Now it doesn’t matter how far you have to go in your electric vehicle or mobility scooter, if you run out of juice you’re set for the night. Just hop into your “QTVan,” brew up some fresh tea, switch on the telly and wait for your battery to charge up. Of course, the QTVan is actually a bit of viral marketing for Britain’s Environmental Transport Association, which is using the micro-camper to sell mobility scooter insurance. Still, its an idea to keep an eye on…

1903 Columbus Electric Model 1000 on display at the 2011 SAE World Congress. From the collection of Peter Fawcett.

Photos courtesy of Cars In Depth

The theme of this year’s SAE World Congress was “Charging Forward Together”. In case you haven’t noticed the electrification of the automobile industry, to make the phrase even more obvious the logo includes an electric plug. Keeping with that theme the automotive engineers’ professional association put a couple of early electric cars on display, a 1915 Detroit Electric and a 1903 Columbus Electric.
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On April 18th, BMW CEO Jim O’Donnell met in New York with reporters, amongst them TTAC’s Jack Baruth. At the meeting, O’Donnell opined that the U.S. government should end the $7,500 tax credit for EVs. “I believe in a free economy. I think we should abolish all tax credits,” O’Donnell said, noting that it was his personal opinion.

O’Donnell also said that “from a practicality point of view, EVs won’t work for most people. For at least 90 percent and maybe more of the population, an EV won’t work at the current battery range.” What else is new? A 10 percent market share for EVs usually is regarded as widely optimistic. And we all know that German automakers are not particularly excited about electrification. The quote wasn’t newsworthy, and did not rate a mention in Jack’s report about the meeting.

Interestingly, the meeting had been the kick-off for BMW’s ActiveE EV lease program.  If a CEO says that a new product is not all things to all people, he usually gets praises for being candid. This apparently does not apply in the world of faith-based motorization. Read More >

Mitsubishi has announced the 3rd major-OEM plug-in vehicle for the US market (available in November), and it’s taken the opportunity to bring down the price of entry for (barely) freeway-capable EVs. With 66 HP and 145 lb-ft of torque, the Mitsubishi i will take you to “approximately 80 MPH” for the low, low price of $27,990 before a $7,500 federal tax break. For $29,990, Mitsu will sell you an SE version, with an upgraded interior, premium sound system, and more. At those prices, the Mitsubishi i costs thousands less than the $32,780 base-MSRP Nissan Leaf, the previous budget EV king. But the i is only rated at 85 miles of range per charge based on the same test that said the Leaf would get 100 miles per charge, and the Leaf’s ultimate EPA rating is 73 miles so expect less from the i. But hey, it’s the first pure EV crash-tested by NCAP (it got four stars, thankyouverymuch), and its cheap. You get what you pay for…

Advertising on the side of your corporate fleet is a great idea. Especially if you are an electric company and you have electric cars.

Japan’s TEPCO just changed its mind. Read More >

President Obama’s goal of putting one million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015 has faced serious challenges from day one, with several studies pointing out that the goal probably isn’t achievable without more government action.But up till now, President Obama has forwarded only one actual policy change aimed at achieving his goal, namely turning an existing $7,500 federal plug-in tax credit into a rebate, redeemable at the point of purchase (an idea first forwarded by Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow). This plan should help drive a Cash-for-Clunker-style EV buying frenzy, as the rebate would not be dependent on the buyer’s tax burden. But Automotive News [sub] reports that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)

is very concerned [about the credit-to-rebate scheme] from an effectiveness standpoint.

Baucus doesn’t make a regular habit of opposing the President, but apparently his concerns about the Obama/Stabenow credit-to-rebate plan are serious enough for him to put politics aside.

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After Nissan’s Leaf drove away with the European Car Of  The Year title and the Volt snagged the American Car Of  The Year title, what else was there to win? The WCOTY, of course. The champion of champions, the World Car Of The Year. And the winner is … Read More >

Cars charred in Barkhamsted fire: wtnh.com

The Hartford Courant reports that the fire reported on in the video above, which first started in a garage holding a new Chevrolet Volt and a converted electric-powered Suzuki Samurai, re-ignited this morning. According to the report

A fire apparently reignited inside the battery of a new Chevrolet Volt car early Monday, less than five days after the Volt, an electric hybrid, was involved in a blaze that destroyed a Barkhamsted garage where it had been plugged in for recharging.

“The rekindle this morning really adds to the mystery,” Barkhamsted Fire Marshal Bill Baldwin said today.

Representatives from General Motors, the vehicle’s manufacturer plan, are scheduled to arrive in Barkhamsted this evening to examine the car, Baldwin said.

The hybrid electric car was not plugged in this morning when the fire rekindled, Baldwin said.

Investigators still haven’t linked either the fire or the rekindle to either vehicle, but GM’s investigators should be able to help narrow down the cause of the fire.

UPDATE: TTAC Commenter mcs finds the blog of a Suzuki EV converter based in Barkhamsted, CT. One post describes a homemade charging system its owner describes as “certainly not a recommended safe practice.” Hit the jump for a screen capture of the post, or check out the blog here.
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Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments in the much-hyped world of electric vehicles is the fact that no major OEM has committed to proving their battery-powered cars in the crucible of competitive racing. But it seems that this crucial oversight is being addressed by Nissan, which is unveiling a race-spec Nissan Leaf NISMO RC, aimed at pushing the electric racing world forward while proving that green isn’t synonymous with dull. Nissan’s presser explains:

“Combining the talents of NISMO, Nissan’s world renowned motorsports group, and engineers behind some of the company’s Super GT and FIA GT1 race teams, the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC will serve as a rolling laboratory for the accelerated development of EV and aerodynamic systems, as well as a platform for the development of new green motorsports series,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas.

The new electric race vehicle will likely make a series of special demonstration appearances at various motorsports venues in 2011, with the company exploring pioneer zero emission competition spec series in future years.

The shorter, lower, lighter racing Leaf has the same battery pack as the production version, but shifts the drivetrain to a mid-mounted position, driving the rear wheels. Early testing points to a 0-60 time of around 6.85 seconds and a top speed of 93 MPH. Nissan’s not announcing any details of the hinted-at racing series, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the first manufacturer-backed EV racing effort.

Some of Nissan’s Leaf cars were beset by the opposite of the alleged sudden unintended acceleration:  Sudden unintended arrest. Once started and turned off, the Leafs refused to start again. Which of course would turn the Leaf into a PR embarrassment: Who wants the first serious mass market EV to be a non-starter? After having received complaints both in Japan and the U.S., Nissan decided to do something about it. Read More >

If you are a respectable auto manufacturer, better don’t show up at the Shanghai Auto Show (open to the public on April 21) without an EV or at least a hybrid. Not that there is a huge demand. Despite lavish subsidies (in Beijing, I could collect $9,000 from the government for driving an EV, an amount the city will supposedly double – a moot point if I don’t get lucky in the license plate lottery), where was I, despite lavish subsidies, the take rate in China remains minuscule.

Wharton says that ”EV sales today account for only 0.06% of all vehicle sales in China.” Hybrids? Google leaves us in the dark. This does not discourage consultants from McKinsey on down from promising that China will be a bonanza for new energy vehicles. On top of that, the government wants it. One of the many companies to show up with a green car in Shanghai is BMW. Read More >

click “CC” for english captions

When DBM Energy, an unknown German “mailbox company,” announced it would attempt a world record for the longest single-charge EV trip, the reaction from observers and industry insiders was nearly universally dismissive. Even when the drive was completed, and DBM’s electrified Audi A2 completed a 600km (373 miles) journey under observation, the skepticism lingered. Then, when the record-setting A2 burnt in a fire, the mystery deepened. Did the enigmatic battery start the blaze (as, a DBM battery apparently already has in a forklift), or, as DBM suggests, did a jealous German OEM try to kill their miracle battery breakthrough with a convenient arson? That puzzle hasn’t been hashed out, but according to AutoBild, Germany’s Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) as well as the Ministry of Industry have tested the DBM battery for

extreme climate and air pressure changes, electrical short circuits, overloading or incorrect polarity and to mechanical influences such as vibration, shock and impact

The result? It’s safe! DBM has also made a 454km (282 miles) journey this month in a battery with less capacity than the world record-setting pack. More testing will be done, but it seems that DBM is on to something with its “miracle battery,” and the German automakers may yet be forced to abandon their long-held preference for hydrogen fuel cells.

Now we are getting from the concept cars to the kind of real ones. BMW electrified its BMW 1 Series Coupe and uses it as a test mule.  “The knowledge gained from field tests with the BMW ActiveE will be fed into the further development of the BMW Group’s future Megacity Vehicle, which will be ready for series production in the year 2013,” says BMW. Guess they had to come to China with a plug-in, even if it will never see production.

Compared to smothering hugs, ample booze and possibly a little deniable blackmail, suing a media outlet rarely is the best way to perform the skillful art of public relations. This is what Tesla is finding out right now.

Most likely after throwing words of caution by its own PR folk to the wind, Tesla decided to bring a defamation suit against the BBC’s Top Gear. According to Tesla’s own blog, Top Gear perpetrated “serious and damaging lies,” such as claiming that “the Roadster’s true range is only 55 miles per charge. “ Of course, writes Tesla’s Communication VP Ricardo Reyes in the blog, Tesla is “not doing this for money. As the world leader in EV technology, Tesla owes it to the public to stop Top Gear’s disinformation campaign and provide the truth. “ Read More >

One of the toughest challenges facing industry analysts right now involves determining what the market for electric vehicles actually looks like, what kind of volumes it will support and for how long. It’s a problem that I’ve hashed over at length with an old college buddy who now works at a cleantech investment firm, and let me be the first to say that it’s not an easy problem to pick apart. The number of unknown quantities and moving parts explains why opinions among money managers can vary so wildly even about relatively marginal firms like Tesla.

Luckily, Thilo Koslowski of Gartner Research [and celebrated coiner of the term “the trough of disappointment”] has dedicated himself more thoroughly to the problem, and has some startling findings to report. For example, despite the relentless pro-EV hype present in all levels of the media, Koslowski’s research shows that more consumers are actually considering buying a natural gas-powered vehicle. Looks like Edmunds’ Jeremy Anwyl was on to something when he called for an end to EV tax credits in favor of greater support for natural gas cars.

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