Power outages hit home for electric car drivers

Tesla Model S owner Sean Maloney of Grosse Pointe Farms exited the outage unscathed due to his home generator. Others did not.(Photo: Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News)Buy Photo

Owners of battery-powered cars face challenges like battery-charging times and running out of juice on the highway. But here's another problem that potential buyers may not have considered: What happens when the electricity goes out?

When strong winds hit Metro Detroit on March 8 and knocked out power to about 1 million DTE Energy and Consumers Energy customers at home or work, owners of electric cars scrambled to recharge their Teslas, Volts and Leafs. While it's not as simple as topping off a cellphone at a coffee shop, most owners of electric vehicles managed.

"I had access to public charging while the power was out," said Stanley Rivers, a plug-in Chevy Volt owner who commutes to Dearborn from Detroit. "Dearborn has good charging stations: three at the Dearborn Transit Center, one in west Dearborn and six in east Dearborn."

With battery-powered car sales numbering some 400,000 a year in the U.S. (more than 2 percent of sales), an infrastructure is taking shape that includes public-utility and private enterprise-provided charging stations, dealerships, Tesla-installed superchargers — not to mention wall sockets at home and work.

"Our power went out, but our home generator is powered by natural gas and kicked on automatically," said Grosse Pointe Farm's Sean Maloney, who owns a Tesla Model S. "No issues after that."

The Motor City might more accurately be called "The Engine City": cars with electric motors are nowhere near as popular as in California and the Northeast. Even though the first all-electric car under $40,000 to promise more than 200 miles per charge — the Chevrolet Bolt — is assembled in Orion Township north of Detroit, Michigan dealers have not yet received Bolts. The first Bolts were delivered to dealers in California and Oregon late last year, and dealers there and in eastern states like New York, Massachusetts and Virginia take priority.

Electrics are "a California thing," a spokesperson for one area Chevy dealer said when contacted about local interest. Other all-electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf have sold poorly here. A spokesman for Suburban Nissan in Troy says the dealership moves just one or two a year.

The most prominent EVs in Detroit are all-electric Teslas and plug-in Volts, which sport a gas engine that takes over when the battery loses charge. With an electric-only range of 35-50 miles, however, many Volt owners take pride in never visiting a gas station.

"My home in Plymouth was without power for 48 hours, but my office in Novi never lost power," said Volt owner Nate Dort. "I charge there for free — and usually do daily — so my charging routine didn't really change."

Dort echoes Leaf owner Cari Meabrod Sinke of Hartland, who said she has plenty of charging options: "If I had lost power, I would have used my generator to charge — or work or hit my dealership on my way to work."

But for Volt owners like Joe Lopez of Detroit, the plug-in's battery/gas duality is tailor-made for blackout Armageddon: "The beauty of having a Volt is you have the gasoline backup."

Gas-station pumps are also vulnerable to power blackouts. But the service station infrastructure is so ubiquitous that fuel providers like Barrick Enterprises reported minor inconvenience for customers.

"About 10 percent of our customers lost power for an extended period," said founder Bob Barrick, whose company delivers fuel to some 200 gas stations in the Detroit area. "For those without, it was a tough week. I had one customer without power in Highland Park and another with power just across Woodward Avenue. He doubled his sales."

Jeff Sturm of Taylor is looking at a home-based solar panels to deal with emergencies.

"I'd like to cover my garage with panels but have not decided if I want grid-tied or off-grid," said Sturm. "The latter would give me enough power to charge my car on many days, but would need battery storage to be useful."

Connie Howe of St. Clair Shores, who winters in Fort Myers, Florida, was out of town during the power outages, but was still concerned about her Tesla Model S.

"I have a Tesla plugged into the 110 wall-socket in Michigan," she said. "I just call up my Tesla app to make sure it's still fully charged."

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.

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Source: Power outages hit home for electric car drivers

The Future Of Gold Rush? Volvo CE Unveils It Autonomous Electric Load Carrier HX2

Volvo Construction Equipment is developing whole lineup of autonomous vehicles, including hybrids and all-electric.

The all-electric load carrier concept HX1 (proof of concept) was unveiled in September 2016, and now Volvo CE proudly presents its next generation version HX2 .

At this point, the technical specs have not been revealed, but it seems that the HX2 could work 24/7, with some undefined stops for recharge…abilities which could change the face of modern mining and landscape applications.  Of course the vehicle is also able to detect humans and obstacles in its vicinity

According to Uwe Müller, Volvo CE's chief project manager for the electric site project, the HX2 is a completely new design, with technologies and components (such as electric motors, batteries and power electronics) shared from the Volvo Group.

After an upcoming pilot project, we expects that Volvo will expand offer with autonomous electric construction equipment around 2020.

Videos with Volvo CE HX1 and other autonomous Volvo Construction Equipment vehicles:

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) unveiled the HX2, the latest development in the company's electric site solution, at CONEXPO/CON-AGG 2017. The prototype autonomous, battery-electric, load carrier is one element of an electric site research project that predicts up to a 95% reduction in carbon emissions and up to a 25% reduction in total cost of ownership. Volvo CE showcased the first-generation of the prototype HX machine, known as HX1, at the company's Xploration Forum in September last year. Since then, Volvo CE's engineers have been developing the machine. And while it may still look similar on the outside, it's completely different on the inside.

"The HX2 is fundamentally different to the HX1," says Uwe Müller, Volvo CE's chief project manager for the electric site project. "The HX1 was proof of concept. Once we knew it was feasible we updated the design requirements for the HX2 to incorporate shared technologies and components from the Volvo Group, such as electric motors, batteries and power electronics. Integrating a completely new drivetrain was crucial to take full advantage of the groundbreaking electromobility developments that are happening inside the Volvo Group. Another new feature is the addition of a vision system, which allows the machine to detect humans and obstacles in its vicinity."

A complete site solutionThe electric site project aims to electrify a transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing and transport to secondary crushing. It involves developing new machines, work methods and site management systems – together these things form a complete site solution. As well as a small fleet of HX2s, other prototype machines that make-up the electric site system includes a prototype electric hybrid wheel loader, and a grid-connected excavator. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control systems and logistic solutions for electric machines in quarries.

The LX1 is Volvo CE's prototype electric hybrid wheel loader – it was also unveiled at the Xploration Forum last year. The machine can deliver up to a 50% improvement in fuel efficiency, as well as significant reductions in emissions and noise pollution compared to its conventional counterparts. It is currently being field tested in the U.S. by Volvo CE's customer Waste Management – the largest environmental services and recycling company in North America. So far, feedback has been positive.

The LX1 is a 'series hybrid' that incorporates a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electric driven hydraulics, an energy storage system, a significantly smaller diesel engine and new machine architecture, including a new design of the lifting unit. It's this combination that enables the substantial gain in fuel efficiency. The prototype – which has 98% new parts and a fundamentally new machine design – can do the work of a wheel loader that's one size larger.

Collaborating for a sustainable futureVolvo CE teamed up with its customer Skanska Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency and two Swedish universities – Linköping University and Mälardalen University – in October 2015 to collaborate on the SEK 203 million project. Volvo CE is coordinating the project and is in charge of developing the machines and systems. Skanska Sweden is providing logistical solutions, application relevance and job site knowledge. The Swedish Energy Agency – a government agency for national energy policy issues – is helping to fund the project and the universities are carrying out research. Two PhD students are looking at battery aging and energy management for electric vehicles, as well as functional safety.

Skanska Sweden will incorporate the demonstration machines into its operations and test the electric site concept at a quarry in western Sweden for 10 weeks at the end of 2018. After this, Volvo CE will examine the project results to see if the concept is viable for the industry. Currently this work is just a research project, with no plans for industrialization at this stage.

"Volvo CE is committed to pushing boundaries and exploring the technology of the future," says Jenny Elfsberg, director of emerging technologies at Volvo CE. "The HX2 and the electric site project demonstrate how Volvo CE wants to work with its customers early in the development phase to improve total site performance and sustainability, while also saving customers money. By integrating customers in the development process, we can design the best solution for a task, application and environment together. The concepts being developed in the electric site research project are part of Volvo CE's long-term future vision, and they have the potential to transform the quarry and aggregates industry. By using electricity instead of diesel to power construction equipment in a quarry we have the potential to deliver significant reductions in fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, environmental impact and cost-per-tonne. The electrification of construction equipment will produce cleaner, q uieter and more efficient machines – this represents the future of our industry."

Source: The Future Of Gold Rush? Volvo CE Unveils It Autonomous Electric Load Carrier HX2

Electra Meccanica Shows Off Electric Roadster With 250-Mile Range, Starting Price of $37,000

Electra Meccanica Shows Off Electric Roadster With 250-Mile Range, Starting Price of $37,000

10 hours ago by Mark Kane

Electra Meccanica Tofino

Vancouver's Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corporation (EMV) announced from the Vancouver Auto Show (held at the Vancouver Convention Center from March 28 through April 2) two new electric vehicles.

The first one is a roadster (which kinda reminds us of a Miata), the  Tofino with 250 miles (400 km) of range, a 125 mph (200 km/h) top speed and 0-60 mph under seven seconds.

The Electra Meccanica Tofino is scheduled for market launch in 2019 for $50,000 CAD (which is around $37,000 US).

"Designed by a world-class coach-building team from Intermeccanica with an all-electric drivetrain, the Tofino will provide a spirited and powerful driving experience. The vehicle will be hand-crafted with an evolutionary design nod to the popular Intermeccanica Roadster. In short, the Tofino will give you a classic car look with the technology from today. The electric custom coach sports car will be made with advanced components and its long-range electric motor will take you anywhere you want to go in exceptional comfort and style. The Tofino has remarkably good looks with the lightweight retractable hard top up or down — and it will have enough storage space for a weekend getaway or an adventurous cruise along the highways and backroads.

The Tofino is equipped with a high-performance, all-electric motor with a top speed of 200 kph (125 mph) and a 0-100 kph (0-60 mph) in under 7 Seconds. The chassis and body are made of a lightweight aerospace-grade composite and the car is capable of up to 400 km (250 Miles) of range on a full charge. The roadster will be available in five stunning colors including Titanium Silver, Electric Red, Raven Black, Arctic White, and Bionic Bronze with a suggested retail price starting at $50,000*. Estimated deliveries will begin by 2019 and interested individuals can make a $1,000* reservation for the Tofino at the show or by logging on to http://electrameccanica.com."

"*Plus taxes, subject to finalization upon delivery. Prices shown do not include any applicable taxes. All prices are in Canadian dollars. Financing available OAC. All specifications subject to change without notice."

Electra Meccanica SOLO R

The second vehicle is a race-prepped SOLO R performance vehicle, based on the earlier standard SOLO three-wheeler, unveiled in September.

"The SOLO R is a race-prepped performance variant of the innovative all-electric SOLO commuter vehicle, which made its world debut at Vancouver's Luxury and Supercar Weekend in September. The SOLO R has a high-performance battery system mated to performance brakes, oversized wheels and racing slicks. All of the updates come courtesy of Electra Meccanica's Advanced Performance team making the SOLO R a spec racer to be reckoned with on the road and on the track. More information on the EMV race program can be found at http://EMVRacing.com. Both the SOLO and SOLO R are being exhibited at the Vancouver Auto Show for the first time. Electra Meccanica is currently offering dealer opportunities and accepting fully-refundable $250* deposits for the SOLO which can be made at the show or placed online at http://electrameccanica.com."

Mark West, President of Electra Meccanica said:

"We are very proud to showcase our company, along with a couple of extremely exciting new vehicles at our hometown show. The passion behind these cars is a massive step-forward for our brand and they represent the best of what we can achieve from a performance standpoint. Vancouver Auto Show attendees and others around the world will not be disappointed."

Tags: 2017 Vancouver Auto Show, Electra Meccanica, Electra Meccanica SOLO, Electra Meccanica SOLO R, Electra Meccanica Tofino, Vancouver Auto Show

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Source: Electra Meccanica Shows Off Electric Roadster With 250-Mile Range, Starting Price of $37,000

Ride hailing, electric vehicles, self-driving cars: Ford Canada looks to future

VANCOUVER — Ride hailing, electric vehicles and self-driving cars are transforming the future of Ford Canada, and CEO Mark Buzzell says the company is gearing up for a radical shift toward becoming an "auto and mobility" business.

Buzzell said Tuesday the company sees these trends taking hold and is responding with billions of dollars in new investments. While he wouldn't speculate on long-term hiring plans in Canada, he said Ford would still need a strong manufacturing workforce.

"At the end of the day, you still have to manufacture autonomous vehicles," he said in an interview at Vancouver's auto show. "If anything, it's going to add jobs because we need software development engineers to help us with the technology."

Ford has already invested in San Francisco-based Chariot, which allows people to use a mobile app to hail rides on transit vans, as well as bike-sharing service GoBike. Last month, it announced $1 billion for a company called Argo AI, which is led by former Google and Uber executives and aims to develop a new software platform for Ford's first autonomous vehicle.

"There's a lot of new disruptors or new players trying to get into this space," Buzzell said. "As our chairman Bill Ford has said, it's an interesting time when we need to figure out who's our friend and who's our foe. In some cases, they may be one and the same."

The company is promising to have a self-driving vehicle, without a steering wheel or gas pedal, on the market by 2021. Currently, Ford is testing a fleet of 30 autonomous vehicles in the U.S. and aims to expand to 90 around the globe, Buzzell said.

Ford has also invested $4.5 billion in electric vehicles to bring 13 new models to market over the next four or five years.

"I think we can do a better job of creating awareness of the features and benefits these vehicles bring," he said. "Then I think we have to overcome some anxieties."

Customers have "range anxiety," worrying that they will run out of energy, he said. But he said Ford is working to ensure more charging stations are available while piloting wireless charging technology in other parts of the world.

Buzzell said Canada is trying to position itself as a technology and innovation leader and the company is working closely with the federal government on projects including improving engine development at its two engine plants in Windsor, Ont.

Ford promised last fall it would inject $700 million into the Windsor plants and its assembly plant in Oakville, Ont., as part of a labour deal reached with Unifor, which represents about 6,700 workers at the company's facilities.

Buzzell has said this commitment has not wavered since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. He reaffirmed his position on Tuesday, adding it would be unfair to speculate about Trump's protectionist proposals.

He said it's too early to comment on the U.S. administration's proposal for a border-adjusted tax on imports, but he said Ford chairman Bill Ford and CEO Mark Fields are communicating to Trump that the company supports free trade. He wouldn't comment on what they were hearing in response.

He said the company is also working with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and governors of Great Lakes states, as Ford facilities on either side of the border are highly interdependent.

"NAFTA has been around for 22 years and for the most part, it's served us very well," he said. "We're in favour of very open trade agreements that make it easy for us to do business around the globe."

— Follow @ellekane on Twitter.

Source: Ride hailing, electric vehicles, self-driving cars: Ford Canada looks to future

NIPSCO, federal incentives drive electric car push

Matthew and Diana McAfee started breaking their dependence on gasoline when prices at the pump soared to more than $4 a gallon.

The Valparaiso residents say they each purchased a Toyota Prius electric crossover vehicles to make their trips around town and back and forth better for their pocketbooks and the environment.

"I get sick and tired of paying for gas," Matthew said. His first instinct was to purchase a motorcycle to get him back and forth from work. The bike got about 71 miles per gallon. "The Prius gets better gas mileage than the motorcycle."

Matthew then planned to build his own electric vehicle, a project Diana was not so sure would materialize.

"I still have the transmission in the garage," Diana laughed.

The couple wound up at a Merrillville Nissan dealer to learn about a program organized through South Shore Clean Cities and Midwest EVOLVE to introduce people to electric vehicles on Saturday. Midwest EVOLVE is a three-year program that partners with SSCC and Clean Cities organizations from seven states to hold events that provide a hands-on experience to test drive a variety of locally available electric vehicles.

The event highlighted an incentive partnership between the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and the auto dealership that offers an up to $10,000 incentive to its NIPSCO customers and employees who purchase a Leaf through the dealership. That incentive is on top of an up to $7,500 federal tax credit on the purchase of an alternative fuel vehicle.

Ryan Lisek, with South Shore Clean Cities, said the partnership also helps promote NIPSCO's growing InCharge network, a series of EV charging stations throughout the company's service area. He said the availability of charging stations makes the purchase of an electric vehicle appealing to more motorists.

"We needed the infrastructure in place first," Lisek said.

The McAfees left the dealership Saturday to discuss their options, but were considering the purchase in part due to the incentives.

"You're helping the economy out and you're helping the environment," Matthew said.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Source: NIPSCO, federal incentives drive electric car push

Mitsubishi: PHEV tech not yet cost-effective in small vehicles

Mitsubishi Motors says it does not yet have a viable business case for developing plug-in hybrid vehicles to sit below its highly successful Outlander PHEV crossover.

This means that PHEV derivatives of vehicles such as the just-released Eclipse Cross have been shelved — though the company insists it is still investing significant resources in developing the technology more generally.

Mitsubishi is a world leader in PHEV drivetrains, capitalising on the growing number of jurisdictions with tempting buyer incentives to go greener, while skirting the still-thorny issue of pure-electric range anxiety.

The Outlander PHEV has motors on each axle with independent drive, powered by battery cells in the floor, giving it a unique AWD setup the company calls Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC).

The batteries can be charged by the front-mounted petrol engine (which can also directly power the front wheels at higher driving speeds) or by being plugged into an external source. There are also various levels of regenerative engine braking.

Pure electric range is about 50km (top speed 120km/h) but the presence of the petrol engine as power source and generator means you can drive it effectively as an IC car for 500km and then fuel up at a servo.

The company has sold more than 100,000 Outlander PHEVs since 2013, owns more than 30 per cent market share in Europe (the world's key driver of plug-ins) and is the top-selling car of its type in Norway, the UK and more.

But with the template set, the Japanese brand's next major step-change — a new PHEV model — will not lob until the next-generation Outlander arrives, which is not likely to appear for a few years.

Mitsubishi Motors' European general manager of communications Daniel Nacass told us last week that the numbers just don't yet stack up for various other segments.

"Our next all-new PHEV will be the replacement for the current Outlander," he said.

"Eclipse Cross was designed for PHEV, and the car can accommodate the PHEV drivetrain, however we decided to stop development of that version simply because the business case at that price range did not make sense, would not have enough return on investment."

That said — and this is us speaking now — the PHEV remains a key point-of-difference for conservative Mitsubishi: a truly market-leading vehicle in terms of price, and market penetration, in a relatively cutting edge space.

Pictured: 2016 Mitsubishi Ground Tourer GT-PHEV concept

"We keep obviously working on PHEV development," Nacass added. "Obviously PHEV systems we will fit to our next cars will have next-generation motors, batteries and more."

Chrystal ball time. Last year's 2016 Mitsubishi Ground Tourer GT-PHEV concept offered a larger 25kWh battery pack, a 2.4-litre combustion engine, 90kW front electric motor (plus front LSD) and a 45kW on each rear wheel (two on the axle).

The promised electric-only range is 120 kilometres, and the hybrid cruising range is more than 1200km.

Nacass was also bullish about the recent incorporation of Mitsubishi into the Renault-Nissan Alliance. A key reason given at the time for Nissan's 2 billion euro move was to access MMC's PHEV tech to complement its strength in pure electric vehicles, such as the Leaf and NV200.

Given the point of the alliance is to find synergies and share technologies to amortise the costs faster — where it makes sense to do so — PHEV iterations of other future cars such as the shared-platform next-generation Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Patrol would also seem like obvious bets.

We're currently guests of Mitsubishi in Europe exploring its PHEV technologies. The 2017 Outlander PHEV update arrives in Australia within a few weeks, and will again be priced around $50,000.

MORE: Mitsubishi not sustainable without Renault-Nissan allianceMORE: Outlander news, reviews, comparisons and videosMORE: Everything Mitsubishi

Source: Mitsubishi: PHEV tech not yet cost-effective in small vehicles

The ‘Tesla of bus makers’ arrives in Southern California, as Metro considers buying electric buses

Just as Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to electrify the personal automobile, his former finance director, Ryan Popple, has set out to do the same to the transit bus.

Popple, 39, revamped Proterra, a South Carolina company, focusing it on building electric buses. Sales more than doubled from 2015 to 2016, with expectations of revenues tripling in 2017, Popple said.

• Photos: Electric buses are built at Proterra's new City of Industry plant

To keep up with demand and at the same time add local manufacturing jobs, Proterra recently moved into an old lighting fixtures plant in the City of Industry where it is building battery-powered electric buses that can go up to 350 miles on a single charge.

"We hope we have as big an impact on transit as Tesla has had on the light-duty vehicle sector," Popple said, referring to Tesla's electric automobiles that travel 240 miles or more between charges.

Others companies, such as BYD, a Chinese electric-bus maker in Lancaster, as well as Canadian-based New Flyer Industries and Riverside's Complete Coach Works, which guts old diesel buses and turns them into electric, are revolutionizing the transit bus industry in California, the United States and the world.

Will Metro go electric?

The next month or so could determine the future of electric buses in Southern California.

That's because many of these companies are competing for a huge contract from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to buy electric buses. Metro needs to make a decision by May whether to change its order of 1,000 compressed natural gas buses to zero-emission electric buses.

With 2,200 buses in its fleet, Metro is the largest bus agency west of the Mississippi. A switch to electric buses would clean the air of nitrogen oxides, a component of LA smog and help the state reduce its load of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, which contributes to global climate change.

But the cost of a 40-foot electric bus from Proterra is reportedly about $775,000. The latest version low-nitrogen oxide CNG bus cost about $525,000.

John Drayton, Metro's director of vehicle technology and bus procurements, is in negotiations with several companies answering Metro's call for 1,000 new buses. Of the total, Metro is planning on buying 200, or about 20 percent electric buses, while the rest will be CNG buses, he indicated.

Metro wants to test-run electric buses on the Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley and the Silver Line, which goes from El Monte to downtown Los Angeles and San Pedro, he said. Each line could get about 45 electric buses to replace CNG buses, he said.

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"We would hate to see L.A. Metro lock in 800 CNG buses. That might not feel good five or six years from now," said Popple.

Some lines may be electrified

Drayton said lines that operate 14 to 16 hours on the uncontrolled streets of Los Angeles may not be a good fit at this time for electric buses. Instead, Metro wants to see how electric buses perform on controlled routes.

"We are actively moving forward with next generation CNG and electric buses. We are going forward with a plan that has the most air quality benefit for the least dollars," Drayton said.

Taking what some call a prudent approach is in stark contrast to other transit agencies, which are diving head first into battery-electric buses.

Seattle, Foothill Transit converting

For example, King County Metro in Seattle released a report last week saying it can run a 100 percent electric bus fleet by 2034 for only minimal cost increases. With 1,400 buses on the roads — many of them electric trolley buses — it is the second-largest transit agency on the West Coast. The agency announced it will buy 120 battery electric buses by 2020 with the first 72 from Proterra, Popple said. After 2020, all new bus purchases will be electric.

"They are extremely bullish about electric vehicles. Their report said assuming a 150-mile range per bus and today's battery technology can handle about 70 percent of their routes," said Jimmy O'Dea, vehicles analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Oakland.

Foothill Transit runs 360 buses in the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los Angeles, of which 17 are electric and mostly run on Line 291 from La Verne to Pomona. Foothill has announced a goal of reaching 100 percent electric buses by 2030. It is in the process of purchasing 17 of Proterra's Catalyst E2 models, said Felicia Friesema, Foothill Transit spokesperson.

The new Proterra buses will begin arriving in June. "By the end of October, about 10 percent of our fleet will be electric," she said.

Popple said Foothill has ordered the models with enough battery packs to last 175 to 220 miles per charge. "Most of their routes are less than 200 miles," Popple said.

Is technology ready?

Drayton said he had not analyzed Seattle's plans. "From a technology standpoint it is aggressive and premature to make broad pronouncements to commit to one technology over another," he said.

He dismissed Proterra's claims of 350 miles per charge as optimal, saying in reality the bus would most likely see 200 miles per charge.

Popple said the higher range is available in models with a greater cluster of battery packs.

"We haven't seen that design. I haven't had time to jump into analysis (of Seattle Metro's plans)," he said.

Drayton said smaller, suburban transit agencies such as Foothill can't compare to Metro's mostly urban bus routes with more demands and heavier use.

"Our limited experience with battery technology is very poor," he said, referring to five 2014 model BYD buses on the Orange Line that failed to climb hills and needed re-charging more frequently than planned. Yet, Drayton said Metro is ordering five newer model BYD buses and said battery technology has greatly improved in the last few years.

"Proterra is getting as close as anyone to getting a bus to run all our routes," he said. Drayton said he could not comment on the specifics of the negotiations.

Popple said Metro's offer to buy new buses is one of 38 "requests for proposals" Proterra is bidding on in North America. It already does business in 36 U.S. cities, he said. The company recently shipped its 100th electric bus.

Groups pressure LA Metro

In L.A. County, adding 200 electric buses would be a start, both for improving the environment and adding good-paying local jobs, said Erika Patterson of the group Jobs To Move America, part of a coalition pushing Metro to transition to all-electric buses by 2030. The groups, which includes the Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch and Earthjustice, don't want Metro to lock up nearly half its bus fleet with relatively dirtier CNG buses when electric bus companies are putting out new or improved models every year.

Todd Campbell, vice president of public policy and regulatory affairs with Clean Energy Fuels, a natural gas trade group, said the newest CNG bus reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 percent compared with the 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency heavy duty engine standard.

"It is the cleanest combustion engine in the world," he said.

In addition, Campbell said the industry is producing natural gas from landfills, sewage treatment plants and dairy farms, all places where natural gas, or methane, is emitted. But instead of flaring it or releasing it into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas, Clean Fuels have begun pumping what they call renewable natural gas through its pipelines.

The combination of renewable fuel made from decaying garbage or cow dung with the low-nitrogen oxide CNG buses makes them as clean or cleaner than electric buses for both smog-causing emissions and greenhouse gases, he said.

O'Dea says Clean Energy Fuels cherry-picked its data. The Union of Concerned Scientists study says a CNG bus with renewable fuel releases 1.8 grams of total emissions per mile. An electric bus releases 0.9 grams per mile. The study looks at tailpipe emissions and upstream pollution that comes from making and delivering the fuel.

"Overall, the upstream emissions are still the major component but for electric buses, the grid is getting cleaner," O'Dea said. Twenty-five percent of California's electricity grid is from renewable energy. The state is committed to 50 percent renewables by 2030, with zero energy from carbon by 2026, O'Dea said.

Methane leaks a problem

Popple warns that if the Trump administration makes good on a plan to no longer regulate methane leakage, such as the gas leak from Southern California Gas Co.'s Aliso Canyon storage site in Porter Ranch, that could result in more methane released into the atmosphere before it gets burned in an engine.

Methane is 34 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 100 years, and 86 times more potent over a 20-year time frame, O'Dea said.

"So, the impact on natural gas vehicles on the climate may get worse and not better," Popple said.

Rapid conversions in the future

Popple predicts that by 2025, every transit agency in the United States and many in Europe and Asia will convert to all-electric buses. France, England, India and China are already doing so, with China at nearly 50 percent electric today, he said.

"Our country has an uncertain future if we don't transition well to this next technology," Popple said. "If we don't master this technology we will import this technology."

Source: The 'Tesla of bus makers' arrives in Southern California, as Metro considers buying electric buses

Jaguar Reveals Prototype for I-Pace Electric SUV

Jaguar will introduce an electric SUV called the I-Pace in 2018. The vehicle was previewed in concept form at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show and early test mules using makeshift F-Pace bodies have been running around for the past six months. Jaguar has now revealed the first prototype for the I-Pace testing at an undisclosed location in the United Kingdom.

The design of the prototype adheres closely to the concept's lines although there are some subtle differences. The grille isn't as pronounced as on the concept, and the front bumper adopts a smoother, more aerodynamic shape.

The prototype's side mirrors are larger and there appears to be new indentations in the doors that most likely house the grab handles. The final change is the appearance of a charging port cover on the driver's side front fender. Jaguar is developing the I-Pace around a dedicated platform for electric cars although many elements, for example the suspension substructures, will be borrowed from existing models. So far the automaker has confirmed a 90-kilowatt-hour battery, 220-mile range, and a motor for each axle delivering a combined 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar has also said the I-Pace will hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds or less.

Jaguar has confirmed the reveal of the I-Pace in production trim will take place in late 2017. The vehicle will go on sale in the second half of 2018, suggesting it will arrive in showrooms as a 2019 model.

 Jaguar intends to follow it up with additional electric cars. The next is expected to be a sedan.

Source: Jaguar Reveals Prototype for I-Pace Electric SUV

2017 Is The Year The Electric Car Goes Mainstream

Cars

Published on March 23rd, 2017 | by The Beam

March 23rd, 2017 by The Beam 

With Jose Pontes from EV-Volumes.

Having been a car aficionado since I've known myself, I had already read about electric cars during the '90s, but found them only suitable for hardcore fans, given that for double the price of a regular gas car, electric cars had only 100 kilometers range and 100 km/h maximum speed. I hadn't given much thought to electric cars until one fine spring afternoon in 2002, when I had the chance to try a Citröen Berlingo Electric van, an d then something clicked. Yes, the range was limited, but for small trips, like a work commute or to do the grocery shopping, it was more than enough, with the added plus that you could recharge it anywhere, as long you could find a socket.

The maximum speed didn't make it highway suited, but for the urban environment, it was sufficient. Then, I found two virtues of electric cars I hadn't read before: the instant torque and acceleration at low speeds. For a few seconds, it made the Berlingo van feel like a powerful hot hatch. While the absence of engine noise first felt strange, my mind quickly appreciated the added silence, making the driving experience much more serene. The shock came afterwards, when I returned to my diesel Fiat Uno, when I felt I had transitioned from an oasis of tranquility to an inferno of noise and vibrations.

From that moment on I became a fan of electric cars and believed that, even then, in 2002, if prices were reduced by mass production, there would be a selling case for electric vehicles (EVs). Unfortunately, neither carmakers nor governments were willing to push these kinds of vehicles into the mainstream, as shown in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car.

By then, I discovered that electric cars had a long history which in fact predated gas cars by two years (the Elwell-Parker electric car started production in 1884). In the first years of the automobile, at the turn of the century, EVs already had a Golden Age with a market share of something like 38% in the US auto market. But after World War I, the price of gasoline came down, which together with an extended road infrastructure and mass-produced cars like the Ford Model T allowed the cheaper gas cars to go faster and farther than in the past, effectively killing the business case for this first generation of electric cars.

After the failure of the 1990s EV revival, electric cars seemed to be put on ice for a long time, until in 2008 when a little-known startup company called Tesla presented a two-seat sports car, the Roadster. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a Lotus Elise conversion, but it was a real revolution in how people saw electric cars. Instead of being a slow, small-range conversion of a regular car, this was a sexy, Ferrari-quick vehicle (0–60 mph was achieved in less than 4 seconds), with a single-charge driving range close to 400 kms, thanks to the use of lithium-ion battery cells, a first for a production car.

At $109,000, it was expensive for the regular Joe, but comparing it to the equivalent Porsche, a 911 4S Cabriolet ($104,000 at 0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds), you could argue it was playing in the same league.

The Roadster showed EVs the recipe for success with quick 0–60 mph acceleration, at least 300 kms real-world range, and a competitive price. Dressed in a sexy outfit, making people associate Tesla with coolness, EVs finally started to get out of the treehugger-appliance niche it had lived in thus far.

After all, we all prefer to see a cool movie than do the house chores, right?

But the "Third Age of the Electric Car" only really started in 2011, when the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt started to be sold in the thousands. Meanwhile, in China, BYD made its first steps into electromobility with the F3 DM plug-in hybrid and the e6 full-electric models, resulting in the Chinese company registering its first 1,000 plug-in car sales that year.

Sure, these first models had little of the Tesla "cool factor," but nevertheless were important to give visibility to plug-ins and create economies of scale (the Nissan LEAF has already surpassed 250,000 sales), with numbers jumping from 45,000 units in 2011 to 211,000 units 2 years later, and then to 539,000 in 2015.

Read the entire article here.

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Tags: Jose Pontes

About the Author

The Beam The Beam Magazine is a quarterly print publication that takes a modern perspective on the energy transition. From Berlin we report about the people, companies and organizations that shape our sustainable energy future around the world. The team is headed by journalist Anne-Sophie Garrigou and designer Dimitris Gkikas. The Beam works with a network of experts and contributors to cover topics from technology to art, from policy to sustainability, from VCs to cleantech start ups. Our language is energy transition and that's spoken everywhere. The Beam is already being distributed in most countries in Europe, but also in Niger, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Japan, Chile and the United States. And this is just the beginning. So stay tuned for future development and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Medium.

Source: 2017 Is The Year The Electric Car Goes Mainstream

NetGuide NZ - Auckland embraces electric vehicles with trial lanes

With the recent announcement by Tesla of their new Tesla 3 model, electric cars are quickly becoming part of the mainstream when it comes to daily drivers.

The New Zealand Government is inviting selected participants to take part in a trial which aims to increase the ownership of electric vehicles in New Zealand.

The trial allows priority access for electric vehicles at five different bypass lanes across Auckland. The priority bypass lanes are also known as T2 and Truck lanes.

These locations are:

T2 and Truck lane adjacent to the onramp northbound from Coronation Road to SH20 South-western Motorway (Mangere/Manukau)

T2 Lane adjacent to the onramp northbound from Rimu Road to SH20 South-western Motorway (Mangere)

T2 and Truck lane adjacent to the onramp northbound from South Eastern Highway to SH1 Southern Motorway (Mt Wellington)

T2 and Truck lane adjacent to the onramp eastbound from Lincoln Road, to SH16 North-western Motorway (Henderson)

T2 and Truck lane adjacent to the onramp northbound from Mt Wellington Highway to SH1 Southern Motorway (Mt Wellington)

An electric vehicle, as per the trial, is one that is either partially or fully fuelled by a battery that requires charging via plugging into an electric power point. This means that conventional hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic Hybrid are not eligible.

The Transport Agency hopes to better understand the impact and viability of giving special access to electric vehicles at certain locations. The impact on traffic volumes and journey times for electric drivers and other drivers will be considered.

The long term goal for the Government is to double the number of electric vehicles in New Zealand each year to reach 64,000 by the end of 2021. The Government says such a result would significantly help to reduce New Zealand's carbon emission footprint.

This goal becomes more realistic with electric vehicles becoming more affordable and readily available for consumers.

The Tesla 3, which begins production in mid-2017, begins at US$35,000 (~NZD$58,000) and is a milestone in affordable electric vehicles and overall reduction of carbon emissions produced from gas vehicles.

Source: NetGuide NZ - Auckland embraces electric vehicles with trial lanes

A short history of electric vehicle evolution

I read a hell of a lot but honestly, I rarely get time for books. This weekend however, I found myself hiding from my family so I could gorge on a truly historic book called "Power in Flux", my first ever Kickstarter purchase.

If I'm honest, as I have been reading this book the hairs on the back of my neck have been standing up – because I realised I'm reading "a historic first book about the history", and importantly it was only recently finished, so is very up to date.

Ostensively, it's about "the history of electric motorcycles" but author Ted Dillard has captured a much wider and more profound story in this must read book.

Whilst the evolution of electric motorcycle development has me glued to my couch, a deeper part of the story is about technological development, innovation, start ups, energy storage, carbon emissions and fascinatingly, how the world of electric motorcycles in intrinsically linked to all these fields. For a variety of reasons, electric motorcycles are like a canary in the coal mine.

The story starts by describing the evolution of  Integrated Circuits into today's mind-blowingly powerful digital devices. Early pioneers like Mike Corbin set an electric land speed record that lasted for 30 years (265kmh in 1972!) using military spec gear and frighteningly dangerous and rudimentary knife switches to control the energy being delivered from its silver-zinc batteries.

The ensuing decades saw slow but steady progress by a group of inventors scattered around the world with one highly poignant spin off being the development of the Agni motor in the 1990's, which remains one of the most powerful and efficient (if unreliable) axial flux DC electric motors made. My 2010 Zero motorcycle featured one of these very motors.

Over the 1990's the development of the core technology – motors, Integrated Circuits and batteries advanced so rapidly that it arguably was the very same reason that so many incredible electric motorcycle start-ups – some very well funded – went bust and why electric motorcycles haven't reached mass market deployment yet. As it turned out, because weight and space is so limited on motorcycles, it became the perfect testing ground for development. If you could fit your batteries and motor in a motorcycle chassis and they could survive the inevitable vibration and weather impacts, you were probably on a winner for wider use.

Battery storage is of course one of the major elements of this entire story and I probably shouldn't have been surprised to learn from Dillard most of the (successful) Lithium batteries chemistries used today have a very closely related development history. The time line of this development is fascinating and a who's who of technological evolution and development including names Like Motorola, Sony, LG, Dow, Ford, Exxon, GM,  Mugen and a slew of Universities from around the world. The batteries used in my 2014 Zero electric motorcycle are a direct descendant of all of this work and have served me perfectly for 32,000kms already.

The tight knit community of experts in this field should also be of no surprise. Tesla, Mission Motors, MotoCys, Zero, Brammo, Harley Davidson (Livewire) and a host of other well known electric brands have shared much of the genius over the years as technological innovators tried to find gainful employment in a volatile industry with insufficient volume to be real – yet.

On this topic Dillard describes how revolutionary companies and individuals have attempted many different technological paths and business strategies to bring their products to market. It was wonderful to see no less than several chapters dedicated to Australian companies and individuals featured too. The detail and insight into some of the world-first electric motorcycle engineering experiments undertaken right here in Australia is astounding.

The record breaking results achieved by Newcastle's ElMofo, got a mention although it was a pity team owner Brett Sutherland's short lived but generous efforts with an ex-factory Brammo and recent sprint car racing was overlooked. Catavolt's amazing experiments and decent International results with hub motors were covered and innovative privateer builder Danny Ripperton's incredible engineering prowess is also covered. It has also stumbled over the "profoundly dangerous" 700VDC Voltron, made in Perth which remains one of the only bikes of such a voltage in the world. I was fortunate to see this bike during construction at a custom workshop and it is truly a  site to behold.

Dillard has done an incredible job cataloguing what has to be the most definitive technological story, glossary and development time line of the electric motorcycle imaginable.

The other thing that struck me about this story is how sometimes the most powerful signals of inevitable change are so obvious they are invisible. Take the humble electric motor for example. Around the average home, you might have 2 or 3 combustion engines – a car or two, a lawn mower etc. But count the electric motor's that are embedded and that we rely on; refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, power drill, blender, coffee grinder and of course within your car you have windscreen wipers, windscreen squirter, electric windows, water pumps, starter motors, fuel pumps, solenoids- this list goes on. We are almost invisibly surrounded with the ubiquitous electric motor and hence, its improvement and ultimate dominance is ripe due to due to its massive scale advantage.

As the race teams, inventors and manufacturers all acknowledge the other thing that is staggeringly cool about electric motorcycles is that we have only just scratched the surface and the rate of development is accelerating. Despite the protestations from the luddites, the electric events at the Isle of Mann TT over the last few years prove this point via their lap times which are accelerating us forward at a rate of 10 or 20 or even thirty years at a time, compared to the rate of combustion engine lap times and there is so much more to learn.

Online forum members who I've engaged with have said things like "but gear changes – you can't replace them. That sudden rush of power and torque as you suddenly snick into the right gear at the right moment to unleash hell" and "you can't tell me that you don't miss the sound of a booming engine bouncing off the walls of a valley as you thunder past at full song". You know what, they're missing the point and just need to open their eyes. I grew up around motorcycles and racing too, I get it and I still read bike magazines to this day, drooling over gorgeous mechanical wizardry. But I had a revelation they just haven't had yet.

I realised that gear changes are a symptom of a power deliver system that can't do what we need it to. If I can unleash the same hell in a singular smooth progression, what am I missing out on? Lost time and complexity – that's it. I learned that the sound we associate with power and speed is a merely a by-product of the process we use – not the process itself. The glorious noise I had learned to prove I had a powerful bike is just different now. I quickly became tuned in to the exact same feeling of speed, G forces and thrills on an electric motorcycle as my combustion engine predecessors. I simply don't need a gearbox to deliver it or the sound to tell me it's happening.

One incidental example is recent data from a new  owner of an electric motorcycle in the US.  This user recently discovered that according to his connected fitness monitor, riding to work on his electric motorcycle requires around 4 times less physical energy than a petrol equivalent.  The real outcome of this that will bear out in time I'm sure is that riding electric is faster, easier, more relaxing, cheaper and more fun!.  Speed and power have virtually been matched, so once adequate range arrives, which is close, more and more users will suddenly have moments and clarity and realise they are missing out if they don't go electric. The fact that they require almost no maintenance is just an added bonus that will seal the deal.

Power In Flux is unashamedly about electric motorcycle development and features detailed timelines and race results which like so many technological developments are the crucial testing ground. As one quote in Dillard's book said "The question to ask is not whether electric bikes will become the future of our everyday lives, but when. What type of battery will be the future, we cannot  know, but the bikes will be electric".

After twenty five years in the solar industry, I've witnessed first-hand many parallels to this fascinating industry segment. Truth be known, my own experiences with electric motorcycling started almost twenty years ago when a good friend, (US based solar pioneer Sam Vanderhoof) let me ride his own home built electric bike. As a motorcyclist, I was smitten. As a technologist, I was instantly obsessed. Although it took me another 15 years to own my first electric bike, I now work for a company that already has a vision of how to better integrate electric vehicles into the grid network.

Solar Analytics CEO Stefan Jarnsen described to me in my final interview how "the first wave was mass solar uptake. The second, happening now is storage technology. The third inevitable wave will be electric vehicles and all these have a common thread – the need for data. And we are an energy data company." The fact that I'm allowed to park my electric motorcycle in my office to recharge it is the future incarnate.

If start-ups, technological evolution and why electric transport is inevitable is of interest to you at all; read this book.  

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Source: A short history of electric vehicle evolution

Audi To Develop A BMW i8 Rival — The New Hybrid Sports Cars Rivalry?

Audi has confirmed that it will launch three fully-electric cars by 2020 and one of them will take on the BMW i8. In an interview with Auto Express at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said that Audi would launch the electric sports car after the brand's electric SUV.

Stadler told Auto Express, "There is, first of all, an SUV. We decided to go the SUV way because, even though the architecture is a little more difficult because you don't have the perfect aerodynamics, people love to sit in an SUV, and we have to respect the growing trend of SUV segments. I think this was two or three years ago absolutely the right decision."

After the launch of the SUV, Audi will work on the i8 rival. "There will be a very emotional shape on [the SUV] structure. We will show up with some ideas pretty soon," said Stadler.

BMW's current plans for the i8 are unknown, and it is rumoured that the car will get some upgrades. The next-gen i8 is expected to get more power and features. If that happens, Audi will have to be prepared and make sure that their new car will fight off the challenges thrown by its rival.

The fully-electric compact Audi SUV is expected to share the Volkswagen I.D.'s 168bhp electric motor, which will power the rear wheels. The battery pack will give a range of anywhere between 320 km to 600 km.

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Story first published: Monday, March 20, 2017, 11:28 [IST]

Source: Audi To Develop A BMW i8 Rival — The New Hybrid Sports Cars Rivalry?

Infrastructure rollout accelerates New Zealand electric vehicles uptake

WELLINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) has overtaken Australia as infrastructure spreads, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said Monday.

"I am delighted with the number of EV registrations we are now seeing. This year there has been 517 EV registrations bringing the total number of EVs in New Zealand to 3005. With nine months to go we are already half way to achieving our 2017 target," Bridges said in a statement.

"While 1,513 EVs were registered in New Zealand in 2016, in Australia only about 220 EVs were."

More new models were coming on to the market and interest was growing among manufacturers, with both Hyundai Ioniq and Tesla recently announcing their entry into New Zealand.

"There's also been a big increase in the models and quantity of used EVs being brought into New Zealand. This means more EVs, at a range of prices, giving more choice to New Zealander's when they decide to step up on this," Bridges said.

Infrastructure and charging stations were expanding across the country to support the growing number of EVs on our roads.

About 50 fast chargers were available throughout the length of the country and more were coming, giving EV drivers greater confidence on longer journeys.

"Electric vehicles are the future. A move from petrol and diesel to low-emission transport is a natural evolution," Bridges said.

Driving an electric vehicle in New Zealand produced 80 percent fewer carbon emissions than a petrol or diesel car due to New Zealand's abundant renewable electricity.

In May 2016, the government announced a package of measures to encourage the uptake of EVs, with a target to double the fleet each year to 64,000 by the end of 2021.

In October last year, the government announced the number of registered EVs had doubled over the previous year, hitting 1,003, compared with 500 in 2015.

Source: Infrastructure rollout accelerates New Zealand electric vehicles uptake

Chinese Car Company Prepares Tesla Killer

One more company believes it can beat Tesla Inc. (TSLA) at the luxury electric car business. According to Automotive News, a Chinese car firm working with an Italian design operation believes it will field a product in the next three years.

The car industry news medium reports:

Chinese electric vehicle startup Hybrid Kinetic Group says it will challenge Tesla with its H600 luxury sedan in the U.S. by the end of the decade. Hybrid Kinetic, earlier called HK Motors, showed off a concept preview of the car this month at the Geneva auto show. The sleek sedan, created by Italian design house Pininfarina, is "85 to 90 percent" of how the final car will look, board member Carter Yeung told Automotive News.

ALSO READ: Future Vehicles Will Be Electric, Shared and Driverless, According to Major Study

The production car will be powered by electric motors with a combined power output of 600kW (804 hp) fed by a battery pack that can be topped up on the move by a microturbine range extender, the company said.

Pininfarina was founded in 1930 and is considered among the top high-end car designers in the world. Maserati is among its clients.

Hybrid Kinetic Group gets to join a long line of manufacturers and startups that include companies from BMW to General Motors. Each says it can take a large part of the market Tesla has dominated so far in the United States. Tesla is about to launch a mid-market car, the Model 3, that will cost about $30,000. This will allow it to sell more than 500,000 cars a year, according to its forecasts. While the fig ure is small, for the electric car industry, it would be impressive.

ALSO READ: US Cities Want to Buy $10 Billion Worth of Electric Vehicles

Tesla recently increased the funds necessary for it to have a chance to reach its goals. That will make the challenge for Hybrid Kinetic Group harder. The financing included "offerings of $250 million of common stock and $750 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due in 2022 in concurrent underwritten registered public offering."

Tesla not only has the lead in the electric luxury car business, it also as a bank roll.

Related Articles

Source: Chinese Car Company Prepares Tesla Killer

Ford launches its ‘greenest’ car yet

The 2018 Focus Electric in outrageous green metallic. — Ford Motor Company/AFP picCHICAGO, March 18 — Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day Ford is rolling out an outrageous green metallic colour option for the 2018 Focus Electric.

The plug-in electric car comes with a 115-mile range between recharges and when connected to a DC fast-charging outlet can offer owners 75 miles of range after being plugged in for just 30 minutes.

However, in order to stay on trend — Pantone has declared "Greenery" Green the colour of 2017 — and in recognition of the popularity of Saint Patrick's Day in the US, Ford has decided to create a unique green exterior finish for the car.

"Outrageous green metallic is a unique shade, symbolising modern renewal and a reconnection with nature, then finished with a special tinted clear coat to give the colour depth and vibrancy," said Barb Whalen, Ford colour and materials design manager.

And while it may seem gimmicky at first, if greener hues are going to grow in popularity, all car companies, not just Ford are going to need to add green options to their paint colour charts. Research shows that 35-40 per cent of US car buyers have actually decided against a car because they couldn't get it in the colour they really wanted. — AFP-Relaxnews

Source: Ford launches its 'greenest' car yet

Govt may ease quotas for electric vehicles

A new-energy car charges at a station in Beijing on March 7. Photo: CFP

China is considering easing proposed quotas aimed at producing more electric vehicles, as the country gets pushback from the automotive industry over the scale and pace of the plans.

If adopted, proposed changes under discussion could see a target of new-energy vehicles (NEV) making up 8 percent of sales in 2018 pushed back to 2019, two auto executives said.

The changes would lower targets from a draft policy released in September 2016 requiring 8 percent of automakers' sales to be battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2018, rising to 10 percent in 2019 and 12 percent in 2020.

Any loosening of NEV targets would mark a pullback by China, which has faced opposition to the planned targets as it looks to drive its domestic carmakers to overtake global rivals in the "green" vehicle sector.

Automakers and industry bodies have said the targets are too tough and could hurt manufacturers' interests.

New-energy vehicles accounted for just 1.8 percent of sales in the world's biggest autos market in 2016, according to Reuters calculations based on official data.

"It's normal to make revisions as it's a draft plan," An Jin, chairman of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC Motor), said on the sidelines of the National People's Congress which was held from March 5 to Wednesday in Beijing.

He said he was aware of talks to revise the quota targets, but said nothing was set in stone.

"JAC hasn't been told what revisions might be made to the draft, but I think it is possible the draft will be changed after the discussions," he said.

"Whether the whole market can hit this quota by 2018 depends a lot on the strength of government policy. If it's strong then we should be able to surpass the targets," An said, "[But] if you consider China's infrastructure and the transformation of China's auto sector, then perhaps the pace will have to slow."

2 percent cut

Two executives familiar with the plans told Reuters the government was considering options for lowering the requirements.

One idea was to reduce the quota requirement by 2 percent each year, cutting the 2018 requirement to 6 percent, said a China-based government relations official at a major global automaker. It would then be 8 percent in 2019 and 10 percent in 2020.

Another option would be to push back each target by a year, with the 8 percent quota starting from 2019, an executive at a Japanese automaker said.

Both asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter and because the draft was still under consideration.

The overall policy includes quotas for plug-in cars, targets for average fuel economy requirements, and a credit trading system to promote green energy cars while penalizing petrol cars.

The two people said the quota standoff was tied to a disagreement between the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

MIIT, which regulates manufacturers, supports a more flexible credit trading system favored by automakers. The NDRC is promoting a transition to electric vehicles, pushing the introduction of the stricter quotas.

An NDRC spokesman said the body played a "small role" when the draft was open to public for discussion. MIIT did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

The central government cut subsidies 20 percent this year, a first reduction toward eliminating them by 2020.

Source: Govt may ease quotas for electric vehicles

Jaguar I-PACE – the “future of electric motoring” hits the streets (video)

Jaguar I-PACE - the "future of electric motoring" hits the streets (video)

6 hours ago by Mark Kane

Jaguar touts great feedback from the debut of its I-PACE Concept, which did indeed sparked enthusiasm beyond expectations (see photos and videos of the I-PACE in Photon Red from Geneva here).

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

The British brand encourages the public to visit the mini-site it has set up for the EV, and of course to also click the  'I want one' button, as the final production-intent version will be presented in September 2017 (which apparently will be a happening month as the Nissan LEAF 2.0 will also debute), with sales to begin in the second half of 2018.

One of the prototypes was recently demonstrated for the first time on the streets of London, at the famous Olympic Park – see photos below.

"Jaguar has unleashed its first electric vehicle – the Jaguar I-PACE – onto the streets for the first time. Driving on the streets of London's famous Olympic Park, the electric performance SUV concept previews Jaguar's first electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-PACE, which will be revealed in late 2017 and will be on the road in the second half of 2018."

"The I-PACE will be a long distance sprinter that accelerates to 60 mph in around 4 seconds, with a range of more than 500km (NEDC cycle) from the 90kWh lithium-ion battery. Charging is easy and quick, with 80 per cent charge achieved in just 90 minutes using 50kW DC charging.

Compact, lightweight electric motors at the front and rear axles generate a combined output of 400PS and 700Nm of torque, with the all-weather benefits of all-wheel drive. The I-PACE will also deliver the agility, ride comfort and refinement that will set it apart from all other electric vehicles: it will be a true Jaguar and a true drivers' car."

Ian Callum Director of Design, Jaguar said:

"The feedback on the I-PACE Concept has been fantastic. With the I-PACE Concept we've torn up the rule book to create a vehicle with supercar inspired aesthetics, sports car performance and SUV space, in one electric package. It has surprised people and the enthusiasm for our first electric vehicle has been beyond all my expectations."

"Driving the concept on the streets is really important for the design team. It's very special to put the car outside and in the real-world. You can see the true value of the I-PACE's dramatic silhouette and powerful proportions when you see it on the road, against other cars. The I-PACE Concept represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. For me, the future of motoring has arrived."

Quick specs:

0-60 mph in ~4 seconds

AWD, 400 hp total and 516 lb-ft of torque (two 200 hp electric motors)

220+ mile / 350 km all-electric range

liquid-cooled 90 kWh battery with cells from LG Chem

23-inch wheels (pretty standard fare for a concept vehicle)

drag coefficient of 0.29

at least 50 kW DC fast charging with CCS Combo

Heat pump

class-leading regen – up to 150 kW

5 seats

length: 184 inches, width: 74.4

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Tags: jaguar, Jaguar i-Pace, Jaguar I-PACE Concept, Jaguar i-Pace production, Jaguar i-Pace release date

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Source: Jaguar I-PACE – the "future of electric motoring" hits the streets (video)

Volvo USA CEO Says Automaker’s First EV Will Have 250-Plus Miles Electric Range, Price Of $40,000 Or Less

Volvo USA CEO Says Automaker's First EV Will Have 250-Plus Miles Electric Range, Price Of $40,000 Or Less

6 hours ago by Mark Kane

Volvo Cars' vision of an electric future

Volvo would like to introduce its first all-electric, series produced, electric car in 2019.

Volvo Concept 40.2 profile

However, the Swedish brand is also setting the bar high for its first EVs abilities, while maintaining relatively affordable price:

at least 250 miles (400 km)

price between $35,000 and $40,000

Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Car USA said:

"That's what I put in as the prerequisite for the United States. If I want to make a point in the United States, if I want to make volumes, that's what I believe I need."

"Why are people reluctant to buy a full electric car? It's between the ears. It's that they believe there's not sufficient range."

Still, we still don't know whether Volvo will launch an all-new BEV model, or will offer all-electric version of existing model.

That said, if it comes in under $40k for 250 miles of real-world (EPA) miles we will be impressed regardless the platform.

source: Automotive News

Tags: volvo

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Source: Volvo USA CEO Says Automaker's First EV Will Have 250-Plus Miles Electric Range, Price Of $40,000 Or Less

Detroit Electric's EV business gets a $1.8 billion jumpstart

However, it's the longer term plans that are more likely to raise eyebrows. The two companies are planning both an all-encompassing new facility (both design and production) and hope to develop an electric SUV that could be ready for production as soon as 2018. A third vehicle would launch in 2020. Suffice it to say that this is aggressive, if not optimistic. Even a fast-moving company like Tesla takes years to get an EV ready, let alone a relative newcomer that has yet to make a big splash with its first model.

However, the joint venture is nothing to sneeze at. That's a lot of money for a young car company, and a Chinese partner could help Detroit Electric succeed in that country's increasingly hot EV market. Detroit Electric is getting the kind of financial nudge that many fledgling car builders only dream of. The tricky part is spending that money wisely to avoid the troubles that some of its rivals face.

Source: Detroit Electric's EV business gets a $1.8 billion jumpstart

Volkswagen’s Electric Hippie Van is Close to Being Approved, But There’s a Catch

If your life goals for the near future include recreating the Summer of Love, there's some far-out news arriving from Volkswagen. Public reaction to the automaker's electric I.D. Buzz concept proved positive enough to give executives confidence in European and American demand for the reborn Microbus.

Unfortunately for latter-day hippies and retirement-age flower children, their enthusiasm for this out-of-sight green machine won't be enough for VW to start production. It seems that the model's future hinges not on the Counter Culture Revolution, but the Cultural Revolution.

For VW to give the model a green light, the automaker must be confident in its global success. That means sparking interest not only in San Francisco, but also Beijing.

According to Autocar, the automaker needs to be sure of Chinese buy-in.

"The concept has been well-received in the US and Europe," VW design chief Klaus Bischoff told the publication at the Geneva Motor Show, "but the missing link is China. From the business case point of view it's quite an investment – it needs a global green light. In the meantime, it's thumbs up."

After 16 years of Microbus-inspired concepts that went nowhere, one hopes VW has concluded that this can't go on indefinitely. An EV model built on the company's dedicated electric architecture would allow for authentic retro proportions, while the green element seems tailor-made to tap into the brand goodwill of the 1960s. It seems the company knows this.

At the concept's launch late last year, VW sales and marketing head Jurgen Stackmann stated, "I think this is the most realistic shot ever at the Microbus coming."

Designers in Wolfsburg are already working on turning the I.D. Buzz into a production-ready vehicle, Bischoff told Autocar. The model is "more than a show car," he claimed. After previous failed attempts to resurrect the Microbus, Bischoff implied that this is the last kick at the can.

"I've tried quite a bit to bring this [the Microbus] to life," he said. "This is the final temptation."

If VW does decide to go ahead with the model, it would appear alongside an electric compact car and a host of other models at the start of the next decade. VW claims 270 miles of range and all-wheel drive, making the I.D. Buzz a fairly practical people carrier.

[Image: Volkswagen]

Source: Volkswagen's Electric Hippie Van is Close to Being Approved, But There's a Catch

CERAWeek: Pumping the Brakes on Electric Vehicle Uptake

Electric vehicle recharging its batteries in a parking lot. Source: Getty.

The emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) has been pointed to as a signal that "peak oil demand" could be just around the corner. However, that corner is not nearly close as some may think, according to several people who spoke at this year's CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

Bob Dudley, group chief executive of BP, was one of them. He said EVs will play an important role in future energy demand, but a limited one in terms of their displacement of the liquid fuels used in transportation. "It will grow," Dudley said of the EV market share, "but I don't think we will all be driving electric vehicles."

Citing figures from the firm's most recent energy outlook, which puts today's global fleet of EVs at around 1.2 million, Dudley predicted that, at the very least, there may be 100 million on the road by 2035. His high number was 200 million.

In either case, EVs in relation to all road vehicles would still represent a small fraction of the sum total in the time frame covered by the outlook. BP and others say that the world is on pace to go from a billion cars today to about 1.8 billion by 2035—leaving a wide gap between the two car categories.

A panel of automotive experts who also spoke at the conference held annually by IHS Markit did not issue any such data points or say when a tipping point would arrive, but they did echo Dudley's tempered tone on the pace of uptake.

Mateo Jaramillo, a former senior vice president of Tesla Energy Products, the home battery and solar power arm of the notable EV manufacturer, dismissed the idea that EVs pose an immediate risk to oil demand.

"I think it's still early days in terms of what the electric vehicle can be at scale," he said, emphasizing that Tesla currently turns out only about 100,000 vehicles each year. "That's a tenth of a percent of the market."

Tesla is not the only automaker in this game, however. The panelists said most legacy automakers have joined the race and will be introducing up to 20 new EV models over the next 2 years.

"One of the things that is going to drive the growth in electric vehicles is simply choice," said Jeremy Carlson, the senior analyst of the automotive technology group at IHS Automotive. "Just by giving consumers more of a choice, you are going to get more of them interested in the alternatives."

Though this shows a clear trend is on the horizon, the panel said it is not reason enough for the oil and gas industry to lose sleep. Jaramillo explained that at current rates, it will realistically take about 20 years to cycle through the world's existing population of vehicles. This means for decades to come, a small but growing number of EVs will be sharing the road with an outsize number of conventional vehicles.

The panelists were also in agreement that, in the medium term, select urban centers will become EV "hot spots" where consumer adoption far outpaces the overall picture. This may be realized in part through municipal mandates to transition toward EV-focused transportation policies aimed at curbing air pollution or to increase a city's attractiveness to certain demographics.

But such scenarios bring to light a not-so-often discussed constraint: local power grids. Bill Morelli, senior director of IT and networks technology at IHS Markit, said the world's cities generally do not have enough power supply to handle a substantial increase in EVs.

One of the most glaring challenges involves what would happen to a local power grid when rush hour commuters in a major city returned home at the end of the day and began recharging their cars around the same time.

"That is going to create tremendous strain on the overall system," said Morelli, noting that even in energy-rich Texas, utilities have in recent years struggled to cope when their customers crank up air conditioning units en masse during the hottest parts of a summer day, a situation that has led to occasional brownouts.

Morelli said cities need to prepare themselves for higher numbers of EVs by investing in smart-grid technology, which will help them manage and distribute electricity supply more efficiently.

This raises another sticky question over who pays for such upgrades, especially if they are viewed as being implemented to support one type of car consumer. A potential remedy discussed by the panel involved creating different pricing structures that address the unique power demands of EVs.

In addition to advanced electric grid technology, cities and entire regions are going to need more electricity before too many EVs arrive. Jaramillo pointed out that if 1 million of the 20 million currently registered vehicles in California were EVs, they would require 10 GW to recharge each day. The problem is that demand would represent 20% of the state's current peak power capacity.

Jaramillo said reaching such a large number of EVs could realistically happen within 5 or 10 years, meaning that EVs potentially pose a bigger risk to electricity supply than they do to oil demand.

Source: CERAWeek: Pumping the Brakes on Electric Vehicle Uptake