EV charging point

Elektromotive, the Brighton-based electric vehicle (EV) charging station manufacturer, is calling on the Chancellor to continue with the £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant for buyers of electric vehicles. The Plug-in Car Grant is due for review in early 2012 and Elektromotive considers the electric vehicle incentive is crucial to consumer uptake of cars like the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i-MIEV.

Only 786 cars were sold using the grant in the first three quarters of 2011 ,which is well short of the Goverment’s 8,000 unit cap incentive and as more car manufacturers bring qualifying electric vehicles to the market it does seem sensible to continue with the incentive.

Calvey Taylor-Haw, Managing Director of Elektromotive, said,”Persuading consumers to invest their time and money in new technology always presents challenges, but it’s important to provide buyers with an incentive. With enough money left in the pot from this year, and valuable tax revenue accrued from each EV sale, the Government could easily continue to offer the remaining fund to those joining the electric vehicle revolution in 2012″.

Nissan LEAF EV

The Transport Minister, Norman Baker, and Business Minister, Mark Prisk, have announced the Government’s plans to map out the locations of EV charging points for plug-in vehicles, with the National Chargepoint Registry, which will developed by POD Point (a UK-based chargepoint manufacturer). 

Alongside this will be  a new system called the Central Whitelist to make it easier for motorists to access each chargepoint, without having to sign up to new schemes each time they change location (this basically creates one central register of all the regional schemes for Plugged-in Places) . Neither of the schemes will store any personal data either i.e. bank details, names, addresses, etc.

Mr Baker, said,”We know there is a public appetite out there for plug-in vehicles and as a government we’re doing everything possible to make them a real option for both motorists and industry. This Registry will get us away from the mind-set of; will I, won’t I get there? And I’m sure that public and private chargepoint owners alike will get behind the initiative because the more information we have up there the more motorists will be encouraged to make the switch to electric”.

Once the Registry is set up it will also allow businesses to provide new products such as satnav and mobile apps, for plug-in owners to access, enabling you to always know on your journey where the nearest electric vehicle (EV) charging point is likely to be.

In the meantime don’t forget Zap-Map who already map EV charging points and if you are interested in leasing an electric vehicle for your business then the Nissan LEAF is on the site from only £370+VAT for a 3-year deal.

PIVO 3

Nissan is showcasing the PIVO 3, its eight EV concept, at the forthcoming 42nd Tokyo Motor Show, which is the next concept after the PIVO 1 and PIVO 2. The Nissan LEAF is their compact hatchback but the PIVO 3 is an ultra-compact city commuter and Nissan is targeting singles and couples who like living in and enjoying an urban lifestyle.

This car has loads of innovative features and with its Automated Valet Parking (AVP), parks itself in specially-equipped parking lots, recharges itself or sells its extra power to the grid. When you have finished your shopping or visit, just call the PIVO 3 and summon it your location using a smartphone!

The car is remarkably compact at 3 metres in length, sits 3 people in a 1+2 layout and can perform a u-turn in a road that is only 4 metres wide, with a zero turn gap. Its electric power and by-wire control technology offers much more freedom in the layout of the car and downsizing (or elimination) of many mechanical parts.

Outside the PIVO 3 has bold styling with extended front bumpers, long body lines and has a narrow track width. Inside the car has side-view monitors instead of mirrors, using Nissan’s Around View Monitor system. The carefully stitched leather and silver-hued trim combine in a “snow white” and “EV blue” colour scheme to offer a high quality ambience.

Quick Chargers

Nissan has announced plans to donate 400 “Quick Chargers” for installation in various high profile locations across the UK, starting in February 2012. The EV Quick Chargers will charge your electric car to 80% battery capacity in just 30 minutes, thereby allowing you to travel longer distances without worrying about “range anxiety”.

Nissan has a network of 32 EV dealers, 26 of whom already have a Quick Charger already installed and this bold new initiative of rolling out more Quick Chargers is aimed at encouraging more motorists into electric vehicles. The Nissan LEAF has a range of 110 miles and by placing the new chargers at various strategic points across the UK, for example motorway service stations, you should be able to drive right across the country.

EV Quick Charger

Jim Wright, Managing Director, Nissan Motor (GB) Limited, said,”While we are confident that the LEAF’s range will satisfy most customer’s needs, we understand that some will need to make occasional longer journeys. Our vision is to create a “pathway charging network” which would remove so called “range anxiety” and open up pure EV ownership to a whole new spectrum of drivers”.

Nissan commercial vehicles (LCVs)

Nissan is exhibiting five commercial vehicle models from its Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) model line-up at the Tokyo Truck Show, which is being held at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Centre. They are also focussing on applying their electric vehicle technology into their commercial van range using components from the Nissan LEAF. The first LCV to receive the “EV treatment” was the NV200 which began its proving tests in July 2011.

Nissan is exhibiting trucks equipped with LEAF technology at the show, including the e-NT400 Cabstar Concept, the Cabstar Refrigerator Van with Li-ion Battery and the Cabstar Power Supply Truck.

Nissan Corporate Vice President Hideto Murakami, who is responsible for the Global LCV Business Unit, commented,”In addition to passenger EVs such as the Nissan LEAF, Nissan will focus efforts on developing and disseminating commercial EVs with the aim of becoming a leader in the field of zero-emissions. We are currently making preparations to release a new EV based on the LCV NV200″. If you thinking of contract hiring a new Nissan light commercial vehicle we have the current Nissan commercial model line-up on the site now.

EV torque/speed relationship

A new prototype multi-speed transmission for electric vehicles (EVs) has begun “on-road” testing with a European vehicle manufacturer. The prototype has been designed and manufactured by Italian drivetrain specialist Oerlikon Graziano with British control specialist Vocis.

EV producers have traditionally used a single transmission gear ratio, due to the wide operating range of a typical electric motor, which provides maximum torque from zero RPM. However, Richard Taylor, Vocis Technical Director, said,”Electric motor efficiency drops off at low load levels and towards the extremes of speed. Multiple gear ratios with electronic control allow the motor to be kept in the region of greatest efficiency for a much higher proportion of the time, allowing significant range extension”.

The heart of the new transmission is a concept based on the same principles similar to those used in a DCT transmission (dual-clutch transmission), however unlike most EV powertrains which use a single e-machine (motor/generator), the Vocis multi-speed transmission works with two small e-machines, each with their own independently controlled shaft.

Although the unit weighs more than the conventional single-speed transmission,Vocis thinks the simplicity of the system will be attractive to EV motor manufacturers as there may well be a reduction in the amount of heavy batteries the vehicle will need. The system is also readily scalable, including the number of ratios, so it can also be applied to a diverse range of vehicles i.e. cars, light commercial vans, etc.

Twin speed electric vehicle (EV) transmission

Vocis, the transmission engineering and control specialist, is unveiling its new twin-speed electric vehicle (EV) transmission at the LCV2011 (the Low Carbon Vehicle show) on September the 7th-8th, at Rockingham Motor Speedway.

The new EV transmission will be demonstrated in a prototype electric minibus developed with powertrain supplier Zytek and technical specialists will be on hand to provide an insight into the new technology. The new transmission technology will demonstrate the efficiency, performance and range benefits for next-generation EVs.

The RAC Future Challenge

This year the RAC Future Challenge 2011 is taking place on Saturday the 5th November 2011 and is open to electric, hybrid, hydrogen and low-emission internal combustion engine cars and light-commercial vehicles. The challenge invites contenders to drive a 60-mile route from Brighton to London with the aim to use the least amount of energy.

This year the event organisers are using experts from Imperial College London to provide the expertise and neutral input to the event’s regulations, measurements and the results analysis. All vehicle entrants will be supplied with the necessary FCC data-loggers and sensors to ensure everyone has a fair chance to overcome any fitting problems and also to ensure all data recorded is accurate.

Last year’s car manufacturer entry list included prototypes, pre-production vehicles and current production cars from the likes of BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Skoda, Vauxhall and Nissan. For 2011 the total number of entries has been increased to 90 and because of the diversity of the vehicles involved, there are a range of awards in 20 different categories. The vehicle type energy categories have been revised to the following:

1. Pure Electric (EV)
2. Extended-Range/Plug-in Electric (E-REV, PHEV)
3. Hybrid (HV, HEV)
4. Hydrogen (HFEV)
5. Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) – up to 110g/km CO2 emission fuelled by any legal means

Toyota iQ EV

Toyota has unveiled their iQ based EV Prototype at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show which offers zero emissions from its all-electric 47kW motor (driving the front wheels) and 270V lithium-ion battery (located beneath the seats). The new EV prototype will accelerate from 0-62mph in 14 seconds, has a top speed of 78mph, and offers a range of 65 miles on a full charge.

The new car is based on their popular iQ city car and a full charge on AC power takes four hours and an 80% charge on DC takes just 15 minutes. Toyota expects European trials to start this year and they have also announced the second generation RAVE4 is on course for a US market launch in 2012.

Toyota EV leasing programme

Toyota has announced its plans to introduce a production electric vehicle in Europe by 2012 through a leasing programme. This new model will be based on the EV prototype which is set to make its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Electric Vehicle leasing

The EV car is based on the successful iQ and will undergo road testing in Europe during 2011 and is also going to be marketed in the USA as well.

This new EV prototype integrates an all-electric powertrain within the iQ package while maintaining the agility of the popular city car, yet with zero tailpipe emissions and silent electric running.

The four-seater EV prototype has a new, flat lithium-ion battery pack, is expected to have a range of around 65 miles and is yet another example of Toyota’s innovative Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Electric Vehicle leasing is also available right now on other cars if you are interested.