i bet this is cheap
the alternative personal transportation thread
Leno drives the Mission Motors Mission-R
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/Mission-Motors-Mission-R/1401426
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/Mission-Motors-Mission-R/1401426
Huge fail. Should be disqualified. US E85 is not green, its worse than regular gasoline.
Overhead Electric Lines for Trucks Are Coming to California
I have no idea whether the idea is commercially feasible, but it's still an awesome vision nonetheless. If it ever came to fruition I wonder if we'd see cars hacked with tall pantographs to tap into the free overhead electricity?
I have no idea whether the idea is commercially feasible, but it's still an awesome vision nonetheless. If it ever came to fruition I wonder if we'd see cars hacked with tall pantographs to tap into the free overhead electricity?
Overhead wire electric busses have been running here in Wellington since the 1960's. the city council just did another periodic fleet upgrade and brought another 50 of them last year to cope with the increased public transport usage created by higher petrol costs over the last few years (currently at around $2.27 per liter).
Seattle has buses/"electric trolleys" running off of pantographs and overhead wires, too. This is different, though: Commercial trucks, interstate highways, and hybrid operation so that they can leave the wires and come back to them on the fly.
I've been in the Seattle buses when they lose "grip" on the wire. They come to a halt, as I can attest.
Some new buses that Seattle is considering to replace their old fleet will be able to run on battery power alone for a few blocks, though, which would solve some problems.
I've been in the Seattle buses when they lose "grip" on the wire. They come to a halt, as I can attest.
Some new buses that Seattle is considering to replace their old fleet will be able to run on battery power alone for a few blocks, though, which would solve some problems.
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just keep the fvcking things in the right hand lane please....
Polaris EV LSV: Consumer site, consumer dealer site, government procurement dealer site
- $12k if you're a civilian, or $7.4k if you're the General Services Administration (!), but that's before adding the optional glass windshield + wiper, steel roof, and steel cab rear panel
- 30 hp AC induction motor (peak? continuous output? not clear)
- 48 V of lead-acid, 11.7 kWh nominal capacity
- Selectable 4WD! and 10" of ground clearance
- Independent suspension all around, 8" up front, 9" in the rear
- 4 wheel disc brakes
- 795 kg
- Claimed range "up to 50 miles"
Oh, and as an Low Speed Vehicle it's street legal! (Note the windshield, mirror, turn signals, headlights, etc.) The catch is that LSVs are limited to 25 mph unless one lives in the states of Washington, Rhode Island, Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oregon, and Montana, whose state legislatures have street-legalized Medium Speed Vehicles with a whopping top speed of 35 mph.
It would be up to one's own devices to uncork it to 35 mph, of course, but doing that + swapping in some modern lithium batteries once the lead acid gave up the ghost would be at least technically feasible given the specs.
Update: As I show in my ride pics thread, doing so would be economically unfeasible, unfortunately.
- $12k if you're a civilian, or $7.4k if you're the General Services Administration (!), but that's before adding the optional glass windshield + wiper, steel roof, and steel cab rear panel
- 30 hp AC induction motor (peak? continuous output? not clear)
- 48 V of lead-acid, 11.7 kWh nominal capacity
- Selectable 4WD! and 10" of ground clearance
- Independent suspension all around, 8" up front, 9" in the rear
- 4 wheel disc brakes
- 795 kg
- Claimed range "up to 50 miles"
Oh, and as an Low Speed Vehicle it's street legal! (Note the windshield, mirror, turn signals, headlights, etc.) The catch is that LSVs are limited to 25 mph unless one lives in the states of Washington, Rhode Island, Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oregon, and Montana, whose state legislatures have street-legalized Medium Speed Vehicles with a whopping top speed of 35 mph.
It would be up to one's own devices to uncork it to 35 mph, of course, but doing that + swapping in some modern lithium batteries once the lead acid gave up the ghost would be at least technically feasible given the specs.
Update: As I show in my ride pics thread, doing so would be economically unfeasible, unfortunately.
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Gyrocars from the past (pre-WWI Russia!):
... and in the near future?
I can sort of see why Danny Kim, founder of Lit Motors, the outfit behind this ridiculously-short-of-headroom prototype C1 gyroscopically-stabilized electric two wheeler, would choose this technology and layout: By definitively not being a car it doesn't fall under those particular, stringent safety and emissions standards, and by not having 4 wheels it doesn't fall into the weird nether-region of the non-car regulations that encompasses LSVs and MSVs such as the Polaris EV LSV above.
I still don't think this idea will come to market at a reasonable price. Way too complex...
... and in the near future?
I can sort of see why Danny Kim, founder of Lit Motors, the outfit behind this ridiculously-short-of-headroom prototype C1 gyroscopically-stabilized electric two wheeler, would choose this technology and layout: By definitively not being a car it doesn't fall under those particular, stringent safety and emissions standards, and by not having 4 wheels it doesn't fall into the weird nether-region of the non-car regulations that encompasses LSVs and MSVs such as the Polaris EV LSV above.
I still don't think this idea will come to market at a reasonable price. Way too complex...
It would have in gasoline form, too.
That is a great build.
[cross-posted from my Google+ stream: https://plus.google.com/115479414905422234350/posts/E6gV6pGkYJh ]
The Decline of Coal
One of the frequent, snide criticisms of electric vehicles is that they're "coal-powered cars." This refers to the historically high usage of coal to generate electricity in many regions throughout the US, especially in Appalachia. What does "historically high" imply in the recent past? A 1996 MIT Energy Lab paper that I've previously cited describes the national energy generation makeup in that era as "52% coal, 28% natural gas", and other, minor players.
Well, that era is ending, at least on the national scale. (On the state level power generation has always had large regional differences. Take the extreme examples of Idaho and West Virginia, for instance, with Idaho boasting 79% hydroelectric power and <1% coal use as compared to West Virginia's 98% reliance on coal.)
Above is the US Energy Information Administration's Short Term Energy Outlook that illustrates the the decline of coal. Note that coal, as a percentage of total, nationwide electricity generation, has fallen from 50% to 36% over the past 8 years alone. Although there's expected to be a small rebound in 2013 due to coal prices bottoming out and natural gas prices rising, the trend can be expected to continue in future years. This is both due to economic factors (including power utility consumers deciding they don't want coal power, especially if so-called "clean coal" is significantly more expensive) and due to the behind-the-scenes influence of groups including the Sierra Club, which in turn are financed by individuals including the billionaire mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg.
The NY Times published an article about this phenomenon just yesterday, in fact, focusing on the associated and inevitable decline of coal-mining-centric towns in Appalachia, and the efforts of the coal industry to lobby and coerce its way back to the boom days, days in which the public could be showered with soot and mercury without a second thought.
What are the implications of this move away from coal?
The major repercussion is that assumptions based on earlier, higher-percentage-of-coal-generated-power estimates need to be revised. These revisions will result in lower absolute well-to-wheels GHG and smog-forming pollutant emissions for BEVs, REEVs, and PHEVs (with no change for non-electric vehicles, of course). One such example of a report whose conclusions need revising is the much-publicized Union of Concerned Scientists State of Charge report from April 2012. In it the assumption of 45% coal and 20% natural gas electricity generation is made (page 5), something that's clearly not true in 2012 per the above figure. Even though they already concluded that with 45% coal it still makes environmental sense to shift to BEVs, their conclusion would be that much stronger were it to reflect the more recent data I describe above.
The other implication that I draw from this is that global GHG and smog-forming pollutant emissions are probably not going to go down at all. Say what? Wasn't this whole post on the declining use of coal? True, but only within the United States electricity generation market. As the NY Times states, "Pressured on the domestic front, some giant American coal producers ... are shifting their attention to markets overseas, where coal-fired power plants are being built faster than they are being abandoned in the United States."
The most I can ask for, I suppose, is that my own country improve its policies and choose more wisely in its power generation sources, and precisely that is happening. The citizens in China and India will need to speak up for themselves if they don't want their children's lungs coated with black, 100% made in America, Appalachian-sourced soot.
The Decline of Coal
One of the frequent, snide criticisms of electric vehicles is that they're "coal-powered cars." This refers to the historically high usage of coal to generate electricity in many regions throughout the US, especially in Appalachia. What does "historically high" imply in the recent past? A 1996 MIT Energy Lab paper that I've previously cited describes the national energy generation makeup in that era as "52% coal, 28% natural gas", and other, minor players.
Well, that era is ending, at least on the national scale. (On the state level power generation has always had large regional differences. Take the extreme examples of Idaho and West Virginia, for instance, with Idaho boasting 79% hydroelectric power and <1% coal use as compared to West Virginia's 98% reliance on coal.)
Above is the US Energy Information Administration's Short Term Energy Outlook that illustrates the the decline of coal. Note that coal, as a percentage of total, nationwide electricity generation, has fallen from 50% to 36% over the past 8 years alone. Although there's expected to be a small rebound in 2013 due to coal prices bottoming out and natural gas prices rising, the trend can be expected to continue in future years. This is both due to economic factors (including power utility consumers deciding they don't want coal power, especially if so-called "clean coal" is significantly more expensive) and due to the behind-the-scenes influence of groups including the Sierra Club, which in turn are financed by individuals including the billionaire mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg.
The NY Times published an article about this phenomenon just yesterday, in fact, focusing on the associated and inevitable decline of coal-mining-centric towns in Appalachia, and the efforts of the coal industry to lobby and coerce its way back to the boom days, days in which the public could be showered with soot and mercury without a second thought.
What are the implications of this move away from coal?
The major repercussion is that assumptions based on earlier, higher-percentage-of-coal-generated-power estimates need to be revised. These revisions will result in lower absolute well-to-wheels GHG and smog-forming pollutant emissions for BEVs, REEVs, and PHEVs (with no change for non-electric vehicles, of course). One such example of a report whose conclusions need revising is the much-publicized Union of Concerned Scientists State of Charge report from April 2012. In it the assumption of 45% coal and 20% natural gas electricity generation is made (page 5), something that's clearly not true in 2012 per the above figure. Even though they already concluded that with 45% coal it still makes environmental sense to shift to BEVs, their conclusion would be that much stronger were it to reflect the more recent data I describe above.
The other implication that I draw from this is that global GHG and smog-forming pollutant emissions are probably not going to go down at all. Say what? Wasn't this whole post on the declining use of coal? True, but only within the United States electricity generation market. As the NY Times states, "Pressured on the domestic front, some giant American coal producers ... are shifting their attention to markets overseas, where coal-fired power plants are being built faster than they are being abandoned in the United States."
The most I can ask for, I suppose, is that my own country improve its policies and choose more wisely in its power generation sources, and precisely that is happening. The citizens in China and India will need to speak up for themselves if they don't want their children's lungs coated with black, 100% made in America, Appalachian-sourced soot.
1) Kind of old news, but I just came across this tidbit:
http://thefutureofthings.com/news/10719/rapid-recharge-improves-electric-vehicles.html?addComment
2) I've put out feelers to Toyota's corporate office regarding the RAV4 EV + Seattle. Note gratuitous mention of my occupation + neglecting to mention that I'm actually not in Seattle at the moment. (12 more months!)
http://www.plugincars.com/nissan-announces-leaf-lease-special-rate-289-121874.html
$3k down, then $289 per month x 39 months at 12k miles per year for a base model, or $319 per month with the same terms for the SL.
http://thefutureofthings.com/news/10719/rapid-recharge-improves-electric-vehicles.html?addComment
This was with quick (Level 3, DC) charging, to boot!
2) I've put out feelers to Toyota's corporate office regarding the RAV4 EV + Seattle. Note gratuitous mention of my occupation + neglecting to mention that I'm actually not in Seattle at the moment. (12 more months!)
3) Nissan lowered Leaf lease prices, probably to spur currently sluggish sales:
http://www.plugincars.com/nissan-announces-leaf-lease-special-rate-289-121874.html
$3k down, then $289 per month x 39 months at 12k miles per year for a base model, or $319 per month with the same terms for the SL.
The above graphic is from the Union of Concerned Scientists report entitled State of Charge, which I've mirrored on Google Docs for ease of downloading. They define a metric, MPGghg, where they figure out how much well-to-wheels greenhouse gases would be generated by driving an electric car charged from the region's electricity generating grid and then translate it into pump-to-wheels "MPG"-like figures. Higher MPGghg means lower GHG emissions per distance traveled, of course.
Note that I currently live in natural-gas fueled Long Island, which is a "Good" region (39 MPGghg from the paper's source data) in sharp contrast to the rest of NY state, which is much cleaner (74 to 86 MPGghg) thanks largely to nuclear plants. This means that a Leaf driver here on Long Island creates a touch more CO2 per mile than my wife as she drives her 46 combined/overall MPG Prius On the other hand, 39 MPGghg is much better than the current 24 MPG fleet average and it's quite possible that Long Island's power will get cleaner in the future.
Also note that the whole Pacific NW and some northwestern Rockies states are lumped together, with an excellent 73 MPGghg rating largely due to the abundance of hydroelectric power. As I've noted numerous times before in this thread, those lucky enough to be in Seattle can opt for Seattle City Light's $12/month Green Up program, which zeros out carbon emissions, in turn implying that the MPGghg becomes essentially infinite.
I think that's pretty damn cool.
Toyota's Pike Peak racer, the slickly named TMG EV P002:
350 kW (469 bhp!) from two axial flux motors, 900 Nm of torque, a chassis borrowed from the fine folks at Radical Motors, and 42 kWh of lithium ceramic batteries would do a lot to help me forget that unfortunate name, though.
Check the characteristic EV whine from the electric drivetrain writ larger than life in the video:
Press release/source for the attached photos: http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+motorsport+gmbh+brings+electric+technology+pikes+peak.htm
350 kW (469 bhp!) from two axial flux motors, 900 Nm of torque, a chassis borrowed from the fine folks at Radical Motors, and 42 kWh of lithium ceramic batteries would do a lot to help me forget that unfortunate name, though.
Check the characteristic EV whine from the electric drivetrain writ larger than life in the video:
Press release/source for the attached photos: http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+motorsport+gmbh+brings+electric+technology+pikes+peak.htm
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Last page, n00b
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198412&p=3785335&viewfull=1#post3785335
heh
New news:
Honda Fit EV.
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit-ev/?from=fitev.honda.com
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2013-honda-fit-ev-rated-by-the-epa-at-118-mpge-highest-fuel-efficiency-rating-ever-1
Good news:
- 20 kWh of lithium
- 92 kW/188 ft-lb. fancy motor integrated with the transmission and shared with the FCX Clarity (see cutaway above)
- 132/105/118 MPGe rating
- Range on par with that of the Leaf: In Honda's carefully lawyer-couched language, the range is "123 city/95 highway mile range (unadjusted); 76 combined mile range (adjusted)"
- Honda claims a 3 hour charge time on a 240V charger, which would imply a 6.6 kW charger
- Not complete vaporware
- Lease terms of $389/mo x 3 yrs, while shocking initially, are actually comparable to the $289/mo Leaf lease since Nissan wants $3k up front and Honda wants nothing.
Bad news:
- Lease only. No purchase option up front or at the end of the lease term
- Only one color available (boohoo), the pictured blue
- Rolling out only in "select California and Oregon markets" in summer 2012, with "an East Coast rollout in 2013"
My impression is that this car is merely meant to appease CARB, nothing more.
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not bad figures.
the range is the best figure out of the bunch
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/20/tesla-model-s-officially-rated-at-89-mpge-with-265-mile-range/
the range is the best figure out of the bunch
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/20/tesla-model-s-officially-rated-at-89-mpge-with-265-mile-range/
TTAC: Take That, China: Japan Finds 200 Years’ Worth Of Rare Earth
No more squeeze plays by the Chinese!
Bertel Schmitt said:
No more squeeze plays by the Chinese!
The Chinese have a whole book of squeeze plays ready if this one does not work. Did you read the least battle in the solar panel industry?
Motor Trend surprises with a thorough-ish review of the Fit EV. Some highlights:
Distinctive front end.
Ugly interior, still, as is the Honda corporate style these days. At least it has standard navi, seat heaters, and automatic climate control (for charge station-finding and heating/cooling efficiency, respectively).
The rear end is raised up so that the battery can slot underneath the car, sort of like those converted wheelchair-accessible minivans. Doesn't look too bad, though, apart from the wheels.
The rear seat is moved up and back with respect to the non-EV Fit, which makes for a very car-seat-friendly 35.2" of rear legroom!
Motor from the FCX Clarity, with fancy design such that the driveshafts run through it.
Key stats, mostly as above in this very thread:
- $389/month lease, no purchase option. On the upside, that's with no money down and included no-deductible comprehensive insurance coverage!
- 1100 production target
- Cali + Portland, OR
- 20 kWh of lithium, 6.6 kW charger, no CHAdeMO port
- 82 mile EPA range, greater than the Leaf's 73 and the Focus Electric's 76 despite their bigger packs
- 3252 lb curb weight, as compared to 2628 lbs for a non-EV Fit Sport with navi
One cool thing about the car that has not been not highlighted before is this:
Distinctive front end.
Ugly interior, still, as is the Honda corporate style these days. At least it has standard navi, seat heaters, and automatic climate control (for charge station-finding and heating/cooling efficiency, respectively).
The rear end is raised up so that the battery can slot underneath the car, sort of like those converted wheelchair-accessible minivans. Doesn't look too bad, though, apart from the wheels.
The rear seat is moved up and back with respect to the non-EV Fit, which makes for a very car-seat-friendly 35.2" of rear legroom!
Motor from the FCX Clarity, with fancy design such that the driveshafts run through it.
Key stats, mostly as above in this very thread:
- $389/month lease, no purchase option. On the upside, that's with no money down and included no-deductible comprehensive insurance coverage!
- 1100 production target
- Cali + Portland, OR
- 20 kWh of lithium, 6.6 kW charger, no CHAdeMO port
- 82 mile EPA range, greater than the Leaf's 73 and the Focus Electric's 76 despite their bigger packs
- 3252 lb curb weight, as compared to 2628 lbs for a non-EV Fit Sport with navi
One cool thing about the car that has not been not highlighted before is this:
Motor Trend said:
Yeah, there's one in my town. Hideous and a POS to boot!
I saw a nice CR-Z the other day. Had a basic body kit, BBS wheels, nice touches and no fart can. I still want to drive one, I loved my CRX.
yeah ive seen a few around here in PA. not the place youd see such a rare car and it def is fugly. i had to do a triple take to see what it actually was
they say its not suppose to replace what the CRX was
Judging by the driving I think the car was ignited by the alcohol infused breath of the drunk driver.
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More RAV4 EV details emerge:2013 Toyota RAV4 EV
- 41.8 kWh of Tesla lithium-ion batteries powering a similarly Tesla-sourced 115 kW electric motor, good for 0-60 in 7 seconds and 100 miles of range
The battery has a nominal 41.8 kWh battery capacity as above, with the surprising thing being that the default charging settings are such that only 35 kWh are used in order to maximize the pack's lifetime, possibly to make sure that the 8 yr/100k mile warranty on that battery (as per CARB's regulations) doesn't turn into a money-sink for Toyota.
The 10 kW on-board Tesla charger "uses a standards-based charging interface", presumably SAE J1772, as opposed to Tesla-branded Tesla's, which use their own proprietary connector + adapters when on the road. This is a good thing, even though ChaDeMo Level 3 DC quick charging capability is conspicuously absent.
The projected EPA range certification is 92 miles with 35 kWh usable pack capacity and 113 miles when drawing down the full 41.8 kWh. For comparison, here are the EPA ranges for a few other EVs: 62 miles for the Mitsubishi iMiEV, 73 miles for the Nissan Leaf, and 76 for the Ford Focus Electric. If the 40 kWh Tesla Model S's range scales linearly with pack size as compared to its 85 kWh brother, then such a beast would go 124 miles on the EPA's tests, which are a bit conservative compared to reality provided one's not a beast with the HVAC system. (If one is a true driving ascetic then 170 miles is supposedly theoretically possible from the RAV4 EV.)
The center of gravity is low, illustrated here:
More photos and info from TTAC:
- New-gen 8" Entune infotainment system with voice control of iDevices and the like.
- Same motor as the Model S! The lower output of 154HP and 273 lb-ft (!) is via differences in battery pack power, DC-DC converter power, and controller programming.
- The 41.8 kWh pack uses the same cells but is not physically identical to the 40 kWh pack in the base Model S.
The only problem with these positive reviews is that it makes it that much more unlikely that there'll be any left when I'm ready to put down some cash for one next spring/summer…
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Great to see more US cities doing something to reverse the dependance on cars. I would have loved to hear more about what they do for city planning which is equally as important as having the transportation options.
Fraunhofer AutoTram Extra Grand: http://www.autotram.info/en.html
30.7 meters long (101 feet!). 256 passenger capacity. 5 axles, of which all but the second steer. Serial hybrid powertrain with two (!) diesel generators, total generating power of 455 kW driving two 480 peak kW traction motors, buffered by 35 kW of lithium and just under 1 kW of capacitors.
Pretty cool stuff, IMO: The convergence of diesel-electric buses and trains.
30.7 meters long (101 feet!). 256 passenger capacity. 5 axles, of which all but the second steer. Serial hybrid powertrain with two (!) diesel generators, total generating power of 455 kW driving two 480 peak kW traction motors, buffered by 35 kW of lithium and just under 1 kW of capacitors.
Pretty cool stuff, IMO: The convergence of diesel-electric buses and trains.
http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project/vehicle-owner-survey?utm_source=pev-survey&utm_medium=home-button&utm_campaign=cvrp
Key takeaway stats from my perspective from the full report PDF (see link above):
- 89% use their EV as their primary vehicle
- 95% own an ICE vehicle as well as their EV
- the owners are educated (52% post-grad degree! and 87% with at least a bachelor's degree) and wealthy (79% make more than $100k/yr)
- 92% drive less than 45 miles per day, and 66% drive less than 30 miles per day
- 39% have invested in home solar systems (!), and 17% more are planning to do so in the upcoming year
