Over the 10 year history of Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year award program, there has never been a battery electric car that has been compelling enough to be recognized as the best-of-the-best in an ever-expanding field of ‘green’ cars. That has changed with the groundbreaking BMW i3, Green Car Journal’s 2015 Green Car of the Year®.
The BMW i3 came out on top of a field of finalists that included the Audi A3 TDI, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf. The array of technologies and fuels represented included high efficiency gasoline, electric drive, clean diesel, and natural gas.
BMW’s i3 stands out as one of the most innovative vehicles ever to be introduced by any major automaker. It breaks the mold – literally – with a strong and lightweight body using materials and technology at home on the race track, and now used for the first time to construct a mainstream production car. It is a milestone, forward-thinking approach.
Meeting both near-term and far-reaching goals is no easy thing. The challenge is to design and build cars that offer meaningful environmental achievement while delivering the traditional touchstones desired by new car buyers, among them comfort, safety, convenience, connectivity, performance, and value. Also important in the world of advanced vehicles like battery electric cars is a significant commitment to the manufacturing and sale of these vehicles that goes beyond a few thousand units sold in select geographical areas. BMW’s commitment with the i3 is focused not only nationally in the U.S., but globally as well.
Offering a lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) body on an aluminum space frame, BMW’s innovative i3 brings environment-conscious drivers all-electric drive with an optional internal combustion range extender. The most unique aspect of the i3 is the car’s body structure, which incorporates the first-ever use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to form the body and passenger cabin of a mass-production vehicle. CFRP is as strong as steel and 50 percent lighter. It is also 30 percent lighter than aluminum.
This BMW’s drive module includes an electric drivetrain, 5-link rear suspension, and an aluminum structure. Its lithium-ion battery pack is mounted mid-ship beneath the floor. Strategic placement of the 450 pound battery pack and drive components provides a very balanced 50-50 weight distribution to enhance handling and performance.
Acceleration is crisp, with a 0-60 elapsed time of 7.2 seconds provided by an electric motor producing 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft torque. With a curb weight of just 2,700 pounds, the i3 has is sprightly even at highway speeds. Strong regenerative braking characteristics often allow the i3 to be driven with just the accelerator pedal in city driving. When a driver lets off the accelerator, regen slows the car quickly and allows it to come to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal.
Charging at home with an available 220 volt charger delivers a full charge in about three hours. Where available, public DC fast charging can bring an i3 to 80 percent state-of-charge in 20 minutes and a full charge in 30 minutes. The i3 BEV features an 81 mile EPA estimated range on batteries. The i3 REx, equipped with an internal combustion range extender that creates on-board electricity as needed to help keep batteries charged, features a 72 mile battery driving range and 150 miles total with the range extender.
Efficiency is a given. EPA rates the i3’s city fuel economy at 137 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) and 111 MPGe on the highway, with a combined 124 MPGe. For the REx-equipped model, EPA rates mileage at 117 MPGe combined.
The 2015 Green Car of the Year® is selected by a majority vote of an award jury comprised of Green Car Journal staff and invited jurors, including TV personality and car aficionado Jay Leno plus leaders of the nation’s most high-profile environmental and efficiency organizations. These jurors include Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, board member of Global Green USA; Mindy Lubber, President of CERES; Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy; and Dr. Alan Lloyd, President emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation.
The diversity of new car models at showrooms today reflects an evolving and sophisticated market in which a growing number of new car buyers have decided that environmental performance must meet their needs and expectations, on their terms. As it happens, 2015 Green Car of the Year jurors have clearly decided that this year, the electric BMW i3 does it best.
It is an exciting time to be involved with the auto industry, or to be in the market for a new car. The auto industry has responded splendidly to the challenge of new emission, fuel economy, and safety standards. The public is offered a greater than ever selection of vehicles with different powertrains, lightweight materials, hybrids, and electric drive vehicles across many platforms. We see increasing numbers of clean diesel vehicles and natural gas is making a resurgence, especially in the heavy-duty sector.
The positive response by the auto industry to the ever-tightening pollutant emission and fuel economy standards includes tactics such as the use of aluminum in the Ford F-150 and the increased use of carbon fiber by BMW, among many innovations introduced across many models and drivetrains. These evolutionary changes are a major tribute to the automobile engineers who are wringing out the most they can in efficiency and reduced emissions from gasoline and diesel engines. I view this evolutionary change as necessary, but not sufficient to meet our greenhouse gas goals by 2050.
New car ownership is currently down in Europe and is leveling off in the U.S. For global automotive manufacturers, however, this trend is offset by the dramatic growth in places like China and India. The potential for dramatic growth in the developing world is clearly evident: In the U.S., there are about 500 cars per thousand people, compared to about 60 and 20 in China and India, respectively.
How can these trends be reconciled with the environmental and health concerns due to climate change and adverse air quality in the developing world? The evidence for climate change accumulates by the day. Hazardous air quality in many major cities in China has drawn global attention, providing a visual reminder of how far the developed world has come and how much environmental protection needs to be accelerated in the developing world. Damaging air pollution is increasingly seen as a regional and even worldwide challenge. Dramatic economic growth in many developing countries is generating pollution that knows no boundaries. Air pollution from China, for example, fumigates Korea and Japan and is even transported across the Pacific to impact air quality in California and other Western states.
It will take a revolutionary change to provide personal mobility without unacceptable energy and environmental consequences. As a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) document states, it is likely that a major shift to electric drive vehicles would be required in the next 20 to 30 years. Electric drive vehicles, coupled with renewable energy, can achieve essentially zero carbon and conventional pollutant emissions. The NAS report also predicted that the costs of both battery and fuel-cell electric vehicles would be less than advanced conventional vehicles in the 2035-2040 timeframe.
This transition will not occur overnight and we will be driving advanced conventional vehicles for many years to come. In a study for the International Council on Clean Transportation, Dr. David Greene calculated that the transition could take 10 to 15 years, requiring sustained investment in infrastructure and incentives in order to achieve sustained penetration. While this investment is not inexpensive, it is projected that the benefits of this investment will be 10 times greater than the costs.
So where do we stand today on electric vehicles? We are seeing an unprecedented number of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles across many drivetrains and models. There were about 96,000 plug-in electric vehicles sold or leased in the U.S. last year and more than 10 new PEV models are expected this year. While the sales fall short of some optimistic projections, it is an encouraging start after many years of more hope than delivery. The FC EV is expected to see significant growth after the initial limited introduction of fuel cells in the 2015-2017 timeframe by five major automobile companies.
It will take many years of sustained increasing penetration into new car sales to make this revolution a success. It is indeed a marathon and not a sprint. The challenge is how to ensure sustained sales of electric drive vehicles in the face of the many attributes of advanced technology conventional vehicles. Electric drive vehicle drivetrains have an affinity with the increasing amount of electronics on board the vehicle, which might ultimately yield very interesting, capable, and competitive vehicles.
I have little doubt that if we are serious about our energy, environmental, and greenhouse gas goals the revolution in technology will occur. All the major automobile companies seem to recognize this in their technology roadmap, which includes advanced conventional vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, battery and fuel cell electric vehicles.
In conclusion, the next 20 years promise to be equally as challenging and exciting as the last 20 years. I have little doubt that the automobile engineers are up to the task ahead, but whether we have the political fortitude to stay the course to achieve the necessary air pollution and GHG reductions is far less certain.
Dr. Alan Lloyd is President Emeritus of the nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). He formerly served as Secretary of CalEPA and Chairman of the California Air Resources Board.
Toyota has unveiled its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that will be available for sale to California customers in summer 2015. The Toyota FCV four-door sedan is forward-looking with its blending of traditional sleek styling and aggressive futuristic exterior touches.
This is quite a departure from the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell now on sale in California that packages hydrogen fuel cell power within a conventional-looking Tucson SUV. Honda took a more middle-of-the-road approach with its FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan that it began leasing to limited numbers of California customers in 2008, offering an advanced body design that, while not necessarily wildly futuristic, did preview many of the styling cues that would show up in Honda’s model lineup in future years.
Like its fuel cell competitors, the Toyota FCV is driven by electric motors powered by electricity electrochemically generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. Since there is no combustion, no CO2 is produced and the car emits only water vapor. The Toyota FCV is expected to travel 300 miles on a tank of hydrogen, providing the advantages of an electric car without the limitations of short driving range. Refueling is said to take less than five minutes.
While hydrogen fueling opportunities are admittedly sparse these days, Toyota is working toward a solution in California through its partnership with FirstElement Fuels. The aim is to support the long-term operation and maintenance of 19 new hydrogen refueling stations in that state, accessible by all model fuel cell vehicles. The availability of hydrogen fueling will determine where automakers initially offer their first fuel cell vehicles, thus the interest in California.
Mitsubishi has again shown its aptitude for taking on traditional race cars at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado. Its electric-powered MiEV Evolution III prototype racecars finished first and second in the Electric Vehicle division, with its lead car finishing just 2.4 seconds behind the overall 2014 Pikes Peak race winner, a gasoline-powered Le Mans sports car prototype driven by Romain Dumas.
The winning MiEV was piloted by six-time PPIHC motorcycle champion Greg Tracy with the second-place MiEV driven by two-time Dakar Rally winner Hiroshi Masuoka, who crossed the finish like just over four seconds after Tracy. To his credit, Tracy is the first driver in the event's history to record a sub-10 minute lap time in both two- and four-wheel racing categories.
Do extended range electric cars and plug-in hybrids really save energy and make an environmental difference like all-electric vehicles? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ if enough zero-emission miles are driven. To that end, the latest news from Chevrolet is encouraging: Since Chevy’s Volt extended range electric was introduced in 2010, Volt owners have reportedly driven more than a half a billion all-electric miles, resulting in no localized emissions over those miles and a pretty huge petroleum offset. In fact, Volt owners are spending some 63 percent of their time in EV mode.
All electric miles are even higher in an independent study managed by Idaho National Labs and conducted during the last half of 2013. Volt drivers participating in the Department of Energy’s EV Project totaled 1,198,114 vehicle trips during the six month period from July through December, 2013, with 81.4 percent of these trips completed without use of the Volt’s gasoline-powered generator.
Battery-only driving range is also proving to be better than projected. A GM study conducted over 30 months that focused on more than 300 Volts in California shows many Volt owners are exceeding EPA’s estimates of 35 miles of EV range per full charge. About 15 percent are surpassing 40 miles of all-electric range. GM data also illustrates that Volt owners who charge regularly typically drive more than 970 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station less than once a month. The 2014 Volt features EPA estimated 98 MPGe fuel economy when running in electric mode and 35 city/40 highway on gasoline power.
Some interesting trivia: Since the Volt’s launch in 2010, more than 25 million gallons of gasoline have been saved by Volt drivers. Chevy also likes to point out that 69 percent of those buying a Volt are new to the GM brand and of those trading in a vehicle during purchase, the most frequent trade-in is a Toyota Prius. The Volt was named Green Car Journal’s 2011 Green Car of the Year®.
Electric drive vehicles of all types are increasingly in the news, often led by a near-nonstop focus on Tesla and its Model S, Model X, and planned Model 3 battery electric vehicles. People want electric cars. Some feel they need them, or more accurately, that we all need them. It has been so for quite some time.
I was one of those pushing hard for electric vehicles in the 1990s, driving prototypes on test tracks and limited production models on the highway as I shared their benefits on the pages of Green Car Journal and Motor Trend before that. It was an exciting time filled with hope that battery breakthroughs would come, bringing full-function EVs offering the same driving range as conventional vehicles.
Expectations were high that a public charging infrastructure would expand to make topping off batteries convenient. New ideas like 15-minute rapid charging and battery swap stations would allow drivers of all model EVs the ability to renew on-board energy in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee, enabling them to head back on the road in short order with a full battery charge. Importantly, there was an expectation that EVs would be affordable, both to manufacture and to buy.
If only this unfolded as expected, automakers would commit to developing battery electric vehicles of all types to meet the needs of an emerging market. But things have not unfolded as expected.
California’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate drove the electric car surge in the 1990s and it’s a huge influence today. While less refined than electric models we have now, electrics of the 1990s like the Toyota RAV4 EV, Nissan Altra minivan, and Honda EV Plus were quite well engineered. Then there was GM’s EV1. Sleek, sexy, and fun, it provided a daily driving experience unparalleled in the field, something I came to appreciate well during the year I drove an EV1.
The challenge then was the same as now: cost. The EV1 was so costly to build with such massive losses there was no business case for it to continue, and so it ended, as all other electric vehicle programs of the 1990s ended, for the same reason.
Early on, Volvo had the foresight to challenge the status quo. While evaluating ways to meet California’s impending ZEV mandate, the automaker concluded there was no way to do this realistically with a vehicle powered exclusively by batteries. In 1993, I test drove Volvo’s answer – its high-tech Environmental Concept Car (ECC) that added a high-speed turbine-generator to an electric drivetrain, thus creating what we now call a range-extended electric vehicle (think Chevy Volt). Sadly, the ECC’s high cost turbine-generator meant this innovative car never saw production. But it was at the leading edge of a movement that brought us hybrids and range-extended electric cars. Today, even BMW – a high-profile champion of electrics with its innovative i3 – understands the importance of offering a range-extended variant with a gas engine-generator for those who prefer the convenience of longer range.
In answer to the chorus of Tesla enthusiasts sure to raise their voices, I am aware that Tesla is committed to all-electric vehicles and the range of the $70,000-$95,000 Model S (before the addition of popular options) is substantially greater than its competitors. The coming Model X electric crossover is expected to be in the same aspirational category as the Model S with a price suitable for premium buyers. The company's planned Model 3, presumably a vehicle accessible to the masses at a price Tesla says will be about $35,000, is said to be three years away. That's a good thing since significant battery cost reductions will be required to make this Tesla-for-the-masses electric an affordable reality. Will three years be enough? Achieving battery cost reductions of the magnitude required is no sure bet and, as history has proved, battery technology advances move at their own pace.
One stock analyst recently quoted in a major newspaper article shared that Tesla has the ability to reduce battery costs by nearly half in the coming three to five years. Of course, the backstory is that this ‘ability’ is really but a ‘potential’ based on batteries that do not yet commercially exist. The past 25 years are replete with examples of major government and industry efforts aimed at developing energy-dense, safe, and affordable electric car batteries that deliver the range and cost expectations of auto manufacturers and consumers. Over these years there have been many incremental improvements in battery design and chemistry, a slew of failures, and pending ‘breakthroughs’ that have often been promoted only to have expectations and actual production sidelined for a plethora of reasons du jour.
As just one recent example, Panasonic's 2009 announcement of a lithium-ion battery breakthrough using a silicon alloy cathode was accompanied with a claim it would be manufactured in 2012. Many positive reports on electric vehicles take into account this very ‘breakthrough’ and others like it, with the considerable cost reductions that would follow. Yet, Panasonic did not begin mass production of this battery technology in 2012. According to a Panasonic spokesman, the company’s work on developing high-capacity battery cells using a silicon-based negative electrode is ongoing. Hopefully, developments like these will lead to the kind of mass production that could bring long-hoped-for battery performance and cost reductions. Perhaps this will come to pass with a mass effort by Tesla through its proposed $5 billion battery ‘Giga Factory,’ and perhaps not. But after 25 years of following battery development I have learned not to count on claims or development, but rather actual production and availability in the real world.
Tesla continues to develop its Supercharger quick-charge network and has potential plans for a battery swap system, both exclusively compatible with its own vehicles. An innovative and expanding infrastructure for battery electrics will be required for their ultimate success and these are very positive moves, although only for those with a Tesla product and not electric vehicle owners as a whole.
Battery electric vehicles priced at levels accessible to everyday buyers will continue to grapple with cost and marketing challenges until a battery breakthrough comes. This is illustrated by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne's comment earlier this year that the company is losing $14,000 on every one of the Fiat 500e electric cars it sells. Is it so different for other automakers also selling EVs in limited numbers and in constrained geographic locations? Not inconsequentially, to bolster the market battery electric cars will also require continuing federal and state incentives that combined typically total $10,000 or more. Hopefully, innovative thinking and real technology and cost breakthroughs will emerge in the years ahead.
In the meantime, gasoline-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrid models, plus range-extended electric vehicles that combine all-electric drive with an on-board electric generator, are providing functionality for everyone even as battery-only electric cars fight hard to establish their place in the automotive market. Let's hope that mass-market, nationally-available models like BMW's innovative i3 electric car change this dynamic sooner than later.
What does Silicon Valley, California have in common with Leipzig, Germany? They are both home to the most innovative, technically advanced, and possibly the most significant cars of the 21st century. The Tesla Model S and the BMW i3 are the cars that have defied experts who said they couldn't be built. While the key innovations for each of these cars are different, the innovative spirit is the same.
With the Model S, Tesla created a breakout electric car out of mostly existing technology. What Tesla did better than other new entrant was put it together, what Silicon Valley calls ‘systems integration,’ into a remarkable package. With obsessive attention to detail and high standards for performance and styling, Elon Musk has emerged as the Steve Jobs of the auto industry and proven countless naysayers wrong.
With the i3, BMW created an affordable car out of an innovative material, carbon fiber, or technically speaking, ‘carbon fiber reinforced plastic.’ BMW has found a way to apply its manufacturing know-how to bring what was once an exotic material for supercars and fighter jets to an everyday car. Driven to not make just a ‘me too’ electric car, Ulrich Kranz, the father of the i3, has created a breakthrough car that, like the Model S, is receiving enthusiastic reviews from auto critics for its performance.
In the 20th century, the automobile shaped the world. In the 21st century, the world will shape the automobile. Today’s cars are a major source of urban air pollution, global warming emissions, and oil dependency.
Fortunately, there are those in the auto industry – like Mr. Musk and Dr. Kranz – who understand it doesn’t have to be this way. Technology innovation combined with visionary leadership can reinvent the automobile. Tesla’s Model S and BMW’s i3 prove that being more in balance with today’s global realities does not mean sacrificing what makes the auto industry great.
Many believe that the ultimate goal for electric transportation is the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV), with battery electric vehicles being just a step along the way. Hyundai is skipping this step and concentrating on developing and marketing FCVs. The automaker notes that affordable electric vehicle technology is best suited to smaller urban vehicles, not to larger family and utility vehicles that many families require to meet all of their needs.
To that end, Hyundai is poised to offer its next-generation Tucson Fuel Cell vehicle in Southern California Hyundai dealers starting sometime this spring. Production is taking place at the automaker’s Ulsan plant in Korea. Hyundai already began production of the ix35 Fuel Cell, the Tucson’s equivalent in Europe, at Ulsan in January 2013. Since the Ulsan plant builds the gasoline-powered Tucson CUV, this allows Hyundai to take advantage of both the high quality and cost-efficiency of its popular gasoline-powered Tucson platform.
Hyundai’s third-generation fuel cell vehicle features significant improvements over its predecessor, including a 50 percent increase in driving range and 15 percent better fuel efficiency. The Tucson and ix35 Fuel Cell are equipped with a 100 kilowatt electric motor, allowing a top speed just shy of 100 mph. Instantaneous 221 lb-ft torque from the electric motor means spritely acceleration.
Sufficient hydrogen for an approximate 370 mile range is stored in two hydrogen tanks. Refueling is accomplished in less than 10 minutes, providing daily utility comparable with its gasoline counterpart. Electrical energy is stored in a 24 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion polymer battery that’s been jointly developed with LG Chemical. The fuel cell reliably starts in temperatures as low as -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F). Unlike battery electric vehicles there is minimal capacity decrease at very low temperatures.
Hyundai’s fuel cell fleet has completed over two million durability test miles since 2000. Extensive crash, fire, and leak testing have been successfully completed. Hyundai says that high reliability and long-term durability come as a matter of course with the power-generating fuel cell stack, which has no internal moving parts.
The Hyundai Fuel Cell will be leased for $499 per month on a 36 month term, with $2,999 down. This includes unlimited free hydrogen refueling and At Your Service Valet Maintenance at no extra cost. Hyundai will initially offer the Tucson Fuel Cell in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas at four dealerships that will have hydrogen refueling capability. The automaker says that availability will expand to other regions of the country consistent with the accelerating deployment of hydrogen refueling stations.
Hyundai is also partnering with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to rent the Tucson Fuel Cell at select locations in the initial lease regions. This will allow interested consumers to evaluate the Tucson Fuel Cell for their lifestyles on a multi-day basis. Rentals are also planned sometime this spring.
The evolution of the auto industry has been no less than amazing. I have witnessed this first-hand while documenting the advent of ‘green’ cars over two decades at Green Car Journal and at Motor Trend before that. We had electric cars back in the 1990s as we do now, battling for acceptance, with other alternative fuels also jockeying for position amid an expansive field of conventional vehicles. Things change, things stay the same…although the numbers have improved for electrics.
While not particularly ‘green’ in earlier years, the automotive field did show early inclinations toward efficiency, particularly after the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s and oil disruptions of the 1980s. That was short lived as gasoline disruptions eased and gas was again plentiful and cheap. It was the 1990s, though, when industry and consumer interest in ‘green’ kicked into high gear.
The advancement of ‘green’ vehicles has largely been driven by the State of California, which has long required new vehicles to run cleaner than those meeting federal standards, a nod to the state’s epic half-century battle with urban smog. California has led the way in recent times with its milestone low emission vehicle program and its requirements for ever-cleaner running cars meeting seemingly impossible emissions goals. All this led to more stringent federal standards and, along the way, internal combustion vehicles with near-zero tailpipe emissions. It also hastened the introduction of hybrids and battery electric cars.
Early on, interest in greener cars was primarily driven by concerns such as tailpipe emissions, air quality, and petroleum dependence, the latter focused on resource depletion, the environmental cost of petroleum production, and significant dependence on imported oil. But that has evolved. The release of multiple studies singling out CO2 emissions as a major contributor to climate change added yet another reason to demand cleaner cars, with carbon emissions now a focal point. New regulations requiring much higher fuel economy in the years ahead – accomplishing the multiple goals of reducing petroleum use and lowering CO2 emissions through higher efficiency – have helped change the dynamic as well, as have the shockingly high gas prices seen late last decade. Together, they created the perfect storm for ‘green’ cars.
The cumulative result of regulations and incentives – plus an auto industry increasingly looking at ‘green’ not only as a requirement but as a market advantage – is a field of greener choices at new car showrooms. We now have internal combustion vehicles with near-zero emissions. A growing number of vehicle models are hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric cars with a few gaseous fuel models as well. The vast majority, however, are conventional vehicles that are worlds better than those of the past – gasoline and clean diesel models that achieve 35, 40, and 45 mpg or better with 50+ mpg clearly on the horizon.
While electric vehicles are often the topic du jour, it’s evident that new car buyers want the ability to pick their path to a greener driving future, choosing the vehicle, powertrain, and fuel that make them comfortable in their daily journeys. It has been satisfying to witness the auto industry’s decades-long evolution that’s now enabling consumers to do just that.
In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama set a goal of having one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. The million EVs would include plug-in hybrids, extended range electric vehicles, and all-electric vehicles. Now that we’re roughly at the halfway point for the 2015 goal, what is the scorecard?
It’s important to note that the goal was rather naively – or perhaps intentionally – based on manufacturer- and media-supplied data on how many electric cars could be built and not from projections of how many people would actually buy them. Unless we’re talking very hot-selling items like the latest Apple iPhone or iPad, sales projections are usually based on projected sales and not made on potential production.
The estimate actually projected 1,222,200 EV units produced including 13,000 commercial vehicles (Ford Transit Connect, Navistar eStar EV, and Newton EV). Another 252,000 included Fisker Karma and Nina models and the Think EV). Think is no longer producing cars and Fisker Automotive has ceased production, although it should reappear because of it's just-announced bankruptcy sale to China's Wanxiang Group..
Sales of the four EVs and PHEVs to date have been far lower than their target numbers, with the Tesla S a lone exception. The million EV goal looks far from being achievable by 2015.
Electric vehicle models not included in President Obama’s estimates, but now on sale, are the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Honda Fit EV, Fiat 500e, Chevrolet Spark EV, Toyota RAV4 EV, and smart electric drive. Of these, only the i-MiEV is available everywhere in the country. Some others can be considered ‘compliance vehicles’ since they are only offered in very limited ways with the intent to comply with California’s ZEV mandate, which aims at putting over 1.4 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2025.
Part of the government’s strategy to reach this goal is to offer substantial tax credits to encourage sales. Typically, this includes a federal credit of $7,500 plus state incentives. As of November 2013, 40 states and the District of Columbia have monetary incentives including electric vehicle tax credits and registration fee reductions ranging from $1,000 in Maryland to $6,000 in Colorado. Even with incentives, though, electric sales are not keeping pace with President Obama’s ambitious goals.
Bill Siuru is a retired USAF colonel who has been writing about automotive technology for 45 years. He has a Bachelor degree in automotive engineering, a PhD in mechanical engineering, and has taught engineering at West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The electric hub motor has been around for a long time. Ferdinand Porsche’s first automobile in 1898 was the Lohner-Porsche with two electric motors in the front wheel hubs. Initially, electricity was supplied from batteries and later by batteries and a gasoline engine-driven generator, in what is considered the first hybrid electric vehicle. While there has been on-and-off interest in hub drive systems, there are currently two programs underway that could lead to production vehicles within a couple of years.
One of the big challenges has been the substantial unsprung weight that can degrade ride quality and handling. This can be overcome by lighter weight motors and other components that are now available. For example, Ford has shown its Fiesta eWheelDrive prototype developed with Schaeffler Technologies in Germany. The two Schaeffler eWheelDrives are housed within the 16-inch rear wheel rims. Each highly-integrated wheel hub drive contains an electric motor, power electronics, controller, brake system, and liquid cooling system.
Each motor supplies a peak 54 horsepower or 44 horsepower continuous output to a rear wheel. The motor produces 516 lb-ft of torque. The highly-integrated wheel hub drive has a total weight of 117 pounds, only 17.6 pounds more than a conventional wheel including its wheel bearing and brake components.
The Fiesta eWheelDrive installation is just a technology demonstrator. Ford and Schaeffler feel the ideal application is in city cars for use in crowded urban areas with limited parking. Everything, with the exception of batteries, needed to propel and brake the car is located in the wheel. Thus, the space now needed for the engine and transmission or electric motor in an EV can be used for passengers and luggage. Indeed, it could mean a four-person car that takes up no more parking space than a current two-person car. The eWheel- Drive steering system could even allow moving sideways into parking spaces.
Despite its somewhat higher wheel-sprung masses, extensive testing has shown the Fiesta eWheelDrive exhibiting driving behavior equal to a conventional Fiesta in terms of comfort and safety. The two wheel hub drive motors also allow torque vectoring for enhanced maneuverability in tight spaces. Ford, Schaeffler, and other partners plan on producing two more drivable vehicles by 2015.
Protean Electric, based in Britain, has been developing hub drive motors for years and plans volume production of its Protean Drive system in China this year. It showed its in-wheel electric drive system on a BRABUS hybrid vehicle at Auto Shanghai 2013. The BRABUS Hybrid, based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, is powered by an internal combustion engine driving a generator and two Protean electric drive motors, one in each of the rear wheels. Protean had also demonstrated Protean Drive in a Vauxhall Vivaro cargo van, Guangzhou Trumpchi sedan, Ford F150 pick-up, and a BRABUS full electric vehicle also based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The Protean PD18, designed to fit inside an 18 x 18 inch wheel rim, provides 735 lb-ft torque and 100 horsepower. This is a 25 percent increase in peak torque compared with the previous generation design. Thus, it is powerful enough to be the only source of traction drive in electric vehicles. The unit only weighs 68 pounds per motor.
Each Protean Drive has a built-in inverter, control electronics, and software. The design can be used in small- to full-size vehicles including application in current vehicle platforms, retrofits to existing vehicles, or in all new vehicles. Protean says it recoups up to 85 percent of the available kinetic energy during regenerative braking. Compared to other electric vehicle drive systems, in-wheel motors apply regenerative braking directly at each wheel independently, similar to standard friction brakes.
Opportunity charging can be a pretty big deal to electric car owners. Topping off at public charging stations, or for that matter at chargers available at the workplace, can considerably extend electric driving range. This can help relieve range anxiety or simply deliver the additional battery power needed for longer drives. But this strategy depends on a charger being available.
For years, EV owners have expressed frustration whenever drivers of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles park in an EV charging spot, thus blocking access to a charge. There’s even a term for it – being ‘ICEed.’ Now there’s a new twist. With the number of electrics on the road far surpassing the number of public or workplace chargers, EV owners are now squabbling among themselves as they jockey for their position at an available charger. Enter a new term – ‘charge rage.’
That’s what’s happening when an EV owner sees another EV at a charger and believes it has already topped off and is now simply hogging the charging opportunity. Or charge rage could also occur when an EV driver really needs a charge to get to where they need to go, and other EVs are simply plugged in and an obstacle to their mobility. What’s happening is frustration, unkind words, and often enough one EV owner unplugging another’s car so they have access to a charge.
There’s no easy to answer to this other than a huge infusion of new chargers. There’s movement by some charging manufacturers to institute a charge reservation program. Some companies are also taking reservations for workplace charging, encouraging EV owners to unplug and move out of a charging space once they’re adequately topped off. There is no instant answer. What there is, simply, is a challenge that has not been adequately considered. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.
VW’s e-Golf is coming to U.S. highways at the end of this year and will be available in select states. Powered by a 115 horsepower permanent magnet AC electric motor developing 199 lb-ft torque, the e-Golf is said to accelerate from 0-62 mpg (0-100 km/h) in about 10.4 seconds and offer an electronically limited 87 mph top speed. Driving range should vary between 70 to 90 miles depending on driving habits and environmental conditions.
The e-Golf’s lithium-ion battery is integrated in the center tunnel and within a space-saving frame in the vehicle floor beneath the front and rear seats. The battery accounts for 700 pounds of the e-Golf’s 3090 pound curb weight. Charging with a 120 volt outlet is accomplished in about 20 hours, although a 220 volt garage or public charger will bring the batteries to a full state of charge in less than four hours. Rapid charging at a fast-charge station could bring the e-Golf to 80-percent of charge in 30 minutes.
We are all enamored by the advanced technologies at work in vehicles today. And why wouldn’t we be? The incredibly efficient cars we have today, and the even more efficient models coming in the years ahead, are testament to a process that combines ingenuity, market competitiveness, and government mandate in bringing ever more efficient vehicles to our highways.
It’s been a long and evolutionary process. I remember clearly when PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) technology was first introduced in the early 1990s, a breakthrough that brought near-zero tailpipe emissions from gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles. That move was led by Honda and Nissan, with others quickly following. Then there were the first hybrids – Honda’s Insight and Toyota’s Prius – that arrived on our shores at the end of that decade. Both technologies brought incredible operating efficiencies that drastically reduced a vehicle’s emissions, increased fuel economy to unexpected levels, or both.
Of course, there were first-generation battery electric vehicles in the mid-1990s that foretold what would become possible years later. That first foray into EV marketing was deemed by many a failure, yet it set the stage for the advanced and truly impressive EVs we have today. Those vehicles may not yet be cost-competitive with conventionally powered vehicles due to very high battery costs, but that doesn’t diminish the genius engineering that’s brought them to today’s highways.
Even conventionally-powered cars today are achieving fuel efficiency levels approaching that of more technologically complex hybrids. Who would have imagined popular cars getting 40 mpg or better, like the Dodge Dart, Chevy Cruze, Mazda3, Ford Fiesta, and many more in a field that’s growing ever larger each year?
VW and Audi have proven that clean diesel technology can also achieve 40+ mpg fuel efficiency while providing press-you-back-in-your-seat performance, and importantly, doing this while meeting 50 state emissions criteria. That’s saying something considering diesel has historically had a tough go of it meeting increasingly stringent emissions standards in California and elsewhere. Yet, with elegant engineering by these automakers and their diesel technology supplier Bosch – plus this country’s move to low-sulfur diesel fuel late last decade – ‘clean’ diesel was born.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention natural gas vehicles. There was a time when quite a few automakers were exploring natural gas power in the U.S., but that faded and left Honda as the lone player in this market with its Civic Natural Gas sedan. Now others are joining in with dual-fuel natural gas pickups and vans, benefitting from advanced engine technologies, better natural gas tanks, and a sense that with increasing natural gas reserves in the U.S., demand for natural gas vehicles will grow. As Honda has shown with its Civic, it’s possible to operate on this alternative fuel while also netting admirable fuel efficiency.
All this advanced powertrain technology is important. It makes air quality and petroleum reduction goals achievable, even ones like the ethereal 54.5 mpg fleet fuel economy average requirement that looms for automakers by 2025. There’s no doubt that advanced technologies come at a cost and reaching a 54.5 mpg average will require the full range of efficiency technologies available, from better powerplants and transmissions to greater use of lightweight materials, aerodynamic design, and answers not yet apparent. But I’m betting we’ll get there in the most efficient way possible.
Ron Cogan is editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of CarsOfChange.com
Batteries remain the electric car’s most pervasive challenge. After decades of research and development plus billions of dollars of investment, an energy-dense and affordable electric car battery remains elusive. Automakers are acutely aware of this as high battery costs can mean significant losses on every unit sold.
Ford is aiming to meet the challenge head-on with a new $8 million battery lab that’s now operating at the University of Michigan. The goal is to develop smaller and lighter batteries that are also less expensive to produce, resulting in more efficient and affordable battery electric vehicles with greater driving range.
The automaker’s existing battery labs focus on testing and validating production-ready batteries. This new effort will address batteries earlier in the development process, serving as a stepping-stone between the research lab and the production environment. The new lab includes a battery manufacturing facility supporting pilot projects, testing, and state-of-the-art manufacturing to make test batteries that replicates the performance of full-scale batteries.
Battery development is in its infancy and this kind of research is critical, says Ford, as is the need for new chemistries to be assessed in small-scale battery cells that can be tested in place of full-scale production batteries, without compromising test results. The automaker points out that in the span of 15 years, the industry has gone from lead-acid to nickel-metal-hydride to lithium-ion batteries, and it’s too early in the battery race to commit to one type of battery chemistry.
The long-awaited 2014 Cadillac ELR will emerge early in 2014 at a cost of $75,995, appropriate for high-end luxury cars but no doubt a bit steep for many looking forward to a step up from Chevy’s Volt. Still, there’s a lot here to justify the cost. Featuring a dramatic design and luxury touches throughout, this extended range electric coupe surrounds driver and passengers with handcrafted leather, authentic wood grain, and chrome trim. A Cadillac driving experience is promised as a matter of course.
Powering the ELR is electric drive energized with a T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All-electric drive is good for about 35 highway miles, although that’s dependent on driving conditions. After that the ELR’s 1.4-liter gasoline engine-generator produces electricity to power the car over 300 total electrically-driven miles. When operating on battery power the car is expected to offer 82 MPGe fuel efficiency.
Among its many standard features are Cadillac CUE with Navigation displayed via an eight-inch capacitive-touch screen, LED exterior lighting, Lane Departure Warning, Safety Alert Seat, and Forward Collision Alert. A driver can temporarily generate electrical energy from the ELR’s forward momentum via a Regen on Demand feature controlled with steering-wheel paddles.
Four driving modes include Tour, Sport, Mountain, and Hold. Tour is the default mode while Sport offers a more responsive driving experience. Mountain mode maintains battery charge in hilly terrain. Hold mode allows selecting when to use battery power or the ELR’s gas-powered generator.
Lithium is a key component of lithium-ion battery packs that power electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles. A recent report from Pike Research forecast global sales of EV charging equipment will grow from 200,000 units sold in 2012 to nearly 2.4 million in 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate of 37%. With lithium a key component to the electric vehicle market, it is crucial that North America has adequate access to this critical element minus any geopolitical conflicts.
Credit Suisse has forecast a 10.3 percent annual growth in demand for lithium between 2009 and 2020. Global lithium demand has tripled over the past decade, and the global market price of lithium carbonate has tripled since 2001 to its current level of around $6,500 per ton.
An industrial research report by David & Company forecasts that the global market for lithium-ion batteries will increase to $43 billion by 2020 compared to an $11 billion level in 2010 with the primary catalyst the increased demand for electric cars.
Most lithium today is mined in Australia, Argentina, and Chile. The largest known deposit is in Bolivia but political turmoil has hampered production. In the United States, there is a Nevada mine with geo-thermal powerplants that extracts lithium as a by-product near the Salton Sea in Southern California. China remains the leading importer of lithium minerals and compounds and the leading producer of value-added lithium materials. My company’s 100 percent-owned Rose Tantalum-Lithium Project, in the James Bay region in Quebec, is slated to start production by 2014 and is free of any geopolitical turmoil. We will be a valued global source for conflict-free Tantalum.
High purity lithium is required for a variety of electrical storage needs – from batteries that power electric and hybrid vehicles or provide large scale storage of renewable and conventionally produced power, to the batteries that power electronics including those found in smart phones, laptops, and gaming systems. Having proven a purity of 99.9 percent for our lithium makes our Rose Tantalum-Lithium project one of only five deposits globally that meet the rigorous specifications for lithium-ion batteries.
It is clear we have to ensure that North America does not lose the global war on being the leader in green energy solutions, which includes access to high quality conflict-free lithium. The war of the new millennium is being fought on a monetary and labor scale across the globe, with China the market leader for rare earth metals with about 97% of the world’s supply.
Next on China’s plate is renewable energy integration. Ironically, as environmental pollution in the People’s Republic of China runs rampant, the country has steadfastly focused on securing leadership status in the renewable industry. The Chinese government has set a goal of China securing 11.4 percent of its energy from non-fossil sources by the end of 2015, up from 8 percent today.
The U.S. government’s commitment to supporting both the renewable energy and electric vehicle industries underlines the need for the rapid development of rechargeable batteries, and this has thrown the spotlight on domestic lithium supplies.
It is critical that North Americans understand the importance of assuming a leader stake in the alternative energy market. As my company possesses the key critical elements crucial to the electric battery sector, we are committed to being an active and valued voice in implementing change.
Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, P.Geo, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Critical Elements Corp.
Getting around Hawaii is a study in diversity. Hang around the islands and you’ll see folks moving about on trolleys and buses, in cabs, rental cars, scooters, and of course on foot. We prefer staying planted at the Hilton Hawaiian Village with its array of interesting sites, nightlife, and of course its desirable stretch of Waikiki Beach. Walks to downtown Waikiki are a must to experience the vibrant activities there.
After arrival at Honolulu International Airport and a requisite lei greeting, there are plenty of choices available for getting to Waikiki and elsewhere on the island. Popular options include cabs and town cars or shared rides aboard courtesy vehicles from some hotels, on-demand SpeediShuttle, and the island-wide TheBus service.
What about rental cars? Not really on our radar unless a day trip to the North Shore is on the agenda. Typical of others, we’ve rented cars when visiting in the past, but the car was parked more than it was used. Still, what about those interesting places in the guidebook that call to you…those farther than a pleasant walk but not really distant enough to warrant the cost and hassle of a conventional rental car?
That line of thought spelled opportunity for Justin MacNaughton and Warren Doi, founders of GreenCar Hawaii, a by-the-hour ‘green’ car share service on Kauai and Oahu. Choices vary by location but include the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, hybrids, and efficient gasoline models. Our plans on this trip included visiting Honolulu’s Chinatown and hiking the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail, with a trailhead some 15 miles from our Hilton Hawaiian Village base.
Since GreenCar Hawaii had a rental outlet at the nearby Doubletree Alana Hotel, we walked over to the Doubletree to pick up a Nissan LEAF there. We figured...if we're going to travel with a light eco footprint, why not go zero emission with a popular electric car?
The process of renting a vehicle from GreenCar Hawaii is simple and can be done online, by phone, or through a kiosk at the hotel. If the reservation was made ahead of time, a credit card is swiped at the kiosk as a reservation identifier, details for the car-share rental are shown, and a reservation check-in is printed out. Present this to the hotel’s valet parking and the car is brought up by an attendant, no different than if you were a guest at the hotel with a car in valet parking.
We knew the drill with electric cars and made sure our travels wouldn’t take us farther than the LEAF’s available range. All told, our plotted routes would consume about 60 miles so we were good to go. Those wishing to go farther than the range of the rental LEAFs can opt to charge up at numerous 240 volt Level II chargers on the island or at a handful of available fast chargers.
Picking up our LEAF from the valet, we headed out on city streets and then H1 East and HI-72 East toward the Makapu’u Point State Wayside, where visitors park their cars before heading out on the hike. The half-hour, 15 mile drive was pleasant and uneventful, the LEAF performing as expected with plenty of power and a comfortable ride.
The guidebook described the hike as ‘easy and breezy’ along a two mile paved trail. While short and do-able, it’s also a bit steep at times and warm as well as breezy. The bonus: It's good exercise and the views are unbeatable. Reaching the summit provides a great view of the Makapu’u lighthouse and two small islands nearby – Manana and Kaohikaipu. We've hiked Diamond head before and recommend this as a nice follow-up after that trek up the famous dormant volcano. Following our hike was a drive to Honolulu’s Chinatown and a quick visit to Hilo Hattie’s for souvenirs to bring back home.
Returning the LEAF to the Doubletree Alana Hotel was simple, with a swipe of a credit card at the kiosk identifying our rental details, processing the $15 per hour charge for our four hour rental, and printing out a receipt. Keys were handed over to valet parking and we were off on a walk to Cheeseburger Waikiki for loco moco and then back to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Easy breezy, as they say.
