Drayson Racing enters EVCup Race Series

DRAYSON RACING, the green technology race team run by former British Government Minister of Science Lord Paul Drayson, which raced to success in the international Le Mans Series in the USA, Europe and Asia last year is to race in the new zero-emission EVCUP, the first electric vehicle race series that launches this summer, it was announced today (Wednesday, February 23rd)

Drayson Racing will enter a race-bred Westfield iRACER in the Sports EV (electric vehicle) series within the EVCUP. With a peak power of 260bhp and 660Nm of maximum torque per wheel, the Westfield iRACER is sure to keep even the most accomplished race drivers focused at every straight and corner.

Lord Drayson’s experience as a science entrepreneur, Government Minister, FIA panel member on future energy technologies, MIA Honorary President and successful race driver and team owner makes him perfectly placed to work closely with EVCUP in not only demonstrating the performance of electric vehicles, but progressing the development and growth of zero emission racing.

Lord Drayson said: “Drayson Racing have paved the way in green racing over the past four years with second generation biofuels and we have been looking at electric vehicle technologies for a while, waiting for the technology to mature and for the right time to enter this exciting new field. The team at EVCUP have taken a bold step forward to create the world’s first electric racing series. As one of the world’s leading green motorsport teams, we want to be a part of it and we want to win it!”

EVCUP Race Director Grahame Butterworth says: “Lord Drayson has the foresight, experience and ability to help drive these cars forward in a realistic but also very exciting way. He will be a great competitor and also a strong voice in developing the next era of high performance electric race cars. We look forward to working closely with his team.”

The EVCUP series gets underway in August with four events in the UK before going to Spain, Portugal and the USA. MSVR will be the UK organising club for the events which will feature races for THINK city cars, Westfield iRACER sports cars and a prototype class for any electric car based on a timed laps format.

Opel touts the 'silent' advantages of having an all-electric police cruiser

Opel touts the electric Ampera police cruiser as a good car for silent, undercover work.

The German automaker, keen to begin selling the Ampera to police forces in Germany, has dressed the Ampera in police blue and proclaimed its advantages as a patrol car.

The Opel Ampera will have a range of between 40 and 80 km (25 to 50 miles) running solely on electric power, reliable for patrolling city neighborhoods. A 1.4 liter gasoline engine then kicks in and can extend its range to around 500 km (310 miles), which means a police chase doesn't have to end embarrassingly for the good guys. It's healthy 370 Nm of torque helps it do the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in an okay 9.0 seconds and the Ampera can reach a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph).

The Ampera is powered by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery feeding current to an electric motor that produces 111 kW (150 hp / 152 PS) and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque. The battery can be recharged using a 230 V outlet in around 4 hours.

The Opel Ampera is priced at €42,900 in Germany with a net cost of €36,050 to buyers when including government tax-credits.

It is available for order now with deliveries set to start at the end of the year (2011).

Source: Opel

Rolls Royce Electric Vehicle Concept [video]

With the Geneva Motor Show just around the corner, Rolls-Royce has released the first teaser images of the 102EX concept.

Essentially a Phantom EV, the 102EX is a "test bed" which will be used to gather feedback about consumer acceptance of alternative powertrains. As part of this process, VIPs (owners, enthusiasts, and members of the press) will get the opportunity to test drive the car at a number of locations in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East.

According to Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös, "With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future." He added, "It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future."

No word on specifications, but more information will be released when the 102EX is officially unveiled on March 1st.

Source: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Williams not ruling out flywheel KERS

(click for larger image)

Williams technical director Sam Michael says his team is not ruling out using its flywheel KERS this year, although he conceded it was very unlikely.

The team will start the season with its battery-based KERS, after having ruled out the flywheel version because of packing reasons.

Williams has been the only F1 team known to be developing a flywheel system.

Michael admitted it was unlikely that the system is used this year, but claimed it is on the cards for next season.

"We have a battery system in the car. All about KERS is contained underneath the chassis and we did mainly for aerodynamic reasons," said Michael during the launch of Williams's livery on Thursday.

"We did consider a flywheel for this car. It was very close but unfortunately the packaging sort of us stopped us from doing that to start with.

"But we also haven't discounted introducing it in the car at some point. It'd be very unlikely during 2011, but it's definitely on the cards for 2012."

Concept vehicle by Aaron Beck

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Porsche Panamera S Hybrid 2012 TEST DRIVE [video]

Porsche have released a video of the hybrid version of its Panamera four-door sedan due to be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next month.

Concept vehicles by Maxim Revin

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Toyota iQ EV to launch @ Geneva Auto Show

Toyota will launch this iQ-based electric prototype at next month’s Geneva motor show.
The car “represents Toyota’s long-term vision for short-range sustainable mobility”, according to the Japanese firm, and demonstrates how the new technology could find its way across the model range.

The prototype uses the firm’s new flat lithium-ion battery from the plug-in Prius and is hidden beneath the floor to not impede on the interior space of the four-seat iQ. The dimensions are identical to the IQ upon which the EV prototype is based.

Toyota has yet to confirm final specifications of the car, but says its battery pack will be good for a range of 65 miles and it could be introduced for sale in 2012 after undergoing fleet trials this year.

It will be on display at Geneva alongside the firm’s FT-86 Concept I, the seven-seat Prius+ and the Yaris HSD.

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept [video]

At the Geneva Auto Show this year, German manufacturer BMW will be bringing a new interpretation of the Vision concept shown in 2009 in Frankfurt. This time, however, the concept has been created not as an extension of a power train, but as an extension of the drivers themselves.

To be used as a show-and-tell platform for BMW's finest technologies in terms of “current and future methods of mobile networking,” packed with eye-catching, mind-blowing infotainment systems, the car will also benefit from a very special unveiling during the Geneva event.

Among the technologies developed by BMW for the concept, one of the most important is the new interpretation of the Head-Up Display (HUD). Build to render the information in 3D, it is capable of projecting information about the route precisely onto the location of a possible turn-off - in relation to the actual field of view.

Working in conjunction with the display is the freely programmable instrument cluster, which is used to complement the projections generated by the HUD. Also built to render the information in 3D, the cluster is said to be able to enhance the impact of the data relayed to the driver by means of graphics.

In the Vision ConnectedDrive concept, the passenger too can feel he is part of the car. The Passenger Information Display can be used by the wannabe co-pilot to evaluate information or address details for the navigation system. The funny side of the ride is insured by means of an Emotional Browser, which can gather data about the surroundings, including people, mood or location.

On the outside of the car, an array of sensors embedded into the headlights and the rear lights is used to monitor the traffic situation and the environment. The outside mirrors have been replaced by antennas, which are used as transmission-reception hubs for the data transmitted from or to the vehicle.

'Gas-guzzling' F1 needs a new image, urges Whitmarsh

F1 must change its perception from that of ‘a gas-guzzling, money-guzzling sport’ to one that is far more society-relevant in the modern day-and-age and ‘leading the way’ in terms of environmentally-friendly technology, CEO of McLaren Racing Martin Whitmarsh has stressed.

The arrival of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) in 2009 – and its return to the grand prix grid this year – is one of F1’s recent concessions to modifying its traditional ways, and the fervent cost-cutting drive and anticipated switch to ‘greener’ 1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engines from 2013 are further evidence that the most glamorous sport in the world is increasingly committed to cleaning up its act. Not before time, Whitmarsh contends.

“I think F1 has to recognise that we are on the world stage, and as such we’ve got to remain relevant to society if we are going to be such a great global sport,” underlined the McLaren-Mercedes team principal and Formula One Teams’ Association chairman, going on to point out his pride at the Woking-based outfit’s recent receipt of a Carbon Trust Award – the only team in the sport to have been bestowed such an accolade – as well as FOTA’s earnest vow to reduce its carbon footprint.

“We can always get romantic about what we have, but we must also be seen to be socially-relevant, otherwise it becomes very difficult. F1 has not historically done a good job of shaping its image of being a gas-guzzling, money-guzzling sport. Perhaps in the seventies and eighties that was acceptable and a part of the allure of F1, but increasingly, efficiency has become more important. We’ve got to change our perception, and we’ve got to be doing things that are passionate with regard to resources and money.

“The Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) has been difficult for all the teams, but it’s important that we have reached some agreements there. I think we’ve got to [paint the picture] that people who win in F1 are the most passionate organisations in terms of how we use resources and technology relevant to what you’ll see in road cars in the future. If F1 can be a development hotbed and create public interest in such technologies and we make it our quest to reduce carbon issues, I think it can only be a good thing.

“KERS technology is back this year, which creates public interest. It’s a further step in terms of hybrid technology, which all helps to make the sport relevant – and looking to the future, in 2013 we’ll have downsized engines. F1 has to be seen to be doing its bit and leading the way. We’re all excited about the technology challenge, and we should be proud as a sport that we are really grasping these issues rather than just carrying the stickers – we’re actually doing something concrete, something tangible about it all.”

Another area close to Whitmarsh’s heart – and one in which he feels F1 continues to fall short – is that of taking the sport closer to the fans, with McLaren’s recent unveiling of its new MP4-26 contender in front of hundreds of Vodafone customers in Berlin one small way of approaching that goal.

“We wanted to do something different rather than just pull a silver cloth off the car,” the Englishman explained, expressing his appreciation for the ongoing support of the team’s sponsors in such tough economic times. “To have our fans and Vodafone customers and employees involved in such an event is fun, and stimulating for all of us. We’re trying to take it more to the people, which is something in F1 that we’ve got to do more of – we need to embrace the fans and the people who love our sport.”

Toyota Prius gets extra seats for Europe

Toyota will launch its Prius + in the European market with seven seats, two more than the five-seat Pruis v variant that will be sold in the US.

It has been revealed that this is down to the batteries both variants use as well as greater demand for the hybrid vehicle in the US.

According to Guillaume Gerondeau, Toyota Europe’s Vice President of product planning and marketing: “The US Prius uses nickel batteries which are located in the boot of the car, whereas the European version will have lithium-ion batteries stored in the front.

“The nickel batteries are bigger and have to be located in the boot, leaving no room for the extra row of seats. The European version, however, has more space for this to be made possible."

Gerondeau added: “The demand for the Prius in the US is such, that they want it now,” but said a seven-seat variant wasn’t necessarily what Prius customers wanted. "Demand for it isn’t strong enough in the US. Cars with such accommodation are much bigger in the US market so the Prius will be too small."

Both the Prius + and the hybrid Yaris are being lined up for European debuts at next month’s Geneva motor show.

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Porsche launches field tests with electric Boxster

Porsche has introduced an electric version of its Boxster roadster as part of an e-mobility pilot programme in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart.

The three fully electric prototypes of the small sports car are intended to be “rolling laboratories” that will help engineers gauge the practicality of electric vehicles’ everyday use.

“Electric mobility will be one of Porsche's central challenges in the coming years, and our engineers are ready to meet the challenge with their usual high standards,” said Porsche boss Matthias Müller in a statement released on Thursday.

The e-Boxsters are part of a larger scheme to maximize electric cars in Stuttgart and the surrounding state of Baden-Württemberg.

Scientists will also use the cars to learn about the infrastructure needed to support electric mobility on a mass scale, Müller said.

Stefan Mappus, the premier of Baden-Württemberg, added that the Porsche pilot project is an important one in a state known for automotive prowess.

“Together with the auto industry, we want to further develop methods of sustainable mobility in Stuttgart and surrounding regions,” he said. “Porsche is an important partner in this endeavour.”

Stuttgart is one of eight “model regions” of electric mobility in Germany, where projects for electric vehicles and infrastructure are being tested through mid-2011.

The Federal Ministry of Transportation has committed about €130 million total for the eight regions to research electric mobility.

Transportation Minister Peter Ramsauer praised the progress Porsche has made.

“We need marketable products that excite the consumer and win him over with their functionality,” he said. “That is why we support research into electric vehicles’ everyday use.”

The Porsche Boxster roadsters each have two electric motors with a combined 240 horsepower, and are intended to perform at a level similar to Porsche’s traditional internal-combustion engines. The electronic components used in the cars were manufactured by Volkswagen, which recent took over the sports carmaker.

While BMW, Mercedes, VW and Audi already offer several electric hybrid models, Porsche currently has only one consumer vehicle, the sports-utility Cayenne, available in hybrid form.

Fullycharged Volvo C30 EV Crash Test [video]

Robert Llewellyn was invited on a PR trip to visit Volvo in Sweden and have a look at how they crash testing the electric version of the Volvo C30.

Porsche Will Debut New Hybrid Next Month @ Geneva Auto Show

Porsche will likely unveil a hybrid version of its Panamera four-door sedan at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next month, with possible plans to start selling the car in the U.S. later this year.

The Panamera already has a brake energy recuperation system as standard.

Porsche started making a hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV available in the U.S. late last year. That car, with pairs a V-6 with an electric motor, can drive solely on electric power at speeds up to 37 miles per hour and gets an EPA-rated 21 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, compared with an 18 MPG rating for the convention Cayenne S.

Bigger steps towards Porsche's electrification are likely to follow the two hybrid models, as the European Union has given Porsche five years to cut its CO2 emissions by about 15%. Porsche will produce its first electrically-powered sports car, the 918 Spyder, in three to four years.

Last October, new Porsche Chairman Matthias Mueller told reporters at the 2010 Paris Auto Show that the German automaker is testing a plug-in electric concept version of the Panamera sedan, though it has no plans to show the car publicly. The company will also field-test three electric-powered Boxsters starting next year, Porsche said in July.

Ford Explained: Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrids and EVs [video]

What's the difference between a BEV and a PHEV? Or why is an HEV considered an electrified vehicle?

As electrification options are increasing for consumers, many are looking for information to understand how the new technologies work and if it's right for them.

Ford offers some easy to understand explanations about electric vehicle technology with this new online video.

Formula One Teams consider running F1 cars in EV mode down pit lane

In a recent interview with Wired.co.uk, Jonathan Neale, managing director of McLaren mentioned Formula One Teams are considering running F1 cars as EVs in the pit lane.

"There’s a debate going on about running F1 cars as EVs in the pit lane. Some people say, “Isn’t that just a milk float in the pit lane?” But when you look at the technology required to make that happen and restart the engine at the end of the pit lane it’s exciting."

This year most Formula One cars on the grid will be equipped with a 60 Kw liquid cooled brushless direct current (BLDC) motor / generator unit. That's almost as much power as the 80 Kw motor found in the Nissan Leaf, yet an F1 car is approx 1/3rd the weight. Combined with the 400kj (111 watt hour) KERS battery storage that's more than enough power to traverse a pit lane at the usual 100 km/h speed limit.

Sounds like a great idea. It might be seen as a bit of a gimmick at first, but as the pit stops play a prominent role in the TV broadcasts, running silently in EV mode would be a very audible reminder to the hundreds of millions watching that F1 cars do in fact carry hybrid electric propulsion systems, something that can only be seen via a 'battery' TV graphic while the cars are on-track.

Carbon Nation Trailer

Something that might be of interest - the official theatrical trailer for Carbon Nation.

A movie for those who DON'T believe in climate change. There have always been a long list of issues behind the move towards EVs and one of those happened to be climate change. Unfortunately, most marketing efforts post-Gore have focussed almost exclusively on the climate angle and it has proved hard to move opinion in certain, usually older, generations.

So here's a docu-movie attempting to shift the focus and list all the 'other' reasons to go green.

Opens in theaters this month! www.carbonnationmovie.com

Continental Enhances Electric Vehicle Safety

Continental, the international automotive supplier, has developed a sensor (satellite) for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles which will immediately shut off the high-voltage battery in the event of a collision. This means that emergency service personnel can come to the aid of accident victims without the risk of suffering an electric shock.

"The evSAT acceleration sensor is active in charge mode. It detects an accident and passes this information on to the battery management system which then shuts off the high-voltage battery," said Dr. Axel Gesell, Senior Manager Platform Development Sensors & Satellites, in the Passive Safety and ADAS business unit of Continental's Chassis & Safety Division. "The major benefit of our product is that it prevents fire and rescue service personnel sustaining high-voltage injuries when coming into contact with vehicle metal parts or if they have to cut through the vehicle to recover accident victims," Gesell added.

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are powered by high-voltage batteries of up to 400 volts. evSAT will go into series production with a major German vehicle manufacturer in 2012.

'evSAT' stands for 'Satellite for Electric Vehicles' and essentially consists of an independent, triaxial sensor with a CAN (controller area network) interface. During the charge phase, the other vehicle electronics, including the airbag system are not operational. So as to avoid the considerable expense of adapting the airbag system to meet new requirements, Continental has developed evSAT for the vehicle's charge mode. The accelerator sensor employs an algorithm to detect a frontal, rear or side collision with another vehicle and immediately transmits a signal via the CAN interface to the battery management system which then switches off the battery within half a second. evSAT reacts in the same way if it detects a rollover in driving mode. In this case, the battery is deactivated within four seconds at most. In the event of other types of driving accident, evSAT remains inactive. In such cases, the airbag system assumes the task of cutting off the battery. If the electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle has been switched off and is not being charged, the evSAT moves to a standby mode to prevent the battery discharging. As such, evSAT represents an additional passive safety system function for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Safety is important for ensuring a future for electromobility

Most high-voltage batteries in electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles generate a voltage of 400 volts, twice as great as the standard domestic plug socket and potentially fatal. Already, in the United States, there is a legal requirement for the vehicle power supply voltage to fall to below 60 volts within five seconds of an accident occurring.

"As electromobility continues to develop, the safety of electric vehicles will assume an increasingly important role. The need for technologies to meet future challenges is already demonstrated by the additional demand for evSAT from numerous other vehicle manufacturers," said Telmo Glaser, Continental's evSAT project manager.

evSAT sensors – possible applications and advantages

Essentially, evSAT can be installed in a number of different places in the vehicle; it should, however, be placed sufficiently well inside the vehicle (beneath the front passenger seat, for example) to avoid being damaged in an accident. The advantages of using evSAT are that there is no need for the conventionally powered vehicle variants within a model series to be modified. evSAT can be integrated into the existing systems of electrically powered vehicle variants without redesign work. This benefit also increases flexibility as regards installation space, customer-specific requirements and development time. Savings can be made due to lower system development costs and by avoiding placing greater demands on the airbag system. The sensors will be produced, starting this year, in Continental's Regensburg, Germany plant.

Renault 'spy' row over electric car costs

Alleged spying at French car maker Renault may have targeted the costs involved in making electric cars, its chief executive said in an interview published Friday.

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.

Renault has sacked three top managers in the past month over alleged industrial espionage and has launched legal action. The three executives have denied the allegations and struck back with lawsuits for defamation.

It has so far not given details on what the men allegedly disclosed, saying only that the case concerned the economic model, rather than the technology, for electric cars.

"The most interesting information I can have about a competitor is the cost," Renault chief executive Carlos Ghosn said in the interview with the Wall Street Journal.

He was answering a question on why information about the economic model was so sensitive.

"For example for a battery, the most important element is the cost per kilowatt. From the cost per kilowatt I may guess what kind of technology you're developing," he was quoted as saying by the US business daily.

"All that action that has been taken by the company is designed to protect the company," Ghosn said.

He added that it was now up to prosecutors to figure out exactly who was responsible for what.

"Who did what and how exactly, it's not up to us to decide," the Renault chief said. "Today, all the elements are in the hands of the justice department and it's for the prosecutor to determine the different responsibilities."

Renault and Nissan, of which Ghosn is also chief executive officer, are aiming for annual capacity of 500,000 electric cars by 2015 at the latest, the Wall Street Journal said.

But much uncertainty remains over how fast the cars will take off, as the batteries that power them are still prohibitively expensive for most consumers, the paper said.

It added that though Nissan's Leaf electric vehicle went on sale last year, Renault is still waiting to release its first models later this year.

Electric Andros Trophy Prost gets title 2010

Nicolas Prost gets the first Electric Andros Trophy title at St-Dié des Vosges.

BMW ActiveE 2011 Electric Car TEST DRIVE [video]

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will see the world premier of the BMW ActiveE. Based on the current BMW 1 Series Coupé, the BMW ActiveE is the second electric test vehicle to be created by the BMW Group.

Read more

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

On the occasion of the market launch of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta that is set to go on sale in all major markets from the beginning of May, the Italian automaker released a plethora of photos of its VW Golf-sized hatchback.

The sporty-looking Giulietta introduces an entirely new platform called "Compact" that will underpin a variety of Fiat and Chrysler Group cars in the near future.

Available exclusively as a five-door hatchback, Alfa Romeo's replacement for the 147 is 4.35 meters long, 1.46 meters tall and 1.80 meters wide, with a wheelbase of 2.63 meters, with Alfa claiming that it features a boot capacity of 350 liters.

At the time of launch, the Giulietta will be offered with two petrol and two diesel engines, all turbocharged and with a Start&Stop system fitted as standard.

The initial petrol range includes the 120HP 1.4-liter TB and 170HP 1.4-liter TB Multiair, while the diesel lineup comprises of the 105HP 1.6-liter JTDM and 170HP 2.0-liter JTDM.

Later in the year, Alfa Romeo will cater to the needs of enthusiasts with the presentation of a 1.75-liter TBi turbocharged four-pot with direct injection producing 235HP and 340Nm of peak torque .

The Giulietta will be available in two trim levels -Progression and Distinctive- along with two optional packages, Sport and Premium.

There is also a Quadrifoglio Verde trim specification that will be offered exclusively on the flagship 235HP 1750 TBi model. This version will be distinguished by a lowered ride height (15 mm at the front and 10 mm at the rear), 17- or optionally 18-inch alloy wheels, an enhanced braking system with calipers painted Alfa red, and specially trimmed interior.

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