Peugeot has unveiled a new emission-free electric car in the market coined the BB1. This new concept electric car can seat up to 4 adults and can go as far as 75 miles. It is easy to park and is fitted with two electric motors mounted at the rear wheel. It runs on two lithium-ion batteries and the passenger compartment ventilation keeps operating in daylight thanks to solar panels on the roof of the vehicle.

No word on whether this will become official nor numbers to support it. But maybe when everything is ironed out, we can get more specifics about this latest electric car from Peugeot.

Image Credits: Channel 4

(Source) Press

Tags: adults, bb1, channel 4, electric car, electric vehicle, image credits, lithium, lithium ion batteries, Peugeot, rear wheel, solar panels, specifics, ventilation

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Panasonic Corporation will be participating at the upcoming Global Green Challenge in October to be held in Australia, sponsoring the Solar Electric Vehicle Team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by supplying high capacity lithium-ion batteries. In return, the MIT SEVT team will be placing the Panasonic logo on the body of the vehicle.

The Global Green Challenge is an offshoot of the World Solar Challenge which started out in 1987 in Australia. With the call for alternative power and fuel alternatives for better transportation, it looks like the attention has been on these solar powered transport alternatives. Mostly conceptualized by students, it would not be surprising to find a new vehicle coming out from these project cars as one of the sure observers will be the car manufacturers themselves who are soliciting ideas from such events.

Solar cars use motors which run on electricity generated by solar panels. Excess electricity is stored in their batteries. The batteries supply electricity to the motor when the electricity from the solar panel is insufficient, due to overcast skies or at night.

(Source) Press

Tags: alternative power, excess electricity, fuel alternatives, lithium ion batteries, massachusetts institute of technology, offshoot, overcast skies, panasonic corporation, panasonic logo, project cars, sevt, solar cars, solar electric vehicle, solar electric vehicle team, solar panel, solar team, supply electricity, transport alternatives, world solar challenge

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With the projected demand for electric and hybrid vehicles expected to boom in the coming years, the need for lithium-ion batteries is expected to rise as well. And while many companies have come up with their various versions of lithium-ion batteries for their cars, Nissan and Ener1 have partnered to try and come up with a new generation of electrical conductive material intended to reduce cost and improve the performance of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

For sure, once electric transportation dominates the market, focus will be on the batteries for cars. We have seen a wide array of lithium-ion batteries in the market and for sure further enhancements will be coming out once they are used in the market.

Apparently, Nissan is not taking any chances. And with their affiliation with Ener1, Nissan is looking towards the future for broader options as far as batteries are concerned. It is practically imminent that lithium-ion batteries will be replacing fuel and be the next need that motorists will be cramming for.

(Source) Press

Tags: affiliation, array, Cars, conductive material, electric transportation, enhancements, hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicles, lithium, lithium ion batteries, market focus, motorists, new generation, Nissan, vehicle batteries

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The turn for the best has just started for some of the biggest names in the Fortune 500 companies. Coca Cola, Staples, Frito-Lay, and AT&T are going electric as they receive their first batch of electric trucks that will certainly be key elements towards their daily operations.

The Newton, the first commercial all-electric truck to achieve new vehicle emissions certification in California, has also made its way to two new utility companies. Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) also received their keys to their all new Smith Newtons, signaling the start of their eco-friendly phase towards transport service needs.

Specs of the Smith Newton Truck:

• Motor – 120 kw Induction Motor
• Battery – Lithium-Ion Batteries Payload – 7,392 lbs to 16,280 lbs
• Gross Vehicle Weight – 16,535 lbs, 23,148 lbs or 26,455 lbs
• Range – In excess of 100 miles (one battery charge)
• Top Speed – 50 mph
• On-board Battery Charger
• Full Battery Recharge – 6 to 8 hours

(Source) Press

Tags: battery charge, battery charger, battery recharge, coca cola, electric trucks, elements, fortune 500 companies, gross vehicle weight, induction motor, kansas city power, lithium, lithium ion batteries, motor battery, newton, staples, top speed, transport service, vehicle emissions

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First revealed back in September of last year, Mercedes-Benz’s S 400 hybrid vehicle has been a much sought after vehicle. Today we are proud to announce that we have gotten our hands on some more details regarding the car.

We now know that the S 400 will feature a lithuim-ion battery that will power the car’s 15 kW electric motor. Don’t worry though as it will be paired with a 279HP 3.5-liter V6 engine for added power. Together, this combination is said to provide up to 385 Nm of torque and make for a top speed of 250 km/m. Furthermore, the S 400 is said to get around 30 mph which is none to bad for a car of this stature.

If reports back in February stay true, we shall see the Mercedes-Benz S 400 hybrid later this summer.

Read (WorldCarFans)

Tags: bluehybrid, hybrid, lithium ion batteries, Mercedes-Benz, s 400

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Hitachi has announced the release of a new lithium iron battery, aimed at the new breed of hybrid electric vehicles that are slowly increasing in the market. Boasting of a supposed high power density of 4,500 W/kg, 1.7 times the output of the company’s mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion batteries, this new battery is certain to be a welcome addition to the auto industry.

To reduce internal resistance, the battery employs a new manganese cathode and an original Hitachi battery structure, such as thinner electrodes, power collection method and effective configurations.

With the apparent rise of hybrid electric vehicles, companies are trying to get into the fray by developing battery options to help run these new technological vehicles. Apparently Hitachi has joined the mix, expanding the number of companies that are vying for the preferred lithium iron battery available in the market.

Sampling of the new battery by domestic and overseas car manufacturers will start in the fall.

(Source) Industry Week

Tags: auto industry, battery options, car manufacturers, electrodes, hitachi, hybrid electric vehicles, lithium, lithium ion batteries, manganese, power density, sampling, welcome addition

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With the demand for lithium-ion batteries expected to increase, ExxonMobil takes the initiative in making sure that they distribute quality and efficient batteries once that happens. ExxonMobil Chemical continues to extend its technology leadership with the development of two new grades of V series co-extruded battery separator films. These new developmental grades will help make lithium-ion batteries (LIB) safer than ever before for hybrid and electric vehicles, power tools and electronic devices including laptop computers.

Featuring improved thermal stability and lower shutdown temperature for a higher safety margin, the developmental grades add to the company’s battery separator film portfolio that includes the award-winning V-series separator films introduced in 2007. Based on the same advanced co-extrusion technology platform and proprietary wet bi-orientation manufacturing process as V-series separator films, the developmental grades can help prevent thermal runaway in batteries while providing LIB designers more flexibility in selecting electrode systems and formats in battery designs to improve power and capacity density.

ExxonMobil Chemical currently manufactures battery separator films in Nasu, Japan, and is building a manufacturing facility in Gumi, Korea, to accommodate additional demand and serve global customers reliably and efficiently. The new manufacturing plant will be completed in 2010.

(Source) Press

Tags: battery separator, electric vehicles, electrode systems, electronic devices, extrusion technology, exxonmobil, film portfolio, global customers, gumi korea, laptop computers, lithium, lithium ion batteries, manufacturing plant, manufacturing process, nasu japan, new films, safety margin, technology leadership, technology platform, thermal stability

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It looks like a new kind of technology aimed at the electric car industry is on the horizon and they come in the form of Nanoball batteries. Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder of MIT have improved the design of a “nanoball battery,” which has a cathode that is composed of nanosized balls of lithium iron phosphate. As the battery charges, the nanoballs release lithium ions that travel across an electrolyte to the anode. As the battery discharges, the opposite occurs, and the lithium ions are reabsorbed by the nanoballs in the cathode.

The key to the nanoball battery’s quick charge time is the speed at which the lithium iron phosphate nanoballs in the cathode can release and absorb lithium ions. In conventional lithium ion batteries, detaching the ions from the normal cathode takes a relatively long time. By coating each nanoball with a thin layer of lithium phosphate, Kang and Ceder showed that they could detach the lithium ions from the nanoballs even quicker than previous studies have found.

To demonstrate the technology, the researchers fabricated a small battery that could be fully charged or discharged in 10 to 20 seconds, which would otherwise have taken six minutes. The scientists’ tests showed that the new material degrades less than other battery materials after repeated charges and discharges. This means that the battery could be made with less material, which could possibly lead to smaller, lighter batteries.

(Source) Physorg

Tags: battery materials, car industry, cathode, electric car, electrolyte, iron phosphate, lithium, lithium ion batteries, lithium ions

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With a design slightly smaller than a Mini Cooper, the Zero can run a range of 88 miles on a single full charge. The Zero will weigh just 1,200 pounds, an incredibly light figure for a car carrying 312 pounds worth of lithium ion batteries.

While the charging time leaves a lot to be desired (A full charge takes up to 9 hours!), an 80% charge can be done in 50 minutes. Quite a weird discrepancy if you ask me.

Amusingly, there’s no specified 0-60 time because the Zero can’t do it; its top speed is just 56 mph, although it can hit 30 mph in five seconds, putting it somewhat behind the average Vespa according to the report. So it’s not a performance car.

It sure looks great, though. Tazzari is targeting a rather high 20,000 Euro price point for the thing, and plans to sell the eco-friendly vehicle in Europe and in the Caribbean starting later this year.

(Source) AutoblogGreen

Tags: city car, lithium, lithium ion batteries, mini cooper, performance car, vespa

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General Motors is laying the groundwork for its European subsidiary as it has reportedly set to introduce the Opel Ampera at the Geneva Auto Show this coming March. With this development, GM is set to extend its line of electric cars across the Atlantic and is aiming to be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving.

The five-door, four-seat Ampera will run for up to 60 km on electric power and then switch to an internal combustion engine for as long as the gas tank or your bladder holds out. The lithium ion batteries will charge on 230-volt electric power; in the U.S. there are options for 120 volt charging or 230 volts.

Tags: ampera, chevrolet volt, electric cars, General Motors, geneva auto, lithium ion batteries, Opel

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U.S. supplier Johnson Controls and French manufacturer Saft SA have announced that they will join forces in 2009 to produce 20,000 lithium ion battery systems for the automobile market over the next five years. Best of all, the batteries will be manufactured in the U.S. in a Johnson Controls factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Azure Dynamics Inc will be purchasing the lithium ion battery systems to install in hybrid commercial vehicles. Azure outfits commercial vans and trucks for fleet customers such as AT&T, FedEx Corp. and Purolator Courier Ltd.  Right now most hybrid vehicles use less-efficient nickel metal hydride batteries. 

The move to lithium ion use in commercial vehicles is expected to have a major impact on carbon emissions. Fleets of commercial vehicles currently represent about 12 percent of total miles driven but produce 25 percent of all greenhouse emissions. Johnson Controls is the 7th largest auto supplier in the world. The rapid and effective development and manufacture of new battery technology within the borders of the U.S. is widely believed to be critical to long term economic recovery.

Tags: lithium ion batteries

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In a move that is expected to help in Daimler’s shift towards the development of electric vehicles, Tesla Motors and the German-based company have reached an agreement to which Tesla will be supplying lithium-ion batteries, chargers and other components for the electric version of the Smart.

Daimler had debuted a gasoline-powered version of its Fortwo model in the United States in early 2008. It sold 24,622 of those cars last year.

Tesla has been involved with Daimler for more than a year, but neither company would confirm the deal before Tuesday. Musk also said the deal with Daimler wasn’t exclusive, and that Tesla was looking for other automaking partners.

(Source) Mercury News

Tags: Daimler, electric vehicles, gasoline, lithium ion batteries, smart car, tesla motors

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Cars are shrinking and a large part of the reason here is to save on fuel. Today we see a lot of concept cars that have practically shrunk, limiting seating capacity to 2 (includes the driver) and all coming in weird designs. The Lumeneo Smera is one of these weird but practical looking cars and from the looks of it, getting 80 MPH from it is bound to draw some attention for the people looking at alternative modes of transportation the economical way.

The little car is powered by two 20 BHP electric motors feeding off of lithium ion batteries capable of a rechage by way of standard domestic power outlet. The quoted 0-100 KPH time is 8 seconds, which for a super economy car is fantastic.

Source

Tags: alternative modes of transportation, Concept Cars, economy car, lithium, lithium ion batteries, weird designs

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