The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2008. Meetings will be held at the Clark County Library on 1401 E. Flamingo Road from 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM. Members will be displaying their own electric cars and answering questions before and after the meeting.
-- Ford Sales Passed By Toyota in 2007-- Ends 75 Years as No. 2 Automaker Behind GM
-- NEDRA Drag Racing Season Off To A Quick Start With Two Drag Race Events in January
Chrysler LLC unveiled the Dodge ZEO, an electric vehicle concept car with a 64kWh Li-ion rechargeable battery at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan during January.
The ZEO is estimated to have a range of 250 miles (402km) on just one battery charge. However, the manufacturer of the battery has not been announced and Chrysler has not committed to a schedule for the commercialization. The name "ZEO" stands for "Zero Emission Operation."
A 200kW electric motor is mounted on the rear side of the vehicle and drives the rear wheels. Total vehicle weight is 1,202kg, with most of the weight from the motor and battery pack. The time required to acclerate to 60mph (96km/h) from a stopped state is 5.7 seconds. The top speed is estimated at 150 mph (209km/h).
The ZEO is a four-passenger four-door sedan that uses power-efficient white LEDs for headlights. The indicators and the center console are integrated into LCD displays on the instrument panel. All of the three concept cars exhibited by the company at the Show use LCD displays for indicators on the instrument panel.
The body measures 4,390mm (L) x 1,743mm (W) x 1,290mm (H), and the wheelbase is 2,792mm long.
During 2007, Chrysler set up an in-house organization dubbed "ENVI," which is specializing in the development of technologies for electric and hybrid vehicles. The company unveiled two other motor-driven concept cars for this year's show, as well-- the ecoVoyager, a fuel cell/battery hybrid where the fuel cell extends the range of a Li-ion battery pack, and Jeep Renegade, a diesel electric hybrid where a diesel engine extends the range of a Li-ion rechargeable battery pack.
The market for secondary lithium-ion batteries is poised for significant growth on a global scale through 2013.
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“Frost & Sullivan's Power Supplies & Batteries Growth Partnership Services program offers clients unique insights into the competitive dynamics of the market, detailed assessments of market opportunities, pricing strategies, demand trends, and technological developments, as well as applications and best practices for the Power Supplies & Batteries industry. Our global team of market analysts, consultants, and industry experts continuously monitor the vast array of technology and service markets within the Power Supplies & Batteries industry and provides local expertise along with a firm global perspective.
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The company has published a research report, available through a subscription service, on the World Secondary Lithium Ion Battery Market, at: http://www.powersupplies.frost.com
The report estimates the industry's worth at $5.89 billion, with unit shipments of 1.76 billion. Unit sales in 2013 are estimated at 3.99 billion.
High energy and power density along with low weight have been the key factors that have driven demand towards adoption of this battery technology. Growth is expected for Li-ion technology within the industrial and automotive industries over the next five to seven years.
Existing safety concerns related to the use of the batteries in high temperatures have dampened the growth of the market in the last few years. The most common form of Lithium-ion technology, Lithium-Cobalt batteries that have used graphite as part of its chemistry, have proven to be unstable at temperatures above 130°C-- causing thermal runaway, overheating and potential explosions resulting in severe damage to the application device and the user. However, recent developments in Lithium-Iron-Phosphate and Lithium-titanate chemistries, as well as nano-scale manufacturing techniques for Li-ion batteries have shown the potential for more reliable performance. Production-ready versions of these batteries are expected to reach consumers in large scale volume during the next two to three years.
For an online “virtual brochure” highlighting the features of this report that includes manufacturers, distributors, end users, and industry participants, contact Johanna Haynes at: johanna.haynes@frost.com
Please include your name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city and state/country.
- · Printable Version
- Courtesy Nature Nanotechnology
Photos taken by a scanning electron microscope of silicon nanowires before (left) and after (right) absorbing lithium. Both photos were taken at the same magnification.
Stanford researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to reinvent the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, iPods, video cameras, cell phones, and countless other devices.
The new version, developed through research led by Yi Cui, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, produces 10 times the amount of electricity of existing lithium-ion, known as Li-ion, batteries. A laptop that now runs on battery for two hours could operate for 20 hours, a boon to ocean-hopping business travelers.
"It's not a small improvement," Cui said. "It's a revolutionary development."
The breakthrough is described in a paper, "High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires," published online Dec. 16 in Nature Nanotechnology, written by Cui, his graduate chemistry student Candace Chan and five others.
The greatly expanded storage capacity could make Li-ion batteries attractive to electric car manufacturers. Cui suggested that they could also be used in homes or offices to store electricity generated by rooftop solar panels.
"Given the mature infrastructure behind silicon, this new technology can be pushed to real life quickly," Cui said.
The electrical storage capacity of a Li-ion battery is limited by how much lithium can be held in the battery's anode, which is typically made of carbon. Silicon has a much higher capacity than carbon, but also has a drawback.
Silicon placed in a battery swells as it absorbs positively charged lithium atoms during charging, then shrinks during use (i.e., when playing your iPod) as the lithium is drawn out of the silicon. This expand/shrink cycle typically causes the silicon (often in the form of particles or a thin film) to pulverize, degrading the performance of the battery.
Cui's battery gets around this problem with nanotechnology. The lithium is stored in a forest of tiny silicon nanowires, each with a diameter one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires inflate four times their normal size as they soak up lithium. But, unlike other silicon shapes, they do not fracture.
Research on silicon in batteries began three decades ago. Chan explained: "The people kind of gave up on it because the capacity wasn't high enough and the cycle life wasn't good enough. And it was just because of the shape they were using. It was just too big, and they couldn't undergo the volume changes."
Then, along came silicon nanowires. "We just kind of put them together," Chan said.
For their experiments, Chan grew the nanowires on a stainless steel substrate, providing an excellent electrical connection. "It was a fantastic moment when Candace told me it was working," Cui said.
Cui said that a patent application has been filed. He is considering formation of a company or an agreement with a battery manufacturer. Manufacturing the nanowire batteries would require "one or two different steps, but the process can certainly be scaled up," he added. "It's a well understood process."
Also contributing to the paper in Nature Nanotechnology were Halin Peng and Robert A. Huggins of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford, Gao Liu of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Kevin McIlwrath and Xiao Feng Zhang of the electron microscope division of Hitachi High Technologies in Pleasanton, Calif.
SUPER-EFFICIENT NANOWIRES
Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be
harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley. The
far-ranging potential applications of this technology include DOE's hydrogen fuel cell-powered "Freedom CAR" and personal power-jackets that could use heat from the human body to recharge
cell-phones and other electronic devices.
The researchers developed a unique "electroless etching" method by which arrays of silicon nanowires are synthesized in an aqueous solution on the surfaces of wafers that can measure dozens of square inches in area. The technique involves the galvanic displacement of silicon through the reduction of silver ions on a wafer's surface. This
method produces arrays of vertically aligned silicon nanowires that feature exceptionally rough surfaces, which is believed to be critical to the nanowires' high thermoelectric efficiency.
The ability to dip a wafer into solution and grow on its surface a forest of vertically aligned nanowires that are consistent in size opens the door to the creation of thermoelectric modules, which could be used in a wide variety of situations. Such modules could convert the heat from automotive exhaust into supplemental power for
a Freedom CAR-type vehicle, or provide the electricity a conventional
vehicle needs to run its radio, air conditioner, and power windows.
Visit http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20080123A4 for more information.
LiFeBATT Lithium-Iron-Phosphate Battery Co. Opens Sales Office in Las Vegas
LiFeBATT sells Lithium Iron Phosphate battery products for portable power applications that include robotics, industrial motor controls, and the electric vehicle industry. The basic cell model no. 40138 is rated at 3.3 VDC, 10 Amp-hours. These cells are integrated into scalable battery module systems that include heat sink cooling, a voltage monitoring subsystem (VMS), and a charger. Other product options include a wireless Global Battery Tracking System (GBTS) that can alert a customer to battery module problems by immediately sending a message to the customer’s cell phone during any time of the day.
The company has a strong pedigree, tracing the roots of its technology back to Dr. John Goodenough at University of Texas-Austin. Dr. Goodenough holds original patents derived from his Lithium-ion battery technology research, including both Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemical cells. Those patents were licensed for commercialization by Hydro-Quebec in Canada that continued research efforts with Universite de Montreal to spin off a company called Phostech. Phostech was purchased by Sud-Chemie in France, a chemical company that has invested millions of dollars to manufacture these battery cell materials in Quebec.
LiFeBATT in Taiwan has licensed and purchased the Phostech materials to construct its battery cells. The company adds proprietary process technologies, developed in cooperation with the government-sponsored Taiwan Industrial Research and Development Institute, to manufacture a quality finished product suitable for higher power battery applications.
Recent reliability testing by Sandia National Laboratories confirmed the operating range of this technology:
LifeBatt Testing Update:
After receiving your LiFeBatt cells in November of 2007, I began a limited test procedure to evaluate performance. The testing included the following:
1) Capacity measurements at 1C (10A) rate.
Results: Capacity was within specification
2) Ohmic resistance measurement
Results: Resistance was within specification
3) Float current tests
Results: 3.5 volts was selected as float voltage, float current was measured at 0.003A.
4) Ragone Plot from cell capacity measurements at 0.1C, 0.2C, 1C, 2C, 4C, 10C
Results: The Ragone plot looked good - power roll over was at about 1000 W/l, or 600 W/kg
5) Spectral Impedance
Results: The ESR was consistent with the ohmic measurements. The results will be compared with the end of life after cycle testing.
6) Over Charge Abuse Test at 1C rate to 12V
Results: Cell vented at 111C at 11V - Open-circuit at 120C - No fire - Max Temp was 160C
7) 1C Capacity at temperature -40C, -20C, 0C, 25C, 35C
Results: Capacity at -40C is very low (0.3 Ah), -30C ( 4.7 Ah), -20C (6.3 Ah), 0C (7.3 Ah), 25C (9.8 Ah), and 35C (10.4 Ah) Recharge for -20C and lower is very slow.
8) Cell Utility Cycle Test - This test is at 50% SOC and the cell is charged and discharged at the 4C (40A) rate for 1.5 min.
Results: The cell will cycle nearly 1000 cycles before reaching the end voltage of 3.65V, then capacity is measured. At present, the cell is approaching 5,000 cycles. Capacity is slowly fading. Operating temperature is about 30C.
Summary:
Test results look good
------------------------------------
Thomas D. Hund
Sandia National Laboratories
Power Sources Development Dept.
LiFeBATT has opened a sales office here in Las Vegas and is actively working with the local EV community to promote its products. LiFeBATT cells, battery modules, voltage monitoring systems and chargers can be purchased by EV builders in small quantities. LiFeBATT sponsored the recent NEDRA Electric Dragin’ EVent at the San Diego Barona Speedway 1/8-mile drag strip during January 2008. LiFeBATT also is working with the LVEVA to propose a Las Vegas Electric 500 Endurance Race for EV roadsters during April or May 2009.
Contact: Michelle Robinson
michelle@lifebatt.com
Web site: http://www.lifebatt.com
Tel:702-804-2642
fax: 702-804-0643
Cell: 702-807-4661
NEDRA Kicks Off 2008 With Two Drag Race Events in January!
The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) has been a 10-year affiliate of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at: http://www.nedra.com
This non-profit organization of backyard mechanics and volunteers has been revolutionizing the performance of electric powered racing technology by competing on NHRA-sanctioned drag strips. Because more than half of the affiliated NHRA drag strips are 1/8-mile long, NEDRA added 1/8-mile racing classifications to accompany the ¼-mile racing classes just this year.
NEDRA’s racing season jumped off to a quick start during the month of January 2008 with the help of the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego (EVAoSD) in California. Sponsors included AC Propulsion and LiFeBATT, a Lithium-Iron-Phosphate battery manufacturer.
“NEDRA News, October 10 – NEDRA, in cooperation with the Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego is sanctioning the Electric Dragin' event January 26-27 at the 1/8-mile drag strip at Barona Raceway in San Diego, California. This promises to be an exciting race. See www.electricdragin.com for details.”
Also during the same weekend on the east coast, the “Battery Beach Burnout” EVent at the ¼-mile drag strip of the Countyline Raceway in Miami, Florida brought together competitors in that region, hosted by the Florida Electric Auto Association. Sponsors included Vectrix electric motorcycles and AC Propulsion at: http://floridaeaa.org/modules/content/index.php?id=9
Some of the EVs that competed during "Battery Beach Burnout":
Electric Subaru Impreza, Cliff Rassweiler, ProEV
Milwaukee Tool V28 Chevy from "Monster Garage" TV Show, Shawn Lawless
AC Propulsion eBox, Andrew Roddy
Florida Institute of Technology's Racing Electric Vehicle
Electric Porsche 944, Miramar High School, Lowell Simmons & students
Electric Ford Probe, Miramar High School, Lowell Simmons & students
Electric Porsche 959, Paul Liddle, EVPorsche.com
Patterson Cycles electric motorcycle, Jeff Patterson
Vectrix electric motorcycle, Charles Whalen
Toyota RAV4-EV, Charles Whalen
Toyota RAV4-EV, Paul Renneisen
Electric Datsun 240Z, Shenandoah Valley Governor's School, Byron Humphries
Electric Porsche 911, Shenandoah Valley Governor's School, Byron Humphries
Electric VW Jetta, Northampton East High School, Chad Lewis & students
Electric Toyota pickup truck, Bob Fuerstenau
Electric Chevy S10 pickup truck, Jerry Wagner
Electric Nissan Tsuru, Victor Juarez, Electro Autos Eficaces de Mexico
Electric Porsche 912, Steve Clunn, Grassroots EV
Electric VW Berian Buggy, Nick Antone, Grassroots EV
Electric VW Cabriolet, Allan Miller
Toyota MR2 plug-in series hybrid, Mark Haines
Corbin Sparrow, Stephen Taylor
Corbin Sparrow, Richard Evanston
Commutacar Citicar, Cliff Ruffner
"Blue Rush" electric pocket bike, James Loriol
One e-bike and two electric scooters, Andy Reich, Falcon EV
Here are comments from Steve Clunn of Grassroots EV (local office operated by Jon Hallquist here in Las Vegas), who raced against AC Propulsions’ new Scion battery-powered EV conversion:
“Made it to Battery Beach by the skin of my teeth, with no real testing on the car. Got two runs in, one against the Scion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yXRVwM4234
The announcer and track people were GREAT and I have never felt so welcome. I remember reading a post by another drag racer about taking the lash out of the drive train before taking off (after snapping both my axles on the 3rd run).
During the first two runs, I had been taking it easy and working my way up slowly and it wasn't until the 3rd run that I pushed it hard enough to spin the tires in the burn out pen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXX-bCfkkUw&feature=user
As you can see from the video, I went past the light, backed up and didn't tighten the drive train up, but just switched the forward/reverse switch to forward leaving all the play in the axles taking up the wrong way.
I would like to thank Shawn Lawless (NEDRA President) for all the work he did getting this together. I know he put a lot of time an effort into it.
I will now be converting EV's full time until all the money is GONE!!”
At San Diego’s Electric Dragin’ the big showdown was between Dennis Berube’s Ford S-10 Pickup Truck conversion and Michael Kady’s 2SSIC Electric Cobra dragster. Comments from EV Manny, organizer for the Event:
“Thanks EVeryone for submitting pictures and videos. Keep them coming.
The Barona Dragstrip people told us there were close to 500 paying
attendees that went through their gates. That was better than some of
their gas burning races on sunny days. They were so impressed with the
turnout for our electric-exclusive EVent on what was forecasted as a
rain-out that they want us back. They know that attendance would have
been at least double had we had our normal temperate weather. On
Sunday major roads to the dragstrip were closed due to flooding and
mud-slides. Yet people were still showing up.
We're considering having Day 2 in late May, this will allow the
sponsors and participants and spectators to enjoy EVen more vehicles,
fun, and record runs. Hopefully I don't blow my car up again...”
EV Manny also posted YouTube videos from both Events that are available at http://www.ElectricDragin.com/BBBvsED.html and at the NEDRA site.
Battery Beach Burnout:
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95275
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95280
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95282
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95283
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95285
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95587
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95591
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95593
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95597
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95599
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95604
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95608
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95803
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95806
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95818
San Diego Electric Dragin’:
“My favorite has got to be the cardboard E-Box, the one from AC
Propulsion isn't too shabby either...”
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/94710
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/94737
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95032
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95034
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95035
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95036
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95038
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95039
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95040
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95041
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95042
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95043
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/31581/95044
Manny”
http://EVorBust.blogspot.com
LVEVA to Present Electric Vehicle Technology to Las Vegas Chapter of IEEE
LVEVA members, in conjunction with LiFeBATT engineer Benja Mitchell, will be presenting electric vehicle drag racing technology to the local chapter of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) society on Thursday, February 28th at 7 PM: http://ewh.ieee.org/r6/las_vegas/
An overview of the presentation follows:
“Electric Car Drag Racers Pass V-8 Gasoline Muscle Cars During 1/4-mile Events
The non-profit Electric Automobile Association (EAA) has been promoting the development and use of electric-powered vehicles by American consumers since 1967. There are 45 chapters under the EAA parent organization, including international chapters in Canada and Germany. The local chapter is the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA).
Several LVEVA chapter members have also organized and participated in electric drag racing events at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) in conjunction with the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA), a 10-year affiliate of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
During 1997 to 2005, the Las Vegas chapter organized the "Wicked Watts" drag racing competitions as part of the NEDRA racing season at “The Strip” drag strip within the LVMS complex.
Last year was a breakthrough year for Lithium-Ion battery technology, allowing NEDRA electric drag racers to eclipse gasoline-powered "muscle" cars that employed customized internal combustion engines during “head to head” competition in quarter-mile drag races. NEDRA racers were able to achieve electric-powered vehicle speeds over 100 mph. The instantaneous torque that is available to an electric motor off the line can launch an electric dragster ahead of stock internal combustion engine dragsters at the very beginning of the race. Electronic shifting of electric motor drive trains also allows for smooth and quick acceleration without mechanical gearbox and clutch shifting delays.
New Lithium-Ion battery chemistries are also now capable of providing good range characteristics for EVs. There has been a lot of racing media coverage of Lithium battery-powered electric motor propulsion technology in 2007 on quarter-mile drag strips, led by Bill Dube's "Killacycle" electric motorcycle, John Wayland's "White Zombie" electric 1972 Datsun 1200, and Dennis Berube's "Current Eliminator V" electric dragster. Dube and Wayland are using A123 Systems' Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery technology to set new records. A123 Systems provides the Lithium-Ion power packs for DeWalt Power Tools, a product line of Black and Decker. A123 Systems received a multi-million dollar grant from the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) in 2007 and was also tapped by General Motors to develop a battery pack for the new Chevrolet "Volt" Electric Car, planned for production in 2010 or 2011.
LiFeBATT battery company in Las Vegas is distributing a competing Lithium-Iron-Phosphate technology developed by the University of Texas, Universite de Montreal and Hydro-Quebec in Canada. LiFeBATT engineer and UNLV engineering student, Benja Mitchell, will be presenting samples of Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries and talking about this technology at the IEEE chapter meeting. A spinoff company called Phostech was purchased by Sud-Chemie, a large chemical company in France. LiFeBatt distributes battery modules based on Phostech chemistry. The materials processing technology was further refined for construction of the components of this battery by manufacturers in Taiwan. Recent testing at Sandia National Laboratory is verifying the durability and resilience of LiFeBATT's product line.
Lithium-Titanate chemistry from Altairnano Technologies in Reno, Nevada was recently featured in the racing media during December 2007. A new NEDRA record was set by Dennis Berube and his “Current Eliminator V” dragster using Altairnano battery packs.
A lot of good battery technology research and development is ongoing in southern Nevada's hot desert proving grounds. It is a good location to test these chemistries under extreme heat conditions, where overheating and explosion of Lithium-Cobalt-Oxide (LiCoO2) chemical batteries in the past has forced factory recalls of small-scale laptop LiCoO2 cells by Sony and Apple Computer. These chemistry problems also suspended the adoption of LiCoO2 battery pack technology into the Toyota Prius™ hybrid cars during the summer of 2007. Newer lithium-based chemistries, like the ones shown above, are now proving to be more robust at higher temperatures and more rugged electric vehicle power requirements.
The Speed Channel “Speed Records” television program has documented some of these new EV racing technologies at Portland International Raceway (PIR) last year. Mainstream videos were also produced for the Today Show at Bandimere Speedway in Colorado and for the Wall Street Journal at Portland International Raceway.
This presentation will include streaming "YouTube" videos of electric drag races, complete with full speed motion and sound to "see and hear" what an electric dragster sounds like while it moves down the drag strip at full speed after launching off the starting line with maximum electric motor torque. An electric car display is also planned outside the presentation room after the lecture.
Come see the future of automotive technology today!”
LVEVA members are invited to attend and help display electric car technology.
GM CEO Rick Wagoner was Keynote Speaker at Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was staged this year from . January 7-10th. The event has become a high profile international trade show sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and annually attracts the most visitors of any of the 4,000 conventions held in the city each year. During the show, electronics manufacturers can present their latest innovations in hopes of attracting distribution partners who can help them sell and ship their new products to millions of excited customers.
Since many consumer computer applications overlap the personal embedded computing applications available in today’s popular electronic products, former COMDEX convention organizer Sheldon Adelson, as well as Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, combined the former COMDEX personal computer trade show with CES to fill both the mammoth Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Convention Center during this one week, providing floor space to 2,700 exhibitors as well as workshops and panel sessions. Bill Gates has traditionally presented the opening keynote speech on Sunday evening, before the exhibition gets underway. During CES 2007, he rolled out VISTA, the newest version of the Windows Operating System and pointed the way to the expansive Microsoft booth where employees happily presented the newest software features now available to consumers.
Because of the pervasiveness of electronic products in the daily life of the average consumer, the automotive industry has now become more interested in adding consumer electronic features such as mobile phones, digital-music players, navigation systems and TVs to enhance the appeal of their transportation products. Next year, sales of electronic products in automobiles is expected to top $12 billion, double the level from five years earlier, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.
During CES in January 2007, Ford Motor Company was the first automotive manufacturer to exhibit at the trade show. The company partnered with Microsoft to introduce an in-car communications system called “Sync”, which lets drivers use voice commands or controls on the steering wheel to make cell phone calls and to play songs from their digital-music players. In the dozen Ford models where “Sync” was available during 2007, cars equipped with the system have been selling twice as fast as those without.
During CES 2008, Ford and Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. showed their new “Travel Link” products and services, which use digital-radio signals to beam real-time information on everything from traffic conditions to area gas stations where drivers can find the lowest pump prices.
Sirius also partnered with Chrysler to show the Dodge Caravan and other company minivans equipped with live television. The system, which Sirius calls “Backseat TV”, lets back-seat passengers watch their favorite Disney Channel or Nickelodeon shows using headphones while front passengers listen to Sirius satellite radio. The feature costs $470 in addition to the cost of a Chrysler entertainment system built into seat headrests. Backseat TV also requires a subscription to Sirius satellite radio and an additional monthly fee.
General Motors also believes vehicle electronics can play a bigger part in dealing with safety, traffic congestion and environmental concerns. The company has been a pioneer in “value-added” car electronic products since it developed and sold the “OnStar” system in the 1990s. The system and support service now allows GM customers to make hands-free calls, track a stolen car or receive driving directions. Company CEO Rick Wagoner presented a keynote address to convention attendees on January 8th.
Wagoner's speech was first keynote by an automaker in the 41 years of CES and he also made CES history by using this consumer electronics stage to announce a new car rollout. During his presentation, he attempted to connect with electronics designers by reminding conventioneers that GM had invented the electric starter back in 1912, also stating up a century of electrical and electronic progress on vehicle platforms, where today these components are now displacing many mechanical components used in the past.
The highlight of his keynote speech featured the introduction of the Cadillac Provoq™ (pronounced “provoke”), a fuel cell/battery electric hybrid vehicle that will run on Lithium-Ion batteries and hydrogen, emitting only H20 as the byproduct of the fuel cell catalytic conversion process.
The Provoq™ follows from the Chevrolet Volt™ Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), a gasoline/electric concept platform that GM has been publicizing as being available for commercial release by 2010. GM is attempting to deliver the Cadillac Provoq™ as a follow-up vehicle with a proposed commercial release of 2012.
The Chevrolet Volt™ will be using a Lithium-Ion battery pack developed by A123Systems and CompactPower that should drive the car electrically for about 45 miles, accompanied by a small gasoline engine that will only be used to recharge the battery as a range extender up to 400 miles. The Cadillac Provoq™ will employ a hydrogen fuel cell in place of the gasoline engine as the range extender/battery recharger during vehicle operation. The Provoq™ will have a top speed of 100 mph, an acceleration time from 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds, and a range of 300 miles.
Like the Chevrolet Volt™ PHEV, the Provoq™ can be plugged into a 110- or 220-volt AC wall socket overnight to recharge the battery pack, paying less than the electrical equivalent of $1 a gallon of gasoline for the same amount of miles traveled.
However, the cost of hydrogen for the Provoq™ may be much higher than gasoline initially, until service stations adopt the infrastructure that would be needed to standardize on hydrogen pumping stations that can deliver compressed hydrogen gas to industry-compatible automotive gas tanks. This infrastructure may take decades to develop, especially if other car manufacturers do not follow this market initiative by GM to promote fuel cell technology. Several large automotive companies have been prototyping fuel cell platforms for research and development (such as the Ford Fusion 999 and Edge SUV based on Ballard Power Systems fuel cells that were featured in the September 2007 LVEVA “Watts Happening” newsletter). However, GM is the first to commit to announcing a commercial product based on this new technology that the company will support into the future.
Fuel cell technology is still very expensive at this time and is still unproven as a reliable vehicle technology. Other development problems include use of rare platinum or palladium materials as coatings that serve as the catalysts for the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) stack technology during the manufacturing process. Fuel cell membrane “sandwiches” in the stack efficiently convert hydrogen and oxygen gases into electricity and water without combustion. However, the rarity of these materials will inhibit scalability to large volume production while keeping costs high for each fuel cell stack assembly until a cheaper catalyst material is found.
In addition, the operability of fuel cell technology in colder climates is a potential problem where H20 condensation can freeze and rupture the membranes in each fuel cell. If the fuel cell unit can be housed inside the hybrid vehicle and kept above freezing temperatures by a heating unit powered from an auxiliary battery, this might solve the problem as long as the auxiliary battery maintains its charge. However, this feature would also add complexity to the system where the heater battery must also be monitored by the vehicle’s onboard computer system and recharged separately as it drops off in power.
Also, the management of a regulated oxygen intake to the fuel cell stack while the vehicle is moving may be a design problem that might require a separate compressed oxygen tank and compressor for storage of compressed ambient air. Ford Motors tested a separate, pressurized helium-oxygen (“heli-ox”) tank to provide 40 times the mix of oxygen to its fuel stack compared to ambient compressed air while trying to achieve high performance speeds above 200 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats during Speed Week 2007.
Untested components and systems integration problems will be a huge challenge for the Cadillac Provoq™ design team if GM is to meet this ambitious timeline.
It is encouraging that Wagoner now sees a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) as critical at this time in light of increasing automotive sales and energy consumption, where 95% of all the world’s vehicles rely on gasoline refined from crude oil. Just ten years ago, under his leadership, General Motors led the effort to overturn California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate, where the California Air Resources Board (CARB) proposed to require 10% of all vehicles in that state to be manufactured with this type of technology. Other states had joined California’s efforts to push for the availability of ZEV technology in their regions, providing the potential for a growing market to the automotive manufacturer who could deliver this kind of engineering solution to consumers.
However, General Motors and the other automotive manufacturers saw the mandate as a threat to their autonomy and unfettered decision-making ability, setting a dangerous precedent for increasing state government regulations on the automotive industry. With the help of the oil industry and attorney Andrew Card, who later became chief of staff for the George W. Bush White House, the automotive manufacturers were able to consistently push back the required deadlines of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and finally overturned them altogether in 2000, after the Bush administration took office.
Pioneering efforts by GM’s EV-1 concept car development team were suspended when GM all but abandoned its electric vehicle and hybrid development projects during a temporary period of cheaper gasoline throughout the late 1990s. GM chose a growth path that chased short term profits by manufacturing bigger and heavier SUVs and trucks, while rolling back proposals for increased fuel-efficiency gains initiated during the 1980s and early 1990s. In July 1996, the commodity price of imported crude oil dropped to a low of $12 a barrel, amid a surging U.S. economy and a rising dollar against all other currencies.
However, GM’s short term sprint for profitability was achieved by abandoning a foundation of design efficiency, as temporarily favorable crude oil market conditions started turning upside down. “Fast forward” to January 2008--the commodity price of crude oil crossed a threshold of $100 a barrel for the first time while the U.S. economy continues to import and consume almost 10 million barrels a day. The U.S. economy is now going through a downturn while immersed in a prolonged war effort in Iraq. Unregulated sub-prime mortgage lending policies by banks to almost 2 million homeowners have caused a credit crisis and the dollar is dropping against other worldwide currencies while the European Union and other economies are rising.
GM has watched from the sidelines as Toyota Motor Company first helped the automotive effort to overturn the ZEV mandate in the late 1990s but compromised with the California board by introducing the revolutionary Toyota Prius™ hybrid car and its scalable Synergy™ hybrid drive system to the American public in response to a perceived worldwide need. Coincidentally, Toyota’s worldwide market share of automotive sales has grown steadily over the last ten years. Toyota just passed Ford Motor Company in worldwide vehicle sales last month, making it GM’s biggest worldwide competitor with a projected growth track that will displace GM as world leader during the next five years.
On February 13, 2008, General Motors announced announced the biggest
profit loss ever for an American corporation: $39 billion. This downturn coincides with the same year that Exxon-Mobil announced the largest net profit gain of any U.S. corporation in history at $47 billion dollars for 2007. GM will be offering a fresh round of buyouts to 74,000 employees represented by the United Autoworkers. Workers will be given the details of the buyouts over the next several weeks. Most of those who accept are expected to leave by July 1, 2008. The UAW represents 98 percent of the company's U.S. hourly workers, with smaller unions representing the rest. Under the company’s new contract with the UAW, it will be able to replace up to 16,000 workers doing non-assembly jobs with new employees who will be paid half the old wage of $28 per hour.
Ford Motor Company and Chrysler LLC have offered similar buyouts to their employees.
During the 1980s, GM CEO Roger Smith embraced the EV-1 electric car during a difficult time for the company when manufacturing plants were being closed and many employees were being laid off in order to restructure on a large scale. Then, as now, a former Japanese motorcycle company called Honda and a small Japanese car maker called Toyota were growing by introducing new fuel-efficient compact vehicles that were well made and reliable, satisfying American consumers’ fear of OPEC-induced oil shortages and rising gasoline prices that had occurred during the 1970s.
It may well be “Déjà vu all over again”…
Other automotive highlights from the CES automotive exhibits included safety as a growing focus for car electronics. Third party automobile parts-maker Magna Donnelly makes a tiny camera that gives drivers a view of rear blind spots when in reverse. The images are projected on the rear-view mirrors on cars like the Honda Odyssey minivan and the Ford Super Duty pickup truck.
At CES, Magna plans to introduce additional safety features, including cameras for the inside of cars so drivers can keep an eye on young passengers in the back without turning around. Magna Donnelly is part of Canadian auto-parts supplier Magna International, Inc.
Navigation devices are one of the hottest categories of car electronics. The latest models, like the $499 Navigon 7100, come with even more information for travelers, including listings of area golf courses and Zagat reviews of restaurants.
As Internet speeds improve on mobile devices, people soon may be able to stream music from the Web directly into their cars, or zap YouTube video clips from home PCs into the car. Advanced wireless networks such as WiMAX -- which offers high-speed Web access over long distances -- will be available on devices as early as next year, prompting a potential further push of gear into the car.
Underlining many of these technologies is an attempt by car makers to closely mesh digital gear into the car. A few years ago, car makers were caught flat-footed by the popularity of Apple Inc.'s iPod and other digital-music players, while consumer-electronics companies sprung up to offer devices to link music players to car stereos. Car companies were largely shut out.
Now they want a slice of the pie and are incorporating more systems, like Sync, that are built directly into the car itself and let people connect digital-music players directly into car stereos, make hands-free cellphone calls with Bluetooth equipment for cellphones and call up driving directions and monitor engine status through navigation units.
That means consumer-electronics companies increasingly are focusing on auto makers -- not the consumer market -- as a target for their sales. For electronics makers, the car industry can be an attractive business partner. Consumers may be more likely to fork over $600 for a navigation system if they already are buying a $30,000 car. Detroit also has an extensive distribution system through the legions of local car dealerships.
EVParts.Com Goes Public
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:04:23 -0800
“Howdy Folks
I am hoping to be the first one to share this with my friends on the EV
List. As of the signing of a reverse merger agreement, for those who
understand this terminology, our company is now open to trading on the Pink Sheets. http://www.pinksheets.com/pink/quote/search.jsp
Our symbol is TCLT. I believe we are the first electric vehicle retail parts outlet to go public in the world. Please correct me if I am wrong. Here is the announcement from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/01/22/businesswire20080122006692r1.html
What this will mean for some of you, our customers-- we will be better able to buy in larger quantities and pass the savings on to our customers. It will also allow us to double the amount of product offerings for the on-road EV market including new AC drive packages and alternative battery technologies. This is something I have been personally excited about for some time. I have researched and set up many deals with manufacturers who are just waiting for this moment so that I could move forward. We will also be increasing our industrial line by ten fold.
This influx of capital will allow us to forge new markets, utilizing a new European distribution center. Negotiations with government officials are ongoing. It will further allow us to develop our own signature line of products and conversion kits. This deal has been in the works for over eight months and has been an incredibly stressful period in my life. I am so glad it is finally over. I want you all to know that we will still answer our phones and I will still be available for personal emails unless it gets totally out of hand. I already have over twenty email in-boxes at the moment.”
Roderick Wilde, President, EV Parts Inc.
Your Online EV Superstore
www.evparts.com
1-360-385-7082
Phone: 360-582-1270 Fax: 360-582-1272
160 Harrison Road #7, Sequim, WA 98382
Ford Outsold by Toyota in 2007- Ends 75-Year Reign as No. 2 Automaker to GM
Toyota Motor Company sold 2.62 million cars and trucks worldwide during 2007, an increase of 3% over the previous year. This amount exceeded Ford Motor Company’s worldwide sales total of 2.572 million cars and trucks by 48,226 vehicles, a decrease of 12% compared to 2006. General Motors was still the worldwide leader with total sales volume of 3.82 million vehicles in 2007, but worldwide sales decreased 6% from the previous year.
Historically, this was the first time that Ford Motor Company has lost its ranking as the 2nd largest automaker in the world behind General Motors since 1931, a 75-year reign in that position.
Ford’s car sales dropped off by 24% in 2007 as both the Ford Mustang™ and Taurus™ brands lost their appeal compared to previous years. Ford’s mainstay truck models dropped off by 5% last year and are now seeing strong challenges from Toyota’s new Tundra™ full-size pickup, where sales jumped 57 percent for this Toyota product line in 2007.
Ford Motor Company will also be divesting itself of subsidiary car companies in 2008 by selling its two prestigious British automotive manufacturing brands, Jaguar™ and Range Rover™, to Tata Motors Ltd. In India.
Because of rising gasoline prices and a falling U.S. dollar worldwide, U.S. consumers are now looking for fuel-efficient vehicles while shunning larger sedans and Sports Utility Vehicles with low gasoline mileage efficiency ratings. All automakers showed either flat or declining sales during the December year-end holiday season of 2007, compared to December 2006.
Worldwide automotive sales for 2008 are also expected to be flat or declining for most automakers if gasoline prices continue to stay above $90 a barrel. The worldwide automotive industry just now seems to be realizing that over 95% of its vehicle sales are dependent on the fluctuation of the price of gasoline. Crude oil commodity prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) have now jumped over 800% in less than a decade, exceeding $100 a barrel in trading for the first time in December 2007, compared to a low of just $12 a barrel as recently as June 1998:
http://tfc-charts.w2d.com/hist_CO.html
Automotive manufacturers can still achieve worldwide success by finding more reliable alternative fuels for their vehicles other than gasoline. Although U.S. families usually own at least two cars or trucks per household, this is not the norm for the rest of the 5.6 billion people in the world. In China with 1.2 billion people, only 1 out of 130 people drove a privately owned automobile during 2003, according to an industry survey.
The total car and light truck population worldwide at the beginning of the 21st century was estimated at 550 million vehicles with an annual production output by all automakers estimated at about 50 million vehicles per year. This still represents a huge transportation market potential for automakers interested in selling their vehicles to the rest of the world. 550 million cars and trucks on the road can quickly double if just 3% of the growing population of consumers in China and India choose to purchase their own transportation vehicles for the first time. Tata Motors Ltd., and other automotive manufacturing startup companies located in these two countries, may lead the way.
The U.S. automotive industry, by resisting and overturning California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate during the 1990s, squandered the opportunity to develop a more flexible automotive platform that could have been capable of employing alternative energies to a much larger consumer marketplace outside U.S. borders. How many manufacturing plant closures and lost manufacturing jobs could have been avoided if automotive company executives had shared the kind of vision that they are just realizing now?
LVEVA Board of Directors Appoints Officers for 2008 Term
Members of the LVEVA Board of Directors met after the January 19, 2008 monthly meeting to appoint officers for the local chapter who will serve a one-year term. This year’s LVEVA chapter appointments are:
- 1. Richard Furniss, President
- 2. Lloyd Reece, Vice-President
- 3. Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer
- We wish all three a happy, productive year and look forward to supporting their efforts!
EV Repairs and Service
Western Petroleum Station
2051 E. Sahara (corner of Eastern Avenue and Sahara)
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Contact: Jim Johnson
Telephone: (702) 457-2675
Web site: http://storefront.dexonline.com/jims-texaco
EV Parts and Kits for Sale:
OKA NEV ZEV Parts and Kits for Sale: www.okaauto.com
OKA NEV ZEV KIT cars in stock now for immediate delivery prices start at $5,000 FOB Las Vegas.
We also have 4844 ALLTRAX Controllers(48V 400 A DC for Series motor) in stock (more than we need) $550 list, $375.00 NET.
Miro Kefurt
OKA AUTO USA : www.okaauto.com
Distributor: MIROX Corporation
5015 W. Sahara Ave. #125-130
Las Vegas, Nevada 89146
USA
Tel: (702) 683-8292
E-mail: okaauto@aol.com
For Sale: Chrome "Electric" Emblems for EV's
Mike Chancey - Posted 06/25/00
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Checked: 07/13/03
Chrome "Electric" car emblems, just like the OEM factory lettering. Okay, so you own a beautiful electric vehicle, but does the world know? Show them with these profession quality "ELECTRIC" emblems. Fabricated from weather resistant thermoplastic, these signs feature a bright chrome like finish on the letter faces with a subtle matte black background. They mount easily with the self adhesive HighTack backing. Simply peel off the protective cover, and press the sign into place. Each sign is approximately 1.25" in height and 7" in length. Only $6.00Each or four for $20.00, plus $1.75 shipping and handling per order. Discounts for larger orders available. Send check or money order to:
Mike Chancey, 1700 East 80th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131, or order online.
EVs For Sale:
Electrans 3-wheel Futurista ETV
Range of 55 miles
Top speed of 45 mph.
Department of Transportation (DOT) approval to license this vehicle through the DMV
List price is $13,995
Contact: ElecTrans
Address: 5450 South Cameron #101, Las Vegas, NV 89118
Tel: (702) 889-2146
Web site: www.futurista.biz
For Sale: Electric 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” --Record-Holding Race Car
This 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” Conversion currently holds four National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) Class Records.
1. Class MC/F (Modified Conversion 97-120 volts)
2. Class MC/E (Modified Conversion 121-144 volts)
3. Class MC/D (Modified Conversion 145-168 volts)
4. Class MC/C (Modified Conversion 169-192 volts)
The 1985 Pontiac Fiero has been converted with:
1. A new Netgain Warp-9 Electric DC Motor coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission.
2. A DCP T-REX 1000 Water-cooled Controller with an Input Voltage Range of 96 to 336 Volts
and Motor Current Rating at 1000 Amps.
3. The Battery System is at 192 Volts. The battery pack consists of sixteen 12-volt sealed ODYSSEY
PC-680 batteries with the capability of increasing battery pack capacity and voltages to compete in the NEDRA MC/B Class (Modified Conversion 193-240 volts) or to a maximum capacity of 336-volts to compete in the MC/A Class (Modified Conversion 241 volts and higher).
4. Tires are B.F. Goodrich G-Force T/A Drag Radials P215/60 R14 that connect the Electric Motor torque to the road for “no slip” acceleration.
5. Battery Charger is a 120- to 240-volt Variable Transformer with a heavy-duty full bridge rectifier.
Additional cables and connectors are installed for Dump Charging from a DC battery pack.
Asking Price: $10,000 or Best Offer.
Contact: William Kuehl
Address: 4504 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032
Telephone: 702-636-0304
For Sale: Electric 1994 Hyundai Excel Conversion by Bill Kuehl and Al Sawyer, P.E.
Includes:
- 1. 18 New 6-volt Lead-Acid U24 Batteries Installed June 2007 for 108-Volt System
- 2. 22-Horsepower Electric Motor
- 3. Modified Curtis™ Motor Speed Controller by LogiSystems™ for Enhanced Acceleration
- 4. Electric Air Conditioning System Driven by Auxiliary Electric Motor
- 5. Electric Heater and Defrosting System
- 6. Battery Monitor and Charge Regulation System Installed June 2007
- 7. 2 Battery Chargers (110 VAC to 220 VAC Input)
- 8. 14 Extra Assorted Battery Interconnect Cables
Performance Characteristics:
- 1. Top Speed = 70 mph
