Research Demonstrates Effectiveness of Solar Panels For Vehicle Range Extension

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Marc Cesare

University of Windsor associate professor Narayan Kar, left, and Unconquered Sun founder and CEO Sean Moore, in front of a electric powered shuttle outfitted with solar panels. (Photo: Julie Kotsis/The Windsor Star)

Researchers from the University of Windsor have conducted testing that show the effectiveness of solar panels to extend the range of electric vehicles. The research was performed in collaboration with Unconquered Sun Solar Technologies, a solar panel company based in Ontario with manufacturing facilities in Windsor. According to the company’s management, the testing showed that driving range could be extended 45% on average. Unconquered Sun is planning on launching a line of low-speed vehicles with rooftop solar panels in the Spring. For the testing, the solar panels used Lexan rather than heavier glass for the lamination of the solar cells. Learn more: Windsorstar.com

Comment: There are a number of companies in the market that provide electric STOVs with solar panel options. For example, some of Polaris’ GEM as well as Club Car provide a solar panel option from Solardrive for some of their electric vehicles. This research is just one more sign that this trend is likely to continue and even gain more momentum. The college/university market which has a strong interest in building green and sustainable fleets are a likely target for this type of vehicle option.

Kulan Electric UTV Concept Vehicle

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Marc Cesare

The Kulan electric UTV concept vehicle designed for farm use.

The Kulan electric UTV is a concept vehicle designed for use on farms. Kulan derives its’ name from a Central Asian donkey. The uniquely designed vehicle is made to be a beast of burden for payloads up to 1,000 kg. The vehicle is powered by a lithium ion battery pack paired with two 2KW electric motors on the rear wheels which generate 5 hp and a top speed of 50km/hr. The body panels are plastic and the frame is made of tubular steel. The stated range is up to six hours of run time or 300 km depending on load and driving conditions. The vehicle is being developed by Poly-Lab.net, a consortium of 14 companies based in Germany. The consortium is looking to move the vehicle from concept into production. Learn more: Greencarreports.com

Comment: A unique and “bare bones” design. I’m curious to see if the Kulan will move into the production phase. While the design appears to lend itself to low-priced production costs, the lithium battery pack could prove to be expensive given the reported vehicle range. Nevertheless, the focus on farm application is another indication of how UTVs are becoming more specialized for specific end-user segments.

Ecocruise Set To Enter NEV Market

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The new Cruser Sport NEV from Ecocruise will be launched in January 2015.

Ecocruise based in Washington is set to enter the NEV market in January 2015 when they start shipping their Ecocruise Cruser Sport. The decidedly sporty model features a carbon fibre body over exposed tubular steel, exposed suspension and 14in aluminum wheels along with a covered rear hatch and T-tops. While built for the road, the design evokes off-road vehicles and reflects the off-road motorsports experience of company founder Steve Leighty who spent many years designing and building dirt bikes and ATVs.

The Cruser Sport features a Lifepo4 72v 62AH battery, 5kW brushless DC motor, 4-wheel disc brakes, dual A-arm front suspension and swing arm rear suspension. Other amenities include AM/FM radio, bucket seats and LCD instrument display. The Cruser Sport will retail for $8,500 to $11,900 depending on the battery and motor options.

Management expects their model lineup to be expanded shortly after the Cruser Sport launch with a one-seater EZIP-4 for around $3,800. In addition a line of service and utility vehicles, including electric scooters, will follow as well as a golf version of the Cruser Sport. Learn more: BBC.com

Comment: The Cruser Sport definitely has a different look than most of the NEVs on the market. While the consumer NEV market has grown, it has not been an explosive growth rate and in many areas has been eclipsed by commercial demand from institutions such as schools and parks looking for green and safe transportation alternatives. The consumer NEV market has been undercut, in part, by local regulations allowing expanded use of lower cost golf cars on public roads. In areas requiring compliance with NEV-type safety regulations NEVs have had more success. The design of the Cruser Sport may help it garner more sales than the typical NEV.

LiV Golf Cars Trying To Enter Fleet Golf Car Market

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The Evolve fleet golf car from LiV Golf Cars powered by lithium batteries.

The Prosper fleet golf car from LiV Golf Cars powered by lithium batteries.

LiV Golf Cars based in Libby, Montana is hoping to break into the golf car fleet market in 2015 with a pair of lithium battery powered electric golf cars. Started in 2013 with the aid of a $368,000 grant from the local government, the company to date has produced 34 vehicles during the course of their product development and initial sales process. According to CEO Jon Hoster 15-20 of those vehicles are on five different golf courses located in California, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The development process took longer than expected but their two models, the Evolve and the Prosper are now ready for market. Under the terms of the grant the company must employ 22 people by September 2015. Currently the company employs two but Hoster hopes to add 15-20 in 2015.

What is unique about the Evolve and Prosper are that they are powered by Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries as opposed to lead acid batteries typically found in electric fleet golf cars. The company states the advantages of the lithium batteries are that they last longer, three to four times longer, than lead-acid batteries; are lighter leading to less compaction on courses; and reduce vehicle maintenance. The batteries have a 6-year warranty.

The Evolve is targeted towards more upscale courses and features an aluminum alloy chassis, independent front and rear leaf spring suspension, water-directional sun top, and impact resistant body molding. The Prosper has a tubular steel chassis instead of aluminum and has a hydraulic shock absorber with coil over springs front suspension instead of Macpherson strut front suspension. Both models feature a 48-volt system with a D&D Motor Systems, separately excited motor and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. There is no mention of pricing for the vehicles on their website. Learn more: Thewesternnews.com

Comment: Cracking the fleet golf car market will be a difficult task. It is a very price sensitive market that is dominated by E-Z-GO and Club Car with Yamaha a distant third. All three should have a significant cost advantage given their size and manufacturing volume compared to such a small company. There is also the issue of having the proper distribution and servicing network to service fleet golf cars. Golf cars are a revenue generator for courses and any down time impacts the bottom line. On top of these challenges the golf industry has faced some difficult economic times with a decline in the number of courses since 2006 as well as ongoing attrition in the number of golfers.

E-Z-GO Announces New SC-48 Battery Charger For Fleet Golf Cars

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The new SC-48 battery charger developed Delta-Q Technologies in collaboration with E-Z-GO.

The new SC-48 battery charger developed by Delta-Q Technologies in collaboration with E-Z-GO.

E-Z-GO has introduced their new SC-48 battery charger for for its 2015 model year RXV® and TXT® electric fleet golf cars. The high-efficiency charger was developed in collaboration with Delta-Q Technologies. Key features of the charger include:

Durable sealed die-cast housing
High frequency charger
Charger adjusts charging performance based on measurements from the temperature sensor installed on the golf car’s battery pack
Repairable in the field by E-Z-GO technicians and distributors
Charger cord will release from the charger if accidentally pulled
LED charge indicators on both the charger and vehicle keep customers up-to-date about AC power status, charging progress, charge completion, or whether a fault has occurred.

The following specifications on the charger are from the Delta Q Technologies website.

DC Output
Maximum DC output power 750 W
Nominal DC output power 650 W
DC output current (48 V) 13 A
Estimated charge time at 75% depth of discharge 6.7 hours
Temperature compensation – Yes, third pin on paddle/ receptacle
DC connection resistance check – Yes

AC Input
Nominal AC input 110 V
Maximum AC draw at 110 VAC 7.5 A

Learn more: Worldgolf.com

Pennsylvania Passes LSV Law

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The 2015 GEM eM1400 LSV should benefit from the new Pennsylvania LSV law.

The Pennsylvania legislature passed and the governor has signed a law that allows low speed electric vehicles to operate on roads with speed limits up to 25 mph. At the discretion of local governments and the Secretary of Transportation, the LSVs could be permitted on roads with posted speed limits between 25 and 35 mph. LSVs would be required to be registered, licensed, and insured like passenger vehicles. Pennsylvania was one of the few remaining states in the United States that did not have an LSV law. The legislation would become effective in May of 2015. Learn more: Senatorgreenleaf.com

Polaris Reports Strong Quarterly Earnings for Q3 2014

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Marc Cesare

RZR XP 1000’s like the new 2015 RZR XP 1000 EPS Desert Edition helped drive sales.

Polaris reported an 18% year over year increase in revenue for third quarter 2014 driven by increases in their motorcycle, PG&A and Off-road Vehicle (ORV) divisions. ORV which includes side-by-sides and ATVs recorded a 17% increase. With another strong quarter, management raised their guidance for full-year results in 2014. Some highlights of the earnings call as it relates to Small, Task-Oriented Vehicles include:

ORV revenue up 14% year-to-date
Market share gains in the quarter for both side-by-sides and ATVs in North America adds to their #1 positions
ORV revenue was driven by side-by-sides that outpaced the industry believed to be growing at 10%
The 2 and 4 seat RZR XP 1000’s as well as the RZR 900 Trail are selling well
In the commercial UTV segment Brutus retail sales continue to grow sequentially and year-over-year for both Polaris and Bobcat
Commercial national accounts and fleet sales were strong
The Gravely Atlas UTV was launched in the quarter
Defense related ORV revenue was flat for the quarter but up 25% year-to-date with international sales of the MRZR contributing
The Small Vehicle division reported an 8% revenue increase in the quarter due to GEM and Aixam
Year-to-date Small Vehicle revenue is up 52%
GEM reported retail sales increase of 20% on action in B2B and GSA sales
While Aixam grew despite a weakening European market, Goupil revenue decreased with softness in the French economy, their major market
The Opole, Poland factory opened and will produce ORV and other products for the European and Middle East markets
International sales were helped by strong ORV sales in India and Australia
Currency issues provided some headwind in foreign markets

Learn more: Seekingalpha.com (earnings call transcript)

Comments: Despite some macro economic issues the Polaris juggernaut keeps on rolling as they continue to add market share despite increased competition in the side-by-side and ATV markets. Their large market share and subsequent production volume gives them an advantage in driving down vehicle costs and provides funding for their robust R&D budget and new model pipeline. The large number of models they market allows them to target specific sub-segments with specific vehicle capabilities and characteristics. In turn this makes it more difficult for competitors to match up on a vehicle to vehicle basis in each sub-segment.

Pricing For Green Tech Automotive LSVs

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The G2 sedan a LSV from Green Tech Automotive

Green Tech Automotive recently announced pricing for their MyCar and G2 sedan with the MyCar starting at $17,140 and the G2 sedan at $21,250. Green Tech Automotive is projecting to build 30,000 vehicles annually, down from earlier projections of 250,000 several years ago. Learn more: Torquenews.com

Comment: As the article notes, these price points are pretty high. They will be double or close to double the price of some of the other LSVs on the market. In addition these vehicles appear to be targeting the personal transportation segment of the LSV market. This is not the majority or the fastest growing portion of the LSV market. The biggest market for LSVs in recent years has been commercial/institutional uses such federal, state and local governments, colleges and universities and parks departments. As Polaris has found out with GEM this is a slower sales process than the consumer end of the market. The current LSV market does not have the demand to meet production volume of 30,000 vehicles annually. I would be surprised if Green Tech Automotive can even reach 10% of their target.

EV-Fleet Begins Selling Electric Truck

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Marc Cesare

The Condor electric truck from EV-Fleet

EV-Fleet of North Carolina has started selling a pick-up sized electric truck, called the Condor which features a robust 5 speed transmission, a carrying capacity of 1000 lbs, and multiple configurations for the rear cargo area. The vehicle has a range of more than 100 miles when equipped with a 50 kWh battery and can be recharged in under an hour when using a 90 amp DC charger. The programmable powertrain has a top speed of 85 mph. The Condor’s MSRP is $49,995. Learn more: EV-Fleet.com

Comment: The Condor is more of a full-sized highway speed vehicle but I thought it was worth a mention since it could appeal to certain segments of the STOV market such as universities and parks. There has been a trend in this market to replace gas-powered pickup trucks with STOVs, often electric but sometimes gas. The trend is being driven by both green and sustainability initiatives as well as cost-savings and work efficiency. An electric truck such as this might provide some competition to STOVs in certain circumstances. There is obviously a green element to the truck but it would have trouble matching STOV performance for off-road use as well as access to tight spaces. On the other hand, a sprawling campus or one with satellite locations might be a good fit for this vehicle by cutting down on travel time. The other issue of course is price, at almost $50,000 multiple STOV vehicles and even highway capable pick-up trucks could be purchased instead of one Condor.

Kandi Technologies Delivers First NEVs For Shanghai’s Car-Share Program

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Marc Cesare

Kandi Technologies NEV

Last month Kandi Technologies announced the delivery of 208 neighborhood electric vehicles for the launch of the Shanghai Jinshan“Car-Share” Program. The program’s manager plans to have 3,000 to 5,000 vehicles in service by the end of 2014. The first car-share program was launched last year in Hangzou.

The car-share stations which provide a variety of services, such as charging, maintenance, battery recycling, are located at airports, train stations, hotels, business centers, selected residential areas and other places that are typically congested. A network system provides EV rental service to individual drivers in and around the city. It also provides EV maintenance and battery charging to self-service users. Lastly, a tracking system allows the Car-Share Program management to keep a close watch at the status and precise location of each vehicle.

The company expects to roll-out the program to many more cities in the next few years.

In China the vehicles for this program are sometimes referred to as neighborhood electric vehicles, they are similar but not the same as NEVs in the US. While they are small and lack some of the features of a fully functional highway capable vehicle like NEVs in the US, these vehicles from Kandi Technologies have a reported top speed of 80 km/hr compared to 40 km/hr. Learn more: Kandivehicle.com

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