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June 2009
The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2009. 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 each meeting.
Calendar
June 20 Monthly Meeting
July 4 Boulder City Damboree Parade
July 18 Monthly Meeting
August 15 Monthly Meeting
September 19 Monthly Meeting
October 17 Monthly Meeting
November 21 Monthly Meeting
December 5 Santa’s Electric Night Parade (Boulder City)
December 19 Monthly Meeting
LVEVA Board of Directors:
Richard Furniss, President
Lloyd Reece, Vice President
Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer
Al Sawyer, Jan Himber, Jon Hallquist, Dan Trujillo
Newsletter Editors and Contributors:
Richard Furniss, Lloyd Reece, Bill Kuehl, Al Sawyer, P.E.,
Jan Himber, Brent Singleton, Kent Singleton, Stan Hanel
WATTS HAPPENING
is published monthly by the
Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association,
a chapter of the Electric Auto Association
Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association web site
http://www.lveva.org
Electric Auto Association web site
http://www.eaaev.org
Electric Auto Association
Membership Renewals
323 Los Altos Drive
Aptos, CA 95003-5248
Current EVents contact:
At http://www.eaaev.org/eaaboard.html
Ron Freund
Chairman, CE Publication
Address Correspondence to:
LVEVA
2816 W. El Campo Grande Avenue
No. Las Vegas, NV 89031
Call for Information:
Richard Furniss (702) 453-6196
Jan Himber for Al Sawyer (702) 642-4000
Bill Kuehl (702) 636-0304 Stan Hanel (702) 405-0506
Contents:
-- LVEVA Electric Cars to Participate in Boulder City Fourth of July Parade
-- Ford Announces Factories in Michigan for Electric Ford Focus and Li-ion Batteries
-- Chrysler Hires Duracell Battery Chairman to Succeed Robert Nardelli as CEO
-- Revived 2010 Honda Insight™ Hybrid Priced to Compete!
-- Daimler Purchases 10% of Tesla Motors
-- Project Better Place Promotes Automated Battery Swapping Stations for Electric Cars
-- Production of Zilla Motor Speed Controller to Resume in Fall 2009
-- 2009 Bonneville Salt Flats Alternative Fuel Vehicle Racing Scheduled September 16-19th
-- IEEE and NIST Working Groups To Start Creating Smart Electrical Grid Standards
-- LVEVA DVD Reference Library
-- EV Repairs and Service
-- EV Conversion and Fabrication Support
-- EVs and EV Parts for Sale
LVEVA Electric Cars to Participate in Las Vegas area Fourth of July Parades
LVEVA members will be promoting the use of electric vehicle transportation by exhibiting their electric cars in two parades during the 61st annual summer “Damboree” events in Boulder City on Saturday, July 4th. The parade begins at 9 AM. The parade route will start at Colorado Street, down Nevada Highway to Fifth St., then to Broadbent Memorial Park at Avenue B & 5th Street. Other Damboree events throughout the day include a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Boulder City Rotary Club; midway booths, food, drink and games at Broadbent Memorial Park; a flag raising ceremony and national anthem; speeches by local dignitaties; water park and swimming pool activities; entertainment; D.J. music; and night time fireworks.
More information on Damboree events can be found at the Boulder City web site at: http://www.bcnv.org/Damboree/
Ford Announces Factories in Michigan for Electric Ford Focus and Li-ion Batteries
Ford to Convert SUV Plant to Build Electric Cars
Source: Ford Motor Company
Class: PRESS RELEASE
WAYNE, Michigan -- Ford Motor Company said today it is investing $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex that will build Ford’s next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.
The plant, formerly the production site for Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigators SUVs, is one of three North American light truck plants Ford is retooling to build fuel-efficient global small cars in the coming years. The new Focus will begin rolling off the line next year and the battery-electric version of the Focus – Ford’s first all-electric passenger car – debuts in 2011.
As part of the retooling, Ford will consolidate its operations from Wayne Assembly Plant. When production launches in 2010, approximately 3,200 employees will be building the new Focus at Michigan Assembly Plant. At the plant, Ford and United Auto Workers are developing modern new operating practices to ensure high quality and even greater efficiency.
“The transformation of Michigan Assembly Plant embodies the larger transformation under way at Ford,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “This is about investing in modern, efficient and flexible American manufacturing. It is about fuel economy and the electrification of vehicles. It is about leveraging our expertise and vehicle platforms around the world and partnering with the UAW to deliver best-in-class global small cars. It is about skilled and motivated teams working together in new ways to create the future of automobile manufacturing in the United States.”
The reinvention of Michigan Assembly, once one of the world’s most profitable auto plants during the SUV boom of the late 1990s, is rooted in the fundamental strategic shift by Ford to leverage its global assets to bring six world-class small cars to the American market by the end of 2012. To produce the vehicles, Ford is converting three truck and SUV plants to car plants – Michigan Assembly, Cuautitlan Assembly in Mexico, which begins building the new Fiesta subcompact early next year; and Louisville (Ky.) Assembly, which will be converted to produce small vehicles from Ford’s global Focus platform beginning in 2011.
The new Focus is being developed in Europe – where Ford is a leader in small cars – off a new global C-car platform. Over time, the new platform will be the basis for more than 2 million units annually around the world, including Focus and other derivatives, allowing Ford to leverage economies of scale to improve investment efficiency.
The zero-emission Focus battery-electric vehicle, which is being developed in partnership with Magna International, features a high-voltage electric motor powered by a high capacity Lithium Ion battery pack and charged by plugging in to a 110-volt or 220-volt outlet. The vehicle is one part of a larger strategy Ford announced in January to develop electric vehicles for North America quickly and affordably by leveraging its global platform capability.
In addition to the Focus battery electric vehicle, Ford is collaborating with Smith Electric to sell a Transit Connect battery electric commercial vehicle for North America in 2010. Ford’s product plans also include a next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012 and a plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.
“We’re changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product lineup that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we’ll be there with more of the products they really want.”
Investing in American manufacturing
The $550 million investment in Michigan Assembly includes more than $430 million in manufacturing investment at the site, as well as $120 million for launch and engineering costs. In addition, Ford will be making significant investment in supplier tooling to support the plant.
The state of Michigan, Wayne County and the city of Wayne contributed more than $160 million in tax credits and grants to support Ford’s expansion opportunities. Key elements include:
Tax incentives based on job retention at the site;
A Brownfield tax incentive for economic rehabilitation of the site;
Tax incentives to support integration of advanced batteries into new product development programs and
Local property tax incentives for new investments at the site
Michigan Assembly Plant will be designated as the state’s first automotive technology anchor site. This designation will support Ford’s efforts by providing additional tax incentives to locate advanced technology suppliers in Michigan, related to future automotive technology applications.
“Ford is investing in both the future of the American auto industry and the state of Michigan by bringing together world-class products, advanced technology applications and strong partnerships with the UAW to build the next generation of vehicles that will help end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil,” said Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. “In these challenging economic times, we applaud and appreciate Ford's commitment to Michigan and to our talented workforce.”
Michigan Assembly Transformation
At the heart of the plant’s manufacturing transformation is a flexible body shop operation, which uses reprogrammable tooling in the body shop, standardized equipment in the paint shop and a common-build sequence in final assembly, enabling production of multiple models in the same plant.
Aiding in the implementation of flexible manufacturing is Ford’s industry-leading virtual manufacturing technology. In the virtual world, engineers and plant operators evaluate tooling and product interfaces before costly installations are made on the plant floor. This method of collaboration improves launch quality and enables speed of execution.
In a flexible body shop, at least 80 percent of the robotic equipment can be programmed to weld various sized vehicles. This “non-product specific” equipment gives the body shop its flexibility and provides more efficient use of the facility.
The plant also will employ an efficient, synchronous material flow, where the material will move in kits to each operator, providing employees with the tools they need in the sequence they will need them. The plant features an integrated stamping facility, which allows the stamping and welding of all large sheet-metal parts on-site, ensuring maximum quality and minimum overhead.
Modern Work Rules
Along with the physical transformation at Michigan Assembly Plant, the UAW and Ford are working on a framework of new and class-leading operating practices that will enable the plant to operate at a high level of productivity while producing best-in-class quality products in a safe work environment.
As part of this framework, Ford and the UAW are committed to establishing a strong, progressive culture at Michigan Assembly Plant that is based on teamwork, joint problem solving and continuous improvement.
“The UAW is a key partner in enabling us to build these world-class vehicles competitively in the United States,” said Joe Hinrichs, group vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. “This agreement will allow the work force to build on their quality commitment while improving productivity at the plant.”
Ford Motor wants the lithium ion batteries it plans to use to be made in America. If not, says John Viera, Ford's director of sustainable business strategies, "We're going to be turning from a reliance on foreign fuel to a reliance on foreign battery technology."
Ford announced in February that a joint venture between automotive supplier Johnson Controls and French battery producer Saft would supply the lithium ion batteries for some of its plug-in hybrid cars. Viera said the venture initially wanted to build the batteries in France, but Ford nixed that plan. Johnson Controls-Saft announced it will make the batteries in Michigan instead.
Meeting the "made-in-the-USA" mandate means U.S. companies have to play catch-up, says Paul Beach, vice president of business development at Quallion, a lithium-ion battery maker in Sylmar, Calif.
"Sanyo produces 60 million [lithium ion] cells a month in a factory where the lights are off and there are just eight guys running it," says Beach. He figures Sanyo's cost is $2 per cell (a cell being the lithium ion equivalent of an AA battery--a building block for a battery). Quallion has a factory in California where it builds lithium ion batteries for medical devices. But to make batteries for large vehicles like military humvees, Quallion buys the lithium ion cells from Japan and assembles them into batteries in the U.S. If it built the cells from scratch in the U.S., Quallion's cost would be several orders of magnitude greater than Sanyo's, Beach estimates.
Both Quallion and A123 Systems have submitted requests to the U.S. government for grants measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars to build domestic factories to make lithium ion batteries. Such funding could indeed jump-start a domestic industry--even if it worries those who wonder whether some future battery technology might prove more compelling than lithium ion.
Chrysler Hires Former Duracell Battery Chairman to Succeed Robert Nardelli as CEO
Chrysler is currently going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization after help from taxpayers to cushion its fall. The company has announced five new electric-powered vehicles as part of its ENVI product line at:
https://www.chryslerllc.com/en/innovation/envi/overview/
The headline-grabber is the Dodge Circuit™, a two-seat, electric sports car that hopes to compete in the same market as the Tesla Roadster™, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack built by A123Systems. The other ENVI platforms are Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) that will include the Jeep Patriot EV, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited EV, the Chrysler Town and Country EV, and the Chrysler 200C EV Concept. Like the Chevrolet Volt™, the ENVI PHEV platforms will have the capability of driving 40 miles of local driving in electric only mode before onboard recharging froma supplemental gasoline engine is needed.
According to the Chrysler LLC web site, the ENVI technology platforms will have the following capabilities:
1. The Dodge Circuit™ will have a 150- to 200-mile driving range on zero gasoline and no tailpipe emissions.
2. The other four Range-extended Electric Vehicles can travel 40 miles on battery power alone. The range extender is a small internal combustion engine and integrated generator that produces electricity that extends the range to 400 miles, using very little gasoline
3. Overnight charging can be accomplished with a standard 110-volt household outlet. Charging time is cut in half with 220-volt household appliance power outlet.
CEO Robert Nardelli will step down as CEO after the company has reorganized and will be replaced by C. Rober Kidder, once the reorganized company acquires Chrysler’s assets and joins with Fiat to resume new vehicle production.
Kidder was former Chairman of Borden Chemical and Duracell, a worldwide producer of batteries for consumer electronics applications.
Despite bankruptcy reorganization and uncertainty among dealerships about the future of the company, Chrysler vehicle sales during April and May continued at a respectable pace. During April 2009, total sales to individual buyers totaled 61,600 vehicles and fleet sales totaled 77,000 vehicles.
Revived 2010 Honda Insight™ Hybrid Priced to Compete!
Honda has revived its Insight™ hybrid product line for 2010 to compete against the Toyota Prius™ in both price and performance. The original Insight was produced from 1999 to 2006 as a three-door hatchback. It was the first gasoline/electric hybrid car introduced into the United States, employing its patented Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, where the electric motor assists the gasoline engine to drive the wheels of the vehicle at all times. When coming to a stop sign, the gasoline engine shuts down until the vehicle is ready to proceed, saving gasoline consumption that would normally be spent idling in traffic by traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Only 18,000 models of the original Honda Insight were sold worldwide by 2006 when the company decided to discontinue production.
The new, improved 2010 model Insight went on sale in the U.S. on April 22, 2009 as a five-door hatchback with a fifth generation version of the IMA system. With a base price of $19,800, it is the least expensive hybrid available in the US. It has also ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for April 2009, the first time a hybrid has achieved this distinction. The 2010 Honda Insight is available in two model configurations, the LX and the EX.
Some of the vehicle specifications from the Honda Insight™ web page:
http://automobiles.honda.com/insight-hybrid/specifications.aspx
Gasoline Engine: 1.3-liter four-cylinder, multi-point fuel injected
Valve Train: 8-Valve SOHC i-VTEC®
Gasoline Horsepower/rpm: 98 horsepower at 5800 rpm
Low-end torque: 123 lb-ft at 1,000 to 1,700 rpm
Engine configuration: Front wheel drive
Electric Motor: Brushless DC Permanent Magnet (AC Synchronous)
Power Assist: 13 horsepower at 1500 rpm
Torque Assist: 58 lb-ft at 1000 rpm
Battery Pack Type: Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH)
Battery Pack Capacity: 100.8 Volts at 5.75 Amp-hours
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); EX version adds Paddle Shifter
EPA Mileage Estimates (City/Highway/Combined) for both models: 40 mpg/43 mpg/41 mpg
Daimler Buys 10% of Tesla Motors
May 19, 2009
STUTTGART, Germany, and SAN CARLOS, California
– Daimler AG has acquired an equity stake of nearly 10 percent of Tesla Motors Inc. This investment deepens the relationship between the inventor of the automobile and the newest member of the global auto industry. Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe.
The two companies have already been working closely to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car. In order to benefit from each other’s know-how, the investment enables the partners to collaborate even more closely on the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and in individual vehicle projects.
"Our strategic partnership is an important step to accelerate the commercialization of electric drives globally," said Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "As a young and dynamic company, Tesla stands for visionary power and pioneering spirit. Together with Daimler’s 120 years of experience in the automotive sector this collaboration is a unique combination of two companies' strengths. This marks another important milestone in Daimler’s strategy for sustainable mobility."
"Daimler has set the benchmark for engineering excellence and vehicle quality for more than a century. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Daimler would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla," said Tesla Chairman, CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. "Daimler is also on the leading edge in the field of sustainable mobility. Among others the lithium-ion pouch-cell battery developed by Daimler and especially designed for automotive applications is of interest to us. We are looking forward to a strategic cooperation in a number of areas including leveraging Daimler’s engineering, production and supply chain expertise. This will accelerate bringing our Tesla Model S to production and ensure that it is a superlative vehicle on all levels."
Together on the road to electro-mobility
As part of the collaboration, Prof. Herbert Kohler, Vice President E-Drive and Future Mobility at Daimler AG, will take a seat on Tesla’s board of directors.
This long-term partnership with Tesla complements Daimler’s multi-facetted strategy to advance the electrification of the automobile.
Daimler is also moving forward the industrialization of lithium-ion technology. In March, the company founded the Deutsche Accumotive GmbH, a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG. As a result, Daimler is the first vehicle manufacturer worldwide that develops, produces and markets batteries for automotive applications. This is based on a Daimler stockholding in Li-Tec, the German specialist for lithium-ion battery cells.
100 smart electric cars have already been undergoing large-scale trials in London since 2007. These electric vehicles are being tested in day-to-day assignments by fleet operators and private customers.
Later this year the smart assembly plant in Hambach, France, will start production of up to 1,000 units of the second-generation smart fortwo with electric drive, which will initially be used for mobility projects such as e-mobility Berlin or e-mobility Italy. This year Daimler is also starting small-series production of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class with a fuel cell drive system. In 2010 the company will introduce its first battery-powered Mercedes-Benz. As of 2012, Daimler plans to equip all smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles with own produced lithium-ion batteries.
In 2004, Tesla began development of its first electric vehicle, the Roadster, which remains the only highway capable EV for sale in North America or Europe. The Tesla Roadster is the first production battery electric vehicle to travel more than 200 miles per charge and the first US- and EU-certified lithium-ion battery electric vehicle. This green supercar accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds yet gets the equivalent of 256 miles per gallon. The Roadster, which travels an estimated 244 miles per charge with zero tailpipe emissions, is the first production vehicle to break the historical compromise between automobile performance and efficiency.
The Tesla Model S builds upon the success of the Tesla Roadster by leveraging its technology into the world’s first fully electric sedan. Based in Silicon Valley, Tesla unveiled the Model S in March and plans to produce it in California starting in late 2011.
About Daimler
Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler AG, with its businesses Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Daimler Financial Services, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Buses, is a globally leading producer of premium passenger cars and is the global market leader for heavy- and medium-duty trucks and buses. The Daimler Financial Services division has a broad offering of financial services, including vehicle financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management. Daimler sells its products in nearly every country and has production facilities on five continents. Founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, continued to make automotive history following their invention of the automobile in 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler and its employees willingly accept an obligation to act responsibly towards society and the environment and to shape the future of safe and sustainable mobility with groundbreaking technologies and high-quality products. The current brand portfolio includes the world’s most valuable automobile brand, Mercedes-Benz, as well as smart, AMG, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). In 2008, the Group sold 2.1 million vehicles and employed a workforce of over 270,000 people; revenue totaled €95.9 billion and EBIT amounted to €2.7 billion. Daimler is an automotive Group with a commitment to excellence, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and industry-leading profitability.
About Tesla Motors
San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla Motors Inc. makes electric vehicles with exceptional design, performance and efficiency, while conforming to all North American and European safety, environmental and durability standards. The Roadster has a 0-to-60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds yet is more energy efficient than a Toyota Prius. Tesla expects to begin producing the all-electric, zero-emission Model S sedan in late 2011.
CONTACT:
Eva Wiese
Daimler AG
Tel: +49 711 17-92311
Email: eva.wiese@daimler.com
Rachel Konrad
Tesla Motors, Inc.
Tel: +01 650 701-2664
Email: rachel@teslamotors.com
Project Better Place Promotes Automated Battery Swapping Stations for Electric Cars
May 13, 2009
Better Place of Palo Alto, California, is driving forward an ambitious plan to launch large-scale regional infrastructures that will support electric vehicle refueling stations throughout the world at:
http://www.betterplace.com
Better Place was founded by software entrepreneur Shai Agassi in 2007 and now has about $200 million in funding secured from Morgan Stanley, Vantage Point Venture Partners and Israel Corporation. The company is also applying for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which would need to be matched by private investors for projects planned within the United States.
During May 2009, the company demonstrated an automated battery swapping station in Yokohama, Japan as part of an electric car service infrastructure that that would encourage the adoption of 100-mile range electric cars throughout the world. The automated battery swapping station with robotic conveyer can change the entire battery pack of a Nissan/Renault prototype electric vehicle (EV) in just two minutes, the same time it normally would take a driver to refill the tank in a gasoline-powered vehicle.
The demonstration was staged just six months after Better Place opened 17 EV charging stations in Tel Aviv, Israel. This initial rollout was just the first step in its plan to have 150,000 electric vehicle recharging stations located throughout Israel by 2011. Better Place and Nissan, which are working with Renault on a production electric car, also plan to have 100 battery swapping stations in Israel by that time.
In addition to the nation of Israel, Better Place is also planning projects in Denmark, Australia, Japan, California, and Hawaii by building alliances with local governments and utilities to speed up the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles with an accompanying regional refueling infrastructure.
The state of Hawaii has moved quickly to adopt the Better Place vision. The project has been supported by the recent passage of key bills within the state Legislature. Republican governor Linda Lingle has been a strong advocate.
State Senate Bill 1202: All public, private and government parking facilities with at least 100 parking spaces shall set aside one percent exclusively for electric vehicles by Dec. 31, 2011. Charging stations could be installed at these locations under different public/private partnership arrangements. When registered electric cars in Hawaii exceed 5,000 vehicles, the requirement will be increased to two percent.
State House Bill 1483: Authorizes special-purpose revenue bonds of up to $45 million to assist Better Place Hawaii Inc.
Better Place Hawaii is encouraging the different islands in the state to adopt at least 3,000 electric cars in 2010 and 50,400 in 2015. By then the islands would be outfitted with a network of up to 100,000 charging stations powered by renewable energy sources at a total cost of $1 billion.
Battery charging stations do not have to occupy a lot of space and could be installed in residential homes, parking garages and shopping centers. Battery swapping stations, like the one in Yokohama, would require more space for vehicle docking, as well as battery storage and maintenance. These stations would likely require commercial zoning equivalent to a gasoline service station. Better Place would own the batteries and lease them to their customers, using a similar subscription business model as the cell phone service industry, but charging for usage by mile instead of by minute.
The state of Hawaii is a good test laboratory for the project as the 100-mile range is appropriate for all of the islands. Renewable energy sources from solar, wind and wave technology could also provide a closed loop infrastructure system that would not require gasoline. The Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association has been included in statewide infrastructure planning to help provide electric vehicle platforms that will conform to these standards.
Production of Zilla Motor Speed Controller to Resume in Late 2009
Editor’s Note: Otmar Ebenhoech of Café Electric recently posted this update to the EV Discussion List regarding future production of the popular Zilla motor speed controller and Hairball programmable interface. These products are widely used by many NEDRA high-performance electric dragsters and other EV owners.
Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 23:34:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Otmar <Otlist08@evcl.com>
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Whats happening with Cafe Electric / Zilla?
To: ev@lists.sjsu.edu
The Zilla will return later this year.
“My production crew has been busy finishing up the last orders that I accepted in September. Meanwhile my engineer Arthur and I are finishing the design changes needed for effective higher volume production. The automated test equipment that Arthur built will support volume production and has already increased the quality of Zillas going out the door. The improved Hairball code I've been working on ran today for the first time in my 914 and promises to increase reliability as well as make diagnostics easier.
I am in talks with a very qualified licensee, and although we have not signed any formal agreements yet, we seem to be finding common purpose and I expect things to be well established soon.
I apologize for the delay. My less than ideal health and my possibly unreasonable requirement for quality has not been conducive to moving faster on this path, but it is encouraging to see the transition coming to fruition.
The waiting list on our website continues to grow and I hope the new manufacturer will be contacting those of you on it soon.
Thank you all for your patience,
-----
-Otmar-
http://www.CafeElectric.com/
The Zilla factory.”
--
2009 Bonneville Salt Flats Alternative Fuel Vehicle Racing Scheduled September 16-19th
Brent and Kent Singleton, founders of the Utah EV Coalition, a Utah chapter of the Electric Auto Association, have announced their support to organize the third annual Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) series of racing events at Bonneville Salt Flats during 2009. These time trials will be held in conjunction with the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association “World of Speed” events from September 16 – 19th of this year.
The Bonneville Salt Flats land speed raceway in Wendover, Utah was originally formed on 159 square miles of residual potash salt deposits left behind by the evaporation of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. In 1912, this special surface was tested for automotive land speed racing because the salt lakebed area was so flat over such a vast expanse that a racer could see the curvature of the earth. Also, the cooling effect and traction of the moist salt on automobile tires allowed for faster speeds to be achieved than on traditional paved road surfaces over longer distances. In the 1920s and 1930s, Ab Jenkins broke all previous worldwide automotive land speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats while driving the “Mormon Meteor”. His record-setting feats attracted the attention of other international racers of his era. Since then, Bonneville has become one of the world’s most famous international raceways where everyone is welcome to compete on the same playa. Backyard builders have always raced alongside some of the finest automotive engineers in the world.
Bill Dube, owner of the “Killacycle” and a co-founder of the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA), has announced that he is constructing a land speed racing version of his record-setting electric motorcycle that will run “on the salt” over longer distances than a traditional ¼-mile paved drag strip track. The Killacycle racing team, with top fuel motorcycle racer Scott Pollacheck as driver, recently achieved a sanctioned NEDRA/NHRA record time of 167.99 mph in 7.890 seconds for the quarter-mile. Bill Dube is planning to bring the land speed version of the Killacycle to participate in the AFV event this year, with a goal to establish a new electric motorcycle land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats. He is teaming with Eva Hakansson and Richard Hatfield for this effort. Eva will be driving the Killacycle for the Bonneville land speed record.
Killacycle sponsors for the land speed effort include A123Systems, Riders Discount and CumminsOnan.
More information about the Killacycle racing team can be found at: http://www.killacycle.com
More information about motorcycle racer Eva Hakansson can be found at: www.evahakansson.com
The Killacycle team will be following in the pioneering footsteps of another well-known international land speed record holder (quoted from Wikipedia):
“Herbert (Burt) James Munro (25 March 1899–6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1000cc world record, 183.586 mph (295.453 km/h), at Bonneville, 26 August 19 67. This record still stands today. Burt Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year old machine when he set his last record.
Working from his home in Invercargill, he worked for 20 years to highly modify a 1920 Indian motorcycle which he had bought in 1920. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He traveled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today. His efforts, and success, are the basis of a motion picture ‘The World's Fastest Indian (2005)’, starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film ‘Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed’ – both directed by Roger Donaldson.
Records:
In 1962 he set a world record of 288 km/h (178.97 mph) with his engine bored out to 850 cc (51 in³).
In 1966 he set a world record of 270.476 km/h (168.066 mph)
In 1967 his engine was bored out to 950 cc (58 in³) and he set a class record of 295.44 km/h (183.59 mph). To qualify he made a one-way run of 305.89 km/h (190.07 mph), the fastest-ever officially-recorded speed on an Indian. The unofficial speed record (officially timed) is 331 km/h (205.67 mph) for a flying mile.
In 2006 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
Wally Parks, a founder, guiding light, and “Father” of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was also a leading advocate for land speed racing at Bonneville Salt Flats until he passed away in September 2007 at age 94.
Bonneville Salt Flats land speed racing events are staged by amateur organizations like the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) and the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials organization. The raceway and competition events are not owned or sponsored by the petroleum industry. Possibly, because of these amateur origins, the Bonneville racing spirit promotes international cooperation and teamwork among competitors, who are dedicated to enhancing the greater good of the competitions and conservation of the Bonneville Salt Flats racing surface to help save it for future generations.
The Singletons believe that the Bonneville Salt Flats can encourage the growth of alternative fuel vehicle testing and performance enhancements in the same way that other amateur events at Bonneville have improved petroleum-powered vehicles over the last 60 years, by allowing backyard builders to demonstrate their vehicles on the same level of competition as world famous engineers.
Past achievements during the last two “World of Speed” AFV racing events have included:
1. Hydrogen fuel-cell electric land speed records exceeding 200 mph set by Ohio State University’s Buckeye Bullet 2 streamliner during 2007 and 2008. The Buckeye Bullet 2 was designed and built by students and faculty from The Ohio State University’s Engineering Department.
2. First home-built Electrathon vehicle land speed racing competition in 2007 between two Electrathon racing vehicles.
3. First home-built Electrathon vehicles to exceed 100-mph speed benchmark in 2008, with two teams out of five competitors exceeding 100 mph.
4. The establishment of new Electric-powered Barstool records exceeding 48 mph during 2007 and 2008.
For more information about racing categories and safety requirements for entering an electric vehicle to pursue a land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats during “World of Speed” AFV 2009, contact Kent Singleton by email at: kent@saltflats.com
IEEE and NIST Working Groups To Start Creating Smart Electrical Grid Standards
On May 18, 2009, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) convened a major summit to define emerging national requirements for a smart, two-way, electrical transmission grid system in Washington D.C. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA 2009), the Obama administration set aside $10 million for the NIST, mandating that the federal agency lead the effort to establish a road map to recommend federal standards for a national smart electrical grid.
The International Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Society will collaborate with the NIST initiative to help implement the practical construction and operational details of the road map during the ongoing planning efforts. The IEEE defines standards for electrical and electronic components as well as interoperability protocols used in a wide range of international industries. These include electrical power systems, consumer electronics, computer systems, communications systems, information technology systems, and many other interrelated industries that have created the global “high technology” infrastructure of the last 50 years.
The IEEE will begin its mission during a meeting hosted at Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, California from June 3– 5, 2009. The formation of the IEEE 2030 Working Group was approved by IEEE members in March 2009. It will gather together computer, communications and power engineers to draft a design guide that will outline international smart electrical grid interoperability issues.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Department of Energy (DOE) will also lead collaborative U.S. federal agency efforts. The Department of Energy (DOE) received an estimated $4.5 billion of ARRA 2009 economic stimulus funds to deploy smart grid demonstration systems throughout the country. These demonstration systems will be used to educate local government, businesses, academic institutions, employees and consumers about new smart grid technologies and opportunities.
If the IEEE 2030 working group can deliver a high-level guide to systems-level interoperability issues for smart grids within two years or less, this effort can help drive construction of new renewable energy generation sites, launch new product and service industries, create jobs, and enable greater opportunities for consumers to become involved in home power generation and energy conservation initiatives. These potential product and service industries can include distributed renewable energy generation systems, electric vehicle infrastructure (incuding recharging stations and “Vehicle to Grid (V2G)” systems), smart home appliance energy conservation systems, regional power grid peak power and “valley filling” load balancing systems, and other promising power-efficient technologies.
The IEEE 2030 meeting will begin with “brainstorming” generation sessions. During the middle of the day, the meeting attendees will break into separate power engineering, IT and communications subgroups within their domains of expertise. At the end of each meeting day, the attendees will reconvene into one general meeting to summarize the progress of each group and to cross-pollinate ideas across all domains of expertise.
The group will leverage existing work in the IEEE's Power and Energy Society (PES). PES is poised to launch a new IEEE Transaction publication to define the smart electrical grid. The PES Transmission and Distribution Intelligent Grid Subcommittee is gathering IEEE members and resources to build a repository that will include summaries of standards and best practices that are critical to grid modernization. These resources will be available to all IEEE members and also made available to the general public through a subscription service.
The IEEE hopes to record an online webcast video presentation of the June 2009 meeting proceedings that will be available for any members who cannot attend the gathering in Santa Clara, California.
It is estimated that an effort of this magnitude will require about 20 years of time to develop and deploy all the necessary technological resources to every region within the U.S.A. The implementation of a national smart electrical grid is on the same scale and size as projects initiated during the 1950s to upgrade the national highway and transportation infrastructure networks. Though the initial investment was costly, it provided necessary construction jobs to U.S. workers during a post-war recession. Better yet, the resulting economic benefits derived from the country’s streamlined transportation infrastructure created the foundation for sustained growth and an ongoing prosperity that the United States of America continues to enjoy today.
During the early 1960’s, President John F. Kennedy created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), setting the U.S. on a roadmap to land an astronaut on the surface of the moon within a 10-year time frame. The country accomplished this goal and the resulting economic benefits from research into this technology led to scientific progress and advances across the technology spectrum that propelled the U.S. economy into the forefront of the modern world.
During the 1990s, Vice-president Al Gore led initiatives under the Clinton administration to create an Internet Communications Super Highway by commercializing the military’s ARPA network of high-speed computer communication systems and linking it to personal computer networks available to every consumer’s home. The creation of a new communications “cyberspace” that was available to anyone around the world to transact electronic “e-commerce” transformed both the U.S. and world economies, helping create a budget surplus in the U.S. government treasury for the first time in 40 years.
The United States of America is once again poised to launch a new “personal power” revolution that can provide jobs and opportunities for every U.S. citizen while also resolving economic, geopolitical and environmental dilemmas worldwide.
Vehicle To Grid (V2G) Battery Storage Technology and Potential Applications
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California collaborates with electrical generation utilities and national laboratories throughout the U.S. to create innovative ideas about potential applications for electric power and the national electrical energy grid.
During the 1990s, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was promoting a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The board members of CARB at the time believed the ZEV mandate was an answer to air quality issues in the Los Angeles basin. The group attempted to persuade the automotive industry to create 10% of the vehicles it sold in California to be non-polluting, using alternative sources of fuel that would not emit poisonous carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CARB was willing to be flexible in its implementation timeline regarding the mandate and would perform ongoing evaluations of the underlying technology to see if practical and profitable production of these vehicles would be feasible for the automotive industry.
One of the more promising electric vehicle technologies to come along at that time had already been designed by Aerovironment in Pasadena, in conjunction with the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and General Motors. It was christened the “Impact” and championed by GM CEO Roger Smith as an innovative new electric automotive platform that it hoped to turn into a production car later in that decade. As the electric car approached production rollout, it was renamed the “EV-1” and hundreds of the vehicles were placed into test markets in southern California on a “lease-only” basis for consumer evaluators in the EV-1 program.
Although the fate of the EV-1, the Toyota RAV-4, and other proposed automotive industry electric vehicles are well-documented when the ZEV mandate was overturned by the automotive and oil industries in the late 1990s, much good research and technology were developed because of this first wave of effort. It provided a foundation of development for this next wave of Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles, including both hybrid gasoline/electric vehicles and “pure” battery-powered, electric-only vehicles like the Tesla Roadster. Some of these technology breakthroughs included the development of the Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery cell by Ovonics through funding provided by U.S. taxpayers channeled into the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium. NiMH batteries are now used abundantly in hybrid gasoline/electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius™. These battery cells have a power density with twice the capacity of traditional lead-acid batteries. They have only been recently replaced in consumer electronics industry during the last five years by Lithium-Ion battery technology that has doubled the capacity of the battery cells once again and provided much longer life cycles. Lithium-ion battery chemistries are now being scaled up to provide power to electric vehicle traction motors, such as the Tesla Roadster. Although this technology is still new and fragile for this kind of application, electronic control systems are being developed that can maximize the life cycle and performance of these batteries to provide better consistency for the burgeoning electric car industry. Li-ion battery technology today is at about the same level of product development that the NiMH battery was during the development of the EV-1.
During the 1990s, the EPRI took a much broader view of the potential electric car industry. Within the scope of the electric utility industry, researchers in the EPRI saw the electric car as not just a form of transportation but also as a mobile electrical battery storage solution that could interact with a consumer’s household electrical power system and the local electrical energy grid.
Stepping back and viewing an electric vehicle in this broader context integrated the electric vehicle with the rest of the “smart appliances” in a consumer’s home. An EV could also be a backup battery storage system that could provide backup power to a home during an energy shortage or “blackout”.
If integrated into a smart “Vehicle to Grid” or V2G system, the electric vehicle could also interact with the local electrical grid on a regular basis while going through its daily recharging cycles. If a significant number of households within a grid region also owned Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicles (PEDV) with battery storage systems, a smart grid “load balancing” system could be implemented throughout the region. A smart electrical grid connected to a utility electrical generation plant could “borrow” electrical energy from multiple V2G households with electrical vehicles during peak demand times of the day when these vehicles were plugged into their home recharging stations but not in use. The power generation plant and regional grid could also offload extra generated power back to these vehicles during the night time while they were connected to their home recharging stations to implement “valley filling” load balancing on the grid.
During hot Las Vegas summers, household air conditioning systems could borrow power from the home EV during peak demand hours when the vehicle was parked in the garage and not in use, saving costs during the day. The vehicle could also be recharged at night when utility rates were much lower than during the day, also saving the household owner additional costs.
EV owners participating in this kind of program would receive more reasonable electric bills, in the same way as local Las Vegas consumers participating in the “Cool Share” web-based smart thermostat program can receive discounted electrical bills through NV energy. The utility receives permission from “Cool Share” participants to allow the company to reotely raise the temperature threshold on the customer’s household thermostat through a web-based communications link. The change in temperature would be very limited, only about three degrees for a three hour period during peak summer demand times, reaching a maximumum of 72 degrees. By synchronizing this effort with all participants in the “Cool Share” program at the same time, the utility can offset other demands from the electrical grid until peak demand recedes during the day.
V2G can provide EV owners with even greater load balancing benefits by integrating the household car into the entire home energy system. Add a distributed 5 kilo-watt solar panel to the roof of the home or a wind generation system to the back yard, and the household can become a net energy producer instead of a consumer.
LVEVA DVD Reference Library
The LVEVA maintains a growing library of DVD reference videos that are available to its members that can be borrowed for one month at a time. Bill Kuehl, LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer is also the LVEVA video librarian. He can be contacted to pick up and return these videos at each monthly chapter meeting. The current list of videos that are available for a one month rental are:
1. “Who Killed the Elecric Car” Documentary
2. Plug in Partners National Campaign (2006)
3. EAA Silicon Valley CalCars PHEV Technology Overview (2005)
4. Boulder City Christmas Parade Highlights (2006)
5. Convert Your Pickup to Electric (DIY Video by GrassrootsEV)
Note: This video can be copied to viewer’s hard disk to keep!
6. Tom Gage of AC Propulsion speaks at EAA Silicon Valley (2005)
7. Monster Garage EV conversion (Jesse James)
and John Wayland White Zombie Videos (2006)
8. Electric Avenue by George Gladic Fox Valley EAA Chapter 2006.
9. Bruce Katz of Polyplus Battery Company speaks at EAASV (2005)
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 Conversion and Fabrication Support
The Hybrid Company
5225 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 16
Las Vegas, NV 89118
Web site: http://www.thehybridcompany.com
Tel: (702) 539-2337
Fax: (702) 255-2710
Contact: John DeVillier
Precision EV Components Machining Support
Real Products, LLC
3433 Neeham Road #2
North Las Vegas, NV 89030
Contact: Eric Tschabold
Tel: (702) 644-1165
Email: energyz@cox.net
EV Parts and Kits for Sale:
GrassrootsEV.com
Las Vegas Office
Address: 5225 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89118
“Electric Vehicles and Everything for Them”
Contact: Jon Hallquist
Tel: (702) 277-7544
Email: jon@grassrootsev.com
Web site: http://www.grassrootsev.com
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.
Contact: 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
The Free Energy Store
300 West Utah, Suite 101
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Tel: (702) 320-0770
Fax: (702) 320-0270
Web site: http://www.freeenergystore.com
Contact: Russ Lord
Email: russ@freeenergystore.com
EV-Charge America
Sales and Installation of Coulomb Technologies "Smartlet" EV Charging Stations
8620 Eastern Ave. Suite 5
Las Vegas, NV. 89123
Contact: Bob Rosinski or Tom Haynie
Tel: (702) 696-1600
Tom Haynie Cell: (702) 738-7456
Fax: (866) 941-6819
Bob Rosinski Email: bob@ev-chargeamerica.com
Tom Haynie Email: tom@ev-chargeamerica.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 $6.00 each 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
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