I’m eagerly awaiting the 4-door, family-sized EV sedan rumored to be in the pipeline from the Canadian-based ZENN Motor Company (they already make a great 2-door model that’s even affordable to us non-celebrity types, picture above). I’d like to avoid going to the gas station at all when going to an Energy Fair or Green Festival. While our VW Jetta TDI gets more than 40 mpg, these days the cost for diesel (and biodiesel when I can get it) is quite a bit more than gasoline, and rising faster than gas.

For now, we’re moving around locally in a funky-looking, all-electric CitiCar, made in 1974. Our CitiCar is restored to roughly original condition (except for the wear and tear on the body itself) with the expert help of our neighbor who found two more after we found ours. It’s hard to go anywhere without people cutting me off — not out of rage — but curiosity or with a smile on their face. Sometimes getting a “head turner” doesn’t need to come at a huge price.

Which is my point. Why not own an EV for less than $8,000 (perhaps much less), today? The cost for our CitiCar plus new parts and new batteries ran just over $3,400, with the restoration and rewiring taking about a year, off and on — again, thanks largely to the electricity-savvy knowledge of our neighbor. Since the CitiCar is over 30 years old, we snagged collector plates and pay the registration fees only once, then we’re done for as long as we own the car. If you don’t mind the “used” appearance of a vehicle, you can ride around without having spent a dime at the gas station. Our CitiCar doesn’t possess the attractive styling of an EV1 from GM — but you won’t find even one of those on the road anywhere.

I’m amazed that there are still hundreds of CitiCars out there in garages, warehouses, or in a barn like mine was: motor on the seat and tires rotting. There were supposedly about 2,600 or so CitiCars manufactured by the Sebring Vanguard Company in Florida from 1974 to 1976, during our last American energy crisis. Whether because of liability insurance or crash test requirements, the company halted production and disappeared within a few years of rolling the first CitiCar off the line.

We like to think the car resembles a wedge of cheese because in Green County, near Monroe, Wisconsin, where there are more cheese factories than any other county in the US. The CitiCar negotiates the bumps a bit rough and the brakes need pumping to stop effectively, but with a top speed of about 35 miles per hour and 30 to 40 mile range, it gets us where we need to go for about 1-cent a mile. In a future blog, perhaps I’ll add a video of my 8 mile round trip to the bank — if there’s interest to see it on the go.

To completely stay on the renewable energy side and avoid electricity coming from coal-fired or nuclear power plants, we’re recharging the CitiCar with a .5 kW photovoltaic system — perhaps one of few solar powered cars on the planet.

So, until you save up enough for the Tesla or the next generation of long-range EV cars that fit more than two people, you might keep your eye out for an old CitiCar.

Image Credit: Zenn Motor Company

Over 40,000 electric vehicles (EV) are currently used in the United States. Most are used in fleet applications, from maintenance to checking parking meters; these EVs are mostly limited to 25 mph speed and 20 mile range. A growing number of fleet EVs, however, are early trails of a new generation of freeway-speed EVs that will be available to the mass consumer market in 2010.

Mitsubishi is on target to sell its electric vehicle in the U.S. in 2010. The i-EV is a friendly looking sub-compact which easily handles freeway speeds. It’s expected 100 mile-plus range per charge will meet the needs of urban dwellers and most in suburbia. The drive system uses three permanent magnetic synchronous motors which receive power from a 16kWh lithium battery stack. Tokyo Electric Power is currently testing ten i-EV

Nissan’s and Renault’s famous CEO, Carlos Ghosn, plans to be selling electric vehicles in the U.S. market in 2010. He anticipates more cities following London’s model of expensive congestion fees, with fee exemptions and preferred parking for zero-emission vehicles. In many markets, Nissan will offer electric vehicles with permanently installed lithium batteries that will be trickle charged. Nissan owns 51% of Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, which plans to be producing lithium batteries for 10,000 vehicles annually by 2010. Plant expansion has begun to produce lithium batteries for 60,000 electric vehicles annually.

By 2012, Ghosn plans to have a Renault-Nissan alliance offering a wide range of electric vehicles in many major markets, charging ahead of all competition. Economist Article

In Israel and Denmark, Renault and Nissan will partner with Project Better Place. to sell electric vehicles without batteries. Project Better Place will lease batteries that can be quickly exchanged at many locations. The exchange will take no longer than a traditional gasoline fill-up, appealing to motorists needing extended range. The battery lease will cost a fraction of what most now spend on gasoline.

Popular in Europe, Think will bring its electric vehicle to the U.S. Think city reaches a top speed of 65 miles per hour and can drive up to 110 miles on a single charge. Think city meets all European and US federal motor vehicle safety requirements. At the Geneva Motorshow earlier this year, Think announced a strategic partnership with energy giant General Electric, also an investor in Think. By 2011 look for a larger TH!NK Ox. Think has also established partnerships in the US with battery suppliers A123 and EnerDel. Think has established a U.S. headquarters and will begin sales in the U.S. before 2010. A123 Technology Review Article

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 smart ev is in trail in the UK with the Energy Saving Trust, Islington and Coventry Councils, Lloyds Pharmacy, EDF Energy, BT, and other fleets. To achieve a range of 72 miles, it is using the Zebra sodium-nickel-chloride battery which has caused maintenance difficulties in some U.S. fleets.

The cityZENN is planned for a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 250 miles. Powered by EEStor barium-titanate ceramic ultracapacitors, the cityZENN will be rechargeable in less than 5 minutes! Venture capitalists are betting that stealth EEStor is real. On Friday, May 30, ZENN Motor Company announced that it had raised another $15 million dollars.

Most major auto makers continue to believe that most U.S. customers will insist on ranges exceeding 250 miles and a national infrastructure of fuel refilling (or recharging) in five minutes. Even as GM announces factory closings and plummeting sales, CEO Richard Wagner states that GM is committed to bring the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt to market by the end of 2010. If it can deliver at under $30,000, the vehicle will offer tough competition to some of the smaller EV players.

As Toyota solidifies its number one global market share leadership, it also remains on target to deliver a plug-in hybrid to the U.S. market by the end of 2010. It is likely to have an all-electric range of 40 miles and a gasoline range 10X that amount. Watch Toyota use an expanded line of hybrid vehicles to unset GM, making Toyota the market leader is the U.S.

May rained on every auto maker’s parade in the U.S., except Honda, which set sales records with its fuel efficient Civic. Honda is passing Chrysler to become the #4 seller in the U.S. Honda is rumored to be bringing a new hybrid to the U.S. next year priced in the mid-teens. This will give hybrids a big boost in market share from the current 3% of total vehicle sales.

While I was giving a speech at the Fuel Cell 2008 , Honda announced that it would lease 200 Clarity FCX hydrogen fuel cell cars for $600 per month, including maintenance. In June, it will start selecting from 50,000 who have expressed interest in the 270-mile range four-door sedan. The FCX Clarity is aerodynamic and beautifully styled. Honda’s new hybrid is likely to have a similar body style.

Some critics have dismissed electric vehicles as golf carts for retirees and sport car toys for millionaires. These critics have missed a fundamental market shift that started with the success of hybrid-electric cars, light electric vehicles, and with e-scooters. Customer enthusiasm for electric vehicles is the result of many factors:

• Oil Prices
• ZEV Cities & Congestion Tax
• Electronic drive simplifies auto design
• Vehicle weight reduction with electric accessories and components
• Reduced maintenance because of few mechanical components
• GHG Regulation
• Battery technology advances that reduce cost and weight
• Increased battery safety
• Success of hybrid-electrics

At the FRA Renewable Energy Investor Conference (my presentation handouts), I led a panel discussion about electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Major private equity and project finance investors were optimistic in sessions about electric vehicles, solar power, wind power, and carbon trading. Many expressed discouragement in the biofuels sessions, but at the same time saw increased opportunities with bioenergy and bio-methane from landfills.

In a few years, millions will be driving full-featured freeway-speed four-door sedan electric vehicles. Look for a shift away from foreign oil to riding on local renewable energy.

John Addison publishes the Clean Fleet Report and speaks at transportation and energy conferences.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Nissan plans to sell electric cars in the US in 2010. Nissan’s chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, said the company was motivated to accelerate the development of battery-powered vehicles by high gas prices and environmental concerns. Nissan expects to expand to a globally-marketed fleet of 60 electric vehicles by 2012.

John O’Dell, senior editor of GreenCarAdvisor.com, noted that this was a major announcement for the auto industry: “Nissan is upping the ante tremendously. They are the first to put it on the line and say we’re going to have an all-electric vehicle for a certain market by a certain date.”

According to the NYT, Nissan will be the first auto manufacturer to mass market all-electric vehicles worldwide. Mr. Ghosn didn’t offer much in the way of details about specific models or production numbers (he said said it would only be “hundreds of vehicles” at first). The new products for the US market would be something along the lines of a new Maxima sedan, Cube small car, and a new version of Z-family sports cars.

Mr. Ghosn added to the predominant sentiment in renewable technology investment these days: “What we are seeing is that the shifts coming from the markets are more powerful than what regulators are doing.”

“We are not interested in some ‘Stars Wars’ prototype,” he said, “but in really bringing a mass market product that everybody can buy. It’s really a new chapter in the life of this industry.”

Posts Related to Electric Cars:

• Affordable Electric Cars Coming to US in 2009
• Aptera’s $26,000 Electric Car and 300 MPG Hybrid Coming Soon
• Tesla’s First Electric Vehicle, 2008 Roadster, Now Under Production

Source: New York Times (May 13, 2008): Nissan Plans Electric Car in U.S. by ’10

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons under GNU Free Documentation License.

As reported by the New York Times yesterday, the two leading manufacturers of electric cars in the US are involved in a serious quarrel over alleged theft of vehicle design and trade secrets.

Tesla Motors, who recently began production of their electric Roadster, claims that Henrik Fisker took on an $875,000 design contract with Tesla in order to access confidential design information. After producing “inferior work,” Fisker launched his own company, Fisker Automotive, and released an $80,000 competing vehicle—the Fisker Karma—less than a year later.

“I think it’s ironic that Fisker chose to name his car the Karma, when what he’s done is very bad karma,” said Adam C. Belsky, a lawyer at Gross, Belsky & Alonso who represents Tesla.

Tesla is hoping the lawsuit will bar Fisker from using Tesla design documents, as well as return the design contract money and an unreported amount in punitive damages.

Interestingly enough, Tesla Motors is also being sued by its transmission supplier, Magna, for allegedly failing to pay them for contract work.

It sounds like a lawsuit nightmare for Tesla, who already experienced significant delays in releasing their Roadster (due to trouble with the transmission). Learn more about Tesla’s First Electric Vehicle, the 2008 Roadster, and Fisker’s Eco-Chic Karma.

For more on this story, see the New York Times article, Earth2Tech, and Autopia.

Photo Credit: Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive

Yesterday, according to Jalopnik, a reporter leaked out the first video of the Chevy Volt electric car. While GM is keeping their work under pretty tight lock and key, the excitement is tangible—even though the car won’t be officially released for another 2 years (2010)!

Check out the video (click on the image to go to Jolopnik) to see what the release model might look like (that is, if you can estimate what’s underneath about 10 yards of duct tape). There’s also some discussion about the Volt getting 150 MPG, and the advances in battery technology since the EV1.

Related Posts:
Chevy Volt: Where Is GM’s Electric Car?
New York Power Authority to Test Subaru R1e Electric Car
Tesla’s First Electric Vehicle, 2008 Roadster, Now Under Production

Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) have taken some undeserved heat lately, with the recent hullabaloo over their potential to drain U.S. water supplies. But as some readers pointed out, it all depends when you charge them.

This week’s report from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which evaluated the impact of a substantial increase in PHEV ownership, found that nighttime charging of PHEV’s would not increase electricity demand over baseline levels. In other words, no (or very few) new power plants would need to be constructed if plug-in owners only charged their vehicles at night.

While nighttime charging makes sense, since it can be incentivized by power companies and prices are cheapest after 10 p.m. anyway, there’s no guarantee that the average car owner will wait until then to charge up. The worst case scenario, in which all PHEV owners charged their vehicles at 5pm, could require the construction of up to 160 new power plants.

Obviously, vehicle charging will take place at different times during the day, but it may be important (even vital) that new plug-ins be charged during nighttime hours. Study authors estimated the impact on electricity generation would be greatest by 2030, when PHEVs have become well-established in the U.S. market.

See the press release here.
See the study here.

Related Posts:
100 MPG+ Plug-In Hybrids Already Available (Check ‘em Out)
Could Hybrid Vehicles Hinder Development of More Sustainable Alternatives?
Plug-In Hybrids Use Over 17 Times More Water Than Regular Cars, Researchers Say

[Via] and Photo Credit

Not everyone is waiting until 2010 to get their first plug-in hybrid. As I reported previously, Hybrids Plus out of Boulder, CO, is offering conversions for the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrids, turning them into 100 MPG+ superstars.

I’ve collected a little more background on Prius hybrid hacks, and a few more resources. Check out this video, which should give you a good feeling for what getting 100 MPG would be like:

Hybrids Plus’ conversions add lithium-ion batteries to the trunk, and come in either 30 or 60 mile ranges, depending on the buyer’s average commute. The conversion doubles fuel economy by running on a blended mode of gasoline and electricity. And here’s a 30-second video to show you how it’s done:

But Hybrids Plus isn’t the only group interested in Prius Hacks. Another organization, CalCars.org, claims to have built the world’s first plug-in Prius back in 2004, using lead acid batteries to prove it would work. CalCars maintains a list of shops offering plug-in hybrid conversions and how-to advice.

While fun to look at, these conversions are probably only fit for the economically solvent or seriously committed. Even Hybrids Plus admits their prices are steep, but it’s possible that prices will drop as production volume increases. For a more in-depth look at Hybrids-Plus, take a look at their professional video, which covers all the bases:

Related Posts:
Get 120 MPG Out of Your Prius (Plug It In)
Sick of Gas?: Convert Your Car To Run On Electricity
Will Plug-In Hybrids Become the Standard?

Resources:
Hybrids Plus
CalCars.org

Photo Credit

A 30-mile commute in a gasoline-powered car would require the withdrawal of 18.9 gallons of water… The same commute in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), meanwhile, would take a whopping 318 gallons…

So what accounts for the increase in water usage? PHEV’s don’t require water directly, but the power plants that power them do:

Any power plant that runs steam turbines uses water, whether fired by coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy, says King, a mechanical engineer at the Bureau of Economic Geology at UT. Many plants consume water by running it through cooling towers where it evaporates away. Plants can also tie up water resources via withdrawal, in which plants recycle water that is drawn from a reservoir.

This is enough of an increase to warrant consideration by public policy-makers, especially in arid climates. If 25% of the nation’s fleet converted to plug-in vehicles it would require an additional 1 billion gallons of water for electricity generation. For comparison, that’s almost half the total urban water used by the state of California in one year.

But no one, including the study authors, is saying that plug-in hybrids should be blacklisted. It just adds an important consideration for water-stressed areas that have plans for a grid-based automotive fleet. It also highlights the importance of using sustainable (wind, solar) sources of electricity for electric vehicles.

And as far as the alternatives go: PM pointed out that growing a bushel of corn requires 2200 gallons of water, which only makes 2.7 gallons of ethanol. I would take a fleet of plug-ins over a fleet of Flex-Fuel vehicles any day.

Related Posts:
Get 120 MPG Out of Your Prius (Plug It In)
Sick of Gas?: Convert Your Car To Run On Electricity
Will Plug-In Hybrids Become the Standard?

Source:
See the study here.
ES&T (Feb. 20, 08): Plugging in to more water use
Popular Mechanics (Mar. 7, 08): Plug-in Cars Could Drain U.S. Water Supply, Researcher Says

Photo Credit

Electric-car company ZAP announced it will offer $24,000 plug-in conversions for the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrids, making them plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).

It’s sort of like doubling your fuel efficiency for the cost of a new car…

Source: Gas 2.0

55 MPG isn’t good enough for you? Then try adding a plug to your hybrid.

The electric-car company ZAP, in conjunction with Hybrids Plus, has announced it will offer plug-in hybrid conversions for the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape Hybrid:

Hybrid vehicles retrofitted with systems from Hybrids Plus of Boulder, Colorado can achieve a significantly greater fuel economy. In tests these systems increased hybrid fuel economy up to 120 miles per gallon in the city and up to 90 mpg on the highway. The cost for the conversion ranges from $24,000 to $36,000 depending on the vehicle and size of battery pack.

All gasoline electric hybrids currently produced by major automakers today are essentially gasoline-powered vehicles. They reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency compared to conventional cars, however they are fueled exclusively by gasoline. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will allow the owner to charge their vehicle from a normal household wall outlet. By integrating a larger battery pack and a plug-in charging system, it becomes a new vehicle drawing energy from two fuel sources.

While doubling the price of your vehicle is not appealing to everyone, there are plenty of folks in the US who already pay this much for a new vehicle. Would I do it if I had $50,000 to blow? You bet.

But this is just the first step, and first steps are usually expensive. ZAP has plans in the works to offer new plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) right off the assembly line:

“This collaboration allows more hybrid owners to have the most efficient vehicles on the road today,” said ZAP CEO Steve Schneider. “ZAP dealers are preparing to offer a new level of service in the coming years involving mass-market hybrid and electric cars from Detroit Electric, so experience with plug-in hybrids can accelerate this process.”

Even though it sounds like a great idea, it’s hard to imagine these guys do enough business to stay afloat. For a cheaper option see yesterday’s post: Sick of Gas?: Convert Your Car To Run On Electricity.

Or you can just wait until 2010, when Toyota will release its own plug-in version of the Prius, and we’ll hopefully see GM’s plug-in, the long-awaited Chevy Volt.

Posts Related to Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars:

Snapshot of Battery Technology for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars
Hybrid Hacks and Toyota Yawns?
A Biodiesel Prius? VW To Release 69.9 MPG Diesel Hybrid
Will Plug-In Hybrids Become the Standard?

via AutoBlogGreen and ZAPWorld.com

Photo Credit

Gregg Abott (aka Gadget) custom-converts cars for a living, but instead of tricking out cars to run on biodiesel or get better mileage, he’s hacking them to run on electricity. He’s the owner of Left Coast Electric, a Santa Monica based company with a simple philosophy:

“…if electric cars are going to make a difference, a lot of people have to drive them. They have to be made affordable.”

Which means these guys aren’t putting out $100K Tesla Roadsters, but are converting older models to have the same functionality:

So instead of building cars from the ground up, Gadget and his business partner, Roger Wilson, convert existing cars or shells of cars into electric vehicles by supplying or outfitting them with pre-configured kits loaded with everything an electric car needs except a new motor.

Admittedly, this isn’t for the faint of heart. Each kit costs $10,000 and requires the tenacity to dive into major auto electrical work. But if this type of conversion seems like a daunting task, Left Coast Electric will do the work for you—for $17,000 that is, including parts—which means that for the price of a Prius, your old car could be fully electric.

For $30,000, they’ll even convert your Hummer.

Abott uses nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) D-cell batteries, placed on top of where the motor used to be (and in the bed if it’s a truck) to create the battery array. LCE also buys and coverts old cars, which it offers for sale:

Gadget prefers to work with what he calls “Arcane British Cars, or ABCs — Triumphs and MGs and Austin Healys.” He picks them up at auctions for $200 to $300. “We’ll be converting those, and we’ll sell them on the lot,” he says, for the price of a new Prius ($25,000 to $30,000). But Left Coast also has modularized kits ready to drop into Mazda Miatas and Chrysler PT Cruisers for the “build-it-yourself market.” With NiMH batteries, he can guarantee a range of 60 to 100 miles. And one day, he adds, “We’ll move on to lithium ions.”

The biggest question in my mind is how long the batteries will last (landfill problem?). There are also simpler and cheaper solutions for do-it-yourselfers, like using biodiesel or converting a car to run on straight-vegetable-oil.

But there isn’t much question in my mind that if you want it bad enough, you can do it.

For more information, see the Left Coast Electric’s Website and the LA Weekly story from June 2006.

Related Posts:
Get 120 MPG Out of Your Prius (Plug It In)
The Sporty Future of Electrics Cars: the Lightning GT
Car Hacker’s Hummer Gets 60 MPG
How to Get 76 MPG
6 Ways To Find And Use Biodiesel Anywhere

Photo Credit: LA Weekly

Download Coskata Announcement

Download Bloggers, Alt. Fuel, and Volt

Download Bloggers at the Auto Show

Many thanks to Owen at coBRANDiT for making this material available!

Mr. Wagoner addressed a variety of issues, including the Coskata ethanol announcement, the future of the Hummer brand (hint: smaller), the risks associated with producing the Chevy Volt, and the impotency of CAFE standards. In case you wanted to hear it straight from the top, here you go:

Download Breakfast with Rick Wagoner

During the frenzy of PR announcements yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director for GM’s Chevy Volt. If you aren’t familiar with the Volt, here’s a short introduction: it’s a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle, capable of 40 mile trips before relying on a small internal-combustion generator to repower the battery system. For more background, see Jeff’s posts from last year (Will GM Revive the Electric Car? Part 1).

Here’s a summary of our 10 minute conversation (believe me, I had to be torn away from this interview):

What major issues are keeping the Volt from an earlier release date (I’ve been told 2010):

Posawatz: GM is relatively certain it will be the first auto manufacturer to produce a plug-in hybrid model (regardless of the actual release date), but we want it to be right. The two major factors holding back the Volt’s release are extensive testing requirements and lithium ion battery technology. The batteries aren’t cheap, and they’re produced out of country. They also require extensive testing both in and out of the car before things go into production. Basically, GM won’t release the Volt until it’s proven safe and the batteries work.

The Lithium Ion Batteries:

Posawatz: GM has been pursuing battery technology from two different partnerships with two different chemistries: lithium ion phosphate batteries from the same group that manufactures Black and Decker, and lithium manganese batteries from from another supplier. GM looked at 27 different battery companies before choosing to work with these two, and it’s important to understand that not all lithium ion battery technology is equal. For example, Tesla Motors is using the same type of battery that you would find in a laptop, but GM decided to take a different route to avoid the prohibitive cost of this system.

What about battery recycling after their reported 10-year lifespan?

Posawatz: After 10 years, the batteries still have 80% of their capability intact. GM hopes to swap the batteries out for use in a secondary market, such as backup power stations or some other use.

Could you expand on the ‘range extender’ that uses ethanol or biodiesel?

Posawatz: The Volt will have a range extender that uses an onboard internal combustion generator to repower the battery system. The generator will be either gas or diesel powered, meaning it can run on either E85 or biodiesel.

See Also:  How to Get Infinity MPG: Fisker’s Eco-Chic Karma vs Chevy Volt

Dear EcoGeek,

Alan Carney
Dallas, Texas

Hey Alan, Much love to the people who made Who Killed the Electric Car?, because they got a lot of stuff right. It wasn't any one person, corporation or technicality that killed the EV1. As with all product failures, it was a combination of tons of factors.

The reason major auto companies aren't making electric vehicles look like this. First, Americans were looking for SUVs, not ultralights. Second, the technology was primitive, the biggest problem being that batteries could only take cars a hundred miles before they needed to spend hours at a charging station. Third, major car companies were too foolish to see that, in the next decade, electric cars could quickly become technologically viable and extremely appealing, so the abandoned their projects completely.

And now, here we are. Electric cars are technologically viable and extremely appealing. But no one's done the kind of development necessary to introduce a pure electric vehicle to the mass consumer market. But it will happen. It's just probably going to happen intermittently, by solving all three of the above problems in different ways.

Drivers will have to get used to smaller, lighter, sportier, more aerodynamic vehicles. It's already starting to happen, and the new Prius body, most folks agree, is a very nice looking car.