Bentley Introduces All-Electric One-Seater

Bentley has developed a prototype one-seater, the Greenpower, which was designed, engineered and built by a group of apprentices at the company’s factory. The vehicle prototype, officially known as the Bentley Continental DC Electric Concept Car, offers a top speed of 40 mph and uses two 12-volt batteries to power a 24-volt motor. The vehicle, which weighs just 265 pounds, makes heavy use of carbon-fiber in the suspension and wheels. The vehicle will compete on the Formula 24+ circuit this year. The vehicles in those competitions must use 24 volt electric motors powered by two 12-v batteries.

With regard to its production vehicles, Bentley has committed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 15% by 2012; introduce a new power train that delivers 40% better fuel economy than its existing design; and make its entire vehicle line compatible with biofuels by 2012. The company also promises to maintain its reputation for high-performance luxury in the process.

The company cites the rising price and growing scarcity of oil, and the impact of climate change as the primary drivers for the switch. The company concludes that they can better reach its goal by pursuing alternative drivetrain technologies than by increasing the efficiency of its gasoline engines.

The company has not ruled out offering diesel engines, but cites the low adoption rate of diesels in North America – its primary market – as a reason it is not pursuing diesel drive technology at this time.

Th!nk City Will Debut In US In 2009

The Th!nk City will make its debut on the US auto market in 2009. The Th!nk City is being offered by Norwegian automaker Th!nk Global, which is using a design originally developed by the Ford Motor Company.

Ford owned the company from 1999 to 2003 but sold it. The firm declared bankruptcy shortly after the sale, but was resurrected last year by a Norwegian investment group. The drive to hit the North American auto market is being supported by a pair of venture capital firms.

The Th!nk is a two-passenger car that can go 110 miles on a single charge, and also offers a top speed of 65 mph. Th!nk City is currently being sold in Norway and will hit the rest of Scandinavia and Europe later in 2008.

The vehicle uses nickel-chloride batteries, which are owned by the company and leased to the drivers. Pricing for the North American version of the vehicle hasn’t been worked out, but a battery-lease model is being planned for the US.

Extreme Hybrid Goes Cross-Country For Earth Day

The 150 MPG Extreme Hybrid SUV, a product of the AFS Trinity Power Corporation, is currently making a cross-country trip, and will be on display at the Capitol Mall on Earth Day, April 20, 2008. The vehicle stopped last week in Austin, TX for a demonstration sponsored by Austin Energy and the Plug-n Partners, an Austin-based consortium that supports the development of PHEVs.

In recent tests, the vehicle was able to power a 200-hp motor at speeds of up to 86 mph and charges on normal house current (110V). According to AFS Trinity CEO Edward Furia, most American drivers would use no gasoline at all and would not draw significantly more power from the grid than they do now, if their vehicles were powered by the technologies that drive the XH-150. Further, Furia estimates that owners could recoup the vehicle’s cost in 2-3 years, based primarily on fuel savings.

The vehicle offers a dual mode operation: all-electric for the first 40 miles - which would suit most American commuters, or hybrid gas-electric operation, which would increase the maximum output to 370-hp, and run both the gasoline engine and the electric motor. This mode is better suited for towing or emergency vehicles.

The company expects to license its hybrid powertrain to auto manufacturers for production within two to three years. AFS Trinity has created a number of novel power generation and storage technologies for automobiles, spacecraft and stationary power sources. The company also produces flywheel-based propulsion systems for Formula 1 race cars.

Chinese Automakers Step Into Hybrid Vehicle Production

Chinese Automakers Step Into Hybrid Vehicle Production

Chinese automaker Chery has announced that it plans to begin production of a hybrid gas-electric sedan this summer following the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. To publicize the availability of the vehicle, the company is providing the Olympic Committee with 50 vehicles for use during the Games.

The first hybrid off the line for Chery will be a gas-electric hybrid of the A5 sedan. The standard gasoline version retails for about USD$10,000 and the hybrid version will come with a $1,500 to $3,000 premium added to that. Other Chinese manufacturers, including Geely, Chang’an, BYD and SAIC all plan to introduce hybrids by the end of 2008.

BYD has announced its plans to develop a gas-electric hybrid for the European market within the next two to three years. BYD was formed in 2003 and initially developed lithium-ion battery technology. Based upon its successes in that field, the company has committed to the production of hybrid vehicles. The company reports that its prototype can travel 110 km on battery power alone. Initially, the company expects to make 500 units per month, but could expand its production to 2,000 units per month within the next year.

The manufacturers have not indicated whether they plan to bring hybrid vehicle designs to the US market, however Chery has developed a number of vehicles designed to appeal to US consumers that will be distributed through Chrysler as part of a twenty-five year agreement between the companies.
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BMW Hydrogen 7 Earns SULEV Designation

Tests at the Argonne National Laboratory have awarded BMW’s Hydrogen 7 vehicle a super-ultra-low-emission vehicle (SULEV) designation. According to the testers, the vehicle passed the SULEV tests with flying colors, registering only a fraction of the maximum emissions allowed to achieve the designation. In fact, at times, with respect to certain exhaust components, the car exhaust was cleaner than the ambient air in the test facilities, and the laboratory needed special equipment to measure the vehicle’s emissions accurately.

The Hydrogen 7 is a mono-fuel version of an ultra-low-emission vehicle that BMW introduced two years ago. The test vehicle is production-ready and according to the company, additional vehicles will be delivered to consumers on a trial basis.

According to BMW, the facility at Argonne was the only test facility in the US that was capable of measuring the vehicle’s emissions accurately. Argonne has conducted cutting-edge alternative vehicle technologies including engines, batteries, fuel cells, and materials research for more than 30 years. Results of the emissions tests will be presented jointly by BMW and Argonne at the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress in Detroit in mid-April.

The company is a strong advocate for the hydrogen-based economy, a stance that puts it into conflict with many other automakers. BMW indicates that the next major hurdle to overcome is the relative scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations in the United States.

BMW is not the only manufacturer looking for more hydrogen stations in North America. GM said last week that its development of FCVs and fuel-cell electric hybrids is virtually at a standstill for lack of a hydrogen filling station infrastructure. Larry Burns, GM’s VP of Research and Development said that the company is no longer able to make significant progress on hydrogen-based vehicles in the absence of safe and convenient access to hydrogen filling stations.

Photo Credit: BMW

GM Moving Ahead With Volt Design, Battery Testing

GM has settled on a final design for the production version of its Volt concept vehicle. According to Larry Burns, VP of Research and Development at GM, the production version of the Volt will be a four-seater with a sloping roofline. The change in the body design and interior space was made to accommodate the Volt’s mid-vehicle 375-lb battery packs, and to reduce drag on the production version of the car. According to Burns, the drag on the production design is 30 percent lower than that of the original concept.

GM has indicated that final Volt development is the company’s first priority. To speed battery testing, GM engineers have developed a new testing algorithm that better simulates a 150,000-mile vehicle life cycle. The new testing regimen drains and charges the battery prototypes based on the vehicle’s 40-mile electric-only drive capabilities. The goal of the testing is to predict accurately the life expectancy of the battery pack. GM will also use Malibus modified to accept the Volt’s battery pack for actual road testing.

The automaker says the vehicle is still on track for a November 2010 debut in showrooms in the US, although GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has recently indicated that the price of the Volt will not be competitive with entry-level vehicles. Instead, Lutz says the current production costs of the Volt will necessitate a sticker price of somewhere around $40,000 or perhaps more.

Lutz says that despite the company’s inability to bring the Volt to production as an entry-level vehicle, GM is still committed to putting the Volt into production. He says that GM does not want to repeat the mistake it made when Toyota was bringing the Prius to market. While GM had the technology to bring a hybrid gas-electric vehicle into production, the company opted not to ask the company’s board to approve a vehicle program that would lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Ultimately, Lutz says the decision to hold back on hybrid vehicles cost the company its reputation for technology leadership and innovation. Lutz vows not to repeat that mistake with electric vehicles.

Photo Credit: General Motors

GM To Road Test Li-Ion Batteries For Volt

GM Vice Chairman of Product Development Bob Lutz spoke about the status of GM’s Volt at the New York Auto Show. He indicated that the company will begin road testing Li-ion battery packs for the Volt in July of this year. This timeframe is behind the company’s previously announced testing schedule, but will not significantly impact the company’s ability to deliver the vehicle to market by 2010.

Lutz also indicated that the company has not yet determined which supplier will manufacture battery packs for the vehicle, and may delay that announcement until the second-half of 2008. Lutz says that GM is still uncertain about which suppliers have the production capacity to deliver the Li-ion battery packs.

Speaking of the broader Volt vehicle program, Lutz said that the sticker price of the Volt and GM’s two-mode hybrid Saturn Vue will be higher than originally expected. According to Lutz, the two-mode hybrid system on the Vue will add about $8K-$9K to the vehicle’s current cost, and the plug-in hybrid technology will add another $8K-$9K to the price, leaving the Vue with a sticker price of $48,000. The Volt has not been priced out yet, but consumers interested in purchasing the vehicle should a sticker price in the neighborhood of $40,000.

GM does not expect the Volt to achieve profitability for years, and is prepared to lose money on the Volt’s production in order to establish GM’s technological superiority and competitive position in the plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle market.

Despite the financial outlook that the company is prepared to accept, Lutz predicts that consumers will embrace the vehicle once it hits the market, suggesting that demand for the Volt could reach 500,000 units annually and could also spill over into its other hybrid models.

In the speech, Lutz also admitted that GM had wasted an opportunity to establish itself as a leader in the PHEV market by not capitalizing on technology the automaker has had since the 1960’s.

Hyundai Will Bring Avante Hybrid To Market In Mid-2009

Hyundai plans to begin mass production of a hybrid passenger car that uses the Avante badge. The hybrid Avante will be available to consumers by mid-2009. The Korean automaker also plans to introduce a mid-size hybrid Sonata model in 2010 and a fuel-cell model by 2012. Hyundai currently offers a single hybrid model, the Verna/Accent, which is available only to government agencies as part of a pilot program. Kia, is also planning gas-electric versions of the Borrego SUV and the Optima sedan. Those models will hit the showrooms in 2010.

In a bid to reduce vehicle emissions, the Avante hybrid will run on liquefied petroleum gas and will incorporate an electric motor. LPG is about one-half the cost of gasoline and the hybrid Avante is expected to consume about 30 percent of the fuel used by the conventional gasoline-powered Avante.

The availability of LPG was a factor in the company’s decision to release the LPG hybrid prior to issuing a gasoline-electric vehicle. The company expects to produce up to 20,0000 LPG hybrid units by 2010 and has established an aggressive production target of 300,000 units by 2015. The company also wants to be the first manufacturer to establish an LPG hybrid in its home market to take advantage of government subsidies and to establish a leadership position in the sale of hybrid vehicles.

Hyundai plans to price the Avante below the Toyota Prius in hopes of attracting more buyers. The company’s planned fuel-cell vehicle will also be priced lower than competing models. The company will commercialize the j-Blue crossover concept it developed at its technical center in Chiba, Japan and debuted at the Frankfort Auto Show earlier this year.

By the time the j-Blue reaches the market, it will be competing with Mercedes-Benz’ hydrogen fuel cell vehicle which will hit the market in 2010, and the Honda FCX Clarity, which is expected in dealerships later this year.

Hybrid Sports Cars Are Revving Up

With Tesla Motor Car’s announcement last week that it has commenced production of an all-electric sports car, interest is rising in high-performance vehicles that use alternative power. Tesla’s Roadster, which was first introduced in late 2006, was given a passing grade on its Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and the company hopes to push about 1,200 units per year out of its factory when it achieves full production capacity sometime in early 2009. The Roadster can reach 60 MPH in less than four seconds, hit a top speed of 125 MPH and travel 220 miles on a single charge. Recharging the vehicle’s Li-ion battery pack takes about 3.5 hours. The initial 2008 production run will sport a temporary single-speed transmission, is already sold out, and the company is currently taking orders for 2009 delivery of its $100,000 babies. The initial production vehicles will be upgraded to a two-speed permanent transmission once the design and implementation for it have been perfected.

The Lightning Car Corp has also developed an all-electric Lightning GT. The vehicle’s power train can generate an estimated 700 HP and offers performance specs similar to the Tesla Roadster. The company says that the car can travel 250 miles on a charge and can hit 60 MPH in less than four seconds. The Lightning GT has body panels made of Kevlar composites and carbon fiber, 20-inch aluminum wheels and independent front and rear suspensions. Lightning is taking deposits on the production of the vehicle, but unlike the Roadster, each all-electric GT will run about $300,000.

Peugeot is also planning to race a hybrid diesel electric engine in the 2009 24-hour Le Mans. The company will place the test engine in an existing 908 and may enter the vehicle into a 1,000 km race in Shanghai, China in November 2008. The company has not indicated the expected performance from the hybrid engine, but indicated that more information would be available following the press launch of the 2008 Le Mans in June.

BMW May Bring Hybrid-Electric To US Market

BMW is reportedly considering a hybrid-electric for the US market in response to recently tightened CAFE regulations. Under the terms of the new regulations, BMW will be reclassified as a “large vehicle manufacturer” in 2012, meaning that it will be required to offer at least one zero CO2-emission vehicle in its product line. To meet this requirement, BMW is considering an all-electric mini-car or a hybrid that meets the emission standard. The news is somewhat surprising, since BMW has been developing a hydrogen-powered vehicle that would meet the CAFE standard for carbon emissions.

Reportedly, BMW is considering a technology switch because the required infrastructure for supporting hydrogen-powered vehicles is still undeveloped, and is not expected to be available by the 2012 regulatory deadline. Additionally, BMW is considering a joint venture with another manufacturer to produce the vehicle. Such a collaboration would give each manufacturer a vehicle that meets the emission regulations, while still allowing them to concentrate on other technologies for future vehicle production. The company will make a decision about the joint venture later this year.

Rumors of a BMW mini-car and an all-electric vehicle have been swirling. Several other manufacturers have been working on mini-cars, including Nissan, Mitsubishi and Audi. Audi is working on a production version of the AI Metroproject concept it debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show

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