The Energy Blog

DesignLine Orders 150 Capstone Turbines for HEV Buses

Capstone Turbine Corporation (NASDAQ: CPST), announced that it has received a 150 unit order for C30 Capstone MicroTurbines(R) to be deployed in ECOSaver IV hybrid electric buses manufactured by DesignLine International. This is the largest order to date for Capstone products in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) application.

Hybrid electric buses equipped with Capstone microturbines, have been operating in various parts of the world for approximately 10 years. DesignLine buses are constructed with advanced extruded aluminum technology making them lightweight and very strong. The end result is the most fuel efficient vehicle available. In recent product demonstrations the ECOSaver IV hybrid buses equipped capstone turbines have seen up to a 100% improvement in fuel economy over a traditional diesel bus which equates to fuel savings of up to 6,000 gallons per year according to DesignLine.

The bus has a serial drive, running on batteries all the time, the turbine being only used to charge the batteries  The buses are also equipped with regenerative braking. In urban driving the buses get about seven miles per gallon. The buses were tested by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority for two month beginning in October 2007.

Standard nominal specification are: Top speed: 62 mph, Max gradient: 15%, Max Power: 250 KW, Max Torque: 2500 NM which may change depending on configuration selected.

Most GM Vehicles will be Hybrids by 2020

Via the Detroit News: General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz said on May 19 that GM would have produce 80 percent of its vehicles as some type of hybrid by 2020 in order to meet new tougher fuel economy standards.

"Ultimately by 2020, we figure that 80 percent of vehicles are going to require some sort of level of hybridization. We cannot get to 35 miles per gallon with anything resembling the current product portfolio with conventional technology."

Bob Lutz General Motors vice chairman

Automakers must average a combined 35 miles per gallon by 2020 for passenger cars and light trucks, a 40 percent increase, in order to meet the first increases in the requirements, GM would build about one-third of its vehicles as hybrids by 2015 -- when new fuel economy standards "really start to bite."

By the end of 2008, GM will have eight hybrids. That includes some "mild" cheaper hybrids that get a smaller fuel economy increase than so-called "full" hybrids.

Lutz said earlier that building so many hybrids will add $6,000 to $7,000 to the cost of an average vehicle and that most -- if not all -- V-8 engines will disappear.

GM will use Lithium-ion Batteries with its "Mild" Hybrid Drivetrains

The Wall Street Journal reports that GM will announce an upgrade of its "mild" powertrain, the "Belt Alternator Starter," (BAS) drivetrain that is used on hybrids such as the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu at the Geneva Motor Show.

The new system, "BAS-plus," will use lithium-ion batteries supplied by Japan's Hitachi Ltd. The upgrade to lithium-ion batteries will allow the new hybrid system to produce "limited electric drive" during the "extremely fuel-consumptive phase of initial acceleration."

The system will increase mileage "better than the 12% to 15% benefit" of GM's current BAS system.

Mr. Lutz, GM Vice Chairman, stressed that the system is less expensive than other electric-only driving hybrid systems and therefore more cost-effective for consumers.

Wal-Mart in Discussion on Possibility of Selling HEVs and PHEVs

(Bloomberg) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Officer H. Lee Scott said he held talks with automakers on the possibility of selling gasoline-electric hybrid cars and plug-in automobiles at the retailer's stores.

" Maybe there isn't room for Wal-Mart in this right now, but something tells me that there may be some role for us in the future."

-- H. Lee Scott

Don't hold your breath until this happens, but it would revolutionize how cars are sold, their pricing and bring these cars to the attention of the general public.

GM Forms New Organization for Hybrids, Plug-ins and Advanced Batteries

General Motors has formed a new engineering organization especially dedicated to implementing hybrid and extended- range electric vehicles (E-REV) and advanced battery technology. The global team will be led by Robert Kruse, executive director of vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicle and batteries.

"The future of automotive transportation will be based on electrification of our vehicles," "By having a vehicle engineering team in place and focused on delivering the technical aspects of hybrids and E-REVs, we can accelerate these programs and get them into production quickly and efficiently."

-- Jim Queen, GM group vice president of Global Engineering

GM's newest vehicle engineering team will develop vehicles using a variety of propulsion systems including gas-electric hybrids and GM's innovative E-Flex architecture. Vehicles that will be engineered by this team include the production E-REVs based on E-Flex architectures; Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado 2 Mode; Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid; Saturn Vue 2 Mode Plug-in; Saturn Vue and Aura Hybrid; GMC Yukon and Sierra 2 Mode; and the Cadillac Escalade 2 Mode.

This should be great news for the affected technologies.  GM seems to be recognizing the importance of these technologies.  The Volt is not mentioned, I believe they already have a separate organization for it. It uses a different and hopefully more advanced technology, which is quite far along in development. It seems they want some common design elements in the mentioned vehicles.  I hope this is a step foreword and not just a bureaucracy for the sake of the media.

1052 Daimler Orion VII Hybrid Buses Ordered

Daimler Buses North America has announced that it received orders totaling 1,052 for Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid transit buses, 850 for the MTA New York City Transit, and 202 for the City of Ottawa’s OC Transpo, for delivery into 2010.

This order will bring the MTA's diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet to almost 1,700 units, making it the largest diesel-electric hybrid fleet in the world, accounting for almost 50 percent of MTA's entire fleet.

With already 1,100 diesel-electric hybrid transit buses on the road, 460 pending deliveries and these new orders, Orion has received over 2,600 orders since the launch of the Orion hybrid bus in 2003.

The Orion VII transit buses are powered by BAE Systems' HybriDrive(R) propulsion system. The series power train consists of the following:

• A 6-cylinder, 6-liter, 194 kW (260 hp) Cummins diesel, running at nearly constant speed.
• A 120 kW generator producing electric power for the batteries.
• A single 186 kW (250 hp) electric motor drives the vehicle and regenerates energy during braking. 
• A 32 kWh A123 lithium-ion battery pack, in the majority of buses, supply power during acceleration and hill climbing as well as storing energy from regenerative braking.

International Truck and Engine First Company to Enter Hybrid Commercial Truck Production

International Truck and Engine Corporation, a Navistar company (OTC: NAVZ), announced that it is the first company to enter line production of hybrid commercial trucks, the International(R) DuraStar(TM) Hybrid, a diesel hybrid electric medium-duty truck that provides customers with improved fuel efficiency and reduced engine emissions.

The International DuraStar Hybrid diesel hybrid electric truck has the proven capability to provide dramatic fuel savings from 30-40 percent on a standard in-city pickup and delivery applications. The fuel efficiency can increase to more than 60 percent in utility-type applications when the engine can be shut off, but electric power still operates the vehicle. Diesel emissions are completely eliminated when the hybrid truck operates equipment (like overhead utility booms) solely on the truck's battery power, instead of allowing the engine to idle.

In 2006, International built and delivered 24 developmental hybrid units to 14 major utility companies across North America with overwhelmingly positive results.

“These units are now successfully operating giving us confidence in the quality and reliability of our new hybrid electric product,” said Jim Williams, Director of Sales & Distribution, New Products, International Truck and Engine.

The key challenge facing the trucking industry is the high initial cost to bring the hybrid technology to market. As International builds scale, hybrid truck prices are expected to decrease dramatically, similar to price reduction in computer technology and home electronics equipment over the years. Many customers have also been working to secure government funding to help offset the cost of the new technology. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 can provide tax credits of up to $12,000 per unit.

Honda Aims to Produce New Hybrid Design

From an article in the Sept 3 edition of Newsweek:

(Honda) is working on a new high-profile hybrid—a Prius fighter that analysts expect will have the highest mileage on the road when it arrives in 2009. Code-named the "Global Small Hybrid," Honda's new gas-electric model won't be a version of anything else in its lineup. Instead, Honda execs say it will be a five-passenger, small family car priced under $22,000. This time Honda won't make the mistake of wrapping its hybrid in the sheet metal of its everyday cars: instead, analysts expect the new Honda will have the larva styling the Prius pioneered—which now embodies the green-car look. Honda will also outdo the $23,000, 60mpg Prius on price and mileage in hopes of attracting 100,000 buyers a year—three times what the hybrid Civic sells.

GM's First True Hybrid: GMC Yukon

The 8/24 San Jose Mercury News reported on their test drive of the GMC Yukon 2-mode hybrid, a full-size sport-utility with as many as eight seats, the capability to tow a boat, that delivers a fuel-economy gain and can run on pure electricity.

The Yukon is claimed to get 25% greater overall fuel economy and 40% greater in city driving than the standard 2008 Yukon with a 5.3-liter V-8, that is rated at 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway (new EPA MPG rating system, which lower MPG estimates for most vehicles). The hybrid is equipped with a 6.0 liter V-8 for better low-end torque.

The gas engine stops when you come to a stop. If you don't gun the engine, you can accelerate to about 30 mph before the gas engine kicks in.

GM May Make 60,000 `Volt' Electric Cars in First Year

Jeff Green of Bloomberg reported that General Motors Corp. may build as many as 60,000 of its Volt electric cars for their inaugural year on the market, four times the sales of Toyota Motor Corp.'s hybrid Prius on its U.S. debut, people with knowledge of GM's plans said.

Production at that level may allow GM to sell the plug-in Volt for less than $30,000, said the people, who didn't want to be identified because the plans are confidential.

GM product chief Bob Lutz has said he wants to sell the first Volt by late 2010, and expects to have prototypes ready for testing early next year.

Read complete Bloomberg article

See previous post on Volt.