Nissan e-NV Electric Minivan Gets Driven (in the UK)

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has made news in the past with his big talk about selling over 1.5 million EVs by 2020. So far, though, only the Nissan Leaf EV has appeared in the US (arguably Nissan's most important market), and the only larger EV option offered by Nissan anywhere has been the 5-passenger e-NV electric van. Those 5-passenger electric cars are great, of course, but until manufacturers roll out 7-passenger electric people movers large, budget-conscious families are likely to steer clear of EVs.

At least, that's the thinking behind Nissan's latest creation: a 7-passenger, 100% electric minivan that puts taxi drivers, shuttle services, and growing families directly in its electric cross hairs.

Originally launched back in March, the new 7-passenger e-NV electric minivan is the same size as the old 5-passenger model, meaning that room in the rearmost seats is hardly palatial. Still, it's got enough legroom on offer for young children (the rearmost seats' likeliest occupants) and those seats can be folded over and forward to make a surprising amount of room for stuff, if the press pictures are to be believed.

It's important to note, however, that those seats don't fold flat. AutoExpress lays it out, advising that potential owners shouldn't "expect the seats to cleverly fold into the floor like those you'd find in a car-based MPV such as the … Ford Galaxy. As it's a remodeled van there's a completely flat floor and the seats are latched to it. Should you need to carry just five people and have extra space for luggage, the two rearmost seats fold up and can be strapped to the sides." To drive their opinion about the setup home, AE adds, "It's hardly elegant."

You can read AutoExpress' full review of Nissan's electric minivan- and check out the high-resolution photo gallery- using the source link at the bottom of the page. I've included a few of my favorite pics, below, as well. Enjoy!

Nissan e-NV Electric Minivan

Source | Photos: AutoExpress UK.

Tags: 7 passenger, Carlos Ghosn, electric minivan, electric van, EV, EVs, minivan, Nissan, nissan e-nv, taxi, van, vans

About the Author

Jo Borrás I've been involved in motorsports and tuning since 1997, and write for a number of blogs in the Important Media network. You can find me on Twitter, Skype (jo.borras) or Google+.

Source: Nissan e-NV Electric Minivan Gets Driven (in the UK)

Ikea Canada to install free electric vehicle charging stations

Ikea Canada has become the latest retailer to position itself on the green side of motoring, announcing Thursday that it is installing free charging stations for electric vehicles at all of its stores in Canada.

The global home furnishing retailer is partnering with Sun Country Highway to install two 60-amp charging stations at each of its 12 locations across the country. Ikea already offers the service in 18 other countries.

Chantal Guimont of Electric Mobility Canada said the decision further expands the number of charging stations across the country and gives drivers another option for topping up their batteries when they're on the road.

"The business case question is going to come further down the road when there's going to be more electric vehicle drivers," she said in an interview.

As it is, there are only about 12,000 electric vehicles on Canadian roads, a small fraction of the 1.8 million trucks and cars sold last year in Canada.

But Hydro-Quebec, for one, expects strong growth in the next few years as more affordable EVs that can travel 350 kilometres on a single change hit the market -- the kind of range currently offered by the high-end Tesla.

From a business perspective, the utility argues that charging stations encourage drivers to target their spending where they can plug in their car.

"If you stop off at the grocery store for an hour, you have time to get another 40 km and it can make the difference," said France Lampron, the utility's director of transportation and electrification.

Quebec is Canada's largest electric vehicle market with about half of all cars, followed by British Columbia and Ontario.

There are more than 2,500 public charging stations in Canada, including at least 600 in Quebec, according to the Canadian Auto Club, which has an app and website that lists them all.

Hydro-Quebec's Electric Circuit is the largest with 421 stations across the province, including 174 at 28 businesses.

Among them are home renovation chain Rona, grocer Metro and restaurant St. Hubert. Jean Coutu is adding at least 10 stations at its new distribution centre being built outside Montreal.

Rona has 21 stations at its head office and 10 stores in Quebec but has no plans to expand its network. The retailer said it doesn't know if the charge stations increase sales, adding the initiative was part of its commitment to sustainable development and another tool to reduce its environmental footprint.

Hotels are the largest provider of public charging stations, with Fairmont, Best Western and Marriott among those that offer hookups for guests.

Fairmont spokesman Mike Taylor said its effort is mainly designed to raise environmental awareness but can "encourage loyalty and help drive positive public perception of the brand and our hotels."

Sun Country Highway founder Kent Rathwell contends charging stations drive traffic to businesses in addition to allowing them to show environmental leadership.

"It's really about doing and not just talking...(and) it's a very inexpensive way to attract people to your business," he said, noting the $1,000 to $2,000 installation fee.

Source: Ikea Canada to install free electric vehicle charging stations

How To Cut Vehicle Emissions 90 Percent: Get Rid Of Human Drivers

The most straightforward way to reduce automotive emissions is probably to just get rid of cars.

But what if you kept the cars, and eliminated their drivers instead?

Acolytes of self-driving cars have held up fuel efficiency as one of their potential benefits, although it's hard to quantify the benefits of a technology that remains largely theoretical.

DON'T MISS: Uber CEO To Tesla: Sell Me Half A Million Autonomous Electric Cars In 2020

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory believe they have a good estimate, though.

A recent study claims that replacing most private cars with a fleet of self-driving electric taxis could cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 90 percent, reports Popular Science.

Using electric powertrains would also basically eliminate oil consumption in cars, researchers argue.

They claim this would not only be the greenest solution, but also the cheapest.

Even assuming a cost of $150,000 per self-driving electric car, they say, autonomous electric taxis could pay for themselves within five years.

ALSO SEE: Nissan Shows Fully Autonomous Cars It Plans To Build By 2020 (Sep 2013)

That's because in addition to cutting the cost of fuel and eliminating the cost of a driver, cars could run 24 hours a day, seven days a week--increasing the number of fares.

Presumably, that economy would also translate into low usage fees for passengers.

The relatively limited ranges of most current electric cars reportedly wouldn't be an issue either.

Because the majority of cars would be operated as part of a coordinated fleet in this scenario, a car needing to recharge could simply be replaced in the field by another.

That assumes the taxis will primarily operate in urban areas, where the distance of a single trip is unlikely to exceed a car's range.

MORE: Self-Driving Cars From Tesla In About 3 Years, Says CEO Elon Musk (Sep 2014)

And with the first mass-priced 200-mile electric cars arriving within two or three years, the need for a taxi to recharge during the 8- to 12-hour shift of today's typical taxi driver will be reduced or eliminated.

If nothing else, this concept would essentially leapfrog the issue of gaining consumer acceptance for electric cars, by encouraging consumers to give up their cars entirely.

But the study also assumes technological advances that may not come to pass for a decade or more.

Ford Fusion Hybrid automated driving research vehicle

Enlarge Photo

Certain carmakers--including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Tesla--have promised to put autonomous cars on sale by 2020.

Yet all of these models will likely require a human presence behind the wheel for certain situations. Many in the industry suggest that truly autonomous cars are not likely to arrive until 2030.

Even after 100-percent autonomous cars appear, it will take considerable time for their technology to disseminate across the industry.

The wholesale replacement of millions of private cars with a large number of electric drone vehicles will take even longer than that.

[hat tip: Hugh Crawford]

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Source: How To Cut Vehicle Emissions 90 Percent: Get Rid Of Human Drivers

Electric Cars Are Ever So Slightly Lighter With Dead Batteries

Drive your car until the tank's empty, and it will probably be 100 pounds lighter (minus the 6 extra Red Bulls consumed). But drive an electric car until it's out of juice, and on a much smaller scale, it will also have shed weight.

Whether or not batteries get lighter as they lose energy is a question that has vexed Yahoo Answers since amateur physicists first found the internet. So to settle the question, YouTuber Tom Scott tracked down half a dozen renowned professors (and a Tesla Model S). Their answer? A dead battery is lighter than a charged one, but on a microscopic scale.

As Scott explains, the mass lost is equivalent to the battery's energy, divided by the speed of light squared (we know this thanks to e=mc^2). Anything divided by the speed of light squared is going to be an unfathomably tiny number — in this case, less than the weight of the rubber burned off the tires.

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Source: Electric Cars Are Ever So Slightly Lighter With Dead Batteries

Canada Plug-In Electric Car Sales June 2015

57 mins ago by Eric Loveday

Tesla Model S

2015 Nissan LEAF

It's time once again to take a look at plug-in electric vehicle sales in Canada.

Back in April, the Nissan LEAF set an all-time record for single-month sales in Canada with 127 LEAFs sold. Nissan followed that up with a strong 112 LEAFs sold in May.  In June, LEAF sales remained above 100 with 101 units sold.

Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Volt had a break out month in June.  May sales for the Volt were 59 units, but in June that figure jumped to a remarkable 120 units.

However, it still seems quite likely that the Tesla Model S outsold both of the plug-in models listed above in June.  In March, Model S sales were 250 units.  Then, in April, Model S sales checked in at 167.  That was followed by 178 sold in May.  We expect June sales to be in line with the previous few months, so it's likely the Model S was June's best-selling electric car in Canada, a title the Model S has held every month this year.

Meanwhile, sales of the BMW i3 remained higher than usual with 49 units sold in June. Typical monthly volume is in the 20-30 unit range, but the past 3 months have seen sales at nearly double the typical volume.

There was one more strong performer in Canada. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, with typically monthly sales in Canada in the single digits, sold 16 units in June in Canada. That's down 5 units from the 21 i-MiEVs sold in May.

Chevy Volt

Here are the rest of the March's results from the typically low-volume sellers in Canada:

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid: Unknown at this time, no longer reported for Canada (We estimate ~3-5 units)

Cadillac ELR: 3

Ford's PHEV sales are unknown at this time. Typical monthly volume is ~ 15 C-Max Energis and ~15 Fusion Energis. Likewise, Focus Electric sales are small, in the single digits most months and sometimes even zero.

We have no sales data on the other remaining plug-in electric models.

Looking at the YTD figures, the Model S is the clear leader with estimated YTD sales at over 900 units. The Nissan LEAF is number two with YTD sales of 488 and the Volt is #3 with YTD sales of 425 units. There's only one other plug-in electric car with over 100 sales YTD in Canada. it's the BMW i3 at 255 units.

*Some sales data via Good Car Bad Car

Tags: Canada Plug-In Electric Car Sales, Canada Plug-In Electric Car Sales June 2015, canada sales, electric car sales, june sales, plug-in car sales

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Source: Canada Plug-In Electric Car Sales June 2015

California Ends Electric-Car Rebates For Wealthiest Buyers, Boosts Them For Poorest

Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]

Enlarge Photo

Purchase rebates and tax credits have been a major factor in the growth of electric cars over the past few years.

By easing the price gap between electric and internal-combustion models--and providing the allure of a cash handout--they've helped get more people into electric cars.

But for some consumers, price is less of a concern than it is for others.

DON'T MISS: California Helps Low-Income Drivers Switch To Electric Cars

The debate over whether wealthy buyers should continue to get electric-car subsidies has simmered in California for some time, and it recently reached a conclusion.

California is adding income-based caps to its rebates for electric cars and plug-in hybrids, according to Cars Direct.

As of July 1, the amount of subsidies buyers receive--or don't receive, as the case may be--will be determined by income.

Until now, the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Program offered incentives of $1,500 for plug-in hybrids, and $2,500 for electric cars.

Now, lower-income households will be able to get substantially more money for certain models.

Those with incomes less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit will now be able to get up to $3,000 for a plug-in hybrid, $4,000 for an electric car, and $6,500 for a hydrogen fuel-cell car.

ALSO SEE: Income Cap Coming For CA Electric-Car Rebate, Tesla Most Vulnerable? (Aug 2014)

At the same time, buyers with incomes over $250,000 will no longer be eligible for incentives on plug-in hybrids or electric cars.

However, these buyers still qualify for a $5,000 rebate on hydrogen fuel-cell cars.

This change in policy will primarily affect Tesla Motors, whose lineup starts at $75,000 this year.

From data gathered to date, it appears higher-income buyers are getting the majority of California rebates.

A survey from the second quarter of 2015 shows that about three quarters of rebates went to households earning more than $99,000 a year.

Those with incomes above $200,000 a year accounted for 26 percent of total rebates, while those with income under $99,000 represented 27 percent.

MORE: California Approves Aggressive New Plans To Combat Climate Change

According to the California Air Resources Board, changes were made to direct the plug-in purchase incentives "towards those most likely to value the rebate the most."

For the 2015-2016 fiscal year, which began July 1, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program also got a boost in funding, from $121 million to $163 million.

The program has issued $217 million in rebates since 2010.

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Source: California Ends Electric-Car Rebates For Wealthiest Buyers, Boosts Them For Poorest

Did you know BMW has a 5 Series Hydrogen car? You must see it here!

The BMW Hydrogen 7 is the world's first production-ready hydrogen vehicle. It's already proving itself in the real world too: we're putting 100 of them to the test as loan cars for leading figures from the worlds of culture, politics, business and the media, including Oscar-winning film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and Erich Sixt, chairman of rental car company Sixt AG.

Real-world experience shows that switching to hydrogen can go hand in hand with the comfort, dynamics and safety you'd expect from a BMW.

It's almost strange to think how insanely we consume the world's depleting fossil fuel reserves. Sure, it's fun to drive a performance car down the motorway (or even a normal car for that matter), with that satisfying sound from its exhausts, but the Green Party voter inside us all knows that can't really be a forever thing.

Car makers seemingly know this too and have been working on alternative solutions. But, like politicians, the answers aren't always entirely clear cut in tackling the issues head-on. We've already seen hybrids and fully electric cars go some way into cutting emissions – or, perhaps more accurately, redistributing the source of their output – and now it's the turn of hydrogen fuel cell technology to grab some of the zero emissions limelight by taking an altogether different approach.

We've seen the Hyundai ix35, but German car-marker giant BMW has shown off its altogether more sophisticated offering: the 5-Series GT hydrogen fuel cell concept. And we got to drive one around BMW's Miramas proving grounds in Marseille to get a taste of what the future may hold.

So why hydrogen? Unlike electric it doesn't take hours upon hours to recharge a battery. Instead you simply head to the station and pick up the H2 hose rather than the petrol or diesel ones, and there's no need to plug in and charge like an electric.

Well, on the grand assumption that you can find such a station, as they are next to non-existent in the UK and rare in the rest of the world due to significant setup costs. BMW, like Toyota, Hyundai and others, are trying to lay the foundations for the future, but it's a chicken and egg situation: something universal needs to happen fast for hydrogen fuel cells to take-off as a viable alternative.

However, the one big sell is the speed of refuelling, by comparison to an all-electric model anyway. From near-empty to a full tank – which, in the case of this 5 Series GT, delivers a 700km range – will take less than five minutes and cost around €70 (at present; that could drop ten fold if the technology is widely adopted). That's a comparable price to the equivalent petrol engine too, albeit with zero emissions – all that comes out the rear pipes of this futuristic hydrogen concept is water. Yep, pure H20.

Given this 5 Series GT can still hit 100kmph from stationary in 8.4 seconds – and continue on to 180kmph – goes to show it's no paltry G-Wiz. This is a big car, with all the usual good looks and engineering standards of a 5 Series. It's not as energetic as the petrol GT, of course, but even so it's still fairly good going.

But while the hydrogen fuel is the same source material, the difference in treatment at the pump and the associated pressure is akin to the difference between diesel and petrol: you have to use the correct one for the vehicle (so the GT can't accept 700-bar). Which, for an infant fuel type, might get confusing quickly; just think about electric cars and the multiple plug types found at different stations (but not all). We can see what BMW is trying to do here, though: get ahead of the game and offer a better, longer-range product than the anticipated first-gen standard.

This 350-bar cryogenic pressure vessel system also requires the hydrogen to be stored between -210 to -230 degrees Celsius (-222C is the magic number) at both the distributor's pump and within the car itself. That's a lot, lot colder than the 700-bar system's -40C temperature.

It's quite mind boggling how its done: the tank cross-section on show at Miramas showed off a bullet-proof exterior and thermal interior layers many centimetres thick. It can maintain temperature for several weeks within the car – a bit like the world's most impressive German Thermos flask. Handling such temperatures needs the risk removed, so the lock-on and automated fuelling process from a fully insulated hose is entirely clean thanks to a thrice-run pump to clean the hose; there's no risk of coming into contact with the liquid, unlike the dribble you can sometimes get from a petrol pump.

Beyond the car itself there's still the big question of where hydrogen fuel comes from. At present a lot of it is the result of natural gas reforming, also known as fracking, and we all know how many people (rightly) feel about that practice. However, it is possible to utilise electrolysis, where a current is passed though water and, assuming a natural source such as wind power, that's approaching as environmentally friendly as fuel comes. Problem is, there aren't that many wind farms and renewable energy sources, which leaves a deficit and, no fault of BMW, we're back in a similar place as we are with electric vehicles: it's more politics and displacement than a fully realised answer.

Yet this is still positive progress that's built on a dream which started some 30 years ago at BMW. But to truly take-off the price needs to settle down (we dread to think how much this car would cost, and BMW isn't making any suggestions), the technology needs to be embraced, the renewable energy sources need to be put in place around the world, and manufacturers need to work together with one common goal.

It's inspiring to see and utilise new technologies that genuinely work – and driving the BMW 5 Series GT hydrogen fuel cell concept is as close as we've come to driving into the future, today. It might not be ready to save the planet just yet, but come 2020 we may well see this car, with tweaks and upgrades, out on the open road.

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Source: Did you know BMW has a 5 Series Hydrogen car? You must see it here!