Electric motoring: a quiet revolution

The many electric motoring announcements in London recently seemed to suggest the start of an electric car revolution in the UK.

Soon after a ceremony at Guildhall in the City, where the government revealed a list of nine electric cars eligible for a £5,000 subsidy, the focus moved on to electric taxis.

In his final air quality strategy, London Mayor Boris Johnson set out his plan to phase out old polluting black cabs in an effort to improve air quality.

This includes "a £1m fund to encourage taxi owners to upgrade to low emission vehicles such as electric taxi cabs", the Mayor said in a statement.

'Tremendous opportunity'

At a separate event in central London, the German carmaker Volkswagen unveiled an electric concept taxi that could go some way to fill the void once an estimated 1,200 of London's most polluting taxis fail to have their licences renewed.

Volkswagen's tiny taxi allows a driver to take two passengers plus luggage, and should have a range of about 300 kilometres (186 miles) on a full charge.

Volkswagen's London taxi concept Demand for electric vehicles is partly driven by subsidies and legislation

"In the future, mobility in city centres will be restricted by low emission zones that you can't enter with private vehicles, so in such cities taxis are about mass mobilisation," Volkswagen's design director Klaus Bischoff predicts during in an interview with BBC News.

Volkswagen and others in the industry often see government initiatives as business opportunities, and electric motoring subsidies are no different.

"Low carbon and the transition to low carbon is a tremendous opportunity for the UK motor industry," says Paul Everitt, chief executive of motor industry body SMMT.
Not there yet

All this effort by government and companies suggests electric motoring is about to become mainstream.

But that is unlikely just yet, according to Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation.

"The £43m [government subsidy for electric vehicles] being made available until early 2012 means at least 8,600 will benefit from the subsidy," he says.

However, "while this makes ultra-green cars cheaper, it doesn't make them cheap", he adds.

Put this into context of the 28 million cars on the road in the UK and annual new car sales of around two million, and it seems clear that much more is needed.

"Clearly we are still a long way from an affordable mass market for these vehicles," says Mr Glaister.
Small improvements

But if, as many predict, the shift from cars with conventional combustion engines to electric cars is set to remain slow for years yet, there is another, less visible, electric motoring revolution taking place.

"There's going to be hybridisation and electrification of vehicles in many different ways," according to Stefan Suckow, hybrid sales director with Johnson Controls, which makes electric car batteries for several manufacturers.

At the most basic level, this relates to how carmakers are eliminating the direct mechanical connections between components and the engine.

For instance, fuel consumption can be cut by about 1% by switching from conventional power steering to electronically controlled power steering.

Other incremental improvements range from solar panels that run the air conditioning during stand-still, so fuel is not used to cool down the car, to small electric motors tucked away in the doors and powered by batteries that are charged when a car is braking.

These electric motors help with acceleration, which means cars can be fitted with smaller and thus cleaner engines.

Industry officials are eager to point out that small cuts in the fuel consumption and emissions of millions of cars add up and have a greater impact overall than what might still be a relatively weak take-up of electric cars.

Car Articles Electric Car Of The Year 2010

This year’s electric car title can only go to one model in particular from a single manufacturer. This year’s winner of the Electric Car of the Year 2010 award goes to the Citroen Survolt. Granted, it’s a racing car, so you aren’t going to have one sitting on your driving just waiting to blast near-silently into the countryside. But that’s besides the point. Look at it!

Only a concept really, it’s a wonderful one and it works too. 62 is reached in less than 5 seconds and a top speed of 161 miles per hour is possible. Why is has it got the award? It’s this kind of outlandish design that helps developers understand the boundaries of what can be done and under what kind of budget. Citroen are forging forward and their C-Zero all electric vehicle is bound to take us forward in terms of zero emissions vehicles.
 

Car Articles Electric Car Of The Year 2010

This year’s electric car title can only go to one model in particular from a single manufacturer. This year’s winner of the Electric Car of the Year 2010 award goes to the Citroen Survolt. Granted, it’s a racing car, so you aren’t going to have one sitting on your driving just waiting to blast near-silently into the countryside. But that’s besides the point. Look at it!

Only a concept really, it’s a wonderful one and it works too. 62 is reached in less than 5 seconds and a top speed of 161 miles per hour is possible. Why is has it got the award? It’s this kind of outlandish design that helps developers understand the boundaries of what can be done and under what kind of budget. Citroen are forging forward and their C-Zero all electric vehicle is bound to take us forward in terms of zero emissions vehicles.
 

Cash Grants To Jump-Start Electric Car Sales

From January 1st, motorists buying the first three of the named electric cars will get 25% off, up to a maximum of £5,000, in the form of a Government grant.

The first three cars are the Mitsubishi iMiEV, the Mercedes-Benz smart fortwo ED and the Peugeot iON.

The 25% reduction, known as the 'Plug-In Car Grant', will also apply to the other six cars as they become part of the scheme over the next few months.

They are: the Citroen CZero, available in early 2011, the Nissan Leaf and the Tata Vista EV.

Available from early 2012 will be the Toyota Prius Plug-in, the Vauxhall Ampera

and the Chevrolet Volt.

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said "A few years ago, ultra-low emission cars with mass-market appeal are a reality and we can have all the convenience of the car without the carbon that normally goes with it."

The Government has also confirmed that five new regions had been successful in applying for a share of a £20 million fund to install local charging points for the vehicles.

The east of England charging points include Stansted airport, Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich.

The Midlands points include Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham and Worcester, while Scottish points include Edinburgh and central Glasgow.

Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland also benefit.

Critics are quick to point out the limitations of electric cars in terms of their use - not to mention the cost.

For example, the Vauxhall Ampera will cost £28,995 even with the £5,000 grant.

The RAC Foundation told Sky News: "Clearly we are still a long way from an affordable mass market for these vehicles, but this is a very welcome step in the right direction."

Citroen Survolt – Electric Dreams

This is Survolt – Citroën’s latest concept car. This one not only looks a little bit special but is an all electric race car.  Anyone would think that this electricity is the way of the future! Well, if it is, we’ll all miss throaty V8 engines, but we will be glad that cars look as damn good as this one. The Survolt will be part of the Top Gear Live show, at Earls Court.

Propelled by two electric motors with a combined power of 300bhp, Survolt is capable of exceptional performance with a top speed of 260kph (162mph) and a 0-100kph (0-62mph) time of under five seconds. The concept’s twin 140kg lithium-ion batteries each boast a 31kw capacity, which allows Survolt to cover 200km (124 miles).

 

 

Nissan thinks £24,000 new Leaf will rule road

What do you think the future of motoring looks like? Nissan would argue it's a lot like their new car, the Leaf.

It is the first mass-produced electric car to be purpose built and go on sale in the UK.

Some other electric cars are based on existing internal combustion engine designs, and in case you're wondering the G-Wiz - which is seen all over London - is not a car, it's a quadricycle...

But will it be practical for ordinary drivers when they start taking delivery in March?

We were given exclusive access to the car to find out.

First of all, the numbers: it is going to cost £23,990 - and that is after taking into account a £5000 government subsidy.

So it's not cheap.

It will do 90mph and travel 100 miles on a full charge - as long as you don't use the air conditioning or heating.

Nissan say that you should be able to fully charge the battery from flat for £2.

Not for touring

A standard charge will take around eight hours, although it is possible to get the majority of the capacity in half an hour if there's a higher current charging point available.

That means it is not going to be practical as a car to tour the country in.

Filling up at motorway service stations is not currently an option although its manufacturer argues that's not a problem.

"The majority of customers will be people who are using it for commuting," says Richard Candler from Nissan UK.

"So the majority of drives and commuting drives are within a hundred miles. It's excellent as either a city car or an inter-urban commuting vehicle."

The Leaf will be imported for customers initially but from 2012 its batteries will be made at a factory in Sunderland.

And from 2013 the car will be produced there too.

Electric cars of course are very quiet.

That is an advantage as well as a disadvantage.

Nissan found for example that wind noise - because it wasn't drowned out by the engine - became more intrusive.

Bumper loudspeaker

So it designed the headlamp clusters to deflect air around the wing mirrors - where a lot of the wind noise comes from.

And to address concerns about pedestrians being unable to hear the car coming at low speeds, it has got a loudspeaker behind the bumper which plays a sound like a turbine as a warning.

Other hi-tech elements include a solar panel to help charge the 12v battery - so it doesn't take too much power from the main battery - and an option to link the car to smartphones - so you can tell it to warm up the interior in advance.

Though if it is not plugged into a charging point, that is going to drain the battery and cut your range.

Manufacturers are competing to get electric cars to market - and they will all be playing the green card.

The Leaf will even give owners instructions on how to drive more economically - and if drivers want to, they can upload their own driving data to see how they compare with other drivers around the world in a global competition to see who can use the least electricity.

But the car is not a perfect solution.

Behaviour change

"We've always said that technology is part of the answer but to be truly green we've got to have renewable power to power our electric cars," says Tony Bosworth from Friends of the Earth.

"And we've always said that behaviour change is an important part of the solution. We've got to change how people travel if we want to tackle transport's contribution to climate change, and we've always said that the car industry can't just focus on electric cars."

At the moment the big problem - apart from the price - is the lack of infrastructure and charging points.

Honda has argued that long term the solution is electric cars powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

It claims battery technology will simply never be able to satisfy all our motoring needs.

The disadvantage with hydrogen is that it has to be transported around the country to new filling stations, using fuel to do so, whereas electricity is already there and available.

The eventual solution may well be a combination of different technologies - with people choosing the one that suits their needs best.

Millionaire spends £1m building himself Britain\'s first all-electric supercar

A multi-millionaire businessman has built himself Britain's first electric supercar.

Dale Vince OBE has spent nearly £1million building the 'Nemesis' - an electricity-powered supercar which can accelerate from 0-100mph in a breathtaking 8.5 seconds.

The founder of Gloucestershire-based wind energy company Ecotricity wanted to build an electric car that could ‘blow the socks off Jeremy Clarkson'.

Mr Vince now uses the 330bhp car - the first road-going British built electric supercar - as his daily runaround.
Dale Vince

Dale Vince with his £1 million electric supercar that is based on a Lotus

To build the Nemesis, 48-year-old Mr Vince commissioned a team of engineers who had been involved in various iconic British vehicles including the McLaren F1 supercar and DeLorean.

The crack team then set about turning a second-hand Lotus Exige bought off eBay into a green machine capable of beating some of the fastest combustion engined supercars.

Ecotricity re-built the Exige and fitted 96 lithium-ion polymer cells, a completely new transmission and two motors developing 330bhp.

It has so far reached a top speed of 135mph but Ecotricity says it should be capable of 170mph.

The company will attempt to break the 139mph record for an electric British car currently held by Don Wales in the Bluebird Electric at a later date.

Nemesis can run for between 100-150 miles between charges and can be charged from empty in under two hours from its fast charger or eight to nine hours from a regular mains supply.

Ecotricity claims ‘no large car company could have developed anything like this so rapidly or for the sub-£1million budget it has cost’.

But taxpayers groups have criticised Mr Vince for using public money for ‘personal benefit’.

For despite the fact he is worth £3million, the entrepreneur received £400,000 from the Government's Technology Strategy Board to develop the vehicle.

Fiona McEvoy, campaign manager for The TaxPayers' Alliance, said: ‘Whether or not people agree that public money should be spent developing these sorts of green technologies, it's clear this man is deriving some personal benefit from this.

‘It calls into question what these grants are for and whether they're going to the right places.

‘It looks totally inappropriate for a millionaire to be cruising around in a sports car funded, at least in part, by the rest of us.’

Mr Vince has hit back at claims he is wasting taxpayers' money for his own pleasure, instead suggesting his ambitious project is good for British engineering.

He said: 'Our car is one of a whole range of eco vehicles being supported by the Government because they see the benefit for the UK in being at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, and the potential to create a new industry and tens of thousands of new green jobs here in the UK.

‘It's perhaps worth pointing out that our car had about £400,000 worth of support from a programme of £25 million in total, and for that we've delivered the UK's first designed and built electric supercar.’

Tesla, an American car company, has built an electric sports car, the Roadster, which also based on a Lotus platform.

The Californian car maker, which has received huge investment from the likes of Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, is already selling its models whereas there are no plans as yet to put the Nemesis into production.

Ecotricity says the technology developed for the Nemesis will be incorporated into its next projects - a 250mph-plus wind-powered electric supercar, and an electric tractor.

 

 

 

 

Citroen Offers Cars To Beat The Congestion Charge

Following the Mayor of London’s recent announcement that all Euro 5 compliant cars emitting 100g/km CO2 or less will be able to enter the Congestion Charging zone free of charge from 4th January 2011; Citroën is pleased to offer three stylish, efficient and well-equipped models that will be eligible for the 100% discount – saving London drivers around £2,500 per year.

With CO2 emissions of just 99g/km, the distinctive DS3 DStyle 99g and the stylish New C3 Airdream+, both powered by Citroën’s efficient and refined 1.6HDi 90hp engine, will be exempt from the new £10 daily charge. From 4th January, owners will be able to register their Citroën models for the Greener Vehicle Discount, which allows a 100% discount from the Congestion Charge for vehicles with CO2 emissions of 100g/km or less and that meet the Euro 5 standard for air quality. A £10 annual registration payment per car applies.

C-Zero, Citroën’s new full-electric city car, will also be eligible for the Electric Vehicle & Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle 100% discount when first deliveries commence in January.

Linda Jackson, Citroën UK’s Managing Director commented: “Citroën continues to make significant progress in reducing emissions across its whole range with innovative new technologies and a focus on environmentally-considerate manufacturing processes. We are delighted London drivers will benefit from Citroën’s low-CO2 conventionally powered and all-electric vehicles. Our models are proof that environmentally conscious transport doesn’t mean compromising on style, comfort or driver pleasure.”
 

Cars of the future lead way in Brighton to London rally

More than 60 eco-friendly cars have taken part in a 60 mile rally with the aim of using the lowest amount of energy possible.

The electric, hybrid and low-emission cars, LCVs and motorcycles were part of the inaugural RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge.

They set off from Madeira Drive on the East Sussex city's seafront and headed for central London.

The event was aimed at showcasing low-emission cars of the future.
Nemesis car The Nemesis car heads for London with Dale Vince at the wheel

Drivers included rally legends Paddy Hopkirk and David Richards, who drove differently powered Minis, along with former Formula One driver Perry McCarthy and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

It took place a day before the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, taking the traditional route in reverse.

Among the vehicles in the rally were the electric Mini E, Toyota Auris and Prius Hybrids, the hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity, the diesel-powered VW BlueMotion Golf and Tesla electric roadster.

Veteran car and family The event included a display of veteran cars that will be making the opposite journey to Brighton

The rally ended in London's Pall Mall before a presentation of the vehicles in Regent Street together with some of the vintage cars taking part in Sunday's run.

Trophies were awarded to the most environmentally-friendly and economical vehicles. Best overall entry as chosen by the judges was the VW BlueMotion Golf.
Next generation

Speaking before the rally, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, warned that despite having the technology to cut carbon emissions the development of the cars was likely to be hampered by their expense.

He said: "There is a large price difference between the most fuel-efficient models currently available and the next generation of vehicles already arriving in the showrooms.

"The cars of tomorrow might have very low running costs, but that will be irrelevant if people haven't got the cash to buy them in the first place."

 

 

Google is developing technology that enables cars to drive themselves

The internet giant has announced that it has secretly been working on artificial-intelligence software to control vehicles.

The system scans the surroundings of a car and mimics the responses of the human driver, who remains on hand to take over if needed.

It also automatically adjusts the vehicle's speed depending on the local limit. Google claims the technology could save millions of lives lost in traffic accidents.

Engineers from the company have already clocked up 140,000 miles of test drives, using six Toyota Priuses and an Audi TT equipped with the software.

The trials, which have been carried out around the company's base in Mountain View, California, are reported to have been successful.

The only accident is said to have been caused by a regular car driving into the back of a computer-controlled Google vehicle.

The project has been overseen by Sebastian Thrun, a 43-year-old Google engineer also behind the Street View mapping system, in which users can virtually travel down streets.

In a posting on the company blog, Mr Thrun said: "According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million lives are lost every year in road traffic accidents.

"We believe our technology has the potential to cut that number, perhaps by as much as half.

"Our automated cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to 'see' other traffic, as well as detailed maps which we collect using manually driven vehicles to navigate the road ahead."

Lawyers for the California transport department admitted the technology was "ahead of the law" as it meant drivers themselves did not complete various elements of driving that are legally controlled.

Google, however, claimed that because a driver would always be ready to take over in an emergency, they still remained in overall control, making them legally responsible for the vehicle.

The system is said to be several years away from mass production

The E-Type for the 21st Century: 205mph electric hybrid supercar from Jaguar that costs £200,000

 

A new 205mph Jaguar supercar that blends sporting looks and performance with the latest ‘green’ technology is set to rock the prestigious Paris Motor Show when it is officially unveiled today.

The new two-seater Jaguar C-X75 is a £200,000 electric hybrid vehicle uses hi-tech jet-turbine know-how from the aviation industry to sprint from rest to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds and up to 100mph in just 5.5 seconds.

It was already being dubbed last night ‘The E-Type for the 21st Century’ and is set to be pored over by a Government minister on a trade mission to the Paris show today.

The new two-seater is a £200,000 electric hybrid vehicle uses hi-tech jet-turbine know-how from the aviation industry to sprint from rest to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds

The new Jaguar dispenses with a conventional internal combustion engine.

Instead, powered by a lithium ion battery charged from the domestic mains, the new Jaguar can run with zero-emissions for up to 68 miles on four electric motors - one of which drives each of four wheels.

Then it can harness two rear-mounted super-efficient gas-turbines to generate the extra electric power it needs to give it an extended range of 560miles - enough to get it from London to Berlin on a single 60 litre tank-full.

And that is with minimal emissions of just 28g/km of carbon dioxide - the greenhouse gas blamed for global warning and against which all UK cars are now taxed.

The car featured at the Paris show has the electric hybrid and gas turbine generator as its power source. But Jaguar say it could also run on a conventional petrol engine.
The new Jaguar supercar that blends sporting looks and performance with the latest 'green' technology

The new Jaguar supercar that blends sporting looks and performance with the latest 'green' technology

The new two-seater Jaguar C-X75 is a £200,000 electric hybrid vehicle

Jaguar said: It demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguars core values of performance, design, and luxury using technology that will make environmentally responsible'

A Jaguar spokesman said:’A six-hour plug-in charge of the lithium-ion batteries allows an electric-only range of 68 miles.

‘But the innovative twin-turbines can either charge the car’s batteries, allowing the supercar to travel 560 miles between fill-ups. Or it can automatically provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors to allow the car to top 205mph.’

He added:’It celebrates three-quarters of a century of beautiful, fast, Jaguars by being the fastest and perhaps most beautiful of them all.’

Jaguar said:’It demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguar’s core values of performance, design, and luxury using technology that will make environmentally responsible performance and electrical vehicles a practical proposition.’

Inside the driver is cosseted in a cockpit with Storm Grey ‘Bridge of Weir’ leather seats and an aircraft-inspired dashboard of cream suede-like leather and polished aluminium.

Steering wheel covered in soft neoprene and a top-end ‘surround sound’ hi-fi is included along with a custom-made clock which is kept wound by the acceleration and braking of the car.

It has phosphor blue luminescent interior ‘theatre’ lighting which alters to suit driver’s mood - including dimming when it switches to ‘aircraft in combat mode’ at speed or in ‘track’ mode to focus the driver’s attention even more on the driving.

The C-X75 celebrates 75 years of the Jaguar marque. Its creators also reckon it is arguably ‘the sexiest Jaguar ever’ - in an iconic line-up that includes the E-Type of the 1960s, the C and D-Types of the 1950s and the XJ13 Le Mans prototype of 1966.

Jaguar said turbines gave advantages over conventional piston engine:’With fewer moving parts, turbines do not need oil lubrication or water cooling systems, which offers considerable weight saving.

They can also be run on a range of fuels including diesel, biofuels, compressed natural gas and liquid petroleum gas.’

But with the turbine blades spinning at 80,000 revs per minute, it also needs to suck in ‘considerable’ volumes of air through the vents and scoops.

The company said the use of hi-tech turbines was fitting, as British jet engine pioneer Sir Frank Whittle credited with developing the gas-turbine jet engine, was born in Coventry just a short distance form Jaguar’s former Brown’s Lane factory.

Specialist firm Bladon Jets have refined that technology to produce much smaller, super-efficient ‘micro’ gas turbines for Jaguar under a programme supported by UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board.

The car sucks in air at an incredible rate from front and side vents to create more downforce - and more speed

Jaguar has invested £800million into new ‘green’ technology on top of its £1billion a year in new models - with a new small saloon car and a roadster also in the pipeline.

Business Secretary Mark Prisk is today visiting the Jaguar stand in Paris to see the supercar for himself as part of a wider mission in the French capital to drum up trade among international car-makers and suppliers.

Jaguar’s vehicle line director Ian Hoban said:’The supercar shows that Jaguar will continue to build beautiful, fast cars that will generate their performance in a sustainable manner.’

Jaguar Cars managing director Mike O’Driscoll added:’It ensures our reputation for engineering excellence will continue for another 75 years.’

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is now owned by India’s TATA and employs 16,000 people in the UK.

Land Rover is showing off in Paris its new Range Rover Evoque mini luxury 4X4 which is being built at Halewood on Merseyside.

The car has all the stylings expected from a £200,000 supercar - but runs on green technology

 

The Jaguar has been dubbed 'The E-Type for the 21st Century'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1316273/E-Type-Jaguar-supercar-200mph-electric-hybrid-jet-engine-costs-200K.html#ixzz110Hpj5sM

Mini unveils the all-electric scooter that only costs 1p a mile

Mini is going all mod with the launch today of a 'green' electric scooter that promises 1p a mile motoring.

Model Agyness Deyn unveiled the hi-tech but retro-looking zero-emissions two-wheeler in London yesterday, before it goes on display at next week's Paris Motor Show.

Adorned with big side mirrors and lashings of chrome, it rekindled memories of the heyday of the scooter during the 1960s when hundreds of Parka-wearing Mods would ride their scooters to Brighton.

It also comes 51 years after the iconic British car-maker revolutionised motoring with the original 10ft square box car designed by Sir Alec Issigonis.

The new prototype MINI Scooter-E is powered by a lithium-ion battery linked to an electric motor which drives the 11-inch rear wheel.

Aimed primarily at younger drivers for urban use, the MINI electric scooter expected to produce 1p a mile motoring, with a range of about 30 miles and a top speed restricted to about 50 mph.

It can be charged directly from the household mains thanks to a plug and five yards of spring-loaded retractable cable cunningly stored beneath the driver and passenger seat. Each full re-charge is expected to take around four hours.

However a spokesman pointed out:'Brief stops can be used to top up the battery. Stop-offs for shopping or visiting a cafe can be used for hassle-free battery recharging.'

A battery charge indicator tells the rider how much charge is left - and how far it will take them.

The company will judge reaction to the prototype at the Paris Motor Show from next week with a view to it going on sale within two years - just in time for the London Olympics which parent company BMW is sponsoring as the main provider of transport to athletes, officials and other VIPs.

Although some basic electric scooters currently on the market can cost from around £1,500, the hi-tech, hi-spec MINI Scooter is expected to be between £4,000 and £5,000.

A MINI spokesman said:''The MINI Scooter E is powered is powered by an electric motor integrated in the rear wheel.

'The motor's lithium ion battery can be recharged at any conventional power socket using the on-board charging cable.'

The MINI Scooter also has another hi-tech touch. A snap-in adaptor means the driver can insert his or her smart-phone into the front console as a secure 'key' to start it.

The screen of the phone then doubles as sat-nav, music player or blue-tooth telephone.

A special crash helmet with an integrated microphone and headphones will allow the rider - via a wireless Bluetooth connection - to use the phone or access their music while riding.

The MINI scooter follows the firm's launch last year of its electric MINI-e car which is currently being leased to customers around the UK.

German car giant BMW began production of the new generation MINI in 2001 and since then has sold more than 1.7million of the Oxford-built cars.

There has been a growing tend for mainstream motor manufacturers to have in their range a low or zero-emitting vehicle. This is partly to help them conform to tough new EU limits on emissions.

Mercedes-Benz's Smart is also showcasing an electric Smart scooter at the Paris show. Aston Martin has created the tiny 'Cygnet', which customers of its larger cars will be able to buy as an add-on.

Craig Carey-Clinch of the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) said there had been a boom in demand for scooters in recent years - with sales up around a quarter in the last decade.

About 20,000 a year are now sold. There has been a boom in scooter sales with people using them in town instead of cars. Electric scooters are starting to make a mark, with prices ranging from about £1,500 for something basic up to around £5,000 for a top end electric bike.'

 

Chevrolet Volt batteries could enable renewable energy solutions

General Motors and ABB Group will work together to develop pilot projects for re-using the batteries from the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle, examining whether the batteries may be a source for renewable energy that could improve the effectiveness of wind and solar power generation.

The opportunity is the basis of a memorandum of understanding signed between General Motors and ABB Group.

The two companies are collaborating to determine how the Volt's 16-kWh lithium-ion batteries can be used to provide stationary electric grid storage systems once the batteries have fulfilled their usefulness in customers' vehicles.

The ultimate goal is to provide cost-effective, innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency of the country's electrical grid.

"The Volt's battery will have significant capacity to store electrical energy, even after its automotive life," said Micky Bly, GM Executive Director of Electrical Systems, Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries. "That's why we're joining forces with ABB to find ways to enable the Volt batteries to provide environmental benefits that stretch far beyond the highway."

Bly announced the partnership Tuesday at the EV Battery Tech conference here. "Our relationship with ABB will help develop solutions that optimize the full lifecycle of the Volt battery," Bly said. The Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range will provide customers with a standard, eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on its advanced, lithium-ion battery. It is the automotive industry's longest, most comprehensive battery warranty for an electric vehicle, and is transferable at no cost to other vehicle owners.

The Volt's comprehensive battery warranty covers all 161 battery components, 95 percent of which are designed and engineered by GM, in addition to the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components.

ABB is the world's largest supplier of power grid systems and a leader in power and automation technologies. Their technologies enable utilities and industry to improve performance, while reducing their environmental impact.

"Future smart grids will incorporate a larger proportion of renewable energy sources and will need to supply a vast e-mobility infrastructure – both of which require a wide range of energy storage solutions," said Bazmi Husain, head of ABB's smart grids initiative. "We are excited to explore the possibility of employing electric car batteries in a second use that could help build needed storage capacity and provide far-reaching economic and environmental benefits."

Engineers and researchers from both companies are working together to study:

Renewable Energy Storage: Power generated by wind and the sun can be stored in Volt battery systems and used when demand warrants.

Grid Load Management: Utilities will be able to use the Volt batteries to store electricity generated during off-peak periods to supplement demand during high-peak operation. This will help utilities to better manage the grid, improving reliability and efficiency.

Back-up Power Supplies for Communities: Volt battery systems can store electricity that can be used by communities during power outages caused by storms or other natural disasters.

Time of Use Management: Industrial customers can store off-peak, lower-priced electrical power in Volt batteries for use during peak demand time of day for cost savings.

"Chevrolet and GM are committed to assuring that our vehicles minimize their impact on the environment," Bly said. "Our focus on finding additional applications for the Volt's batteries after their vehicle use extends our commitment to unprecedented levels."

Lotus builds hydrogen fuel cell taxi for London 2012

The sound of squeaking plastic parts is a minor irritant as the black cab surges into a sharp corner, its body leaning heavily.

Normally, at high speed, the rattling would have been drowned out by a rumbling, whining diesel engine.

But this taxi is different.

It is a hydrogen-powered London cab, developed to showcase zero exhaust emission vehicles during the 2012 London Olympics.

The taxi has been put together by Lotus, a UK company more famous for its Formula 1 team and for making sports cars such as the Elise.

Long-range electric motoring

From the outside, the taxi looks like any other black cab and it weighs as much too - a whopping 2.6 tonnes.

But driving it at the Lotus test track in Norfolk feels completely different as it accelerates from 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in 15.5 seconds - slow compared with most cars, but a full seven seconds quicker than an ordinary black cab.

Under the taxi's familiar exterior - within its generous bulk - the truly special bits are hidden.

The back wheels of the taxi are powered by two electric motors - though it is not an electric car in the conventional sense of the term.

Dr Ashley Kells, programme manager at Intelligent Energy Dr Kells says fuel cells deliver electricity, similar to the way a battery does

Yes, the taxi has a lithium polymer battery that delivers electricity to the electric motors, but this is not its main source of power.

The cab also has a stack of fuel cells that convert energy from hydrogen, which is stored in a tank under the car's bonnet, into electricity.

The electric motors can be powered by either the fuel cell system, or by the battery, or by a combination of the two.

During braking the battery, which is located in the middle of the taxi under the floor of the cabin, is recharged by two sources:

* surplus electricity created by the fuel cells is sent to the battery
* kinetic energy captured during braking is sent to the battery from the back wheels, via the electric motor.

With two different power sources - fuel cell system and battery - the taxi could be described as a hybrid vehicle, but again, not in the conventional sense of the term, which usually refers to petrol-electric hybrids.

Technology showcase

The point of all this is to create a car with zero emissions; or rather, the taxi does not have an exhaust pipe as it only emits water vapours.

Now, whether that makes it green is another matter.

Hydrogen is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, but this process is energy intensive.

If it is done with the help of renewable energy sources such as wind turbines, the car will be green, though in practice the hydrogen is more likely to be produced using fossil fuels such as gas.

So rather than being seen as a green car, it is perhaps more apt to see the taxi as a marketing vehicle.

"The black cab is a good tool for us to demonstrate the technology," says Dr Ashley Kells, programme manager at Intelligent Energy, the company that developed the cab's fuel cell system.

A fuel cell is "very much like a battery" in that it delivers electricity, according to Dr Kells, though there is one major difference: recharging a battery is a slow process, whereas refuelling a hydrogen tank is not.

"And as long as you keep on providing fuel for the cell, it will keep on providing power," he explains.

Five-minute fill
Power reserve gauges The electric motors are powered by either the fuel cells or the battery

For London's cabbies, the fuel comes in the form of gaseous hydrogen that is pumped into a tank under the taxi's bonnet.

"The fuelling is very quick," says Dr Kells as he demonstrates how the fuel connector is fixed to the taxi whilst fuelling to make sure the hydrogen gas does not leak.

There is another crucial difference between fuel cells and batteries, he adds, namely "the energy density of a fuel cell system, which is a lot greater than current battery technology".

In other words, electric cars powered by fuel cells carry much less weight and deliver much greater range.

One tank of gaseous hydrogen gives the taxi a range of at least 160 miles, or up to 240 miles if driven carefully, so the cabbies should be able to do what they do in conventional taxis, namely fill up in the morning then drive all day.

"They go to the filling station and five minutes later they've got a tank full of fuel and a copy of the Daily Star from the garage," says Dr Kells.

As a marketing vehicle, the taxi has a role to play in the enormous PR machine that has grown up around the 2012 London Olympics.

By then, there will be a handful of hydrogen fuel cell taxis in London, served by six hydrogen filling stations that they will share with at least five hydrogen fuel cell buses.

"We're not just doing this as a one-off," says Dr Kells, insisting the project offers "a real, tangible solution for 2020".

By then, London Mayor Boris Johnson wants every taxi operating in London to deliver zero exhaust emissions.

However, for engineers at Lotus, who are more accustomed to working with ultra-light cars such as the 1.1 tonne Lotus Elise, this is just the beginning.

They hope to push the project further and develop lighter, more efficient taxis in the future.

"I would really have liked to do it with a new chassis to make it an optimally system," says Steve Doyle, chief engineer, hybrid and electric vehicle integration, Lotus Engineering.

Dr Jon Moore, communications director and one of the founders of Intelligent Energy, agrees.

"If we can do it with this, we can do it with anything," he says.

How the taxi works

Hydrogen fuel cell powered taxi graphic

1. The taxi is powered by a stack of fuel cells that get their fuel from a hydrogen gas tank under the bonnet
2. The fuel cells convert the energy stored in the hydrogen into electricity, which drives two electric motors that drive the two back wheels
3. The electricity stored in the battery is then used to supplement the electricity from the fuel cells to propel the car forward
4. During braking, the energy from the fuel cells is not needed so it is instead channelled into a battery. The battery also gets energy from the wheels during braking

Scotch whisky developed as “super biofuel” to power cars

Cars may soon be fuelled on whisky after a university programme developed a “super biofuel” made from the by-products of the spirit's distillation process.

Edinburgh Napier University has announced it has filed a patent for the new biofuel which, according to its scientists, could help the EU meet its target of 10% of renewables in all transport fuel by 2020 and can be used in ordinary cars without any special adaptions.

The innovative fuel process has been developed over the last two years by Napier’s Biofuel Research Centre.

As part of their research, the centre was provided with samples of whisky distilling by-products from Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery.

The £260,000 research project was funded by Scottish Enterprise’s ‘Proof of Concept’ programme.

The Edinburgh Napier team focused on the £4bn whisky industry as a ripe resource for developing biobutanol – the next generation of biofuel which gives 30% more output power than ethanol.

It uses the two main by-products of the whisky production process – ‘pot ale’, the liquid from the copper stills, and ‘draff’, the spent grains, as the basis for producing the butanol that can then be used as fuel.

With 1,600 million litres of pot ale and 187,000 tonnes of draff produced by the malt whisky industry annually, there is real potential for bio-fuel to be available at local garage forecourts alongside traditional fuels.

Unlike ethanol, the nature of the innovative bio-fuel means that ordinary cars could use the more powerful fuel instead of traditional petrol.

The product can also be used to make other green renewable bio-chemicals, such as acetone.

The University now plans to create a spin-out company to take the new fuel to market and leverage the commercial opportunity, in the bid to make it available at petrol pumps.

Professor Martin Tangney, Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, is leading the ground-breaking research.

He said: “The EU has declared that biofuels should account for 10% of total fuel sales by 2020. We’re committed to finding new, innovative renewable energy sources.

“While some energy companies are growing crops specifically to generate biofuel, we are investigating excess materials such as whisky by-products to develop them.

"This is a more environmentally sustainable option and potentially offers new revenue on the back of one Scotland’s biggest industries. We’ve worked with some of the country’s leading whisky producers to develop the process.”

Lena Wilson, chief executive, Scottish Enterprise, said: "This pioneering research is testament to Scotland's world-class science base and demonstrates how Scottish Enterprise helps to transform cutting-edge knowledge into successful new high-growth sustainable businesses for Scotland.

“The Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme is successful precisely because of its high caliber projects. By proactively taking innovative ideas from the laboratory to the global market place, Scotland can continue to compete at the highest level and successfully boost its economic recovery."

Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism said: "This is an innovative development, and I am delighted to see Edinburgh Napier University once again display its expertise in this field by bringing this biofuel to market.

"I support the development and use of sustainable biofuels. This innovative use of waste products demonstrates a new sustainable option for the biofuel industry, while also supporting the economic and environmental objectives of the Scottish Government's new Zero Waste Plan.

"In these challenging economic times we need to play to our strengths and take advantage of the low carbon opportunities of the future.

"It's exactly this type of innovation that will help sustain economic recovery and deliver future sustainable economic growth.”

Susan Morrison, Director and General Manager at The Scotch Whisky Experience said: “Working in a tourism role to represent the Whisky Industry we are delighted that the green agenda is moving forward at such a pace, both through the Green Tourism Scheme and innovations such as this new whisky bio-fuel.”

And WWF Scotland's Director, Dr Richard Dixon, said: "Scotch whisky is world renowned and one of Scotland's biggest exports, so it is great to see plans that could not only help power the cars on our roads and reduce fossil-fuel emissions but also help reduce the environmental impacts of the industry itself.

“The production of some biofuels can cause massive environmental damage to forests and wildlife. So, whisky powered-cars could help Scotland avoid having to use those forest-trashing biofuels.

"Last year the whisky industry published plans to help lower its impacts and it is clear that this scheme could assist them in doing just that. Since the whisky industry relies on Scotland's clean environment for its main ingredients it would be great if the industry could help Scotland reduce its emissions from road transport."

The technology for developing bio-fuel from whisky was inspired from a 100 year old process, created by Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish refugee chemist in Manchester who studied the butanol fermentation initially as part of a programme to produce rubber synthetically.

The process was then used in explosives manufacture and helped win both WWI and WWII.

Toyota Tacoma test drive

I stopped by the Toyota Dealership yesterday for a look at the new
Tacoma . Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive. I wanted to sense that "new" feel.

The salesman (wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the
passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest.

He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in
the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.

Feeling like messing with his mind, I mentioned that this must
be a Republican truck. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it
was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were a Democrat truck,
the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round.

I had to walk back to the dealership... Damn guy had no sense of
humor.
 

VW Golf Bluemotion Is What Car? Green Car Of The Year 2010

The new Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI 105 BlueMotion 5dr has been named Green Car of the Year at the What Car? Green Awards, held in association with Warranty Direct.

What Car? editor-in-chief Steve Fowler said: “Volkswagen has built a hugely desirable car that’s big on ability, but small on running costs. The Golf BlueMotion does an enviable 74.3mpg and emits just 99g/km of CO2, which means it is exempt from road tax, while company car tax will be based on just 13% of its £18,685 list price. It’s a package that’s hard to beat. VW dealers are going to be busy.”

The Golf was also named best Green Small Family Car and beat eight other category winners to the overall Green Car of the Year title. VW also won the family car category with its Passat 1.6 TDI 105 BlueMotion. The judges said: “This is the green family car that families will want rather than the one they think they should have.”

At opposite ends of the market, the Fiat 500 1.2 Pop was awarded best Green Supermini, while the British-built Jaguar XJ collected the award for the greenest luxury car.

the VW Golf Bluemotion is a worthy winner. Given the MPG it returns and the fact that it is exempt from road tax, it is more than worthy of the coveted title.

New Electric Car Pays For Itself

A new concept vehicle earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.

U.S. researchers unveiled a vehicle Thursday that earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.

The converted Toyota Scion xB, shown at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science here, is the first electric car to be linked to a power grid and serve as a cash cow.

"This is the first vehicle that's ever been paid to participate in the grid -- the first proof of concept vehicle," Ken Huber, who oversees technological development at wholesale electricity coordinator PJM Interconnection, told AFP.

The presentation of the box-like, unassuming looking Scion was the researchers' way of introducing the "vehicle-to-grid" (V2G) concept as it begins to gain momentum in the United States and around the world.

V2G projects with hybrid cars that use electricity and gas to store energy in their batteries and feed it back into the power grid are up and running in the United States, and the drive now is to produce all electric vehicles to plug into the power grid.

"This makes the car useful not only when it's being driven, but also when it's parked, as long as you remember to plug it in," said Willett Kempton, who is leading a V2G project at the University of Delaware.

A V2G car is connected via an Internet-over-powerline connection that sends a signal from inside the car's computer to an aggregator's server.

The aggregator acts as the middleman between the car owner and power grid management companies, which are constantly trying to keep electricity output at a constant level.

When the grid needs more power due to a surge in demand, power companies usually draw from traditional power plants, which in the United States are often coal-fired and leave a large carbon footprint.

When V2G becomes more widespread, the power could be drawn from millions of vehicles plugged into sockets in home garages or from commercial fleets, such as the U.S. Postal Service's vans, for a much smaller footprint than that of the power plants.

Grid management companies like PJM Interconnection currently pay around 30 dollars an hour when taking power from a car.

V2G is still a new concept, but it is gaining ground in the United States and Europe.

"Ten years ago, this was just a plan. Today, it's a real project and in 10 years, we'll be producing tens of megawatts of power this way," said Kempton, adding that V2G will readily find applications in countries that are rapidly ramping up reliance on wind and solar energy, such as Denmark and Britain.

Huber said he will be meeting in the coming weeks in Paris with heads of European grid management companies about V2G.

"We're going to try to determine how we can work together on this. It's a technology that is very good at meeting a need we have, and there's growing interest among auto companies to develop V2G vehicles," he added.

AC Propulsion of California has designed an electric drive system for V2G, and car manufacturers including Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi and BMW are producing all-electric vehicles with an eye on the V2G market. 

Gasoline from Thin Air?

An enzyme found in the roots of soybeans could be the key to cars that run on air.

Vanadium nitrogenase, an enzyme that normally produces ammonia from nitrogen gas, can also convert carbon monoxide (CO), a common industrial byproduct, into propane, the blue-flamed gas found on stoves across America.

While scientists caution the research is still at an early stage, they say that this study could eventually lead to new, environmentally friendly ways to produce fuel from thin air.

"This organism is a very common soil bacteria that is very well understood and has been studied for a long time," said Markus Ribbe, a scientist at the University of California, Irvine, and a co-author of the new paper that appears in the journal Science.

"While we were studying it, we realized that the enzyme has some unusual behavior," he added.

The organism that the researchers studied was Azotobacter vinelandii, an economically important bacteria. A. vinelandii is usually found in the soil around the roots of nitrogen-fixing plants like soybeans.

Farmers like plants that contain A. vinelandii because the bacteria use a suite of enzymes to turn unusable atmospheric nitrogen into vital ammonia and other chemicals. Other plants can then take up those chemicals and use them to grow.

Ribbe and his co-authors isolated one particular enzyme, vanadium nitrogenase, to convert nitrogen into ammonia. Then the California scientists removed the nitrogen and oxygen the enzyme is used to and filled the remaining space with CO.

Without oxygen and nitrogen, the enzyme began to to turn the CO into short chains of carbon two and three atoms long. A three-carbon chain is more commonly referred to as propane, the blue-flamed gas used in kitchens across America.

Scientifically, the new function of vanadium nitrogenase is a "profound discovery," said Jonas Peters, a scientist at Cal Tech who said he nearly leapt from his chair when the results were announced at a recent conference.

The new research could have some very important industrial applications, Peters said.

"Obviously this could lead to new ways to create synthetic liquid fuels if we can make longer carbon-carbon chains," said Ribbe.

The new enzyme can only make two and three carbon chains, not the longer strands that make up liquid gasoline. However, Ribbe thinks he can modify the enzyme so it could produce gasoline.

If perfected, the technique could lead to cars partially powered on their own fumes. Even further into the future, vehicles could even draw fuel from the air itself.

That perfection won't happen anytime soon, say both Ribbe and Peters.

"It's very, very difficult," to extract the vanadium nitrogenase, said Ribbe.

Scientists have known about this enzyme for a long time because of its importance in agriculture. They even isolated the genes that encode for vanadium nitrogenase more than 20 years ago, which opens the door to genetic engineers and synthetic biologists.

The technology to extract, grow and store large quantities of the enzyme has only developed within the last few years, which made this new research possible.

Further advances will be necessary before air and bacteria cars rule the road.

Government pledges £43 million in electric car subsidies

 

The coalition government will commit 43 million pounds over 18 months to subsidise the uptake of electric cars, the department for transport (DfT) said on Wednesday.

British motorists will receive up to 5,000 pounds towards the purchase of a low-carbon car from January 2011 to March 2012, transport secretary Philip Hammond said.

The amount committed on Wednesday is less than the 250 million pounds pledged by the previous Labour government over a five-year period.

However, a press officer for the transport department denied that the new government had cut the number of cars it could subsidise.

"There is no reduction in funding for the first 18 months, but after that it will be reviewed," the press officer told Reuters.

"It's a 5,000 pound incentive but it is up to 25 percent of the value of the car. The amount awarded could be less than 5,000 if cars come to market cheaper so the money will go further," the press officer added.

The transport secretary said the government will review the level of funding regularly to ensure Britain remains competitive and taxpayers get value for money.

"The first review will be in January 2012, at which point we will set the level for subsequent years," he said in a statement.

In its review, the government will consider whether the cost of vehicles has come down to determine whether a new subsidy level should be set.

Electric Range Rover to go into production

Forget the gas-guzzling image of 4x4s - this British adaptation of a Range Rover goes for 200 miles on battery power alone.

What is billed as the world's first pure electric 4x4 has made its debut, before going on sale in the UK before any other country.

Oxford-based Liberty Electric Cars has completed extensive testing on its E-Range, which it claims will fill a significant gap in the family-size and luxury vehicle market.

Liberty says that the Electric E-Range has a top speed of 85mph and accelerates from 0-60mph in about seven seconds, with a range of up to 200 miles.

Another world first is the possibility of wireless charging. Instead of using conventional leads and plugs, the car is parked over an induction plate and charges automatically.

The battery can be charged in one to three hours from a fast charger or using the optional induction system. At 75kw, the LEC battery pack is the largest ever installed in an electric car yet, due to the technology employed, weighs less than many lower capacity packs according to Liberty.

Also ground-breaking are the claimed lifespan for the battery of more than 13 years and 300,000 miles – way in advance of anything offered in the EV (electric vehicle) industry thus far.

The Range Rover's existing internal combustion engine is replaced by Liberty's patented high-density Lithium Polymer batteries – two under the bonnet, with a further four under the car – powering electric motors in each wheel, each re-supplying current to the batteries via regenerative braking.

"We are incredibly proud to have proven our critics wrong and demonstrated the performance ability of our proprietary and patented, class-leading technology," said Liberty Electric Cars' founder and CEO Barry Shrierg.

"The Liberty Electric E-Range accelerates from zero to 60 in about seven seconds, reaches a top speed of 85mph, and has a distance capacity of 200 miles on one charge – this is the upper end of the drive range that any current EV is able to achieve. In short, the vehicle enables the consumer to enjoy the power, prestige and luxury of the iconic Range Rover without the cost to the environment."

Liberty says that production versions of its electric Range Rover will go on sale at the end of this year priced at £150,000. The company has also commenced development on other large, luxury 4x4s, SUVs, and MPVs.

More details at www.liberty-ecars.com

 

Electric cars won\'t save the planet (they use too much power)

The technology used for electric car batteries is so backward they will die after just two years, experts have warned.

The cars will also be extremely expensive to run and cover far less distance on one battery charge than previously claimed, they say.

David Cameron recently confirmed the Government would go ahead with a £20million grant to help Nissan build electric cars in the North East.

As part of the drive to replace petrol and diesel-powered cars, a Government incentive scheme also offers those who buy electric vehicles a £5,000 rebate.

There are also plans to spend millions on building a network of charging points in London and other cities.

However, research by the Institution of Engineering and Technology suggests claims about the performance of electric vehicles are 'pure fantasy'.

A team at the institution's magazine, E&T, found the batteries are likely to burn out within two years, requiring expensive replacements. And it says the batteries, which use the same lithium-ion technology as mobile phones, are unlikely to be able to run for more than 100 miles between charges.

Experts at E&T said the gap in performance between conventional cars and electric vehicles is so huge that consumers will not want to convert to electric.

They pointed out a standard model Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf is capable of travelling more than 360miles on one tank of fuel, easily maintaining 70mph.

For an electric car to offer a similar level of performance, the batteries alone would weigh 1.5 tons.

They would be larger than an entire conventional car and cost approximately £100,000, experts warned. The cars themselves will cost around £30,000.

'Manufacturers' range calculations are based on running a complete-cycle from full battery to empty,' the E&T experts said.

'Yet, they already know that to have any hope of getting a reasonable life from lithium-ion batteries they should not be run from full to empty but should be kept between 20 and 80 per cent of their charge.'

Peter Miller, of automotive consultants Ricardo, said: 'To get a vehicle that behaves the same way as a petrol or diesel model is not viable for the foreseeable future.'

Nissan claims its Leaf electric car, which will have a range of 47-138 miles, can be recharged to more than 80 per cent of its capacity in just 30 minutes at charging stations.

Nissan seems likely to get around the problem on battery burn out by leasing them to customers, so they don't need to go to the expense of buying them outright.

 

Mail on Line

Hydrogen-fuelled cars hit British streets in first major trial of green technology

 

 

It is the car that delivers the equivalent of 300 miles per gallon and produces water instead of exhaust fumes.

This pollution-free two-seater uses hydrogen to generate the power to drive its electric motors. Thirty of the cars, which have a top speed of 50mph and a range of 240miles on one tank of hydrogen, will be available to 'guinea-pig' motorists in 2012.

If the trial is successful the small company behind the car, Riversimple, hopes to make 5,000 of them a year.

However, as part of its plans to create a 'green' vehicle for cities, Riversimple will lease the cars rather than sell them. Drivers will pay £200 a month and then 15p a mile as part of a business model similar to a mobile phone contract.

So far the company has spent around £3m developing the technology and is trying to raise £20m more to put the car into full production.

The two-seater urban car accelerates from 0-30mph in 5.5 seconds. If the trials are successful, the company will consider building a factory in Leicester which would employ 250 people.

The project is being backed by relatives of Ernst Piech, the German family dynasty which founded Porsche and has a key role within Volkswagen.

The company has now signed a deal with Leicester City Council for a 12-month pilot which will see 30 of the cars rented out to private customers, businesses, car-share schemes and local government officials in the city.

Part of the project involves identifying suitable places for hydrogen pumps where drivers can actually refuel.

The technology powering the car works through a chemical reaction similar to traditional electrolysis experiments familiar to generations of schoolchildren.

The highly explosive hydrogen is not burned.  Instead, the gas flows over a membrane in a special 'fuel cell' where  the chemical reaction produce electricity, which in turn powers the electric motors on the wheels.

The only emissions out of the exhaust are pure water - from the hydrogen gas reacting with oxygen to produce H20 - and a little heat.

Hugo Spowers, the founder of Riversimple, said: 'The age of fossil-fuelled cars may not be over yet but it is surely dying.

'Contrary to what we usually hear, sustainable, near pollution-free transport is possible, here and now, using existing technology.'

Fuel cells work by turning hydrogen and oxygen into electricity - to power the car - and water

The company has also received backing from the new coalition Government backing. Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat  Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said: 'We need to harness cutting edge technology to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels if we are to tackle climate change.

'Nowhere is this more important than with passenger cars, which are responsible for almost 60per cent of domestic transport emissions.

'A radical transformation of our transport network is needed in the next 40 years and this is another great example of British innovation developing low carbon solutions to bring that about.'

The car, which weighs only 350kg, can recapture its own motion energy when braking, providing 80% of the power needed for acceleration.

Riversimple hopes that by 2015 it will have manufactured a four-seater version of the car which can be used safely on motorways and for long journeys. By 2020, it plans to have tens of thousands of cars on British roads.

Councillor Abdul Osman, in charge of regeneration and transport at Leicester City Council, said: 'This hydrogen fuel-cell car is another example of revolutionary technology being used to meet future transport needs.

 

'This is yet another step in making Leicester a better place to live, and proposals to build the cars locally if the scheme proves successful could also mean a major jobs boost for the city.'