24hcar: Electric Vehicles

Showing posts with label Electric Vehicles. Show all posts

Audi runs R8 e-Tron prototype at 24h of Le Mans

Posted by Mr Dung Monday, June 14, 2010

Fans of the 24 Hour Le Mans race got to see a prototype of the Audi e-tron electric supercar first hand when it opened the race with a demonstration run this past weekend. The car was driven by racing legend Frank Biela and is meant to showcase Audi's future direction in terms of fuel sources and performance.

Its battery sits behind the passenger cabin to optimise its centre of gravity, thus achieving a 42:58 weight distribution.4 motors drive the front and rear axles and maximum power is quoted at 230 kW (308 bhp/ 313 PS), while peak torque is an astounding 4,500Nm (3,319 lb-ft). About 70% of power goes to the rear. Audi says the R8-based e-tron will accelerate from 0 - 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.

Its face is dominated by the single-frame grille with its two unneeded large air intakes on the flanks. It measures 4.4 metres (14.53 ft) long, 1.90m (6.23 ft) wide, 1.25m (4.1 ft) high and has a wheelbase of 2.65m (8.69 ft).

The battery can be recharged via normal household sockets putting out 230 volts in about 6 to 8 hours. Alternatively it will get partly recharged during driving using the car's energy recuperation system.

A combination of luxury and racing feelings are evoked by the interior atmosphere which features things like a graphic display to show the driving mode.[WCF]

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Toyota to invests $50 million in Tesla, co-develop EV technology

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, May 21, 2010

[Toyota]

In a surprise move, Toyota has teamed up with Tesla to develop new electric vehicle technology.

While details are limited, the companies will create a specialized team to design parts and production systems for future EVs. As part of the agreement, Toyota will also purchase $50 million dollars worth of Tesla stock (as soon as the company goes public).

According to Toyota's President, Akio Toyoda, "I've felt an infinite possibility about Tesla's technology and its dedication to monozukuri (Toyota's approach to manufacturing). Through this partnership, by working together with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the challenging spirit, quick decision-making, and flexibility that Tesla has."

The warm and fuzzy feeling was echoed by Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, who said, "Toyota is a company founded on innovation, quality, and commitment to sustainable mobility. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Toyota would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla."

As you may recall, Daimler has also joined forces with Tesla "to accelerate the commercialization of electric drives globally."

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Chevrolet Volt MPV5 electric concept unveiled at Auto China 2010

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, April 23, 2010

Following a patent leak, Chevrolet has unveiled the Volt MPV5 concept at Auto China 2010.Chevy’s new MPV will boast a lithium-ion T-battery and a 1.4-litre petrol engine used as a generator. The battery provides for 51.5km of driving, while the petrol unit extends this to 482km.
GM has said that the MPV5 boasts a set of 19-inch wheels, 5-seats and an aerodynamic body. There is a closed grille, lower optimized air dam and underbody covers. New tail lamps enhance the rear end of the MPV5.
Loading space amounts to 1,764-litres when the seats are down, or 863-litres when the rear seats are in the upright position.

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Renault Reveals Production Versions of All-Electric Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Van Z.E

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, April 15, 2010

The rear bumper will have a black diffuser aimed at lowering turbulence.Changes compared to the naturally aspirated model include blue-hue on the headlamps, tail lamps and fog lamps.Charging can take place in three different ways: in a household which takes six to eight hours, a fast charging station which takes about 30 minutes, or a QuickDrop battery system which is a physical battery swap.There will be lithium ion batteries beneath the floor.160km, and the top speed is limited to 130km/h.The battery will also have a driving range of 160km, with a charging time of six to 8 hours.Renault has revealed their brand new all-electric Fluence Z.A lithium-ion battery, with the capacity of 22kW/h, will weigh in at 250kg and this will sit behind the rear seats.New logos and new gloss black exterior mirrors.Kangoo Van Z.Renault’s Kangoo Z.

The French automaker will use a 70kW motor with 226Nm of torque to move the front wheels through a direct drive gearbox.Turkey, in the same building as the normal Fluence model.These are both electric cars which should hit the South African market, amongst others, around 20 The Fluence Z.There will be energy recovery systems and this will charge the car as it decelerates.44kW electric motor with 226Nm of torque.Renault said that the Fluence Z.

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BMW Announces Carbon Fiber Production in Washington(USA)

Posted by Mr Dung Wednesday, April 7, 2010

[freep]

BMW will build a new Plant to produce carbon fiber parts for the Megacity electric vehicles in Moses Lake,Washington(USA).

The plant will import raw materials from Japan,spin them into fibers one-tenth the width of a human hair, and then send them to SGL's factory in Germany to be turned into carbon fiber fabric. Once completed, the sheets will be sent to BMW's Landshut plant to be turned into carbon fiber components. Eventually, the finished parts will be shipped to Leipzig, Germany where the Megacity will be assembled.

Ground breaking will begin in June and SGL plans to invest $100 million (€74,660,720 / £ 65,544,325) on the first phase of construction. According to Theodore Breyer, deputy CEO of SGL, "This will be the leading carbon-fiber plant in the world."

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NLV Quant Preliminary Details Released in Geneva

Posted by Mr Dung Monday, March 8, 2010

[Autoblog]

While the Bugatti 16C Galibier was winning rave reviews, at the Geneva Motor Show, a potential competitor was silently stalking in the background. It was the Quant, a concept jointly-developed by NLV Solar and Koenigsegg.

Set to be production ready next year, the Quant was designed to prove "cutting-edge supercars can combine speed, comfort and enjoyment with environmental integrity." It features two different battery systems ("a long-life metal-air battery or a rechargeable redox flow cell"), four torque-vectoring electric motors, a full carbon fiber chassis, and a revolutionary thin-film coated photovoltaic body.

The latter converts light into electricity to supply the operating electronics and the battery. While it's a bit technical, NLV says the coating has "an average photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 38%, depending on ambient conditions, and a peak performance of over 50%." More importantly, the company believes they can tune the material's absorption characteristics to create multiple layers with their own unique absorption frequency. As impressive as this is, NLV estimates the film will have a degradation coefficient of only 5-6% over 20 years.

So what does all this mean? Power, efficiency, and speed. The electric motors produce a combined 600 kW (805 hp / 816 PS) and 1500 Nm (1107 lb-ft) of torque, which allows the 1680 kg (3704 lb) Quant to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in an astonishing 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 377 km/h (234 mph).

Besides the sci-fi technology, the Quant is stylish and luxurious. The cabin features alcantara upholstery, LED lighting, carbon fiber trim, and individual seating for four.

Although Koenigsegg is no longer involved in the project, look for more information to be released later this year.

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Westfield iRacer Electric Vehicle Unveiled in Geneva

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, March 5, 2010

The Westfield iRace here is apparently a 99 percent reputation of the production model. The model has been designed by Elliot Hawkins, a graduate from the Royal College of Arts vehicle design. The body is said to be made from aluminium and recyclable plastics.

“The use of materials such as fabrics has limited scope for road use, but has major benefits for racing,” says Paul Faithfull, iRacer project manager. “Imagine being able to change your bodywork in a matter of minutes, with a new body stretched over the framework, changing the colour, sponsors or just effecting rapid repairs. It is also extremely light compared to almost all alternative materials.”

The concept weighs in at 600kilograms, and it is 3.6 meters long. There will be a rear-wheel-drive layout and a 80kW electric motor with 1,000Nm of torque. The 0-100km/h time is under 5 seconds and the top speed is 177km/h.

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Audi A1 E-Tron Pure Electric Concept Model at Geneva Show

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, March 4, 2010

In a move that suggests Audi is looking to create a new tag for its zero-emission electric vehicles, the German firm unveiled the third member of the 'e-tron' concept family after the Frankfurt Show high-performance AWD supercar and the Detroit Show compact RWD two-seater concept.

This time, the 'e-tron' treatment was applied on Audi's spanking-new A1 premium supermini that uses a front-mounted electric motor producing 102HP and 240Nm to drive the wheels with a 254cc single-rotor Wankel engine that runs at 5,000 rpm, kicking in to charge the lithium-ion batteries when they are depleted.

In addition, the electric motor powering the A1 e-tron can convert braking energy into electric current and feed it back into the electrical system.

Power is transferred to the front wheels through a single-gear transmission.

According to Audi, the A1 e-tron weighs only 1,190 kilograms (2,623.50 lb), can hit 100 km/h (62mph) in 10.2 seconds and has a top speed in excess of 130 km/h or 81mph.

With the help of the Wankel petrol engine, the A1 e-tron can cover a distance of around 200km or 125 miles. In this case, Audi says that the A1 e-tron yields a combined fuel consumption of only 1.9 lt/100 km (123.8 US mpg), which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 45g/km.

In pure electric mode, there are zero CO2 emissions.

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Citroen SURVOLT Concept Wows Geneva

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, March 2, 2010

[WCF]

Citroen's latest concept car, the Survolt, is an unusual design study meant to show off a potential all-electric performance vehicle in an extravagant and "high-fashion" package. The new concept was unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show.

Performance specs were not revealed on the two-seater, but the French automaker does state that the car has a "motor racing punch." No specific details were given about the car's all-electric drivetrain, but it is said to be an evolution of the Citroen Revolte concept seen last year in Frankfurt. The Revolte is a hybrid model able to run as an all-electric using a rechargeable battery and small internal combustion engine.

As such, one wonders why engineers would make such a heavy use of honeycomb grilles. Additionally, there seems to be little purpose to the roof-mounted air intake, but again few details were revealed.

Its design was meant to convey an aerodynamic look combining "flowing lines [that] convey agility, precision and vitality - with a powerful, muscular character contained in its refined and luxurious frame," according to a press release. The supermini measures in at 3.85-meters long by 1.87-meters wide, making it 65mm longer and 150mm wider than the Lotus Exige S. It stands rather short at 1.2-meters high, which is taller than the Exige, but shorter than the Audi TT.

Exterior touches on the charcoal, fuchsia, and yellow car include LED lighting at the front, an awkward oval-shaped grille, rear spoiler, and the same rear lighting as the Revolte. A long windshield gives the appearance of added space inside.