Honda testing new electric quadricycle.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan is currently reviewing vehicle categories for micro-sized mobility products, while in Europe, the L-7 motorcycle category caters for Electric Vehicles with an output of less than 15kW and weighing less than 400kg excluding the weight of the battery - called quadricycles. The G-Wiz and the Renault Twizy are examples of this category of car. 

Honda will begin demonstration testing in Japan in 2013 to verify its potential for everyday short-distance transportation for families with small children and for senior citizens, home delivery services, commuting and car sharing. The G-Wiz already did this in London a few years ago i.e. it demonstrated an appetite for low cost, low speed commuter vehicles for congested city streets.

The prototype's cabin is designed to seat one driver and two children in the 2.5m long body. Changing the rear seat can switch the layout to accommodate one driver and one adult passenger.

Other features include the use of a tablet device for functions such as meter display, navigation, audio and back-up camera display, and the ability to charge the battery of the tablet using roof-mounted solar cells. In addition, Honda is continuing research of onboard solar cells to provide solar energy to assist the driving (hmm, not sure...).

Honda's Micro Commuter Prototype has a range of approximately 60 km / 38 miles from a full 3-hour charge. It can reach a maximum speed of 80 km/h / 50 mph.

I like it.

Top EV cities - CleanTechnica infographic

Metroelectric signs contract with Liberty Electric Cars

 

Metroelectric has sold a 30% stake in Powabyke EV Ltd, its wholly owned subsidiary to the Green Automotive Corporation ("GACR"), for 1,050,000 GACR ordinary shares.

The GACR shares were had a price of $0.44 on the last practical day before the signing of the agreement.

The company has also announced that it has signed a management contract with Liberty Electric Cars, a wholly owned subsidiary of GACR for the UK distribution of the Metroelectric's range of electric bikes under the Powabyke and eRolling brand. Liberty already distributes the Reva and Tazzari quadricycle brands.

Under the agreement, Liberty will assume full responsibility for the UK & Eire, distribution, management and control of the Powabyke business. Consequently, the heads of term agreement between the company and Eveport, setting out the terms of an exclusive licence in the UK for a period of five years, has been terminated.

Liberty Electric Cars currently designs, develops, manufacturers and markets electric vehicle technologies for use in its own converted vehicles and for sale to original equipment manufacturers for incorporation into their production.

It provides a full after-market programme to electric vehicle users to ensure the longevity of their vehicles and has partnership arrangements in other European countries.

Greg Collier, Chairman of Metroelectric, commented: "We have been in dialogue with Liberty for a long time as our respective companies have followed a parallel path in the same industry. Utilising the sales and marketing resource of Liberty makes complete sense to us and we hope this partnership will flourish as our range of products grows. I hope our relationship will develop enabling further collaboration in the future"

Plug-in hybrids need to plug in more (not less)

It seems counter-intuitive, but plug-in hybrids need EV recharging infrastructure more than pure EVs.

Toyota summarized the results of a 200-unit plug-in Prius trial in Europe that showed that the 23 km electric-only range of the plug-in Prius was adequate for about 65% of trips, and that user behavior was the critical factor in overall fuel economy.

In the trial, 43% plugged in their cars fewer than 3.5 times a week, 25% of users plugged in their cars between 3.5 and 7 times a week, and 32% plugged in their cars more than 7 times a week, for an overall average of 0.9 times per day.  In comparison, users in Japan's Toyota City plug in their cars an average of 2.1 times per day. So while Japanese drivers use an average 2.23 liters of gasoline per 100 km (103 mpg), the European drivers used an average of 4.33 liters per 100 km (54 mpg).  To put those figures into perspective, Toyota advertises an average fuel consumption of 3.9 liters per 100 km (60 mpg) for the newest plug-free Prius. I guess there's some merit to the theory that it works better if you plug it in. So we do need lots more public recharging stations after all - in this case to keep the plug-in hybrids running on electric not petrol.

Ten-fold increase in electric car charging points by 2020

The GreenCarWebsite reports that the global market for electric car charging points is expected to grow ten-fold by 2020, new estimates from Lux Research suggests.

That means the market will be worth a cool $1.2 billion in eight years time, up from $140 million in 2012-a compound annual growth rate of 30 per cent. Although the adoption of electric cars has been slow, the steady increase in EV models supported by Government policy and investment from carmakers will support the charging station market, growing unit sales from around 120,000 in 2012 to 1.3 million by 2020.

“Success for EVSE will ultimately follow the success of electric vehixcles,” said Kevin See, Lux Research Senior Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, ‘Charging Ahead: Finding Reality in the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Market.’ “It’s critical for those invested in charging stations to find the applications where there’s substantial growth.”

If you are looking for growth in the electric vehicle supply equipment market (EVSE) then Europe is the leading place to look, with sales of charging stations to reach 480,000 units by 2020.

While Europe leads in charging infrastructure, China will lead in energy consumption, the research finds, with the country’s plug-in cars projected to consume 1.9 TWh of electricity by 2020-translating into $155 million in revenue for Chinese utilities.

Partnership between carmakers and charging equipment providers as well as utility companieswill be key to the development of charging infrastructure for electric cars in the coming years. Recent partnerships such as BMWand Coulomb Technologies are already helping to advance the market.

Range anxiety 'non-existent' in practice

 

Research by psychologists at London Metropolitan University has revealed that range anxiety for electric vehicles is almost non-existent in practice.

The study, called ‘Rewriting the Psychology of Electric Cars’, saw 340 drivers take to the roads in full-electric vehicles in what was claimed to be the largest EV trial in the world.

It found exceptionally positive results, as Dr Louise Bunce, lecturer in psychology at the university who led the study, explained: “Despite initial scepticism, drivers quickly adapted to the vehicles and were extremely positive about aspects of performance, including acceleration and speed.

“Drivers soon discovered that recharging their vehicle was more convenient than having to stop en-route to refuel at a petrol station. Not to mention, it costs around a mere £2 to go 100 miles.

“There are zero tail-pipe emissions for the health-conscious and people felt environmentally and socially responsible while at the wheel.”

Tesla Model S UK review

Quentin Wilson reports on the Tesla Model S: there’s now an electric car that’s as fast as a BMW M5. The slinky new 416bhp Tesla Model S can hum to 60 in an ­astonishing 4.4 seconds.

Brainchild of PayPal creator Elon Musk (he bet his billions on this car), it’s one of the most usable and exciting electric vehicles in the world.
Made from lightweight ­aluminium with ­batteries developed by electronics giant Pioneer, top models can do 300 miles on one charge and seat seven.
And unlike other EVs, it looks deliciously horny.

There’s air suspension, eight air bags, a 17-inch touchscreen (the biggest in any production car) that dominates the cabin, air-con and sat-nav powered by Google Earth.
Testers have ­described the ­acceleration as “immensely quick”, and at the limited top speed of 130mph all you hear is tyre and wind noise.
The centrally located batteries, front double-wishbone and multi-link rear suspension give crisp, fast handling, and you can even change the steering setting between ­Comfort, Normal and Sport at the touch of a button.

And with the longest range of any electric car on the market, the Model S could even woo Jaguar XF, Merc E-Class and BMW 5-Series buyers, given that its kick-off price is a relatively reasonable £50k. And that’s why the Californian firm has already taken 13,000 orders and is ready to churn out 20,000 cars every year when the S goes into full production in 2013.
With zero road tax, a potential of over 200mpg and generous ­company car tax incentives, this is one ­luxury barge that defies convention, costing literally pennies to run.
Those 300 miles will set you back a piffling £2 in electricity.
We get it next autumn.

UK's first EV Car Club

NextGreenCar reports that the UK’s first all-electric car club E-Car has launched in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, as part of a new nationwide network.

E-Car is offering Milton Keynes residents and businesses the chance to sign up to the scheme and hire a Nissan LEAF or Peugeot iOn for around £5.50 per hour.

Members of the scheme are given a smart card and pin code and once they have booked a vehicle online, by phone or on their mobile, they can walk to where the cars are parked, tap the card on a reader in the screen, unplug the charging cable and drive it away.

There are three ways for businesses to access an electric vehicle through the E-Car scheme:

* Pay as you Go – businesses join the club and add drivers to their account with monthly itemised billing on account holder’s usage hours;

* Business Account – if a company is going to hire a vehicle for a few hours per week, a business account entitles them to a 20% discount and the ability to block book vehicles in advance. Usage can be tracked online and costs are invoiced monthly;

* E-Car hosting – if a hub isn’t available locally, businesses can provide a publicly accessible parking space for a vehicle and E-Car will take care of the rest. Businesses can replace or extend their existing fleetwith E-Car managing the fleet on their behalf.

Each E-Car club is set up in cooperation with local communities and low carbon groups to ensure it runs the type of vehicle that potential users require.

“We believe E-Car is being launched at a very exciting time for motorists as many want to experiment with driving an electric car before they make the decision to own one,” explained E-Car chairman Andrew Wordsworth. He continued: “We hope to grow the E-Car network over the coming months.”

Nissan’s fleet sales director, Barry Beeston, also added: “We welcome the launch of E-Car as it makes LEAF accessible to a number of consumers and business users who previously may not have had access to an electric vehicle... E-Car has some excellent corporate services set up which are increasingly important as companies aim to reduce their carbon footprint.”
E-Car’s mission is to increase mobility while reducing travel costs and emissions. E-Car will be also launching in North Oxford later this autumn.

To find out more about E-Car Club, email the team at info@e-carclub.org or visit the E-Car website at www.e-carclub.org.

Reva 's India recharging plan

 

 

EVWorld report: Even as Mahindra Reva prepares to launch its first four-seater electric car NXR by November end, the company is aggressively working to fight off “range anxiety” — the customer concern over the company’s ability to power the car’s batteries. The company is tying up with electricity distribution companies, malls, entities such as State Bank of India and Café Coffee Day to install charging stations, besides putting plug points at Mahindra dealerships and Mom & Me stores.
“By the time of launch we will have 50-200 charging stations per city. We want to ensure that within five kilometres or so there is a place for charging,” Chetan Maini, chief technology officer and founder, Reva, told HT. “In Delhi, we tied up with electricity distribution company which installed 50 charging points.”

In Bangalore companies such as Infosys and Wipro provide charging points for their staff. “SAP has 25 plug points,” said Maini. With Mahindra’s marketing muscle and sales network behind it, Reva looks to sell 10,000 battery-powered cars in a year.

The company is banking on lower interest rates and easy finance options to steer growth.
While State Bank of India is already offering lower interest rate for loans for electric cars, Mahindra Finance will launch attractive finance schemes for Reva cars. The company also hopes that the restoration of government subsidy for electric vehicles will push sales of this car. Electric cars earlier received a subsidy of Rs. 1 lakh, which was withdrawn since April, as the new policy was being formulated.

Reva is also banking on the recently-launched National Electric Mobility Mission 2020 for a nationwide rollout of charging infrastructure.

The company will also announce another innovative technology to addresses range anxiety at the time of launch,” he added.

That will probably be REVive then, the remote emergency energy system. 

Solar recharging

EVUpdate report: Solar-powered or solar-supplemented EV charging systems are helping to offset the carbon emissions associated with driving electric vehicles.
 
On the evening of September 24, the Tesla Motors design studio was dark, and packed with journalists and industry watchers as Elon Musk, wearing a black t-shirt, walked onto the stage.
There are three major roadblocks to wider EV adoption, he told the crowd: the inconvenience related to recharging EVs while on long road trips, the issues around the business case for charging, and the carbon emissions generated by EV charging.

The term "zero emissions" is often used in association with electric vehicle (EV). It's a great marketing tool, but it is also a misnomer.
 
Even putting the embedded energy and carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and shipping an EV, the energy used to recharge electric vehicle batteries is often derived from coal -- at least partially, and often depending on the local power supply.
With much fanfare, Musk unveiled Tesla Motor's latest product: the SuperCharger. Over the summer, the carmaker had been quietly installing six of these 90 kilowatt solar-powered EV fast-charging stations around California.
 
The stations are placed strategically along highways such that Tesla Model S drivers in major coastal cities could stop for a recharge on their way to, say, Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe. They are also located along the coast so that one could drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
The chargers are linked to arrays of solar panels made by SolarCity, a California solar power provider of which Musk is an investor and chairman
.
Equipped with an 85 kWh battery pack, in 30 minutes they can give the Model S enough power to drive 150 miles. Plus, they're free to use. This is a boon … for Model S drivers.
No other EV drivers will benefit, however, since Tesla uses a non-standard charging platform
.
Cleaner electrons
Still, the SuperChargers are an important EV industry development in that they address environmental concerns around the source of the energy used to power EVs.
To be clear: the SuperChargers do not convert solar radiation directly into battery power. Each charger is connected to the electricity grid and a battery pack, which stores the energy that the panels generate during daylight hours. That power is then either pulled into a vehicle or directed toward the electric grid, where it becomes part of the local energy mix.
A number of businesses, such as Google and Dell, use solar-powered EV chargers on corporate campuses to power employee fleets and there have been some solar charger rollouts among car dealerships.
 
But solar-powered chargers could also be used in a number of scenarios benefiting consumers, businesses, as well as utility providers.
One of solar power's most appealing characteristics is that it opens the door to establishing EV chargers in remote locations, where connecting a charger to the local power grid would be either impossible or prohibitively expensive.
 
DBT, a French manufacturer of electrical equipment including EV chargers, has established an off-grid, solar-powered charger in Jordan.
"Jordan is a good fit because there is a lot of sun and some tourist destinations that are off the grid. It's pretty rugged there, as well, so if it works in Jordan it can work anywhere", says Jake Edie, the vice president of DBT USA, the company's US subsidiary.
 
DBT USA recently acquired its first Underwriter's Laboratory certification for a level 2 charger which it plans to begin selling into the US market soon. However, Edie says the company has its eyes on a couple different business models for bringing solar-powered chargers to the U.S.
Establishing this electrical service can cost up to $100,000, he says. "Level 3 is much more expensive [than level 2], because you need contractors with more training and certifications to do that work".
Installing a solar-powered EV charger with a battery pack could enable a fast-charging (level 3) station without having to wire the site with a 480-volt electrical hookup. The battery pack linked to solar panels would store an extra boost of power to supplement the charge. For drivers looking to go from a 30 percent charge to 70 percent, for example, such a charger set-up could give a 30-minute fast charge to approximately three vehicles before the battery would be depleted. Once this occurs, the charging station would provide a level 2 charge (until the solar panels recharge the batteries).
Another compelling case for supplementing a charging station with solar power, he says, is to use it as a tool for reducing energy costs for the entity – a business, say, or a public building or school – that pays for a level 2 charger's electric bill.
 
During times of high demand, many utilities increase electrical rates. Relying on a battery to provide extra power during these times would smooth out that financial hit. A solar panel to power the charger's battery is not necessary in this scenario, Edie notes, but doing so would add more clean, renewable energy to the local energy supply. Plus, if enough solar-and-battery based charging stations were installed throughout a municipality, he says, energy regulators could use the batteries as a tool for frequency regulation.
If demands for power spike, additional load could be pulled from the batteries. If power demand falls and regulators need to balance the load on the grid, excess power could be absorbed by the batteries.
 
Sunny times for solar
A number of solar installation companies are now selling solar-based EV chargers for home installation, or in some cases are partnering with EVSE companies to provide a combined solution to the residential market.
Last year, SunPower and Ford Motor Company announced a partnership through which consumers who purchase the new electric Ford Focus can receive a 2.5 kilowatt rooftop solar system for around $10,000.
 
The system would accommodate a customer who drives around 1,000 miles per month. That is a pretty penny to pay for emissions-free fueling at home, but the solar system should generate around 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

It would also enable consumers to offset a good chunk of their home energy bills, depending on how energy efficient their homes are and how much power they generally draw from the grid.
SolarCity, which is providing the solar technology for Tesla's SuperChargers, says it has already installed around 500 solar-powered EV charging stations, and "thousands more" through it SolSource, another solar firm it acquired.

A SolarCity spokesperson told EV Update that it partners with a number of EVSE companies, including ClipperCreek, Coulomb, Schneider, on these chargers.
Michigan-based ViSole Energy has found a niche as a supplier of solar-powered EV charging canopies. Through a partnership with General Motors, the company offers the canopies to GM dealerships and other GM facilities. The panels help power the Chevy Volts in stock at the dealership, but they also offset the grid power consumption at adjacent GM buildings.