Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

Coulomb Technologies' big news at EVS26 was a collaboration with Fuji Electric Corporation of America to add Fuji's 25-kW DC Quick Charging Stations into the ChargePoint Network. In fact, the very first such charger on the network was sitting there in the booth, and actual deployment in the U.S. is scheduled for later this year. Coulomb is already neck-deep in actual deployments of electric vehicle charging stations: more that 6,300 non-residential stations are online now and Coulomb says that about half of all EV drivers in the U.S. have a ChargePoint card. To get the latest, we spoke with a Coulomb rep about the Multicharge SF program and - yes - the SAE combo charger announcement.

It's like the museum tour of electricity. It's really kind of scary.

First, about Multicharge SF, which is a partnership with the City of San Francisco, Coulomb and PG&E and is funded by the California Energy Commission. The goal, perhaps unsurprisingly for San Francisco, where upwards of 60 percent of people live in multi-family units, is to find a way for apartment dwellers to recharge their EVs. The rep said the city government took the lead and identified places where chargers would be most useful, then reached out to the property owners to get them interested. In the end, about 70 different properties applied to be a part of the $900,000 program - and around 45-50 of them will be selected to actually get some of the total of about 100 chargers. "[The locations] represent all the different demographics: large properties and small properties, condos, co-ops, TICs [tenant in common, which means one mortgage for multiple units] and rental communities," the rep said. The variety extends to different income brackets as well as new and old properties. "One of the things we ran into early on is that there are some incredibly old power systems in San Francisco. Glass tubes in the fuse boxes. It's like the museum tour of electricity. It's really kind of scary."

The only way to get this many different groups involved was to start with a diverse set of partners. "It has to be a multi-stakeholder proposition to really work in the region," he said. "If I didn't have the city out with its resources, legal and building codes and everything else, it would be impossible for me to organize all those things. It really becomes a great template that other cities and public-private partnerships can use."

For example, the rep said, there's a rule in San Francisco that says that if you charge money for a parking space, you need to register as a parking operator. So, how does that apply to EVs? Does every building owner who installs a charger then need to go get a parking license? The city attorney is currently researching the answer to this question, he said, adding that the mayor standing by to quickly go to bat and get the rules changed if it is determined that the answer is "yes."

With its Chargepoint Network, Coulomb doesn't really care what connector people are using to get their cars on the grid. As long as the communication systems are there, Chargepoint can work with whatever kind of charging station is out there. But he did have a few things to say about the SAE combo charger. Specifically, that it doesn't encourage fast infrastructure deployment.

"Having that Level 2 standard [J1772] gives certainty to drivers," he said. "With fast charging, because you still have competing standards, I think that makes it a pilot proposition for a lot of communities as far as really getting behind a specific charger type. I think until the market coalesces around a technology, you're still just going to see a lot of uncertainty about what to deploy on any large scale."

As Coulomb works to solve some of the infrastructure problems, others arise. The trick is to not have partners hesitate too much, and so get as many chargers into use as makes sense.

Continue reading EVS: Coulomb readying San Francisco with 100 stations, finds "museum tour of electricity"

EVS: Coulomb readying San Francisco with 100 stations, finds "museum tour of electricity" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Transportation Alternatives, Honda, Japan

Honda is jumping into the personal-mobility vehicle market associated with the Segway, and the Japanese automaker even has a cute name for the device.

Honda will start demonstration tests for its UNI-CUB vehicle in June of 2012 with Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

Honda, which has been working on a plan for personal mobility devices since 2009, says the vehicle will offer firm balance and all-directional capabilities, similar to the Segway, though the person will be sitting lower on the device, allowing for "eye-level" stature, the company said.

No specifics as far as sales and price have been disclosed, but Honda says the UNI-CUB sits about 29 inches tall, has a maximum speed of about three and a half miles per hour and a single-charge range of about three and a half miles. Read all about it in the press release below, along with a video of the machine in action.

Continue reading Honda finds a way to make the Segway look elegant [w/video]

Honda finds a way to make the Segway look elegant [w/video] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

There's a good reason that Aerovironment proudly displayed the 20-year-old EV1 in its booth at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26): it's not a newcomer.

Aerovironment's Wahid Nawabi, the senior vice president and general manager of efficient energy systems, told AutoblogGreen the car illustrates that the company has decades of experience with plug-in vehicles.

"The cornerstone of our message in this booth is the EV1, which is a vehicle that is considered by the industry as the mother of the modern electric vehicle," he said. "We were the co-developer of that product back in the [19]89-90 time frame. We have this vehicle here to demonstrate that we understand EVs, we're involved in this and we have a deep history."

That history means Aerovironment has a variety of offerings for companies looking for a charging station supplier, he said. "We are probably the best company that has an entire, end-to-end offering, a one-stop-shop in terms of charging. So, whether you need software capabilities, network subscriptions, chargers of all types or pretty much anything else, we offer all those categories," Nawabi said.

Which means AV has a stake in the most interesting charging story at EVS26, the new SAE combo charger for DC fast charging. This plug was announced in Los Angeles but has been in the works for a while, and Nawabi said Aerovironment was involved in the standards discussion over Level One and Two chargers and has been involved with the Combo charger from day one. "We were involved in the charging standards for years," he said. "In fact, we were one of the first proponents of coming up with some sort of standard." The official news of the combo charger was great, he said. "We are very excited there is a standard," he said. "It is not a standard there are a lot of cars for, so it is something very new. Today's demand in the market is for the CHAdeMO charger, which we offer. If the market were to change, we intend to support it. We are standard agnostic."

There has been a lot of discussion about the combo charger, but it's a fight that Nawabi said is not really that important - right now. He said:

People are making a big deal about a standard that there is not a lot of market for, yet. I believe that one uniform standard that everyone can agree to is very positive for the industry. Whether that ends up being CHAdeMO or combo or something different, to me it's semantics. Today, the standard that makes the most sense for the consumer is CHAdeMO because that's out there and that's what the cars are shipping with. So, should that be the one? I think that makes a lot of sense. You can argue that one is better, I'm sure. But it's what's better for you, an apple or an orange? If you're hungry, you need food.

Since the cars on the ground from Nissan and Mitsubishi accept CHAdeMO, AeroVironment has a number of CHAdeMO chargers installed in places like Texas, Oregon and Hawaii. Nawabi said EV drivers today are happy because these stations support the cars that they bought. "The consumer is just looking for something that works and allows them to charge fast, at the end of the day," he said.

EVS: Aerovironment's been around long enough to not pick sides in SAE/CHAdeMO debate originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Toyota, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

Last week, Toyota unveiled the all-new RAV4 EV and announced two important numbers: a $49,800 MSRP and a sales target of just 2,600 over the next three years. There's more to the story, though, as told to us by Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Division at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. The short version is that Toyota has taken the Prius lesson incredibly seriously.

We are the first to market with an SUV and we think that counts for quite a bit.

To wit: in creating the new Prius family, Toyota listened to the Prius rejectors about why they were not going to buy a Prius. They wanted more room (now see the Prius V) or a lower price (Prius C). Carter said that the strategy worked, and that 79 percent of Prius C buyers and 67 percent of Prius V buyers are new to hybrid technology. The Prius Plug-In went through the same process, going on the road for over two years before launch. The hybrid represents Toyota's "small battery approach to electrification" and has sold surprisingly well thus far. With the RAV4 EV, Carter said, "We've created a compelling product," with "full Toyota quality," he said. Even though the RAV4 EV went from concept to production in less than two years. A typical vehicle takes almost four years. "There was no template for this project. There were no guidelines. Just a challenge to bring to market a premium EV. Toyota and Tesla engineers both rose to that challenge," he said.

Continue reading EVS: Why Toyota set sales numbers for RAV4 EV at just 2,600

EVS: Why Toyota set sales numbers for RAV4 EV at just 2,600 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 14 May 2012 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Toyota, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

Last week, Toyota unveiled the all-new RAV4 EV and announced two important numbers: a $49,800 MSRP and a sales target of just 2,600 over the next three years. There's more to the story, though, as told to us by Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Division at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. The short version is that Toyota has taken the Prius lesson incredibly seriously.

We are the first to market with an SUV and we think that counts for quite a bit.

To wit: in creating the new Prius family, Toyota listened to the Prius rejectors about why they were not going to buy a Prius. They wanted more room (now see the Prius V) or a lower price (Prius C). Carter said that the strategy worked, and that 79 percent of Prius C buyers and 67 percent of Prius V buyers are new to hybrid technology. The Prius Plug-In went through the same process, going on the road for over two years before launch. The hybrid represents Toyota's "small battery approach to electrification" and has sold surprisingly well thus far. With the RAV4 EV, Carter said, "We've created a compelling product," with "full toyota quality," he said. Even though the RAV4 EV went from concept to production in less than two years. A typical vehicle takes almost four years. "There was no template for this project. There were no guidlines. Just a challenge to bring to market a premium EV. Toyota and Tesla engineers both rose to that challenge," he said.

Continue reading EVS: Why Toyota set sales numbers for RAV4 EV at just 2,600

EVS: Why Toyota set sales numbers for RAV4 EV at just 2,600 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 14 May 2012 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, China, EVS

Called the "world's first e-quadricycle," a small EV from Ample International was on display at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) in Los Angeles this week. Named the Eo, the one-seat (or two- or three-seat) vehicle has a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) and has a range of 200 km (124 miles), according to a representative at the booth. Ample's Shida Zheng told the Neon Tommy website, that, "It is a four-wheeled motorcycle, completely powered by electricity."

The design is certainly interesting. There are no side mirrors, as the Eo relies instead on backward-facing cameras that pump a live feed into a screen on the left side of the wraparound dashboard. The interior is unlike any other vehicle we've seen, with a driver's seat up front and a flexible space in back that has two seats that can fold down from the sides of the vehicle, sort of like on trains. Since they're directly across from each other, we imagine knees will be touching.

EVS: Ample Eo electric vehicle claims "world's first e-quadricycle" title originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 12 May 2012 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, UK

A UK-based car journalist has bought a 1974 Enfield 8000 battery-electric vehicle and has big? little? big plans to soup up the two-seater with a modern, more powerful electric motor. The car's original electric motor was damaged in a flood, according to writer Jonny Smith's blog.

About 120 Enfield EVs were produced between 1973 and 1976 as a response of sorts to the oil crisis that caused gas prices to spike in both the UK and U.S. The boxy EV was made with parts from a number of different vehicles, including brakes and wheels from Mini and lights from a Capri. The car, which is about a foot shorter than a Mini, had a single-charge range of between 35 and 55 miles and a top speed of about 40 miles per hour. It also cost about twice as much as a Mini.

You can tell Smith is a storyteller, since he is naming the car the Flux Capacitor as a nod to the gizmo that powered the time-traveling DeLorean in "Back to the Future." Great Scott!

UK journalist ready to soup up old Enfield EV originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 11 May 2012 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Green Culture, Chrysler, North America, USA

The company may be best known for tire-melting Hemi engines, but at least some of its dealerships are showing some love for the environment.

Chrysler, which launched a program last year to commemorate its most eco-friendly dealers, has named its first batch of 30 winners as part of its Dealer ECO (that stands for Environmentally Conscious Operations) Program.

The U.S. automaker awarded five dealers in Michigan as well as three dealerships each in New York and California among the 30. One Arkansas dealership was rewarded for having a 2,000-square-foot solar-panel system on its roof (pictured), while another, in Michigan, was singled out for using used motor oil to heat the facility.

In all, the dealers were noted for their energy efficiency, oil containment, waste recycling and community involvement. And each of the dealers received a bamboo plaque commemorating their achievements.

Continue reading Chrysler fetes its most eco-friendly dealers, with bamboo

Chrysler fetes its most eco-friendly dealers, with bamboo originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 11 May 2012 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

Brian Wynne recently wrote an article for Politico with the clear title: "Stop bashing electric cars." Wynne, the president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), helmed the 26th Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) in Los Angeles this week and sat down with AutoblogGreen to talk about why he had to defend his industry. The short version? Someone had to step up. As Wynne said:

I think what's taken me a little bit by surprise has been the extent to which the commentary has been based on completely false premises or bad information. I would go so far as to say that some of the commentary have been designed to spread bad information, which I would call not uncommon in political circles today. But certainly I would call it misguided, given that this community is growing in support around the country and questions are still begged as to how we address the challenges that are out there.

In Washington, we used to say you're entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts and people are starting to stretch that now, and I think that's wrong. Somebody had to stand up and say, 'Knock it off. Stop making stuff up.' If you want to argue over whether or not this is happening fast enough, let me know when, let me know where. If you want to argue over whether or not the taxpayer is getting a return on their investment, let me know when, let me know where. We should be extremely careful about how we spend the public purse, but that's a debate that reasonable men can have, as we would say, and then can disagree.

One the article was published (you can read it here), it energized a lot of people, Wynne said, and he learned that the EV community is ready to engage the debate. Given the state of discussion around plug-ins in the U.S. today, "Obviously, we've got more work to do," on educating the public about EVs, but some hurdles are unfairly high, Wynne said:

Could we have avoided the misinformation that was put out? I don't think so. I think people who are politically motivated are going to use what they can use at this stage of the game. We've gone from 'be scared' in the political commentary to 'be pissed off' and then pointing at something that you can be pissed off about. People are already pissed off, and they're going to glom onto whatever they glom onto. I can't do anything about that. Let's face it, there are a lot of people who are disgruntled, that want to pick on something, but if you're going to point at something, at least be accurate about what you're pointing at. Let's be fair and balanced, I think that would be what we used to expect from reporters, although most of this commentary that is regrettable is coming from people you would not consider fair and balanced.

Continue reading EVS: EDTA president Brian Wynne responds to right-wing attacks, says EV progress is "truly astounding"

EVS: EDTA president Brian Wynne responds to right-wing attacks, says EV progress is "truly astounding" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 10 May 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS

Turns out, the Enron scandal will end up benefiting electric cars.

At EVS26 in Los Angeles this week, we caught up with Arun Banskota, the president of electric vehicle services for NRG Energy, and he filled us in on some of the plug-in vehicle projects that NRG is working on. Last fall, NRG launched the first commercial-scale V2G project in Delaware and has also been installing "Freedom Stations" - EV charge stations that have a DC fast charger and a Level 2 charger - in Texas. The stated plan was to have 120 installed there by the end of 2012. Banskota said that plan is still in effect, but will take longer than originally predicted.

NRG launched the Freedom Station plans in Houston in November, 2010 and Dallas in April, 2011. Currently, there are 11 Freedom stations in operation Houston in front of places like Walgreens, HEB grocery stores, Whole Foods and Cracker Barrels and five are in operation in Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Several more are about to be installed in both areas. NRG has committed to installing 50 of these stations in Houston, 70 in DFW. To put this into context, the first UL-certified DC fast charger became availalbe in the U.S. in September, 2011, so we're still in the early stages of the game.

"First, we had a very expidited schedule, but now, as we talk with our consumers, I think once we get a core - probably around 25 in Houston and maybe 30-35 in Dallas-Fort Worth - we're going to be much more strategic in terms of where, exactly, we place them as EV adoption grows," Banskota told AutoblogGreen. "Our target is to have at least 25 in Houston by the end of this year and probably around the same number in Dallas-Fort Worth by the end of this year and I'm guessing we get to 50 by the end of 2013 in Houston and 70 in Dallas-Fort Worth by the middle of 2014." Banskota added that, "Not very loudly, but we've also committed to the Washington and Baltimore market and California will be next for us" (that's the Enron tie, as described below).

How much do these Freedom Stations get used? Some are visited by electron-hungry vehicles six or seven times a day, some just once every other day. NRG recognizes that most charging takes place at home, but that the public chargers have an effect even when they're not being used. "Seeing them gives [EV drivers] a certain comfort level, that they can drive their EVs even when they may not need to get a charge," Banskota said.

Continue reading EVS: How Enron's 2001 mess leads to more plug-in vehicle chargers from NRG Energy today

EVS: How Enron's 2001 mess leads to more plug-in vehicle chargers from NRG Energy today originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Green Culture, Hybrid, Honda

A judge has reversed a lower court ruling against Honda over the automaker's fuel economy claims. Heather Peters successfully sued Honda in small-claims court in February, claiming her 2006 Civic Hybrid didn't return the advertised 50 miles per gallon Environmental Protection Agency rating. Peters was awarded $9,867 in damages in the lawsuit, but now Judge Dudley W. Gray II of the state Superior Court in Torrence, California, has reversed the lower court's ruling.

Honda has offered owners a settlement in a larger class-action suit, paying out either $100 or $200 depending on the vehicle and as much as $1,500 toward the purchase of a new Honda. According to The Detroit News, around 1,700 Honda owners have declined to participate in the class-action suit.

Continue reading Honda wins appeal in Civic Hybrid fuel mileage case

Honda wins appeal in Civic Hybrid fuel mileage case originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 09 May 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, EVS, Coda Automotive

The 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium is taking place in Los Angeles, CA this week and the biggest news items are the details on the new Toyota RAV4 EV and the SAE-approved DC fast charging combo plug. But there is much more here on the show floor, and things got off to a good start during the opening session hosted by EDTA president Brian Wynne.

Wynne claimed EVS26 is the largest EVS ever held in North America. That's not all that surprising, since it's been many years since the last time an EVS was held on this continent (EVS23 in Anaheim in 2007). Since then, EVS has traveled to Norway and China, and moves on to Barcelona, Spain next year and Seoul, Korea after that. As that Wynne made clear, electric vehicles are a global movement. Nissan has sold more than 28,000 Leafs worldwide (including 1,000 in Norway, where EVS24 was held). Other signs Wynne mentioned that EVs are making inroads into the public consciousness are China's ambitious plan to sell five million EVs by 2020, the Ford Focus Electric acting as pace car for NASCAR and BMW's huge fleet of plug-ins at the Olympics in London this summer.

EVS organizers then gave an E-Visionary award to the city of Los Angeles and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (pictured). The mayor said he was glad to receive the award, but quickly added that Angelinos still need to be encouraged to do more. "If we're the car capitol of the United States, we should be the electric vehicle capitol of the United States," he said. To that end, he talked about how BYD and Coda Automotive are located in the city, then announced that Boulder Electric Vehicle will establish a west coast manufacturing facility in a state enterprise zone in the city. From there, the company will be able to make up to 1,000 clean trucks a year, with an eye to exporting vehicles to Asia.

Then there was a wide-ranging panel on the state of the electric vehicle industry called "Electrified Transportation: A Path to Economic Prosperity and Energy Security." This was moderated by Chris Woodyard of USA Today and featured Ted Craver, the chairman, president & CEO of Edison International, Daryl Dulaney, president & CEO of Siemens Industry, Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, and JB Straubel, the CTO of Tesla Motors. You can listen to or download the whole thing down below.

Continue reading EVS: Why LA is the right place for this year's biggest electric vehicle conference

EVS: Why LA is the right place for this year's biggest electric vehicle conference originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, EVS

If you couldn't make it to Los Angeles for the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium this week, you can still listen in live some EV experts discuss the next stage of the modern EV era, the one when the "emerging mainstream" begins to investigate plug-in cars. Specifically, according to the promotional material for the panel, which takes place today, May 9, at 10:30 a.m. PST:

What will it take to drive widespread adoption of electric vehicles? How do EV manufacturers in North America, Europe, and Asia plan to win the hearts and minds of buyers? Hear from leading industry and consumer experts on their strategies to build consumer interest and market share for electric vehicles entering the market in the coming months and years. Find out how the industry plans to engage consumers through a new proactive public education campaign beginning with this event.

The panel includes some Hollywood/entertainment types as well as Bob Lutz and Andy Palmer of Nissan.

If you'd like to view the panel, you will need to give the organizers your email contact information. You can do so here. You can also submit questions through Twitter to be answered (if you're lucky) by the panel, using the #EVS26 hashtag (speaking of Twitter, you can follow AutoblogGreen there, too).

EVS: Watch live as Bob Lutz, Nissan's Andy Palmer discuss consumer adoption originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 09 May 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Green Culture, North America, USA

Burning rubber? Not on Bridgestone's watch.

That's what the world's largest tire and rubber company is saying by ratcheting up its tire-recycling program. Bridgestone Americas is looking to ensure that, by the end of the year, 100 percent of the used tires returned to its company-owned stores when new tires are purchased are recycled for other uses.

The effort is part of Bridgestone's One Team, One Planet Spent Tire program. In addition to enforcing recycling for its company-owned stores, the Nashville-based company will, next year, start pushing affiliate retail stores to recycle all used tires as well.

So far, the company appears to be pretty vigilant about its tire-recycling efforts, as it currently has a 98-percent tire-reusage rate at the company's 2,200 U.S. stores. That compares favorably to the 85-percent recycling rate for "spent" tires, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

Continue reading Bridgestone ratchets up "One Team, One Planet Spent" tire-recycling program

Bridgestone ratchets up "One Team, One Planet Spent" tire-recycling program originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Asia

Last fall, Thailand was hit by a devastating flood that damaged parts of 65 of Thailand's 77 provinces, killed 815 people and affected the lives and homes of more than 13 million. Some parts of Bangkok were under over two meters (6.5 feet) of water (PDF) and normal life in the city came to a halt. Those are incredible numbers, but the story of what happened since then is just as amazing. Aside from the intense work of the people, which is astonishing in its own way, we recently learned that the country - the local auto industry included - is bouncing back.

This is something that the Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) was eager to show a group of invited journalists earlier this year, and we got to see first-hand how Thailand recovered from the flood and is now ready to once again make cars for markets around the world. Thailand's auto industry was hit hard during the flood, forcing Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda had to stop production. Both have since restarted, and Honda could spend up to $650 million to re-open a 240,000-cars-a-year plant in Ayutthaya Province, 50 miles north of Bangkok, that was hit hard by the flood. Once the waters receded, it became clear that the flood did not damage the enthusiasm of outside companies to keep investing in Thailand. Toyota said in January that it would it would spend $257 million in Thailand, for example. This is good automotive news for Thailand and its neighbors.

After all, Thailand is the 12th largest automotive manufacturing country in the world, building 1.6 million vehicles in 2010 and exporting 55 percent of them to countries in the Pacific, Asia and the Middle East. We were interested in visiting Thailand for a few reasons, but the most applicable one was to get some details about the country's Eco-Car program. We ended up learning far more than we expected.

Continue reading Thailand's green car manufacturing took a beating, back to ticking

Thailand's green car manufacturing took a beating, back to ticking originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 May 2012 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, SAE World Congress

Kept under a glass case like a ship in a bottle, the E-Born3 from Applus Idiada at the 2012 SAE World Congress was never meant to roam free. Instead, this clever concept exists mostly to show off the engineering and design skills that Idiada can offer to automakers. But, hidden in the protective covering lies a model that puts various electric drive technologies together in an interesting way.

First, the shape of the electric bus concept is unlike anything like we've seen on the road before, and Idiada's promotional material for the E-Born3 says that the idea was to let functionality lead the design. Thanks to in-wheel motors, the interior is spacious and flexible. The second and third row of seats could be arranged like a living-room (face-to-face) or in the standard, forward facing way. The driver's seat could be set apart, for a chauffeur, or next to a passenger seat for family outings. The back is also big enough that it could hold bikes and two seats, perfect for taxing riders to the starting point of a race. The purely theoretical all-electric powertrain would provide a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles).

If it were built, the E-Born3 would be a commanding vehicle, coming in at over 4.3 meters (14 feet) long with a stormtrooper color scheme. We'd certainly like to see it shuttle people at big events like the Olympics or festivals, or even between airports and hotels.

To be fair, the E-Born3 is an old project, dating back a few years. But did what it was supposed to. Idiada's senior homologation engineer Ian Palmer told AutoblogGreen that Applus Idiada is now working for an automaker in some capacity on a smaller EV project. We know that Idiada was involved with Optimal Energy's Joule EV, so it seems people are interested in seeing what the company can do. You can, too, in the video below.

Continue reading SAE Congress: Applus Idiada E-Born3 electric vehicle concept model

SAE Congress: Applus Idiada E-Born3 electric vehicle concept model originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Aptera, USA

Sometimes 1 + 1 ≠ 2. When the Aptera 2e was spotted at the Zap Jonway Beijing Motor Show display, assumptions were made (by us) that the composite-bodied craft was to be reborn as a product of that company. It will not. Oh, it will phoenix alright. And though the chassis will indeed be made by the Jonway Group in China, the vehicle is not directly affiliated with Zap Jonway.

Here's the deal. Aptera USA - they were originally going with Zaptera USA, but changed their minds after seeing the reaction to our previous post - bought up all the old Aptera assets and plan on moving swiftly to bring the three-wheeler to market, perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2013. The completed chassis will be brought to the U.S. from China, where it will have its electric drivetrain and other equipment installed. The new Aptera vehicle is said to be based on the design that participated in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize, known internally as the SO-1.

That configuration, if you'll remember, boasted a 20-kWh battery pack from A123 Systems and put out 110 horsepower (82 kW) and 232 pound-feet of torque using an electric motor from Remy. Its range is thought to be about 114 miles.

The company plans to revive the previous Aptera website and begin a new reservation system, giving former place holders first shot. The price should be in the $25,000 neighborhood and sales will not be restricted to California. Indeed, they want to eventually sell internationally.

Prospective buyers and the curious will get a chance to look over the vehicle in person later this year when the first Aptera showroom opens at the Railroad Square Village in Santa Rosa, CA. An official press release will be issued soon that should clarify the company's intent. We look forward to learning more details and wish the new Aptera every success.

Aptera to phoenix as Aptera USA, plans to deliver in 2013 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 May 2012 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Aptera, USA

Sometimes 1 + 1 ≠ 2. When the Aptera 2e was spotted at the Zap Jonway Beijing Motor Show display, assumptions were made (by us) that the composite-bodied craft was to be reborn as a product of that company. It will not. Oh, it will phoenix alright. And though the chassis will indeed be made by the Jonway Group in China, the vehicle is not directly affiliated with Zap Jonway.

Here's the deal. Aptera USA - they were originally going with Zaptera USA, but changed their minds after seeing the reaction to our previous post - bought up all the old Aptera assets and plan on moving swiftly to bring the three-wheeler to market, perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2013. The completed chassis will be brought to the U.S. from China, where it will have its electric drivetrain and other equipment installed. The new Aptera vehicle is said to be based on the design that participated in the Progressive Automotive X-Prize, known internally as the SO-1.

That configuration, if you'll remember, boasted a 20-kWh battery pack from A123 Systems and put out 110 horsepower (82 kW) and 232 pound-feet of torque using an electric motor from Remy. Its range is thought to be about 114 miles.

The company plans to revive the previous Aptera website and begin a new reservation system, giving former place holders first shot. The price should be in the $25,000 neighborhood and sales will not be restricted to California. Indeed, they want to eventually sell internationally.

Prospective buyers and the curious will get a chance to look over the vehicle in person later this year when the first Aptera showroom opens at the Railroad Square Village in Santa Rosa, CA. An official press release will be issued soon that should clarify the company's intent. We look forward to learning more details and wish the new Aptera every success.

Aptera to phoenix as Aptera USA, plans to deliver in 2013 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 May 2012 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, MPG, Land Rover, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, SAE World Congress

Flex4 may sound like something sold during the 3 a.m. hour on advertorial television, but it's really Magna's part-time all-wheel drive system that offers the benefits of AWD with lower emissions than standard AWD. How? Because Flex4 can disengage the power going to the rear wheels when it determines that it isn't needed, changing the vehicle to a more-efficient two-wheel-drive ride. The AWD is also engaged every time the vehicle stops and, most of the time, when the vehicle goes above 30 miles per hour, the rear wheels disengage. Whenever the system detects a slippery road, the AWD reconnects in a few hundred milliseconds. The AWD also engages if there is a "yaw event" (i.e., a hard lane change). The benefit? A fuel economy improvement of around .8 to 1 mile per gallon compared to standard AWD systems.

Flex4 on display at the SAE World Congress was just a prototype, and is being designed to be purely automatic but it could theoretically be driver-selectable. At this stage, too, there is no estimated cost for such a system, but Magna knows that OEMs will be looking for ways to add AWD capability to vehicles even as CO2 emissions regulations get tighter and tighter. As a Tier 1 supplier, Magna says it is ready to start production of Flex4 now.

Magna has been working on Flex4 for at least two years, but not a lot of information about the system is available online. We did find one video about Flex4, which we've pasted down below, but it happens to be in German. Still, you can see Flex4 at work in all it's animated glory.

Continue reading SAE Congress: Magna Flex4 offers slight fuel savings in a Land Rover LR2 [w/video]

SAE Congress: Magna Flex4 offers slight fuel savings in a Land Rover LR2 [w/video] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 02 May 2012 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Legislation and Policy

Now here's something that will make fiscal conservatives feel warm and fuzzy.

U.S. buyers of new electric-drive vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf battery-electric and Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug in were eligible for more than $150 million in federal and state incentives in 2011, or more than $8,000 for every one of the approximately 18,000 electric-drive vehicles purchased or leased last year, Edmunds.com's Inside Line reported.

The federal government accounts for about $135 million of those tax credits, with states and local governments covering the rest, according to the website. Leaf buyers are eligible for about $72 million of those tax breaks.

Not surprisingly, California, which isn't exactly flush with cash, was a big payer with more than 5,000 electric-drive vehicles purchased or leased in the Golden State alone. California offered as much as $5,000 in incentives per vehicle during the first half of 2011, and $2,500 for the second half of the year.

InsideLine points out that, while $150 million is a substantial sum, it pales in comparison to the more than $10 billion in low-interest loans that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded to makers of alt-fuel vehicles and their components over the past few years. The publication added that the tax-credit number will likely jump for 2012, with new electric-drive vehicles such as the Ford Focus Electric set to debut and President Obama talking about increasing the EV federal tax break by another $2,500 to $10,000.

And just in time for the election.

*UPDATE: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that California is extending tax credits for the purchase of electric-drive vehicles and references the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP).

A representative of the CVRP said the program "provides rebates of up to $2,500 for CA purchasers or lessees of light-duty zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. These rebates are not tax credits, and were not tax credits in the past. The CVRP is funded through CA vessel and vehicle registration fees, as well as smog abatement fees."

Alt-fuel vehicles generated more than $150 million in incentives last year *UPDATE originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 02 May 2012 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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