Category Archives: Technology

ZAP Unveils Electric Wheel Motor Technology

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Zap has announced the development of an 8,000 watt wheel motor which could be incorporated into production vehicles next year if funding is available.  The new motor is based on technology behind the electric motor used in their scooter, the Zapino.  The Zapino motor is 3,000 watts and seven inches in diameter compared to 8,000 watts and ten inches for the new motor.  If wheel motors are incorporated into four-wheel vehicles, the transmission and drive train can be eliminated and more space can be made available for additional batteries.  Learn more  marketwire.com

Trojan Battery Introduces Watering System For Golf Car Batteries

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Trojan Battery has introduced their Hydrolink battery watering system for 6, 8 and 12-volt golf car batteries.  Hydrolink was developed in partnership with Flow-rite Controls, the leading designer and manufacturer of watering systems.  The product is available pre-installed on Trojan Batteries and features a non-mechanical water level indicator that will not give a false reading, according to the company.  The system can fill a set of batteries in less than thirty seconds.  Learn more:  earthtimes.org

Technology & Research Developments

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Battery/Ultracapacitor System for Small EVs – Using an NEV as the target vehicle, researchers from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Allborg University (Denmark) are working on a hybrid system that combines a battery pack with an ultracapacitor.  The battery handles average power loads while the ultracapacitor handles peak loads.

The target NEV has a speed limit of 40-50 km/h (25-31 mph), maximum power of 40 kW, and a weight of about 800 kg. The battery pack comprised two parallel strings of 14 series-connected 12 V NiMH batteries (Saft NHE 10-100). The ultracapacitor was a Maxwell BMOD0063 module with a nominal voltage of 125V.

Learn more:  greencarcongress.com

Bi-polar Lead Acid Battery For EVs – Last week a partnership between University of Glamorgan (Wales) and Atraverda was announced for the purpose of developing bi-polar lead acid batteries for a variety of commercial markets including EVs.  Atraverda has expertise in conductive ceramics that would be used in the batteries.  Prototypes are expected to begin testing within a year.

The partners say their work could lead to lead-acid batteries that are up to 40% lighter, 20% smaller, have 40% more energy capacity and twice the lifespan of traditional lead acid batteries.

Learn more:  greencarcongress.com

Cruise Car Shows Off Solar Electric Hybrid LSVs

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Cruise Car used Earth Day to bring attention to their line of solar electric hybrid low speed vehicles.  The full line of vehicles range from 2-14 passenger vehicles including utility vehicles.  The Sunray and Solar Kudo models feature a roof top solar panel that can continuously charge the batteries while the vehicle is in the sun.

The company also offers the Sunray Solar Roof Kit that can be retrofitted to most standard electric golf cars on the market.  Cruise Car states that

These solar panels can generate up to 180 watts, 60 volts and supply a hefty 3 amps directly to a 36 or 48 volt battery…. Converting a cart to a Sunray top will benefit the end user by increasing the distance the cart can go on a single charge by 30%.

The vehicles with solar panels are also eligible for a federal solar tax credit of 30% and individual states may have additional solar related tax credits as well. Learn more:  cruisecar.com

Kubota Introduces Transformable 4-Passenger Utility Vehicle

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Kubota RTV1140CPX - One Seat Row

Kubota RTV1140CPX - Two Rows of Seats

Kubota RTV1140CPX - One Row of Seats

Kubota RTV1140CPX - One Row of Seats

Kubota’s RTV1140CPX utility vehicle allows the user to convert the vehicle from one row of seats to two row of seats in a three-step process.  The four-wheel drive vehicle has a 24.8 hp diesel engine, disc brakes and a new VHT Plus transmission.  The maximum cargo load is 1,102 lbs and towing capacity is 1,300 lbs.
Learn more:  Kubota.com

Rebate & Tax Credit Pushes ZENN Price Below 10K

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As part of their Ambassador Program, ZENN is offering rebates of $4,750 off the sticker price of $15,995.  Coupled with the $1,250 federal tax credit available in the U.S. the vehicle cost drops to $9,995.  The ZENN rebate is available at the point of sale through June 30th of this year at the more than 40 dealers in the U.S.  Purchasers will also receive a ZENN hat and t-shirt as the company tries to spread the word about their vehicle.  Learn more:  autobloggreen

In other ZENN news:  Based on company press releases, ZENN sold 211 vehicles in 2008 compared to 184 in 2007 despite a sharp drop in sales in the last quarter of 2008 because of problems with a supplier of a drive train component and the economic downturn.

The company also commented on plans to develop a new four passenger LSV platform, the cityZENN, a highway-capable full electric vehicle, and ZENNergy drivetrains in anticipation of the commercialization of EEstor’s energy storage technology.  Management reports that they are close to signing an agreement with an OEM as a partner in the development of these initiatives.  Learn more:  ZENNcars.com

G-Wiz Will Li-Ion LSVs Be Available Soon?

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The UK’s best selling electric vehicle, Reva G-Wiz, will shortly be available with a Li-ion battery pack according to the vehicle’s retailer GoinGreen. The city car with a top speed of 51 mph will also have an off-board fast-charger. The new setup will be available in May of this year offer a number of advantages according to the company including:

  • Range increase from 48 to 75 miles
  • Fast-charging off-board – 90% in 1 hr and complete in 1.5 hrs
  • Regular charging reduced to 6 hrs
  • 20% less energy required for charging
  • Lighter weight (15% less) and better acceleration

The vehicle will be priced at £15,795 ($23,300)

Learn more: thegreencarwebsite.co.uk.com

Comment: Since this city car is only one step above an LSV and has a price point not that far above higher end LSVs can Li-ion battery packs be that far behind for LSVs? We reported earlier that Dynasty was looking into this possibility. This may become even more likely as states pass more MSV laws and allow for greater functionality in these vehicles. -Mcesare.

Axeon Dramatically Improves Battery Performance For Modec

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Axeon recently announced that they had nearly doubled the performance of their Lithium ion battery back in on road tests for Modec’s 3.5 ton electric urban delivery vehicles. While independent testing indicated only a 25% increase, prototype tests nearly doubled vehicle range from 76 to 150 miles. Axeon attributed the improvement to a new cell design that increased power density. Based on these results Modec is planning to offer the battery back in the second half of this year.

Tata Developing Electric Nano For Western Markets

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Tata Motors is developing an electric powered version of their Nano. The gas powered Nano will hit the Indian market later this year, and with a price tag of $2,000 will be the cheapest car in the world. However, for Western markets, the company wants to sell an alternative fuel vehicle. To this end, Tata Motors acquired a majority stake in Miljo Grenland Innovasjon last year. The Norwegian company specializes in electric car technology. The low speed electric Nano will be targeted towards urban and gated community market segments. Tata is also working with MDI Enterprises on a compressed air powered version of the car, which will also be a low-speed vehicle. Learn more

EEStor Patent Sheds Some Light

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A recently granted patent provides some more information about the company’s much anticipated technology.  According to one analysis of the patent

An EESU (Electrical Energy Storage Unit) weighs 281 pounds, has a volume of 2.63 cubic feet, can be fully charged in 3-6 minutes, is completely unaffected by temperature, will not explode or catch fire in an accident, and provides 52 kWh of electricity.