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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
DOE AVTA Completes 1M Miles of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Testing
November 19, 2009
| PHEVs and demonstration locations. Source: INL. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Energy (DOE), through its Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has completed 1 million miles of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) testing.
The AVTA’s testing of PHEVs demonstrates PHEV concepts in real-world usage by using fleet and public drivers. The 1 million test miles and more than 26,000 charging events have been accumulated in on-road operations across the United States and Canada. More than 215 PHEVs, representing 12 different PHEV models—mostly conversions—have made up the PHEV test fleet to date.
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Volt and Its Battery Pack Converging on Product and Process Validation in February 2010; Fine-Tuning in Preparation for Start of Regular Production in Nov 2010
November 18, 2009
| The Volt and its Li-ion battery pack have proceeded in parallel through GM’s development and manufacturing process. Next up is the PPV (product and process validation) stage (Feb-Aug 2010) prior to the start of regular production (SORP) in November 2010. |
Both the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle and its battery pack are converging on the beginning of the product and process validation (PPV) stage of GM’s development and manufacturing process, scheduled to start in February 2010, according to an online status update given by Andrew Farrah, Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer and Bill Wallace, Engineering Group Manager, Voltec Battery Systems.
Both the vehicle and the pack have undergone some expected tweaking on the run-up to PPV based on the testing to date. On the vehicle side, these have included adjustments to address NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) issues when running in electric mode. On the pack and cell side, GM has made minor adjustments in the chemistry (LG Chem’s Li-ion manganese spinel) in collaboration with LG Chem for improved life. The current cell chemistry for the Volt, now in its fourth generation, is the one that will head into production.
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Forecast: Cumulative Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid Fleet Sales to Reach Nearly 4 Million Units By 2015
Cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles in the fleet sector will total nearly 4 million worldwide between 2009 and 2015, according to a recent report from Pike Research. The cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that hybrid fleet sales will increase from 300,000 in 2009 to more than 830,000 in 2015, with the largest growth categories in medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses.
Pike Research managing director Clint Wheelock says that North America will be the leading region in terms of hybrid fleet penetration, with hybrids reaching 8% of all fleet sales in the next five years. Early adopters will include government, university, and utility company fleets. Asia Pacific will be the leader in terms of unit volumes by that time, reaching 420,000 fleet hybrids sold per year, though the hybrid penetration will be somewhat lower than North America’s.
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Accenture Reports Identifies 12 Disruptive Technologies Most Likely to Transform Supply and Demand of Transport Fuels and Cut Emissions Within Next 10 Years
November 10, 2009
| Accenture timeline for evolution of electrification technologies, the “game-changing” subset of the disruptive technologies. Source: Accenture. Click to enlarge. |
Accenture has identified 12 technologies that it concludes have the potential to disrupt the current views of transport fuels supply, demand and GHG emissions over the next 10 years. In a report comparing advances in combustion engines, biofuels, electrification and other technologies, Accenture warns that the commercial viability of those disruptive technologies will be delayed unless regulators more proactively support the transformation of science into applied technologies.
“Betting on Science – Disruptive Technologies in Transport Fuels” selected 12 innovations in electrification and genetically modified biofuels, as well as existing fuel sources that will have the most immediate impact on emissions and on the gasoline and diesel markets. The study profiled 25 companies that aim to commercialize these technologies in the next five (i.e., by 2014) and also examines different global markets.
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Michigan State University Receives $2.5M ARPA-E Award to Build Wave Disc Engine/Generator for Series Hybrid Applications
October 31, 2009
| Schematic model of a wave disk engine, showing combustion and shockwaves within the channels. Source: MSU. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from Michigan State University have been awarded $2.5 million from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program (earlier post) to complete its prototype development of a new gasoline-fueled wave disc engine and electricity generator that promises to be five times more efficient than traditional auto engines in electricity production, 20% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture.
The wave disc engine, a new implementation of wave rotor technology, was earlier developed by the Michigan State group in collaboration with researchers from the Warsaw Institute of Technology. About the size of a large cooking pot, the novel, hyper-efficient engine could replace current engine/generator technologies for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
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UK Manufacturer Axon Automotive Unveils Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
October 27, 2009
| The Axon Automotive PHEV. Click to enlarge. |
UK-based Axon Automotive, a spin-off from Cranfield University, previewed a pre-production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of its lightweight city car at the Milton Keynes Science Festival. The Axon gasoline-powered city car uses existing engine technology and carbon fibre material advances to offer 100 mpg UK (83.3 mpg US, 2.8 L/100km).
The plug-in version offers full electric mode for local travel and uses a gasoline or bioethanol powered engine for long distance or highway travel. Using a typical UK powerstation mix to account for emissions generated during electricity generation, the Axon PHEV emits just under 50 g/km of CO2 for the mix of electric and gasoline used in the Government test. This is half the level needed for free annual road tax in UK for this car (band ‘A’ is below 100 g/km of CO2 = zero road tax in the UK).
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ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research
October 26, 2009
The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 37 energy research projects for $151 million in funding through the recently formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This is the first round of projects funded under ARPA-E, which is receiving total of $400 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Among the projects selected are an effort to develop new metal-air batteries using advanced ionic liquids with 6-20 times the energy density of Li-ion batteries at < 1/3 the cost; a project to produce a flow of gasoline directly from sunlight and CO2 using a symbiotic system of two organisms; and a new type of engine for use as a genset in a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is five times more efficient than traditional auto engines in electricity production, 20% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture.
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Bright Automotive Launches Bright eSolutions; US Army Hybrid Vehicle Contract
Bright Automotive, Inc., the developer of the purpose-built, plug-in hybrid IDEA (earlier post) launched of Bright eSolutions to support automotive customers worldwide to accelerate vehicle electrification, lightweighting, and overall platform efficiency. Bright Automotive launched eSolutions with a just-announced contract from the US Army TACOM to conduct a demonstration project on a low-cost plug-in hybrid electric solution for non-tactical military vehicles.
Bright eSolutions will work with TACOM to demonstrate the feasibility of Bright Automotive’s parallel hybrid technology for military non-combat use. As part of the $1.4 million contract, eSolutions will also work with the US Army to demonstrate the ability of plug-in hybrid vehicles to deliver power to the grid (V2G).
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ALTe Developing Series Plug-in Hybrid Powertrains for Conversion and OEM Applications
| Rendering of the Gen 2 series plug-in hybrid powertrain under development. Source: ALTe. Click to enlarge. |
A Bloomfield, Michigan startup is developing light- and medium-duty series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain systems—initially as conversions, but ultimately extending to an OEM basis.
ALTe, LLC has initially targeted fleet applications—specifically, the New York Ford Crown Victoria taxi fleet—as the passenger car market does not drive enough miles per year to deliver the financial payback on the incremental cost of the conversion, said John Thomas, ALTe CEO, at the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit last week.
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The Business of Plugging In: Building the Full Ecosystem for a Successful Plug-in Vehicle Industry in the US
October 23, 2009
The Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit this week marked a serious effort by utilities; automakers and suppliers; academia; government agencies; and financiers to instigate the necessary granular discussions required to lay an integrated foundation to develop a full ecosystem—products, services, policies, supply chain and consumer demand—for the successful deployment and growth of plug-in vehicles in the US.
Viewed another way, the conference was seeking to connect the different contributors or stakeholders that will be required to deliver and to support—on a large scale, to mainstream consumers—plug-in, electric drive vehicles that can compete in terms of cost, convenience, performance, and lifestyle appeal with combustion-engined cars that have had the benefit of more than 100 years of an ever-evolving value chain.
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U of Michigan Study Finds Costs of Plug-in Cars Primary Key to Broad Consumer Acceptance
October 21, 2009
| Probabilities at different price points for at lest some chance of purchase. Source: Curtin et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
A newly released University of Michigan study found widespread consumer interest in buying plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; however, the cost of the cars is much more influential than environmental and other non-economic factors as a predictor of purchase probabilities.
The survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,513 adults age 18 and over was conducted between July and November 2008 by the U-M Institute for Social Research as part of the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. The findings were released at The Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit today.
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Study Finds PHEV Li-ion Iron Phosphate Cells Show Little Capacity Fade Under Combined Driving and V2G Usage; Economic Model Suggests Incentives Will Be Required for Vehicle Owners to Participate in V2G
October 20, 2009
[This is a revision of an earlier post, which had been pulled due to the status of the referenced papers as working papers. Both have now been revised and accepted by the Journal of Power Sources and are in press.]
| Degradation as a function of (a) capacity (Ah) processed by cell or (b) energy (Wh) at different DoD. Different DoD did not have a large impact on capacity fade. Source: Peterson et al. (CEIC-09-02) Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center have concluded that a PHEV pack comprising lithium iron phosphate cells would incur little capacity loss from combining vehicle-to-grid (V2G) activities with regular driving. Statistical analyses indicated that rapid battery cycling incurred when driving degraded the cells more than slower, vehicle-to-grid galvanostatic cycling.
Scott Peterson, Jay Apt, and Jay Whitacre also found that the percent capacity lost in the cells (they used A123Systems 26650 M1 cells, which are used in the Hymotion PHEV conversion packs) per normalized Wh or Ah processed is quite low even based on just use in a dynamic driving cycle—more than 95% of the original cell capacity remained after thousands of driving days worth of use. However, in a companion paper assessing the economics of V2G for consumers, they also concluded that the maximum annual profit for a PHEV owner to engage in V2G (~$10-$120) would likely prove insufficient to encourage use of the battery pack for grid electricity storage and later off-vehicle use.
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Clemson Researchers to Study Increasing Efficiency of PHEVs Through Integration with IntelliDrive Technology
October 13, 2009
| The IntelliDrive taxonomy. Click to enlarge. |
Clemson University researchers were recently awarded a $470,363 National Science Foundation grant to study making plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) more efficient through integration with a Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) (“IntelliDrive”) system.
Such VII systems can act as probes, providing detailed traffic data—such as speed profiles and travel time—of any VII-monitored highway, which can be utilized by infrastructure agents, in addition to receiving data from other sources, to provide real-time trip information to these vehicles. PHEV-VII vehicles utilize these data to predict acceleration profiles in their driving path for use in developing an energy management control strategy.
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France Launches 14-Point Plan to Accelerate Development of Electric Cars and Plug-in Hybrids; €1.5B for Charging Infrastructure, New €625M Li-ion Battery Plant
October 02, 2009
Jean-Louis Borloo, France’s Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, presented a national 14-point plan designed to accelerate the development and subsequent commercialization of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in France. The government intends for its strategy to lead to the production of two million EVs and PHEVs (combined) by 2020.
Among the financial highlights of the plan are a public investment of €1.5 billion (US$2.2 billion) to establish a network of 1 million charging points by 2015 and the building of a €625 million (US$910 million) lithium-ion battery plant at a plant owned by Renault with a public contribution of €125 million (US$182 million) toward the total.
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Mitsubishi to Debut Concept Plug-in Hybrid and Concept Cargo Variant of the i-MiEV at Tokyo Show
September 30, 2009
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will be showing a total of 16 cars at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show later in October, including two concept cars: the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid and the i-MiEV CARGO. MMC will also show 10 current production vehicles that qualify for eco-car tax incentives in Japan.
MMC Plug-in Hybrid. Powered by the new Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid System, the Mitsubishi Concept-PX (plug-in hybrid crossover) MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) returns fuel economy in excess of 50 km/liter (118 mpg US, 2.0L/100km) on the Japanese 10-15 cycle.
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National Labs Developing Methodology for Estimating Real World Fuel and Electricity Consumption of Plug-in Hybrids Based on Dynamometer Data
September 29, 2009
| NREL’s proposed adjustment method assumes that the increase in gasoline use during CD mode is the same as the increase calculated for CS mode. This works well for blended PHEVs that have lower electric power capabilities. Source: Gonder et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are cooperating to develop and test a method for predicting the real-world fuel and electricity consumption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by adjusting dynamometer test results. After examining data on the only PHEV currently available in large numbers, the new adjustment method shows promise for reasonably predicting PHEV average fuel and electricity use, despite differences in design.
Current rules for conventional vehicles do not work for plug-in hybrids because the vehicles run on both electricity and gasoline; industry debate centers on the rules for estimating miles per gallon. This was highlighted by the reaction to GM’s announcement that the Chevy Volt would attain 230 mpg in the city cycle, given a single charge per day, along with combined cycle electricity consumption of 25 kWh/100 miles, based on a draft EPA methodology. (Earlier post.)
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FPL Group and Duke Energy Pledge 10-year, $600M+ Commitment to Transition Fleets to PHEVs and EVs
September 27, 2009
FPL Group, Inc. and Duke Energy last week announced a 10-year commitment to transition their company cars and trucks to plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicles. The announcement was made during the Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI) fifth annual meeting in New York City.
The joint commitment represents more than 10,000 vehicles and potential revenues of at least $600 million for manufacturers who can produce viable plug-in electric vehicles. This minimum number does not include a premium that is anticipated for electric vehicles, so actual revenue opportunity would be more.
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Volvo Car Corporation to Introduce Diesel Plug-in Hybrid in Europe in 2012
September 25, 2009
| PHEV battery pack in V70 demonstrator without damage after a full scale rear crash test. Click to enlarge. |
Volvo Car Corporation is postponing its plans to produce a full hybrid based on a diesel engine and instead will introduce a series-produced plug-in diesel hybrid (PHEV) in Europe as early as 2012. The plug-in will support up to a 50 km (31 mile) all-electric range—sufficient to cover the daily transport needs of 75% of European drivers. For longer distances, the diesel automatically takes over. The combined range is about 1,200 kilometers (746 miles). Carbon dioxide emissions will average out at 49 g/km, with fuel consumption of 1.9 liters per 100 km (124 mpg US), according to the NEDC certification driving cycle.
The strategy that Volvo is adopting to start series-producing plug-in cars as early as 2012 is to exploit existing architecture for major components such as the body and engine. The company says it is saving time by installing the battery and electric motor beside a conventional driveline instead of waiting for an entirely new generation of car models.
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Commerce Secretary Releases Draft Smart Grid Interoperability Plan; Plug-in Vehicle Standards One of the Priorities
September 24, 2009
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke released the draft of an accelerated plan for Smart Grid interoperability. Produced by the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the approximately 90-page document identifies about 80 initial interoperability standards and 14 priority action plans that address the most important gaps in the initial standard set.
The Smart Grid will employ real-time, two-way digital information and communication technologies in the operation of the nation’s electricity grid. Standards will support interoperability of all the various pieces of the system, ranging from large utility companies down to individual homes, electronic devices and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).
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Toyota Concerned About Market Viability of Plug-ins, Sees Clear Path to Commercialization of Fuel Cell Technology in 2015
September 23, 2009
Based on its 15 years of experience with advanced battery technology and the now-mainstream Prius, Toyota has key unanswered questions regarding market acceptance of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and who the target buyers—in numbers sufficient to meet California ZEV mandates—might be, according to Michael O’Brien, Toyota’s US corporate manager for advanced technology vehicle planning. O’Brien was speaking at the California Air Resources Board’s ZEV Technology Symposium in Sacramento, California.
As Toyota learned with the introduction of the Prius and its efforts on the 2002 RAV4 EV, O’Brien said, it is difficult to force technology adoption by consumers. The current state of market readiness of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles presents serious challenges, particularly in mass production, given issues including range; cost; a charging time still longer than a conventional gasoline refueling; a broad variation in battery pack life, and the lack of infrastructure. “Creating consumer demand for mandated advanced technology vehicles will require substantial government engagement at all levels.”
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DOE Announces $528.7M Conditional Loan for Fisker Automotive for PHEVs
September 22, 2009
The US Department of Energy is awarding a $528.7-million conditional loan to Fisker Automotive for the development of two lines of plug-in hybrids—the Karma and the new Project Nina vehicle—by 2016. This is the fourth conditional loan commitment the Department of Energy has entered into under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan program. The Department plans to make additional loans under this program over the coming months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production supply chain.
In the first stage of the program, Fisker Automotive will use a $169.3 million ATVM loan for engineering integration costs as it works with primarily US suppliers to complete the company’s first vehicle, the Fisker Karma. (Earlier post.) Engineers will also design tools and equipment and develop manufacturing processes. This work will be conducted at Fisker’s Pontiac, Michigan office with support from its headquarters in Irvine, California.
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Michigan Energy and Advanced Automotive Research Lined Up for $99.5M in Funding from FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill
September 21, 2009
The Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010, passed earlier this month by the US Senate Appropriations Committee and now under consideration by the full Senate, contains US$14.4 billion in funding for Michigan firms, the majority of which—$12.4 billion—is allocated for vehicle and weapons procurement, according to Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
Of the total, $99.5 million is designated for energy research and development ($75 million), with a heavy emphasis on lithium-ion battery technology; and advanced automotive systems development ($24.5 million), including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydraulic hybrids.
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ETI Launches £11M Nationwide Plug-in Vehicle Plan to Accelerate Market Growth in UK
September 11, 2009
The UK’s Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) launched a Joined-Cities Plan designed to make it easier for drivers to charge plug-in vehicles in a number of major UK cities by deploying a cost-effective and compatible network of recharging points. (Earlier post.)
The £11-million (US$18-million) plan has been created to help support the roll-out of a single national network that will ultimately enable plug-in vehicles to be easily used and recharged anywhere, including the home.
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Prius Plug-in Concept to Support All-Electric Driving Up To About 12 Miles at Speeds Up To 62MPH
September 10, 2009
| The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Click to enlarge. |
Toyota has provided some initial details on the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept to be unveiled next week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Plug-in Prius will support an all-electric driving range of about 20 km (12.4 miles) miles at speeds up to 62 mph. Over longer distances and higher speeds, the Prius Plug-in switches to conventional gasoline-electric full hybrid operation. The extended electric range brings CO2 emissions down to around 60 g/km, according to Toyota.
Toyota’s presentation of the new concept, which is based on the new third-generation Prius, comes ahead of a test program that will see more than 500 cars leased to customers worldwide for real-world evaluation of performance and monitoring of driver attitudes and experiences. Approximately 150 of these will be in Europe, with another 150 in the US and 200 in Japan. (Earlier post.)
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Mercedes-Benz to Show S-Class Plug-in Hybrid Concept at IAA; Likely Included in Next Generation of Production S-Class
| The Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID Click to enlarge. |
Mercedes-Benz will present the Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID at the 63rd IAA in Frankfurt. The concept vehicle has an all-electric range of up to 30 km (19 miles). Combined with the CO2 bonus for the battery-electric driving mode, the vehicle achieves a certified consumption of 3.2 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (73.5 mpg US). CO2 emissions are 74 grams per kilometer in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle).
The drive system in the concept car consists of three main components: a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine with a next-generation direct injection system; a 44 kW/60 hp hybrid module that delivers 250 N·m (184 lb-ft) of torque; and a lithium-ion battery with more than 10 kWh of storage capacity that can be recharged at charging stations. The Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.
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Pike Survey: 48% of US Consumers Interested in Purchasing a PHEV40
September 08, 2009
| Expressed interest in PHEV40 purchases. Click to enlarge. |
According to a new survey from Pike Research, 48% of prospective US consumers would be “extremely” or “very” interested in purchasing a PHEV with a 40-mile range on a single charge (PHEV40), given electricity cost equivalent of $0.75 per gallon, home re-charging, additional charging stations being available around town, and assuming the price and other vehicle features were right.
Of those interested in purchasing a PHEV40, almost half (49%) said they would be willing to pay 5 or 10% more for a PHEV compared to the price of a standard gasoline vehicle; 17% expressed a willingness to pay between 20 and 50% more; just over one-third (34%) said they would not pay a premium at all—a PHEV would have to be the same price as a gasoline vehicle, or they would not purchase one.
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Lotus to Introduce Range Extender Engine
September 07, 2009
| The Lotus 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder Range Extender engine with integrated electrical generator. Click to enlarge. |
Lotus Engineering will unveil its Range Extender engine at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show next week. In a series hybrid vehicle, the Range Extender engine is attached to an electricity generator and provides an efficient source of energy to power the electric motor directly or charge the vehicles battery. The battery can also power the electric motor which enables the design of a drivetrain that has low emissions, optimized performance and acceptable range.
The Lotus three-cylinder 1.2 liter Range Extender engine is optimized between two power generation points, giving 15 kW of electrical power at 1,500 rpm and 35 kW at 3,500 rpm via the integrated electrical generator.
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Mercedes-Benz Provides Update on BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS Extended Range Electric Vehicle Concept
September 03, 2009
| The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS. Click to enlarge. |
At the North American International Autoshow in January, Mercedes-Benz presented the Concept BlueZERO for electric vehicles. Based on a single vehicle architecture, this modular concept supports three models with different drive configurations: the BlueZERO E-CELL with battery-electric drive; the BlueZERO F-CELL (fuel cell); and the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and internal combustion engine as range extender. (Earlier post.)
Mercedes has now provided some additional details on the extended range electric vehicle, BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS.
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California Energy Commission Awards eTec $8M in Support of Transportation Electrification Project; Almost $7M to Other Plug-in Infrastructure and Vehicle Projects
August 31, 2009
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, an estimated $8 million to support the deployment of charge infrastructure and electric vehicles (EVs) in the San Diego region that is part of eTec’s project awarded $99.8 million in Recovery Act funds from the Department of Energy. (Earlier post.)
As eTec’s proposed project to the US Department of Energy is anticipated to deploy up to 2,550 charging stations in the San Diego area, the additional funding from the California Energy Commission will allow for a substantial increase in the amount of charge infrastructure deployed in the region, according to Don Karner, president, eTec.
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BMW’s “CO2 Champion” Performance Concept is a Plug-in Diesel Hybrid; 50 km/31 mile All-Electric Range; Thermo-electric Generator for Waste Heat Recovery
August 30, 2009
| The powertrain of the plug-in hybrid BMW Vision EfficientDynamics. Click to enlarge. |
BMW has provided more details on the concept car it will unveil at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show—a concept that Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, called a “CO2 champion” that will demonstrate “a whole new dimension of driving pleasure with regards to efficiency with performance” during a press conference late in July. (Earlier post.)
The plug-in full hybrid BMW Vision EfficientDynamics all-wheel drive concept car is powered by a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbodiesel; two electric motors, one on each axle; and a 10.8 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack. Overall system output is 262 kW (356 hp), with maximum torque of 800 N·m (590 lb-ft).
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Perspective: A View Into the New GM
by Bill Cooke
| The Saturn version of the two-mode plug-in hybrid at the Milford Proving Grounds. Click to enlarge. |
On 11 August, GM invited approximately 75 journalists and auto analysts to spend a day learning about the new GM. The day was split between a morning session at the GM tech center in Warren and an afternoon session at the GM proving grounds in Milford, MI.
The morning session started out with an hour long press conference, the highlight being the unveiling of the Volt’s 230 mpg preliminary EPA city fuel economy finding (earlier post), as well as a tour showing selected elements from the studios of the four GM North American brands: Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac.
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GM’s Approach to Integrating Smart Plug-ins to the Smart Grid Leverages Emerging Standards and OnStar
August 19, 2009
| GM is embracing the use of communications standards that operate with optional data transports to enable smart charging and integration with the emerging smart grid. EVSE=Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. PLC=Power Line Communications. Source: GM. Click to enlarge. |
While the ultimate vision of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) operating as smart nodes in the smart grid offers compelling benefits for both end users and utilities, achieving that vision will require coordinated development and a staged, evolutionary implementation involving both the utility and automotive industries, according to George Bellino, GM manager of strategic programs, in a presentation at the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach, California last week.
Among the basic requirements for successfully implementing smart vehicle/smart grid combination are specific, standardized requirements and solutions for vehicle-to-utility communications, and compatible methods to bridge the many gaps in the charging and communications infrastructure until North American and global standards are in place.
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Ford Testing Intelligent System for Plug-in Vehicle to Grid Communication to Manage Charging
August 18, 2009
| The Ford PHEV charge settings user interface. Click to enlarge. |
Ford Motor Company has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that communicates directly with the electric grid. The new technology, which builds on Ford technologies such as SYNC, SmartGauge with EcoGuide and Ford Work Solutions—allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate.
All 21 of Ford’s fleet of plug-in hybrid Escapes eventually will be equipped with the vehicle-to-grid communications technology. The first of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids has been delivered to American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Ford’s other utility partners’ vehicles will also be equipped with the communications technology.
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FEV, Inc. Partnering with EIG on Li-Ion Pack Development for Range-Extended Electric Vehicle Project
August 17, 2009
FEV, Inc. is developing a 21 kWh Li-ion battery pack utilizing cells from Korea-based Energy Innovation Group (EIG Ltd.) for a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (ReEV) project. The battery pack is expected to be demonstrated in a ReEV concept Dodge Caliber that was shown by FEV at the 2009 SAE World Congress. (Earlier post.)
The complementary cooperation combines the engineering and test core competencies of FEV with the lithium-ion battery core competencies of EIG. The cooperation will enable joint development of solutions to the automotive electrification challenges of both FEV and EIG customers, FEV said.
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Eaton to Support Project to Develop and Deploy Medium-Duty Plug-in Hybrid Systems; Stimulus Funding to Support Largest Commercial PHEV Demonstration to Date
August 13, 2009
Eaton Corporation’s truck and electrical businesses will support a $45.4 million grant to develop a fully integrated, production plug-in hybrid system for Class 2 – 5 vehicles (8,501 – 19,500 lbs gross vehicle weight), and the accompanying demonstration of a fleet of 378 plug-in hybrid trucks and shuttle buses.
The funding is part of the recently announced $2.4 billion in grants by the US Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Earlier post.) This will represent the largest deployment of commercial PHEVs to date.
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Enova Systems Shows Ze, Outlines Planned Improvements in School Bus Plug-in Hybrid Drive
| The Ze electric drive system. Click to enlarge. |
Enova brought its Ze (zero emissions) commercialized all-electric step-van to the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach. Engineered specifically for urban delivery routes and service/maintenance operations, the Enova Ze plug-in step van drive system offers a range of up to 150 miles per charge and can reach a top speed of 65 mph. Operating costs are projected to be $.08- $.10 per mile—significantly less than the average of $.24-$.48 per mile in a comparable diesel vehicle.
Enova is supplying drive systems to Smith Electric Vehicles, and recently announced a major contract with First Auto Works (FAW) in China for hybrid buses. (Earlier post.) The Ze gives Enova entry into the chassis manufacturer market, said James Badalamenti, Director Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Ultimately, he said, Enova would like to evolve its position to become a Tier 1 supplier to commercial OEM chassis manufacturers.
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Converted Plug-In Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor to be Tested at Port of Long Beach
August 12, 2009
A plug-in parallel hybrid electric terminal tractor used to move shipping containers and cargo within the port will be tested at a Port of Long Beach shipping terminal. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is coordinating the project among several ports and will also compile and analyze project data related to the tractor’s performance, including emissions, charging, diesel fuel reduction and other aspects.
US Hybrid Corporation performed the conversion which uses a 33 kWh Li-ion battery pack from GAIA. The truck is equipped with a 6.6 kW charger. EPRI expects the plug-in to have about 4 hours of electric operation, depending upon the duty cycle, said Andra Rogers, senior project manager of Electric Transportation at EPRI.
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SDG&E to Test Mobile Smart Charging Device for Plug-ins
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will test and evaluate a mobile smart charging device for plug-in electric vehicles developed by Juice Technologies LLC. SDG&E and Juice Technologies presented a prototype of the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charging device at the Plug-In 2009 Conference in Long Beach, CA.
The device is being developed to provide customers with a convenient, cost-effective method to charge their vehicle during off-peak hours to take advantage of reduced electric rates. Together with technologies being developed by SDG&E, the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charger could allow customers to charge their vehicle anywhere in SDG&E’s service territory and charge the usage to their SDG&E account.
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Bright Automotive To Convert VW Transporters to Plug-ins
August 11, 2009
| A VW Transporter van. Click to enlarge. |
Start-up Bright Automotive, which in May unveiled its IDEA concept series plug-in hybrid light commercial van (earlier post), will convert VW Transporter vans with the series hybrid Bright powertrain as a bridge between the concept and the production version of the IDEA.
Conversions are expensive, noted Lyle Shuey, Bright VP of Marketing and Sales, and the converted Transporters will not be as efficient as the purpose-built IDEA. But “Bright-ifying” the Transporter provides fleet owners with a more immediate solution that delivers benefits compared to the conventional Transporter, and allows them to begin the learning and preparation to plug-in.
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GridPoint Smart Charging Software to Support eTec/Nissan LEAF Deployment
GridPoint, Inc., a provider of smart grid software, will provide its latest generation of electric vehicle management software (earlier post), Smart Charging 3.0, to support the eTEC/Nissan LEAF deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure—the largest yet in the US. (Earlier post.) The company made the announcement at the Plug-In 2009 Conference and Exposition in Long Beach, CA.
GridPoint will provide smart charging and data logging capabilities to utilities in strategic markets of the eTec program in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington that will support the deployment of up to 5,000 Nissan LEAF vehicles and a network of up to 12,750 charging stations.
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GM Expects Chevrolet Volt to Deliver 230 mpg in City Driving Based on EPA Draft Methodology
Based on the analysis of development data (both dynamometer and road-test) using a draft federal fuel economy methodology for extended-range electric vehicles (EREV) under discussion by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), GM expects the Chevrolet Volt will achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 mpg US, given a single charge per day (as the methodology assumes).
Based on the same draft EPA methodology, the Volt would also deliver “triple-digit” combined cycle fuel economy along with combined cycle electricity consumption of 25 kWh/100 miles, according to GM. At the US average cost of electricity (approximately 11 cents per kWh), GM calculates that a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than three cents per mile.
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UMTRI Agent-Based Simulation Study Concludes US PHEV Annual Sales Could Reach 4-5% With Fleet Penetration of 2+% by 2020 If Subsidies Are in Place
August 07, 2009
| Fleet penetration of PHEV by 2020 in different scenarios. The first character of the scenario represents the price of gasoline at simulation termination, the second represents “yes” or “no” on a manufacturer subsidy, and the third represents “yes” or “no”on a sales tax exemption. Source: Sullivan et al. 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Annual sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the US could reach 2% – 3% with fleet penetration of around 1% by 2015, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). By 2020, sales could reach around 4% – 5% with fleet penetration a little more than 2%. And in 30 years, they could be around 20% of sales with a fleet penetration of about 16%.
However, the team notes in the study, “PHEV marketplace penetration: An agent based simulation”, to achieve that level of penetration given the additional cost of the vehicles, subsidies in addition to the Federal tax credit already in place are critical. In the base case (which includes the current tax credit), “both fleet penetration and sales penetration are feeble at best”. Fleet penetration would be less than 1% in ten years, the study finds.
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GM to Debut Two-Mode Plug-in Hybrid Technology in New Buick Crossover in 2011; LG Chem to Supply the Li-ion Cells
August 06, 2009
| The 8 kWh battery pack for the new 2011 Buick PHEV crossover vehicle is prepared for testing at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for GM) Click to enlarge. |
General Motors will debut its two-mode plug-in hybrid technology—originally intended to appear first in a Saturn VUE, prior to that brand’s sale—in a new Buick crossover vehicle in 2011. Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of product development, made the announcement during the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan. In early testing, the plug-in hybrid is capable of electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles at low speeds.
The yet-to-be-named Buick crossover will launch in late 2010, offering a family of fuel-efficient direct-injected gasoline engines, followed in 2011 by the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model. The new five-passenger crossover will build on the success GM has had with the Buick Enclave.
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EC Publishes 6 Calls for Proposals for Transport Research within the Seventh Framework Program; €63M for European Green Cars Initiative and Electromobility
August 01, 2009
The European Commission has published 53 calls for proposals in various thematic areas of the Seventh Research Framework Program (FP7), including six calls for transport with funding of approximately €243 million (US$344 million). Within that, projects for the European Green Cars Inititative are to receive an indicative (i.e., the actual sum of the awards may vary) €63 million (US$89 million).
Calls for also went out for proposals in health; food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology; information and communication technologies; nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies; energy; environment (including climate change); socio-economic sciences and humanities; space; and security.
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University of Calgary Study Finds Large-Scale Adoption of PHEVs in Alberta Could Support Wind Power; PHEV GHG Benefits Range from 40-90% in Emissions Reduction
July 28, 2009
The environmental benefit of a large-scale deployment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the Canadian province of Alberta could vary significantly, ranging from a 40% to a 90% reduction in greenhouse gases, according to a study by electrical engineers at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering. The study found the environmental impacts of PHEVs in Alberta would depend on factors such as vehicle battery size, charging time and wind production levels.
Power generation in Alberta is thermal-dominated. Of the installed capacity of just above 12,000 MW, approximately 49% (5,893 MW) is coal fired, 39% (4,686 MW) is gas-fired, 7% (869 MW) is hydro, and 4% (497 MW) is wind powered. However, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) has nearly 11 GW interest in wind power developments, and is facing an operational challenge given a thermal-dominated system with limited flexibility. The AESO has thus been actively looking at ways to mitigate the high volatility of wind.
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Velozzi Provides Some Details on the SOLO Crossover; Micro-Turbine Extended Range Electric Vehicle
July 23, 2009
| The SOLO. Click to enlarge. |
Velozzi released a rendering and some preliminary detail on its upcoming electric-drive crossover, the SOLO. The SOLO is an extended range electric vehicle equipped with a combination of supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries for energy storage and a multi-fuel micro-turbine for the range-extending genset.
The vehicle will also have the ability to reverse its polarity and serve as a power generator, able to power equipment or a home if necessary. Regenerative braking will capture kinetic energy when slowing the vehicles improving its range. According to Velozzi, the SOLO will reach 100 mpg (2.4 L/100km), accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, and have a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h).
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US DOE Awards More than $47M in Recovery Act Funding to Advance Smart Grid Development; New Smart Grid Report and Smart Grid Clearinghouse
July 21, 2009
The US Department of Energy delivered more than $47 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for eight projects to further smart grid demonstration projects in seven states. Energy Secretary Chu also announced $10.5 million in Recovery Act funding available for local governments to develop emergency preparedness plans for their electrical systems.
The $47 million in new Recovery Act awards will support existing projects that are advancing demonstration-scale smart grid technologies. This investment will add to the $17 million in funds the Department had awarded these projects in 2008 following a competitive award process.
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Oak Ridge Two-Phase, Floating Loop Cooling System for Power Electronics Meets DOE 2020 Targets
July 17, 2009
| Schematic of the floating loop cooling system. Click to enlarge. |
Power electronics and electrical machines (PEEM) are essential elements of hybrid and electric-drive vehicles. PEEM technology comprises three main elements: power electronics (e.g., boost converters and inverters); electric motors; and thermal control and system integration. Thermal control is a critical element to enable power density, cost, and reliability of the other components.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which runs one of the leading PEEM research centers, in a three-year project developed an innovative two-phase “floating loop” cooling system for direct-contact cooling of power electronics and motors that can exceed DOE FreedomCAR 2020 targets for power density (13.4 kW/L).
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Third Phase of SDG&E In-Use Study Shows PHEVs Excel on Fuel Economy and GHG Emissions Reductions Compared to Gasoline ICE and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
July 16, 2009
| One of SDG&E’s converted PHEVs. Click to enlarge. |
The third phase of a SDG&E multi-year in-use study on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles showed that plug-in hybrids offer significant improvements in gas mileage and reductions in emissions when compared with standard hybrid-electric and gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. (Earlier post.) SDG&E is a regulated public utility that services San Diego and southern Orange counties.
SDG&E tested the performance of two 2007-model Prius hybrids and then converted them into plug-in hybrids, using a Hymotion 5 kWh lithium-ion battery conversion kit. In the most recent study, the prototype battery was replaced with a production-model battery. The same pool of drivers was used during vehicle evaluation.
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Ontario Announces Rebates of Up to C$10,000 for Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles
July 15, 2009
The government of Ontario (Canada) is targeting a vehicle parc with one out of every 20 vehicles (5%) having electric drive by the year 2020 (“1 in 20 by 2020”).
Ontario (Canada) Premier Dalton McGuinty announced several measures in support of that goal, including rebates of between C$4,000 and C$10,000 (US$3,575 to US$8,938) for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles purchased after 1 July 2010, based on the vehicle’s battery capacity. The high-end of the rebate would be the highest in Canada and amongst the highest in the world.
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Ener1 to Provide Lithium-Ion Packs for Volvo Cars V70 PHEV Demonstration
July 13, 2009
Volvo Car Corporation has selected lithium-ion battery systems designed and produced by Ener1, Inc. to power a pair of plug-in diesel-electric hybrid (PHEV) V70 demonstration cars being put through their paces across Europe this fall as part of a development program leading up to the planned 2012 commercial launch of a production plug-in model.
The PHEV demo project is a joint venture between Volvo and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest electric utility companies and a leading proponent of electric vehicle infrastructure build-out. (Earlier post.)
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ETV Motors Demonstrates Proof-of-Concept Microturbine-Based Range-Extended Electric Prius
July 12, 2009
Israeli startup ETV Motors Ltd. (ETVM) completed a proof-of-concept test of its Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) architecture using a gas microturbine for the range-extending generator. The company had closed a $12M Series A round in April. (Earlier post.)
For the test drive, the company modified a Toyota Prius using commercially available components. ETVM replaced the OEM NiMH pack with a large-format lithium-ion battery, and retrofitted a liquid-fueled, gas turbine generator to the car for the range extender.
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Piaggio Introduces Plug-in Hybrid Version of MP3 Scooter
July 08, 2009
| The MP3 hybrid. Click to enlarge. |
The Piaggio Group has introduced the MP3 Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid version of its MP3 three-wheeled scooter. With a grid-chargeable Li-ion battery pack, the Piaggio MP3 Hybrid reduces both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50%. The MP3 Hybrid has a Euro 3 emissions rating.
The Piaggio MP3 Hybrid incorporates a parallel hybrid drive in which the 124cc combustion engine and a 2.6 kW, 15N·m synchronous brushless permanent magnet traction motor are mechanically and electronically linked and simultaneously supply power to the wheel. The hybrid powertrain offers combined power of 11 kW (15 hp), with combined torque of 16 Nm (12 lb-ft).
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Bosch: Electrification is Coming, But Combustion Engines to Dominate for Another 20 Years
July 01, 2009
| In the long run, the large variety of drivetrain concepts will give way to electric drive. Source: Bosch. Click to enlarge. |
While full electric powertrains (battery and fuel cell) will at some point become pervasive in light-duty vehicles, the dominance of the internal-combustion engine will remain unchallenged over the next twenty years, according to Robert Bosch GmbH executives at their annual International Automotive Press Briefing in Boxberg, Germany. This is due in part to important technological challenges to powertrain electrification that must first be overcome and in part to ongoing efficiency improvements in combustion engine technology.
As a supplier, Bosch is active in both areas, said Dr. Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group. Bosch is working hard to get the electric drive of the future readied for large-scale series production, while also doing its utmost to further improve the internal-combustion engine for decades to come, Bohr said. The company is investing €3 billion (US$ 4.25 billion) in R&D in the automotive technology sector in 2009.
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GAO Report Concludes Plug-in Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, but High Costs and Limited Information Could Hinder Integration into the Federal Fleet; Recommended Actions
June 25, 2009
The US federal government has set a goal—via Executive Order 13423—for federal agencies to use plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) as they become available at a reasonable cost. In response to a request from Representatives Henry Waxman (Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce); Edolphus Towns (Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform); and Darrell Issa (Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform), the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined the (1) potential benefits of plug-ins; (2) factors affecting the availability of plug-ins; and (3) challenges to incorporating plug-ins into the federal fleet.
The GAO found that increasing the use of plug-ins could result in environmental and other benefits, but also that realizing these benefits depends on several factors. Although plug-ins could significantly reduce oil consumption and those associated greenhouse gas emissions, the electricity used for charging the batteries would need to be generated from lower-emission fuels such as nuclear and renewable energy rather than the fossil fuels for PHEVs to reach their full potential.
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French Environment Agency Demonstrator Awards €57M to 11 Lower-CO2 Vehicle Projects
June 19, 2009
The French environment agency ADEME is awarding €57 million (US$80 million) via its technology demonstrator to 11 low-carbon vehicle projects selected through an initial call for expressions of interest. The projects include light- and heavy-duty applications, and hybrid or electric powertrains. A second call for expressions of interest for research projects on vehicle decarbonization ends 26 June. Projects selected will be announced in the fall and receive awards totalling €50 million.
The projects selected for the first round of funding are:
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NIST Releases EPRI Report on Smart Grid Development; Priorities, Standards, Architecture
| Smart Grid electric transportation applications summary communications diagram. Click to enlarge. |
The US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released for public review a report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a US Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.
The nearly 300-page report, developed and delivered to NIST by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid. NIST will accept public comments on the report for 30 days after the publication of an upcoming notice in the Federal Register announcing the report’s availability.
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Ohio State University Takes Top Spot at 2009 EcoCAR Competition with EREV Design
June 13, 2009
University students from The Ohio State University earned top honors at the 2009 finals of the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge competition in Toronto, Canada for their design of a Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV).
The Ohio State University took first place out of 17 universities in the US and Canada that competed in the first major milestone of this three-year competition sponsored by the US Department of Energy, General Motors, and many others including the Government of Canada. The competition challenges university engineering students across North America to re-engineer a 2009 Saturn VUE to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance and consumer appeal.
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3.4 kWh EIG Li-ion Pack for Plug-in Applications
| Rendering of the pack. Click to enlarge. |
At the recent Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC 2009), Korea-based EIG Ltd. described a prototype lithium-ion battery system targeted at a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) application. The system shows 58 kW discharge power output at 50% depth of discharge (DOD), with 3.4 kWh useable energy. (A 3.4 kWh capacity matches the USABC short-term goal for a 10-mile equivalent electric range PHEV.)
The PHEV pack is based on 14 Ah lithium-ion polymer cells, with carbon-coated LiFePO4 as the cathode material. Carbon coating is a technique used to overcome the low conductivity of lithium iron phosphate by enhancing conduction on the particle scale. (Earlier post.) The cell design target was 120 Wh kg-1 and power density of 2,500 W kg-1. 96 cells were serially connected to obtain the 307V battery pack.
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SK Energy Has Two HEV, Four PHEV Li-ion Cells, Packs Ready for Production
June 12, 2009
South Korea-based SK Energy has now developed six lithium-ion cells: two targeted at hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications and four targeted at plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications. Jeon Oh, SK Energy’s Leader, Corporate R&D Center/HEV Battery Project, provided an update on the company’s Li-ion automotive battery activities at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 this week in Long Beach.
SK Energy is Asia’s fourth largest energy provider, and was Korea’s first oil refining company, now with a domestic market share of 38%. The company was the first Korean company, and the third in the world, to independently develop a lithium-ion battery separator, which features proprietary technology for low shrinkage and heat resistance.
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Argonne Study Examines Impact of Real World Drive Cycles on Efficiency and Cost of Different PHEV Configurations
June 11, 2009
Results from a study by Argonne National Laboratory on the impact of real world drive cycles on the fuel efficiency and cost of different plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configurations suggest that while different PHEV configurations all demonstrate great potential for displacing petroleum use (with fuel displacement increasing linearly with available electrical energy), the relative benefits of adding more battery capacity seem to decrease with increasing pack size.
Aymeric Rousseau, program manager at Argonne, presented a small slice of this wide study at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC) this week in Long Beach.
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Software Upgrade to Prius PHEV NiMH Conversion Kit Enables All-Electric Driving At Up to 70mph
June 10, 2009
Poway, California-based Plug In Conversions Corp. (PICC) has completed a software upgrade to its 6.1 kWh NiMH plug-in hybrid (PHEV) conversion kit that enables all-electric mode driving at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (until the battery pack is depleted) in a converted Prius. The software upgrade is based upon patented technology developed by Chicago-based Ewert Energy Systems, which has granted PICC exclusive rights for its use in Prius conversion kits.
Previous Prius PHEV conversion kits—including PICC’s earlier generations (earlier post)—have been limited by Toyota programming to a top speed of 34 mph in all-electric mode.
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Toyota to Lease 200 PHEVs in Japan Starting at End of 2009, 500 Globally; Gen3 Prius Plus Li-ion Pack
June 03, 2009
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will begin leasing approximately 200 plug-in versions of its third-generation Prius (earlier post) equipped with lithium-ion battery packs in Japan starting at the end of this year. This will be the first time a lithium-ion battery is to be employed in a Toyota vehicle for propulsion.
The leases will be to designated users such as government ministries, local governments and corporations. This brings the initial planned global deployment of early plug-ins—primarily to fleet customers—to approximately 500 units.
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Volvo Cars and Vattenfall to Develop New Plug-in Diesel-Electric Hybrids; Three V70 PHEV Demonstrators on the Road This Summer
June 01, 2009
Swedish energy company Vattenfall and the Volvo Car Corporation are launching an industrial joint venture partnership to introduce plug-in hybrids on the market by 2012. In January 2007, Volvo and Vattenfall launched a joint project with the aim of testing and developing plug-in technology. (Earlier post.) They are now extending that cooperation.
The development of the cars is being carried out and financed jointly by the two companies. The Volvo Car Corporation will manufacture the cars and Vattenfall will develop charging systems and supply the cars with electricity.
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Chrysler LLC Requests $224M from DOE for the Rapid Development and Manufacturing of Electrified Vehicles; Total Investment of $448M
May 26, 2009
| A prototype electric minivan for the USPS. Click to enlarge. |
Chrysler LLC has submitted three proposals representing a request for $224 million in funding to two US Department of Energy (DOE) initiatives: the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative and the Transportation Electrification Initiative. With a 50/50 cost share, the total investment represented by the proposals is $448 million. Proposed vehicles covered under the submission include Dodge Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid-electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Chrysler Town & Country PHEVs and Chrysler Town & Country Electric Vehicles (EVs).
If approved, Chrysler LLC plans to use funds to build a demonstration fleet of the plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), as well as create a new-vehicle electrification technology and manufacturing center located in Michigan. The proposal will enable the production of commercially viable products in a shorter time frame.
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ANL Project on Actively Coupled Ultracapacitor-Battery System for PHEVs Attracting OEM Interest
May 20, 2009
| The actively coupled ultracapacitor-battery system has four primary components. Source: ANL. Click to enlarge. |
Work on a research project developing an actively coupled ultracapacitor-battery system targeted at plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications is attracting interest from a variety of OEMs both at a component and a system level, according to Argonne’s Ted Bohn, in his presentation at the Department of Energy Merit Review this week. The project is led by Argonne; Maxwell Technologies Inc. and Gold Peak Battery-USA are research partners in the project.
The objective of the project is to develop a high power and high energy electrical storage system that combines the strengths of each technology—high power density for ultracapacitors and high energy storage for Li-ion batteries—at equal or better system efficiency and net cost/density compared to current conventional Li-ion batteries.
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A123Systems’ Prismatic Cell Lineup: Up to 5,300 W/kg in High Power Cell, 20 Ah Cell for PHEVs
May 19, 2009
| A123Systems scalable prismatic module is reconfigurable for applications ranging from 1 kWh to more than 100 kWh. Source: A123Systems. Click to enlarge. |
At the Department of Energy (DOE) Annual Merit Review for the Hydrogen and Vehicle Technologies Programs, A123Systems co-founder Ric Fulop described the progress the company has made with two DOE-funded projects, one on high-power hybrid batteries, the other on plug-in hybrid battery development.
A123Systems, which began by manufacturing cylindrical format cells, is developing a portfolio of prismatic automotive cells funded through two USABC 50:50 cost share programs. The emerging prismatic lineup includes a 20Ah energy cell for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, with a targeted start of production (SOP) of 2009/2010; and 4Ah, 6Ah and 8Ah power cells for hybrids, with vehicle SOP of 2011/2012.
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Waxman/Markey Bill Accelerates Infrastructure and Build-out for Plug-Ins, Calls for Harmonization of Motor Vehicle GHG Standards; 3% of Emissions Allowances for Cap-and-Trade Go to Auto Industry
May 17, 2009
The major climate and energy bill introduced last week by House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Chairman Henry Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey—H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act—which establishes a cap-and-trade program also contains a number of provisions for accelerating the deployment of a vehicle charging infrastructure and the manufacturing of plug-in electric drive vehicles.
The bill also calls for the harmonization of Federal and California motor vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards. In addition, the bill allocates 3% of the emissions allowances (under the cap-and-trade scheme defined in the bill) through 2017 and 1% from 2018 through 2025 be allocated for investments in electric vehicles and other advanced automobile technology and deployment.
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GM Quantifies CO2 and Fuel Consumption Reductions Via E-REVs And PHEVs, As Compared To “Conventional” Hybrids
May 16, 2009
by Jack Rosebro
| Energy sources, paths, storage media, and propulsion systems available or in development. “FCEV” refers to all fuel cell vehicles, including E-REVs and fuel cell hybrids. Adapted from Tate et al. (2009). Click to enlarge. |
General Motors has released a white paper that evaluates the CO2 reduction potential of extended-range electric vehicles (E-REVs) as well as plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), in combination with multiple vehicle charging scenarios, as compared to conventional hybrids. The paper was presented by authors Ed Tate and Peter Savagian at last month’s SAE 2009 World Congress in Detroit.
In the paper, the GM team broke down CO2 and fuel consumption reduction potentials into several categories:
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ARB Staff Publishes Revised, Tiered Requirements for PHEV Conversions
May 15, 2009
The California Air Resources Board staff has published a supplemental report on revised requirements for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle conversion systems certification and installation.
In January, ARB staff presented certification test procedures for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) along with certification procedures for aftermarket PHEV conversion systems. The Board approved the exhaust and evaporative emissions test procedures as well as a new method for determining the range of fuel cell vehicles, but deferred a decision on the proposal for certification and warranty requirements for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. (Earlier post.)
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Elektromotive Debuts Tool for Monitoring and Invoicing Electricity Drawn from Charging Stations; Three-Phase Fast Charge Prototype with Mennekes Coupler
| The Mennekes system. Click to enlarge. |
UK-based Elektromotive introduced EBConnect—a tool for monitoring and invoicing electricity drawn from vehicle charging stations—at EVS 24. EBConnect will be installed in all Elektrobay charging stations, of which there are already more than 160 across the UK.
The EBConnect software manages a two-way exchange of data via GSM and the internet to track electricity usage and invoice accordingly. The system allows the possibility of a number of payment methods including a ‘pay-and-go’ service, where the user adds credits to their personalized Elektrobay keyfob.
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Argonne Lifecycle Analysis Calculates WTW Petroleum Energy Use and GHG Emissions for PHEVs Fueled With Petroleum, E85 and Hydrogen
May 14, 2009
| Summary of WTW petroleum energy use and GHG emissions for combined CD and CS operations relative to baseline gasoline ICEV. Single markers indicate conventional hybrids. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have published results of a well-to-wheels (WTW) lifecycle analysis of petroleum energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles employing gasoline, diesel, E85 and hydrogen (fuel cell) fuels, with an all-electric range between 10 to 40 miles.
Compared to an internal combustion vehicle fueled with gasoline, PHEVs that employed petroleum fuels (gasoline and diesel) offered a 40-60% reduction in petroleum energy use and a 30-60% reduction in GHG emissions. PHEVs fueled by E85 offered a 70-90% reduction in petroleum energy use and a 40-80% reduction in GHG emissions. PHEVs equipped with hydrogen fuel cells offered a more than 90% reduction in petroleum energy use and a 10-100% reduction in GHG emissions.
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Toyota to Lease More Than 150 Experimental Li-Ion PHEVs in Europe
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) will lease more than 150 units of its experimental Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) to selected fleet customers across Europe as a next step towards commercialization. Toyota says it will deploy more than 500 new PHVs in global trials—including in Europe, Japan and the US—by 2010.
France will be the first country to participate in the three-year European pilot, with discussions ongoing in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. Based on Toyota’s full hybrid technology, the new PHV will come equipped with a lithium-ion battery, extending the vehicle’s range in electric vehicle mode. The first wave of PHVs will reach Strasbourg in late 2009.
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Better Place Demonstrates Battery Switch Technology
May 13, 2009
| Demo vehicle moving into position for battery switch. Click image to see demonstration video. |
Better Place officially opened the Yokohama, Japan EV exhibit with the public debut of its automated battery switch system, designed to make long distance travel by EV convenient for customers.
Better Place selected the Nissan Dualis to demonstrate the battery switch technology. This crossover utility vehicle is not necessarily indicative as to any potential EV lineup by Nissan. The technology demonstration used specially-built 400V battery packs with standard lithium-ion cells from A123Systems. The cells were inserted into an enclosure built to fit this specific Nissan Dualis vehicle application.
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Ener1 Subsidiary Developing Fuel Cell Range Extender for Electric Vehicles
May 12, 2009
Although much of the attention on Ener1 has been focused on its lithium-ion battery subsidiary EnerDel (which last week signed a letter of intent for a potential long-term battery supply agreement with Fisker, earlier post), Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer used the company’s quarterly earnings conference call also to highlight what he called the “excellent progress” being made at EnerFuel—Ener1’s fuel cell subsidiary—on fuel cell range extenders for plug-in hybrids.
EnerFuel is developing advanced high-temperature PEM fuel cell systems and is currently focused on developing a range extender for electric vehicles, said Daniel Betts, EnerFuel’s Principle Engineer and on the executive management team, on the conference call.
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EnerDel Signs Letter of Intent to Supply Lithium-Ion Batteries to Fisker Automotive; Inaugurates New Manufacturing Line
May 08, 2009
| Enerdel produces both high energy systems for EVs and PHEVs (left) using a hard carbon/mixed oxide chemistry and high power systems for hybrids (right) using a LTO/LMO chemistry. Source: EnerDel. Click to enlarge. |
EnerDel and Fisker, the independent American carmaker developing a line of plug-in vehicles for the global market, have signed a letter of intent for a potential long-term battery supply agreement. Results of reliability and performance testing will determine a final contract. The Fisker Karma is scheduled to be the first OEM plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) on the US market in June 2010.
Fisker currently plans to build 15,000 vehicles per year and market them through an existing network of 32 US retailers. A European retail network will be announced in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
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European Automotive Industry Outlines R&D Priorities for EU Green Car Initiative
May 07, 2009
European automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers have united to submit a series of R&D priorities to the European Commission to shape the European Green Car Initiative (EGCI), announced by the EU. CLEPA (the European umbrella membership organization representing the interests of the global automotive supply industry) and EUCAR (the European Council for Automotive R&D from the major European passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers) jointly prepared the document.
The Green Car Initiative, a part of the European economic recovery plan, aims to allocate €5 billion (US$6.7 billion) through a Public Private Partnership to bolster innovation in the automotive sector and sustain its focus on environmental progress. The initiative complements the European Clean Transport Facility which, through the European Investment Bank, serves to provide more immediate financial relief to the sector.
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GM And University of Michigan Form GM/U-M Institute Of Automotive Research And Education; Focus On Fuel-Efficiency And Reinvention Of The Automobile
General Motors and the University of Michigan have formed the GM/U-M Institute of Automotive Research and Education, with a strategic focus on reinventing the automobile and developing the next generation of high-efficiency vehicles powered by diverse energy sources.
The Institute, which builds on more than 50 years of collaboration between the organizations, supplements GM’s ongoing research and development in key areas: advanced batteries, engine systems, smart materials and vehicle manufacturing.
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GM Will Apply Plug-in Hybrid Technology To One of Its Remaining Four Core Brands, Delivery Still in 2011
May 05, 2009
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| Prototype Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint (earlier post) in San Jose, CA. Click to enlarge. |
In a post on GM’s FastLane blog, Vice Chairman Tom Stephens said that the company will apply plug-in hybrid technology to one of the four core brands remaining after the restructuring: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.
Saturn currently sells two hybrid vehicles (VUE and Aura with GM Hybrid System) and was scheduled to begin initially offering a two-mode hybrid Vue (earlier post), with a Vue plug-in two-mode hybrid version (earlier post) due in 2011 for use in a cooperative demonstration test fleet with the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) and nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). (Earlier post.)
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Study Finds UK Power Infrastructure Has Capacity for Significant Rise in Use of EVs and PHEVs
April 30, 2009
According to the results of simulation studies by a consortium including Ricardo, Jaguar-Land Rover, E.ON and Amberjac Projects, a substantial medium-term rise in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles would have a much lower impact on the UK national power grid than has previously been estimated.
The research study has been carried out by the consortium as part of the Range Extended Hybrid Electric Vehicle (REHEV) project, which is led by Jaguar-Land Rover and part-funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board.
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UK Collaboration Develops Plug-in Hybrid Retrofit for Conventional Vehicles
| Battery pack state of charge vs. distance for the ADDZEV vehicle under all-electric power on the UDDC cycle. Source: Cranfield. Click to enlarge. |
A collaboration led by the UK’s Cranfield University has developed a retrofit plug-in hybrid conversion system for a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle. The Affordable Add-on Zero Emissions Vehicle (ADDZEV) technology demonstrates how it may be possible to convert segment of the existing the UK vehicle fleet into plug-in hybrid vehicles using a through-the-road approach. (Earlier post.)
Developed to reduce the carbon emissions of inner-city driving, the ADDZEV system was developed using a standard Vauxhall Combo van. The development team retained the existing conventional front-wheel-drive system of the Combo but added an electric drive, powered via low-cost valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, to the rear wheels.
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The Long View from SAE 2009 World Congress
April 29, 2009
by Bill Cooke
On 20 April, the opening day of the SAE 2009 World Congress, the AVL Technology Leadership Theater presented a forum on “Green Mobility—The Long View”. Organized by Shane Chang at Honda Research Institute USA Inc., the session counted among its panelists:
Professor John Heywood, Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Sloan Auto Laboratory at MIT. Dr. Heywood recently co-authored a study called “On The Road in 2035—Reducing Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions.”
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Israeli Microturbine-Based Range-Extended Electric Vehicle Startup Lands $12M Series A Round
April 25, 2009
| Drawing of the proposed advanced microturbine. Source: ETVM Click to enlarge. |
ETV Motors Ltd. (ETVM), an Israeli start-up developing a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) technology combining a novel dual-power micro-turbine and a new high-voltage lithium-ion battery chemistry, has closed a US$12-million Series A investment round. The round was led by The Quercus Trust of Newport Beach, California. New York-based 21Ventures LLC co-invested.
The investment enables ETVM to move ahead with a multi-year research and development program in which it is partnering with universities and development organizations.
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FEV Showcased Partner and Internal Advanced Hybrid Development Projects at SAE World Congress; Demonstrations of Capability
April 24, 2009
| California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped by the FEV booth to see the H3 ReEV after his remarks at the SAE 2009 World Congress opening ceremony. Click to enlarge. |
At SAE 2009 World Congress, FEV showcased two advanced hybrid development projects it undertook with partners—the range-extended electric vehicle (ReEV) HUMMER H3 done in cooperation with Raser and a heavy-duty series hydraulic hybrid yard hostler done in partnership with EPA—as well as two internal hybrid development projects: a Dodge Caliber-based range-extended electric vehicle, and a small Wankel-based 18 kWe APU that could, for example, also be used as the genset in the Caliber.
FEV, a powertrain and engineering company, works closely with OEMs on a variety of projects—many of which it has to keep confidential. That can make it a bit tough to drum up new business, said David Gian, FEV Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integration “when your prospective customer asks ‘What have you done?’ and you have to say ‘I can’t tell you.’” With its ongoing push to be fully capable in transmission and driveline design, development, and testing, FEV decided to produce a couple of demonstrations of capability (the Caliber and the Wankel APU) that prospects could see and drive.
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California Energy Commission Adopts $176M Green Transportation Plan
April 23, 2009
The California Energy Commission has adopted the state’s first transportation Investment Plan. The Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program’s Investment Plan allocates $176 million over the next two years to stimulate green transportation projects and encourage innovation to help meet the state’s aggressive climate change policies.
The Alternative and Renewable Fuels Vehicle Technology Program was established by Assembly Bill 118 (Núñez, Chapter 750, Statutes of 2007) and is an essential element of the California's climate change and energy policies. The state is aggressively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, decrease petroleum fuel use to 15% below 2003 levels by 2020, and increase alternative fuel use to 20% by 2020.
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UK Government Launches £250M 5-Year Plan for Cutting CO2 from Road Transport; Includes Incentives for Purchase of PHEVs and EVs
April 16, 2009
| High-level technology roadmap for the UK’s decarbonization of road transport. Click to enlarge. |
The UK Transport and Business Secretaries launched the Government’s vision for cutting carbon from road transport over the next five years. Central to the £250-million (US$373-million) strategy is a consumer incentive initiative for plug-in vehicles worth £2,000 - £5,000 (US$3,000 - US$7,500) towards buying the first electric and plug-in hybrid cars when they hit the showrooms, expected to be from 2011 onwards.
The strategy also includes plans to provide £20 million (US$30 million) for charging points and related infrastructure to help develop a network of “electric car cities” throughout the UK and an expansion of an electric and ultra-low carbon car demonstration project on the UK’s roads. The demonstration project will involve more than 200 motorists throughout the country.
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Renault-Nissan Alliances Forms EV Partnership in Phoenix Metro Area; Beginning of a Phoenix-Tucson EV Charging Corridor
Nissan and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which represents the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan region, are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network. ECOtality Inc. will participate in the partnership by initiating its EV Micro-Climate program in the Phoenix region to promote sensible policies, intelligent deployment of charge infrastructure, and strong public awareness to foster the successful consumer adoption of grid-connected electric vehicles.
In March, Nissan announced a similar partnership with ECOtality and the Pima Association of Governments, in the Tucson, Ariz., area, to promote a charging network infrastructure. (Earlier post.) ECOtality plans to link the Phoenix and Tucson Metro areas by implementing strategic fast-charge stations along Interstate 10 (I-10) to create the first implementation of an EV Corridor in North America. (Phoenix is about 116 miles (187 km) from Tucson via the 10.)
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FEV, Inc. to Unveil Dodge Caliber-Based Range Extended Electric Concept Vehicle at SAE World Congress
April 14, 2009
| A conventional MY 2009 Dodge Caliber. Click to enlarge. |
FEV, Inc. will unveil a Dodge Caliber-based range extended electric concept vehicle (ReEV) powered by a UQM propulsion system and generator at the 2009 SAE World Congress next week. The range extended electric vehicle with plug-in capability was developed by FEV to demonstrate the company’s full spectrum of capabilities in hybrid engineering.
The ReEV propulsion system employs a 1.0L, 3-cylinder, 4-valve engine that is mated to a UQM PowerPhase 75 generator that provides 41 kW of continuous power in extended-range mode, with a peak power of 75 kW. The energy storage system consists of a 20 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack that operates at 346V, with a Delphi DC/DC converter. A UQM PowerPhase 125 traction motor powers the wheels.
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McKinsey Report Finds 47% Reduction in Global Automotive Emissions Feasible by 2030; Timely Action By All Stakeholders Required
April 06, 2009
| Global passenger vehicle CO2 emissions and abatement potential under three primary scenarios. Source: McKinsey. Click to enlarge. |
A new study by management consultants McKinsey & Company estimates that an integrated approach to carbon abatement in the automotive sector, much of it using proven technologies, could reduce global passenger vehicle greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 by 47% (2.2 gigatons) relative to a ‘do nothing’ scenario, even in the context of ongoing growth in the global vehicle parc.
Without action, carbon emissions from the use of passenger vehicles are projected to increase by 54% (1.8 gigatons) between 2006 and 2030, fueled by a growing number of cars on the road (from 730 million to 1.3 billion).
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GM: Putting 1M Plug-ins on the Road Will Require a “Plug-In Ecosystem”
April 02, 2009
In a conference call organized by GM, Tony Posawatz, Chevrolet Volt and Global Electric Vehicle Line Director; Mark Duvall, Director of Electric Transportation, EPRI; and Bob Hayden, Clean Transportation Advisor, Department of Environment, City and County of San Francisco described the nature and role of the “plug-in ecosystem” required to support one million and more plug-ins on the road in the US.
Posawatz (who wryly referred to having read “someplace” about the Chevy Volt having some challenges, earlier post) said that GM believes there are four pillars that make up a plug-in ecosystem and that must be in place to assure the Volt’s successful commercial launch:
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New Indiana-Based Cleantech Research Partnership; First Activities in Heavy Hybrids and Plug-ins
A new Indiana-based cleantech partnership—The Energy Systems Network (ESN)—launched on Tuesday. The ESN brings together private firms, research institutions and public agencies focused on bringing new energy technologies to market through leveraging Indiana’s manufacturing sector and R&D capabilities. ESN will provide project development and coordination for joint ventures and cooperative partnerships between network members.
Private and institutional investors have already pledged nearly $1.5 million to support the ESN’s activities over the next two years.
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Plug In America Challenges Obama Auto Task Force Conclusion on GM Volt, Proposes Reduction in Warranty Terms to Reduce Manufacturer Cost
March 31, 2009
In response to the Presidential Auto Task Force Report that concluded that the plug-in Chevrolet Volt was unlikely to be commercially successful in the short-term due to its cost (earlier post), Plug In America is proposing a plan to make GM’s Chevy Volt and other plug-in cars more affordable. Plug In America also noted that most advanced new technologies are initially more costly.
California law requires that the Volt and other plug-in hybrids come with a 10-year warranty. To ensure this longer life, automakers are as much as doubling the size of the battery pack, increasing cost to manufacturer and consumer. But not a single production plug-in electric vehicle sold to date, from GM’s early EV1 to today’s Tesla, has had a warranty of more than five years, noted Plug In America advisory board member Chelsea Sexton.
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Presidential Auto Task Force Concluded Plug-In GM Volt Likely “Too Expensive To Be Commercially Successful in the Short-Term”
Following the short address on Monday during which President Barack Obama outlined the next steps for GM and Chrysler (earlier post), the White House posted summaries of the Presidential Auto Task Force’s assessment of the business plans provided by the two struggling automakers, which led to the terms that are currently unfolding.
Among the highlights of the brief summaries was the conclusion that while the Chevy Volt extended range electric vehicle holds promise, “it will likely be too expensive to be commercially successful in the short-term.”
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GM Provides Glimpse of Battery Strategy and Approach for the Future with Briefing on Gen 1 Volt Pack; Work on Gen 2 and Gen 3 Packs Already Underway, With a Focus on Cost
March 21, 2009
by Mike Millikin and Jack Rosebro
| The Gen 1 Volt 16 kWh pack, comprising more than 200 cells grouped into modules. GM is defining a “reuse” strategy for cells, packs and modules within its future vehicle line-up. Click to enlarge. |
Three key General Motors executives involved with the Chevrolet Volt this week held a media briefing on the state of GM’s battery pack strategy for the Chevrolet Volt and its current Gen 1 pack as well as subsequent generations (Gen 2 and Gen 3) of battery packs destined for the underlying Voltec platform. They also delivered an update on the progress of the Volt’s development cycle.
Executive Director of Global Engineering–Hybrids, Electric Vehicles, and Batteries Robert Kruse, Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah, and Director of Global Battery Systems Engineering Denise Gray took turns describing work completed so far as well as next steps for the project.
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DOE to Award Up to $2.4B for Advanced Batteries, Electric Drive Components, and Electric Drive Vehicle Demonstration/Deployment Projects
March 19, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released two competitive solicitations that will provide up to a combined $2.4 billion in federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in support of the development of advanced electric drive vehicles (EDVs) including plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV), electric vehicles (EV), and fuel cell vehicles (FCV). President Barack Obama announced the availability of the funding during a visit to Southern California Edison’s Electric Vehicle Center today.
This funding has been divided between two Funding Opportunity Announcements: Recovery Act - Transportation Electrification (DE-FOA-0000026); and Recovery Act - Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative (DE-FOA-0000028). The former will provide up to $400 million for EDV and electrification infrastructure demonstration and evaluation projects. The latter will provide grants to US-based manufacturers of up to $1.5 billion to produce advanced automotive batteries and their components, and up to $500 million to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors.
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EDF and Toyota Expand Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Demonstration Efforts in Strasbourg, France
March 18, 2009
| The current generation NiMH PHEV prototype in London. Click to enlarge. |
EDF and Toyota are expanding their joint plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) road-trials in France, with about 100 units of a next-generation PHEV equipped with lithium-ion batteries to be leased to selected companies and partners in the Strasbourg area starting from the end of 2009, for a duration of three years.
EDF and Toyota first announced their partnership in Fall 2007, with a small number of NiMH PHEVs being integrated into EDF’s fleet. (Earlier post.) EDF and Toyota expanded their European road trials of PHEVs to the UK last year. (Earlier post.)
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GM Europe Premieres Opel Ampera,Chevrolet Spark at Geneva Show
March 03, 2009
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| The Opel Ampera. Click to enlarge. |
GM Europe staged the world premieres of the Opel Ampera, the European cousin of the Chevrolet Volt, and the Chevrolet Spark mini-car, at the Geneva Motor Show. The Ampera goes on sale in Europe in 2011, the Spark in early 2010. The company also held the European premiere of the Cadillac SRX.
Opel Ampera. The Ampera is an extended range electric vehicle based on the Voltec technology used in the Chevrolet Volt. Equipped with a 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack, the five-door, four-seat hatchback has a battery-powered range of up to 60 km (37 miles) (MVEG cycle). An on-board gasoline/E85-fueled engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km (311 miles).
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Renault-Nissan Alliance and Electromotive to Collaborate on Charging Infrastructure
February 27, 2009
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and UK company Elektromotive, a provider of electric vehicle recharging stations, are collaborating in the Partnership for Zero-Emission-Mobility, with the aim of accelerating the installation of charging networks for plug-in vehicles in cities.
Elektromotive and EDF Energy and have been working in partnership since 2007 to develop an electric vehicle recharging infrastructure; the Renault-Nissan Alliance is also collaborating with EDF on electric vehicle infrastructure. (Earlier post.)
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Study Concludes That Smaller Capacity PHEVs Would Be a “Robust” Option for Minimizing Fuel Consumption, Cost and GHG Emissions
February 26, 2009
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| Best vehicle choice for minimum fuel consumption, cost, or greenhouse gas emissions as a function of distance driven between charges across sensitivity scenarios. Shiau et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University has analyzed the impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) battery pack size on fuel consumption, cost and greenhouse gas emissions over a range of charging frequencies (distance traveled between charges). The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Energy Policy.
When charged frequently (every 20 miles or less), using average US electricity, small capacity (i.e., lower all-electric range) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are less expensive operationally and release fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than hybrid-electric (HEVs) or conventional vehicles, according to the study’s findings.
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RMI Launches Project Get Ready to Help Communities Prepare for Plug-ins
February 25, 2009
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched Project Get Ready, an initiative that emerged from its Smart Garage Summit in October 2008 and that is intended to help communities prepare for plug-in vehicles including full battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and converted hybrid or internal combustion vehicles.
In addition to launching the project website, RMI provided a list of actions that communities must take “to be truly ready for the plug-in transition.“ For participating communities, RMI is suggesting a stretch target of 2% of registered vehicles by 2015.
