Posts Tagged ‘Electric Vehicle’

The Smart ForTwo has been turning heads for several years now, but a new version may give its cousin a run for its money when it starts zooming by on city streets this fall. A Smart ForTwo Electric Drive (ED) is in the works and a select group of drivers will have the opportunity to be one of the first early adopters for this clean, green machine.

I happened across the Smart ForTwo ED a few weeks ago at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, CA. This annual conference was the place to be to catch a glimpse of some of the most innovative cars of the future. The convertible Smart definitely caught my eye on the exhibition floor and I contacted Rick Bourgoise, Director of Communications for Smart USA, to find out more.

Rick told me that the Smart ForTwo ED has been in development in the U.K. since 2007. An electric version was part of the initial vision for the Smart ForTwo, given its mission to be one of the cleanest automotive product lines in the world. In fact, the original design was built to accommodate an electric vehicle powertrain without compromising the structure of the vehicle itself. The Smart ForTwo ED is nearly identical to the conventional ForTwo – the battery pack and electric drive system take up the same space once occupied by the engine and fuel tank.

The Smart ForTwo ED is optimized for urban driving. The car is powered by a 30 kW drive motor from electricity stored in a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Smart says that initial acceleration is brisk and that top speed will be a highway-capable 60 miles per hour.

Using a 220-volt outlet, like the kind your clothing dryer plugs into, this Smart can fully charge in less than eight hours and offers a range of 82 clean miles on a single charge.

For those cutting-edge early adopters looking for a clean ride for their urban commute, Smart USA is now accepting “hand-raisers” who are interested in being part of their field test trial program. They will offer a limited number of Smart forTwo EDs in five target markets: Portland, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Orlando/Tampa, and cities along the I-95 corridor from Boston to D.C. The vehicles will be available starting in October 2010 for a four-year lease for $599/month. Production-ready vehicles for sale are expected to be available in 2012.

Rick mentioned that each field test driver will have their own web page that details real-time usage of their Smart forTwo ED. This information is intended to provide drivers and Daimler (manufacturer of the Smart ForTwo ED) data that will be used to inform the ultimate design of the production-ready version.

While being an early adopter is not for everyone, having the chance to test out future car technology (while getting a lot of head-turning attention on the road) is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

There are a wide variety of options for clean mobility in the near future, and the Smart ForTwo ED is a welcome addition to the bunch.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

The world’s first plug-in Hummer H3 is a major game-changer. This demonstration vehicle, produced by Raser Technologies, is intended to show the world that big, beefy cars do not always have to be gas-guzzlers.

The plug-in H3 was on display at last month’s Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, CA. The new and improved H3 runs solely on electricity for the first 40 miles. After that, a fuel-efficient gasoline generator kicks in for trips longer than 40 miles. This makes the H3 an E-REV, or an “extended range electric vehicle,” similar to the platform of the Chevy Volt.

I spoke with David West, Raser’s Vice-President of Marketing, to find out how this vehicle works. “To make our trucks green, we don’t propel the vehicle any longer with gasoline. We replace it with a custom electric motor and battery pack. The motor has to be powerful enough to propel the car, yet small enough to be able to fit in the available space. We take out the old gas engine and put in a small EcoTech 4-cylinder engine from GM. This combustion engine provides auxiliary power to the vehicle when needed,” West told me.

Raser Technologies decided to focus on converting large trucks because they are the number one selling vehicles in America and are most commonly used by fleets. They plan to deliver EREV pick-up trucks to fleet buyers first, while developing similar products to consumers within the next few years.

While taking a test drive in the vehicle, I asked David, “You must get all kinds of interesting looks from people on the street, don’t you?” He replied, “Yeah, I get some people who drive past us on the street all the time and tell us ‘We don’t believe you!’”

Believe it or not, this car shows that even massive cars like the Hummer can benefit from electric drive technology. As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “The Hummer is not what is wrong…it is the engine, it is the technology, so what we have to change is not the car and the size of the cars, what we have to change is the technology.”

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.

The next three years will be exciting for early adopters in the car industry. As mentioned in a previous post, automakers plan to release next-generation technology that will revolutionize the way we drive. They are part of a new wave of electric vehicles that are designed to reduce overall driving costs, clean our air, and create an interactive driving experience like no other.

But what is it really like to drive an electric car? This week, I interviewed Stefano Paris, who leased an all-electric MINI Cooper (the MINI E) this past year. He gives us the low-down on what it’s like to be one of the first to drive an advanced electric vehicle.

Keep in mind that Stefano has been one of the very early adopters for this technology. Those lucky enough to secure a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, or Ford Focus Electric will benefit from a newly established charging infrastructure in one of ten regions across the country, as well as the opportunity to benefit from being able to actually purchase their vehicles. This is historically monumental.

Q: What excites you the most about driving an electric car?

Stefano: The sensation of driving a high performance electric car is one of seamless power, lightning quick acceleration, and effortless glide. The convenience and time saving of charging up at home also insures a fully “fueled” vehicle every morning.

Q: What motivated you to be an “early adopter” for new clean car technology?

Stefano:  Several years ago I installed a SunPower 4kW photovoltaic solar system on my roof that generates more energy than required by my house.  I saw a perfect marriage between solar power and electric cars, as I could do all my yearly driving on the excess solar energy and still have a $0 electrical bill.

Q: What is it about the MINI E that attracted you?

Stefano:  The MINI Cooper was already a very cute and adorable car.  Adding an electric drive system could only increase their appeal.  What is particularly pleasing and provides 50% of the fun of driving electric is the very efficient and aggressive regenerative braking of the legendary AC Propulsion drive systems.  As soon as I learned the MINI E was powered by AC Propulsion, I knew the MINI E was going to be fantastic, powerful, quick, and tremendous fun.

Q: How did you apply? Why do you think you were chosen?

Stefano: The application process was very selective and arduous.  Initially everyone that was interested added their email address to MINI’s database to be informed of future MINI E announcements.  On November 19^th, 2008 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW officially announced their MINI E one year lease only program and opened up a website where one could apply to be a MINI E “test driver” after completing a very thorough 2 hour online questionnaire. I received notice in January that I had passed their initial MINI E applicant screening via the online questionnaire.  Selected applicants had to then pass insurance and garage inspection processes.

Q: What did you like the most about being an early adopter?

Stefano: I enjoy adopting early in order to help make the future happen today, within my lifetime.  We can wait around forever for the future to arrive or we can make conscious efforts to improve our living for a more sustainable world. Every single drive of my MINI E was always a smile inducing special experience.  Driving electric has yet to get mundane and continues to be a magical experience even after 20,000 electric miles.

Adopting early also requires you to be flexible and inventive.  Given the lack of compatible public charge stations, I quickly learned and built a significant “charging kit” of cables and adapters that allowed me to drive my MINI E anywhere I wanted.  I even drove my MINI E on a memorable weekend trip to Northern California to visit family.

Q: What did you like the least about your car?

Stefano: The MINI shape isn’t all that aerodynamic.  A more aerodynamic shape (like a Honda CRX or EV1) would have allowed for more range with a lower energy consumption rate.

Q: Would you sign up to be an early adopter again? Why or why not?

Stefano: I’ll continue to be early adopting of all types of technologies, including electric vehicles, but will choose the purchasing and ownership route only.

Dr. Shannon Arvizu is a clean-tech consultant and educator in the plug-in vehicle field. You can read more at MissElectric.com.

Remember $4.00 per gallon gasoline?  Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche made comments at the Beijing Auto Show that hint at high oil prices and much more in the near future:

“If you look at the population and the growth here [in China], you quickly reach the conclusion that it would be unthinkable to provide these people with traditional gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. There just isn’t enough oil for that. So there has to be personal transportation that is not dependent on oil and is CO2-free to the greatest possible extent.”

Zetsche’s comment signals a new outlook from the maker of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars.  The CEO envisions a future in which the world is forced to find new sources of energy for personal transportation.  Daimler is clearly anticipating the approach of high oil prices – and potential oil shortages – as growth in China, India, and other emerging markets begins to strain global resources.

As Renault-Nissan CEO and fellow electric vehicle proponent, Carlos Ghosn said at the Tokyo Auto Salon a few months ago: “If all your transportation relies on one commodity, you’re in trouble.”

Though EVs run solely on electricity, the energy they need can come from a diverse range of sources like solar, wind, nuclear, coal, and natural gas.  Though it will take time to build additional power plants and a public charging infrastructure, Ghosn and Zetsche see a need for this kind of flexibility in an oil-strained future.

Daimler is currently producing about 1,000 electric vehicles for a real-world market test and is involved with Chinese automobile company, BYD, to design and build an electric vehicle tailored specifically for the Chinese market.  Nissan intends to launch their first mass-market electric vehicle, the Leaf, later this year.  Its French partner, Renault will launch an all-electric sedan called Fluence in 2011.

Other manufacturers are ramping up their EV efforts, as well.  Chevrolet is due to launch their extended-range electric vehicle, the Volt, in a few short months.  And as we reported here a few weeks ago, BMW recently announced a new manufacturing plant in Washington State that will produce lightweight body panels for their own upcoming “megacity” electric vehicle in 2013.

Assuming that Dr. Zetsche’s bold prediction for the future is correct, how high would fuel prices have to rise to get you to switch from a gasoline- or diesel-powered car to an electric vehicle?

So, you’ve decided that you are ready for smooth, clean electric mobility. You’ve chosen the 2011 Nissan Leaf as your next vehicle. The next question is – should you lease or buy your Nissan Leaf?

Nissan has made it quite easy for drivers to get in on the Leaf action. First step is that you will want to reserve your spot to purchase or lease your vehicle. The next steps include getting a home assessment for charging your Leaf and having the home charger installed. Nissan has a two-minute video that explains how the process works.

The final step involves purchasing or leasing your Nissan Leaf. The MSRP for the Nissan Leaf is $32,780. However, the federal government has a $7500 consumer tax rebate towards the purchase of electric vehicles. This drives down the purchase price to as low as $25,280. If you typically pay at least $7500 in federal taxes, then purchasing a Leaf is your best option.

You may also want to consider tax credits available from your state governments towards the purchase of your Nissan Leaf. Both California and Alabama have implemented an additional $5000 tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle. It is likely that many more states will adopt similar legislation in the near future.

If you typically pay less than $7500 in federal taxes (and/or less the $5000 in state taxes), leasing a Nissan Leaf may be a better option. Nissan will absorb the federal tax credit to be able to offer the Nissan Leaf at a very affordable $349/month for a 3-year lease. This is a very smart move for Nissan, as many young and first-time car leasees will also want to take part in the electric car action.

Leasing a Nissan Leaf may also be an option to consider is you are interested in trading Leaf 1.0 in for a possible Leaf 2.0. No word yet on what a Leaf 2.0 may offer, but one can imagine perhaps a larger battery pack that will allow you to drive farther. (That said, many drivers of the first and only generation of Toyota RAV-4 electric vehicle – which has the same 100-mile range as the Nissan Leaf – report high levels of satisfaction with the range of their cars even after ten years of ownership.)

And, if you still needed more reason to get a Nissan Leaf, many state and local governments are also providing funds to cover the cost of having a home charger installed (which can run around $2000). For some, this means that whole process of owning of a Nissan Leaf and home charging unit could be as low as $20,000.

Keep in mind that these local, state, and federal funds are geared towards helping the first wave of electric vehicle owners. Just like early hybrid owners reaped the benefits of discounted prices and carpool lane stickers, the first wave of electric car owners get to take advantage of the early adopter “freebies.”

Dr. Shannon Arvizu loves driving clean, green machines. You can find out more at MissElectric.com.