
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
The input for electric vehicle production that differs from internal combustion types is primarily in the large battery. The batteries, however, may not last as long as combustion engines, and needing to be replaced would account for a greater input requirement for their production. However, as BEVs do not require an ICE engine, support systems or related maintenance, they should be more reliable and require less maintenance. Although BEVs are not common, there are related markets which require advances in battery technology, such as mobile phones, laptops, forklifts and hybrid electric vehicles. Improvements to battery technology for any of these other markets will make BEVs more practical too.
RAV4-EV vs Gas RAV4
*
2000 Toyota RAV4-EV 4.1 short tons CO2 (104 mpg)
*
2000 Toyota RAV4 2wd 7.2 short tons CO2 (26 mpg)
*
Other BEVs
*
2000 Nissan Altra EV 3.5 short tons CO2
*
2000 Nissan Altra EV 3.5 short tons CO2
*
2002 Toyota RAV4-EV 3.8 short tons CO2
*
2002 Ford Explorer 7.8 short tons CO2 (USPS)
*
Hybrids
*
2000 Honda Insight 3.0 short tons CO2
*
2001 Honda Insight 3.1 short tons CO2
*
2005 Toyota Prius 3.5 short tons CO2
*
2005 Ford Escape H 2x 5.8 short tons CO2
*
2005 Ford Escape H 4x 6.2 short tons CO2
*
Standard ICE vehicles
*
2005 Dodge Neon 2.0L 6.0 short tons CO2
*
2005 Ford Escape 4x 8.0 short tons CO2
*
2005 GMC Envoy XUV 4x 11.7 short tons CO2
Venturi Fetish production electric 0-100km/h in 4.5 secs
Efficiency
Production and conversion battery electric vehicles typically achieve 0.3 to 0.5 kWh per mile (0.2 to 0.3 kWh/km). The U.S. fleet average of 23 mpg of gasoline is equivalent to 1.46 kWh/mi and the 70 mpg Insight gets 0.48 kWh/mi (assuming 33.6 kWh per U.S. gallon of gasoline), so battery electric cars vehicles are relatively efficient. When comparisons are made for the total energy cycle, the efficiency figures for BEVs drop, but such calculations are not commonly offered for ICE vehicles (e.g. the loss of efficiency from energy used to produce specialized fuels such as gasoline as compared to the raw energy available from crude oil or natural gas.
CO2 emission comparisons are one good indication of the current grid-mix vs gasoline consumption. Such comparisons include production, transmission, charging, and vehicle losses. The CO2 emissions can improve for BEVs through the use of sustainable grid or local resources but are essentially fixed for gasoline vehicles. Unfortunately the EV1, Ranger EV, EVPlus, and other production vehicles are missing from this site.
Battery electric vehicles or BEVs are electric vehicles whose main energy storage is in the chemical energy of batteries. BEVs are the most common form of what is defined by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as zero emission (ZEV) passenger automobiles, because they produce no emissions while being driven.

The electrical energy carried onboard a BEV to power the motors is obtained from a variety of battery chemistries arranged into battery packs. For additional range genset trailers or pusher trailers are sometimes used, forming a type of hybrid vehicle. Batteries used in electric vehicles include "flooded" lead-acid, absorbed glass mat, NiCd, nickel metal hydride, Li-ion, Li-poly and zinc-air batteries.
Thomas Edison - 1912 Detroit Electric
While hybrid vehicles apply many of the technical advances first developed for BEVs, they are not considered BEVs. Of interest to BEV developers, however, is the fact that hybrid vehicles are advancing the state of the art (in cost/performance ratios) of batteries, electric motors, chargers, and motor controllers, which may bode well for the future of both pure electric vehicles and the so called "plug-in hybrid".
History
BEVs were among the earliest automobiles, and before the preeminence of light, powerful internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many vehicle land speed and distance records in the early 1900s. Most notable was perhaps breaking of the 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph) speed barrier by Camille Jenatzy on 29.4 1899 in his rocket-like EV named La Jamais Contente. This was the first world record over 100 km/h.
BEVs were produced by Anthony Electric, Baker Electric, Detroit Electric, and others and at one point in history out-sold gasoline-powered vehicles.
Some feel that the introduction of the electric starter by Cadillac in 1913, which simplified the difficult and sometimes dangerous task of starting the internal combustion engine, was the downfall of the electric vehicle, as 1912 may have been the pinnacle year for BEVs. Still others point out that it was radiators, in use as early as 1895 by Panhard-Levassor in their Systeme Panhard design [1], which allowed engines to keep cool enough to run for more than a few minutes, before which they had to stop and cool down at horse troughs along with the steamers to replenish their water supply. The truth may be that EV's had fallen out of favor over the mass produced Ford Model-T which went into production four years earlier in 1908. [2]
NEW DELHI: Ford India Motor, the fully-owned subsidiary of the US auto major Ford Motors, will be one of the major production hubs for the parent
company’s operations in the Asia-African region, said Ford India MD and president Michael Boneham.
Ford India is investing $500 million to ramp up its Chennai plant’s production capacity to 2-lakh vehicles by 2010. These vehicles, including a new small car that will debut in the domestic market next year, will also be exported to Africa and the Asia-Pacific markets.
The US-based Ford Motors, which has not taken any financial bailout package from the US government like its peers GM and Chrysler, is developing China, Thailand and South Africa, as the other major manufacturing hubs. The Indian arm already exports partially made kits of the Ford Ikon that are assembled in South Africa as fully-made cars and the Fiesta mid-size sedan to South East Asia. It is also setting up a new engine plant with an initial capacity of 60,000 units that will also be exported to different overseas markets.
PUNE: Audi, the luxury car maker from the Volkswagen group, is considering the local assembly of the Q 5, an SUV. Although company officials
declined to specify the model, auto industry experts said it would be the Q5, making this the third car that the luxury car maker will assemble in the country.
Audi has a plant at Shendra, near Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, which it shares with group company SkodaAuto.
“We already assemble the A4 and the A6 and we are thinking of assembling an SUV. There will be no change in the price since every product is launched already priced at the CKD (local assembly) price. We do not differentiate between CBU and CKD prices,” said Martin Birkner, head of marketing, Audi India.
Having sold 1,128 cars in the first eight months of this year, which is a 62% rise over the comparable period last year, Mr Birkner said they intend to bring in new models next year, having introduced three this year. This will add to the seven products from its stable of in the country.
“Next year, at the Delhi Auto Show, we will bring our concept car, what we call the show car,” Mr Birkner said. Industry expectations are that this will be the open top version of the Audi R8 super car, which is to be displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show that starts on September 15. Also to be shown at the Frankfurt show is the electric car from Audi and that too is likely to find a place at the Delhi show.
He added, “We sold 350 units of the Audi Q 7 SUV last year and are targeting 450 units this year, having already sold 300 units so far. In India, the market still wants SUVs.”
Audi launched an upgraded version of the popular Q7 SUV earlier this month, priced between Rs. 53.4 lakh and Rs 1 crore, on road. In Pune, the dealer sells around 14 Audis every month (the Q7 alone comprising 40% of these, taking on the north Indian market where such vehicles have traditionally done well.
BANGALORE: Reva Electric Car Co will unveil two models, one of them designed by India's celebrated auto designer Dilip Chhabria, at the upcoming
63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show.
The Reva NXG that has been designed by Chhabria, is a sporty two-seater and will go into production in 2011. The other, Reva NXR, is a four-seat, two-door hatchback, with production scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2010.
The Bangalore-based REVA Electric Car Company is an enterprise of Maini Group of India and AEV LLC of California, and backed by US investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
The company is presently constructing a new ultra low carbon vehicle assembly plant in Bangalore, which is expected to produce 30,000 vehicles per annum.
Indian electric car company REVA will launch two new electric cars at Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) to be held on September 16.
REVA has claimed to add a unique technology to its cars called as ‘range anxiety’ that is worrying about running out of charge mid-way. The REVive telematics technology acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank. When drivers run out of charge they just have to call or message REVA for an instant remote top-up, and they will have their reserve battery power remotely activated. Further details of this technology will be revealed by REVA at IAA.
Read more: http://www.stockwatch.in/reva-launch-two-new-electric-cars-emergency-roadside-recharging-23680#ixzz0Qo73YsT3
Every day, about 17,000 private vehicles are being added to already congested Chinese roads, while Indian passenger vehicle sales are expected to rise by almost 50 percent during the next three years.
Such explosive growth will demand a rethink by automakers. "Over the next 5 to 10 years, technology, moral pressure, regulatory pressure and high oil prices will push even premium carmakers into making changes to their engines," said Steve Howard, chief executive of The Climate Group in Britain.
India is at the forefront of the move to low-cost cars and is doing its best to promote their green credentials.
The Indian motorbike maker Bajaj Auto says its $2,500 car, which it is building with Renault and Nissan Motor, will aim at a fuel efficiency of 30 kilometers a liter, or twice an average small car, and carbon dioxide emissions of 100 grams a kilometer, or 13 grams a mile.
That would make it far superior to cars even in the European Union, which wants to bring down carbon emissions to 120 grams a kilometer from 2012, and the 180 grams in India, said the managing director, Rajiv Bajaj. His venture will have an initial capacity of 400,000 units, while Tata expects eventual demand of one million Nanos.
Rival carmakers including Fiat, General Motors, Ford Motor, Hyundai and Toyota Motor have all expressed interest in building a small car that is affordable to more middle-class consumers in emerging markets.
"Growth is in the emerging markets, and the bulk of demand there is for small cars because people are much more sensitive to fuel prices," said Arora of JD Power.
But not everyone is sold on the Nano. Honda Motor, the world's biggest motorcycle maker, is notably cool on the likes of the Nano.
"I don't see the draw of that kind of car," Takeo Fukui, chief executive of Honda, said recently in Tokyo. "In India, the roads are so congested that it's easier and quicker to navigate the traffic on a two-wheeler."
Honda and Toyota are leading the way on cleaner gasoline-electric hybrids, and some environmentalists argue that getting prices down on these technologies is where efforts should be concentrated.
GM expects to introduce its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in 2010.
Renault and Nissan are building an electric car for Israel that will be subsidized by the government and which Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive, has said would be the most environmentally friendly car to be mass produced.
Suzuki Motor Corporation will begin making cars in India next year, marking the country's emergence as a global manufacturing base for automobiles.
The new A-Star hatchback will make its debut at the New Delhi car show in January, and start rolling off Indian assembly lines in October. The "minicar", with a 1 litre engine, will be produced at the company's new £900m plant outside Delhi.
Chairman Osamu Suzuki said the Japanese carmaker aims to make 150,000 of the cars in India and expects this to boost the company's annual European sales to 420,000 vehicles from 310,000 in the last business year. "Suzuki Motor Corp attaches great importance to India," he said. He added that the new A-Star would be "competitively priced" and meet EU emission controls.
Founded by Suzuki and the Indian government in 1982, the Indian subsidiary - known locally as Maruti - has more than half of the car market thanks to its fuel-efficient models. The Japanese company has also introduced its premium vehicles, including the SX4 sedan and the Grand Vitara sport utility vehicle, to India in recent years.
Analysts say that the company is targeting India's growing base of wealthy consumers, as well as utilising its advantages in hi-tech, low-cost manufacturing.
For the first time, Suzuki sold more cars in India than in Japan during the first half of the fiscal year and by March 2009 will be making nearly 1 million cars a year in the country.
Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford have also indicated that they intend to bring out new cars in India, the world's second-fastest-growing major auto market.
The country is also emerging as a global hub for small-car production. Last month Nissan's chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, said that his company was considering manufacturing and exporting a car priced only $2,500 (£1,200). "We don't think we can develop a $2,500 car ... in a developed country," he said. "The frugal engineering and planning of the Indian people will be very helpful in making this car a reality."
New Car Reviews
New Cars User Review
» overall it is deal at a price. very good small ca - Maruti Alto
» overall wonderful car.very comfortable. smooth eng - Maruti SX4
» Load of features and good overall performance in i - Mahindra Xylo
» excellent car - Hyundai Santro Xing
» audi 4 performance and mileage - Audi A4
News of New Cars in India
» Ford car demands on a high
» Small car's length is big question for Toyota and
» Audi intends to build SUV Q5 in India
» Maruti's DZire crosses one lakh unit mark sales
» Ford India all set to ramp up its Chennai unit
CarDekho.com is the best place to buy new cars in India online. We offer information on new car prices, car specs and car dealers in India. If you choose to buy a new car online through CarDekho, a car expert will contact you quickly giving you all the information you need to buy a new car. We will get you in touch with our preferred new car dealer and your VIP dealer representative will work with you to find your vehicle and negotiate a best new car price for your new car. You can also search for used cars in India at Cardekho. Need to sell your car? List it on CarDekho.com, where it will be available to more than 1 million car buyers every month.Thousands of happy customers buy used and new cars through us every month. Who knew it was so easy to buy new cars in India online?






