Barcelona City Hall will be testing these vehicles in its municipal car fleet for an initial six-month trial period, during which SEAT will gather information and assess performance prior to mass production of electric cars.

Within the framework of this strategy, over the past few weeks SEAT has loaned one e-Altea XL to Endesa, and another to the Catalan Energy Institute (ICAEN); a further two TwinDrive – one to each of the two organisations mentioned – will be made available over the forthcoming weeks. The company is immersed in the first stage of the introduction of an electric car and envisages the loan of further vehicles to different governmental departments, institutions, and private companies interested in eco-friendly fleets over the forthcoming months.

e-Altea and Leon TwinDrive, SEAT’s first electric cars
The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and the Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive are two vehicles with different but complementary technologies. The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive can be used in wide variety of different circumstances, and for that reason is SEAT’s first all-electric car. It has a range of 135 kilometers, a power output of 115 hp (85kW), an engine torque of 270 Nm and a top speed of 135 km/h.

Of the several new features found on it, two of the most striking are battery location under the rear seats and the boot – meaning no reduction in passenger compartment space – and the photovoltaic panels on the roof, cutting energy requirements for the vehicle’s air-conditioning.

The Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive couples the advantages of emission-free driving to the range of a conventional petrol-engine car. The TwinDrive allows for all-electric or hybrid driving, meaning no change whatsoever in driving habits or life style for customers. It has a range of 52 kilometers in electric mode, with a top speed of 120 km/h. In mixed mode (electric and combustion) consumption is 1.7 liters, emissions are under 39 g/km, and top speed is 170 km/h.

SEAT’s commitment to sustainable motoring and environmental protection extends to other brand vehicles already on the market. SEAT has a long track record of producing low-emission cars – for the record, 70% of cars marketed in Spain have emissions below 130 g/km of CO2.

Mitsubishi will be aiming for victory in the Electric Class with the i-MiEV Evolution, a specially-prepared competition version based on the ‘i’ electric car.

Mitsubishi will also be bringing production ‘i’ electric car that has been updated with a more aerodynamic front bumper and new safety equipment.

The i-MiEV Evolution has been developed in cooperation with several partner companies including Meidensha Corporation and GS Yuasa Corporation.

Driving the i-MiEV Evolution in the Pikes Peak event and also serving as team manager will be Mr. Hiroshi Masuoka – the first Japanese driver to post consecutive overall victories in the Dakar Rally. The Mitsubishi i will be piloted by Ms. Beccy Gordon, a winner in the Score International Off-Road Racing Series.

i-MiEV Evolution
Developed for the Pikes Peak event, the i-MiEV Evolution basically uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the production i-MiEV fitted to a specially-designed racing-specific body which uses a tube-frame chassis and a carbon fibre cowl among other features designed to reduce weight and improve aerodynamic performance.

Comprising a single motor driving the front and two motors driving the rear wheels, the car’s four-wheel-drive system provides superior motive performance and handling.

L x W x H (mm) 4341 x 1900 x 1339
Occupants 1
Drivetrain 4-wheel drive
Motors Number 3 (1 front, 2 rear)
Max. output (kW) 240 (80 kW x 3)
Drive battery Rated capacity (kWh) 35
Chassis Specially-designed tube frame
Cowl Carbon fibre
Tyres 245/40R18

Mitsubishi ‘i‘
For the Pikes Peak event the production Mitsubishi ‘i’ has been modified using a more aerodynamic front bumper and fitted with roll bars and other safety equipment.

L x W x H (mm) 3675 (+280) x 1585 (+110) x 1615 (+5)
Occupants 4
Drivetrain Rear wheel drive
Motors Number 1
Max. output (kW/rpm) 49 (+2) / 3,000 – 6,000
Drive battery Rated capacity (kWh) 16
Tyres F: 145/65/R15
R: 175/60 (+5)/R15

Tang Zhenping has spend around US$1,600 for three months using scrap parts from a motorcycle and electric scooter to create an electric car which can be charged via the large fan at the front of it.

When the electric car reaches 40mph (64km/h), the blades spring into action and begin generating pollution-free power.

The inventor claims the turbine gives his vehicle three times the battery life of other electric cars. The model has a top speed of 70mph (113km/h).

The farmer says he dreamed of building an electric car for three decades, but was unable to interest government officials or private investors. He now hopes car manufacturers will take an interest in his prototype.

[source: PureGreenCars, Sky News]

The program is designed to appeal to residents, visitors, and business people, who will be able to reserve and drive a conveniently located electric vehicle by the hour, day or week from http://www.hertzondemand.co.uk.

The hourly rates will start from GBP5 and include in-car access to the Member Care Center, insurance, roadside assistance, maintenance, and cleaning. Membership in Hertz On Demand is free and will entitle members to use the operator’s other car clubs in the US, Europe and China.

The plan is that initially ten Nissan LEAF EVs will be available and situated in university campuses, street locations, station car parks, major employers’ car parks and other strategic locations across the city and surrounding areas.

The club cars will be recharged via the POLAR charging network for Oxford, which has 32 charging points operating in key locations throughout the city, with another 28 under construction. The charging network is supported by the Oxford Electric Vehicle Partnership (OEVP) led by Oxford Brookes University.

The Oxford charging network is part of the national electric vehicle charging infrastructure known as POLAR, and currently being rolled out by Chargemaster Plc.

In related news, Hertz has announced that Hertz On Demand and IBM are together piloting a program in Germany to advance electric vehicle (EV) mobility and user adoption through intelligent recharging solutions.

In a special agreement, Hertz On Demand in Germany will supply electric vehicles to the car share fleet used by IBM employees to drive between Stuttgart Airport and the company’s campus in Ehningen, about 30 km away.

Initially the electric cars provided by Hertz will be charged using decentralized generation of electricity on the IBM campus. The charging stations will be operated with intelligent IBM software that optimizes the usage of generated power by renewable energies. Furthermore, the software balances demand and availability of electricity power to prevent load peaks.

The companies are using this program as a field test to gauge acceptance and practicability of the electric vehicle and the intelligent recharging infrastructure usage. Upon success of the pilot program, they intend to add further electric vehicles to the Ehningen campus, as well as to extend the project to other IBM sites.

Discounted rates have been available to IBM staff since October 2011 as part of the special car sharing agreement in place between the IBM campus in Ehningen and Stuttgart Airport. From April, IBM’s frequent flyers will have one electric car at their disposal, with numbers increasing as the year goes on. The cars can be booked quickly and simply through the Hertz on Demand website using the IBM account.

The E-Visionary has been awarded to cities or organizations since 2002 for their efforts in encouraging the use of environment friendly and energy-efficient modes of transportation.

Seoul was credited for establishing an electric car task force in 2009 and running pilot programs for high-speed electric cars in 2010. It also operated 53 green cars, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, during the G20 Summit the same year.

In addition to serving as the hosting City for EVS26, Los Angeles has committed the City to furthering the development and adoption of electric drive technology:

• The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the country, offers electric car customers rebates of up to $2,000 on home charging systems and has determined time-of-use prices for charging electric cars during off-peak hours.

• The City offers a two and a half cent per kilowatt-hour discount for off-peak hour charging.

• Los Angeles is working to educate consumers about electric drive: the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has created a toll-free phone number that customers can call for more information about electric vehicles and charging.

• The L.A. Department of Building and Safety demonstrated national leadership by developing and implementing EV-ready building codes for all new construction in Los Angeles. As of January 1, 2011, all single-family residences, multi-family dwellings, and commercial properties constructed in the City of Los Angeles will have EV-specific requirements.

• The Mayor’s Office has supported the growth of the top EV companies in Los Angeles such as CODA Automotive, BYD, and Boulder EV.

• In January, 2011, Los Angeles and Shanghai agreed to be Partner Cities by sharing best practices from their respective EV demonstration programs.

• In March, 2011, the Mayor’s Office proposed a Zero-Emission Bus pilot program to the Los Angeles Transportation Authority (Metro). In February, 2012, Metro released a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 30 Super Low Emission Buses (SLEBs) and/or Zero Emission Buses (ZEBs) as part of a pilot program to evaluate burgeoning technologies for LA’s future bus fleet.

• The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in partnership with the City of Los Angeles has established the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI), fostering emerging EV startups such as 350Green, Gridtest Systems.

In figures, the highly integrated module has a continuous power of 20 kilowatts at a weight of only eight kilograms and just five liters of space. Mass and volume are about 33 percent less than in the previous generation. This was possible due to the integration of two modules: The inverter and the DC-DC converter are now assembled in a single housing.

The engineers designed the control device to be modular and scalable right from the start. Modifying just a few components is all that is necessary to adapt the device to a large variety of applications. For example, the same concept is used in the Full Hybrid vehicle Audi Q5 Hybrid and also in purely electric vehicles.

Power electronics: key components in electric vehicles
Many discussions about electric cars are focused on batteries. This is understandable since one of the primary development targets is to extend the electric driving range.

In order to accomplish this, it will be necessary to achieve a high degree of efficiency for the entire electric drive train, no matter what kind of vehicle is involved, whether it is a mild hybrid or a full electric car. The use of more efficient power electronics will make a major contribution here. Regardless of where the unit is installed in the vehicle, it is the mediator between a high-voltage battery and the electric motor. It ensures that energy stored in the battery in the form of direct current reaches the electric motor in the form of three-phase alternating current in the right rating and at the right frequency. Those are the parameters that control the electric motor. The power electronics also enables the reverse procedure, known as recuperation. Here, the electric motor acts as a generator to produce energy. The power electronics converts that energy into direct current and route it to the battery. Power electronics also comes into play when the driver wants to reverse down. The controls then change the polarity of the electric motor, thus reversing its direction. The direct current converter (DC-DC converter), part of the power-electronics package that Continental integrated in one housing, supplies the 12-volt electrical systems on hybrids and electric cars.

It is obvious from the wide assortment of functions that the power electronics has an effect on the efficiency of the entire electric drivetrain. Continental continues to refine this core component, especially with regard to weight, space, and cost.

Technology leader in electric mobility
Continental was the first European supplier to manufacture hybrid systems on a mass scale, and has been doing so since 2003. In addition to power electronics, the second generation of which is seeing duty in hybrids and electric cars today, the company has been mass producing externally excited synchronous motors that do not require rare earth minerals. Continental was the world’s first supplier of Li-Ion batteries for mass-produced cars in 2008 and the story continues. Continental and South Korea’s SK Innovation made a general agreement beginning 2012 to foster the joint development, manufacturing, and marketing of Lithium Ion batteries. Continental has also recently been awarded the “Gelber Engel “ award by German automobile club ADAC in the category Innovation and Environment, for introducing a new kind of electrical storage device for convenient Start-Stop operation.

Designed for the North American, Chinese, and European markets, this co-developed electric car is intended to be the most affordable EV on the market, comparable to entry-level internal combustion engine vehicles.

Vehicles will be developed by employees of both companies in research facilities in Los Angeles and Baoding, China. Vehicles will be sub-assembled in the Great Wall’s manufacturing facilities in Baoding. Final assembly of U.S.-destined vehicles will take place in Coda’s facility in the U.S.

The first model from the agreement will be based on an existing Great Wall vehicle.

Great Wall, China’s biggest seller of sport-utility vehicles and pickups, doesn’t currently sell electric vehicles, Coda said.

As partners in the Battery 500 Project, Asahi Kasei and Central Glass bring decades of materials innovation for the automotive industry to the team. They will expand the project’s scope and, although the scientific and engineering challenges to its practical implementation are extremely high, exploring several chemistries simultaneously increases the chance of success.

· Asahi Kasei, one of Japan’s leading chemical manufactures and a leading global supplier of separator membrane for lithium-ion batteries, will use its experience in innovative membrane technology to create a critical component for lithium-air batteries.
· Central Glass, a leading global electrolyte manufacturer for lithium-ion batteries, will use its chemical expertise in this field to create a new class of electrolytes and high-performance additives specifically designed to improve lithium-air batteries.

“These new partners share our vision of electric cars being critical components of building a cleaner, better world, which is far less dependent on oil,” said Dr. Winfried Wilcke, IBM’s Principle Investigator who initiated the Battery 500 Project. “Their compatible experience, knowledge and commitment to bold innovation in electric car battery technology can help us transfer this research from the lab onto the road.”

IBM started the Battery 500 project in 2009 to develop a new type of lithium-air EV batteries that are capable of traveling 500 miles before needing to recharge. The idea is to make EV adoption more widespread by offering greener cars capable of matching the range of gasoline cars.

Today, most electric cars can drive about 100 miles before needing to recharge their lithium-ion batteries. This is an issue, since gasoline cars are capable of going four to five times that range on a single tank. One option could be a larger battery, but that would weigh down the car considerably.

Instead, IBM has been working on an alternative: lithium-air batteries. Lithium-air batteries have a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries, mainly because of their primary fuel being oxygen from the atmosphere and the fact that they have lighter cathodes.

Today, IBM researchers have successfully demonstrated the fundamental chemistry of the charge-and-recharge process for lithium-air batteries.

How it works: During discharge (driving), oxygen from the air reacts with lithium ions, forming lithium peroxide on a carbon matrix. Upon recharge, the oxygen is given back to the atmosphere and the lithium goes back onto the anode.

However, this fact is not stopping some pretty smart initiatives being taken, and this week two hospitals in the Surrey and South London areas announced that they would offer free electric car charging points in conjunction with the government’s Transport for London (TfL) agency.

As from the 16th of April, any visitor or patient to the Epsom St Helier and Sutton hospitals will be able to park up and charge their electric or hybrid cars for free.  Transport for London will be installing and maintaining the systems, whilst the two hospitals will pay any electricity charges that are accrued.

In order to take advantage of this new scheme offered by the National Health Service (NHS), drivers will need to apply for an electronic identification card which can be swiped on the charging points allowing access.  There will be two systems installed at the Epsom hospital, and one in Sutton in Surrey.  Each of the electricity charging points has the capacity to charge two cars at the same time, although in truth it might be a while until that scenario is ever seen due to the small number of electric vehicles on the road in the UK.

The NHS themselves seem to accept this as much, as they stated this week that they do not expect the costs to be very substantial – but they do believe that this is an initiative that they should be behind and shown to be supportive of.

The NHS in the UK is renowned as being leaders when it comes to green and environmental issues and already convert all their food wastage into compostable material.  They also host on-site recycling units for visitors and patients who need to get rid of glass and plastics responsibly.

About the Author: Bob Simmons is an automotive blogger who specializes in providing independent news and views on the vehicle and GPS industry.  For more information about Bob’s latest ventures please visit his new www.GPSNavigationDVD.net website which offers advice on drivers who want to update their factory-installed GPS devices for the majority of North American car brands.

In a series-production Audi, a combustion engine currently supplies the music. The motor in an electric-powered e-tron is not an option, as it is too quiet and its high frequencies are not exactly melodious. Audi’s e-tron models will therefore feature a synthetic sound signature. Rudolf Halbmeir teamed up with his colleagues Axel Brombach and Dr. Lars Hinrichsen to create it.

The new sound – which will be fitted to all Audi e-tron EVs – isn’t a single monotone but created on the fly, depending on the speed of the motors, the overall vehicle speed, the current load and more.

The e-sound itself will be played via a loudspeaker attached the vehicle’s undercarriage.

“We designed it to handle as much as 40 watts, but during normal operation it ranges between five and eight watts. That’s loud enough for nearby pedestrians and cyclists to hear the e-tron.”

Audi says while the e-sound for future Audi e-tron electric vehicles will sound similar, each will have a signature note. The sound of the high-performance R8 e-tron, for instance, goes from a purr to a growl when the throttle is tapped.