News

Expanding HEV Universe

A capsule of trends and developments that point to the future of hybrid and electric propulsion.

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June 2009

New Insight Tops Monthly Car Sales Figures for Japan

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. announced that its redesigned (second-generation) 5-door hatchback Insight hybrid has managed with its April 2009 sales of 10,481 units to rank as the best selling car in Japan for that month. This is the first time ever that a hybrid vehicle has appeared anywhere in the world on a best sellers list, let alone ranking as number one for the month. The first generation Insight was produced from 2000 to 2006 as a three door hatchback, but experienced total worldwide sales of only about 18,000 units. The new Insight went on sale in Japan in February 2009 and made its North American market debut on March 24.

Biofuels-to-Electricity Pathway Superior to Internal Combustion

Research performed at California universities published in the journal Science reports that, of several transportation fuel pathways investigated, converting biomass to electricity generation (and subsequently to electric propulsion) beat fuel ethanol production in use with respect to both total energy consumed and pollutants, including greenhouse gases, generated. Compared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, calculations showed that bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change. Researchers performed a life-cycle analysis of both bioelectricity and ethanol technologies, taking into account not only the energy produced by each technology, but also the energy consumed in producing the vehicles and fuels. For the analysis, they used publicly available data on vehicle efficiencies from the US Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations. Bioelectricity was the clear winner in the comparison of transportation-miles-per-acre of biomass production, regardless of whether the energy was produced from corn or from switchgrass, a cellulose-based energy crop. For example, a small SUV powered by bioelectricity could travel nearly 14,000 highway miles (22,500 km) on the net energy produced from an acre of switchgrass, whilst a comparable internal combustion vehicle could travel only about 9,000 miles (14,500 km). On combined city/highway driving, the bioelectric SUV could achieve 15,000 mi (24,000 km) compared to 8,000 (12,800 km) for an internal combustion vehicle.

US President Announces New Tax Credit for PHEV Purchases

USA President Barack Obama has announced the inclusion among his administration's broader economic stimulus initiatives (from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) of a national income tax credit of up to US $7,500 for purchasers of plug-in hybrid vehicles. This incentive complements the approximately $1.5 billion (thousand million) in PHEV production grant availability to USA manufacturers, $500 million in grants to producers of EV components, and $400 million to demonstrate and evaluate PHEVs and other electric infrastructure concepts, such as technician training and truck stop electrification.

Southern California ZEV Partnership Suggests BetterPlace™-style Programme

Nissan Motors, one of the partners in the BetterPlace™ electric vehicle initiative now being implemented in several countries, will partner with San Diego Gas & Electric Co. of southern California to expand over the next three to five years both the electric recharging infrastructure and EV population in the san Diego metropolitan area. In the interest of expanding so-called "zero-emission mobility," the two companies will also collaborate on the implementation of education and training activities promoting electric propulsion. Nissan has also announced a partnership with Europcar, Europe's leading passenger vehicle rental company, to make electric vehicles available for customer rentals starting in 2010. EVs will initially be available for rental in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Hyundai Elantra LPI HEV Debuts

Touted as the world's first liquefied petroleum injection engined-hybrid and the first to use lithium-ion polymer propulsion batteries, the Hyundai Elantra LPI hybrid made its initial public appearance at the Seoul (Korea) Motor Show. Hyundai's design is that of a mild hybrid somewhat derivative of the Honda IMA scheme, but the combination of the 1.6-liter engine and 15kW electric motor, incorporated with an Atkinson cycle and 12:1 (15% increased) compression ratio, delivers a better than 40 percent fuel economy improvement over the conventional 1.6-liter Elantra with automatic transmission.

May 2009

Th!nk Reviving; Moving to USA

Despite the disappointment and last decade's sales downturn resulting from the cancellation of the California ZEV mandate and the subsequent lack of a policy push from Washington favoring electric propulsion, Norway's Th!nk EV manufacturer has announced plans to open a new manufacturing plant and technical center in the USA, possibly in the (economically-depressed) state of Michigan, that will manufacture its revived Th!nk City plug-in EV that features a 112-mile (180-km) range per full charge. USA production is expected to begin in 2010 as part of Th!nk's effort to play a small but significant role, in its own words, in "reinventing the U.S. auto industry."

San Francisco's Hybrid Taxis Prove Their Worth

San Francisco's first 15 hybrid taxis, introduced in 2005, have made it to the 300,000-mile mark, nearing the city's official taxi retirement age—and demonstrating that hybrid technology is more durable than previously imagined. The vehicles, all Ford Escapes, have saved drivers up to US $9,000 a year. The retiring hybrid cabs have also shown that, even on San Francisco's notorious hills, the regenerative brake system's brake pads last far longer than non-hybrid brakes. When the Ford Escape was unveiled five years ago, customers feared that the batteries wouldn't last and would be expensive to replace, but all units have outlasted their original warranty period. Today, 14% of San Francisco's 1,438 taxis are hybrids.

American Honda and Kenworth Make Class 8 Hybrid News

Peterbilt Motors Co. has delivered a EPA SmartWay™ -certified hybrid electric Class 8 heavy-duty diesel truck (the Model 386, incorporating Eaton Corp.'s patented parallel hybrid system) into evaluation fleet service based at Honda's USA parts center at Alpharetta, GA, whence it will transport service parts to Honda dealerships under control of Honda's truck fleet partner, UPS Freight Truckload. Both a hilly and a flat over-the-road route will be incorporated into the one-year evaluation of this hybrid in regular service. Honda had already announced the order for a Class 7 (medium-duty) hybrid from Peterbilt for both its Irving, TX and Alpharetta facilities. Meanwhile, Kenworth Truck Company has received an order from Coca-Cola Enterprises for 150 T370 diesel-electric tractors and 35 T370 Class 8 hybrid delivery trucks: the tractors are to go to Coke's distribution centers in 20 North American cities, while the trucks will join a fleet of 120 already placed in service in ten other locations.

Toyota Rolls Out Hybrid Lift Truck at 2009 Equipment Shows

Toyota Material Handling has unveiled a hybrid forklift truck which appears destined for production. The hybrid system and its associated hydraulics were developed in Japan, and couple an IC engine to a generator and nickel metal-hydride battery. The battery is responsible for 100% of driving, while the hydraulics are connected via a driveshaft from the IC engine to the hydraulic pump. The controller can sense a heavy load and reverse the generator, effectively turning it into an electric motor powered by the battery. This power is sent through a clutch when needed. If sold in the USA, such a unit would need to be capable of fuelling with propane.

UK Can Welcome Big Increase in EV, PHEV Populations

A substantial medium-term rise in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles would have a much lower impact on the United Kingdom's national power grid than has previously been estimated, according to the results of recent simulation studies. The Range Extended Hybrid Electric Vehicle (REHEV) project, a private-public partnership in sponsoring and conducting research, focused on a range of vehicle charging scenarios and levels of market penetration in order to predict the likely increase in national energy usage. Assuming a 10% market penetration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and pure electric vehicles into the UK vehicle population (a proportion representing approximately 3 million passenger and light goods vehicles), the study showed a daily peak increase in electricity demand of less than 2% (approximately 1 gigawatt) for the scenario of uncontrolled domestic charging—the 'worst case' in terms of peak power demand. None of the cases analyzed yielded a larger demand spike than this, including that of uncontrolled domestic on- and off-peak as well as uncontrolled (single phase AC) public charging, rather than "smart" domestic charging, that would occur throughout the day—for example, by commuters who recharge their vehicles while at work.

April 2009

New Offerings, Concept Announcements by Tesla, Mazda, Opel

Tesla Motors, the luxury market leader in electric vehicles, has announced that it will begin production in 2011 of the Model S, a four-door battery-electric sedan and the company's second overall vehicle offering: a car having an initial price of $57,400, top speed of 130 mph, and a Li-ion battery pack supporting a 160-mile range. Battery pack recharge time is 45 minutes under rapid (high-voltage) charging. The company plans to produce 20,000 models a year. Meanwhile, as the first automaker to do so, Mazda has commenced commercial leasing of the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid, with the first units to be delivered during 2009. This first of its kind hydrogen hybrid features a series-hybrid drivetrain combining Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine with an electric motor, boosting the vehicle's range on hydrogen fuel to 124 miles. In other alternative fuel hybrid news, GM's European brand Opel and the University of Stuttgart's Institute for Combustion Engines and Motor Vehicles have developed a CNG-hybrid version of the popular Opel Astra Caravan, combining an all-new 1-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged natural gas-powered engine with a Bosch electric motor used as an acceleration booster.

Big Incentives for PHEV Development and Deployment announced for France, USA

Toyota Motors and European energy company Electricité de France (EDF) have upped the ante in their joint road test trials, increasing by 100 the next-generation lithium-ion battery-equipped PHEVs to be leased to select companies in the Strasbourg area for three years beginning at the end of 2009. The vehicles will use an EDF charging system that enables safe charging, communication between the plug and the vehicle, identification of the vehicle, and invoicing of energy. The project received financial support from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. Toyota also plans to deploy the program in Japan and the U.S. from the end of 2009. On that side of the pond, President Barack Obama has announced the availability of $2.4 billion in funding (up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S.-based manufacturers to produce batteries and their components; up to $500 million in grants to U.S.-based manufacturers to produce other electric vehicle components; and up to $400 million to demonstrate and evaluate Plug-In Hybrids and other electric infrastructure concepts for next generation PHEVs, batteries, and battery systems) as a component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. "This investment will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it will put Americans back to work," President Obama said.

Porsche Cayenne HEV to Validate Low kW (hp) Demand in Highway Driving

Many drivers of fully hybrid cars have discovered that, thanks to a combination of low-drag body design and smooth operating conditions, they can travel significant distances at highway speeds either "coasting" or on electric propulsion only, exploiting the low horsepower demand. Now Porsche will commercialize a product that actually takes specific advantage of this low-kW requirement: the Cayenne S hybrid, to be rolled out in 2010, will apply a parallel full hybrid design with electric motor between the combustion engine and transmission to achieve what Porsche's hybrid technology engineers have already experienced: speeds up to 86 mph (140 km/hr) without engagement of the combustion engine. Two additional gear ratios above sixth (top speed) gear position will support the highway coasting properties. The result is a fuel consumption rate on the New European Driving Cycle of nine liters of fuel per 100 km (about 42 mi/US gallon), even with its standard-equipment, relatively powerful Audi 3.0-liter V6 engine delivering 333 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque (at 2,900 to 5,300 rpm).

Ford to Deliver on PHEV, EV Commitments

Ford Motors executives are scheduled at the 2009 New York International Auto Show to detail the company's fuel-efficient car strategy and demonstrate an all-electric Focus and a hybrid Fusion sedan. Having announced the 2010 release of its all-electric commercial Transit Connect van, with projected range of 100 miles and top speed of 70 miles per hour, Ford aims to introduce an all-electric compact sedan in 2011: a Focus-sized vehicle also able to go 100 miles on a charge and get about 70% better mileage than non-hybrid models. The year 2012 will see the release of a plug-in version of one of Ford's current hybrid vehicles. At present, Ford expects to price all of these vehicles at a slight premium to current hybrids, but the initial sales success of the "budget-priced" Honda Insight hybrid may alter that strategy.

March 2009

The Green Race is On in Europe

Carmakers gathered at the annual Geneva Motor Show have prominently labeled their new cars with performance ratings expressed in terms of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer, reflecting the 130 g/km target emission goal agreed last year to be phased in starting in 2012, with full compliance by 2015. The current EU-wide average is 158 grams. Carmakers are under pressure to comply or at least come close because the upshot would be a fine on every gram of excess. Although most European brands, the long-time leaders in diesel technology, are relying largely on "clean" diesel engines, many of the major automakers have joined Japan's hybrid leaders in exploring the engine-electric motor option, which Toyota Motor says is the most effective and versatile green technology.

Hybrids "Too Quiet"

Researchers at the North Carolina State University have reported out the results of a study of pedestrian attitudes toward hybrid vehicles, and a general consensus was that the quiet approach of hybrid vehicles operating solely or predominantly on electromotive propulsion poses a pedestrian collision risk, especially for the sight- and motor-impaired. Participants in the study rated automotive engine sounds by far the preferred category of artificially-created noise for an approaching vehicle; white noise and hum trailed well behind as choices. Already, Lotus Engineering has been addressing this issue by introducing its "Safe and Sound" add-on feature that mimics the (preferred) combustion engine sound when a vehicle is operating in electric-only mode.

Hybrid Tugboat Goes into Service

Foss Marine has built and introduced into service in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (CA) the first true hybrid tug for waterborne towage. The hybrid power management system utilizes diesel combustion available at load, but the greatly increased portion of operation that can be spent in all-electric mode will significantly reduce currently-experienced emissions per tug of NOx, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and carbon.

First Production Prius PHEVs to Appear Late This Year

Toyota Motor Corp. has announced it will go forward with plans to deliver globally 500 lithium-ion powered Prius PHEVs beginning at the end of this year. Thirty percent of these will go to lease fleets in the USA. The batteries will be produced at the Toyota-Panasonic joint venture battery plant in Japan. The 500 vehicles are to be considered a test fleet for obtaining real-world feedback on performance and durability from lease-fleet customers.

Ford Hybrids Continue to Earn USA Federal Tax Credits

Despite reaching in late 2008 the 60,000 hybrid vehicle sales threshold identified in USA tax legislation as the cutoff point for full tax credits to a purchaser, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid will still be able to take advantage of a US $3,400 tax credit for 2009 through March 31 of this year. Not since the Toyota Prius lost its full credit eligibility a few years ago has the value of a credit for a specific model been so high. Meanwhile, the Ford hybrid SUVs Escape and Mercury Mariner can earn a $3,000 credit, still the highest for any SUV. As of 1 April, the value of these credits drops by 50 percent, and expire altogether at the end of March 2010.

February 2009

Toyota Prius III, New Luxury Lexus Hybrid and 2010 Honda Insight Presented

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan USA was the scene of several notable rollouts of new product for the electric and hybrid vehicles market. Toyota showed its new generation Prius, which shares much of the styling features of its Generation 2 predecessor but has achieved an EPA 50 mpg overall fuel economy rating while boasting a larger and more powerful (98 hp @ 5,200 rpm) 1.8-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine. When operating at low rpm, this engine actually uses less fuel that its predecessor. The battery pack remains NiMH, but the inverter, motor, and transaxle taken together are 20% lighter than previously. Lexus unveiled its HS 250h sedan model for 2010, a true luxury hybrid with 2.4-liter Atkinson cycle engine, 187 total system horsepower, and 85% recyclable materials. It offers the best combined fuel mileage of any luxury vehicle sold in the U.S. Honda Motors debuted its 2010 Insight with integrated motor assist technology yielding 41 mpg combined fuel economy, a driving range of over 400 miles, and a driver-activated ECON module that optimizes control of the (continuously variable) automatic transmission, engine, and powertrain parameters for improved fuel efficiency under a wide variety of operating conditions.

Chinese Hybrid Entries for 2011 U.S. Market

Also at the North American International Auto Show, BYD Auto of China announced plans to introduce a line of BEV and PHEV models to the U.S. market beginning in 2011. The offerings will include the F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan (battery-only range: 100km/62 mi.), equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries, and the all-electric e6, a five-passenger crossover featuring up to 400 km (250 mi.) per charge. Price points will be announced later, but current selling price for the F3DM is US $21,700 equivalent.

Ford First with Electric Vehicle

True to their word, Ford Motor Company has become the first of the big three to announce plans to introduce to the North American market in 2010 a pure battery electric-powered light commercial vehicle, the Transit Connect. Moreover, during the next four years, Ford will commercialize in North America a new battery electric small car (2011), next-generation hybrid vehicles (2012), and plug-in hybrid versions of these (2012). The Transit Connect commercial platform is well suited to battery electric power/ conversion with a unique combination of car-like driving dynamics and large 800kg (1760 lb) cargo capacity. Transit Connect has been designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe on a dedicated global commercial vehicle platform, and the combustion engine version of the Transit Connect is currently sold in 58 countries. The electric van configuration will offer an expected maximum range of 100 miles at a top speed of up to 70 mph on a single charge.

Enterprise Expands Hybrid Fleet—Adds 5,000 New Hybrids

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is planning a massive expansion of its nationwide hybrid fleet by adding 5,000 new hybrids and designating almost 80 rental locations across the country as 'hybrid branches'—featuring a high concentration of hybrid vehicles. This latest addition of gasoline-electric hybrids doubles the number of hybrid vehicles available in what is already the nation's largest fleet of fuel-efficient rental cars. The new hybrids will be available in 24 major markets across the country, including the 10 busiest airports for business travelers in the U.S. Customers will be able to choose from several makes and models, including the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, Ford Escape and Toyota Camry.

Volkswagen Teams with Toshiba to Develop Electric Car

Volkswagen AG will team up with Toshiba Corp to develop an electric-powered version of its subcompact Up! concept car, VW, Europe's largest carmaker, said. Its statement read, "The objective is cooperation for the development of electric drive units and the accompanying power electronics for Volkswagen's planned new small (car) family. Furthermore, Volkswagen and Toshiba are planning the development of battery systems with a high specific energy density for the next generation of electric vehicles."

January 2009

Hybrid Sales Nose-dive with Economy; Toyota to Shelve New Prius Plant

With sales of all new vehicles generally plummeting as the global recession gains strength, and 2008 Prius sales in particular down some 45,000 from 2007 in the United States alone, Toyota is suspending completion of its newest plant near Tupelo, Mississippi. Toyota so far had dedicated $300 million to building the plant, now 90% complete. The facility, originally targeted for producing Highlander SUVs, shifted to planned Prius production last summer amid rising gas prices that pushed up sales of the most fuel-efficient gasoline-electric models.

New PHEV Introduced to China Market

Chinese company BYD, which stands for "Build Your Dream" and is partially-owned by billionaire investor (and hardly misty-eyed dreamer) Warren Buffett, has released the first plug-in hybrid car in China. BYD's F3DM model operates in either full electric or gas-electric modes, with an electric battery that can be charged at a regular plug or at a recharging station. Capable of up to 100 kilometers of battery range, and equipped with a back-up gas engine, the vehicle allows drivers alternate between the two power modes by flipping a switch.

Transport for London Continues Addition to Hybrid Bus Fleet

By the end of January 2009, the number of full-size hybrid buses in England's capital city will more than quadruple to 56, making it the largest fleet of hybrid buses in Britain. This milestone will be well on target to achieving the ultimate goal by 2011 of 300 single and double-deck hybrid bus models on the city's streets.

Fuel Cell Cartridge Concept for Recharging EVs, PHEVs

SFC of Germany has introduced its EFOY Pro fuel cell kit as a retrofit option for any EV or PHEV to provide automatic on-board recharging of the propulsion battery at any time. EFOY fuel cartridges weigh only 8.4 kg, and two are installed from each kit. Each offers an energy density of 1,350 W/kg, which beats the current density of lithium-ion batteries by a factor of about 12. SFC estimates that the combined dual-cartridge power of 22 kWh would enable a light EV (such as a city-EL) to achieve up to 400 km of range without the need for a plug- in.

US Military to Pick up Pace of EV Acquisition

The U.S. military newspaper Army Times reports that all U.S. military branches plan to buy from a variety of electric carmakers thousands of electric cars and light trucks for on-base transport, including delivery of 800 EVs next year and 4,000 more over the next three years. The Army has estimated that it can reduce its $24,000 in annual fuel costs to run a gas-powered car to an average of about $400 (grid electric) for a comparable EV, for total annual savings across the 4,000 electric-powered units of 11.5 million gallons of fuel.

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