Last year in Geneva, I grumbled about how the annual car show was all green talk and no green action. This year, in contrast, I found few new cars worth writing about: the VW Polo is a bore, the Daewoo/GM Spark is a joke, exotics are an anachronism, and the A4 Allroad is a good sequel—but why waste any bandwidth on it? On the other hand, there are some pretty exciting alternative-fuel vehicles on display. (And, predictably, some big disappointments, too).
One of the good things about a show is that you can talk with the industry’s grands fromages on an off-the-record level, to get a feeling of what’s buzzing. Basically, there seems to be an understanding that government support will make electric propulsion feasible for small, lightweight cars in selected countries such as France and Israel. Second, hybrids are a good idea for heavyweight cars and trucks. Finally, electric sports cars are good testing beds for new technology—but not much more. (But where does that leave the Volt? Exactly. But I digress).
Starting with the lightweight-but-serious stuff, I really like the Michelin-Heuliez “Active Wheel” joint venture. The main thought is: an advanced electric car doesn’t have to have a conventional gasoline-engine configuration. You don’t need a large engine bay; why not save the space for luggage, crashroom and legroom? So the Heuliez (you pronounce it “Early-Ezz”) “Will” has its electric motors, brakes, and suspension elements encased in the wheels’ hubs. At 450 mm, the Will’s roll center of gravity is low. Each front wheel allocates the power it puts on the road according to available traction, and steering is 100% electronic: there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, just as in an Airbus. But what about all the unsprung weight you get from putting everything in the wheel? This is where the Will is remarkable: unsprung weight in each front wheel is only 32kg. This means a mere 7kg more unsprung weight in comparison to a conventional layout. The Will (not the wheel) looks boring, but that’s because Heuliez concentrated on technology, not on the car’s appearance. Future generations will look more advanced, but in the meantime, the press will be allowed to drive the first Wills this July.
It would be great if the Mindset held the same promise, but I doubt it. Mindset is a company with a prototype designed by Murat Günak, the guy who penned epic cars such as the Mercedes SLK, Mercedes SLR and the Peugeot 206. It uses Heuliez’ e-technology. The Heuliez engineers I spoke with think it is a true dream car concept. I like it too as a complete re-think of what a modern car could be: fast but bench-seated, aerodynamic but unblobby, sporty yet replete with high ground clearance. The word in Geneva however was that Mindset is not getting crucial second-stage investors funding. We’ll see.
When I took the Mitsubishi iMiev for a test drive six months ago, I was impressed. And in Geneva, most e-engineers opined they have high hopes for the iMiev being a significant advancement because, uniquely, it is more than just an urban vehicle. PSA (France’s Peugeot Citroen group) in Geneva announced it will be adopting iMievs for their home market. It seems that once you have a usable electric drivetrain, it’s not too difficult to adapt it to different lines of cars. For a start, Mitsubishi in Geneva is showing a wacky coupe variant of the iMiev called the Sport Air. My girlfriend loved it, but I reserve judgment.
How to reserve judgment for Tesla when they hide themselves away in a sad, dark, minor area of the Geneva show, with Uzbeki LPG-adopters as neighbors? So these are the guys who want Europeans to send down payments for their pricey sports cars? It seems they’ve had a major management malfunction somewhere.
Talking about major malfunctions, it was endearing and bizarre to listen to the MSM journalists interview Opel’s operators about the Ampera, Europe’s Predator-faced adaptation of the Chevy Volt. Here are some questions I eavesdropped on: Will the rear-view mirrors look like that on the actual 2011 model? Regular or premium? How about the warranty? I was impressed with the Ampera’s claim of a 500km range, but I also like Orson Wells’ “F for Fake”.
For a taste of proper things to come, look at the official Swiss electric vehicle showcase stand, splendidly located in the middle of the most important hall of the motor show. There, the Honda Insight was displayed right next to the new Prius. Bad news: inside, in comparison to the Toyota, the Insight looks every penny saved. I was more than disappointed how cheap and unappealing the dashboard and some of the interior fittings appeared. Altogether nicer is the e’mo, a prototype developed by the University of Applied Science of Rapperswil (I’m not joking, and neither are they). The e’mo was designed to be superlight (350kg), fun to drive and sexy-looking. A sandwich-plate structure makes it stable and crashworthy, and non-golfcart-ish. I can hardly imagine a more appealing urban vehicle (but that may be because I yearn for a Citroen Méhari).
Another advanced electric car I could imagine driving is the Protoscar Lampo. Impressively, the Lampo has four-wheel drive and a GPS-based range estimator which they say is more accurate because it integrates data about hills and freeways. 268 hp and a range of 200 km sound nice for this LiIon sports car that sports a composite material body. The selection of beep tones (from freight train to wolf whistle) to alert pedestrians was an auto show hit, too.
Since it stores its energy in the form of compressed air, the MDI Airpod would probably be able to do wolf whistles, too. Honestly, how wacky can you get? It is hard to take such an odd job seriously, but MDI is actually already selling vehicles to various airports. The thing about compressed air, an MDI official told me, is that you don’t need expensive, heavy and complicated batteries. Sound logical? The AirPod, of course, is strictly urban, but the MiniFlowAir is a bit closer to, er, conventional concepts of what a passenger car might be. They showed it in Geneva and it was hard not to find it impressive.
In the mean time, some people will make do with the Smart ed, which is in the first year of four years of testing in England. A Smartish guy told me nobody had yet returned a FourTwo ed, and that the driving experience was generally seen to be superior to the regular Smart (with no jerky shifts). Surprisingly, only 60% of the 100 participants live in urban London. Mr. Smart said that in contrast to Germans, the English seem to take reducing their CO2 footprint quite seriously. It’s strange times we live in.
Only 7kg extra for that wheel? Hmmm…
It’s exciting to see all this lateral thinking.
The only thing holding it back are the Flat-Earthers claiming “heracy!” everytime someone wants to try something else other than oil and V8s.
Oil prices are suppossedly low because the credit crisis has put a hold on the masses attempts to purchase new SUV’s and new cars. Oil tankers are being mooored as storage tankers rather than racing around the globe to fuel America’s thirst.
Electric is not the way. Battery technology is never going to be at the point where we can recharge in efficient and practical amounts of time to make it worth it.
I recommend we set up bio-diesel plants to convert organic waste into bio diesel. Then we can push our economy and our culture into the green direction using bio diesels and solar/tidal energy to run it all.
for the mean time however, gasoline cars are the most efficient, practical devices we have.
Martin, Thank you, once again, for your excellent report from Geneva.
I have been following the in-wheel idea for several years, and it’s good to see it coming one step closer to fruition. It’s quite a radical idea, when you think about it. Someday in the future, the differentiating factor between cars will be the styling and interior, as the powertrain will use supplier components for this and the batteries.
Having been a fan of EV’s for 50 years, it’s truly exciting to see them come to fruition. And, yes, I very much like the iMiev, and am jealous that you got to drive one. To me, the iMiev almost perfectly embodies the right elements of size, design, range, and cost of the first generation of practical EV’s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohner-Porsche_Mixte_Hybrid
The layout changes are one reason I’m so excited for electric cars. disclaimer: this is all in my fantasy, awesome battery world, but anyway:
With a 100% electric car you could get rid of the: engine (including lubrication systems), cooling system (radiator, water pumps, etc.), exhaust system, and most of the drive train and transmission (electric motors at the wheels).
With all this stuff no longer needed imagine the possibilities: car layouts that are optimized for driving not for fitting tons of mechanical crap, perfect 50/50 weight distribution with the driver dead centered on the center of gravity, oh and zero carbon emissions, noise, or pollution.
I say bring it on….
Someone converted a Mini to hub-drive several years ago. I thought it was brilliant because each motor made 100 hp. That means it made 400 hp with four wheel drive. In a Mini. If that doesn’t sound like the best thing since the invention of sex, then you are clinically dead.
GeeDashOff :
An electric car would STILL need a Heating system for the winter months. It would STILL need A/C for the Summer months. It would STILL need lubrication systems and cooling to keep the engine from overheating.
Even the Tesla overheats.
Flashpoint :
March 6th, 2009 at 10:18 am
GeeDashOff :
An electric car would STILL need a heating system for the winter months.
true
It would STILL need A/C for the Summer months.
there are advanced cooling systems around today without the need for any fluid.
It would STILL need lubrication systems and cooling to keep the engine from overheating.
True – about the quantity of a bigger nut – permanently sealed within the drivetrain.
Even the Tesla overheats.
The Tesla overheats because its energy storage system as well as drive train are stone ax technology – but even so – the the Tesla works as is and is legal out in the wild on the streets and dont need “a public bailout”, at least not till today. Not having faltered till today – like the big bullies have, hanging in the corners badly beaten. And people stand in line to get the overpriced car (This cannot be said by any other car producer in the USA ) even thought its coming from a company with a CEO enjoying a simpatico level in par with Achmedinejud.
Whats the lesson?
EV technology is coming back even when its crippled by a boatload of led (like CEO’s as Teslas Elon Musk – whose name analogy of a shitty smell is inert program) – if not for homeland security motives so for practical & economically one – back from the 20th where more EV taxis where humming along NY streets then oil-based cars.
^This.
You are all right!
EV is coming back, but all the technology required will take a while to develop and perfect. It is not realistic to expect EV’s to “take over” tomorrow. Eventually, and in the very long term, it is the only thing that makes sense – produce renewable electricity (insert favored technology here) and use it for pretty much everything.
But we have a minimum of 50 years of oil-based economy still to go. That’s why current gen hybrids, PHEVs, biodiesel, ultra-efficient ICE, etc all have a place as transitional technologies. They all offer incremental improvement and continue to allow freedom of choice in the marketplace, flexibility in use, and leverage existing infrastructure.
This is the only real conversation to be having. Absolutists, “EV’s are evil, gas is evil, CNG uber alles!” etc, are all wrong only because they are being absolutists!
RetardedSparks :
March 6th, 2009 at 11:10 am
“EV’s are evil, gas is evil, CNG uber alles!” etc, are all wrong only because they are being absolutists!
Wrong –
Not the alternative energy pusher are absolutists but 90% of the vendors of oil-based energy form are more or less Wahabitis – and their genetically engraved religious and political radical fundamentalism makes Achmedinejud look comparable Noam Chomsky having a second bong.
In contrary – dont forget – Iran (by the usual interest groups to the artificially blown-up big stinker) has (as Iraq had before being brutally invaded to be peaceful freed & liberated) still has a viable, lively and healthy Jewish society which is by no means discriminated- just ask the ambassador of the second biggest US friend, the Saudis how much synagogues there are within their vicinity.
@Robert Frankfurter:
I was referring only to “absolutist” in terms of the motor vehicle fuel discussion.
Not talking politics, religion, etc in any way whatsoever.
@RetardedSparks :
correct – but this very theme: oil-based society versus alternative energy politic e.g. electric is unbreakable inter-connected to international politics and cannot be discussed separated from its broader effects at home and abroad when implemented.
And thats, as the energy resources (oil-wells) are sorrily not located where they are needed inter-winded with politics – and in case of extremist countries or dictatorships your dealing with (sending cash to by the boatload) being the source, also religion.
You cannot discuss any side of that theme without considering the (in case EV for the democratic parts of the world positive) fallout, broader effects when implementing on broad scale a alternative kind of transport & energy consumption – leaving out the consequences on both sides would be foolish at best.
That would be like discussing academically buyig a crook a Colt and helping him pulling the trigger without considering the result – while waiting on the other end of the barrel.
If history is any guide – that policy failed on 9/11
I just hope EV’s explode like they do in Fallout3.
Flashpoint :
March 5th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Battery technology is never going to be at the point where we can recharge in efficient and practical amounts of time to make it worth it.
correct.
Therefor other forms of electric storage must and will be found and will lead the way – consider –three hours of sun radiation covers the global energy needs for a year.
There is no other energy source comparable powerful – the trick is how to make it technically & economically feasible.
Turning of the last century EV taxis roamed NY – in the meantime men flow to the moon and we got freezers in our kitchen- still the technology we try to store electrical power today is not further developed then the EV by 1900. In the meantime the transistor replaced the bulb, morse came, died and mobile phones and internet is here and all that will be soon replaced as well.
Nobody can convince me that, given enough dedication, the electrical storage problem could have been solved years ago. Seems to me the capacity of large industry conglomerates to hinder new technologies in certain sectors is far more powerful then their abilities to lead innovation.
@Robert Frankfurter:
To extend your analogy, I’m trying to have a discussion about the metallurgy of trigger springs and you are trying to have a discussion about gun control.
RetardedSparks :
March 6th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
correct. Then lets discuss the final product seen from different angles- together.
The end result:
Electric individual & public transport vehicles, filled their electric storage by electricity produced by solar farms in the Mojave desert roaming quietly the US streets and the Saudis in the desert feeding the rest of their oil in a bunch of Aladins lamps.
GeeDashOff :
March 6th, 2009 at 9:54 am
With a 100% electric car you could get rid of the: engine (including lubrication systems), cooling system (radiator, water pumps, etc.), exhaust system, and most of the drive train and transmission (electric motors at the wheels).
I’d love to have an electric car…but I live in Chicago. Getting rid of the radiator, water pump, etc… would also seem to mean getting rid of a reliable heater and defroster (critical for winter here). Has anyone ever published data on what the range is for ANY electric car with the defroster running full blast?
A non fluid highly efficient heat exchanger based on magnetics only (the technical basis is long known)- working as a cooling /heating device is within production stage:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211111013.htm
The simplest solution to keep an EV hot in cold climate would probably to have forced air furnace running on diesel something like a scaled down version of this one.
0.11gph on full blast.
Nice one, t-truck. It does seem somehow ironic that the electric car needs an oil fired heater. I wonder if they have a propane version? Any way, it couldn’t be any worse than my car was this winter. I averaged under 15mpg for my daily 2.5 mile commute. And I still had no heat for 5 minutes! It’s just starting to warm up as I pull into the garage. You’d think a 4 cyl. Audi would be good in the winter. But it really doesn’t run too well at -15F. Why should I have to wait for the engine coolant to warm up? A direct fired heater like that would be at least 80% efficient, and provide nearly instantaneous heat. The electric motor doesn’t mind freezing like an IC engine. Or does it? Any Tesla owners in the north this winter?
To respond to a couple of issues raised here.
For many motorists the option of an OEM blockheater is available on many vehicles.
My subcompact takes 300W, the mid-size takes 400W which I put on a timer.
For cabin heat an old idea used in England 45 years ago for electrical residential heating might be suitable. An insulated enclosure containing a 100lb block of granite would be brought to 300 degrees C overnight fed by “White” meters in order to measure consumption at the special low rates during those off peak hours.
An automobile version would work similarly but be equipped with 12 volt internal fans to ensure rapid heat for the cabin at the drivers behest.
– Frankfurter Seems to me the capacity of large industry conglomerates to hinder new technologies in certain sectors is far more powerful then their abilities to lead innovation.
Sure, utilities have no interest in cogen whether in district heating on the large scale nor residential users in-home power generation on the smaller scale. These would have rapid payback rather than squander millions on cellulosic ethanol projects.
I can relate that on Hilary Clinton’s recent visit to China they showcased their most recent district heating project. It has an estimated effcy of 80% with the use of both gas turbine and steam turbine technologies.