Rolls Royce Unveils Electric Vehicle Project

Posted on February 23, 2011 by quest

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today confirmed the development of 102EX, a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom, to debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2011. The car will tour during 2011, serving as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, “We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment. With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.”

102EX will serve as a working test bed for a global tour that takes in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Through test drives, owners will be given the opportunity to experience an alternative drive-train technology and to feedback their experiences, thoughts and concerns directly to Rolls-Royce. While there are no plans to develop a production version, as one of the company’s EX models it will serve to begin a dialogue with existing owners and stakeholders, posing as well as answering questions of its audience. These include the car’s ability to deliver an acceptable range between re-charges and to operate in extreme weather conditions. But also to benchmark reliability and quality against customer expectations of the world’s pinnacle automotive brand.

“I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience,” added Müller-Ötvös. “It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future.”

MORE GREEN NEWS

Cali & New York Large for Electric Vehicles

Posted on February 14, 2011 by quest

The growth of the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market in the United States will require significant preparation by industry players who are working on setting up recharging station networks, developing product and production plans, and allocating precious marketing resources. Adoption of PEVs will vary significantly by geography, and as state and local government officials as well as utility managers plan for the arrival of grid-connected vehicles, they need to understand where those vehicles are going to be located and what the impact could be.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the metropolitan areas with the largest number of PEVs on the road in the next several years will include New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The cleantech market intelligence firm also forecasts that certain utilities, such as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric, will need to prepare for the arrival of PEVs in much larger numbers than their counterparts in other regions.

“Electric vehicle adoption will follow markedly different patterns in various parts of the country,” says senior analyst Dave Hurst. “Demographics, consumer attitudes, city and utility infrastructure, and manufacturer launch plans will all have an influence on the uptake of PEVs in different areas.” Pike Research forecasts that the top 5 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for cumulative electric vehicle purchases between 2011 and 2017 will be:

START BUILDING GREEN

3M Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Station

Posted on February 12, 2011 by quest

3M is the first company headquarters in Minnesota to install a ChargePoint Network electric vehicle charging station that will accommodate cars like the Chevrolet VOLT and Nissan LEAF electric car. The station was unveiled today at 3M Center. “Installing the latest technology to charge electric vehicles at our corporate headquarters was an easy decision. Innovation is a way of life at 3M, and this is a great way to align our culture with a continued commitment to reduce impact on the environment and underline the connection between 3M values and sustainability,” said Jean Sweeney, vice president, 3M Environmental, Health and Safety Operations.

The station is the first of two that 3M will have installed on its campus to serve employees and their guests. Both charging stations will be part of the ChargePoint Network by Coulomb Technologies. Electric vehicle owners can access the network on-line to identify nearby charging stations during their trip or daily commute. Drivers can even tell which stations are immediately available via smart phone applications while traveling. In addition to the two dedicated charging stations that will be linked to the ChargePoint Network, 3M has also equipped additional parking spaces with upgraded electrical service.

“What we’re doing at 3M Center is indicative of our corporate-wide commitment. Due to our energy reduction efforts, improvements to manufacturing processes, product reformulation, and pollution control equipment, 3M has reduced global greenhouse gas emissions by 77 percent since 1990,” said Sweeney. “This is just another step in support of our commitment to environmental responsibility.”

SUSTAINABILITY IN EFFECT

Why Are There Still No Flying Cars?

Posted on February 10, 2011 by quest

Second Installment From BMW Documentaries, ‘The Future Just Isn’t What It Used To Be‘, Launches Today Online

“The Future Just Isn’t What It Used To Be,” chapter two of the BMW Documentaries Film series Wherever You Want To Go, premieres today online at bmwactivatethefuture.com. The film takes a critical look at some of the industry’s earliest predictions for the evolution of planes and automobiles to understand why aviation has progressed much further than automobiles even though both are roughly the same age. The short documentary evaluates which predictions we got right, which can be improved, which should be changed and why we are unlikely to ever travel in a flying car despite our many attempts to build one.

“The Future Just Isn’t What it Used To Be” features many of the same thought leaders found in chapter one, “The New City”, including Astronaut Buzz Aldrin; Futurist and conceptual designer for Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron, Syd Mead; Google VP Marissa Mayer; ZipCar founder Robin Chase; Treehugger.com founder Graham Hill; Ridelust.com editor-in-chief Mike Musto; and Reinventing the Automobile co-author Lawrence Burns. They are joined in chapter two by BMW DesignWorks USA President Laurenz Shaffer; Virgin Galactic President & CEO George Whitesides; MIT Sloan Director of Automotive Professor Wai Chang; and Human Business Works President & CEO Chris Brogan.
Director: Kurt Mattila. Production company: Prologue Pictures. Run time: 6 min 42 sec.

DRIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Electric Vehicle Volt Wins North American Car of the Year

Posted on January 16, 2011 by quest

DETROIT: The Chevrolet Volt is the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The winners were revealed Monday morning at a news conference at the North American International Auto Show. The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The Volt won with 233 points followed by the Hyundai Sonata with 163 and the Nissan Leaf electric with 94. “The Volt seamlessly bridges the gulf between today’s liquid fueling infrastructure and the plugged-in electric future,” commented juror Lindsay Brooke of Automotive Engineering International.

During the 18 years of the awards: Domestic automakers have won North American Car of the Year ten times. European automakers have won four times, Japanese automakers have won three times. A Korean automaker has won once. Last year the North American Car of the Year was the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford Transit Connect.

GM reports the Volt can travel 25 to 50 miles solely on electrical power supplied by a lithium-ion battery. The EPA found in tests using varying driving conditions and climate controls that the Volt displaces the Toyota Prius as the most fuel-efficient car sold in the United States.

The Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack can be charged by plugging the car into a residential electrical outlet. No external charging station is required. After the Volt battery is depleted, it switches to extended range mode, when a small 4-cylinder internal combustion engine burns premium gasoline to power a generator supplying the electrical power to extend the Volt’s range. In addition, while in extended range mode and travelling at highway speeds, the engine can engage mechanically via a clutch to combine with the electric motors for propulsion. The electrical power from the generator is sent primarily to the electric motor, with the excess going to the batteries, depending on the state of charge of the battery pack and the power demanded at the wheels.

NPR Reports - Electric Cars Steal The Spotlight At Auto Show

ENERGY FROM WIND & WAVES

Honda to Showcase Electric Vehicle Innovations at Sundance Film Festival

Posted on January 14, 2011 by quest

At this year’s 2011 (Jan 20 – 30) Sundance Film Festival Honda will showcase unique Honda products highlighting innovation, environmental leadership and advanced technology. Festival attendees and local residents will have the opportunity to visit the “Honda Power of Dreams Experience.” The venue is open to the public free of charge. Honda’s FCX Clarity a fuel cell electric vehicle and a cutaway of the Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid, the first hybrid with a 6-speed manual transmission in addition to other Honda innovations will be display such as a 12-foot scale model of the HondaJet, Honda’s first advanced light business jet; and Honda motorcycle products, including a Honda Gold Wing with the industry’s first motorcycle airbag, a Honda CBR250R entry-level motorcycle, a Honda PCX mid-size scooter and an interactive motorcycle rider safety and training simulator.

The “Honda Power of Dreams Experience” will feature live 10-minute demonstrations of the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility). Designed to someday assist people in their homes, ASIMO is the culmination of more than two decades of research and development by Honda engineers. ASIMO demonstrations will take place hourly starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. In the exhibit, Honda will also premiere “The Undying Dream,” the eighth and newest film in its popular “DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE” Documentary Series. “The Undying Dream” features Big Wave professional surfer Laird Hamilton, along with motorcycle racers and Honda associates (employees) sharing stories about what happens when a dream takes hold of you and drives you to succeed. “The Undying Dream” was directed by Sundance Film Festival two-time Grand Jury Prize Winner, Ondi Timoner (Cool It, We Live in Public, Join Us, Dig!). The film will screen at the Honda Power of Dreams venue every hour on the half hour.

Honda has been a supporter of the Sundance Institute and an official sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival for three years. Honda is also the exclusive sponsor of Sundance Channel’s “Interview” program at the Honda Power of Dreams Studio at the Sundance Film Festival. This program will feature talent from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival selections and will run on Sundance Channel, online and via Video on Demand. In addition, Honda is sponsoring a Sundance Institute video vignette that highlights the work of the Sundance Institute Labs in supporting independent filmmaking. The vignette will premiere at an official Dramatic Competition film premiere during the opening weekend of Sundance and will rotate prior to every Dramatic Film screening at the Sundance Film Festival. The vignette also will run on Sundance Channel, online and via Video on Demand.