News
AT&T to Buy Two Ford Transit Connect Electric Vans
Ryder Europe Signs First Electric Truck Leasing Customer
We've long maintained that electrifying intra-city delivery trucks makes tons of sense because range - a concern for long-distance trucking and for many consumers - shouldn't be much of a problem for battery-electric trucks that wend their way along city streets dropping goods off at convenience stores, restaurants and retail shops.
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Smith Newton, decked out in Bunzl "BeGreen" livery, is a full-size cargo hauler powered by electricity stored in racks of batteries visible under the cargo box in the photo to the right.
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Now comes some proof.
Truck rental company Ryder Europe says tests of a 10-ton Smith Newton electric truck in central London showed that the delivery truck, used on a route serving the catering and hospitality trade, not only didn't deplete its batteries during the course of a day's work but, with an estimated range of just 80 miles, usually could go three days before needing an overnight recharge.
Based on that test, Ryder customer Bunzl - a distribution company - has become the first to lease a Smith Newton battery-electric truck from Ryder.
Aside from the freedom from range anxiety, the electric truck from Britain's Smith Electric Vehicles promises lower fuel and maintenance costs, relief from central London's daily congestion tariffs, and, for people who live and work along the delivery route it will serve, less noise and no diesel fumes.
A Bunzl spokesman said that if the truck is a reliable as expected, the company plans to add more electric delivery vehicles to its U.K. fleet in 2011 as part of its "sustainable distribution initiative.".
Report: Feds probing Prius' unintended acceleration incident, no new recall issued
The fall-out of yesterday's Toyota Prius unintended acceleration incident in California - a car got up to speeds of over 90 miles per hour in a 20-minute event - now includes an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA has dispatched two investigators to look into what happened, while Toyota is sending three technicians. The car was towed to a Toyota dealership today after being held overnight by the California Highway Patrol. One new bit of information reported by the AP is that the car had "a little hiccup" with the accelerator a few weeks ago. The driver claims that the floormats were not a cause of either acceleration.
We certainly don't think that this incident is like a new OJ moment for hybrids or green cars, but we can only imagine the discussion inside of Toyota HQ about the rumors and hype surrounding the troubles. Earlier today, for example, we heard that the second-gen Priuses had been recalled. This hasn't happened (yet), and Toyota is working on a fix for the thousands of hybrids included in the 4.36 million vehicles recalled last November. How yesterday's incident fits into the picture remains to be seen.
[Source: AP]
Report: Feds probing Prius' unintended acceleration incident, no new recall issued originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsLexus Hybrid Marketing Campaign Launches Amid Big Drop in Lexus Hybrid Sales
Lexus is launching a new marketing campaign across the U.S. that will span its current hybrid line-up: the RX 450h SUV, GS 450h sports sedan, LS 600h premium luxury sedan and HS 250h entry-level luxury sedan.
The recently-announced Lexus CT 200h, not yet on the market, will not be included in the campaign, which will include numerous print ads as well as the television commercial "Milestones" that kicked off several days ago and highlights a series of advancements and changes that the world has seen since the first Lexus Hybrid launched.
And what would those milestones be? "Milestones" says than when Lexus built its first hybrid, YouTube didn't exist, more people had land lines than cell phones, and gas was $1.75 a gallon.
The commercial adds, with only a hint of smugness, that "while other luxury carmakers are building their first hybrids, Lexus hybrids have traveled 5.5 billion miles. And that's quite a head start."
Toyota's luxury division launched its first hybrid in 2004. There are now more than 190,000 Lexus hybrids on the road.
"We are very proud of our leadership in luxury hybrids and have created a campaign that lets consumers know that at Lexus, hybrids aren't just a concept for a future car, but vehicles that have been on the road for five years," said Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.
Nordstrom must be less proud of how his hybrids are selling: February sales of the RX 450h - Lexus' top-selling hybrid - were down 12.4 percent from January and off 40.7 percent from February 2009; February sales of the GS 450h were down 46.3 percent from January and unchanged from February 2009; February sales of the new HS 250h were down 42.9 percent from January (there are no February 2009 sales to compare it with).
The only plus sign in the Lexus hybrid line-up was for the long-wheelbase, extremely low volume $103,000 LS 600h L, whose 15 sales in February represented a 66.6 percent increase from 9 sales in January, but a 31.8 percent decline from 22 sales in February 2009.
Total Lexus February 2010 hybrid sales were 1,636, down from 2,313 in January but up from 1,507 from February 2009, when the HS 250h (with 712 in February 2010 sales) wasn't in the mix to add to volume.
Boat-Eating Bug May Hold Key for Future of Biofuels
New research out of the University of York in Britain is unraveling some mysteries of the common wood-eating gribble that could provide the key to cheaply turning abundant wood and straw fiber into biofuel.
Do it for <strike>the kids</strike> us: vote in Treehugger's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards
Filed under: Green Culture, Green Daily
2011 Chevrolet Volt - click above for high-res image gallery2010 might only be a few months old (wait, it's already a few months old?!?), but Treehugger is ready to declare the best of the year with their 2010 Readers' Choice Awards. In the Cars & Transportation category, there are some interesting possibilities, like the Best Upcoming Electric Car (choices include: the Nissan Leaf, the Mitsubishi i MiEV, the Tesla Model S, the Chevrolet Volt or the Ford Focus EV). We have a more difficult time deciding who is the Best Agent of Change:
- Steven Chu (Secretary of Energy)
- Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla Motors, chairman of SolarCity)
- Carlos Ghosn (CEO of Nissan and Renault)
- Steve Fambro (Aptera)
Oh, and there's a Best Transportation Website category, too. AutoblogGreen is in the running, along with Green Car Congress, HybridCars.com, Gas2.0 and EcoModder. We're not too proud to beg, so please go vote for us! See all the categories here.
[Source: Treehugger]
Do it for the kids us: vote in Treehugger's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsKB Home's Newest Option: Pre-Wire Your Built-to-Order House for Plug-in Vehicles
KB Home will start giving buyers of its built-to-order homes the option of getting the houses pre-wired to handle electric-vehicle charging.
The national homebuilder will pre-wire homes to make it easier to add charging stations in garages to facilitate overnight electric-vehicle charging, the company said in a statement today. The cost for the option, which is available now, will vary by location but will average about $250, according to KB Home spokesman Craig LeMessurier.
"It's a great feature for homebuyers who currently drive electric cars, or for those who want to build their new home to accommodate these cars in the future," KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger said in a statement today.
The option marks the company's effort to appeal to a group of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicle owners that's likely to grow as the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and the all-electric Nissan Leaf come on the U.S. market later this year.
KB Home, which is working with U.S. utility companies to provide the new feature, is looking to rebound from the effects of a U.S. housing slump that cut the company's 2009 revenue by 40 percent from a year earlier to $1.82 billion. The company built about 8,500 homes last year, down 32 percent from the previous year.
Danny King, Contributor
AT&T Will Buy the First Ford Transit Connect Electric Vans
Fresh off its official unveiling at the Chicago Auto Show a couple weeks ago, Azure Dynamics, Ford and AT&T have just announced that AT&T will be the first company to own some Ford Transit Connect Electric commercial fleet vans. With an order of just 2, it certainly is a small start, but the list will surely grow from here.
KAIST's On Line Electric Vehicle draws energy from the road, now in use in S. Korea
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Asia
In September, the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST) demonstrated the technical concept for the On Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) using individual cars (which were really kind of cute - see them here). Today, the KAIST launched an actual prototype electric train that draws energy through non-contact magnetic charging from power strips embedded in the road. The train, with three cars, is now in use at an amusement park in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. The power strips are only required in 400 meters of the 2.2-kilometer (1.4-mile) route, or about 18-20 percent of the total distance. KAIST will build a larger system in Seoul for buses if the technology in the train proves successful.
Why is all this important? Because, by drawing energy from the road as it moves along, the train can use a battery that is only 20 percent as large and powerful as would otherwise be required. There's a serious cost reduction as well - with the cost shifted to installing the power strips into the road. Overall, the total cost for electric vehicles is about a third of what standalone electric vehicles cost. KAIST president Suh Nam-Pyo had high praise for the technology:
The potential for application (of this technology to public transport systems) is limitless. I dare say this is one of the most significant technical gains in the 21st century. Thanks to Roy B. for the tip!
[Source: Physorg]
KAIST's On Line Electric Vehicle draws energy from the road, now in use in S. Korea originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsNationwide Homebuilder Adds Electric Car Prewiring as Option
KB Home, one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., has announced that they will be providing the option to homebuyers to pre-wire their new construction homes so that they are ready for the high voltage, high amperage electrical lines required to charge electric cars quickly and properly.
The company views this new option as an extension of their already existing “My Home. My Earth.” campaign to make their homes more energy efficient and load them with features and equipment that both save money and have a lowered environmental impact.
Electric Car Battery Prices Dropping Much Faster than Expected
One of the biggest barriers to the adoption of electric cars, plug-in hybrids and extended range electric vehicles is cost. The biggest part of that added cost is the battery. In the past, estimates of roughly $1000 per kWh of battery capacity have been thrown around as a way to gauge how much of a premium consumers can expect to pay. Given that it takes roughly 25 kWh to go 100 miles, you can see how this would quickly add up.
Recently, however, the cost of lithium-ion batteries has been dropping more steeply than expected; indicating that the potential in the market to reduce the premium of owning a battery-powered car has been greatly underestimated.
Ballard gets $6.2M in DOE funding for non-automotive fuel cells
Filed under: Hydrogen
Ballard fuel cell forklift - Click above for a high-res image galleryBallard Material Products has received the bulk of $6.2 million in Department of Energy funding for research work into fuel cell materials aimed at cutting the cost and improving durability of the electro-chemical energy generators. Ballard Material Products is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Ballard Power Systems. Ballard will be looking at the causes of material degradation in fuel cells and ways to reduce or eliminate it.
While a fuel cell stack itself has no moving parts (aside from the pumps and compressors feeding and scavenging it) the coatings on the plates do get damaged during use by reactions with impurities in the hydrogen. Water collecting and freezing within the stack can also cause damage. Computer modeling of the gas and water flows may lead to new designs that help to improve the efficiency and durability of stacks. Ballard's work will be targeted at non-automotive applications such as stationary power generation and material handling systems.
Gallery: Vancouver 2009: Fuel cell forklift
[Source: Ballard Power Systems]
Continue reading Ballard gets $6.2M in DOE funding for non-automotive fuel cells
Ballard gets $6.2M in DOE funding for non-automotive fuel cells originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsJapanese and South Koreans Scramble for Lithium as Demand for Metal Intensifies
Japan and South Korea are competing hard for international lithium reserves to feed a growing demand for the metal for use in batteries for mobile phones, laptops and, increasingly, plug-in vehicles, according to an article in the subscription-based Financial Times.
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Right, a salt field conceals untapped a lithium carbonate reserve in Bolivia.
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Seoul has set aside $12 billion for acquisitions in the raw materials business this year and last year sent the president's brother to seal a preliminary lithium deal with Bolivia, holder of the world's biggest reserves.
Japanese rivals are snapping at Korea's heels, the Times said, with Mitsubishi Corp and Sumitomo Corp, two of the biggest trading houses, seeking rights to extract lithium from Bolivia's Uyuni salt flats, believed to hold the world's biggest deposits.
Toyota Tsuho, a trader partly owned by Toyota Motor, has agreed to buy a 25 percent stake in Argentina's Olaroz lithium-potash development, partly helped by low-interest loans from Tokyo. Not to be left out of the scramble for Latin America, South Korean conglomerate Posco is buying into lithium extraction projects in Mexico and Chile.
In spite of such efforts, Samsung Economic Research Institute, one of Korea's main think tanks, published a paper arguing that Seoul was trailing rivals in the pursuit of rare metals. It recommended the bulk of the nation's aid be linked to countries with such reserves and called on pension funds to play a bigger role in resource diplomacy.
Experts are divided on the question of how quickly the world will burn through recoverable lithium reserves. The arguments hinge not only on recoverability at higher prices but also on geopolitical security.
Carpuccino Proves Car Can Run on Coffee, but It's Costly at 56 Expressos Per Mile
The BBC science program "Bang Goes The Theory" has the answer to the question we've all been too afraid to ask: Can our cars be fueled by the same stuff - coffee - that turns over our own motors every morning?
With "Carpuccino" we have the answer. The converted 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco allows drivers to pour coffee granules directly into a gas cylinder attached to the car, where it is heated up and broken down into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. That gas is fed into the engine, where it burns and powers the vehicle.
There's only one problem: The Carpuccino goes through coffee like a herd of truck drivers, or approximately 56 espressos per mile. That's some pricey fuel. Click here for more details.
Fisker Delaware Plant Prep Reportedly Moving Ahead of Schedule
Fisker Automotive appears ahead of schedule on its "Project Nina" plug-in hybrid program, although production rollout of the first of the company's family oriented extended-range plug-in hybrids still is slated for 2012.
But environmental assessments of the former General Motors Delaware assembly plant being acquired by Fisker are underway and the nascent EV maker plans to begin plant renovations soon, Fisker executives told a Delaware newspaper.
Fisker expects to begin replacing and retooling machinery by August - hastening the date when former GM workers at the plant will begin being called back to the job - and could begin production of prototypes by September, 2011, the Delaware News-Journal reports.
A Fisker spokesman called the newspaper report too optimistic and said that while things at the plant are on schedule, there's not been an appreciable speed-up in any of the timetables.
Bernard Koehler, Fisker's co-founder and chief operating officer, told the paper that the initial phase of environmental assessments at the sprawling plant did not identify any major problems, clearing the way for other work to begin.
Fisker plans to use the plant to build a family of extended-range plug-in hybrids, including a sedan, a coupe and an SUV-styled crossover, all being planned now under the code name "Project Nina." Prices are expected to start at around $48,000.
The company's first car, the $88,000 Karma extended-range plug-in is being built under contract in Finland for global sales expected to begin in the third quarter this year.
Fisker plans a convertible model called the Karma Sunset and has said it hopes to be able to build it in Delaware alongside the "Nina" cars.
BMW Clarifies ActiveE Trial Fleet Report Inaccuracies
<i>Owning an Electric Car</i> prepares and enlightens
Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, UK
Ever wonder what it is really like to own an electric car? Before rushing out to buy that new Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi i MiEV (or what have you) it might be a good idea to know what to expect. And what better way to learn about the advantages and drawbacks of living with a battery-powered vehicle than to read a book written by someone who not only has a couple, but who has spoken with many other owners about the experience as well as manufacturers. Owning an Electric Car by Michael Boxwell is that book.
In just under 200 pages, Mr. Boxwell covers everything from dealing with range fixation to exactly how "green" an electric is when it's charged from a coal-powered grid. You can also learn which new vehicles are coming to market or what to look for when if your potential purchase is previously owned. To get a sneak peek at the first chapter, learn a bit about the electric vehicles and even ask him a question directly, check out the book's website. Bonus video of the author conducting an environmental efficiency test with his two electrics awaits you after the break.
[Source: Owning an Electric Car]
Continue reading Owning an Electric Car prepares and enlightens
Owning an Electric Car prepares and enlightens originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsCrunching the Numbers ($$$) on Bike Commuting
Nissan Has 56,000 Orders for the LEAF Electric Car?
In a recent interview with Business Week, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn was cited as saying that Nissan has collected 56,000 orders for the LEAF already. What this actually means, I’m not sure… especially considering that just last month Nissan said they had more than 50,000 people signed up on their Nissan LEAF interest list (which requires no deposit) and that actual pre-orders requiring a small refundable deposit of $100 will begin in April.
Toyota Confirms US Launch of Compact Lexus Hybrid
Lexus CT 250h
Toyota officials last week confirmed that the Lexus CT 200h, a premium hybrid hatchback, is coming to the United States, according to a report in Automotive News. The Lexus CT 200h would be Lexus’s first compact car, and the first compact hybrid sold by Toyota in the US.
The car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last week, but until recently the company insisted that the compact hybrid would only be sold in Europe. According to Automotive News, Lexus executives pleaded with Japan to bring to the car to the US—partly in hopes that the smaller Lexus would appeal to a younger demographic. "When the all-new Lexus CT 200h enters the market it will be the only hybrid vehicle in the emerging premium compact segment," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager.
The Lexus CT 200h will make its US debut at the 2010 New York Auto Show later this month. Production begins in late 2010. The car could go on sale in the US sometime in 2011.
Small Luxury Compact Hybrid HatchbackThe recipe for the CT 200h is to place a Prius-type hybrid system—featuring a 1.8-liter gas engine with variable valve timing, and energy storage with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack—into small relatively affordable premium compact car. Lexus said the CT 200h will ride on a new front-wheel-drive platform with a MacPherson strut front suspension and double wishbones at the rear.
