Nissan officially unveiled today the Nissan Leaf, set to be available in 2010. The Nissan Leaf is a medium-sized hatchback that can accommodate five adults and go as far as 100 miles. The Leaf is powered by a compact lithium-ion battery which can be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes tops. Regular charging is estimated to be about eight hours.

Among the highlights of the Nissan Leaf:

• V-shaped design light-emitting diode (LED) headlights
• Dash-mounted monitor to displays remaining power
• Ability to use mobile phones to turn on air-conditioning and set charging functions
• On-board remote-controlled timer to recharge batteries

(Source) Hybrid Cars

Tags: adults, air conditioning, eight hours, headlights, hybrid cars, lithium, lithium ion battery, mobile phones, Nissan, power ability, recharge batteries, timer

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A joint effort involving ExxonMobil and Electrovaya has opened the doors for a new kind of car sharing and rental program called AltCar. The said program will be launched at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

The car to watch will be the Maya-300, a car that is powered exclusively by lithium-ion battery technology. These new electric vehicles will make up one of the first fleets of all-electric vehicles in a consumer car-sharing and rental program in North America.

“This program is a perfect example of the important role innovative companies and organizations, such as ExxonMobil, Electrovaya and the Maryland Science Center, will play in addressing the world’s need for safe, low emission, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Sankar Das Gupta, president and chairman, Electrovaya.

With the growing turn towards electric vehicles, it is apparent that the efforts of these two companies and the launch of the Maya-300 will no doubt be welcomed with open arms. As we all try to curb down our carbon emissions and find solutions to fuel problems, a new electric car is certainly something we will all be needing.

(Source) Press

Tags: addressing the world, baltimore maryland, battery technology, car sharing, carbon emissions, consumer car, electric car, electric vehicles, electrovaya, exxonmobil, fuel efficient vehicles, gupta, innovative companies, joint effort, lithium, lithium ion battery

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Coda Automotive has unveiled a new highway-speed, full performance all-electric sedan to the market, adding another potential electric car for motorists deciding to go electric. The four-door, five-passenger, fully-equipped mid-size Coda sedan will be available for $45,000.

The new Coda sedan is powered by a 333V lithium-ion battery with a real-world range of 90 to 120 miles depending on individual driving habits. It travels far enough between charges to satisfy 94% of daily driving routines. The onboard charger plugs into any 110 or 220V standard outlet and completes a full charge in less than six hours at a 220V service. Charging the battery for a 40-mile commute can be completed in two hours.

Featuring a fraction of the moving parts of a gas-powered vehicle, the Coda sedan is less susceptible to wear-and-tear and never requires an oil change. The company estimates that it will cost less than $3, on average, to drive 100 miles. A comparable gas-powered sedan that gets 20 mpg costs about $17 per 100 miles. Driving a Coda equates to over $2,000 in operation and maintenance savings per year at normal driving rates — that’s $20,000 in savings over a ten year period.

(Source) Press

Tags: coda, electric car, lithium, lithium ion battery, motorists, moving parts

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Boston-Power has announced a piece of great news that will get the demand for lithium-iron batteries and jobs up on their feet. The company has already been a familiar figure in the world of longest-lasting, fastest-charging, most environmentally sustainable and safest lithium-ion battery technology platform today and now it plans to build an advanced facility to deliver advanced batteries as needed today.

This not only covers the area of addressing the expected growth in demands for lithium-iron batteries but also means that new jobs will be made available. Approximately 600 new jobs would be needed at the Auburn facility and 2,000 more indirectly through supply chains to be put up.

An award-winning provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells to market-leading companies,

Boston-Power will also today provide a ‘first look’ at Swing, the company’s product for Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEV/BEV). The only eco-certified battery of its kind, Swing is poised to drive the adoption of PHEVs and BEVs by establishing new benchmarks in energy density, long life, safety, weight, cost and environmental sustainability.

“Our goal is to make Massachusetts a manufacturing hub for the advanced batteries that will power the nation’s clean energy future, and Boston-Power’s plan to create this facility in Auburn is a big step toward that goal,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “We look forward to working with the company and our colleagues in the Congressional delegation to make this happen.”

(Source) Press

Tags: battery cells, battery technology, clean energy, electric vehicles, energy density, energy future, environmental sustainability, life safety, lithium, lithium ion battery, supply chains, technology platform

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With a rocky state as far as finances are concerned, the ENVI is as good as gone. This was revealed as Fiat has practically overtaken the whole assembly line of Chrysler. The reason for the move is that Fiat thinks that the project may prove to be costly.

ENVI was scheduled to deliver its first electric-vehicle in late 2010 with lithium-ion battery packs supplied by A123Systems. The division had created a total of five vehicle concepts but never confirmed which of those five concepts would make it into production. However, last month CNNMoney said that Chrysler’s first production ENVI would be the Lotus Europa based Dodge Circuit.

“The Europa-based Dodge Circuit electric car has been killed by the credit crunch,” reports AutoCar. Nonetheless, insiders say that Lotus is now talking to European OEM to setup another electric-car program like the Tesla Roadster.

The Dodge Circuit EV is (or was) a pure electric-car that carries a 268-hp electric-motor allowing it to travel 150 miles to 200 miles on a single charge. 0 to 60 comes in under 5 seconds with a top speed of 120 mph.

(Source) EGM Car Tech

Tags: assembly line, car program, car tech, Chrysler, Dodge, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, Fiat, hp electric motor, lithium, lithium ion battery, Lotus, lotus europa, tesla roadster, top speed

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Auto EV Japan Co. announces the development of a small, low-power air conditioner for electric cars that can operate without significantly reducing travel distance. Standard car air-conditioning systems typically use a gas coolant to provide the heat and cold used to modify the air that is blown into the passenger compartment. This requires a power-hungry compressor and a vaporization chamber, adding both size and energy requirements to the system.

In the case of the Girasole, the two-seater that Auto EV began selling in September of 2007, a regular air conditioner can steal away half of the 120km the electric car would otherwise be able to travel on a full charge. But the new air conditioner consumes half as much power so even with the cooler running the Girasole can travel around 100km.

The new system is based on a Peltier device, a plate-shaped semiconductor device that cools down on one side and heats up on the other when subjected to an electric current. The device is fitted into the car’s air-blowing unit and hooked up to a dedicated radiator and to piping that circulates water. Electricity to the Peltier device is supplied from a lithium ion battery fitted under the car.

Auto EV Japan plans to market the new air conditioner for the Girasole starting this summer, priced at about 200,000 yen (US$2,020).

(Source) Trading Markets

Tags: air conditioner, car air conditioning, car auto, coolant, electric car, electric cars, energy requirements, girasole, japan co, japanese cars, lithium, lithium ion battery, peltier device, semiconductor device, trading markets, travel distance

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Another merger between Renault-Nissan and Progress Energy of Raleigh promises to develop advanced zero-emission vehicles. Nissan will introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States in 2010, starting with a 5-passenger compact vehicle that will have a range of 100 miles on a single charge.

The announcement coincides with the Raleigh stop on a coast-to-coast tour of Nissan’s EV Prototype, a vehicle that’s powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero-emission electric motor. While this vehicle does not represent the design of Nissan’s electric vehicle that will be sold in 2010, the EV Prototype is an indicator of what’s to come in zero-emission mobility.

“Nissan, through the Renault-Nissan Alliance, is committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles,” said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance, Nissan North America. “Our partners in Raleigh share our goals of working together towards making the region plug-in ready for the introduction of electric vehicles next year. This partnership is an important step in making zero-emissions mobility a reality.”

(Source) Press

Tags: compact vehicle, dominique, electric vehicle, electric vehicles, emission mobility, emission vehicle, ev prototype, lithium, lithium ion battery, lithium ion battery pack, nissan north america, renault nissan, vice president administration, zero emission vehicles, zero emissions

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The Citroen C4 Hybrid Rally Car is being powered with new technology in the PowerPhase 125 Electric Propulsion System. First shown at the Paris and then Bologna and Geneva Motorshows, the Citroen C4 WRC Hybrid4 made its debut on the road in Finland before that country’s world rally car round in a slow speed demonstration.

Subsequent testing in Faro, Portugal was the first at rally speeds and under rally conditions. The C4 Hybrid was developed using Citroen’s WRC championship contender as a base and adding a 990 cell lithium ion battery and a UQM Powerphase 125 electric propulsion system which drives the rear wheels.

“This system, developed by Citroen Racing, allows the driver to choose between four different modes of functionality,” explains Didier Clement, one of the race engineers behind the project. “In internal combustion mode, the C4 WRC Hybrid4 behaves exactly like one of the C4 WRC cars that compete on the World Rally Championship. In internal combustion mode, with energy recovery mode switched on, braking endurance is improved and the batteries get charged. On road sections and in the service park, electric mode with energy recovery means that there is less nuisance, increased range and less wear on the conventional engine. Finally, in boost mode – which employs both the internal combustion engine and the electric motor – gives an extra 300 Nm of torque when engaged.”

The two engines are linked to the same drivetrain. The driver can choose electric mode simply by switching on the ignition without starting the internal combustion engine. The gearbox paddles then gives the driver a choice of three settings: forward, backwards and neutral.

(Source) Press

Tags: citroen c4, conventional engine, electric mode, electric propulsion system, faro portugal, hybrid world, internal combustion engine, lithium ion battery, motorshows, neutral source, race engineers, rally conditions, rear wheels, recovery mode, road sections, uqm, world rally car, world rally championship, wrc championship

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Renault-Nissan is shifting to high gear as far as pushing for electric vehicles are concerned. The Renault-Nissan Alliance today announced that Nissan and Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which represents the Phoenix metropolitan region, are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

ECOtality Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz., clean electric transportation and storage technologies company, will also participate in the partnership by working to facilitate the process of helping make the Phoenix Metro Area EV-ready. Nissan previously announced a partnership with ECOtality and the Pima Association of Governments, in the Tucson, Ariz., area, to promote a charging network infrastructure. The expansion of this partnership will work towards the implementation of an EV charging corridor, connecting the Phoenix and Tucson Metro areas.

Nissan will introduce zero-emission vehicles in the United States in 2010 and will mass market them globally two years later. The announcement coincides with the Phoenix stop on a coast-to-coast tour of Nissan’s EV Prototype, a vehicle that’s powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero-emission electric motor. While this vehicle does not represent the design of Nissan’s electric vehicle that will be sold in 2010, the EV Prototype is an indicator of what’s to come in zero-emission mobility.

(Source) Press

Tags: ecotality, electric transportation, electric vehicle, emission mobility, ev prototype, forming a partnership, lithium ion battery, lithium ion battery pack, maricopa association of governments, metro areas, network infrastructure, phoenix metro area, pima association of governments, renault nissan, storage technologies, today announced that, tucson ariz, tucson metro, zero emission vehicles, zero emissions

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Feast your eyes on the Protoscar Lampo electric car, a marvelous new vehicle that carries a sunny top-down spirit to complement its solar-powered batteries. In theory, the electricity you buy to power the roadster is offset by production in Italy. Unfortunately, the output of the plant is just 16 kWp, meaning the most it can produce power-wise is less than what the car needs.

LAMPO is powered by two BRUSA electric motors (one rear and one front), optimized for maximizing acceleration and regenerative braking respectively. They deliver a total output of 268 HP and a torque of over 440 Nm. The lightweight Lithium-Ion battery pack with a capacity of 32 kWh allows for a range of over 200 km. LAMPO shows that also a zero-emission electric vehicle can offer the same performance as a traditional sporty car.

The primary energy source used for charging the LAMPO has been in existence for more than 4.5 billion years and has demonstrated to be rather reliable: it’s the sun. The exploitation of solar energy for LAMPO is possible thanks to a 16 kWp photovoltaic plant located in Seggiano, Tuscany.

(Source) Jalopnik

Tags: electric car, energy source, feast your eyes, lithium ion battery, lithium ion battery pack, roadster, solar energy, sporty car, zero emission

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To pick up the pace in developing efficient electric cars, Ford has announced that is has entered into a partnership with battery producer Johnson Controls-Saft to develop advanced lithium-ion battery system to power Ford’s first commercial plug-in hybrid (PHEV). At the same time, Ford said seven regional electric utility partners are joining Ford and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to conduct real-world tests on an expanding fleet of Ford Escape PHEVs.

The addition of seven utility partners to the test program aims to speed up the commercialization of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The partnerships will help Ford accelerate its electrification strategy, including bringing a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) van to market in 2010 for commercial use, a small BEV sedan developed jointly with Magna International by 2011 and a PHEV by 2012.

(Source) Ford

Tags: battery producer, battery system, commercialization, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicle, electrification, ford escape, hybrid electric vehicles, johnson controls, lithium ion battery, plug in hybrid phev, utility partners

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The BMW Z10 ED has been touted as the eco-friendly hybrid car where ED stands for efficient dynamics. This new offering from BMW is said to have fuel-saving technology embedded on to it which includes a stop-start system, an integrated starter/generator and a new brake energy regeneration system modified to store energy in a lithium-ion battery.

The BMW Z10 ED will be built in limited numbers and sold for around £80,000 in today’s money.

There is no release date mentioned but sources have it that it will make a surprise appearance in one international auto show scheduled soon.

(Source)

Tags: BMW, bmw z10, fuel saving, international auto, lithium ion battery, regeneration system, star system, starter generator, Supercar

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Among the plans of Ford to enhance its car product line is to build on electric, hybrid and plug-in cars in the next couple of years and their first electric car is targeted to be finished and released by 2011 in North America.

This was barred by Ford in the wake of the shift in attention towards battery-powered vehicles. They have set a modest sales target of 5,000 to 10,000 units for the urban market and Ford is determined to cement its place towards providing ideal transportation choices for motorists today.

Ford, the No. 2 U.S.-based automaker, said it was working with auto parts supplier Magna International (MGa.TO) to bring a small battery-powered car to market in North America in 2011, using a lithium-ion battery, with a range of up to 100 miles per charge.

(Source) Reuters

Tags: battery powered car, battery powered vehicles, Cars, electric car, Ford, hybrid, lithium, lithium ion battery, magna international, north america

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