UK to spend over £7bn on electric cars by 2014

The British motor industry is in line for a £7bn boost from electric cars between now and 2014, according to a survey of 5,000-plus drivers by GfK Automotive.

The survey found 1.8 per cent of people would "definitely" buy an electric car by 2014, equating to more than 300,000 electric cars if extrapolated over the total car-buying population of 19.8 million households.

Using the newly released all-electric Nissan Leaf as a benchmark, the market will be worth £7.2bn by 2014, GfK Automotive says. And another 3 per cent of respondents – equating to 500,000 of all car-buyers – say they would consider going electric in the future.

Another UK survey conducted in December found that 53 per cent would consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle as their next car. That equals 10.5 million hybrid / EV sales in the very near future.

Source: The Independent

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Peugeot delivers electric car to EDF Energy

Peugeot has delivered its first fully electric car in the UK to EDF Energy’s fleet. The Peugeot Ion has a potential range of 93 miles and is eligible for the Government’s £5000 electric vehicle grant.

EDF Energy, which Peugeot claims is the UK’s largest producer of low carbon electricity, will use the car to test recharging solutions.

Eric Salomon, energy field services director at EDF, said: “We are delighted to add the first Peugeot iOn in the UK to our fleet. It fits in perfectly with our ambitions to provide low carbon solutions.”

The four-seat Ion goes on sale in the UK this month. It can be recharged from a standard domestic plug within six hours or via a quick-charger within one hour.
The car is available through a mobility offer consisting of a four year 40,000 mile contract with a monthly payment of £415 excluding VAT.

The offer includes the lease of the vehicle including battery pack, full warranty cover and full servicing and maintenance.
At the end of the four year period the deal can be renewed for a further four years at a reduced cost.

Peugeot estimates running costs of £1.72 per 93 miles.
Taking into account savings on fuel, exemption from the London Congestion Charge and some parking charges, Peugeot claims a potential annual saving of £5400 through running an electric car.

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Tesla Model X SUV to be based on Lotus APX concept?

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced his company’s plans for two new electric vehicles to attendees at the Cleantech Investor Summit in Palm Springs this week. Palo Alto-based Tesla will unveil the Model X SUV, which will be “cooler” than any SUV or minivan on the market, later this year, said Musk, and in about four years will have developed a mass market sedan that be purchased for around $30,000.

Considering that Tesla has its hands full with getting production up and running of its premium Model S sedan at the former NUMMI plant in Fremont, just outside San Jose, and then add to it Tesla's history of not meeting its own launch schedules, one has to wonder how they will meet this timeline.

One option is to utilize an outside source for the basic vehicle, much as to company did with the Tesla Roadster. In this case, the Roadster is based upon the Lotus Elise sport cars, which is shipped from the UK to California for the fitting of the electrical infrastructure as well as final assembly. This has been an excellent arrangement for both parties, with Tesla gaining a nimble partner with decades of small-scale automotive production experience, and Lotus gaining an additional outlet for its cars and components.

Fittingly enough, one contender to partner with Tesla on the Model X SUV is again Lotus. Lotus displayed its APX concept SUV at the Geneva Motor Show as proof-of-concept for its Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) which allows for changes to be made to the configuration of the vehicle platform quickly and at a much lower cost, thus meeting Tesla's engineering and manufacturing needs.

Further, Santa Rosa-based EV manufacturer and distributor showed a AWD EV Lotus APX Concept at the 2007 NADA Show in San Francisco. The company claimed 4.8 second 0 - 60 times for the electric APX, but nothing further came of the project and the APX is no longer on Zap's website.

It will be interesting what comes from Tesla HQ over the next few weeks or month, but if you read of confirmation that the Tesla Model X will be based upon the Lotus VVA system, you heard it here first.

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First Test Drive Of The New Hybrid Ferrari F150 [Video]

Fernando Alonso drives Ferrari's new F1 car, the F150 for the first time at Fiorano in Italy.

The F150 was named to mark the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. The 2011 Formula 1 season begins on March the 13th and will be broadcast in HD for the first time.

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Chevy Volt To Be Available Nationwide By The End Of 2011

Chevrolet is stepping up the national rollout of the Volt to match customer interest.

“We’re accelerating our launch plan to have Volts in all participating Chevrolet dealerships in every single state in the union by the end of this year,” said Rick Scheidt, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. “This is the right thing to do for our customers and our dealers who are seeing increased traffic onto their showroom floors.”

Chevrolet Volts have been delivered to customers in the Washington D.C. area, as well as California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas. Customer deliveries in Michigan begin this spring.

Customers nationwide will be able to order Volts with participating dealers beginning in the second quarter. Deliveries will begin in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii in the third quarter.

During the fourth quarter, Chevrolet expects to deliver Volts in all 50 states.

The decision to accelerate the national rollout was influenced by Chevrolet dealers like Criswell Chevrolet in Gaithersburg, Md., which has seen a surge of consumers interested in the Volt.

“The Volt is clearly bringing new customers to Chevrolet," said Harry E. Criswell III, president and owner of Criswell Chevrolet "We are seeing 10 to 15 customers a week who are seriously considering buying a Volt. Many of them own competitive brands and now have a Chevy on their shopping list because of the Volt."

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GM Says “No Thanks” To More Government Loans

General Motors Co. is announcing today it will end its request for as much as $14.4 billion in loans from the Energy Department's $25 billion retooling program.

GM had applied for $14.4 billion in loans to retool plants and build more fuel-efficient vehicles, including about $4.4 billion in applications by operations that were reacquired from Delphi, its former auto supplier.

"This decision is based on our confidence in GM's overall progress and strong, global business performance," said GM chief financial officer Chris Liddell. "Withdrawing our DOE loan application is consistent with our goal to carry minimal debt on our balance sheet."

Liddell said the decision won't delay any of its product planning. It "will not slow our aggressive plans to bring more new vehicles and technologies to the market as quickly as we can."

GM has more than $20 billion in liquidity on its balance sheet and is in a much stronger position in the wake of its bankruptcy restructuring. GM is confident it can pay for the programs on its own.

GM's been debating dropping the request -- which it first made in late 2008 -- for months. Last week, the company's board of directors approved the decision to withdraw the application.
The move means that the Energy Department will have about $10 billion left in its program to award to other applications.

Stephanie Mueller, an Energy spokeswoman, said the decision was a sign of GM's health," she said.

"GM's decision to produce the next generation of efficient vehicles without a government loan is yet another milestone in the turnaround of America's auto industry," Mueller said.
GM's withdrawal will allow the government "to support a number of other innovative automobile technologies."

To date, the Energy Department has awarded about $8.5 billion, including $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Co. and $1.4 billion to Nissan Motor Co. Two start-up electric vehicle firms, Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive, each received around $500 million.

"You are seeing the fruits of the program," said Ziad Ojakli, Ford's group vice president of government and community relations, pointing to the Ford Focus electric vehicle that's coming out later this year. "We used the DOE to speed production and move forward on fuel economy."
More than 100 companies initially sought $42.7 billion when the program was launched in late 2008, but many in Congress have criticized the slow pace of awards.

The only supplier to receive approval for a loan, Tenneco, also withdrew from the program after it had spent nearly six months working to close its loan.

Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group LLC initially sought $8.55 billion, but has pared its request to around $3 billion.

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said he hopes to receive the funds by the end of March. The automaker is going ahead with fuel-efficiency projects, expecting it will receive the loan to help pay for them.

"I can't stop the machine," Marchionne said recently. "So far, I have been able to manage it (without the loan), but there will come a point in time when I have to go into the kitty and use other cash for this."

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said Chrysler's request would help protect 10,000 jobs in nine plants in four states, including Michigan.

The projects on which it is working "would save 520 million gallons of gasoline between 2011 and 2016," Stabenow said. "This is all about innovation and increasing fuel efficiency and technology." The low-cost retooling loan would allow Chrysler to reduce the $1 billion in annual interest it is paying on its federal bailout.

Ahead of its initial public offering in September, GM put its request on hold. GM officials have been signaling for months the loans weren't a top concern.

Then GM-CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. said in August that the loans were a "priority, but not a super priority."

President George W. Bush approved funding for the program in September 2008. GM and Chrysler urged Democrats to tap the program for a bailout and the House agreed in December 2008, but the Senate failed to act.

Bush opted to use the Troubled Asset Relief Program to rescue GM, Chrysler and their finance arms with about $25 billion.

The Obama administration put GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy and added about $60 billion to the bailout.

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Clean tech at heart of Siemens' record results

Siemens has beat analysts' predictions, with a record set of quarterly results that appear to, once again, vindicate the company's focus on emerging clean technologies.

The German engineering giant today said its income from continuing operations reached a record level of €1.79bn (£1.54bn) in the last three months of 2010, increasing 17 per cent on the previous year.

Net income increased 15 per cent on the previous year to €1.75bn, exceeding analyst predictions that had averaged €1.47bn in a Reuters poll.

Commenting on the announcement, an analyst at Cheuvreux told Bloomberg: "Siemens is on the right track strategically. It is executing well and capturing market share."

In particular, Siemens' order book was boosted by its focus on public transport, including orders for 10 new high-speed Eurostar trains and an order to upgrade Munich's subway system.

New orders for the Siemens Energy division also climbed 27 per cent, bolstered mainly by its fossil fuel business. But the company's renewable energy activities were also credited with driving a 14 per cent increase in the division's revenue.

The company's renewable energy business posted a strong rise in revenue – to €868m on conversion of a number of large orders. As a result, first-quarter profit increased year-on-year, despite significantly higher expenses for research and development, marketing and selling linked to the expansion of its wind business and integration of its solar thermal business.

Chief executive Peter Löscher reiterated a forecast of "moderate" sales growth for the year, despite the company's success. "Capital-efficient growth is our aspiration. We have lived up to it," he said.

He added that success of the company was also driven by its focus on green innovation. The company now has 80,000 patents in clean technology, he said, adding that the number of inventions registered by employees doubled in the last decade.

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Volkswagen debuts 313mpg XL1 concept hybrid [Video]

Volkswagen today presented the XL1 prototype, the eagerly-awaited vehicle that consumes only 0.9 l/100km (261.3 US mpg - 313 IMP mpg)! Scheduled to make its world debut at the Qatar Motor Show (26-29 January), the new concept releases only 24 grams of CO2 per kilometer, obviously thanks to a series of technological innovations, all of them supposed to cut emissions and improve mileage.

The XL1 uses a combination of lightweight construction, monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fiber, a very low aerodynamic drag (0.186) plus a very advanced plug-in hybrid system which relies on a two-cylinder TDI engine and an electric motor.

Specifically, the car measures 3,888 mm / 1,665 mm / 1,156 mm (153 in / 65.5 in / 45.5 in) and has a wheelbase of 2,224 mm (87.5 in). The 800 cm3 two-cylinder TDI engine generates a maximum power of 48 hp and 120 Nm of torque, while the electric motor adds an extra 27 hp and 100 Nm of torque. The powertrains are mated to a 7-speed DSG, with the electric unit being backed by a lithium-ion battery pack.

Weighing only 795 kilos, the car can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11.9 seconds, while achieving a maximum electronically-limited speed of 160 km/h (99.4 mph). The estimated range of the electric motor is 35 kilometers, while the whole autonomy, TDI plus electric, goes up to 550 km with only 10 liters of fuel.

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53% of Brits are considering buying a hybrid or all-electric car

A survey has revealed that the number of people considering buying a plug-in hybrid or battery electric car has risen from nine per cent to 53 per cent.

The December poll, carried out by vehicle valuation company Glass’s, sought to discover motorists’ views of the government’s £43m Electric Vehicle Plug-in Car Grant.

According to a statement, it first asked respondents whether or not they would consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle prior to notifying them about the government incentive, to which 36 per cent said they would.

This figure rose to 53 per cent as a direct result of being told about the scheme. When asked if they would consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle as their next car in July last year, 0.5 per cent of respondents said they would buy an electric vehicle and eight per cent said they would buy a hybrid.

‘This is a phenomenal increase in a very short space of time and represents a fast-growing acceptance of the emergence of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles into the mass market,’ said Andy Carroll, managing director at Glass’s. ‘It is also clear that the government’s Plug-in Car Grant is making an impact on figures and could be the deciding factor for people already considering buying a plug-in hybrid or battery electric car, as well as appealing to those who would not previously have considered it.’

In addition, the survey revealed that of those still unwilling to consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle despite the Plug-in Car Grant, almost half said that this was not due to cost.

‘This is also a significant finding as it indicates that people need to be reminded of the benefits of running a plug-in or battery electric car and also the reassurance that there will be a better recharging network if they are considering purchasing an electric vehicle,’ said Carroll. ‘Encouragingly, the government has just announced plans to relax planning permission laws for charging points, and has also urged councils to promote their installation, which is another step in the right direction for consumers.’

The government’s £43m incentive programme, which offers buyers of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles up to £5,000 off the purchase price, was rolled out on 1 January 2011 and so far nine models are eligible for the grant.

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World Can Be Powered by Alternative Energy in 20-40 Years

If someone told you there was a way you could save 2.5 million to 3 million lives a year and simultaneously halt global warming, reduce air and water pollution and develop secure, reliable energy sources -- nearly all with existing technology and at costs comparable with what we spend on energy today -- why wouldn't you do it?

According to a new study coauthored by Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson, we could accomplish all that by converting the world to clean, renewable energy sources and forgoing fossil fuels.

"Based on our findings, there are no technological or economic barriers to converting the entire world to clean, renewable energy sources," said Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. "It is a question of whether we have the societal and political will."

He and Mark Delucchi, of the University of California-Davis, have written a two-part paper in Energy Policy in which they assess the costs, technology and material requirements of converting the planet, using a plan they developed.

The world they envision would run largely on electricity. Their plan calls for using wind, water and solar energy to generate power, with wind and solar power contributing 90 percent of the needed energy.

Geothermal and hydroelectric sources would each contribute about 4 percent in their plan (70 percent of the hydroelectric is already in place), with the remaining 2 percent from wave and tidal power.

Vehicles, ships and trains would be powered by electricity and hydrogen fuel cells. Aircraft would run on liquid hydrogen. Homes would be cooled and warmed with electric heaters -- no more natural gas or coal -- and water would be preheated by the sun.

Commercial processes would be powered by electricity and hydrogen. In all cases, the hydrogen would be produced from electricity. Thus, wind, water and sun would power the world.

The researchers approached the conversion with the goal that by 2030, all new energy generation would come from wind, water and solar, and by 2050, all pre-existing energy production would be converted as well.

"We wanted to quantify what is necessary in order to replace all the current energy infrastructure -- for all purposes -- with a really clean and sustainable energy infrastructure within 20 to 40 years," said Jacobson.

One of the benefits of the plan is that it results in a 30 percent reduction in world energy demand since it involves converting combustion processes to electrical or hydrogen fuel cell processes. Electricity is much more efficient than combustion.

That reduction in the amount of power needed, along with the millions of lives saved by the reduction in air pollution from elimination of fossil fuels, would help keep the costs of the conversion down.

"When you actually account for all the costs to society -- including medical costs -- of the current fuel structure, the costs of our plan are relatively similar to what we have today," Jacobson said.

One of the biggest hurdles with wind and solar energy is that both can be highly variable, which has raised doubts about whether either source is reliable enough to provide "base load" energy, the minimum amount of energy that must be available to customers at any given hour of the day.
Jacobson said that the variability can be overcome.

"The most important thing is to combine renewable energy sources into a bundle," he said. "If you combine them as one commodity and use hydroelectric to fill in gaps, it is a lot easier to match demand."

Wind and solar are complementary, Jacobson said, as wind often peaks at night and sunlight peaks during the day. Using hydroelectric power to fill in the gaps, as it does in our current infrastructure, allows demand to be precisely met by supply in most cases. Other renewable sources such as geothermal and tidal power can also be used to supplement the power from wind and solar sources.

"One of the most promising methods of insuring that supply matches demand is using long-distance transmission to connect widely dispersed sites," said Delucchi. Even if conditions are poor for wind or solar energy generation in one area on a given day, a few hundred miles away the winds could be blowing steadily and the sun shining.

"With a system that is 100 percent wind, water and solar, you can't use normal methods for matching supply and demand. You have to have what people call a supergrid, with long-distance transmission and really good management," he said.

Another method of meeting demand could entail building a bigger renewable-energy infrastructure to match peak hourly demand and use the off-hours excess electricity to produce hydrogen for the industrial and transportation sectors.

Using pricing to control peak demands, a tool that is used today, would also help.

Jacobson and Delucchi assessed whether their plan might run into problems with the amounts of material needed to build all the turbines, solar collectors and other devices.

They found that even materials such as platinum and the rare earth metals, the most obvious potential supply bottlenecks, are available in sufficient amounts. And recycling could effectively extend the supply.

"For solar cells there are different materials, but there are so many choices that if one becomes short, you can switch," Jacobson said. "Major materials for wind energy are concrete and steel and there is no shortage of those."

Jacobson and Delucchi calculated the number of wind turbines needed to implement their plan, as well as the number of solar plants, rooftop photovoltaic cells, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal and wave-energy installations.

They found that to power 100 percent of the world for all purposes from wind, water and solar resources, the footprint needed is about 0.4 percent of the world's land (mostly solar footprint) and the spacing between installations is another 0.6 percent of the world's land (mostly wind-turbine spacing), Jacobson said.

One of the criticisms of wind power is that wind farms require large amounts of land, due to the spacing required between the windmills to prevent interference of turbulence from one turbine on another.

"Most of the land between wind turbines is available for other uses, such as pasture or farming," Jacobson said. "The actual footprint required by wind turbines to power half the world's energy is less than the area of Manhattan." If half the wind farms were located offshore, a single Manhattan would suffice.

Jacobson said that about 1 percent of the wind turbines required are already in place, and a lesser percentage for solar power.

"This really involves a large scale transformation," he said. "It would require an effort comparable to the Apollo moon project or constructing the interstate highway system."

"But it is possible, without even having to go to new technologies," Jacobson said. "We really need to just decide collectively that this is the direction we want to head as a society."

Jacobson is the director of Stanford's Atmosphere/Energy Program and a senior fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy.

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Toro Rosso making most of Ferrari KERS expertise

Toro Rosso are one of several teams who will be using a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for the first time this season. Unlike some of their rivals, however, they at least have the benefit of a tried and tested system at their disposal - Ferrari’s.

As part of their Ferrari engine supply arrangement, Toro Rosso also have access to their fellow Italian team’s KERS, which was used extensively by the Scuderia during their 2009 championship campaign, before all teams agreed to drop the technology for 2010.

But with KERS set for a welcome return for this year, and with more teams expected to use it this time out, Toro Rosso are making the most of Ferrari’s expertise, not just in terms of their technical knowledge, but also in terms of the practicalities of life with KERS.

“The men from Maranello have a good knowledge of all the practical aspects of running the system,” said Toro Rosso on their official website. “In conjunction with Ferrari we are running a training programme prior to testing, so that we do the maximum possible in order to ensure the highest level of safety for the guys and to make sure we deal adequately with the electrical side of the KERS.”

It is not just Toro Rosso’s engineers that have been going through the training, but their entire race crew, as the team bid to ensure that everyone understands the procedural changes that will come with running KERS-equipped cars.

“There will be times when we can behave exactly as previously, but in other situations we will restrict access to garage areas, if for example we are charging batteries or going through other procedures that require extra care,” added the team.

Those team members directly involved with operating and maintaining the KERS will have to wear and use special equipment and Toro Rosso have been evaluating various types to ensure minimal impact on staff’s normal routines.

Toro Rosso will have the first chance to put their KERS training into practice in earnest next week, when they debut their new car, the STR6, at the first 2011 pre-season test at Valencia in Spain, starting on February 1.

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Obama to push Congress to fund more electric car programs

President Barack Obama said Tuesday he remains committed to a campaign goal to flood America's highways with plug-in cars and will ask Congress for new programs to support sales and development of electric vehicles.

"With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015," Obama said during his State of the Union address.

The president plans to ask Congress to approve a budget that includes improved consumer rebates, investment in research and development and other programs to encourage communities to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure, according to a fact sheet provided to the Free Press by the White House.

The automotive industry has been investing heavily in hybrid and electric cars with the support of federal loans and grants and has been making progress towards Obama's goal.

Between 2007 and 2010, more than 1.2 million hybrid, plug-in and electric vehicles were sold in the U.S., according to J.D. Power and Associates. But most of those sales are from conventional gas-electric hybrids -- such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion hybrid -- and only a few hundred plug-in or electric cars have been sold.

Still, by 2015, J.D. Power and Associates forecasts the number of plug-in and electric vehicles -- such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf -- will grow to about 700,000, or about 300,000 short of Obama's 2008 campaign pledge.

Obama's proposal to continue to encourage development of electric cars also reflects a campaign promise he made when he visited Lansing in 2008.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., welcomed Obama's renewed pledge on Tuesday.

"Advanced technology manufacturing is extremely important to our state's economy," she said in an e-mail to the Free Press. "We need to build on this success to create even more jobs."

Currently, the Volt and the Leaf are supported by federal tax credits of up to $7,500. The development of hybrid and electric vehicles also has been supported by loans and grants from the Department of Energy.

So far, the department has awarded about $8.3 billion out of a $25-billion loan program to Ford, Nissan, Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors. Loan requests from General Motors, Chrysler and other companies are pending.

In 2009, Michigan benefited from a separate Department of Energy program that awarded about $1.36 billion in grants to firms with advanced battery manufacturing plants in the state.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, a Midland Republican, however, said the federal government should focus on streamlining regulations and energy policies that will create real consumer demand.

"The auto industry is making great strides in bringing these new technologies to the market," Camp, the new chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said

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Nissan to reach full Leaf EV output speed by March [Video]

Nissan said on Tuesday it would add overtime and holidays at one if its Japanese factories towards the end of the business year in March to bring production of the Leaf electric car up to full speed.

Japan's second-biggest automaker has gradually ramped up output of its first mass-marketed zero-emission car since it starting building the Leaf in late October, completing about 3,000 units to date.

By March, the pace of production will rise to full capacity of about 4,000 Leafs a month at the Oppama factory, south of Tokyo, putting Nissan on track to hit a target of producing a total 10,000 units by the end of March, a Nissan official said.

"We'll build more Leafs in the next two months and add overtime and holidays to keep up with production of the other vehicles on the line," said Seiji Honda, head of the Oppama factory, noting that car demand typically ticks up at the end of Japan's fiscal year in March.

Nissan, along with partner Renault, wants to lead the auto industry in the field of battery-run electric vehicles, and delivered its first electric vehicle (EV), the Leaf, to customers in Japan and the United States last month.

Until production starts at its Tennessee and Sunderland factories in 2012 and 2013, respectively, Nissan will supply the car from Oppama.

On Tuesday, Nissan invited journalists to tour the 430,000-units-a-year Oppama plant, where the Leaf hatchback is assembled on a mixed line alongside gasoline-engine models such as the Juke, Cube and Note.

With battery packs and electric motors waiting on the side of the trim and assembly lines instead of fuel tanks and engines, the Leaf's frames flowed seamlessly on conveyor belts between those of the Juke crossover and Cube minivan.

The battery modules and other EV-specific parts are put together in a separate "sub-line".

"Right now, about one in every seven cars is a Leaf, and we'll start building more until we reach maximum capacity in March," Honda said.

Nissan has taken orders for 6,000 Leafs in Japan and 20,000 in the United States so far, closing reservations for the time being. It sold the first Leafs in Portugal this month and will begin deliveries in select European markets in the coming months.

Nissan Americas Chief Carlos Tavares said earlier this month the automaker has committed to delivering the Leaf to all 20,000 U.S. customers by September.

Nissan and Renault are preparing factories around the world to manufacture a combined 500,000 lithium-ion batteries a year, mainly for their electric vehicles, by 2015.

The companies' joint CEO, Carlos Ghosn, has predicted that one-tenth of all new vehicles sold worldwide would be all-electric by 2020, and wants the alliance to take the biggest share, much as Toyota has done with gasoline-electric hybrids.

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Daimler moving fast on hybrids

Daimler will offer hybrid versions of its Mercedes-Benz C-, E- and S-class vehicles in the United States and Europe within three years to meet tightening global fuel economy standards.

Herbert Kohler, head of Daimler's E-Drive and Future Mobility unit, said Daimler is moving quickly on hybrid technologies. "We have a leading position in the premium segment concerning alternative propulsion systems, and we will defend it," he said.

A Daimler source said the C- and E-class full hybrids will be launched in Europe before 2013 and the S-class plug-in hybrid will be launched in 2014.

A second source said U.S. versions will follow about six months later.

Mercedes does not currently offer a plug-in version of its vehicles in the United States. The current S400 is offered as a mild hybrid, and the M class is a full hybrid.

A mild hybrid uses an electric motor and acts as a start/stop system, but the electric motor does not drive the vehicle by itself. A full hybrid can be driven short distances using the electric motor.

Kohler also said Daimler will continue to invest heavily in r&d this year, spending half of its $5.6 billion budget on alternative powertrain technology.

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GM looking to double Chevy Volt production to 120,000 by 2012

General Motors Co. Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson plans to double the 2012 production capacity for the Chevrolet Volt to 120,000 as he works to boost the plug- in hybrid’s sales, said two people familiar with the matter.

Volt output this year may increase to 25,000 from an original plan of 10,000, Akerson said earlier this month. GM now is working with suppliers to raise 2012 capacity from an earlier target of 60,000. It may not build that many if parts aren’t available or demand isn’t strong enough, said the people, who didn’t want to be named because the plans are private.

Akerson, who became CEO in September, wants to sell more of the $41,000 Volt and is pushing to use its Voltec gasoline- electric drive system for models sold by other GM brands. Akerson has said he wants GM to have more fuel-efficient models ready for a possible increase in oil prices to $120 a barrel.

“We want to stay sharply focused on technology,” Akerson told analysts at Deutsche Bank’s Auto Industry Conference in Detroit on Jan. 11. “We don’t want to be caught flat-footed as we were in 2008.”

Crude oil that year climbed to more than $140 a barrel and average gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon. Sales of trucks and cars with large engines plummeted, contributing to GM’s $30.9 billion loss that year.

Randy Fox, a GM spokesman, declined to comment on production plans. He said he didn’t know how many people have ordered a Volt or how long they will have to wait.

Volt Goals

Akerson told his executive team in early December that he wanted to boost Volt production and explore adding its drive system to several models with a goal of at least tripling sales of vehicles with that technology by mid-decade from the 2012 target, people familiar with the matter said at the time.

After exploring its options, the team settled on doubling capacity for the Volt next year, they said. GM is still evaluating the Volt’s technology for other models.

Higher output will allow GM to reduce the cost of the Volt’s drive and battery systems, helping it lower the car’s cost in future years, said Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics Inc., an automotive consulting firm in Birmingham, Michigan.

GM should be able to sell all of its Volt production as long as the government’s $7,500 tax incentive is in place, Hall said. The incentive expires after GM sells 200,000 of the car.

“The only way they will get cost down is with more production,” Hall said. “They are in a race to get costs down concurrent with selling 200,000 Volts.”

GM may announce the production increase at the Washington auto show next week, one of the people said.

The Volt can travel about 35 miles on a fully charged battery before the gasoline engine kicks in, giving the vehicle an additional 340 miles of range on a full tank of gas, GM said on its website.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated the Volt’s energy use as the equivalent of 93 mpg in electric-only mode. In combined gasoline-electric driving, the EPA estimated the Volt would average 60 mpg, GM said. In gasoline-only mode, when the battery was drained, the car would get 37 mpg, GM said.

Source: Bloomberg

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Mazda to begin EV trials in 2012

Mazda will enter the electric car foray from spring 2012 when an all-electric version of its 2 supermini will begin trials in Japan.

The Japanese firm had yet to show its hand with its plans EVs, with most of its previously announced future development (known as its Building Block Strategy) centred on its ‘Skyactiv’ technologies, included highly efficient and future-proof powertrains and transmissions.

Mazda has said its new EV programme – one it is embarking on alone and not in partnership with another manufacturer - will “enhance its knowledge of EV usage requirements in everyday motoring and the practical demands placed on electric drive technologies”.

The new Mazda 2 EV is expected to have a range of around 125 miles and will be leased to local governments and fleets whose users have short city commutes.

Mazda has revealed that electric technologies including regenerative braking and hybrid drivetrains will be gradually introduced into models in coming years, while a full EV based on the results of the trials is also likely to make it into production.

The firm insists “the internal combustion engine is expected to remain at the heart of the automobile for the near future”, and its Building Block Strategy and EV programme will allow for models that offer “driving pleasure as well as outstanding environmental and safety performance”.

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Cosworth to sell integrated KERS package by 2013

In December 2010 the FIA approved new 'Green' engine rules for the 2013 season. In late December news leaked of Cosworth's interest in expanding into KERS and transmission package supply. Cosworth F1 Business Manager, Mark Gallagher, has commented on their KERS developments.

“At the moment Williams are the only one of our customers who are going to be using KERS in 2011. Virgin and HRT are not. Both those teams have expressed an interest in KERS for 2012. Obviously in Williams’ case they have got their own hybrid power company and have their own solution so we’re integrating a Williams solution with a Cosworth solution to provide what we want.

“We have a number of options for how we might proceed in the future. Obviously Williams would be very interested to sell their system to more and more teams. As everyone has seen Williams recently agreed to supply transmission systems to HRT but equally we’ve had discussions with a number of suppliers and with all of our teams about options for the future. I don’t want to say too much other than that we have some pretty clear thoughts as to what we’d like to do for 2013.

“We’re not ready yet to announce what those are but, clearly, having a completely integrated rear end of the car will be the right thing to have. So that means engine, transmission and KERS designed together and working together in complete harmony, providing the right weight distribution, providing the right functionality and operational requirements.

“So, what I would say is the days of Cosworth doing just the engine and not worrying about everything else are coming to an end because we have to take a holistic view. Obviously Ferrari, who we are selling engines against, and Mercedes and Renault, because they own teams they’ll be sitting down and thinking ‘how can we do the whole thing?’ We have to be in the same mindset.

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Porches 918 RSR hybrid will be developed alongside Spyder road car

Porsche’s development boss has insisted the Detroit show-stopping 918 RSR hybrid race car will be developed alongside the open-topped Spyder road project, instead of replacing the 2010 Geneva concept.

The 756bhp RSR mixes the hybrid systems from Porsche’s 911 GT3 R hybrid project, the engine from the RS Spyder race car and the bodywork of the 918 Spyder, modified for vertically opening doors and a roof.

The RSR’s launch at Detroit — marking Porsche’s return to the show after a four-year gap — prompted speculation that the 918 project as a whole had evolved into a hard-top.

But Porsche’s outgoing board member for development, Wolfgang Dürheimer, insisted that the hard-top development would be focused on motorsport. “The road application of this car is the 918 Spyder, There is no decision taken that the coupé type will be available on the Spyder. We learned from the Carrera GT that the driving pleasure of the car is enhanced when you have the possibility to drive open or closed.

“We have always told people interested in the 918 Spyder that it will have a roof concept similar to the Carrera GT’s, with a lightweight carbonfibre panel. A closed car is better for motorsport, though.”

Porsche is said to be in talks with race series organisers about making the car eligible, although sources suggest it could struggle to gain entry to a major event in 2011.

Dürheimer also said the firm is preparing to offer petrol-based hybrids across its entire range in future.

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Renault spies 'leaked electric car strategy'

Alleged spying at French car maker Renault targeted its business strategy for electric cars rather than technological secrets, its chief executive said in an interview published Sunday.

"We have come to the conclusion that what got out was not technological information. It could be information on our economic model," the company's boss Carlos Ghosn was quoted as saying by French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.

"What was targeted was our strategy for the electric cars," he added in the interview, saying that Renault was the only company making all three key elements for the electric car -- batteries, motors and chargers.

Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan have staked their future on electric vehicles and plan to launch several models by 2014 to meet rapidly rising demand for more environmentally friendly methods of transport. They have invested four billion euros in the programme.

Ghosn was speaking out for the first time since the affair broke two weeks ago.
Renault has sacked three top managers over alleged industrial espionage and has launched legal action. The three executives have said they are suing over the allegations.

Ghosn said Renault had launched an internal probe in August but waited until this month to alert the authorities because "we had to do preliminary research ourselves to get an idea how serious the affair was."

He said he was "surprised and shocked" by the affair but insisted that in investigating it "we have been irreproachable under the law."

He declined to give a view of who might have benefited from the leaking of strategic information. Media reports and analysts have said Chinese companies are suspected but the Chinese government angrily denied this.

"We are waiting for the results of the investigation (launched by the French secret services) which I am told should last several months," Ghosn told the newspaper.

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Demand For Chevrolet Volt Sky High

Following numerous awards, one would imagine that the demand for General Motors’ new golden vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt, would be sky high. It fact, that seems to be true, despite the fact that the new electric car has yet to arrive in showrooms.

Last year, the Volt was launched in seven markets, Washington DC, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Austin, Texas. The latter of those seven markets was given 20 examples of the Volt, all of which were sold, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Of course, more Volt’s will arrive in the great state of Texas in late February or early March, but chances are those will sell out quite quickly as well. General Motors plans on upping production of the fuel-efficient electric vehicle to 25,000 cars this year to meet the demand and 45,000 in 2012.

So far, up to 50,000 people have signed up for the “want list” on GM-Volt.com. This is more than double the number at the Volt’s launch.

Of course, this demand was started thanks to a brilliant marketing campaign and numerous automotive publications featuring the Chevrolet Volt. In fact, the Volt won the Car of the Year award from Motor Trend and Automobile magazine. While there are people out there that don’t read these publications, awards are always welcome in the advertisers world.

Besides winning prestigious awards that were once handed out to vehicles such as the Chrysler Cirrus, content customers are fantastic for sales as well. One Texan, Don Heihn from San Antonio got his Volt last year and so far so good. Not only are the Spurs one of the best teams in the NBA, but also his sedan has only used 5.6 gallons of fuel during 1,000 miles of driving.

Needless to say, that is fantastic mileage, considering the fact that the Volt’s tank only holds nine gallons.

For those of that you that have been living in a hole for the past few months, let’s just go over the Volt’s specs. The electric-vehicle packs a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that helps charge the lithium-ion batteries. The engine can also power the wheels if needed. The car can travel up to 35 miles on battery power alone before the engine kicks in, raising the car’s range to 350 miles.

While the engine charges the Volt’s batteries once the car is moving, the vehicle must be plugged in and can take up to 10 hours to get a full charge on a normal 120-volt line, or four hours if one has a 240-volt line.

Now, the Volt comes at a steep price, $41,000 to be in fact. Yet, one can get a $7,500 tax credit to help that purchase price a tad. Still, it might be worth it if driving is something that needs to be done every single day.

Source: Houston Chronicle

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China nationalizes 11 rare earth mines

China has brought 11 rare earth mines under state control as Beijing consolidates the industry -- a move analysts said Thursday could drive up prices of the elements, used in mp3 players and hybrid cars.

Authorities have targeted mines in the eastern province of Jiangxi, which is rich in heavy rare earths, as it seeks to strengthen "protection and reasonable development" of the sector, the land and resources ministry said this week.

China, which produces more than 95 percent of the world's rare earths, has tightened control over the metals by slashing quotas for overseas shipments, hiking export taxes and cracking down on heavily polluting mines.

The moves have raised concern overseas that China was abusing its market dominance of the 17 elements used to make everything from wind turbines to flat screen televisions.

The ministry said Monday the 11 mines covering an area of 2,534 square kilometres (978 square miles) were the first batch of "state planned mining zones" for rare earths.

Analysts said the move to bring the mines under state control was a key step towards consolidating the fragmented industry in the south and would likely increase the cost of the elements.

"Prices will go up once (mining) concentration rises and the state strengthens control," said Sang Yongliang, an analyst with Guotai Jun'an Securities in Shanghai. Sang said the government may be targeting heavy rare earths, which are more expensive than the light elements because of their scarcity.

Japanese industry said last year China temporarily cut off exports of rare earths in the midst of a diplomatic row. Beijing has denied any political motivation for its control of the elements and has insisted the issue is an environmental one.

The commerce ministry said last month it had slashed rare earth export quotas by about 35 percent for the first six months of this year.

While Tesla Motors have used AC Induction motors from day 1, Toyota recently announced it was developing AC Induction motors as an alternative to their current range of hybrid electric motors that are manufactured using rare earth materials.

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Hitach establish lithium-ion battery JV with Ube Industries

The Nikkei reports that Hitachi Ltd. and Ube Industries Ltd. will establish a joint venture to manufacture separators for lithium-ion batteries bound for use in the automotive industry.

Apparently, both firms are looking to bolster their position in the battery market and hope to do so by joining forces and achieving economies of scale.

The joint venture between Hitachi subsidiary Hitachi Maxwell Ltd. and Ube Industries will focus solely on battery separators, handling all aspects, including development, production and sales. Ube Industries will continue to manufacture electrolyte materials for li-ion batteries without assistance from Hitachi. However, Hitachi Maxwell will provide Ube Industries with its microscopic integrated processing technology, which the firm will utilize to produce li-ion separators.

Hitachi announced in July 2009 that they will invest US$207-310 million to increase production capacity for lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles 70 fold by 2015.

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Mitsubishi Motors to use Toshiba battery in EV

Mitsubishi Motors Corp will use Toshiba Corp's lithium-ion batteries in a small electric vehicle for business use which is set to go on sale in the autumn, the Nikkei business daily said on Friday.

The carmaker, which worked with GS Yuasa Corp to produce lithium-ion batteries for its i-MiEV electric passenger car, chose the Toshiba battery for the new Minicab MiEV, based on lifespan and cost, the paper said.

Neither Mitsubishi Motors nor Toshiba had any immediate comment on the report, though Toshiba had said in July it was developing batteries for the carmaker.

Shares in GS Yuasa were down 4 percent at 580 yen in late trade.

Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko had indicated the automaker would likely need a second battery supplier to complement its battery venture with GS Yuasa, saying a Japanese manufacturer would be its preferred choice.

Japanese and South Korean battery makers are fighting for share of the nascent market for low and zero-emission vehicles.

Mitsubishi Motors aims to offer the Minicab MiEV for less than 2 million yen ($24,450), initially relying on subsidies from the government. Japan has yet to decide whether or how much in subsidies it might earmark for the purchase of electric cars beyond the fiscal year ending in March.

Mitsubishi Motors became the first major carmaker to begin selling all-electric cars to individuals last year.

The commercial-use EV is set to have a range of 100 km (62 miles) on a full charge, compared with the i-MiEV's 160 km (100 miles), in a bid to keep costs low.

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Andros Trophy Electrique Isola 2000 2010 [Video]

Christophe Ferrier wins the fourth race from the Isola 2000 round but Nicolas Prost leads the Andros Trophy Electrique championship.

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EVs to 'take off like iPhones'

Electric, hybrid and range-extender vehicles will become accepted as the industry norm by users in the same way consumers have accepted advancing mobile phone and flat-screen television technology, according to a pioneer of the technology.

Henrik Fisker, the man behind the imminent launch of the luxury range-extender Fisker Karma hybrid saloon, said commentators who dismiss electric cars as expensive should look at advances in other areas of technology as proof that the electric car will soon have its day.

“Look at flat-screen TVs and smartphones,” Fisker told the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi today. “When they first came out, no-one said they’d never catch on as they were too expensive.

“Everyone’s is buying a flat-screen TV and smartphone now and no-one who’s done it is going to go back to the old technology. Sure, an old TV may have just as good a picture as a flat-screen but that didn’t stop them taking off.

“It’s the same with electric cars: if you want one, you will buy one, more people will see them and then everyone will want the latest technology.”

Fisker believes the Karma will take off as “desire delivers the success of any new consumer technology”.

Building on his comparison to flat-screen TVs, Fisker said that technology launched with a price tag of around $20,000 in 1997 but had dropped to around $500 now. The same will happen with electric cars, he believes.

Fisker also described the range-extender technology at the core of his new Karma saloon as “the ultimate freedom”, as it offered emissions-free motoring for most journeys and the luxury of being able to fill up with petrol for longer trips. “Range is equal to freedom,” he said.

“Range-extenders will emerge as the core powertrain in the mid-market and will take off in the next few years,” said Fisker, a sector he said included 5-series-sized saloons.

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BMW Bypasses TV To Promote New Electric Car

Usually, when automakers introduce new models, they opt for a 30-second TV spot. But to promote its ActiveE electric car, BMW is employing online documentaries that run between 4 and 10 minutes instead.

The idea, says Rich Steinberg, manager of electric vehicle operations and strategy for BMW North America, is to reach thought leaders who might be interested in the topic and will want to share their thoughts about the model via social media. “Our intent was to get some people in the space to join us, to talk about their view of mobility and the future of cities,” says Steinberg.

That’s the topic of four films BMW plans to roll out next month. (The company launched a trailer promoting the films today.) The docs, created by ad agency Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, feature such thought leaders as Blade Runner designer Syd Mead, Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of location services, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, among others, talking about their view of mobility in the cities of the future.

The ActiveE, which rolls out this summer, is BMW’s second electric car. The first, the Mini E, launched in June 2009 in the U.S. to 450 “motoring pioneers.” Like that vehicle, the ActiveE can only be leased, not bought.

Though other electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, have received traditional advertising support, companies like GE and IBM have used online documentaries to attempt to convey more complex ideas than a 30-second TV spot can accommodate. “This is complicated dialog that’s a good fit for social media,” says Marian Hawryluk, electric vehicle project manager for BMW North America.

This isn’t the first time that BMW has experimented with long-form advertising. In 2001, the brand introduced BMW Films, a series of star-studded mini-movies by Guy Ritchie, Wong Kar-Wai and other directors that featured BMWs but didn’t include any overt pitches for the vehicles.

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Green Overdrive: Test Drive the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid [Video]

It's not the greenest battery-powered car on the planet (at between 21 to 25 MPG) but it’s a Porsche so still does 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds.

ICE + EV gives 380 hp and 428 ft/lb of torque. The Porsche SUV Hybrid retails for $67,700.

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Renault manager sues over espionage accusation

A former top Renault executive is suing over allegations he sold industrial secrets and is taking the French car maker to court for sacking him, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Michel Balthazard is one of three executives sacked last week after the firm accused them of industrial espionage reportedly involving the company's key electric cars programme.

Balthazard is taking the legal action "to sue the persons ... who have seriously damaged his honour in a context of media over-exposure," his lawyer Pierre-Olivier Sur said in a statement.

The lawyer added that his client, who denies any wrongdoing, was taking Renault to an industrial tribunal to contest his sacking. The defamation suit targets "persons unknown".

Another of the three sacked executives, Bertrand Rochette, has begun similar legal action.
Renault itself has launched legal action for industrial espionage after it sacked the three managers.

The company said on Thursday it had lodged a complaint for "industrial espionage, corruption, breach of trust, theft and handling stolen goods."

State prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said the charges alleged that "elements concerning France's economic secrets" had been leaked "to a foreign power."

The French daily Le Figaro has reported that Chinese interests stood to benefit from spying on Renault's electric car programme, on which it is staking its future.

China has angrily denied any involvement.

The three executives deny involvement and were not named in the company's judicial complaint on Thursday. Under the French judicial system prosecutors can investigate allegations without a defendant being named.

Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan have staked their future on electric vehicles and plan to launch several models by 2014 to meet rapidly rising demand for more environmentally friendly methods of transport.

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Mitsubishi to Introduce Eight Hybrid, Electric Cars by 2015

Mitsubishi Motors Corp., maker of the i-MiEV electric car, plans to introduce eight hybrid and battery-powered models by 2015 as demand for fuel-efficient automobiles grows.

The automaker also aims to increase annual global sales to 1.37 million vehicles by fiscal 2013 from 1 million in the current year ending March 31, the Tokyo-based company said today in a statement outlining its mid-term business plan.

Mitsubishi will increase the proportion of its overseas production to 54 percent of total output by fiscal 2013, from about 44 percent currently, it said. Japanese carmakers including Mitsubishi and Toyota Motor Corp. are moving output overseas as a strengthening yen makes it more difficult to export vehicles at a profit.

The carmaker aims to boost net income to 45 billion yen ($548 million) in the year ending March 2014. Operating profit is projected at 90 billion yen on sales of 2.5 trillion yen.

Mitsubishi said it may invest in a local partner in Brazil as it shifts production abroad. The carmaker will increase output in emerging markets as well as the U.S., President Osamu Masuko said today in Tokyo.

As part of the plan to offer more hybrids and electric vehicles, the automaker aims to sell two plug-in hybrid autos by fiscal 2012, it said.

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Purolator orders 600 hybrid electric vehicles

Azure Dynamics landed its single-largest order this week with Purolator ordering 600 hybrid vans to be delivered over the next three years.

With its latest order, Purolator will operate the world’s largest fleet of Azure’s Balance hybrid electric vehicles, with 955 units.

For the order Azure is integrating its hybrid electric vehicle technology, which includes lithium ion batteries, is into Ford’s E450 chassis with a Ford 5.4L gasoline engine.

Ford has been Azure’s key partner for about a decade.

The first 200 units in the order will be built and delivered to Purolator primarily in the third and fourth quarters of 2011 to facilities across Canada.

Azure says its Balance hybrid electric can improve fuel economy by up to 40%, while reducing carbon emissions by up to 30% in city conditions.

“As a result of our long and mutually beneficial relationship with Purolator, our Balance hybrid electric volume has consistently increased allowing us to reduce internal costs, refine our processes and implement product upgrades,” said Scott Harrison, Azure’s CEO, in a release.

He added that, as Azure’s first multi-year order, Purolator’s order helps the company build a predictable product backlog.

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France’s First All-Electric Luxury Car

Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced its NX software and Teamcenter software were used to design and develop Exagon Engineering’s Furtive-eGT all-electric automobile.

The Furtive-eGT, France’s first all-electric luxury car, was created by Luc Marchetti, founder and chairman of Exagon Engineering. It combines high performance with respect for the environment while meeting consumer expectations for style and comfort.

“The Furtive e-GT’s looks and performance are both incredibly compelling,” said Marchetti. “This car positions France in the rapidly expanding electric car market. I am passionate about cars and my ambition when I founded Exagon Engineering was to create an all-electric luxury car that meets the same standards as a gas-powered vehicle. By partnering with Siemens PLM Software, I was able to create a masterpiece.”

Exagon Engineering uses the NX integrated computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering analysis (CAD/CAM/CAE) software for all of the 3D digital product development work associated with the Furtive-eGT. All product data – including the detailed NX models – is then securely managed, disseminated and controlled using Teamcenter, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management solution.

"We are delighted to have worked with Exagon Engineering on the design of the Furtive-eGT and to have offered them our expertise in PLM, as well as our industry-leading software,” said Christophe Iffenecker, Vice President & Managing Director, Siemens PLM Software, France.

Exagon Engineering are the company behind many of the ice racing machines that contested the Trophée Andros Electrique last season.

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Lexus to use GP celebrity races to launch CT200h hybrid hatchback

LEXUS will launch its new CT200h hybrid hatchback in Australia by providing cars for the celebrity races at this year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park.

The company claims the races will be the first anywhere in the world exclusively for hybrid cars, although none are likely to employ the electric part of the drivetrain for anything more than trundling around the paddock.

Nevertheless, an award will be presented for efficiency in addition to the overall winners.

Lexus will provide 30 identical cars for the event on March 24-27, which will be followed by the official media launch on March 28.

The Toyota-owned luxury brand believes the high-profile celebrity races will be the ideal way to launch its new compact hybrid hatch to a younger (under 40) and largely female target market for the car.

Consequently, the 24 celebrities being chosen for the event will fall into a similar demographic profile.

Lexus has contracted former multiple Australian Rally Champion and Toyota veterans Neal Bates and Coral Taylor to run the celebrity program, including driver training.

The cars – 27 race cars and three spares – will be prepared at Bates’ Canberra workshop but will be maintained during the race weekend by Lexus technicians.

In addition to the 24 celebrities, Lexus is running three separate competitions to fill the remaining race seats – one for consumers, one for dealers and one for people who have signed up to buy the CT200h.

The Lexus-sponsored event marks the return of the celebrity races to the AGP weekend after a two-year hiatus, having previously been backed by the likes of Fiat, Mini and BMW.

It also coincides with the reintroduction of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) to F1 race vehicles, which were used in 2009 before being dropped for the 2010 season.

Introducing a Le Mans-inspired “index of efficiency” award is a first for the event and will be determined by measuring fuel use during the race.

The hybrid-only Lexus CT200h is powered exclusively by a modified version of Toyota’s 1.8-litre petrol-electric drive system from the Prius.

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Chevy Volt Test Drive!

Jill Fehrenbacher from the Inhabitat team test-drives the Chevy Volt electric vehicle and comes away impressed!

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Tesla Model S Hits the Road [Video]

Model S Alpha Hits the Road from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.

As a follow up to their 'Tesla Vehicle Engineering' series of videos and as part of the on going Model S marketing campaign (the car is not expected to be launched until early 2013), Tesla Motors have just released a short video of the Model S Alpha on the road.

The video contains no commentary and provides no new details but it does illustrate that Tesla have a Model S mule at the road dynamics testing stage.

Before Model S enters production it will have been thoroughly tested using both computer simulations and test vehicles. Tesla will complete two vehicle testing phases, Alpha and Beta. The Alpha phase began in 2010.

Tesla have made many detailed changes between the original Model S unveiled to the public in March 2009 and the Alpha model shown in the video. Changes noticed @ first glance include:

- Longer front door
- Shorter rear door
- 1/4 window in rear door
- Totally different front bumper
- Re-shaped headlights
- Different shape vent in side of front guard
- Totally different lines between hood & A pillar

Feel free to post any changes you have noticed in the comments section below.

2009 version

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Foxconn moves into the Electric Vehicle Market

Geely Automobile and Foxconn International are in talks on making electric powered vehicles but have not reached any agreement over details, Yang Jian, president of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, says in an interview.

Foxconn International Holdings, who manufacture Apple products including the iPhone, are strong at manufacturing motors, and the motor is one of the three core technologies of electric powered vehicles. The sales and output of new energy vehicles will not expand largely in the coming five years but the business is where the auto industry is going to head to and partnering with Foxconn is for future deployment ahead of schedule.

Geely senior management members point out that the two sides will not reach any agreement on complete vehicle production except the cooperation in spare parts and components. The company will not engage Foxconn to be an OEM.

Geely sold 416,200 complete vehicles in 2010, according to data by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

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Peugeot switch on 22 UK based electric dealers

In preparation for the launch of it’s electric vehicles, French manufacturer Peugeot is appointing 22 of its existing dealers, as “specialist” dealers to sell and service its new electric car the iOn.

The dealers who will each have a charging point, an iOn demonstrator car and specially trained staff will be located to correspond with the government’s ‘Plugged-in Places’ designated areas which receive Government support to install charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

The chosen dealers will be in the Midlands, the East of England, the North East, Scotland, London, Milton Keynes, Manchester, Leeds, Northern Ireland and South Wales.

Peugeot say that orders placed in January for iOn should be fulfilled by February. The firm has even launched a leasing offer for the new iOn. A four year, 40,000 mile personal lease scheme is £415 per month plus VAT with zero deposit.

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Tesla Roadster Traction control demonstration in Snow [Video]

Youtuber Goodwinb99 recently uploaded some video from inside his Tesla Roadster while driving in the snow.

The Roadster is fitted with 'winter' tires but it is still a great demonstration of the Tesla's traction control in action.

The effectiveness of the T/C is put into perspective when at 3:40 it is tuned off for a brief moment. The electric super car simply spins it's wheels up to highway speeds while at a virtual stand still.

With T/C on the driver can literally floor the throttle while the electronics figure out how much traction is available.

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A Tesla Roadster drives to Scotland while the BBC humiliate themselves

You really have to wonder who's in charge at the BBC these days? The technology news department dedicates 4 days of coverage to a negative publicity stunt that involved driving a field testing battery powered electric vehicle, designed for urban driving, from London to Edinburgh? That could only be described as an anti-technology story surely?

Reporter Brian Milligan set out to make the 484-mile journey using only publicly available charging infrastructure, making eight stops and spending about 46 hours of his total trip sleeping and waiting for the Mini E to refill its battery. It took him four-days.

On day 3 of the BBC trip, David Peilow talked Tesla Motors into loaning him a Roadster to complete the same distance in 1 day. The Roadster stopped twice enroute and handsomely beat the BBC crew but could have potentially completed the trip in one day AND on a single charge.

Single Charge

According to Google Maps, the distance between the city centers of London and Edinburgh is 625 km. Less than 2 weeks ago we reported on a Tesla owner from Texas who recorded a distance of 555.5 km in a bog standard Tesla Roadster on a single charge. That's only 70 km short of the full distance between London and Edinburgh. In fact, over the last 12 months we have reported on several battery powered EVs having set single charge distance records close to or exceeding the week long BBC trip.

Back in 1996 the unofficial World Record was set by the Solectria Sunrise with 604 km on a single charge using older technology Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Last October a German team also covered 600km on a single charge driving an Audi A2. The furthest distance on a single charge to date falls to the Japan Electric Vehicle Club who covered 1000 km in a Sanyo sponsored Daihatsu Mira.

Hatchet Job

The BBC stunt seems to be a fairly heavy handed hatchet job on a technology that has yet to deliver it's first mass market car in the UK. Despite Mr Milligan's repeated claims that the Mini E he drove is 'mass market', it certainly is nothing of the sort! The Mini E is a field testing vehicle run as part of BMW's "Project i". There are only 40 such vehicles on the roads in the UK and they are all owned by BMW with short term leases to nominated testers, hardly a "mass market" vehicle! These cars are quite obviously designed for and intended to be primarily used for urban driving not intercity travel. With 89% of the UK population living in Urban areas a typical 160 km range EV should be a practical alternative to ICE powered vehciles for the majority of UK households.

It is such early days in the roll out of true 'mass market' EVs, like the Nissan Leaf, that this stage can be compared to the early days of cellphones. Early cellphones were analogue and had a nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery that suffered charge 'memory' problems. The battery was so inadequate they were unable to see out an 8 hour day on stand-by. Quite a few development generations later, digital cellphones with lithium ion batteries can last over 350 hours on stand-by no problem. That's a 60-fold improvment!

Nissan already have the next generation of battery technology in their pipeline with plans to introduce it in as little as 4 years from now. The new batteries will use a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode developed in-house by NEC. Nissan estimates that the battery will cost the same as conventional lithium ion batteries and will be able to power a Leaf for 300 kilometers on a single charge, approx twice the current distance.

Level 3 charging

As the Leaf comes with a Level 3 480v charging socket fitted as standard, a Nissan with their next generation battery could cover the BBC trip in 1 day with just one 20 min quick charge at a half distance rest halt.

Compared to most of the world, the UK has a huge lead in the introduction of EVs. Even with fewer than 2000 registered EVs on the road, the UK is approaching 4,000 public charging posts across the country. Instead of getting behind this effort, the BBC, seemingly like a spoilt child, is trying as aggressively as possible to vanalize this lead, performing a genuine public disservice.

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Single-seater robotic electric car debuts in Japan

Japanese automobile manufacturer ZMP has announced a new single-seater electric robotic vehicle, the RoBoCar.

Thanks to an array of sensors including a Stereo camera, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), speed sensor and laser range finders, the Robot Electric car is capable to move around with a stunning precision of 1 to 2cm.

The RoBoCar MEV will be available in three different versions including:

- A drive-by-wire model capable of intelligent cruise control.
- A Steer-by-wire model with automatic steering capability.
- A Brake-by-wire model with stereo camera, IMU and Steer-by-Wire.

Source: ZMP RoboCar

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