The Energy Blog

Order your Tesla Roadster Now, TH!NK City Coming to North America in 2009

On Earth Day it is appropriate to feature one of the most sustainable products of the future, the electric car. High gas prices and growing environmental consciousness could finally usher in a new era for electric cars. The Tesla Roadster and the TH!NK City, represent the two extremes in electric vehicle choices and they are among the first, if not the first, electric cars scheduled to go into production.

With the announcement, on March 17, that Tesla Motors had achieved their goal of starting regular production of the Tesla Roadster, the company claimed that the modern era of the electric car had begun.

While this is an important milestone for the company and a watershed for the new era of electric vehicles, we still have a lot of work to do. Our key focus with the Roadster will be on gradually ramping up our production in a deliberate and controlled manner reaching a rate of over 100 Roadsters per month early next year.

Ze'ev Drori, President and CEO, Tesla Motors

With a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds, a 13,000 rpm redline, the Roadster has the fastest top gear acceleration of any production car tested by Car & Driver magazine in 2007, With an EPA rating of 135 MPG equivalent, the Roadster provides super car performance at twice the energy efficiency. The batteries provide a range of more than 200 miles (333 km) between charges. The Roadster runs on 6,831 laptop computer batteries stuffed in a car, assembled by Britain's Lotus.

More than 1,000 customers have ordered the $98,000 2008 Roadster, according to the company. The estimated base price for the 2009 Roadster is $109,000. Final pricing will be announced just prior to the start of 2009 production.Tesla started production, making one or two cars a week, but it says it will steadily increase production  to around 100 cars a month by early next year. Tesla had to delay production by about six month primarily due problems with the transmission.  The company is now involved with lawsuits with both suppliers and competitors.

Think Global, the Norwegian electric car producer, along with RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, announced this Monday plans to introduce the TH!INK City to the North American Market in 2009. 

The TH!NK city is currently produced in Norway and international sales are scheduled to begin in Scandinavia, with Switzerland and France also being the initial focus areas. Sales, other than initial trial and demonstration projects, will begin in the North American market in 2009.

"The TH!NK city is the world's only crash-tested and highway-certified electric vehicle and is ideal for markets such as California where we will initiate demonstration projects offering an exceptionally safe and fun car to drive."

-- Jan-Olaf Willums, CEO of Think Global

Project A Better Place Expands to Denmark

Project Better Place (PBC), California, has signed a letter of intent with Danish energy company DONG Energy aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from the Danish car fleet by providing electric cars, batteries and the infrastructure required for implementing a sustainable transportation energy solution. Together with PBC, DONG Energy will work on the further development of the project to give Danish consumers access to buying environmentally friendly electric vehicles (EVs) at attractive prices. 

Denmark is the second country in which such a transportation solution is being planned, Israel, previous post, being the first.

The presentation, below, by Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of PBC, at a New Democrat Network meeting gives a very good explanation of the business model that will be used by PBC to implement the electric car fleet and required infrastructure (drag slider to 4:15 to avoid introduction), my short explanation is given following the video.

Through the PBC and Renault-Nissan Alliance partnership announced last January, Renault will provide Better Place Denmark with zero emissions electric vehicles that offer driving performances similar to a gasoline engine. Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC of Japan, has created an advanced Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery pack, using currently available technology, that meets the requirements of the electric vehicle and will be mass-produced.

Five Passenger TH!NK Ox Introduced at Geneva Auto Show

Norwegian car maker TH!NK unveiled a new model, a five seater, the TH!NK Ox, at the Geneva Auto Show. The production model is said to closely resemble the concept car. The base model Ox, scheduled for production in 2011, will have a range of about 125 miles (200 kilometers) on a charge and a top speed of about 80 mph (130km/hr).

A crossover, the TH!NK Ox is an electric five-seat car close to the size of a sport utility vehicle but lighter and more aerodynamic.

In a related announcement GE said it is ramping up its efforts to enable global electrification of transportation by investing in $4 million in TH!NK and $20 million in A123Systems. GE is now A123’s largest cash investor. TH!NK has signed a commercial supply agreement with lithium-ion battery manufacturer A123Systems. The A123 supply agreement provides TH!NK with patented Nanophosphate™ lithium-ion batteries for the TH!NK City, now in production at the company’s factory in Norway. Think is delivering TH!NK City cars in Norway, with international sales to follow later in the year.

We see many important opportunities emerging from our new relationship with GE. This relationship will help TH!NK – the manufacturer of the first highway-approved electric car in mass production – to stay at the forefront of electric vehicle technology.

--Jan-Olaf Willums, TH!NK CEO, at the Geneva Auto Show

FYI: Smith Electric Vehicles Orders Drive Components for 4,000 Vehicles

Enova Systems, Torrance, CA, has announced that it has received a production order and has begun delivering 90kW and 120kW electric drive components for in excess of 1,000 units during 2008, and as many as 3,000 in 2009 to Smith Electric Vehicles, in Vigo Centre, UK, a division of The Tanfield Group Plc. Tanfield also intends to start production of its commercial electric vehicles in North America during 2008.

Enova has supplied electric drive train components to Tanfield since 2006, to help produce high performance electric drive train systems for Smith Electric Vehicle’s zero emission vans and trucks. Smith utilises a 120kw electric drive system in the Smith Newton, the world’s first zero emission 7.5t - 12t truck. A 90kw electric drive system is installed in the Smith Edison, the world’s first all-electric sub-3.5t van.

A typical Smith Electric vehicle can achieve ranges of up to 150 miles between battery charges and speeds of 50 mph. Because they are zero emission, Smith Electric Vehicles are exempt from the London Congestion Charge and also qualify for free parking in parts of central London.

The electric truck market seems to be taking off.  When will electric cars really reach this level?

Mitsubishi Unviels New "I MiEV"

Mitsubishi Motors Corp has unveiled the newest version of the electric vehicle, "i MiEV," with a longer cruising range than the previous model and a new Li-ion battery .

Mitsubishi aims to launch mass-production of electric vehicles in 2009. And, in this field test, the company plans to investigate such issues as the "preferable length of time for charging from the viewpoint of users" and "compatibility with rapid rechargers under development by electric companies."

Two major improvements in the new test vehicle are the adoption of new Li-ion rechargeable battery and the cruising range extended from 130 to 160km in the 10-15 Japanese test cycle. The longer range was achieved by a more efficient redesigned motor, improved regeneration capability, lower rolling resistance tires, the control system, and reduction in the size and weight of the components in consideration of mass production.

A new Li-ion battery produced by Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture of Mitsubishi Motors, GS Yuasa Corp and Mitsubishi Corp will be used for the first time. Lithium Energy Japan plans to produce 200,000 cells (equivalent to the demand for 2,000 units of electric vehicles) in the FY2009. (2010 was forecast in earlier announcements as the expected date of production) The performance of new battery is the same as that of its predecessor, made by Litcel, but with added safety features.

Shell CEO Presents Two Scenarios For the Future of Energy

The chief executive of Shell has posted this article on Shell's new energy scenarios. I was made aware of it by The Oil Drum, who first posted it at http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3548 and I thought it was worth repeating for your comments. They had a large number, 153, of mostly very insightful comments at the time of this posting. 

The article supports the peak oil theory, as I envision it. They defined it as the time that easy accessible oil will no longer be able to keep up with demand, their estimate being 2015.  I interpret that as meaning that heavy oil, as in the tar sands of Canada and the heavy oil in Venezuela, and oil shale are not significant sources of oil by 2015 and that their addition will cause significant increases in the price of oil which will have an effect on demand. The exact date is not that important, but it is meaningful that they predict a relatively near date, within the next 10 years.

They also predict that A growing number of cars are powered by electricity and hydrogen.  I think they underemphasize this important factor in reducing our consumption of oil, and believe that hydrogen will not play that important a role. I think a very aggressive development of PHEVs, EVs and biofuels combined with North Americas' (USA, Mexico and Canada) remaining reserves of oil should be able to supply all our needs to power our vehicles and have some expensive oil left over to export to other countries before 2100, hopefully by 2050.

The statements that more nuclear power will be required and that carbon capture and sequesteration (CCS) must be required on coal powered power plants in all developed countries are right in line with my thinking.  In the interim period, until renewable power can replace all aging nuclear and coal powered plants, these power sources will be required, no matter how much power is saved by increased efficiency in the home and in industry. From the economic point of view nuclear power has the clear advantage over coal when CCS is required on coal plants. However there is opposition to nuclear in some quarters and will be as long as the threats of proliferation and problems with waste disposal remain issues.  To me the ideal situation would be thorium fueled plants with fuel recycling.  However it will be a very long time before there is any consensus on that.

The complete text of the article, as appears on the Shell website, is given below. The bold facing is mine.

Two Energy Futures

* By Jeroen van der Veer

By 2100, the world’s energy system will be radically different from today’s. Renewable energy like solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and biofuels will make up a large share of the energy mix, and nuclear energy, too, will have a place. Humans will have found ways of dealing with air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. New technologies will have reduced the amount of energy needed to power buildings and vehicles.

FYI: Zap and China Youngman Automotive Issue RFP for Two Passenger Electric Vehicle

Officials from ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) and China Youngman Automotive Group announced their Joint Venture Company has initiated the RFQ (Request For Quotation) process for a vehicle project called the ZAP Alias™.

The Joint Venture Company targets the Alias to retail at a price of $30,000 in a two-passenger vehicle with a top-speed of over 100 miles per hour and a range of at least 150 miles per charge. The goal is to bring an affordable, highway capable electric vehicle to market quickly to capitalize on surging interest for electric car technologies.

Renault-Nissan and Project Better Place to Supply Israel with Recharging Grid and Electric Vehicles

Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place aim to create a breakthrough with electric vehicles in Israel. This comes in response to the Israeli State's challenge to migrate the country's transportation infrastructure to renewable sources of energy. The Israeli government would provide tax incentives to customers, Renault would supply the electric vehicles, and Project Better Place would construct and operate an Electric Recharge Grid across the entire country. Electric vehicles will be available for customers in 2011.

According to the New York Times, Renault (EPA: RNO) will offer a small number of electric models of existing vehicles, like the Megane sedan, at prices roughly comparable to gasoline models. The vehicles will run on pure electricity for all functions. The objective of zero emissions will be achieved, while at the same time offering driving performances similar to a 1.6 liter gasoline engine. Renault's electric vehicles will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries, ensuring greater driving range and longevity.

"Dozens of electric cars will go on the roads for thorough testing this year. There's already an operational prototype. I've driven it, and it goes from 0 to 100 kmh in 7.5 seconds. In other words, there's a product and it's one of the fastest cars on the road." 

Shai Agassi, CEO A Better Place, Globes Online Feb. 22, 2008

Smith Electric (UK) Launching Electric Truck in U.S., Plans U.S. Facility to Produce 10,000 Trucks per Year

Smith, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles is launching a zero emission truck in the North American market.

The Newton is the first vehicle in its class that can compete with the diesel equivalent – but without the polluting effects of tailpipe emissions such as nitrogen oxide; particulate matter and CO2.

The Smith Newton, earlier post, is the world's largest high performance electric truck, weighing in with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of over 24,000lbs. A bank of four suitcase-sized, “Zebra” 278v Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries and a 120 kilowatt motor quickly propel the vehicle up to its top speed of 50mph. The Newton can accelerate from 0-30mph faster than the equivalent diesel-powered truck. It is equipped with regenerative braking and has a range of 150 miles.

The Newton’s body panels are built from an ultra light, state-of-the-art fully recyclable composite material manufactured by Omnia. The panels, are a plastic honeycomb material said to weigh around 65% of GRP of the equivalent strength. This substantially reduces body weight and increases the payload capacity by as much as 7480lb. The vehicle has a payload capacity of up to 15,800lbs and is available in US truck Classes 5 through 7.

UPS Goes Green

UPS rolled out an electric car and truck fleet this week to help with small parcel deliveries in in Northern California using 42 electric cars and trucks from ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP). The move was made to reduce fuel consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and to provide a more maneuverable vehicle in congested urban areas.

The UPS branch in Petaluma, California (just north of San Francisco) has leased an initial fleet of 42 ZAP Xebra® electric city cars and trucks for their small parcel deliveries. This is the first time that UPS has used electric city-speed vehicles for this purpose.

Small parcel deliveries are becoming more challenging for the trademark big, brown UPS delivery vans, which is why UPS is using the electric city cars and trucks to handle small parcel deliveries. The ZAP vehicles lessen fuel consumption and reduce automotive emissions produced by current delivery vehicles. Drivers will be monitoring their electrical usage to carefully analyze cost-savings and emissions reductions.