fleet operators trying out several electric car options in test programs. None proved successful enough as electric cars struggled against yet-ready electric drive technologies, fossil-fuel conglomerates including fuel producers and unwilling car manufacturers, and the general political environment that did not see strong values in electric cars.

In the early 1990s, California passed its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate that required two percent of the state’s vehicles to have no emissions by 1998 and 10 percent by 2003. But the law did not hold its mandate and became weaker over the years with lower and lower number of ZEVs it required.

During this time frame, a few thousand electric cars were made available from various manufacturers. There were the Chrysler TEVan, the GM EV1, the GM S10 EV, the Honda EV Plus hatchback car, the Ford Ranger EV, the Toyota Rav4 EV, and the Nissan Altra EV. The Toyota Prius sold nearly 18,000 units during its first production year in 1997. Despite this, the car makers did not strongly market the electric cars. The mandate was eventually revoked, faced by the protests of major oil companies, and most electric cars released were recalled and destroyed except for some Toyota Rav4 EV models that still circulated in the used market.

This brings us to the present day.

The Prius is now in its third generation after 12 years on the market; undeniably a great achievement! The Prius now has a true and serious competitor in the Honda Insight 2010. Other hybrid, electric and clean diesel cars by both new and existing carmakers have been announced to hit the market in the next several years. We may now have the perfect environmental, financial, political and technical conditions to truly foster an explosive growth of electric cars.

Sources:

• PBS.org “NOW”: Timeline: Life & Death of the Electric Car
• Wikipedia “Electric car“
• About.com: Inventors “The History of Electric Vehicles“

History of the Electric Car is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. on 7-26-09 previewed its electric vehicle (EV) platform on a Tiida-based prototype to demonstrate the superior driving pleasure of a pure zero-emission vehicle. It also showcased a sophisticated EV-IT system developed to support electric driving 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Newly developed EV platform

The dedicated EV platform is comprised of a highly rigid body, high-performance motor, compact lithium-ion battery with high power output and energy capacity, delivering outstanding driving performance and safety, while offering a quiet and peaceful driving experience – a unique feature of a fully-electric drivetrain.

The in-house developed electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm for high response and powerful acceleration. Nissan’s unique motor control also contributes to the vehicle’s seamless acceleration.

The 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is placed under the vehicle floor for more efficient packaging, without compromising cabin or cargo space. The battery layout also allows smooth underfloor air-flow which helps reduce drag. Additionally, the regenerative brake system employed to recharge the battery during deceleration and braking extends the driving range to more than 160km under a full charge (based on US LA4 mode, a typical urban driving cycle consist of a cold start phase, followed by a transient phase with many speed peaks which start from rest.)

High durability is achieved by employing an additional frame for the battery pack to significantly improve the rigidity of the platform. The combination of a high rigidity platform and electric powertrain minimizes vibration and external sounds to produce a quiet and pleasing drive.

EV-IT support function

Nissan has developed an sophisticated IT system for its zero-emission EVs, connecting the vehicle’s on-board transmitting unit to a global data center to support EV driving 24 hours 7 days a week. The global data center is a globally common platform to provide identical telematics services via mobile network by connecting internet and vehicle IT system.

Usability and convenience for EV driving is achieved via the following:

Maximum range display

• With a simple touch of a button, the navigation map shows the driving radius within range under the current state of charge.
• The system can calculate if the vehicle is within range of a pre-set destination.

Update on charging stations

• The navigation system points out the latest information on available charging stations within the current driving range.
• Detailed information for each charging station will also be displayed.

Timer function

• The timer function enables the air-conditioner or battery charging to begin at a specified time. The air-conditioner can be pre-set while the vehicle is plugged-in to cool the cabin to a desirable temperature before driving begins, without taxing the vehicle’s battery. Meanwhile, the battery charging can be set to start at a specified time at night to benefit from more favorable electricity rates.

EV remote control and monitoring function

• The driver can monitor the state-of-charge of the EV via an online website and a cellular phone. For example, when the battery is fully charged, a message alert is sent to the cellular phone. Additional remote control functions range from switching the charging system ON/OFF or setting the air-conditioner timer.

To be a leader in zero-emission mobility, Nissan is progressing its development for electric vehicles and the key components. The all-electric vehicle slated for launch in 2010 will have a unique design and body. Nissan plans to unveil the design of the production EV at its new Global Headquarters Opening in Yokohama on August 2nd. A Nissan Zero-emission Website (www.nissan-zeroemission.com) will also go live on Aug. 2nd.

Nissan has been addressing a wide range of actions under “Blue Citizenship” which represents the company’s desire to protect the blue planet and to be a corporate citizen that can live symbiotically with people and society. These efforts range from such global issues as the environmental protection to contribution to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. Nissan continues promoting the development of zero-emission vehicles based on the “Blue Citizenship” spirit by introducing effective technologies, products and services into the market.

Nissan All-Electric Car Goes to Market in U.S. and Japan in 2010 on New Vehicle Platform is a post from: CleanCarTalk

The Mercedes-Benz SLS is not for everyone, but it never fails to turn heads. Add the AMG badge and you know it’s built for performance. Now MB is giving it full electric drive. Powerful and locally emission-free.

Key performance data at a glance:

• Max. output: 392 kW
• Torque: 880 Nm
• 0-100 km/h: Approx. 4 s
• Rated capacity: 40 Ah (at 400 V)
• Energy content: 3x 16 kWh = 48 kWh

From Mercedes-Benz press release:

… forwards (sic) thrust is provided by four electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. The four electric motors are positioned near the wheels, substantially reducing the unsprung masses compared to wheel-hub motors. One transmission per axle transmits the power. This intelligent all-wheel-drive system allows dynamically optimised power transmission without any losses by means of Torque Vectoring – in other words the specifically targeted acceleration of individual wheels. In its first pilot phase, the SLS AMG with electric drive incorporates a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery of modular design with an energy content of 48 kWh and a capacity of 40 Ah. The 400-volt battery is charged by means of targeted recuperation during braking whilst the car is being driven.

… the swing-wing model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds – putting it on the same high level as the SLS AMG with a 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 420 kW/571 hp.

The electrically powered SLS AMG sees Mercedes-Benz and AMGcontinuing to pursue their aim of minimising the amount of time it takes to bring about the electrification of the car. Their strategic involvement in Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture between Daimler AG and Evonik Industries AG, will provide the battery technology required in future. Daimler has the leading role in this joint venture for the development and production of batteries and battery systems for automotive applications.

A few other highlights:

Wide-opening swing-wing doors for easy entry even in garages …

At the design stage great attention was paid to the widest possible opening angle – it is a full 70 degrees.

… another important criterion for dignified access and egress, two gas-pressure struts positioned next to the door hinges require only very little pressure when opening and closing the doors – even at very low ambient temperatures.

The swing-wing doors require less opening space than conventional coupé doors, and can be fully opened in a normal garage.

By the way, I like MB’s description of this electric car as “locally emission-free.” A very responsible marketing and PR step. The other manufacturers should do the same.

All graphics courtesy Daimler.com.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with Electric Drive – 0 to 62 mph in 4 Seconds is a post from: CleanCarTalk

CNN did a piece on the Mini E electric car on February 2, 2009. I don’t particularly have problems with CNN reporting in general, as a lot of their fluff can be filtered out – if you watch CNN long enough, you know. Anyway it’s an interesting piece on the Mini E because of several reasons.

Like many other news outlets, CNN does have its moment of sensationalism, just maybe more often than the rest. So if you keep this in mind while watching this news clip, you’ll see other more important things at play here. I certainly had my initial reactions. But I’ll let you watch it first then discuss on the other side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tE938F511M

While the news piece on the Mini E electric car is informative for sure, it seems to have sparked many negative reactions about “moronic reporter and commentator”, “great way to promote saving the earth” (sarcastic), etc. For me my first reaction was, “Nice! Electric cars are getting national and international coverage!” Then my second reaction was (after viewing it live and then recorded version several times), “Hmm, interesting comments are made by the CNN people, like “I’m about to back up .. and it’s not working,” or, reference to driving like “a bumper car,” or, negative comments at the end about the $850 per month lease.”

So here are my thoughts. I think CNN is reporting the news like it is in this case. While this was not live, they decided to leave in the clip of the car stalling. If the car stalls, it stalls. If she had trouble driving the car the first time, then that’s probably what would happen with many other first-time drivers of the Mini E in particular, and electric cars in general. To me it was a good editing decision.

Secondly, if it feels like driving a bumper car, why try to say it in any other way? Everyone can relate to driving a bumper car, especially when she relates it to the car’s behavior in relationship to the petal action. We can all feel the effect of regenerative braking with that single statement, yet many feel that the statement does not help the car’s cause and is out of place, and I disagree. It’s time consumers understand how these things work so they can make buying decisions, and not just through shiny cool looking models on the auto show floors.

With respect to keeping an eye on the Mini E‘s remaining charge level, thus how much distance you have left to drive, she was absolutely right about not wanting to be stranded in the middle of the road which is always a serious issue. Many marketing people would just gloss over this serious issue.

CNN did also give plenty of video time for Mini USA Vice President Jim McDowell to say what he needed to say about the car and company goals. So again it was OK reporting there.

Finally, the $850 monthly lease amount. Here’s my take. Granted, the commentator was just a tad over-reacting. But my guess is it would be the exact reaction of many consumers. Forget about going green and saving the earth. People can’t pay for this now or possibly even in the near future. If I’m in a market for a new car, let’s go check out other 30 or even 40+ mpg cars that I can afford and drive today. This Mini E is not for me, and it’s not for many people.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not picking on the Mini E. I think it’s a great concept. On the other hand I advocate that we should all do our part to promote this great solution to a world problem, but do it with at least one foot on the reality ground.

I’ve always maintained that car manufacturers are jumping on the clean driving bandwagon and bring out cars that are not necessarily ready for the consumers. See my recent post on “New Hybrid and Electric Car Choices Can Fail the Car Industry.” Many just want to ride the buzz and free press at auto shows and drive demos, etc. While it may be part of a good development process (such as getting customer feedback and measuring levels of interest), at this stage they’re all really part of the marketing machines churning out sales pitches. If it weren’t for the current economic situation I doubt if we’d see this many announcements for hybrid and electric cars.

In summary, I think this CNN piece is right-on, in that it keeps car manufacturers honest.

So what do you think of the CNN news piece? Do you have a different view on the subject? Would you prefer the news to cover green car technology differently, and what would you consider helpful for consumers to make good decisions about hybrid and electric cars? Share your thoughts with us.

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CNN Test Drives a Mini E Electric Car – Missing the Point or Just Reflecting Public Views? is a post from: CleanCarTalk

A word about battery “power” and “energy“: Batteries store energy and supply power. It’s that simple.

But in casual conversation both words are tossed around to mean just about the same thing. Here is a primer to help keep your powers and energies straight. Warning: you’ll exercise your brain in this post, so read on at your own risk.

Electrical Power and Energy

First let’s look at units of measurement and how to convert from one unit to another.

In physics, power is strength; and energy is how long the power keeps going or, simply, energy equals power times time. Power and energy are both units useful to describing the performance and capability of batteries. Power is expressed in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW, or 1,000 W) and energy is expressed watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt-hours (kWh, or 1,000 Wh).

To help explain power and energy in context, here’s an illustration. The San Diego Gas & Electric company (SDG&E) provides power to my home in San Diego and on my electric bill I am usually charged between $.13 and $.15/kWh of energy used. For comparison, typical amounts charged for electric energy in the U.S. range from about $.02 to $.20 per kWh with a surcharge if the power exceeds a threshold level. The national average is reportedly about $.08/kWh. The City of San Francisco pays about $.024/kWh because they own the hydroelectric dam. And Disneyland pays the City of Anaheim about $.04/kWh in the middle of the night when power demands are low.

So that’s how we quantify electrical power and energy. To compare energy from batteries with other sources of energy (natural gas or gasoline, for example), we need to know how to express energy in these fuels.

Energy in Fuels

Fuel combustion chemists like to use energy units of calories (cal) and British Thermal Units (Btus). Natural gas (CH4) is sold by the Btu and liquid fuels are sold by the gallon (or liter) with a specification of Btus per gallon. Again SDG&E provides my gas in San Diego and on my gas bill the average charge is about $.88/therm, where a therm is equal to 100,000 Btus, which is a little less than the energy content of a gallon of gasoline (about 114,100 Btus). To relate natural gas and electricity, 1 kWh = 3,414 Btus or 0.034 therms and 1 therm = 29.3 kWh.

Are you confused yet? Then forget what you just read above. Here’s a summary:

• 1 therm = 100,000 Btus
• 1 gallon of gasoline = 114,100 Btus
• 1 kWh = 3,414 Btus or 0.034 therms
• 1 therm = 29.3 KWh

Feeling smart yet? Then here’s a question: which is cheaper for me to use, my gas (natural gas) or my electricity? As you might expect, the answer is: My gas is cheaper (at $.03/kWh), because most of my electricity is generated by burning that same natural gas to convert to electricity and there are always energy losses in the process.

Energy of a Moving Car

Car designers like to talk about power and gallons of gasoline rather than energy. They like to use units of horsepower (Hp) where 1 Hp = 746 W. The basic energy content of gasoline is 114,100 Btus or 33.4 kWh before conversion to mechanical energy (by burning in an engine). Because of engine efficiency losses and other factors, less than 1/3 of the fuel energy is actually available as mechanical energy at the engine output with the rest being lost as heat energy.

The energy of a moving car can be calculated using the formula below. The letter x is used as the multiplication sign.

Energy = (Weight/64) x (Speed)²
where Weight is the weight of the car and Speed is its speed at a given time.

As you can probably guess, we’re really looking at a supply and demand situation. On the supply side we have energy provided by the fuel (gasoline energy through the engine or battery energy through the electric drive motor). On the demand side we have the car with a certain mass/weight required to go at a certain speed. As mentioned above, there is always efficiency or loss of energy involved when converting from the energy supply to what the car demands.

So knowing the energy of the moving car and how long it took to get to that speed, and the energy of the battery or gasoline engine expended to get there, we can start to understand the energy efficiencies of the car’s propulsion and the acceptable performance provided by the available power level.

To keep this analysis simple and easy to understand, I have ignored various other elements that need to be considered such as discussion on the weight and speed as related to the units of power (kW or Hp) and energy (KWh or Hph). However, to play in the intelligent bantering about of power and energy in transportation and vehicle efficiency issues requires a ready reference book of conversion factors between units and a reliable associate to check the calculations. (Even the most experienced professional can occasionally be caught forgetting that a pound force = 32 x pound mass.) I sometimes use the Internet and reliable websites for a quick source of reference conversions.

Using Batteries to Power the Cars

I hope you now have good background basics on gasoline and battery power and energy, and their relationship as applied to all kinds of vehicles, including cars. With the proper relationship and conversion factors in place, we can begin analyzing and comparing gasoline and battery electricity in plug-in and hybrid vehicles.

The next step is an exciting one. We’ll discuss how batteries, as the primary energy source, are put in cars and look at characteristics that determine range, operating cost, and battery replacement.

Converting Fossil Fuel Energy to Battery Energy: Understanding Your Electric Car is a post from: CleanCarTalk

It’s all about buzz, so here’s another interesting one. A Youtube video has surfaced for a week now, describing a fast charge concept by Awesome Mobility to allow electric vehicles (EVs) to recharge quickly and affordably.

Awesome Mobility claims to have designed a recharging system that can charge your EV in the time it takes to do your shopping. According to the video, which has no source nor a referenced website, Awesome Mobility “has developed a specially constructed fast charging module that is optimized for public scale application of fast charging and electric driving. The basic module is designed to withstand the harsh environments it will be exposed due to the weather, vandalism and heavy duty of every day life. The simple exterior look modular design allows for future interior technical hardware and software improvements. Combined with the increase in use of electric vehicles, the need for fast charging units will increase hence production will get cheaper from economies of scale. The time of charging using Awesome Mobility Recharge Unit is much quicker than regular charging.”

The recharging system claims to have solved a major problem of consumer adoption of EVs by allowing trips beyond typical current EV range of about 150 miles. With fast charging, drivers merely have to pull in to recharging stations much like refueling your internal combustion-engined cars, charge up the batteries, pay for the charge, and continue on their trips.

Below is the video by Awesome Mobility for the faculty Industrial Design at the TUDelft, Holland, showing the fast charging concept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-4vnNL7dzk

The video claims, “all the freedom that you’re accustomed to from your petrol vehicle is now easily achievable in an electric one.” It’s possible that we’ll get there eventually but the near-term scenario and technology may be more limiting at best. At the most basic level, fast charging of battery packs requires reliable battery heat management system, large cables and reliable contacts. Heat is always a serious enemy of fast charging. Additionally electromagnetic interference will need to be understood and designed for.

But assuming heat and other technical issues have been worked out for all components (batteries, cabling, hardware, software, management system design, etc.), the solution offered here is still too complex to implement with any reliability and operational confidence. Sometime I wonder why they don’t keep it simple. Why add all the bells and whistles and try to sell on the wow factor, when more reliable solutions will do?

Here’s what I mean. Again assuming the technical issues of fast charging have been solved, the cool looking and interesting sounding under-vehicle recharging mechanism is just too complex! Why not just make a free-standing charging station, much like a gasoline refueling station, and recharging the car from the side like a petrol car? A driver just plugs in to charge.

The system as described not only requires a complicated charging station, but also a completely different design of car battery system that all manufacturers must follow. The complexity level increases even more when such car must provide a receptacle on the side somewhere for the owner to recharge at home, while recharging will be done from underneath during trips.

I’m a skeptic on this one. Interesting idea, but I just wish they spend their time and effort on something more realistic and worthwhile. All we want is a working and reliable infrastructure to support our new EVs. Is that too much to ask?

What’s your view on the Awesome Mobility recharging concept? Have you seen another concept that has better and more sensible design and operational considerations? Share your views and comments below.

Awesome Mobility ReCharge: Fast Charging Solution for Electric Vehicles? is a post from: CleanCarTalk

According to a Mitsubishi Motors press release, February 12, 2009,

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is to give the Prototype i MiEV concept model its global debut at the 79^th Geneva International Motor Show which runs from March 3 through March 15 at the Geneva Palexpo exhibition and conference complex (opening to the general public on March 5).With feasibility testing now underway in Europe, the possibility for Mitsubishi Motors’ i MiEV electric car to be launched in Europe draws tantalizingly close.

Sketch of Mitsubishi Prototype i MiEV concept car.

While no final decision has been made yet as to whether or when the car will be launched, Mitsubishi will continue to gauge reactions through a further exercise: the Prototype i MiEV show car.

To be unveiled at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show next to the i MiEV SPORT AIR concept, this latest iteration introduces left-hand-drive to the equation and conceptualizes — amongst other items — the wide(er) tracks and long(er) overhangs of a potential European specification i MiEV.

As a reminder, i MiEV represents the pinnacle of Mitsubishi Motors’ green technologies. Currently involved in testing and promotional activities in Japan, New Zealand, the United States and Europe, the car will be launched in Japan during the summer of 2009.

MiEV stands for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle. It  looks like Mitsubishi is on its way to bring out to market one of the first electric vehicles. Enjoy the videos below.

Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G19sYVEULgQ

Mitsubishi Motors Prototype i MiEV Concept at 2009 Geneva Show is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Car manufacturers are soon to bring to market electric cars and plug-in cars. With competition heating up and new models announced, this is actually a real exciting time for the car industry and consumers alike. We all hope this trend will lead to a flourishing industry, help clean up the environment and reduce our independence on fossil fuel at the same time. But we can’t forget the single key element that will enable electric and plug-in cars to operate with any practicality: the support infrastructure.

Yes I’m talking about the plug-in stations that will help “fuel” these new vehicles coming on the road. It is not practical to expect consumers to only charge up their electric and plug-in cars at home during the night. Creative solutions will have to be implemented to allow recharging at any time during the working day. Driving for only 50-100 miles on a charge and charging only at night at home are not good enough. Consumers demand convenient charging places and times. Without this ability the electric and plug-in car industry will only progress on a slow growth path which makes it susceptible to complete collapse at any time. Without this ability the electric and plug-in car industry is not sustainable.

According to gm-volt.com website, important initiatives for Chevrolet Volt has already started. In the article “GM Announces Initiative to Get Communities “Plug-in Ready” for the Volt” there are a number of positive development happening in this electric car program. Ed Peper, manager of Chevrolet said “the Chevy Volt is truly coming to life, but preparing the market for electric vehicles also requires capable partners from outside the auto industry.”

There are many key stakeholders in this new campaign and they must all get intimately involved and work together. State, city and county governments; electric utilities; regulators/public utility commissions; permitting and code officials; Clean Cities coalitions; local employers; universities and community colleges; and last but not least, early electric vehicle adopters. These groups have to get together to address what could become the Achilles’ heel of electric and plug-in cars.

In terms of providing incentives to promote local consumer adoption, GM suggests the following:

• Public and workplace charging infrastructure
• Consumer-friendly electricity rates and renewable electricity options
• Government and corporate vehicle purchases
• Supportive permitting and codes for vehicle charging
• Other incentives such as high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lane access.

GM is also making a strong effort to push commercialization of plug-ins by:

• Working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and a coalition of more than 40 utilities to solve challenges and accelerate the commercialization of plug-in electric vehicles.
• Playing a lead role in helping to create Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards for the vehicle charging interface.

What’s do you think? Are there something else we’re missing that must be considered to help push the electric cars forward? Please share your opinions and comments below.

Plug-In-Ready Infrastructure May Be Chevrolet Volt’s Key to Success is a post from: CleanCarTalk

Here’s something cool going on in electric vehicle (EV) education in Seattle. According to the West Seattle Herald, South Seattle Community College, in partnership with the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association (SEVA), is offering a number of non-credit electric vehicle classes, including a six-day Electric Vehicle Conversion workshop.

To be taught by a group of experienced instructors who have converted over two dozen vehicles, the six-day workshop guides students through the complete process of converting a vehicle from a gasoline engine to electric power. By the end of the workshop, the group will have completed one running electric car conversion capable of highway speeds, with a 30-60 mile range on one charge. According to South Seattle Community College‘s website, this class will run between Monday 3/30/09 to Saturday 4/4/09 and will cost $899, which may be a little steep but I think it’s worth it for the experience. If you’ll be in the area during this time, this is one fun thing to do for sure.

Here is a sample of other classes, all in evenings and spread over February and March 2009.

• An overview on current best practices in electric vehicle technology, tooling used in conversions, etc.
• A couple of sessions on introduction on electric vehicles, which will discuss advantages and disadvantages of different forms of EVs, including neighborhood vehicles, freeway-capable vehicles, electric racing, electric boats, electric assisted bicycles and scooters.
• A couple of sessions on electric vehicle batteries, with topics covering suitable batteries for EVs, cost comparisons, kWhr rating calculation, how to extend battery life, charging and recycling.
• A session on EV safety systems, concentrating on the DC system, its components and why they’re important.

More details about SEVA sponsored classes and workshop visit the SEVA education page.

Considering anyone can sign up for these classes and workshops, I think both SEVA and South Seattle Community College are doing a great public service.

Gas to Electric Vehicle Conversion in Six Days at South Seattle Community College is a post from: CleanCarTalk

I’ve just posted the Electric & Plug-in Cars Compendium to begin with two cars on the list: the GM Volt and the BYD F3e. Both are intriguing vehicles and the public has many reasons to be excited about them.

The single fact that car makers and in the case of BYD, a battery maker, are announcing they’ll make all-electric and plug-in cars is reason enough for EV fans to salivate. I’m sure there’ll be challenges in battery energy storage technology to overcome before any of these cars make it to the market, and I applaud the companies for trying. Just look at the expected range on a single charge for these 2 cars (40 miles for the Volt and 185 miles for the F3e). Maybe they’re considered too optimistic by some. But they’re good aggressive goals and while we may not achieve them in the near term, I think they are exactly what the public needs to start thinking about the possibilities that these new electric and plug-in cars will enable us to do – independence from petroleum-based fuel, pollution-free driving and living, and so on.

The Electric & Plug-in Cars Compendium will continue to expand to be cover the whole spectrum of available and planned cars.

Electric & Plug-in Cars Compendium Begins with Two New EVs is a post from: CleanCarTalk