- 2. Directly from the stock gasoline engine
- 3. Combining the electric motor and gasoline engine so that they worked together
After acquiring the vehicle during an auction, the team continued to work with Weber State University professors who were advisors on the original student project. With Weber State University faculty help, they added solar and wind power charging capabilities to the 96-volt battery system. Their “quadbrid” alternative fuel vehicle became the first gasoline/electric hybrid raced on the Bonneville Salt Flats, recognized by Car and Driver magazine in February 2005. The Ford Escort also serves as the tow vehicle for their Electric JAWS, Jr. drag racing sled.
For these and other environmental transportation efforts, Brent was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and presented with a Presidential Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) in 2006 as well as a corporate-level Clean Air Excellence Award (CAEA). After graduation from high school, Brent accepted a position as a representative of the Utah Clean Cities Coalition at: http://www.utahcleancities.org/contact.htm
The Utah Clean Cities Coalition collaborates with similar organizations in other states to propose infrastructures that support a “greener” way of living for people in urban environments
The Las Vegas Biofuels Forum was recently hosted by the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) on September 20, 2007 at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas at: http://www.afvi.org/forum20sep07.html
This forum hosted several state organizations, including the UCCC, and was part of AFVi’s Learning Marketplace. The event was presented in partnership with the Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition (LVRCCC), the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) as supporting sponsors.
World of Speed 2007 Highlights
During the recent World of Speed event hosted by the USFRA in September 2007, Brent Singleton competed with Electric JAWS Jr., a battery-powered drag race sled that he and Kent developed while Brent was in junior-high school. Brent attempted to break the 132.353 mph record for the “less than 1,099 pound (500 kg)” electric vehicle racing category over a 1-mile track. He had become an experienced driver while honing his skills during exhibition drag races against petroleum and methanol-powered NHRA Junior Dragster racing sleds on NHRA-sanctioned 1/8th-mile drag race tracks. Electric JAWS Jr. has now been upgraded to “run on the salt” and is equipped with better gearing and power train technology to chase new land speed records in its racing class.
A recent newspaper article profiling Electric JAWS, Jr. as an experimental land speed racer along with a history of Brent’s efforts can be found in the Deseret Morning News at:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695206731,00.html
Electric JAWS Jr. Specifications:
- A. 6.7-inch Advanced DC Series Electric Motor (Part #K91-4003), 8 hp continuous at 48 – 96 VDC, 35 hp peak, reversible, single shaft, base mount, can drive EVs up to 1500 lbs. Weight is 60 lbs. Nominal cost $690 (U.S.)
- B. Motor Controller—Café Electric Zilla Motor Control System with Hairball Programmable Interface (Part #Z1K-LV), 72 – 156 VDC, 1000 Amps Maximum, IGBT technology, 15.7 kHz pulse-width modulated, safety features built-in. Weight is 23 lbs. Nominal Cost is $1975.
- C. Zivan Onboard Battery Pack Charger (Part #NG-3) supports specified battery packs from 132 – 300 VDC at 2800 Watts. SB-50 Connector included for 120 or 240 VAC input. Weight 15 lbs. Nominal Cost is $965.
- D. Battery Pack-- SPS15 Hawker batteries (12 each at 12 volts) = 144 volt battery pack
E. 25" Goodyear rear tires that were loaned by Gary Allen, previous president of Utah Salt Flats Racing Assoc. USFRA www.saltflats.com and known to exceed 250 mph at Bonneville.
- F. Power train gear ratio 2.4 to 1
During World of Speed, Brent made three runs over a two-day period to chase his goal of 136 mph. The first run was encouraging, reaching 118 mph according to the team’s onboard GPS during the fastest point of the timed trial.
“Electric JAWS Jr. ran so strong on the qualifying run that we were confident of our 136 mph goal the very next run,” said Kent. “We recharged the battery pack quickly from our Zivan 220 VAC charger but Brent said it felt like the batteries didn't get a full charge between races. We took our time and ‘top-charged’ the battery pack three times over that night to be sure to have a full charge on all of the five-year old batteries. However, our remaining two runs never exceeded 118 mph again. The motor is capable of 7000 rpm. The electric motor smoked during the third run, but it still ran 110.89753 mph.”
Qualifying/Calibration Run:
Segment Time Speed
2/10 mile 1.12021 80.34208
1/2 mile 0.86677 103.83377
1 mile 0.62949 108.50040
Electrathon America Races for First Time on Bonneville Salt Flats
World of Speed’s Alternative Fuels racing program also initiated an Electrathon America EV racing competition on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Electrathon America was formed as a racing organization during the 1990s to promote the construction of low-cost electric vehicles, particularly among students and hobbyists: http://www.electrathonamerica.org
A 44-page handbook of construction rules and regulations is available as a free download in “.pdf” file format from this site: http://www.electrathonamerica.org/handbooks/handbook_07_08.pdf
Many of the specifications in the handbook outline standard safety requirements for design and construction of the Electrathon vehicles, emphasizing the necessary protection needed for racers during extreme cases of vehicle rollover while traveling at speeds in excess of 50 mph. These requirements include details of rollbar, brakes, padding and cockpit design that include the relative location of the driver’s helmet within the racing platform.
Electrathon vehicles are limited to carrying 67 pounds of sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries in their power pack to equalize and standardize the competition. During traditional Electrathon races, competitors normally strive for range, seeing who can travel the fastest and farthest on a race track over one hour by using a minimum of electrical energy. Electric motors are often scaled down to 2 horsepower or below. However, even with these limitations, the EVs can achieve a range of 50 miles during a one-hour racing event, usually traveling at average freeway speeds of 50-65 mph. Because of their energy-efficient and aerodynamic designs, Electrathon vehicle power trains often consume less than one kilowatt/hour of total electricity for the entire race.
There are three sanctioned racing divisions within the Electrathon America organization- “High School”, “College” and “Open” divisions.
Most of the initial volunteer organizational work for Electrathon America was begun in California and enjoyed widespread success during the late 1990s. However, several different educational efforts then spun off from the Electrathon America-sanctioned “High School” and “College” divisions, forming separate splinter groups that created their own specific construction rules and racing circuits to promote the needs of their local educational regions. While many regional efforts were successful in educating the next generation of EV designers, “Open” division racing by hobbyists and non-educational competitors declined as the number of national Electrathon America-sanctioned events diminished.
Electrathon America recently relocated its organizational headquarters to Oregon. The national group is hoping to revive interest in low-cost, efficient EV racing for the general public as alternative fuel transportation once again regains popularity to offset rising gasoline prices and U.S. reliance on imported crude oil.
During World of Speed, the USFRA allowed rule modifications to enable Electrathon racers to compete over a one-mile track and showcase the fastest vehicle designs for speed and performance instead of range. The Electrathon vehicles were still limited to 67 pounds of sealed lead acid batteries. However, the World of Speed competition encouraged upgrades to motor horsepower and to a higher electrical current draw from the batteries through the motor speed controller to see just how fast these vehicles could travel.
Kirk Swaney and Shane Harris both brought their three-wheel Electrathon vehicles and support teams to the Bonneville Salt Flats, instituting the first Electrathon America-sanctioned Open division racing competition “on the salt”. The competition was close, pitting two teams from opposite poles of the design spectrum against each other. The competition truly showed the wide array of design choices available to the Electrathon racing program, represented by two well-made vehicles.
Kirk’s red and black T-555 Electrathon racer placed first against Shane’s green and black T-105 racer, driven by high school student and co-designer Daniel Diaz. The T-555 “set the bar” at 89.4 mph with a “come from behind” victory over the other team’s 86-mph time. Shane and Daniel’s T-105 racer was only able to safely complete during two runs due to a faulty shutoff switch that caused a spinout and damage to the vehicle frame after the first run. Driver Daniel Diaz felt that the T-105 vehicle reached peak speeds of 90 mph on the track but was actually slowing down when it entered the “speed trap” that recorded the timed trial run of 86 mph. Both racing teams felt that 100-mph record times were achievable by Electrathon racers, possibly as soon as next year.
Kirk Swaney became involved with Electrathon competitions while leading a CAD drafting group at Hewlett-Packard Corporation (HP) in Corvalis, Oregon. HP provided funding and sponsorship to his team of co-workers to create their own vehicle to race under Electrathon America rules in 1996. Since that time, Kirk has become active in the organization and even started his own sideline business selling Electrathon vehicle parts at: http://www.destinyparts.com
His T-555 red and black Electrathon racer utilized 18 Enersys™ batteries to create a 36-volt battery pack weighing 66 lbs. that drove a 6-hp (continuous) Etek™ electric motor with the aid of a Curtis™ 750-amp motor speed controller. The vehicle was constructed to be very low to the ground but also lightweight, using a two-layer carbon fiber shell that was reinforced with balsa wood in its center. The total vehicle weight was 177 lbs. Kirk reached 89.4 mph on the best of five runs, the maximum number of attempts allowed during the competition. A chronicle of his racing configuration choices for gearing of his chain drive system after each run, with each resulting time slip record is shown at the “World Record” web link on his web site at: http://www.destinyparts.com/Bonneville_2007.html
His record-setting third run was recorded by a camera mounted to the top of the Electrathon vehicle canopy as well as sideline videos taken by fellow Electrathon builder, Shane Harris, from the ground at: http://www.destinyparts.com/Bonneville_2007.html
Shane Harris hails from Walla Walla, Washington where he is a realtor by day but an artist, sculptor, teacher, bicycle frame designer, and Electrathon builder in his spare time. His green and black T-105 Electrathon racer finished a close second to Kirk’s record-setting run with a best time of 86 mph using a 48-volt pack of Odyssey™ batteries from Batteries Plus in Kennewick, Washington, that weighed just 58 lbs. This battery pack drove an 8-hp (continuous) Etek™ motor with the aid of an Alltrax™ motor speed controller. The total weight of the vehicle is 120 lbs. This unique racing platform was designed and constructed as an integrated monocoque-body, using composite materials consisting of a Kevlar bi-weave with aluminum/steel reinforcement. A Lexan windshield was built into the vehicle, as well. Supplemental parts were purchased from Napa Auto Parts in Walla Walla, Washington.
Shane’s approach to Electrathon racing originated from his interest in designing and building human-powered transportation, including recumbent bicycles and hand-powered bicycles for paraplegics. He taught as a volunteer in a local high school’s Industrial Arts class in Ukiah, Oregon where his students learned how to create their own custom bicycle designs. When his students visited Portland International Raceway during a human-powered racing competition, their events were scheduled at the same time as local Electrathon racing competitions. Shane saw the opportunity of the Electrathon program to integrate what his class was learning in mechanical engineering/aerodynamic design and take it to a higher level by including electrical and electronics design into the vehicle platform.
As a bicycle racer, himself, Shane had personally tested his own bicycle designs during land speed racing competitions with the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) that stages annual human-powered races near the town of Battle Mountain, Nevada:
http://www.ihpva.org/IHPVA/ihpvarules.html
The races are usually held on a stretch of Highway 305 that is blocked off for the event. It is located 14 miles south of Battle Mountain, Nevada, near Highway 80. The location of Battle Mountain is 219 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada and 310 miles west of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Racers with human-powered designs are now exceeding 80-mph land speed records.
Shane cited the inspiration for his approach to aerodynamic design as being influenced by conversations with Georgi Georgiev, a world-renowned sculptor from Bulgaria who has established a lifetime of achievement while building human-powered transportation designs, including the VARNA human-powered bicycle that first broke the 80-mph record barrier in 2001. Mr. Georgiev was one of the first inductees into the HPVA’s Hall of Fame during the same year. His web site is: http://www.varnahandcycles.com
Shane Harris personally launched an Electrathon racing program as part of his students’ high school Industrial Arts class in Ukiah, Oregon during the late 1990s with an emphasis on aerodynamic design and manufacturing using Kevlar composite materials. With industry support, as well as his own sculpting and fabrication skills, Shane taught his students how to build molds to create Kevlar composite canopies for the Electrathon racers as well as streamline their designs. When Shane and his family moved to Walla Walla, Washington, Shane brought one of the Electrathon vehicles with him in order to continue to help coach new student designers in that town’s high schools, as well.
Daniel Diaz was one of these students and is now attending Walla Walla Community College during the fall 2007 academic year. Shane presented ownership of the green and black T-105 Electrathon vehicle to Daniel to be used as an educational platform for his future studies in EV design.
David Dymaxion, an EV builder and Bonneville Salt Flats racer, took pictures of the Electrathon vehicles at World of Speed 2007, documenting them at: http://www.explodingdinosaurs.com/saltflats/2007worldofspeed
Electric Bar Stool Racing
The USFRA’s World of Speed 2007 racing classes also included several fun, novelty racing events, including Electric Bar Stool Racing at: http://www.saltflats.com/barstool.html
According to USFRA rules, the motorized bar stool must be built around a real bar stool and is limited to one 12-volt battery as its power source driving an electric motor on wheels that have a maximum height of 10 inches. There are two classes of competition-- the “Lakester” class and the “Streamliner” class.
During World of Speed 2003, the Ice Cream/Soda “No Fuel Barstool” was driven by owner Rob Spencer to establish a world record of 43.019 mph in the "Lakester” class over a 2/10-mile track.
The electric bar stool is owned by the Spencer family, including Rob’s wife, Debra, and son, Kaden, who also serve as the barstool’s pit crew. During World of Speed 2007, Robb Spencer drove the environmentally-friendly barstool in the "Lakester” class to a new world record of 48.400 mph over the 2/10-mile track.
Brent Singleton has been collaborating with the Spencers for about a year to improve the barstool’s racing performance and is planning to drive the vehicle during next year’s World of Speed 2008. He dug into his own pocket to finance some engineering modification “tricks” and also enlisted help from Dennis Berube to rebuild the series-wound electric starter motor on the bar stool to increase its speed and torque. Dennis Berube has set many EV world records for electric dragsters, including bracket racing competitions against NHRA gasoline-powered dragsters at: www.currenteliminator.net
David Dymaxion also documented the World of Speed 2007 electric barstool racing EVent, including video at: http://www.explodingdinosaurs.com/saltflats/2007worldofspeed/barstool/
Looking Ahead to World of Speed 2008
Brent and Kent Singleton are looking forward to World of Speed 2008 and are hoping to expand the number of events that feature alternative fuels racing. They have actively recruited the help of Rick Vesco, head of Team Vesco, who owns the record-setting Turbinator streamliner. With Rick as crew chief and his brother Don Vesco as driver, the team set a land speed record of 458 mph for a wheel-driven vehicle during Speed Week 2001 that still stands today. During its record-setting run, the Turbinator was powered by a helicopter diesel turbine engine.
Rick is willing to work with collaborating industries to convert the Turbinator’s engine to run on biofuels and chase new land speed records for these alternative fuel sources during future competitions. The Singletons, as Alternative Fuel Event Coordinators at Bonneville, have consulted with Team Vesco about plans for their proposed biofuels efforts since 2001. For more information about the proposed Team Vesco biofuels project, contact: Brent@saltflats.com
The Dieselmax racing team from the United Kingdom has also recently announced in a press release their plan to take back from the USA the land speed record for wheel-driven vehicles at Bonneville Salt Flats. Andy Green, an RAF pilot, is rumored to be driving for this UK team. He has set international land speed records for jet-powered vehicles and is still the only competitor to drive at Mach-1 speeds. On the Black Rock Desert in 1997, he piloted the ThrustSSC through the sound barrier at 763 mph. He has also previously driven the Dieselmax vehicle to new international land speed racing records:
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article2277715.ece
Brent and Kent Singleton are also hoping to institute solar EV racing competitions during World of Speed by recruiting solar-powered EV racing teams from college campuses. During the 1990s, many universities participated in solar power research for automotive applications, particularly with annual SunRayce competitions and other international events. A brief history of this event can be found at the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) web site at:
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/23830.pdf
Solar cell electrical power yields have been improving in recent years. A revival in student solar engineering competitions could help push this technology forward again as well as help educate the next generation of automotive designers and engineers.
The authors would like to wish all these pioneering Bonneville Salt Flats racers continued success. They are enthusiastically advancing the art and science of alternative fuel land speed racing while showing just how fast eco-friendly transportation technology can move!
Bill Kuehl’s Homebrew Battery Hoist Makes EV Battery Pack Maintenance Easier
LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer Bill Kuehl recently designed a “homebrew” battery hoist that is inexpensive to build and can be readily assembled from a $70 hand-cranked winch, a three-wheeled engine hoist base, two pulleys, 15 feet of channel iron, 15 feet of angle iron and two used EV batteries. The hoist can be set up to run on electric power from the two EV batteries but the battery’s most important function is to serve as ballast at the base of the two rear wheels of the hoist, providing a stabilizing counter weight while lifting the “load” EV battery in and out of the vehicle at the end of the winch hook. This design approach is reminiscent of how an electric forklift’s vehicle batteries provide a counterweight to the “load” it carries on its forks.
Bill’s simple, yet elegant design also uses two “A-frame” arms with pulleys attached at the point of each “A” to provide the necessary leverage and reach for the battery hoist winch cable to maneuver a battery over the hood or trunk area of an EV more easily. This leverage, combined with a 12:1 gear ratio inside the hand-cranked winch gear box, make it easy for the hoist user to lift a battery off the ground and suspend it in mid-air with minimal mechanical effort, just using a light “fingertip and wrist” pressure on the winch crank handle. Bill also added a simple “pull out” bolt that can “stop” the winch handle in place mechanically, so that the winch will not unwind backwards when the user releases his hold on the handle. This allows a home EV mechanic to continue to suspend the battery in mid-air with his hands free while using the three wheels on the hoist base to position the hanging battery over the vehicle workspace for installation or to lift out a battery and move it away from the vehicle after electrically disconnecting it from the EV battery pack.
The battery hoist has also been designed so that it can be quickly disassembled and re-assembled in about 20 minutes with just a dozen standard nuts and bolts. This portability allows the smaller, individual sub-assemblies to be transported by car so that the hoist can be easily shared among LVEVA members.
LVEVA Vice-President Bill Yule was the first club member to try Bill’s new device on his electric Hyundai conversion in his home garage. He was able to replace his entire battery pack of 20 flooded lead-acid golf cart batteries with 20 new ones by removing and installing all 40 batteries during one day without any painful, physical effort. This device has been a real benefit to him, as he felt he would have to discontinue his involvement with the LVEVA when physical requirements made it more difficult for him to work on his own vehicle at home.
Bill Kuehl has generously offered to donate the design of his battery hoist to the LVEVA, so that other “Do-It-Yourself” builders can construct their own versions. Documentation, including drawings, dimensions, pictures, parts list, and a Bill of Materials (BOM) will be available through an LVEVA web site page currently under construction. A hardcopy version of this documentation will also be available from the LVEVA for a fee of $15 to cover printing, publishing and distribution costs. For more information about acquiring this documentation, please contact Bill Kuehl or other LVEVA Board of Director members, as shown on the first page of this newsletter.
Engineering Challenges of Lithium-Ion Battery Packs for EVs (NEDRA Racers Featured in Speed Channel Videos Using A123 Systems’ Li-Ion Battery Packs)!
During a General Motors shareholders meeting in June 2007, Chairman Rick Wagoner announced that GM was awarding development contracts for large format Lithium-Ion battery technologies that could be used in GM hybrid cars. Wagoner named two companies to receive these development contracts for the “top tier” systems level-- Compact Power (www.compactpower.com) from Troy, Michigan and Continental Automotive Systems (www.contiautomotive.com), a division of automotive supplier Continental AG in Frankfurt, Germany.
Last month, GM also announced that Lithium-Ion battery manufacturer A123 Systems has been recruited to work with Compact Power as a “second tier” supplier of a scaled up Lithium-Ion battery cells and battery packs that will drive an EV: http://www.a123systems.com
A123 Systems has received a lot of attention from the EV community because of their newer Li-Ion battery technology that uses Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) materials instead of Lithium-Cobalt or Lithium-Manganese in the construction of its cells. One problem of Lithium-Cobalt designs in the past have been that, as temperatures exceeded 120 degrees Farenheit, oxygen byproducts formed and the combination of heat as well as oxygen resulted in potential chemical fires, even with small battery packs for portable devices.
These problems forced Sony, Apple and other laptop computer manufacturers to recall tens of thousands of “small footprint” Lithium-Ion battery packs. These chemistry problems have been a major drawback to early adoption of Lithium-Ion battery technology despite its promise of a power density that is four times greater than Lead-Acid battery technology and twice the capacity of Nickel-Metal Hydride battery technology.
Lithium-Iron-Phosphate chemistries from A123 were developed at MIT, along with a “nano-architecture” construction process that hopes to bring down the price of manufacturing the cells. The company also hopes to easily increase the quantity of batteries produced and achieve economies of scale by using cheaper, more available materials like lithium, iron and phosphate in place of rare, more expensive cobalt and manganese materials.
A123 Systems has successfully ramped up production of its battery technology to provide its nanophosphate™ cells to Black & Decker for use in rechargeable battery packs that drive the electric motors for the company’s DeWalt power handtools product line. A Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the DeWalt lithium pack that uses the A123 cells can be found through one of its distributors, Grainger, at: http://complyplus.grainger.com/grainger/msds.asp?sheetid=2829349
Bill Dube from the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) has shown the potential of the A123 battery technology for EV applications by installing 1210 of the company’s Lithium-Ion battery cells in his “Killacycle” electric drag racing motorcycle. The battery pack weighs about 210 lbs. It is rated at 410 volts DC with the capability of passing 1500 amps to the twin “Siamese” DC-motor system. The “Zilla” motor speed controller developed by Otmar Ebenhoech of Café Electric allows the two motors to be switched from series operation (maximum torque) to parallel operation (maximum speed) during mid-race at: http://www.cafeelectric.com
Without the need for a mechanical gear shift, this combination of speed and torque can produce the equivalent of 390 horsepower to the twin “Siamese” DC-motor system developed by Jim Husted of Hi-Torque Electric at: http://www.hitorqueelectric.com
With Scott Pollacheck as driver, the Killacycle has broken new drag strip records for EVs at over 150 mph on quarter-mile NHRA-approved tracks. “Zero-to-60” mph acceleration runs in less than 1 second have been achieved by the Killacycle during regular drag race track competitions.
NEDRA racer John Wayland’s “White Zombie” Datsun 1200, driven by Tim Brehm, now also has been outfitted with the same power drive train. The White Zombie has an A123 Systems’ 990-cell battery pack of its own, replacing 844 lbs. of lead-acid batteries with 175 lbs. of lithium-ion batteries. The Speed Channel recently featured both vehicles on its “Speed Records” segment by Kevin Deane. These videos were recently filmed at Portland International Raceway during July 2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c8eLH8x_-Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fmy4tWvr8c
More information on the Killacycle, White Zombie and NEDRA, including “YouTube” videos, can be found at:
http://www.killacycle.com
http://www.plasmaboyracing.com
http://www.nedra.com
Toyota introduced its first Prius™ hybrid sedan to the U.S. market in 2001 after two years of preliminary sales in Japan. The Chevrolet Volt ™ has been GM’s strongest response to the Toyota Prius and may be available to consumers from General Motors in 2011. General Motors is also attempting to push the scaling and production of EV-capable Lithium-Ion battery packs through partnerships with Compact Power Systems in conjunction with A123 battery systems. In December 2006, the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), an organization composed of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, announced the award of a $15 million contract to A123Systems of Watertown, Massachusetts to develop its Lithium Iron Phosphate battery technology.
According to the company’s press release, the USABC awarded the contract in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop lithium iron phosphate battery technology for hybrid-electric vehicle applications. The contract is for 36 months with a focus on systems that are high-power, abuse-tolerant and cost effective.
USABC is a consortium of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). Supported by a cooperative agreement with the DOE that provides up to 50 percent of the USABC budget, USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that support commercialization of fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles. USABC grants awarded to Ovonics in the late 1990s helped push forward research and commercialization of Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery technology for EVs during this time, just as GM was unveiling the EV-1 electric car.
A123Systems’ contract is its first with the USABC and involves developing the next-generation lithium iron phosphate battery that will hopefully provide significant increases in power, reduction in cost, high abuse-tolerance and long battery life.
"We are pleased to announce USABC’s award of this contract to A123Systems as part of USABC’s broad battery technology research and development program," said Don Walkowicz, executive director of USCAR. "The program is essential to advance both near- and long-term goals for hybrid-electric vehicle transportation."
The U.S. DOE's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States. DOE’s Office of FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies works with industry to develop advanced transportation technologies that reduce the nation's use of imported oil and increase our country’s energy security. Electrochemical energy storage has been identified as a critical enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light and heavy duty vehicles.
Founded in 1992, the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) is the umbrella organization for collaborative research among DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. The goal of USCAR is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development.
Bob Lutz, General Motors’ VP of Global Product Development and Frank Weber, GM’s Director of Global Vehicle Line Development, expressed their optimism and a compelling vision of electric vehicle transportation during an interview with veteran automotive industry journalist John McElroy of Autoline Detroit at: http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/
However, by 2011, Toyota will have a 10-year jump in practical experience gained by manufacturing, selling, distributing and maintaining hybrid technology vehicles worldwide, even though GM started with a 3-year lead in EV and hybrid research during the 1990’s with the EV-1.
Toyota stopped short of announcing Lithium-Ion battery pack technology in its new Prius ™ last summer because the company felt the technology is still not quite ready for mass production but will be continuing to push the implementation of a proposed Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) version of the Toyota Prius™ based on Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery technology in anticipation of the Chevy Volt “E-flex” architecture, according to this article from Green Car Congress:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/09/toyota-takes-a-.html#morehis
A video of the proposed Toyota Prius™ PHV and charging system was released in July 2007 at:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/environment/phv/conference/index.html
In contrast to Toyota’s sales growth during this period, GM has lost global market share of 10% over the last ten years to competing automotive companies worldwide. Future worldwide sales and production leadership may depend on which company can best produce an automotive platform with an integrated EV-scale, Lithium-based battery pack that will launch a new era of electric-powered transportation.
Autoline Detroit presented a four-part panel discussion and a follow-up video presentation of an interview with veteran automotive industry journalist John McElroy, oulining the engineering challenges for mass-producing Lithium-based battery packs that can be used in electric vehicles. The panel included David Vieau, President and CEO of A123 Systems; Scott Lindholm, VP of Systems Engineering at Cobasys; Dr. Prabhakar Patil, CEO of Compact Power; and Dr. Anne Marie Sastry, University of Michigan Professor of Materials Science and Engineering:
Part One http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130/1?play
Part Two http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130/2?play
Part Three http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130/3?play
Part Four http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130/extra?play
Part Five http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130/extra2?play
The panel emphasized that the Lithium Battery industry is still very young, with the first prototypes of the technology only being available since 1991. However, over the last sixteen years the cost to produce the technology has dropped in price but increased in performance by 12 times. That downward price curve will continue due to the use of Lithium-Ion technologies in portable electronic systems where production of small footprint Lithium-Ion cells is 30 million units per month, according to Dr. Prabhakar Patil. His company, Compact Power, contributed to the integration of the Ford “Escape” Hybrid SUV, based on licensed Toyota Synergy™ hybrid automotive technology and is now one to the “first tier” battery pack system providers contracted by GM for development of the power train for the new Chevrolet “Volt”. Dr. Patil was the most optimistic of the panelists, citing 2010 as a date when automotive manufacturers would start introducing Lithium-Ion technologies into automobiles.
The introduction of “nano-architecture” design and manufacturing techniques that have grown out of the semiconductor chip industry have accelerated the creation of battery technologies by companies like A123 Systems. Today’s new technologies have helped grow this new industry more quickly in comparison to the slowly maturing industry of lead-sulphuric acid and other battery technologies produced by automotive industry giants like Thomas Edison during the early 1900s. Early battery chemistries were initially discovered more than 150 years ago but have remained unchanged in their basic process technologies for almost 100 years.
Today, there remain many engineering challenges to “scale up” small Lithium-Ion cells into larger battery packs that can drive “3,000-plus pound” electric vehicles. The large scale battery pack industry right now only has an automotive market demand for production of 80,000 to 100,000 units per year. According to Scott Lindholm, Cobasys has already gone through similar engineering challenges with Nickel-Metal Hydride battery chemistries, especially with regards to automotive systems integration and development.
The panelists agreed that it appears the early-stage, Lithium-Ion battery chemistry problems of anode overheating, thermal runaway, oxygen creation and resulting fires are being resolved at the laptop and consumer electronic level. The panelists felt that these were normal growing pains for this young technology to achieve consistent, safe, and reliable performance. It is the reason that Toyota backed away from announcing Lithium-Ion battery packs as a power source for its Prius™ hybrid last summer. Safety is the most important engineering challenge to the emerging Lithium-Ion battery industry. In addition to internal chemistry safety requirements, the battery pack must also meet more stringent physical safety standards after vehicle integration. The batteries must be crash tested to determine potential damage modes by the battery pack to the passengers and to the vehicle during collisions.
The second challenge is scaling the size of the EV battery pack so that it can provide the power to drive thousands of pounds of automotive vehicle over a reasonable daily range, with satisfactory acceleration and performance. The battery pack must also be easily recharged in as short a period of time as possible. Thermal dissipation and cooling of the electrical power train from batteries to motor speed controller to electric motor(s) are important design issues to realize maximum design efficiency and minimum degradation of the battery pack’s performance as it provides power to the rest of the electrical and electronic parts on the vehicle platform.
A third challenge is scaling the quantity of large footprint EV packs available. This is influenced by the availability of a substantial supply of raw materials for production of these Lithium-Ion battery cells that can then be economically manufactured to produce millions of units worldwide per year. How easy are these materials to obtain domestically compared to foreign supply sources in countries that might become unreliable geopolitical adversaries?
A fourth challenge is digital electronics systems engineering and design integration. This involves integrating and interfacing Lithium-Ion battery packs into a very complex distributed computer system within a vehicle platform that can include 100 or more microprocessors embedded in multiple onboard vehicle subsystems. These subsystems must communicate with each other and the battery pack, constantly monitoring the battery pack’s state of charge and temperature as well as being able to safely disable power during an accident or collision. The Lithium-Ion technology must “play well” with all of the other distributed electronic devices within the vehicle concerning electronic cross-talk, transient power surges, etc. If there is the possibility of including a regenerative braking system into this platform by using the vehicle’s kinetic energy to partially recharge the Lithium-Ion battery pack, this integration also adds another increased level of engineering complexity to the overall control system.
A fifth challenge is developing a distribution and maintenance infrastructure that includes vehicle sales, distribution, spare parts suppliers and third party service mechanics. Parts replacement and maintenance facilities must be easily available to consumers and can hopefully grow from the existing automotive industry support infrastructure.
The panel agreed that the automotive industry is slow to change because of the inertia of existing technologies, vendor support supply chains, the petroleum industry, distribution networks and other infrastructure that may take 20 years to adopt a new technology. The young hybrid automotive industry, primarily “driven” by Toyota, has been in development for about 7 to 8 years so far and is starting to sway other automakers, as consumers embrace the technology’s performance and gasoline efficiency. Hybrid vehicles also use more parts than traditional vehicles, adding value to the component supply vendor, distribution and maintenance supply chains, as well. The consumer electronics industry has been “informing” automotive industry executives and the general public about the potential benefits of Lithium-Ion battery technology through customer “hands on” experience with the extended battery range and performance capability demonstrated by the technology’s adoption in laptop computers, cell phones and other portable devices.
To help grow a new alternative fuel automotive industry and bring in fresh engineering talent, the University of Michigan and other international college campuses are introducing Energy Systems Engineering programs. The faculty at these institutions hope to develop a future engineering talent pool for potential battery industry employers and automakers by providing them with qualified graduates who are interested in building a career to solve these real world problems. The U.S. academic community and its government/industry sponsors had abandoned battery research programs until just recently, concluding it was a mature technology. Interest in alternative Energy Systems Engineering programs have rebounded among the newest generation of student engineers in the same way that Biomedical Engineering programs experienced a surge 10 years ago on university campuses, according to Dr. Anne Marie Sastry.
Venture Capital companies are also very interested in providing seed money to promising academic research programs with the goal of “jump-starting” small companies to develop alternative fuel technologies, according to Jim Croce of NextEnergy Technologies, a non-profit technology incubator based in Detroit, Michigan. Jim’s organization is hoping for an automotive renaissance in the depressed Detroit area based on the development of these new technologies for the automotive industry.
It was also interesting to see that the panel discussion was sponsored by the United Steel Institute, that hopes to see the development of new jobs for autoworkers based on this technology, as well.
Lithium-Ion battery cell technology for EVs is “just around the corner” although the road to full implementation is still filled with many engineering challenges. It is heartening to see that the mainstream automotive industry and its supporting academic institutions now have a roadmap to achieve this goal. Let us hope that the next few years can bring a strong surge in the development of new battery-powered vehicle platforms by GM, Ford and Chrysler supported by an infrastructure of companies that truly wants to see these technologies succeed.
Crude Oil Tops $80 per Barrel Despite OPEC Pledge to Increase Production
Can the USA ever shake its addiction to crude oil as well as to the many fuel and petroleum-based products that this commodity provides?
Oil futures prices briefly rose to a record $80 a barrel on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, the day after the sixth anniversary of the “9/11” tragedy in New York where 3,000 U.S civilians were killed by Al-Quida’s suicidal terrorists. Although the world has been changed traumatically, U.S. habits of crude oil consumption that have embroiled the country in a resulting protracted war in Iraq have not changed accordingly. Major problems of Middle East instability and U.S. reliance on imported crude oil supplies continue to potentially cripple the future growth of our country after four years of trillion dollar military spending and another 3,000 U.S. military lives that have been lost during the Iraq conflict.
A report from the Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA), reported an alarmingly large drop in crude oil inventories and declines in gasoline supplies and refinery activity. Other energy futures prices also are rising.
The report suggested that oil supplies are tightening even as demand remains strong. Oil prices are rising despite OPEC's announcement on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 to boost crude oil production by 500,000 barrels per day this fall, analysts said.
On September 12th, option prices of “light sweet crude” for October delivery rose to a closing market price that was up $1.48 to $79.71 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) after peaking at $80 earlier in the day.
Also during the same day’s trading activity on the NYMEX, October gasoline contracts rose 2.62 cents to $2.0073 a gallon. Heating oil futures rose 2.51 cents to $2.2078 a gallon, while natural gas futures gained 37.2 cents to $6.306 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, October Brent crude gained 58 cents to $76.96 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange.
At the pump, meanwhile, the average national price of a gallon of gas inched higher by 0.1 cent to $2.815, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Gasoline retail prices, which typically lag the futures market, peaked at $3.227 a gallon in May 2007 and may surpass this mark within the next nine months.
The EIA publishes this report weekly and stated that recent crude oil supplies fell by 7.1 million barrels during the week ended Sept. 7, more than twice the 2.7 million-barrel decline analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected.
Gasoline inventories fell by 700,000 barrels, slightly more than the expected 500,000 barrel decline.
Refinery utilization fell by 1.6 percentage points to 90.5 percent of capacity. Analysts had expected a 0.1 percentage point decline. Inventories of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, grew by 1.8 million barrels, more than the 1.4 million-barrel increase analysts had expected.
Showing some signs of the potential for the U.S. to change fuel consumption requirements, crude oil imports fell by 674,000 barrels a day on average last week to 9.56 million barrels, while gasoline imports fell an average of 298,000 barrels a day to 1.02 million barrels a day.
However, demand just for refined gasoline alone in the United States continued to average about 9.6 million barrels a day over the previous four weeks (August 11th to September 7, 2007), about 0.9 percent above gasoline demand during the same time period in 2006, the EIA said. It is interesting to note the similarity of these two numbers-- 9.56 million barrels of crude oil imported into the U.S. per day for all petroleum-based products vs. 9.6 million barrels of gasoline products consumed just by U.S. vehicles and other internal combustion engines every day. For every vehicle on the road using less gasoline, or no gasoline at all, the U.S. can move forward to decrease its need to import crude oil from foreign sources.
Where might hard-earned U.S. economic treasure, federal government policy, and young U.S. citizens’ lives be focused more effectively to change U.S. economic relations with volatile Middle East oil-producing countries?
Will “petro-strategic” problems also come from Russia, a long term political and economic rival to the U.S., as that country continues to amass national wealth from the rising price of crude oil and again start rebuilding its military power?
What happens as China and India’s economies continue to grow and compete for a larger piece of the worldwide crude oil supply?
Will Venezuela lead a South American revolt against U.S. foreign policies in that region thanks to the wealth generated by its crude oil-based economy?
What will it take for the United States of America to shake our country’s addiction to crude oil and replace our longtime use of inefficient, gasoline-guzzling vehicles for transportation?
The memories of “9/11” have taught Americans many lessons. Cultural and economic change regarding our country’s inefficient consumption and reliance on imported crude oil must happen within the United States as soon as possible and, even then, cannot come soon enough…!
Boulder City Announces New Green Team Alternative Energy Event on October 27, 2007!
On Saturday, October 27, 2007 from 11AM to 4PM, the New Boulder City Green Team will be hosting an energy symposium at the Los Angeles Water and Power building on Nevada Highway in Boulder City. This symposium is to be a kickoff event for the New Green Team to present energy alternatives and recycling intitiatives that promote ways where people in Boulder City can reduce their carbon footprint - and even learn what that is!
The New Boulder City Green Team invites interested organizations to come to the event to make a presentation and demonstration of interest to the whole community. There will be indoor space for various small displays and electronic demonstrations, plus a large courtyard and outdoor park next door to the building for larger displays.
For more information, please contact Frank Carroll of the Rotary International Foundation at: fctrvlr@gmail.com
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
