GM and LG to Jointly Develop Electric Vehicles

General Motors and LG Group will jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles, expanding a relationship built on LG’s work as the battery cell supplier for the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera extended-range EVs.

The definitive agreement signed Wednesday will help GM expand the number and types of electric vehicles it makes and sells by using LG’s proven expertise in batteries and other systems. For LG, the arrangement represents a widening of its portfolio as an automotive solution provider.

“Many solutions for tomorrow’s transportation needs may be available more quickly by building on our partnership strategy,” said GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky. ”Consumers benefit by getting the latest fuel-saving technology faster if we work with the best suppliers and we save time and money in the development process.”

The success of the extended-range propulsion system in the Volt and Ampera led to exploring other collaborations in the electrification of the automobile. Teams of LG and GM engineers will work on key components, as well as vehicle structures and architectures. Vehicles resulting from the partnership will be sold in many countries.

The GM-LG relationship that began with LG delivering the cells for the battery pack of the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera expanded last year with work on a demonstration fleet of Chevrolet Cruze electric vehicles. These vehicles were used as official vehicles of the G20 summit in Seoul are now in the phase of market-testing to learn more about capabilities and requirements.

“This is a strategic development for LG and we fully support GM’s goal to lead the industry in the electrification of the automobile,” said Juno Cho, president and chief operating officer of LG Corp.

Accelerating the pace of roadworthy technology is more important than ever with the announcement of a number of more stringent emission and fuel consumption regulations around the world, including the recent agreement calling for a U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of 54.5 mpg (23.2km/l) by the end of the 2025 model year. Electric vehicles, which have no tailpipe emissions and require no gasoline, are expected to play a major role in reaching the CAFE goal.

Timing of the launch of the first vehicles resulting from the partnership will be announced closer to market readiness. The agreement does not involve an exchange of equity between the companies.

GM and LG have been running a Chevy Cruz EV demo fleet in Korea for at least the last year!

TRANSLOGIC: AC Propulsion's Electric Car Technologies [video]

The Translogic web TV series take Tom Gage CEO of AC Propulsion for a drive to talk about how ACP are driving the commercialization of electric vehicles worldwide.

Disassembling a Toyota RAV4 EV battery pack [video]

We recently found a Youtube based TV series called ElectricThrust that focuses on EVs.

The RAV4 EV is an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota. With only 800 left on the road today, they were quickly dying off; That is, until Toyota teamed up with Tesla to mass produce these vehicles by 2012.

Clint, along with battery guru Derek Barger from Click High Tech Systems LLC, Broke into this EV to find out why it is starting to lose its "pep" With over 130,000 miles tacked onto it's battery pack the Rav4 is still running considerably well!

The most recent 'episode' was uploaded 8 months ago and their URL is dead so this series may be DOA but we will keep you posted on any new episodes.

VW to unveil Single-Seat Electric Car

Volkswagen is poised to unveil a single-seat, ultra-frugal, zero-emission electric car. The German carmaker also plans to offer a “full-service package” for customers of its electric cars by selling them power from renewable sources, Jürgen Leohold, head of research, told the Financial Times.

VW’s one-seat concept or experimental car will showcase the carmaker’s ambition to build vehicles that generate no carbon dioxide, even on a “well-to-wheel” calculation that takes into account the carbon dioxide generated by power plants.

“It’s a new kind of mobility – a new vehicle concept,” Mr Leohold said. “Also, it’s physics. If you limit a car to one person, you can make it smaller, less weight, you need less energy to transport the person, and then obviously … it can be better on CO2 and fuel efficiency”.

Mr Leohold said that the single-seater concept car, to be unveiled within weeks, was designed for limited purposes, such as commuting, and that most drivers would want a larger vehicle for longer trips.

He declined to reveal the car’s range, top speed or other details ahead of its unveiling.

VW’s research head said that the one-seater would be “even better” than the XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle, a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid capable of 313 miles per gallon which the company unveiled in January.

Mr Leohold said that the car’s CO2 count “depends on what kind of electricity you put in the battery”, but if powered from renewable sources it would be “zero”.

Single-passenger vehicles are a rarity in the car industry apart from niche products such as the Segway scooter – which is prohibited from roads in many countries – or the ill-fated Sinclair C5, a British-designed electric tricycle launched in 1985 that flopped because of safety and other concerns.

Toyota unveil EV racing prototype

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has revealed further details of its plan to make Nürburgring history on 29 August by setting a new electric vehicle (EV) lap record on the demanding 20.832km Nordschleife.

TMG's high-performance electric powertrain will power the car as it aims to significantly improve on the current lap EV record of 9min 1.338secs. Based on unofficial testing and depending on weather conditions, TMG expects to hit lap-record pace immediately, with additional days scheduled as back-up.

The TMG electric powertrain uses two electric motors to deliver peak power of 280kW and a top speed of 260km/h with zero emissions. That makes it ideal to power any future single-make electric motorsport series and TMG will begin commercial sales of its electric powertrain technology in 2012.

Total weight of the two-seater sports car is just 970kg, including the lithium-ceramic battery which allows for nimble handling around the demanding Nordschleife, essential for setting a competitive lap record.

TMG General Manager Electric & Electronics Ludwig Zeller said: "We want to demonstrate the high level of performance which can now be reached with an electric powertrain, not only in motorsport terms but as part of TMG's existing development work on road car EV technology. There is no more evocative place to illustrate this performance than on the Nordschleife. Our target is to beat the existing record by more than just a few seconds because that will demonstrate just how far our technology has developed since TMG began working on KERS systems in 2007. Many people are still dreaming of an electric future for motorsport; at TMG we believe this is much closer than some think and we intend to show what can be achieved with a high-performance electric powertrain."

TMG today revealed the first images of its electric vehicle, with a modern, dynamic livery from Aguti which captures a sense of electrifying speed. These images can be seen by clicking here.

TMG is also proud to announce its partners in this lap record attempt, all of whom enjoy visible branding on the electric vehicle. Aguti created and implemented the livery concept while rational motion integrated the electric powertrain, traction battery and control strategies. EVO Electric motor technology delivers the power and Yokohama is the tyre supplier.

Official timers will be present to authenticate the lap record while video and a photography crew will record a milestone achievement in EV development. These materials will be made available to all media immediately after any successful record attempts.

BMW i3 EV caught being filmed for a commercial [video]

Youtuber jprothe saw the BMW i3 Electric Vehicle being filmed today on Wacker Drive in Chicago.

The i3 is built around a new chassis concept called LifeDrive, which divides the vehicle into sections for Life, the passenger compartment, and Drive, the powertrain and battery. For the i3, the bottom half of the car is the Drive section, and is made mostly of lightweight aluminum; the Life passenger compartment sits on top and is built from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Employing these lightweight materials keeps the i3's weight down to just 2750 pounds. The Nissan Leaf, for comparison, tips the scales at 3366 pounds.

Buckeye Bullet 3 to Attempt 400 MPH Electric Vehicle Speed Record

Last year Ohio State’s streamlined Buckeye Bullet supercar made headlines as it shattered the world speed record for an electric vehicle by clocking in a blistering 291 miles per hour. The team is back this year with plans for their next-generation racer, which they expect will be able to hit speeds in excess of 400 mph.

The Buckeye Bullet 3 is being built from the ground up on an entirely new platform that includes an optimized aerodynamic shape, two custom-made electric motors by Venturi, and a set of prismatic A123 batteries.

In order to improve upon the performance of the Buckeye Bullet 2.5, the team is harnessing the Ohio Supercomputer Center to develop their next-gen land speed racer. Through a series of aerodynamic simulations they have come up with a completely new platform for the Buckeye Bullet 3 that will reduce drag by 5%, place the driver in front of the tires to conserve volume, and improve the vehicle’s overall handling and balance.

The team is also developing wind deflectors to be installed beneath the vehicle to improve stability and further minimize drag. According to the project’s chief engineer Cary Bork, “What sets the new design apart from the previous Buckeye Bullet vehicles is that at these higher speeds it is possible to produce shock waves under the vehicle. Such shock waves under the vehicle negatively affect the vehicle drag and can produce lift. Lift is undesirable in this application. Minimizing or eliminating these shock waves is critical to ensuring the safety and stability of the vehicle.”

Design work on the project is expected to be completed by the end of this summer, and the vehicle will be constructed over the course of the coming academic year.

Buckeye Bullet

GE gets $5.9M research grant to develop non-rare earth EV motors

The General Electric Global Research Center has been awarded a $5.9 million grant for advanced vehicle technology by the U.S. Department of Energy.

GE will provide an additional $6 million for the project, which will develop new high-performance electric motors with non-rare earth materials.

The availability of rare earths has been limited as China, the major supplier, limits exports.
The GE funding is part of $175 million that the Department of Energy is doling out to 40 projects in 15 states for advanced vehicle research over the next three to five years.

The projects, which are expected to leverage additional investments totaling over $300 million, will target new innovations including better fuels and lubricants, lighter weight materials, longer-lasting and cheaper electric vehicle batteries, and more efficient engine technologies.

As China tightens its grip on rare-earth minerals, which play a vital role in smartphones, TVs and computer hard drives, the Energy Department has been making a push to produce electric vehicles and turbines without them.

The U.S. consumes about 10,000 metric tons of rare-earth materials annually, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and increasingly relies on metals like neodymium and dysprosium for the powerful magnets used in the high-performance drive systems of electric motors and turbines.
China controls 97 percent of supplies of these 17 elements. There are currently no mines for rare-earth minerals in the U.S.

Rare earth minerals have magnetic and conductive properties not found in the rest of the periodic table. Research like that being conducted at GE aims to work around limitations on supply.

"This announcement is a win-win for the Capital Region and will be a shot in the arm for our clean energy economy," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday. "This funding will help improve the fuel efficiency of next generation vehicles and advanced motor designs."

The award will help automakers achieve recently announced fuel efficiency standards, Schumer said. Last month, President Obama announced mileage standards for cars and light trucks that will bring fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon by the 2025 model year.

DOE Awards $175 Million in Vehicle Efficiency Development Grants

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the DOE is providing more than $175 million to 40 projects across 15 states over the next three to five years to accelerate the development of energy-efficient-vehicle technologies.

The projects will pursue innovations in fuels and lubricants, lighter weight materials, longer-lasting and cheaper electric vehicle batteries and components, and more efficient engine technologies, according to a DOE announcement.

Among the grant recipients, United States Automotive Materials Partnership will validate crash models for carbon-fiber composites that would enable the use of lightweight composites in primary-structural automotive crash and energy management applications.

Penn State University will develop a high energy density lithium-sulfur cell technology that significantly reduces battery size, and improves performance and life.

MIT will investigate the use of new lubricant formulations that target differing lubrication requirements of the major engine subsystems.

A complete list of the 40 grant recipients is available at the link below.

DOE Funded Projects

GM Does Deal With A123 – Will Launch 1st Pure Battery-EV in 2014

General Motors has inked a deal with U.S. battery supplier A123 – a deal that well-placed sources say confirms the maker’s plans to put at least one battery-electric vehicle into production by 2014.

The maker has a separate deal with LG Chem to produce lithium-ion batteries for its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. The Korean maker beat out A123 for that contract and is now in the process of setting up a new factory to produce Volt batteries near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Production of the Volt is now ramping up and, along with the similar Opel Ampera, GM hopes to produce as many as 60,000 plug-ins next year.

The new alliance will focus on an entirely different range of vehicles, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly hinted. “It is not for the Volt or the next-generation Volt. This is for a different application, but we can’t get into what this is for or the timing.”

While Kelly declined to comment, GM sources noted that the maker now hopes to expand into a broad range of “electrified” vehicles, from conventional hybrids to plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs. The A123 batteries will be utilized for the latter group.
Precisely what is in store is unclear, though there could be battery-electric models sold through “multiple brands,” according to sources. The first of the BEVs is expected to reach market by 2014.

While a variety of different platforms, large and small, have been under study, it appears the first battery-electric models will be in the small car class and similar to the low-volume demonstration fleets GM has launched in two of the world’s fastest-growing automotive markets. In India, the maker has electrified its compact Chevrolet Beat, while in China it has opted to go with the similarly-sized Sail. In Korea GM have a test fleet of GM Daewoo based Chevrolet Cruze EVs and GM Daewoo Lacetti Premieres.

China, in particular, has been pressing the auto industry to adopt battery power as a way to reduce dependence upon imported oil. It is likely to be one of several initial markets for the new GM battery cars.

GM may also go up-market, suggested another source. Its Cadillac brand has been considering several ways to use battery propulsion, though a plan to develop a luxury version of the Volt was rejected by CEO Dan Akerson who is, however, a corporate cheerleader for alternative propulsion.

The decision to go with A123 – which was the first runner-up in the bidding to supply batteries to Volt – reflects the fact that lithium-ion technology is evolving fast. There are about 14 different “families” of lithium chemistry, each with distinctly different properties. Some hold more energy, others store less but permit power to be drawn down more quickly, so some formulations are good for conventional hybrids, while others work better for battery-electric applications.

The latest version of the A123 nanophosphate chemistry appears particularly well-suited to pure battery-electric vehicles, several GM sources explained. It has a higher energy density – a measure of how much power can be stored in a given mass. And more of the potential capacity of the battery can be used.

With the batteries in the Volt, only about 60% of the total 16 kilowatt-hours of capacity are actually used, day-to-day. With the A123 pack that might top 70% or higher – which means fewer batteries are needed. And with lithium batteries running well north of $500 a kWH, that translates into significant savings.

Perhaps equally important, the A123 packaging is more flexible than LG Chem’s, which makes it easier to squeeze a lot of batteries into the nooks and crannies of a small car, rather than the large, T-shaped pack used in the Volt.

With the planned 2014 launch of its first pure batter car GM will enter into an increasingly crowded market. Nissan launched the first mass market battery car, the Leaf, late last year, shortly after followed by Ford’s Transit Connect Electric. Ford will begin a phased roll-out of its Focus Electric later in 2011, with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda and Nissan’s Infiniti among the many major other brands getting into BEV production. Meanwhile, start-up Tesla is one of many automotive wannabes also entering the fray, its Model S sedan due to market next year.

Both LG Chem and A123 are vying to supply those carmakers – as are a variety of other battery producers. The batteries for the GM BEVs will be produced at a plant in Livonia, a suburb of Detroit, where A123 already employs 775 people, a workforce expected to rapidly grow as a result of the new contract.

The Audi urban concept - a completely new kind of concept car

The Audi urban concept is a 1+1-seat, ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The technical study, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) 2011, does not fit under any of the conventional categories - the Audi urban concept combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept.

Ford Focus Electric will offer solar home option

Ford and SunPower team up to provide a high-efficiency rooftop solar system that will provide Focus Electric owners enough renewable energy production to offset the energy used for charging.

Ford and SunPower team up to provide a high-efficiency rooftop solar system that will provide Focus Electric owners enough renewable energy production to offset the energy used for charging. The 2.5 kilowatt SunPower system will produce an estimated 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. SunPower systems are backed by a 25-year warranty.

Ford's aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013. The new Focus Electric is a zero-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford's popular global Focus model.

Ford and SunPower Corp have teamed up to offer customers a rooftop solar system that will allow Focus Electric owners to "Drive Green for Life" by providing customers with enough clean, renewable energy to offset the electricity used to charge the vehicle.

"Under the 'Drive Green for Life' program, Focus Electric owners can reduce their total cost of ownership by generating enough energy from their high efficiency SunPower rooftop solar system to offset the electricity required to charge the vehicle at night," said Mike Tinskey, Ford director of Global Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure. "It's an eco-friendly solution that perfectly complements our plug-in products and other green initiatives."

"SunPower's innovative partnership with Ford is a win-win for customers, providing a comprehensive sustainability program," said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. "By taking advantage of this program, Focus Electric customers can receive the added benefit of installing a SunPower solar system, the highest-efficiency, most reliable on the market today, generating the electricity needed to charge their vehicles."

The 2.5 kilowatt rooftop solar system is comprised of the SunPower® E18 Series solar panels that produce an average of 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. These high-efficiency solar panels generate approximately 50 percent more electricity than conventional panels and utilize a smaller footprint on the roof. The system was sized to accommodate a customer who drives about 1,000 miles per month.

The complete SunPower solar system is offered at a base price of less than $10,000*, after federal tax credits. Local and state rebates, along with other incentives, may drive the system cost down even more, depending on a customer's location. Included in the purchase is a residential monitoring system, which includes the ability to track the performance of their solar system on the web or through an iPhone application. Affordable financing options for the solar system are available through SunPower. This price point does not include local sales tax.

Interested Focus Electric customers will be contacted by a participating SunPower dealer who will visit their home to begin the installation process. SunPower leads the industry with more than 400 dealers in the U.S., and can support the initial Focus Electric roll out in all 19 markets.

In addition to the Focus Electric, the SunPower rooftop solar system will be compatible with the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Ford is rolling out in 2012.

Two Complementary Charging Solutions for Focus Electric Owners
By partnering with SunPower, Ford now offers Focus Electric owners two complementary charging solutions to make the overall experience of owning an electric vehicle easier. In January, Ford announced an agreement with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the Focus Electric and future electric vehicle owners.

"The goal of working with both SunPower and Best Buy was to offer Focus Electric owners solutions to charging needs that help lower the vehicle's overall cost of ownership," said Tinskey.

The Power of Choice

Electrification is an important piece of Ford's overall product sustainability strategy, which includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and in Europe by 2013. Ford launched the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van in 2010 and will launch the all-new Focus Electric later this year. In 2012, these models will be joined in North America by the new C-MAX Hybrid, a second next-generation lithium-ion battery hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid. This diverse range of electrified vehicles allows Ford to meet a variety of consumer driving needs.

*This offer assumes normal installation conditions, not including modifications to a roof, electrical service panel or excessive wire requirements.

Nissan delivers first Leaf in France

Nissan West Europe brings electric mobility to France with delivery of the country's first 100% electric Nissan LEAF.

Mr. and Mrs. Gerbaud took delivery of their white Nissan LEAF at NISSAN COURIANT in Aix-en-Provence on August 2nd. This groundbreaking moment represents France's first delivery of the 2011 European and World Car of the Year. This early delivery is also a demonstration of the company's effort to recover from the natural disaster of March 11th in Japan and the readiness of Nissan's EV dealer network in France.

Carine Gerbaud will mainly use her Nissan LEAF for daily commuting to her workplace. As she drives 80km per day on average, the Nissan LEAF's homologated range of 175km with a full charge is sufficient to cover her needs. Philippe Gerbaud said that their decision to buy an electric vehicle was not only to "preserve the environment" but also driven by the particularly low running costs the Nissan LEAF offers: less than 2€ per 100 km in France compared with about €7 for a similarly-equipped diesel family car.

"We've been spending 400€ per month at the petrol station. From now, we should only pay 60€ per month in electricity. The extra cost of the vehicle will be recovered in one year after which the monthly fuel saving can be used as a contribution towards the monthly finance repayments" explains Mr. Gerbaud.

The price of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF is €30,990 in France, after incentives and including the batteries which benefits from a five-year/100,000 km warranty. The French government's incentive for electric vehicles amounts to 5,000 euros. In order to make electric motoring even more accessible to individual customers in France, the Nissan LEAF is also available through a private finance scheme

Eric Couriant from Nissan Couriant in Aix-en-Provence applied to become a certified EV dealer because he believes "Nissan is making history by bringing sustainable mobility to the mass market and we wanted to be part of it". "Most customers testing the Nissan LEAF are very positively surprised by the performance, the comfort, the roominess and the range of the Nissan LEAF." Mr. Couriant added.

Nissan Couriant in Aix-en-Provence is one of the 14 certified EV dealers (along with Chambourcy, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Marseille, Maurepas, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Nîmes, Paris 12ème , Perpignan, Strasbourg, Toulouse) to sell the Nissan LEAF in France. This list is expected to grow rapidly in the near future.

Deliveries of Nissan LEAF have already begun in the UK, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal. Order books have also opened in Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Norway with customers in those markets expected to start receiving their cars shortly.

Ford Focus Electric Will Hit 19 Markets in Spring of 2012

Ford today clarified launch plans for its forthcoming Focus Electric, saying that the despite reports to the contrary the car has not in fact been pushed back and will see a limited release in New York and California as scheduled, by the end of this year.

“Ford remains on schedule to deliver the initial Focus Electrics by the end of the year. As previously communicated to dealers, the first few months of Focus Electric production will be concentrated on delivering vehicles to California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of the initial Focus Electric markets starting with production ramp up in Spring 2012.”

Nissan LEAF battery technology Explained [video]

Nissan Corporate Vice-President Simon Sproule gives a detailed explanation about the Nissan LEAF battery technology.

Toyota shooting for Nurburgring EV Lap record on August 29

Toyota has reportedly announced it will attempt to smash the existing electric vehicle lap record at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife on August 29.

The current electric vehicle lap record at the 'Ring stands at 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds, a time that Toyota says it has already beaten during informal testing. On August 29, Toyota will hit the track with a battery-powered two-seater that soars to a claimed top speed of 162 miles per hours, rips from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and is loosely based on the radical Alpha-1 SRF, a vehicle developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH for German firm e-Wolf.

Rob Leupen, Toyota Motorsport's director of business operations, told the Charging Point, "We are extremely confident we can break the record by some distance, which is an indication of how electric vehicle performance is continuously improving." Only time we tell if Toyota's attempt to tame the 'Ring blows a hole through the existing record, which is held by the spectalur Peugeot EX1.

Source: The Charging Point

Toyota and Tesla to Build RAV4 EV in Ontario Canada

Toyota and Tesla Motors confirmed today that their jointly-developed RAV4 electric vehicle will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Woodstock, Ontario beginning in 2012.

“The Tesla-Toyota joint development team has agreed that building the vehicle at the Woodstock plant on the same line as the gasoline-powered RAV4, will streamline and simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control,” said Ray Tanguay, TMMC Chairman, who hosted Canadian officials at the plant today and thanked them for their support. “This is a great example of Toyota’s determination to collaborate with companies with leading edge technology.”

As previously announced, Toyota will pay Tesla approximately $100 million to supply the electric powertrain, which includes the battery, motor, gear box and power electronics for the RAV4 EV. Tesla will build the electric powertrains at its production facility in Palo Alto, California and then ship them to TMMC for final assembly into the vehicle.

The RAV4 EV will be sold at U.S. Toyota dealers through Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS). Details including pricing, volume and regional distribution will be determined and announced at a later time.

In July of last year, Tesla and Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, America (TEMA) collaborated to convert 32 conventional gas-engine RAV4 compact SUVs into fully functional RAV4 EV prototypes.

Transit Connect Electric Vans enter Oxford to London Eco Rally

Two Transit Connect Electric vans have successfully completed a 75-mile route from Oxford to London in a convoy of electric, hybrid and low-emission vehicles, as part of the 2011 Bridgestone Eco Rally.

The rally took place on Sunday 31st July, this year starting from Broad Street, Oxford and finishing in the UK's largest sustainable transport exhibition at The Mall in London.

The convoy comprised more than 30 of the latest low and zero emission vehicles including cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks and taxis.

Graham Hoare, executive director powertrain engineering, Ford of Europe, said: "Ford is developing a portfolio of electric vehicles that offer customers affordable, environmentally friendly technologies in vehicles they want and value. The Bridgestone Eco-Rally is a great opportunity to showcase the first of these vehicles to go on sale, the Transit Connect Electric."

The Transit Connect Electric, developed in conjunction with Ford's electric vehicles partner, Azure Dynamics, is the first of five electrified Ford models to be made available in Europe. It is a pure electric-powered version of the award-winning Transit Connect light commercial vehicle. It has a proprietary Force Drive™ battery electric drivetrain powered by an advanced battery pack from Johnson Controls, carrying a range of up to 80 miles with a payload of up to 500kg.

Ford has committed to introduce five full-electric and hybrid models in Europe by 2013 as part of its global electrification strategy. These include the Transit Connect Electric this year, the next generation Ford Focus Electric in 2012, followed by hybrid and plug-in hybrid derivatives of the all-new C-MAX and another hybrid-electric model in 2013.

Mini E UK trials reveal ease of EV use

Almost all of the 138 participants who took part in the Mini E trials, said they’d consider buying an electric car.

These are the findings, which were published today by Mini after a yearlong field test in which 62 members of the public and 76 pool users were given Mini E's and the results collated. The findings have also highlighted that the average cost per mile came in at under 2p, the equivalent of £60 per six months charge on average.

Four out of five people said that 80 per cent of their trips could be covered by the Mini E, rising to 90 per cent of trips with the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot.

Over the one-year period, over 250,000 miles were recorded on UK roads, with the average distance driven coming in at just under 30 miles per day. Interestingly, virtually all the car’s recharging took place at home at an average of 2.9 times per week.

The results also found that a full charge enabled the Mini E to travel a distance of 90 miles, although cold weather affected its range, according to 84 per cent of owners.

Driver enjoyment was a big factor noted by the results, too. With its 201bhp power figure, all participants agreed that “electric vehicles are fun to drive,” thanks in part to the car’s fast pick-up and quick accelaration”.

Finally, the findings have revealed that only one week was needed by people to adapt to the peculiarities of driving an EV, including charging, regenerative braking and near silence during driving.

The test results will be used to help develop the all-new BMW i3 - an electric city car due in 2013 – as well as the 2011 BMW ActiveE, a four-seater based on the current 1-series.

Nissan says electric car can power family home [video]

Nissan's Leaf electric car can feed power from its battery back into a family home and run appliances for up to two days under a new project the Japanese car-maker unveiled Tuesday.
Using the "Leaf to Home" system, the lithium-ion batteries of the zero tailpipe emission Leaf can be used as an emergency power backup for the home during a natural disaster or a power blackout, Nissan said.

Nissan, 44 percent owned by Renault of France, said it aims to commercialize the technology in Japan by March 2012.

The system works by linking the car via a quick charging port to the house's electricity distribution panel. Power can also be fed the other way if the house generates its own electricity with rooftop solar panels.

The Leaf batteries have a capacity of 24 kilowatt hours when fully charged, equivalent to the electricity used by the average Japanese household in two days, said the company.

The output from the vehicle comes to six kilowatts, enough to power electricity-guzzling appliances such as a refrigerator, air conditioner and washing machine at the same time, the company said.

Nissan says as well as its potential use in blackouts, the car can be charged during night time off-peak hours and the electricity used by households during high-demand periods.