New Electric Vehicles Coming Soon

By an overwhelming 314 to 100 vote, the US House of Representatives passed the energy bill [H.R.6] with the new CAFE standards requiring auto makers to sell vehicles that average 35 miles-per-gallon [mpg] by 2020. President Bush signed the bill into law. Americans want to pay less at the pump and be less dependent on foreign oil, especially oil from countries hostile to the U.S.

Many are not waiting until 2020. They are driving vehicles now that get better than 35 miles per gallon. Some are starting to drive plug-in hybrids that achieve over 100 miles per gallon. 40,000 in the U.S. drive electric vehicles that use zero gasoline and produce zero emissions.

Sherry Boschert rides on sunlight. She charges her electric vehicle with her home’s solar power. Her Toyota (TM) RAV4 EV runs fast on freeways and silent on quiet streets. She uses a zero-emission approach to transportation. Sherry Boschert is the author of Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America.

Some are celebrities like Tom Hanks, who has been driving electric vehicles for years including his RAV4 EV and Scion xB that was converted to an EV by AC Propulsion. Other celebrities have deposited $100,000 each on average, eagerly awaiting the Tesla Roadster electric vehicle with its 245 mile electric range.

Electric vehicles are not just for celebrities. Many are priced at a more modest $10,000 and only go 25 miles per hour. They are popular in fleets of university campuses, large facilities that need zero-emission in-door vehicles, shuttles in corporate multi-building campuses, and even the military. They are a popular second car in two vehicle households. These low-cost EVs are fine for those who will compromise on speed and range. Reasonably priced new vehicles are coming with few compromises and many exciting features.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation [7211:JP] has been demonstrating its new electric-vehicle, the iMiEV Sport which it plans to launch in Japan and possibly other countries in 2009. The car has a range of 93 miles [150 km] and a top-speed of 93 mph [150 km/h].

In 2009, the smart EV may be available in the U.S. The cars 70/70 specs are appealing for city drivers: 70 mile range, 70 mile per hour freeway speed. Daimler’s (DAI) smart EV is in trial in the UK with The Energy Saving Trust, Islington and Coventry Councils, Lloyds Pharmacy, The CarbonNeutral Company, EDF Energy and BT.

To achieve a range of over 70 miles, it is using the Zebra sodium-nickel-chloride battery which has caused maintenance difficulties in some U.S. fleets. More than 40,000 of the gasoline fueled smart fortwos have been sold in the UK since the car was launched here in 2000. The vehicle is popular in London, where electric charging is free and daily congestion taxes are high for petrol guzzlers.

In addition to electric-vehicles, plug-in hybrids have captured the imagination of many. These vehicles are often designed to go a number of miles in battery-electric mode before internal combustion engines are engaged. Last week, I attended a General Motors (GM) showing of its Chevy Volt. The Volt is an elegant four-door sedan.

One GM designer admitted that the Mercedes CLS gave some inspiration for the Volt. The Chevy Volt can be driven 40 miles in electric-mode using 16kW of lithium batteries, before its small 1L engine is engaged. 16kW is twelve times the storage of my Prius NiMH batteries.

40 miles accommodates the daily range requirements of 78% of all U.S. drivers. The Volt uses an electric drive system with a small ICE in series that is only used to generate added electricity, not give power to the wheels. GM’s modular E-Flex propulsion could be adapted to various engines including diesel, fuel cells, and potentially battery-electric. At the Frankfurt Auto Show, GM showed the European sibling of the Volt, the GM Opel Flextreme concept car, which included a 1.3L diesel engine.

Look for more E-Flex announcements from GM in 2009. Announcements could include a more compact global vehicle at an appealing price point and a commitment to a diesel E-Flex vehicle.

GM Manager, Rob Peterson, emphasized that GM is committed to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. To keep the Volt on track, issues that might delay a normal vehicle in development are resolved by the E-Flex Leadership Board Committee which includes Bob Lutz and Larry Burns.

The Volt is targeted to go on sale November 2010. I told a General Motors executive that if it were priced under $40,000, then I would be interested in buying one. He confidently smiled and replied, “Have your checkbook ready.”

If you need to carry more people and cargo, GM plans to start sales of its Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid in 2009. Even though the vehicle will use a 3.6L gasoline engine, it is likely to offer the best mileage of any SUV on the market.

Toyota (TM), Ford (F), Volvo, and Saab all have plug-in hybrids in early fleet trails. Other fleets are doing their own custom integration of plug-in hybrids from sedans to heavy vehicles.

Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor Co (NSANY) and Renault SA, said that his auto group is planning to mass produce an electric car mainly targeted at big cities by 2012. From London to Shanghai, he sees increased possibilities that only ZEV will be allowed in city centers.

Look for a number of exciting choices in vehicles that use little or no gasoline, improving energy security and addressing the threat of a potential climate crisis.

This article was written by John Addison.

Comments

[lonie]

It's all well and good we get partially off oil and from under the thumb of several countries .

The laws of physics still pertain to the energy used to move x amount of weight a given distance whether it's on corn stalks , electricity ,wind ,wave power ,donkey power or what have you .

I am tired of hearing the mantra ; i'm greener than thou because i drive electric or what have you . Well,somewhere something is producing that energy and as of now and the forseable future it is about 60% chance that dirty ol coal is making the turbines turn.

I have heard you could cover the USA with solar panels and wind mills and not equal the amount of oil energy .

Yes , i am in agreement to reduce oil usage . The best way is to reduce driving which by my own experience i am sure every private vehicle in America could be driven 200 miles a month less with very little inconvenience . The price of oil i am sure has already reduced the marginal income persons driving . Now , if we could get the well off retired assholes ,such as i , from dragging most of a lifetimes collection of crap down the road to the next "paradise " in their 5 mile to gallon rec -vehicle all will be ok.

Another item ; i estimate 10% of commercial trucking is unecessary . Example ,you have lumber going southeast to northwest and viseversa, cheese every direction ,meat same . Packages passing each other in the middle of the night in the air and on ground ,a large portion overnight when in real fact 10 days wouldn't make a crap ,and there are others .

We are our own enemy.

[dolfen]

There's another electric vehicle company named Zap in Santa Rosa California. They produce a series of small electric vehicles designed specifically for urban use. Under development with Lotus Engineering is a cross-over SUV that will have an extended range suitable for interstate travel.
To quote Zap. "ZAP's strategy is to serve the growing and underrepresented consumer that seeks fuel efficient vehicles. With the recent increases in the cost of oil and increasing concern about the environment and the effects of global warming, we believe there is a large and untapped demand in the areas of transportation and consumer products. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, Japanese automobile manufacturers penetrated the United States market when domestic automobile manufacturers failed to anticipate changes. ZAP believes a similar opportunity is present today, enhanced by heightened environmental awareness, climate changes and economic pressures. ZAP has assembled a complete line of products to meet the growing demands of the environmentally conscious consumer focused on two primary businesses: ZAP Electric Vehicles and ZAP Recharge-It-All."
As we transition from a fossil fuel based economy to one that uses alternative methods of producing electricity such as solar, electric vehicles will become an even more integrated part of that shift. Small companies not currently on the radar of most large investment houses will be positioned to blossom and bring growing returns to those fortunate and foresighted enough to have invested early. One such company in ZAP.

[the teller]

electric cars are not zero emission cars. the source of energy is the electric power plant that is very much a pollutant. every electric car owner should drive by a coal-fired power plant.

[Dawson Lodge]

The electric vehicles are a way overdue phenomenon. But don't think it will have any effect on climate, since climate change is happening on all planets and has nothing to do with auto emissions. Go to IceAgeNow.com and find out what is really going on with climate.

[chancer]

?: Does anyone know of company(s) that are doing conversions of existing vehicles at reasonable rates? It seems that there should be a big market to do that. Before EV's got hot, I read some shops were doing for $10K. Now, you can't find them, or price has gone way up. I would like to know what it cost to convert Tom Hanks Scion XB.

[Kippie]

What happened to the ENER nickel metal hydride battery and the GM EV-1? Why is GM so late ('09 with Volt & '10 with Vue) when they seemed to have a great advantage years ago? At one time the ENER battery could provide a range of over 100 miles. I understand it was to be in the '09 Volt, so why the delay?

[Kevin66]

So your point is that .01% of the US vehicle fleet consists of electric cars driven by Hollywood celebrities who drive one of their 10 other cars when the EV is recharging? That's not very useful.

Pure EVs are totally impractical for the mass market for the simple reason that a "car" is not a car when it cannot be "refueled" in a few minutes. A vehicle that would take a week to travel 500 miles is not practical. That is the challenge for EVs.

Now plug-ins are a good concept, but so far are wildly unaffordable. Any mention of the GM Volt should note that the entirety of the automotive press is CERTAIN that GM will abjectly fail to live up to the promises it is making with regard to time line and cost.

[SherryBoschert]

Some of these comments are gut reactions and not based on facts. Even if 60% of U.S. electricity came from coal (today it's about 52%), driving on electricity is still cleaner than driving on gasoline. Don't take my word for it -- see my compilation of every study I could find on well-to-wheels emissions on the FAQ page of my website at sherryboschert.com. There's more than enough wind and solar potential to power all U.S. electrical needs, not just cars.
And as for EVs not being practical, well, I've driven gasoline-free for 5 years and 62,000 miles so far. Suits me fine.

Sherry Boschert, author
Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America
sherryboschert.com