Mar 30, 2015 - 07:36 am
Storage technologies, Energy densities.
Study tip: The (FCH-JU) has published a new report looking into how well current and new storage technologies can help store renewable energies. It particularly explores the possibility of “power-to-hydrogen” technologies to be used for fuel cell vehicles.
hydrogenics.com, fch-ju.eu (PDF)
Reading tip: Inside EVs has comprised an overview of current battery technologies and energy densities offered by different companies. The article also looks into future prospects.
insideevs.com
Mar 24, 2015 - 09:43 am
Global PEV market.
Globally, 740,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids are registered, a study by the German Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) revealed. Almost half of the PEVs (320,000) were added in 2014.
pv-magazine.com
Mar 17, 2015 - 10:01 am
U.S. tax credit, V2G services.
Reading tip: Hybrid Cars discusses whether the 7,500 plug-in car tax credit in the U.S. needs an overhaul, as the Obama administration had proposed at an earlier date. If reformed, it could be turned into a point-of-sale rebate.
hybridcars.com
Research tip: A new study by Navigant Research is looking at V2G applications for electric vehicles. The analysts forecast market volume for vehicle-to-grid services to grow from 335,000 dollars in 2015 to 20.7 million in 2024.
greencarcongress.com, navigantresearch.com
Feb 23, 2015 - 09:58 am
Electric vehicle charging services, Utilities.
Research tip: A new study by Navigant Research called “Electric Vehicle Charging Services” believes the market for EV charging equipment will grow from today’s 152.6 million to 2.9 billion dollars by 2023.
navigantresearch.com via electriccarsreport.com
Reading tip: Diane Cardwell follows up on an emerging trend across the States where more and more utility providers try to tap into the EV market by setting up charging stations.
nytimes.com
Feb 20, 2015 - 09:59 am
Temperature vs. range, EV adoption in South Africa, Events.
Research tip: Cold climate does not favour EVs, that much we knew, but researchers from Carnegie Mellon University now put data behind the assumption. They analysed 7,000 trips taken in a Nissan Leaf in different states of North America and could thus pin down regional differences.
greencarcongress.com, pubs.acs.org
Reading tip: The biggest obstacle to EV adoption in South Africa might not be hesitant consumers but the country’s often brittle grid. Furthermore, electricity is expensive and infrastructure scarce at best.
motoring.iafrica.com
Events for the upcoming week: International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo & Battery Japan (Feb 25-27; Tokyo, Japan) ++ Green eMotion Stakeholder Forum (Feb 26-27; Brussels, Belgium) ++ Shell Eco-marathon Asia (Feb 26-Mar 01; Manila, Philippines)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Feb 5, 2015 - 09:18 am
Vehicle electrification market, Zero Motorcycles factory.
Research tip: A new study by Research and Markets looks at the global vehicle electrification market (including mild hybrids) and forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 19 percent, accumulating to 30,74 billion dollars by 2019. Japan and China are the main contributors to the growth.
researchandmarkets.com via wallstreet-online.de
Reading tip: Loz Blain took a trip down the future lane when visiting the Zero Motorcycles factory in California. Blain took pleasure in riding the entire range of electric motorcycles and spikes his report with data and snippets from the company’s finest.
gizmag.com
Jan 29, 2015 - 09:11 am
Electric and hybrid buses, First 2016 Chevy Volt ad.
Research tip: According to a new report by IDTechEx, the market for electric and hybrid buses could reach a volume of more than 72 billion dollars by 2025. The “Electric Buses 2015-2025″ report analyses about 100 manufacturers while taking into account regional trends.
idtechex.com
Video-Tipp: Fear-free driving is the key message of Chevrolet’s first spot for the new Volt. The video appeals to emotion only as no words are spoken while the new range-extended EV is driven and driven and driven. Range anxiety suddenly seems so yesterday.
youtube.com
Jan 28, 2015 - 09:26 am
E-bike market, Fracking.
Study tip: Navigant Research predicts that by 2023, e-bikes sales will surpass 360 million units per year. The technological trends include combined throttle-control and pedal-assist models, electric cargo bicycles, retrofit kits and wheels, 3D-printed bicycles, and the use of e-bikes in security applications.
navigantresearch.com,electriccarsreport.com
Reading tip: Ben Griffin explores the question what impact the booming fracking will have on the electric car industry. Fracking could increase access to oil tenfold, but Griffin quotes Tesla CEO Elon Musk saying that EV fans will remain EV fans, no matter the price of petrol.
recombu.com
Jan 22, 2015 - 09:38 am
Light duty electric vehicles market, PEV sales in the U.S.
Report tip: Navigant Research predicts that the market for light duty electric vehicles will reach 6.4 million dollars in 2023, compared to 2.7 million in 2014. The report also suggests that advancements of fuel-efficient combustion engines could threaten the hybrid market share.
puregreencars.com, navigantresearch.com
Reading tip: What about Barack Obama’s call to get one million plug-in electric vehicles on the roads by 2015? As David Shepardson reports, the U.S. haven’t even come close to that number and it could take at least four more years to hit the mark.
detroitnews.com
Jan 6, 2015 - 09:14 am
BMW i9, Thermoelectric energy harvesting, BMW i8 vs. BMW M4.
Click tip: 2016 BMW is to turn a century old and fans expect something special, something like an even more powerful sports car based on the i8. One BMW enthusiast now made a rendering of how the rumored BMW i9 could look like: as if Batman might buy it.
bmwblog.com
Study tip: IDTechEx report “Energy Harvesting/ Regeneration for Electric Vehicles Land, Water & Air 2015-2025” looks at electric vehicles producing energy on the go from heat, light, vibration, motion and more. The first hybrids could thus regain energy from exhaust heat by 2018.
idtechex.com (report to order) via businesswire.com
Video tip: German Auto Bild put two Bavarians to the test as it had the BMW i8 competing against the M4 in a drag race. Is it traction and torque or tradition and horsepower advantage that wins the race? The actual competition starts at minute 1:24.
autobild.de (in German) via autoblog.com
Dec 22, 2014 - 09:40 am
Innovation Route in Hamburg, Technology roadmap for EVs.
Video tip: Innovation Route 109 in Hamburg is getting busy with low-emission buses. Volvo’s plug-in 7900 Electric Hybrid bus began scheduled operation and will be compared with Volvo diesel hybrid buses as well as fuel cell buses from other manufacturers.
youtube.com (video), greencarcongress.com
Study tip: A new report by IDTechEx called “Electric Vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2015-2025” is looking at technologies like in-wheel motors, long-life batteries and supercaps suitable to increase EV efficiency in the years to come.
idtechex.com (study), electricvehiclesresearch.com
Dec 17, 2014 - 09:37 am
Hybrids vs. hydrogen vehicles, EV emissions.
Reading tip: The Union of Concerned Scientists is warning to overrate hydrogen vehicles but recommends hybrids instead as a more cost-effective and greener solution (wells-to-wheels analysis).
technologyreview.com via greencarreports.com
Study tip: A new study by the University of Minnesota confirms that the carbon footprint of EVs is dependent on the energy source. Media hype has it though that EVs are actually more pollutant than gasmobiles, again, it depends…
transportevolved.com
Dec 1, 2014 - 09:42 am
Electric and hybrid commercial vehicles, BMW i8 vs. BMW M1.
Study tip: A new report by IDTechEx titled “Industrial and Commercial Hybrid and Pure Electric Vehicles 2015-2025” is looking at electric and hybrid trucks and new players in the market including Wrightspeed, TEVA UK/JAV and EDI.
idtechex.com via electricvehiclesresearch.com
Video tip: Check out this battle between a classic and a classic-to-be. AutoExpress puts the BMW M1 on the track first just to then fast-forward decades of automobile design embodied in the plug-in hybrid i8.
youtube.com
Nov 24, 2014 - 09:30 am
OPEC, The Netherlands, Tesla factory upgrade.
Reading tip I: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is not worried about electric vehicles, saying they “are unlikely to gain a significant market share in the foreseeable future.” The number of hybrids, however, will grow, because here range is not an issue, OPEC says.
opec.org (World Oil Outlook) via green.autoblog.com
Reading tip II: The Netherlands are setting up measures to further EV adoption in the country, such as tax breaks and incentives for the installation of charging stations. This article outlines all the details, as they were listed in a recent blog post by Navigant Research.
greencarreports.com, navigantresearch.com (blog post)
Video tip: Tesla’s factory in Freemont, CA, shut down for a month in July to update the assembly line to step up production of the Model S and get ready for the Model X. This time-lapse video shows, what was done. One thing you cannot see in the film – the robots were all given names of X-Men characters.
vimeo.com via treehugger.com
Nov 6, 2014 - 09:25 am
Electric bicycle forecast, EV charging in Beijing.
Study tip: Navigant Research predicts that the market for e-bikes will grow only slightly from 31.7 million sold worldwide this year to 40.3 million in 2023. China’s marketshare could drop from now 91 percent to 85 percent in the next decade, according to Navigant.
greencarcongress.com, navigantresearch.com
Reading tip: Bureaucracy and missing infrastructure are causing many potential EV buyers in Beijing to reconsider. There are too few possibilities to use public charging points and red tape makes installing a private charging point quite a hassle.
chinadaily.com.cn
Nov 5, 2014 - 09:16 am
New Nissan Leaf ad, EV adoption in Canada.
Video tip: A new television spot for the Nissan Leaf is airing in the U.S. Nissan pays the petrol for drivers of vehicles with combustion engines, while showing them how much they could save by driving an electric car.
youtube.com via hybridcars.com
Study tip: According to WWF Canada’s “Transportation rEVolution: Electric Vehicle Status Update 2014,” 42 percent of the Canadians believe that EVs are a practicable alternative to combustion technology. The number of Canadians who have test driven an EV has doubled and sales skyrocketed.
marketwired.com, awsassets.wwf.ca (Report as PDF)
Oct 31, 2014 - 09:20 am
Chevy Volt production, Nissan Leaf sales record, Commercial EVs.
Video tip: CNN looks underneath the hood of the upcoming Chevy Volt and shows how the drive unit and battery pack are built. Watch as CNN’s Peter Valdes-Dapena (with some assistance from employees at GM battery lab in Warren, Michigan) assembles the next-gen Voltec drive unit.
youtube.com
Click tip: Nissan has set a new sales record, saying it already sold more Leafs until the end of September, than it did in all of 2013 (22,610 units). The first nine months of 2014 showed a 36 percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year.
electriccarsreport.com, automotive-business-review.com
Study tip: IDTechEx projects that the market for electric and hybrid vehicles for the construction, agriculture and mining sectors will be worth 30 billion dollars by 2025. According to the new report, i.e. tractors in agriculture will be electric in volume quantities by 2025.
idtechex.com
Oct 28, 2014 - 09:29 am
Carbon fibre demand, Porsche 918 Spyder.
Study tip: Lux Research predicts that the demand for carbon fibre will grow an average of 13 percent per year, increasing from 36,000 tons in 2013 to 86,000 tons in 2020. A market that could then be worth 35 billion dollars.
greencarcongress.com
Video tip: Take a seat and buckle up as one guy pushes his Porsche 918 Spyder to hit 325 kph on the German Autobahn – camera rolling, of course. In a short self-interview, the driver says that he is amazed how well the Porsche handles, even at such high speeds.
youtube.com
Oct 24, 2014 - 08:34 am
PEV forecast, Norway, McLaren P1 GTR, Events.
Study tip: According to Navigant Research, 2.4 percent of all new vehicles sold by 2023 could be plug-ins. Luxury brands are said to lead this trend, as they are increasingly focusing on EV development and could already make up 50 percent of all EV sales by 2018.
greencarcongress.com, navigantresearch.com
Video tip 1: Norway is like heaven for EVs. Nissan looks at how the country came to love electric cars and what they are doing to further promote their use. It shows that the main reasons business choose electric cars is the environment and saving costs.
youtube.com via electric-vehiclenews.com
Video tip 2: McLaren presents its P1 GTR programme that allows drivers to drive a simulator before taking the McLaren vehicles to a test track. The idea is to offer each driver a unique inside into the world of McLaren, before getting behind the wheel.
youtube.com via electriccarsreport.com
Events for the upcoming week: New Mobility (Oct 27-29; Leipzig, Germany) ++ International Conference Electromobility (Oct 27; Leipzig, Germany) ++ Singapore International Energy Week (Oct 27-31; Marina Bay Sands, Singapore) ++ EV2014VÉ (Oct 28-30; Vancouver, Canada)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Oct 23, 2014 - 08:20 am
Battery economies of scale, H2 Center South Tyrol.
Study tip: According to a report by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and MIT, mass production can only reduce the cost of batteries for electric vehicles to a certain point. It noted that battery economies of scale are exhausted at around 200-300 MWh of annual production.
cmu.edu (summary); sciencedirect.com (Report, charge required)
Video tip: The promotional video for the H2 Center South Tyrol speaks for itself. The center produces ‘green hydrogen’ to refuel 10 fuel cell cars and 5 fuel cell buses. The drivers seem speechless; at least in German. The English translation is a bit more free-flowing.
youtube.com
Oct 8, 2014 - 08:40 am
EV forecast, Ubitricity, BMW i3 vs. Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive.
Research tip: The market for electric vehicles, including boats and planes, could be worth 533 billion dollars by 2025, according to the ‘Electric Vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2015-2025’ report by IDTechEx. The updated October-version takes into account quads, too.
idtechex.com
Reading tip I: Frank Pawlitschek, COO of Ubitricity, a Berlin-based start-up that enables charging via public lamp posts, in this interview explains what drives the company’s technology.
theecoreport.com (with video)
Reading tip II: Ted Kidd compared the BMW i3 and Mercedes B-Class ED and likes the Benz much better, esp. if you take more than one person with you as the back seats are “luxurious”.
cleantechnica.com
Sep 24, 2014 - 08:21 am
South Korean EV infrastructure, Nissan Leaf torque, Toyota FCV.
Research tip: A new study by Frost & Sullivan predicts a strong growth of South Korean EV infrastructure, due to government support. By 2020, some 90,000 charging stations could be installed in the country. That would equal a compound annual growth rate of 72.7 per cent.
frost.com
Video tip I: In a new video, Nissan USA wants to show just how much fun its Leaf can be. But the video comes with a warning – beware of the torque! Do not let yourself be carried away by all that instant power.
youtube.com
Video tip II: Toyota is also trying to get the message for its FCV out there. While some may doubt the viability of the new technology, the company strongly believes that it is only a matter of time until the fuel cell takes over.
youtube.com
Sep 3, 2014 - 08:17 am
Modular design for battery packs, Hydrogen Town.
Research tip: “Optimizing battery sizes of plug-in hybrid and extended range electric vehicles for different user types” is the name of the latest study by the Institute of Vehicle Concepts, German Aerospace Center (DLR). Instead of taking the “one size fits all” approach, manufacturers should offer customers a range of different battery capacities to cater for specific needs.
greencarcongress.com (summary), sciencedirect.com (study subject to a charge)
Video tip: Toshiba’s video showcases the company’s ‘Hydrogen Town’ project in Japanese Kitakyushu. The model town is supplied with hydrogen via pipelines that are fed by the surrounding steel industry for which H2 is only a by-product.
youtube.com
Jun 3, 2014 - 08:26 am
Hybrid and pure electric car sales, Men and women drive EVs differently.
Research tip I: IDTechEx predicts global sales of hybrid and pure electric cars to triple, reaching 178.9 billion dollars in 2024, as components become more integrated and range extenders even out the conventional car’s competitive edge.
idtechex.com
Research tip II: The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies conducted two studies taking a gendered approach to examining EV uptake. In short, women look at the practicalities, while men are drawn to EVs because of their fascination with new technology.
its.ucdavis.edu, its.ucdavis.edu (PHEV ownership in CA) via mein-elektroauto.com (in German)
Apr 17, 2014 - 08:07 am
BMW X5 e-drive, Hybrid and electric trucks.
Reading tip: Take a seat in the future – the electric SUV by BMW that is. John Voelkcer had the chance to drive an X5 e-drive plug-in hybrid prototype and packed its report with all the details hitherto known.
greencarreports.com
Study tip: Navigant Research predicts global annual sales of hybrid and electric trucks to grow from below 10,000 in 2013 to more than 100,000 in 2020, if companies can find strategies to utilise these vehicles efficiently to equalise higher initial costs.
navigantresearch.com via electriccarsreport.com
Mar 12, 2014 - 09:36 am
Energy savings of PHEVs.
Study tip: U.S. researchers compared the cost of energy for combustion engines, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids. They found that plug-ins are clearly cheaper to charge in areas with a well-developed charging network, than in ‘charging-scarce’ areas.
sciencedirect.com via greencarcongress.com
Feb 27, 2014 - 09:31 am
Study on nanotechnology, Tesla Roadtrip.
Study tip: The Fraunhofer ISI, Germany, published a study on nanotechnology in photovoltaic and energy storage applications and predicts that it will soon become more widely used for electric transport.
iec.ch (complete study as pdf)
Video tip: Electric cars are first and foremost fun, is what these jolly Dutch wanted to prove when going on a road trip in a Tesla Model S. From Amsterdam they headed towards Paris with one thing in mind: party! But first, they had to overcome a few charging obstacles…
youtube.com (video in Dutch), thenewmotion.com (blog in Dutch)
Feb 21, 2014 - 09:46 am
Toyota Wireless Charging Demonstration, E-Bike Study, Events.
Video tip: Toyota made a film demonstrating its wireless charging system and included a split-screen sequence to show the beauty of automatic parking. Can it get any more convenient?!
youtube.com (Video)
Study tip: Research institute Dr. Grieger & Cie. monitored 4,038 Germans and their buying and riding behaviour for bicycles. While 11% consider buying an e-bike next time, over 40% of those only want to spend around 800 euros (1,100 dollars) – too little for most e-bikes currently available on the market. Still, the study expects sales of 400,000 pedelecs this year.
bike-eu.com, zahlendatenfakten.de (Order study in German)
Select events for the upcoming week: Guangzhou International Auto (02-22-2014 – 02-24-2014, Guangzhou, China) ++ FC Expo (02-26-2014 – 02-28-2014, Tokyo, Japan) ++ Battery Japan (02-26-2014 – 02-28-2014, Tokyo, Japan).
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
