Hybrids and electric vehicles

Trying to forecast EV sales? Good luck with that

commentary People are still trying to figure out if electric vehicles will be the Netbooks or the iPads of the auto industry--a flash in the pan or an enduring hit.

There has been a spate of recent articles predicting a glut of batteries because demand for plug-in vehicles won't be strong enough to match supply. The Washington Post yesterday pointed out that many battery companies that received federal aid could hit the brakes or run off the road entirely in the near future.

There are already signs of trouble. Lithium ion battery maker A123 Systems had to lay off … Read more

Rinspeed adds axle, battery pack to Smart Electric Drive

The Rinspeed Dock+Go debuts at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in March.

The biggest problem with current electric car technology is limited range. People want more than the 80 miles most electric cars can realistically achieve. Rinspeed, a Swiss automotive modifier that previously showed off such concepts as the submersible sQuba and the polymorphic iChange, offers a solution.

Its Dock+Go concept starts as a simple Smart Electric Drive, the electric version of the Smart car, and adds what Rinspeed calls a Backpack. This second piece, supported by its own axle, attaches to the rear of the Smart. Frank … Read more

No strings attached: Inductive coil charges Benz EV

Instead of plugging a cable into an electric vehicle, drivers may some day just need to park it on the right spot.

Daimler yesterday disclosed it is working on a wireless charging system for electric vehicles that uses inductive charging. Nissan is also working on an inductive charging pad, which is expected to be made available with future versions of the Leaf.

In its tests, Daimler is using a modified Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell, which includes a large coil under the car chassis. The car needs to be positioned above another coil placed on, or built into, the pavement. As … Read more

So far most Volt owners passing on GM's buy-back, loaner offer

It's going to take more than a couple of battery fires to shake the confidence of most current Volt owners--so far only 24 people have taken General Motors up on its offer to buy back their extended range electric vehicles.

The Volt is being investigated by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration because of fires that started in the liquid cooled lithium-ion battery three weeks after side-impact crash tests were performed by the organization. Proper post-crash safety protocols were not followed by NHTSA engineers, which requires the Volt's battery to be drained of power until repairs are … Read more

Nissan EV charging--look ma, no wires!

Rather than fiddle with cables, Nissan EV drivers will have the option to park over a wireless charger.

Nissan is working on a system in which drivers park over an induction charging mat that creates a wireless connection to an electric vehicle's on-board charger. Using a dashboard display to navigate, drivers back up so the charging map is under the rear wheels. Sensors stop the car at the appropriate spot and the charging is started by operating a touch-screen display on a charge point.

The automaker released a demonstration video of induction charging with the Leaf last month in … Read more

Aptera closes its doors

A few months ago the electric car startup stopped taking orders and returned customer deposits for its three-wheeled vehicle, and today Aptera closed its business for good.

Aptera CEO Paul Wilbur sent a mass e-mail explaining the company's decision to shutter its doors. The e-mail explained that the company was tantalizingly close to obtaining a $150 million Department of Energy (DOE) Advance Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan that would enable them to open a manufacturing facility in Moraine, Ohio, creating 1,400 jobs. However, Aptera couldn't find matching funds from the private market to execute on those plans.

With … Read more

2011 Tokyo Motor Show wrap-up

This year's Tokyo Motor Show stood as an example of a resurgent automotive industry, with new concepts and technologies on display.

The Tokyo Motor Show is often host to some of the stranger concept cars around. In 2011, we saw some intriguing green concepts from Honda and Toyota, and even more outlandish vehicles from Daihatsu. Toyota and Yamaha also joined forces to show off electric vehicles with less than four wheels, and Honda announced a whole new set of efficient engines and power train components. Volkswagen was even on hand with some intriguing concepts. Here are our stories from the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.… Read more

Why Chevy Volt sales matter less than you think

commentary If anyone thought the Chevy Volt would "save" General Motors, take a look at the first-year sales figures.

The auto giant yesterday reported that it sold 1,139 Chevy Volts in November, bringing its total to date to 6,142. That means, barring a massive purchase by a fleet owner, GM will miss its first-year goal of selling 10,000 electrically driven Volts, a target the company now expects to hit early next year. (Nissan has sold 8,720 all-electric Leafs.)

Detractors will no doubt say first-year Volt sales prove that electric vehicles are not ready for … Read more

Honda announces new, more efficient engines, hybrid system

In classic Japanese style, Honda calls its new drivetrain effort Earth Dreams Technology.

Once upon a time, Honda engineers came up with VTEC, a valve control system that made its engines the most advanced in the industry. But that was years ago, and other companies, notably BMW, have pushed the envelope with new valve control, direct-injection, and turbocharging technologies. With each model update it releases, I've been waiting for a similar advance from Honda.

The wait appears to be, mostly, over, as Honda announced a new set of engines, transmissions, hybrid system, and electric drive at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Giving these new drive components the overall moniker of Earth Dreams Technology emphasizes the goal of greater efficiency and Honda's effort to reduce its vehicle's CO2 emissions 30 percent by 2020.… Read more

GM willing to buy back Volts from worried owners

Volt owners can get a loaner while NHTSA investigations are under way, or GM will take the vehicle off their hands entirely.

Little known fact: OnStar is alerted whenever a Volt is involved in an accident, and within 48 hours GM dispatches a team of technicians to drain the vehicle's battery, which is the proper safety protocol for the vehicle, until it is fully repaired.

But that EV safety protocol may not be good enough for the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association, and it may be cold comfort for worried drivers reading headlines about Volts catching fire three … Read more