TV presenter and actor Robert Llewellyn has told of his experiences of driving an electric vehicle (EV).

Taking delivery of a Nissan Leaf, which had already been driven over 700 miles by journalist test-drivers, he wrote in his blog on TheChargingPoint.com of his worry that it gave a range estimate of just 62 miles.

However, after two days of driving gently, this increased to a 93-mile range.

To dispel range anxiety, he said to “accelerate gently, don’t brake hard, allow the car to slow well before you need to stop” and “maintain the legal speed limit”.

Mr Llewellyn noted that climbing hills drained the battery slightly and that being presented with closed road signs can bring back some range anxiety, but he added: “The car handles exceptionally well, it’s quiet, smooth and if you do need it to be, very quick.”

Meanwhile, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that charging EVs at night is better for the environment than charging in the day as it produces fewer nitrogen oxides.

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In 2006, director Chris Paine released a documentary dubbed “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” which basically indicted oil companies, car manufacturers and the government for conspiring to sabotage the electric vehicle (EV) in the late 1990’s.

Paine’s follow-up film, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” documents the rebirth of the EV movement through the eyes of four men who are trying to make the green vehicle an industry stalwart, rather than a niche product. The camera follows two well-known auto executives: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and General Motors’ (News – Alert) former vice chairman, Bob Lutz, who Paine recently described to NPR as the “most unlikely person ever to embrace an electric car.” Lutz had once called global warming a “total crock of ****,” according to the New York Times.

The film, released last month at the Tribeca Film Festival, also documents the struggles of Elon Musk, CEO of Silicon Valley startup Tesla Motors, and Greg “Gadget” Abbott, an inventor who sees his dreams “go up in smoke,” says the Times.

Revenge of the Electric Car concentrates more on the personalities behind the EV movement than the electric car itself.

“I think we wanted to show in this film that it takes very strong insiders inside these big corporations to create change. It’s not just, you know, some bureaucratic decision,” Paine told NPR (News – Alert). “You’ve got to have an entrepreneur at heart driving something.”

The entrepreneurs in the film enjoy many successes but also face many failures, leading one to speculate whether the title of Paine’s second film should also end in a question mark. The documentary takes a hard look at the difficulty of selling electric vehicles to the average consumer, especially for Musk, whose company began the EV journey by manufacturing $100,000 roadsters – most of which didn’t sell. Tesla has since secured a Department of Energy loan and is working on an electric sedan with a more moderate price tag (News – Alert).

So far, the film has gotten mixed reviews. The New York Times suggests that the documentary is a bit disjointed, hopping around between each man enough times to leave the viewer feeling distracted. Treehugger adds that the film doesn’t spend enough time on the status of electric cars in America and fails to question the CEOs beyond their word.

Click here to check out a clip of the film and a bit more background on its stars.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

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Despite a heavy marketing campaign and major public outreach, for some reason people still seem to think that the Chevrolet Volt is just an expensive hybrid with unimpressive fuel economy. But even if the public doesn’t get the difference between serial and parallel hybrids, the folks over at the Edison Awards do–the Volt beat out the Nissan Leaf and the Copenhagen Wheel by Senseable City Lab to win the Gold medal in the Personal Transportation segment.

At the Edison Awards ceremony last week, I got a chance to chat with Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Manager for the Volt. Posawatz had the gargantuan task of bringing the Volt to market under intense public scrutiny from angry taxpayers and bitter battery-only proponents. That challenge was compounded by an unconventionally transparent development process, a marketing move that Posawatz says the company probably won’t try again. Before winners were announced at the ceremony, we chatted briefly about demographics, range anxiety, and why people complain about the Volt’s fuel economy.

CNET: With reports of drivers getting stranded in their Nissan Leafs, do you feel vindicated in your execution to the Chevy Volt?

Tony: We root for all electric drive technologies, but we learned from our EV1 experiences, and there’s a reason why we chose to develop the Volt with the extended range feature. I famously coined the “range anxiety” in November 2006, and it is a real affliction. We think that if you want to develop and make battery-powered cars viable, you have to create an experience like a regular car. And regular cars don’t have range anxiety because you have 150,000 gas stations you can refuel at. What the Volt gives you is the choice of a million outlets and 150,000 gas stations, so the customer can choose how he or she wants to refuel and drive their car.

CNET: There have been a lot of complaints online that the Volt gets only 35 mpg, which is on par with a Smart ForTwo. Do people understand extended range technology?

Tony: All cars have performance variation, whether in EV range or miles per gallon, that is based on what we call temperature, technique, and terrain. Temperature is the ambient outside temperature, which typically requires a response from the customer, such as turning your AC on or off. Technique is how aggressive you drive, and terrain is whether you’re going up or down hills.

With the Volt, we’ve always said that its range will be between 25 to 50 miles on battery power alone. We have people who have exceeded that when the temperature is moderate, when their driving is efficient, and they’re on flat ground.

Personally, I’ve driven the car continuously since September, and achieved very high numbers that I don’t even want to quote because I don’t want people to think they can achieve those same numbers. But I have my own techniques to maximize economy. The beautiful thing about the Volt is that in spite of any variation in electric range, you have a very unique insurance policy that allows you to go anywhere at any time, and not feel any concerns that the car is hampering your lifestyle.

CNET: Given that not a lot of people can go electric-only, who is the person that can get the most benefit from the Volt?

Tony: The technology guys like it a lot for the technology. If I were to oversimplify the customer, it’s the commuter. It’s not the long distance traveller–its the guy who commutes in from the suburbs. It’s the person who typically drives less than 20 miles per day, but on weekends occasionally has to go longer distances. We have a number of our early customers that have not yet refueled because the Volt’s portable cord allows you charge anywhere you have access to a wall outlet.

I’m fortunate enough to have a 240-volt charger at work and at home, so my charges are really quick: 3.5 to four hours max. When I drive 120 miles a day, I get nearly two-thirds of that driving on battery power from the grid.

CNET: I saw that the Mi-Ray won a design award at the 2011 Seoul auto show. Does this mean we will see this technology in a luxury high performance vehicle?

Tony: I can’t comment on future plans, but I think one of the things we’re seeing is that when the Volt first came out and highlighted extended range technology, there wasn’t a large following. People were either in the camp of the hybrid, diesel, or the pure battery-powered car. What we’re seeing now is that as people realize that this is solution that can replace the everyday car, I think we’ll see more and more extended range vehicle technologies and different models, makes and body styles in the future.

Believe it or not, but because of its instantaneous torque, no transmission shift, and whisper quiet interiors there are people that feel it could be the definition of luxury in the future.

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Their results, published in the latest edition of the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology, show that on a per-storage basis, the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery had the most environmental impact, followed by the nickel cobalt manganese lithium-ion (NCM) and iron phosphate lithium-ion (LFP) batteries for all impacts considered, except ozone depletion potential. The researchers also found higher life cycle global warming emissions than have been previously reported.

The researchers, Guillaume Majeau-Bettez, a PhD candidate in NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Programme; Troy R. Hawkins, a researcher in the programme; and Anders Hammer Strømman, an associate professor in the programme, conducted a life cycle analysis of the three battery types and looked at 11 different types of environmental impacts from their production. These impacts included everything from greenhouse gas emissions to freshwater ecotoxicity, freshwater eutrophication and human toxicity.

The researchers were surprised to find that except for ozone depletion potential, the NiMH battery performed significantly worse than the two Li-ion batteries for all impact categories. The researchers attributed this difference to the greater use phase efficiency of Li-ion relative to NiMH, and the fact that each kilogram of Li-ion battery is expected to store between 2 to 3 times more energy than the other battery types over the course of its lifetime.

“The NCM and LFP batteries contain at least an order of magnitude less nickel and virtually no rare earth metals,” the researchers also observed. “Among Li-ion batteries, our analysis points to overall environmental benefits of LFP relative to NCM, which can be explained by a greater lifetime expectancy and the use of less environmentally intensive materials.”

For all three batteries, the energy requirements for their manufacture were a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. One component of the analysis demonstrated the environmental significance of using polytetrafluoroethylene as dispersant/binder in the electrode paste. Its production was responsible for more than 97% of the ozone depletion potential of all three batteries, along with 14 -15% of the greenhouse gas production from the two Li-ion batteries, mostly due to the halogenated methane emissions. The final shipping and the production of the cell containers, module packaging, separator material, and electrolyte contribute relatively little to causing environmental damage, with collectively less than 10% of any impact category.

The researchers also point out the importance of the choice of the functional unit for the life cycle analysis. While the production of NiMH causes the least greenhouse gas emissions impact per kilogram, its lower energy density makes it score worst both relative to its nominal energy capacity and the researchers’ storage-based functional unit. Similarly, the greenhouse gas impacts of LFP and NCM production are roughly equal for a given mass or nominal energy capacity, but the greater life expectancy of LFP confers a net environmental advantage to this type of battery for a per-energy-delivered functional unit.

“A shift from NiMH to Li-ion may thus be viewed positively,” the researchers concluded. “Though associated with important uncertainties, our results point to a higher than expected level of environmental impacts for the production and use of traction batteries. This inventory and life cycle analysis provide a basis for further benchmarking and focused development policies for the industry.”

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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WASHINGTON–Everybody wants an auto battery breakthrough that will lead to longer driving range and lower prices than what’s found with oil-powered autos. But while scientists are busy at work on the technology, there are a number of clever business ideas to make transportation cleaner and cheaper.

To a large degree, the toughest part of making electric vehicles take hold is sorting out new business models, according to speakers at last week’s annual conference of the Electric Drive Transportation Association. Here are examples of how existing technology is already being used and of the approaches being explored to redefine the auto industry.

Sell electric vehicles like consumer electronics
To buy a car, most of us do a little research online and then walk into a dealership. With the introduction of new electric drive technology, that may not be enough anymore. As automakers come to market with electric cars, they’re expanding their partners beyond the dealership lot.

Following similar arrangements made by General Motors and Nissan, Ford and Mitsubishi have signed on Best Buy’s Geek Squad to aid in home charging station installation for their electric vehicles due this fall. The Geek Squad won’t be doing the electrical installation of chargers, but they can do an initial evaluation and provide customer support.

Best Buy’s bread and butter is selling consumer electronics, but moving into alternative tech transportation (and home energy management) is a strategic move for the retailer, said Chad Bell, the senior director for the personal mobility business solutions group. Just as they need help sorting out consumer electronics, people have a growing set of transportation options, such as electric bikes, motorcycles, or cars.

“We can provide the consumer information on how cool these products are because they are connected devices. They’re a lot bigger than a cell phone, but it has a lot more to it than just the driving experience,” Bell said during a panel last week.

The mobile phone as car assistant
In-car technology is a big trend in the auto industry, whether it’s streaming Internet radio or voice commands. But technology plays a key role in the rollout of electric vehicles.

EV drivers will likely do the bulk of their charging at home, but if you’re looking for a public charging station, you want to know where the closest one is and whether it’s available. Charging station makers, including Ecotality and Coulomb Technologies, have built networked charge points that let you locate and reserve spots from your phone. One start-up called PlugShare has even built an app that lets homeowners share their plugs with drivers.

Apps, either on a phone or PC, are integral to home charging as well. You can schedule car charging to take advantage of off-peak rates or check the charge status from your mobile phone. GM’s OnStar division sends Volt owners e-mails with tips on how to be more fuel-efficient.

Having a communication link between the utility and home charger opens up more possibilities, such as letting consumers choose to charge their car with wind or solar power. “We have the technology to solve this problem today and we’ve demonstrated it,” Tony Posawatz, the vehicle line manager for the Chevy Volt, said last week at the EDTA conference.

Driving plans
You buy cell phone minutes, why not miles? Until recently, Better Place appeared to be the only company with a business model of selling driving subscription plans. In their case, customers pay a monthly fee and they have access to charging points at home and in public places, as well as battery-swapping stations.

But now utilities are getting into the game in a slightly different way. NRG EV Services is a division of utility NRG that recently began offering an electric vehicle service to its retail customers.

They’ve started the program in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth where consumers can choose between three plans, with the most expensive at $89 a month, to essentially prepay for the electricity fuel for EVs. Consumers also have a home charger installed for free and free access to public charging stations.

The business model is sort of like a cable company installing a cable box at consumers’ homes and then charging for the ongoing service, Arun Banskota, the president of NRG EV Services, said last week. The utility finances the installation of a charging station at home, which can cost $2,000.

For consumers, it’s a good way to understand and lock into fuel costs for three years, avoiding the ups and downs of gas prices or changing electricity rates, he said. NRG is also looking at multifamily programs and installing charge points at workplaces, which, along with retail locations, are vital to creating an “ecosystem” around EV services, Banskota said.

Repurposing electric car batteries for grid storage
Lithium ion batteries are light and powerful but they are expensive, making up roughly half the cost of an all-electric vehicle. There are many efforts to improve the energy density of batteries, which will enable a longer range, and increase the number of charges they can handle.

But arguably, a business model change will cut the prices down before we have a technology breakthrough. In particular, people in the auto and utility industries are looking at ways of repurposing auto batteries for grid storage.

Related links
• EV industry gets ready for bumpy ride
• Behind the wheel of electric cars, no big surprises
• To invite plug-in cars, cities work on permitting

Lithium ion batteries will lose about 20 percent of their charging capacity after about 3,000 cycles, which can be about 10 years of driving time, according to Tom Goesch, president of the transportation division of Indianapolis-based battery maker Ener1. At some point, a driver may want a refreshed set of car batteries, but the remaining capacity is plenty for grid storage.

If that business model get worked out, it could significantly cut down the cost of EVs for consumers, Brian Wynne, the president of the EDTA, said last week. One idea being explored is utilities would own and lease the batteries to consumers and then recoup them after a certain time.

Giving batteries a second life allows all the companies involved to get more value from the product and lower the upfront cost, Wynne said. Ener1 is exploring secondary use of batteries with a Japanese partner, but Goesch said there are some significant challenges to this industry taking hold, notably how to determine the price of used batteries, particularly in light of falling battery prices.

Car sharing
Zipcar went public two weeks ago, which drew attention to car-sharing services. Without a few pieces of technology, these services would be a lot more difficult. In the case of Zipcar, people find cars and reserve online and use an RFID-enabled membership card to unlock the car.

With the range limitations of all-electric cars, car-sharing (or renting) can give people the longer range required for some trips as needed. Also, renting hybrids and electric cars gets more people familiar with the technology.

Hertz started offering a car-sharing service in New York City and is looking to offer electric vehicle rentals to businesses and government customers, said Richard Broome, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Hertz. It’s also looking to partner with hotel chains and retail locations to offer charge stations, he said.

“I don’t think anybody understands how the public will use or access these cars, so there are a lot of models developing,” he said. “What we are all doing is experimenting and collaboration, because we want to find the right answers.”

The experimentation around electric vehicles is needed to figure out what the new “operating system” will be for this technology and for the industry to scale up profitably, said Luis Manuel Ramirez, CEO of General Electric Energy Industrial Solutions.

“From the consumer perspective, if we don’t deliver solutions in the next 12 to 24 months, that will create a lot of churn and questions of whether it will happen or not (at large scale),” he said. “We have a window of opportunity, but as an industry, we need to deliver.”

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While there are still plenty of conventional powertrains coming onto the automotive market every year, it is the electric powertrains that are garnering the most praise from the International Engine of the Year Award judges.

According to early reports, new electric engines and small capacity internal combustion engines are increasingly popular.

However, the award, which is now in its 13th year and is closely watched by the industry, will not take place until May 18th in Stuttgart, Germany.

Last year, the Toyota 1.8-litre hybrid took away the prize for Green Engine of the Year.

Dean Slavnich, editor of Engine Technology International and co-chairman of the awards, commented: “The most interesting aspect of this year’s awards is the degree to which new electric powertrains from manufacturers such as Nissan and Mitsubishi are in a head to head battle with new and increasingly clever small capacity internal combustion engines.”

He added that the results of this year’s competition “will be fascinating”.

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Six electric charging points have been switched on in Milton Keynes, providing public facilities for electric car drivers to recharge when out and about.

It marks the first phase of the government’s Plugged-in Places scheme, in which the city was one of the first to win funding for boosting charging infrastructure.

Situated in the retail district of the city, the six points will be joined by 44 more, with a total of 150 points being installed over the next three years in other public locations.

Commenting on the landmark occasion, Alex Constantinides, assistant director of transport at Milton Keynes Council, said: “This is the start of delivering our innovative transport vision and strategy for now and the future, supporting both the council’s and the government’s objectives to reduce carbon emissions.”

Owners of electric vehicles can sign up to the scheme for £50 before receiving a swipe card, giving them free electric power from the posts whenever they want, as well as access to points in other cities.

Posted by Mark Stephens

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For more information please see: Plugged-in Places

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The Smart ForTwo seems like an excellent platform for an electric car. Small and lightweight are all virtues for current battery technology, but the Smart just might be too small. Smart fitted the 2011 Electric Drive Passion Coupe with an electric motor and lithium ion battery pack to test the proposition.

The resulting 63 mile-range in EPA testing and about 60 mph top speed falls short of larger competitors such as the Nissan Leaf. Even compared with a gasoline-powered Smart ForTwo, which can hit comfortable freeway speeds and achieve high fuel economy, the Smart Electric Drive has a hard time justifying itself.

Smart is currently leasing its Electric Drive coupes in a test program, but plans on selling these green electric cars starting in early 2012. The company loaned one to CNET for evaluation.

Build or refit?
When automakers decide to make an electric car, they have a choice of building something from the ground up, such as the Nissan Leaf, or adapting an existing platform, such as the Ford Focus Electric. Smart chose the latter course, putting a 41-horsepower motor and 16.5 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack underneath the cargo area, where the gas engine would normally go.

Outside and inside, the Smart Electric Drive differs little from its gasoline-powered sibling. Even the plug-in port is in the same spot as the gas filler port. The instrument cluster is similar, with one big speedometer and an LCD panel. But two pod gauges on the Smart Electric Drive’s dashboard indicate remaining battery charge and power draw on the battery.

Missing, and an apparent oversight from Smart, is an indication of remaining range. Certainly the battery charge gauge offers some clue, but there is nothing showing how many miles the car can travel. This data is crucial in a car with limited range and few places to recharge the battery. It is possible that Smart will add range information by the time it offers the car for sale.

Smart managed to keep the battery pack small, so it does not impinge on the car’s cargo space at all. The two seats offer the same format as in the gasoline version, with an upright position that is easy to access and offers good all-around visibility.

Turning the key causes the same sort of silent light show as in other electric cars and hybrids. But unlike most other cars, putting the shifter in Drive has no obvious effect–the Smart Electric Drive just sits there. There is no creep built into the drive programming, so you have to push the accelerator to make it move. That is the first note of non-typical drive performance in the Smart Electric Drive.

Similar to how the Tesla Roadster operates, taking your foot off the brake causes the Smart Electric Drive to slow rapidly as its regeneration system kicks in. Pushing the brake pedal causes additional regeneration, observable from how the power flow gauge dips further into the green. Like its gasoline-powered sibling, the Smart Electric Drive gets disc brakes up front and drums on the rear wheels.

Smooth acceleration
As the Smart Electric Drive only needs a single reduction gear, it doesn’t suffer from the horrible transmission issues of the gasoline-powered Smart ForTwo. Typical for an electric car, acceleration is smooth and steady, taking 6.5 seconds to get to 37 mph, according to Smart.

The lithium ion battery pack weighs more than 300 pounds, but this doesn’t represent a net gain for the car, as the Smart Electric Drive sheds its gas tank and engine. But the Smart Electric Drive is noticeably heavier than the gasoline version, which weighs in at 1,958 pounds. Although that weight negatively affects acceleration and range, it helps stability. Still no sports car, the Smart Electric Drive feels steadier than the standard Smart ForTwo.

The ride quality remains rough, with the little Smart suffering from its short wheelbase, small tires, and compact suspension gear. Pothole jolts come in quick succession, and the car transmits every uneven surface to the cabin.

In the city, the Smart Electric Drive works well, with the same easy parking as the gasoline version. Beyond the smooth acceleration and the car’s EPA rating of 87 mpg equivalent, it offers little advantage over the gasoline-powered Smart. The Smart Electric Drive also seems to come standard with power steering, unlike its sibling, where power assist is an option.

Of course, being an electric car, owners will need a place to plug in the Smart Electric Drive, which can be tough to find in a city. Smart says the battery will charge in less than eight hours off of a 220-volt outlet, so expect substantially longer on a standard 110-volt source.

The Smart Electric Drive does not feel particularly suitable for the freeway. Acceleration to freeway speeds is slow, and although Smart says it has a top speed of 60 mph, hill climbing will reduce that. While driving up a gradual incline, the car barely made it past 50 mph. Expect to live in the slow lane if you dare freeway travel.

Cabin electronics are the same as in the standard Smart ForTwo, centered on an AM/FM head unit with no CD player. There is a USB port in the glovebox that reads MP3s off of thumbdrives. But it will not work with an iPod. The audio system consists of two speakers, essentially a large boombox.

Smart offers a number of options for the car, including a Bluetooth phone system and in-dash navigation. The best way to option up a Smart car, though, is to get the smartphone integration kit, along with Smart’s car app. This app includes most standard cabin tech features, including navigation.

The real nail in the Smart Electric Drive coffin will probably be its price. Although not on sale yet, the expected price is around $45k, well above the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi’s upcoming i car. The Smart Electric Drive’s easy parking is not enough to justify the price versus the lack of seats, range, and freeway usability.

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An electric supercar which was driven down the length of the Americas in 140 days has gone on display for all to see.

Alex Schey, a student at Imperial College London, created the SRZero to prove that electric vehicles can perform as well as a sports car.

He got funding from 35 companies and built the two-seater electric car before driving 16,000 miles with four teammates.

Speaking to the Evening Standard ahead of the display at the Science Museum, Mr Schey said: “At traffic lights, drivers would pull up alongside us and say, ‘C’mon, rev that engine, let’s hear what you’ve got’. We’d say, ‘You won’t hear a thing because it’s all-electric’.

“Then we’d speed off silently – the car does 0-100kph (0-62mph) in seven seconds – you should have seen their faces! They just could not believe the car was powered by electricity.”

He claimed that many people think electric vehicles are “silly and feeble”, but noted that while the fuel bill for a conventional car taking the journey would have been £3,000, his was just £350 for electricity.

Posted by Emily Thomas

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For more information please see: Evening Standard article

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