As electric vehicle proponents, alternative energy entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists have predicted, the development of better, more efficient batteries will give the electric vehicle (EV) industry the game changing boost it needs to change the way we think about transportation. Battery technology, which produced the successful development of the lithim-ion battery for laptop computers and then in the Tesla sports car, is now about to take the next leap forward with a battery that can be produced at lower prices but with greater capacity, meaning an increased range between charges.

Well, the lower price hasn’t happened yet, but researchers have created a new generation battery by combining Nickel and Lithium to produce a battery that can store more than 3.5 times the energy of lithium-ion batteries..

This is a prime example of the payoff from the money and effort going into the development of smaller, cheaper, safer (the Nickel-Lithium batteries are less prone to burst into flames as some lithium-ion batteries in laptops have), and more powerful batteries that will deliver more miles between charges as the era of the Electrical Vehicle (EV) is knocking at the door.

Other companies are developing the components that will complete the EV. One such company (Proterra) claims to deliver a full charge to lithium batteries in ten minutes, and has produced an all electric bus that also includes a regenerative braking system that they claim will capture 90% of a vehicle’s kinetic energy during braking to put back in the battery. More

A German auto engineering company is working on a project that just might solve the world’s oil problems. IAV Automotive Engineering has secured a patent for their electric vehicle (EV) wireless road-charging system.

Conceptually, roads would be fitted with electrical conductors that create magnetic fields, which charge your battery powered vehicle as you drive. Radio chips would identify your vehicle and bill you appropriately. The conductors are resistant to both weather and mechanical wear.

This system eliminates many of the common difficulties and headaches associated with EVs. It extends the range of an EV to virtually limitless, and there is no need for long charging times or battery exchanges. The IAV system is completely cordless and can even charge an EV while it’s parked. More

Suzuki Swift EREV

Every time I start to read about cars there’s a new hybrid announced.  Suzuki is the latest auto maker to announce a plugin hybrid, this one is made from their Suzuki Swift model.

The Swift is already sold in Japan and Europe and comes with a little 1.3-liter diesel engine.  The concept uses a 660 cc engine that charges lithium batteries that in turn power a small 54 kw electric motor.  The battery stack sits between the two front seats, and likely travels into the rear as well.

Reminds me of the Chevy Volt.

Lyle over at GM-Volt was able to interview the CEO of Compact Power about the costs involved in making the lithium batteries that will go in the Chevy Volt.

Here’s an excerpt:

I recently had the chance to ask him about the cost of lithium-ion batteries.  As some sources suggest cost could be as high as $1000 kwh, I asked him what the actual cost is in today’s market.  My question with his explanation follows:

What is the cost of lithium ion automotive batteries?
Is its risky or dangerous to quote direct numbers.

At the cell level, in consumer applications, 100% of the nominal capacity at the beginning of life is somewhere on the order of $350 per kwh.

Read the rest here

In anticipation of these mainstream rollouts and the vehicles’ likely popularity, a number of cities are developing or are already implementing plans for charging stations and buying incentives.

New-home builders should be planning ahead, as well, to ensure the garages of the houses they sell are ready if and when future occupants choose to go the plug-in route. Single-family builders will only need to make minor modifications, if any; multifamily developers have some heftier considerations. “If we’re not ready to get buildings outfitted today, there’s going to be a lot of incurred costs later on,” says Britta Gross, director of global energy systems and infrastructure commercialization for GM.

To make electric cars acceptable to mainstream users, ease of use is essential: The Volt simply plugs into a three-pronged outlet via an extension cord. According to Gross, the Volt charges in eight hours on a 120-volt/15-amp outlet or in about three hours on a 240-volt/30-amp outlet. Though most single-family garages already contain a 120-volt outlet, forward-thinking builders should consider installing a 240-volt outlet no more than 25 feet from cars and providing a dedicated circuit. More

It appears that Nissan has the Chevrolet Volt clearly in the crosshairs with the announcement that it will begin taking reservations for the 2011 Leaf, its new electric car, starting in spring 2010. However, critical details, such as pricing and the cost of a deposit, are still being finalized, said the automaker.

Nissan credits “strong initial demand” for the decision, saying that nearly 22,000 people in North America have contacted the company since the car’s unveiling in August. The five-passenger hatchback is expected to be priced between $28,000 and $35,000 before any government incentives. The Leaf is due to hit showrooms in late 2010.

Those who wish to place a reservation for the Leaf can visit a dedicated Web site.

The demand for the Leaf appears to be strongest in the western states. Nissan listed San Diego, Tucson, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon, as areas of high demand for the car and noted that the cities “are among the first markets where Leaf will be available globally.” More

The Chevy Volt, General Motors says, should earn an EPA rating of 230 mpg.  The Nissan Leaf will beat that, its builders say, with a 367 mpg rating.

The EPA isn’t so sure.

USA Today reports, “The concept of judging fuel efficiency on electric cars by the ‘miles per gallon’ they consume is dying a slow death. The EPA and other government agencies are working on a formula that will accurately tell people how fuel efficient electric vehicles are — but since those cars don’t use gas, miles per gallon doesn’t make any sense.”

GM and Nissan based their claims, the New York Times explains, “on a draft Environmental Protection Agency standard for plug-in hybrids and battery cars. But the agency says that work isn’t complete, and it is searching for meaningful ways to present the information to car buyers on the window sticker.”  The agency may never use the standard GM and Nissan used to back up their claims.

But developing a new standard is a controversial process. The Times reports, “Automakers and environmentalists interviewed have their own take on what an ideal E.V. window sticker would look like.” More

Bob Kruse, who recently led a critical Chevrolet Volt team and devised the automaker’s long-term electric vehicle strategy, has resigned months before the vehicle’s debut, The Detroit News has learned.

Kruse’s resignation, effective end of September, comes at a crucial time for General Motors Co., which is banking on the Volt to change public perceptions of the company and also help meet stringent new fuel rules.

Kruse, 50, executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries since early 2008, left to start his own consulting company, E V Consulting LLC. He will provide automotive and vehicle electrification expertise for companies looking to seize a piece of more than $1.3 billion in federal grants available to Detroit’s Big Three automakers and the state.

“My departure from General Motors has nothing to do with my view of the future success for the Volt,” Kruse said on Tuesday. “I’ve left on very good terms. I have a lot of respect for the leadership of General Motors.”

But, he added: “I’m not going to lie. Are they happy about my departure? Probably not.”

GM said the extended range electric Volt remains on target for production in November 2010 and stressed that Volt battery testing was under way when Kruse was promoted. The team is largely responsible for designing and testing the Volt’s lithium-ion battery. Kruse’s team also focused on integrating the battery into the vehicle, and he developed GM’s battery and electric vehicle strategy beyond the Volt.

The company will soon have 80 pre-production Volt vehicles on the roads.

“There’s no good time to lose good people,” GM spokesman Rob Peterson said. “But that said, the Volt team goes way beyond one person.”

Kruse’s move is understandable given the amount of federal money available, cuts imposed on white-collar workers and retirees by GM and government restrictions on executive pay, said analyst Joe Phillippi of Auto Trends Consulting Inc. in Short Hills, N.J. More

It’s been Christmas for a while now for automakers that intend on making EVs.  The DOE has a large pool of money set aside to dole out to those it deems worthy.  Fisker recently passed that test and was awarded $527 million to help them develop hybrids that will be affordable.

As of now the only car that Fisker has announced is the Karma.  At $80,000+ I wouldn’t call that exactly affordable.  So Fisker is going to have to produce another, cheaper car.  And that’s exactly what they state they’re going to do.  The majority of the loan will go to developing a plugin hybrid in the same vein as the Karma or the Chevy Volt that will cost just under $40,000.

“This conditional loan represents a significant step in America’s future,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO. “With it Fisker Automotive can rapidly develop affordable clean cars that satisfy our passion for driving and help restore the U.S. as an auto industry leader.”

Fisker says that the loan will save or create 5,000 jobs in the US.

It’s about time that Lotus decided to cash in on the EV market.  So far their cars are the basis for the Tesla Roadster, the Dodge Circuit, and a Mercedes concept.  Now it seems that instead of selling just the chassis they might try to sneak an engine in with it.

Lotus range extender engine

The engine is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine designed to be a range extender for an Extended Range Electric Vehicle.  The advantage this one has over the ones used in the Chevy Volt and the Fisker Karma is that this engine is designed for the sole use as a range extender.  The engines used in the Volt and Karma also serve double duty as the primary powerplant for other cars.

Lotus says that this will give their engine a distinct advantage over the other engines that are repurposed for use as generators.  Since this engine is designed as a generator from the ground up it is markedly different from a traditional internal combustion engine.  It is also simpler in certain areas.

The engine block, cylinder heads, and exhaust manifold are all casted from the same block reducing complexity and cost.  Some of the pieces that you would normally see in a combustion engine, like the head gasket, are left out all together.

It is a 1.2 liter engine with two valves per cylinder and a single overhead cam.  The design includes the electric generator coupled to the engine.  It can be operated in two different modes, a 15 kilowatt and a 35 kilowatt mode.  No mention of how fuel efficient the engine is, though it would be tough to figure that out without knowing the car it’s attached to.

It’s good to see a market cropping up for designs specific to EVs.  I think in the future we’ll be seeing a lot more parts made especially for electric cars and not something that’s repurposed from a traditional dinosaur burner.