This radio-controlled model car is powered by a battery that can be refilled with an electrolytic fluid.
(Credit: Fraunhofer Institute)Imagine that you're driving your future electric car down the road, and it gives you a low battery warning. What do you do? Instead of spending a few hours at a recharging station, new battery technology being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany would let you pull into a service station and refill the battery with an electrolytic liquid.
The Fraunhofer Institute is using a redox flow battery, a type of cell that uses two electrolytic fluids exchanging protons through a membrane. This process generates electricity. Although this type of battery isn't new, the Fraunhofer Institute improved the energy density, making it equivalent to that of a lithium ion battery.
In production cars such as the Tesla Roadster, the lithium ion battery pack requires almost four hours from a quick charger to go about 200 miles. A redox flow battery service station would pump out the discharged electrolytic fluid from your car's battery, replacing it with charged fluid, most likely in a matter of minutes. Instead of getting new shipments of charged fluid, similar to how current service stations rely on tankers full of gasoline, the station could merely recharge the fluid on its premises, even using solar cells or a wind turbine.
Other companies are working on redox flow battery technology for stationary energy storage.
For 2010, Tesla updates its electric Roadster with a Sport version, featuring faster acceleration.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Tesla often emphasizes that it works more like a Silicon Valley technology company than a traditional car company. And the company just proved it by delivering a model update to the Tesla Roadster for 2010. Remember, the Roadster has only been in production for one year, but in that time Tesla completely redesigned the interior, while at the same time adding new materials to reduce cabin noise. Model updates from other automakers often take five years.
We spent a day with the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport, enjoying its unique driving experience and finding these updates made the previous generation car seem like something hacked together in a garage. Where the previous car had a fussy little lever for putting it in drive, the new car uses push buttons. To check battery statistics and change the drive mode, you had to use a touch screen by your left knee. That touch screen has been moved to the center of the dashboard. And in a real step toward convenience, the Tesla Roadster now comes with a glove box.
The rear air intakes get clear coat carbon fiber inserts.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)Externally, the casual observer won't see much difference. The Tesla Roadster uses the same Lotus-sourced body clad in carbon fiber. But the carbon fiber stands out more, as clear-coat panels make up the hood, spoiler, and even the insets in the rear air intakes. The suspension is now adjustable for comfort or sport, and the all-new Sport version of the Roadster uses an upgraded power train that rockets it to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, faster than the standard Roadster's 3.9 second time.
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $128,500.00
View the latest prices for 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport
The Toyota FT-EVII is a new electric concept car based on the iQ platform.
(Credit: Automotive News)Although a leader in hybrid cars, generally conservative Toyota has seemed uninterested in developing electric cars--until now. At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the FT-EVII, an electric car concept.
Toyota does away with a traditional steering wheel in favor of modern art.
(Credit: Automotive News)In putting together the FT-EVII, Toyota used its own off-the-shelf technologies, such as the iQ platform and components from its Synergy hybrid system. Although not on sale in the U.S., gasoline- and diesel-powered Toyota iQs are sold in Japan and the U.K. For the power train, Toyota went to lithium ion batteries for the FT-EVII, as opposed to the nickel-metal-hydride power pack from its current hybrid vehicles.
Where many electric cars in development, such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi iMiev, are specified to get about 100 miles range, Toyota only proposes 56 miles for the FT-EVII, and a top speed of 62 mph. These figures limit its use to sprawling metropolises, such as Tokyo, London, and New York.
Toyota also wanted to break away from traditional notions of automotive performance, so did away with a conventional steering wheel or foot pedals. Instead, the FT-EVII gets a weird-looking yoke, a piece of sculpture that supports an instrument cluster, navigation device, and a cup holder.
Toyota modified its hybrid badge, replacing the blue inset with a yellow one.
(Credit: Automotive News)The FT appellation, which we previously saw when Toyota announced the FT-86 concept, also on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, stands for Future Technology. We expect to see many more FT concept cars from Toyota in the coming years.
Brabus added its own touches to this Tesla Roadster.
(Credit: CNET)
As is becoming common at auto shows these days, a number of electric cars were on display at the Frankfurt auto show, with automakers showing off research into next millennium's generation of vehicles. On hand were concepts from Peugeot, Renault, Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford. Two entrants from Tesla were on hand, one a Roadster tuned up by Brabus, the only current production car available out of this lot, and the other the upcoming Model S, expected to begin production in 2011.
Audi shows off its e-tron electric sports car concept at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.
(Credit: CNET)The most exciting concept shown at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show is an electric sports car, the Audi e-tron. Borrowing body lines from the Audi R8, it can't help but look good. And boasting specs like 3,319 pound-feet of torque, it can't help but make gearheads drool.
Audi achieves that torque number by using four electric motors, one at each wheel. The drooling gearheads should be able to close their mouths again after hearing that the combined horsepower is only 313, making for a zero to 62 mph time of 4.8 seconds. But electric car enthusiasts will be happy to hear that the e-tron's range is 154 miles.
The four electric motors meant that Audi could design a virtual Quattro all-wheel-drive system, integrating the power distribution program with vehicle dynamics sensors. By default, the rear motors deliver 70 percent of the torque, the high number compensating for the 58 percent weight distribution to the rear wheels. But as conditions dictate, the power software can give any wheel greater or less power, which should make for incredible road-holding, beyond even Audi's current Quattro system.
A two-seater, the cabin is relatively simple, featuring a minimum of controls and gauges. The car's navigation and communication electronics are designed to communicate with external roads infrastructure, receiving information about traffic and green lights, for example, and adjusting routes accordingly to maximize driving efficiency.
The Audi e-tron might sound like a serious competitor to the Tesla Roadster, but the Tesla has one huge advantage: it's already in production.
This next-gen electric wheelchair operates for about four hours per charge.
(Credit: Veda International Robot R&D Center)Sometimes function can successfully follow form. That may be the case for Japan's Veda International Robot R&D Center, whose electric wheelchair for the immobile and elderly might be giving scooters and electric cars a little competition in the looks department.
The "universal vehicle" Rodem (model number M1-1) operates for about four hours per charge. My favorite feature, though, is the accelerator (of course, in electric vehicles, there are no "ignitions" or "gas pedals"), which a very smart person decided should come in the form of a joystick, thereby titillating the gamers of younger generations. (I also enjoy picturing my 91-year-old grandmother navigating by joystick.)
Of course, the "high" speed of the Rodem M1-1 is 3.5 kilometers (2 miles) per hour, so when it comes to giving electric cars and scooters a run for their money, well, this is more likely to be a toy for wealthy mall rats (they should hire Paris Hilton) than anyone aiming to look cute on the street.
So beyond being electric, what makes this next-generation wheelchair, well, next-gen? Ergonomics. Because riders sit in a more upward position, taking a seat from behind and relaxing forward, it is both easier to mount and friendlier on the lower back--not to mention on caregivers the world over:
When a wheelchair is used, an elderly or disabled person has to go through seven processes, sitting up on the bed, leaning forward, leaving the bed, turning his or her back to the wheelchair, sitting on the seat, sitting up on the seat and moving backward...It is possible to ride on the Rodem through three processes, which are sitting up on the bed, leaning forward and leaving the bed, reducing the burden on caregivers.
Veda International plans to select a partner company to mass-produce these for an autumn 2009 release at about 500,000 to 700,000 yen, or $5,300 to $7,500--a pop.
The Nissan Leaf is an electric car going into production in 2010.
(Credit: Nissan)
This weekend Nissan released photos and details of the electric car it intends to put into production in 2010. The Nissan Leaf is a purpose-built, pure battery electric vehicle. Nissan previously let us test-drive the Leaf's power train using the Cube as a test model. The Nissan Leaf has its own distinct look; it's a more conventional car than the Cube, with four doors and a hatchback. Although it hasn't announced pricing, Nissan says the Leaf will be affordable, priced as a C-segment car. The company also notes that the Leaf will cost less to operate than a gasoline-powered car, both in energy and maintenance, as there are fewer moving parts. Also, many governments offer incentives in the form of tax credits or rebates to purchase an electric car.
The Leaf uses a laminate lithium ion battery pack with an output of over 90 kilowatts. The car's drive motor puts out 80 kilowatts of power, substantial enough to give it performance equivalent to a gas-powered car. Nissan claims the Leaf has a range of over 100 miles, fairly typical for electric car projects from other automakers. The Leaf uses regenerative braking, and has a recharge time of 30 minutes to get the battery pack up to 80 percent using a quick charger. From a 200-volt source, the Leaf takes 8 hours to recharge.
One of the more innovative elements of the car is its onboard computer. Along with typical functions such as charge level and range, this computer is connected to a data center that will receive diagnostic information from the car. It will also keep the driver informed of local recharge stations. Although not specifically mentioned, this onboard system could easily show navigation with traffic conditions. Nissan says the computer will also provide entertainment for passengers.
The Leaf will originally be built in Japan, and sold in Japan, the United States, and Europe. As demand dictates, Nissan will build additional units in its Smyrna, Tennessee plant.
The Autonomobile looks like a living room on wheels.
(Credit: Mike and Maaike)The industrial design firm Mike and Maaike, which worked on such products as the Xbox and the HTC G1 phone, has turned its sights towards the car, reenvisioning it as a living room on wheels. In an article for Core77 design magazine titled "The End of Driving: Mike and Maaike introduce the Autonomobile," the designers suggest people don't really want to drive, and could better spend their time on the road sleeping, working, or getting drunk. And they emphasize that last point.
Of course, the only driving they are considering is commuting and making grocery runs. As such, their Autonomobile does its own driving and navigation, asking its riders upon entry "Where can I take you?" As we've seen in past DARPA robotic car competitions, driverless car technology is being developed. The Autonomobile is designed as an electric car using four in-wheel motors, a battery pack in the floor, and a solar roof for additional power generation.
There is no real-world concept for the Autonomobile; it only lives in renderings. But from the images, the designers seem to have left out suspension components, possibly imagining the roads of the future will be perfectly smooth. Likewise, with its couch and floor-to-ceiling glass on each side, the Autonomobile wouldn't pass current automotive safety standards, but the implicit prognostication seems to be that driverless cars won't crash. And, considering that glass, people of the future will all be exhibitionists, not desiring privacy for their drunken trips.
See the article "The End of Driving: Mike and Maaike introduce the Autonomobile" for images.
Meet the Smart Brabus Electric Drive--a modified version of the Smart ED prototype. The most significant addition, as far as we're concerned, is the noise generator. Click on the image above for more pictures.
(Credit: Crave UK)Are you tired of being run over by near-silent electric cars? No, us neither, but we've got good news for anyone who often finds themselves wandering into the path of freakishly quiet oncoming eco-cars.
Meet the Smart Brabus Electric Drive--a modified version of the Smart ED prototype we tested back in April 2008. This one's been given the once-over by German tuning company Brabus, which has painted it spearmint green and white, fitted a matching interior, and added some interesting new gadgets.
The most significant addition, as far as we're concerned, is the noise generator. Flick a switch under the dashboard, hit the go pedal and the car makes a noise that sounds like the USS Enterprise as it enters warp speed. The sound doesn't come from the internal speakers, either--it's generated by an external loudspeaker positioned toward the front of the car. If you want something slightly less bonkers, flicking the switch in the other direction will make the car sound like a highly beefed-up Smart fortwo. It's ace.
... Read more
Mitsubishi is ready to put its i-Miev on the road, but this woman will have a 30-minute wait to charge up her car.
(Credit: Mitsubishi)Not to be outdone by Subaru's earlier announcement of the Stella electric car, Mitsubishi gave full details on the production i-Miev electric car, including sales volume plans and pricing.
Mitsubishi has been aggressive in pushing its electric car plans by putting its i-Miev into test fleet operations and showing it off at auto shows. The company even let journalists drive one at the Detroit auto show.
The i-Miev fits four passengers for zero-emission driving.
(Credit: Mitsubishi)Mitsubishi announced that it would begin selling the i-Miev electric car in late July, matching the timing of Subaru's Stella electric car sales. But the i-Miev will initially only be available to corporations and government groups. Sales to private buyers will not commence until April 2010.
Unlike Subaru, which will only sell 170 Stella electric cars, Mitsubishi is planning on producing 1,400 i-Mievs for corporate and government lessees. The i-Mievs will go for 4,380,000 yen, or about $45,300 at current exchange rates. Japanese buyers of the i-Miev would qualify for a $14,300 subsidy for electric vehicles from the Japanese government.
The i-Miev uses a lithium ion battery pack and a 47-kilowatt electric motor to get a range of 100 miles. ... Read more
