Greenskid » Automaker News

Nissan’s Leaf: It’s All Part of the Plan

Greenskid — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:47:57 +0000

According to reports, Nissan was only able to deliver 60 units of its Leaf electric vehicle out of the 6,000 orders received for the said vehicle in Japan. The Japanese automaker said that the reason for the slow production is that they are trying to ensure the high quality of the manufactured Leafs before they are rolled out of the plant. It can be remembered that last November, Nissan Chief Operating Toshiyuki Shiga stated, “We want to launch the Leaf entirely free of troubles. We are making cars a bit slowly while taking thorough care. We might make our customers wait.”

Nissan further stated that despite the slow manufacturing process they are on track and will not missed out on their scheduled delivery dates.

A Nissan official said, “As it is our first major project to mass produce EVs, we began building them with caution…Production lines are working fine so we expect to fill the orders as planned.”

It was December of last year that Nissan delivered the first Leaf to a US customer and before the end of 2010, it was again able to hand off Leaf keys to an additional 19 US customers. These figures, including that of Japan’s, are a bit low from what Nissan was expecting since the Leaf first hit the market. But according to Nissan officials one of the factors that cause the slow sale of the Leaf is partly due to the process it takes for consumers to complete the procedure in applying for a government subsidy for electric vehicles.

So there, I hope things are clear now. There are no delays… Nissan is just trying to ensure that you get defect free Leafs. Although, I’m not so sure by what Mr. Shiga meant when he said, “We might make our customers wait.” –. 

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GM and Argonne to Produce Better and Cheaper Lithium-Ion Batteries

Greenskid — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 05:20:06 +0000

General Motors together with the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Lab have recently shared information on their licensing agreement that involves the use of Argonne’s patented composite cathode material in the production of a more advance lithium-ion batteries. These new breed of batteries are said to last longer and can be charged even on higher voltages.

According to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, “The creation of this battery technology represents an important return on the American investment in innovative vehicle and battery research. This agreement gives General Motors the ability to use cutting-edge battery technology throughout its supply chain. The licensing of this technology will also spur the renewal of the American battery industry, creating hundreds of new jobs where they are needed most.”

So why choose Argonne’s composite cathode material again?—It is said that Argonne’s composite cathode material contain a one-of-a kind combination of lithium and manganese rich mixed metal oxides that can extend the life of the battery as well as its operating use. It will also enhance the safety of lithium-ion cells and allows charging at higher voltages.

Here’s what Eric Isaacs, Argonne Director and President of the UChicago Argonne, LLC, a wholly-owned laboratory management subsidiary of the University of Chicago has to say, “The fact that GM is including Argonne’s novel composite cathode material in their commercialization process is a testament to the world-class scientists performing research in this area at Argonne and the long-term vision and commitment by DOE. The scientists and engineers in Argonne’s battery department look forward to continuing this important work for next-generation electric vehicles, as well as for new energy storage technologies for the power grid.”

GM has invested $5 million on the said venture. Jon Lauckner, President of GM ventures said, “What we’re licensing is really advanced cathode material. This is the most capable cathode material that we have seen. Will take some years for us to develop it, but we wanted to get it on the road.” With the cathode material GM is expecting for a significant reduction in the cost of lithium-ion batteries which will translate to cheaper plug-in cars.

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Chrysler Has Released Its 2011 GEMs

Greenskid — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:07:51 +0000

The previous news on GEM is not really that good– it’s bad. If you can remember Chrysler has backed out on its plan of producing the Peapod which was a low speed neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) supposedly to go on sale last 2009. But that doesn’t mean that Chrysler has altogether drop the “whole electric vehicle” idea in fact it has recently made an announcement that GEM or Global Electric Motorcars, its wholly-owned subsidiary, has developed a new line up of low speed neighborhood electric vehicles that are far better than the previous Peapod project.

Here’s what Rick Kasper, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chrysler Group Global Electric Motorcars LLC has to say: “The 2011 model year marks our 13th year in designing and distributing 100 percent battery-electric GEM vehicles. We’re always integrating new technologies and features into our product line that allow our customers to customize their vehicles and use them in a variety of capacities.”

The new 2011 GEM NEVs are equipped with energy monitoring system and some additional accessories of which includes a 12-inch turf tires, right-hand drive, a short bed package and utility tie downs. Currently there are around 45,000 of them in actual used today.

I think one of the best features of the new GEMs is its energy monitoring system that displays the amount of energy in kilowatt-hours. This gives you the opportunity to check how much it cost to drive a GEM plus it also provides you a way of validating Chrysler’s promise that the GEM will only cost you 2 cents per mile.

The GEMs can reach a top speed of 25 mph and can cover 30 miles on a charge—in short it’s ideal only for short trips. There are currently six models of GEMs to choose from and can be customized with a variety of accessories and options. You can check out the dealership in your area if you are interested in upgrading your GEM or to purchase one.

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General Motors Turned Mexican Gulf Boom into Auto Components

Greenskid — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 06:59:57 +0000

General Motors has found a way to convert the oil-soaked plastic boom materials in the Gulf of Mexico into useful products by turning these wastes into plastic under hood auto parts. According to Mike Robinson, GM Vice President of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy, “Creative recycling is one extension of GM’s overall strategy to reduce its environmental impact. We reuse and recycle material by-products at our 76 landfill-free facilities every day. This is good example of using this expertise and applying it to a greater magnitude.”

GM has been able to produce more than 100,000 pounds of plastic resin for vehicle components from recycling the booms. Just imagine if GM did not recycle these wastes, the same quantity would have been thrown to the landfills. To produce the auto parts, GM is combining the oil-soaked plastic boom materials either with used tires or post-consumer recycled plastics and other polymers.

GM is working with several partners in its effort to clean the Mexican Gulf. The Heritage Environmental takes care of the collection of the boom materials which are in turn collected by the Mobile Fluid Recovery that spun clean the booms until dried from all waste water and oil. Then the Lucent Polymers changed the booms into materials with consistency making it suitable for plastic die-mold production. GDC Inc., a Tier-One supplier, with its patented Enduraprene TM material process and combined the resin with other plastic compounds to produce the auto parts.

John Bradburn, Manager of GM’s waste-reduction efforts said, “This was purely a matter of helping out. If the send to a landfill, these materials would have taken hundreds of years to begin to break down, and we didn’t want to see the spill further impact the environment. We knew we could identify a beneficial re-use of this material given our experience.”

GM is committed to reducing waste and pollutants, as a matter of fact, 85% of the materials used for the production of its trucks and other vehicles are made up of recycled materials. And not only that, all GM’s facilities around the globe also recycle 90% of the wastes they generate.

By the way, GM’s Chevy Volt has been awarded as the Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal. The Volt is the first electric vehicle launched with extended range.

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Bombardier: The New NEV

Greenskid — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:50:21 +0000

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles or NEV have come and gone. However, rising oil prices have really brought these vehicles from the dead. Recently, the Canadian company called Bombardier just launched the Bombardier NEV. Compared to other NEVs, this one is a lot cheaper because it only costs around 7,000 USD.

Basically, the Bombardier NEV is a simple, small, and efficient vehicle that is built for short-distance driving. Like other NEVs, the Bombardier NEV has the standard lighting, brakes, and independent suspension. For only 700 dollars, you can choose to have detachable doors, cassette stereo system, and even stylish curtains. Also, its 25 mph is pretty decent for a vehicle that runs solely on batteries.

There’s only room for two people inside and it has limited horsepower as well. However, its pretty good steal especially with the tag price that it comes with.

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My Take on Alternative Fuel

Greenskid — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:42:53 +0000

1. Why Are They Important?

One word: pollution. More than a century of using petroleum-based fuel has really taken its toll. Because of that, the Earth’s atmosphere hasn’t been this dirty for millions of years. With that being said, it’s extremely imperative that countries start looking for alternative fuels before it is too late.

2.What Are the Options?

Fortunately, there are other options than petroleum that people can go to. Alternative fuels that are currently being used include Ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hydrogen fuel. In fact, some vehicles are already built to use specifically one or a combination of any of these energy sources.

3.What are the Benefits?

These alternative fuel sources are cleaner and more efficient than gasoline. Aside from that, some can even boost your engine’s horsepower. Not only that because studies have shown that alternative fuel sources are cleaner and cheaper than regular petrol.

4.What are the Disadvantages?

Aside from the extra costs needed in manufacturing them. Alternative fuel sources also lack the necessary infrastructures to be spread all over the globe. In fact, most vehicles are still designed to use petroleum-based fuel in order to function. With that being said, it will take quite a while for these alternative fuels to be accepted by the public.

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The Eclectic: An Electric and Solar Car Rolled into One

Greenskid — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:39:19 +0000

I was more than excited when I first heard that Venturi Automobiles was finally unleashing the Fetish sports car. Though not yet the Tesla Roadster, its electric drivetrain and superior design made me an instant fan. Venturi is back with a vengeance today upon releasing the Eclectic. Primarily a down-to-earth version of the Fetish, the Eclectic is a solid vehicle to those who favor low-speed transportation.

Basically, the Eclectic is an electric vehicle that uses nickel-metal-hydride batteries for power. When every inch of it is already used up, you can simply charge these batteries through the on-board charger, roof-mounted solar panels, and a wind turbine. Although not necessarily a supercar, the Eclectic has a decent 22-horsepower motor and a 30 mph speed. Aside from that, it has a driving rang that can extend to 30 miles once the batteries are fully charged.

The best thing about this car is that it also uses solar power. Overall, it has a total of 27 square feet of solar cells that are installed on its roof. These solar cells can extend the Eclectic’s range to as much as four miles. Its wind turbine meanwhile can give as much as nine miles.

On a different note, the only thing not going for the Eclectic is its looks. Although it’s a solid vehicle as far as performance goes, it looks like a golf cart from afar unfortunately.

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CT3: The Three-Wheeled Car

Greenskid — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:35:37 +0000

T3 Motion did it again. After successfully introducing the enigmatic Segway, it’s now back on track by launching CT3. Looking more like a motorcycle than a car, the CT3 is a low-speed vehicle that is built for personal commuting. Basically, the vehicle can go as fast as 45 mph and it’s powered by a two electric motors. All the power that it has is derived from its lithium-polymer batteries, which you can easily recharge.

Just like all vehicles from T3, the CT3 is all about giving you environment-friendly vehicles that don’t use gasoline at all. With an MPG rating of 100, the CT3 lets you drive over a 100 miles without having to recharge its heavy-duty batteries. When it comes to performance, the CT3 is equipped with all-wheel drive and full-front suspension system. Aside from that, its hydraulic disc brakes will let you stop on a dime without hearing noise at all.

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Want Your Own Personal Ride? Check out the PUMA

Greenskid — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:27:07 +0000

Initially, you would think that anyone who’s driving the PUMA is driving an electric wheelchair. A closer look however shows you something more. That’s because the PUMA, which stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility is a two-seater vehicle that intends to allow people to travel faster, especially in today’s crowded streets.

It’s just like the highly-popular Segway, although General Motors tells that it’s cheaper and more energy efficient. Having two wheels, the PUMA is powered by one lithium-ion battery that can be charged in any conventional power outlet. Just like most electric vehicles, it can travel as fast as 25 mph, with a total range of 56 kilometers.

The goal of the PUMA is to let people cover as much space as possible, using very little time. Aside from that, it enables people to thread small areas and cramped city spaces without putting much effort at all. Right now, PUMA is still at the development stage although I wouldn’t be surprised if it performs as good as Segway after it is launched.

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Raser Electric Hummer: When Big Cars Become Green

Greenskid — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:43:48 +0000

These days, it’s not only the small cars that want to be green. Just recently, Racer Technologies just used its Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) powertrain technology on the Hummer H3. As a result, our good-old H3 became the Raser Electric Hummer that boasts a 100 MPG and range of over 60 miles.

Basically, Raser’s powertrain technology is built for big vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. Because half of America’s vehicles come from these classes, using Raser’s technology will significantly improve fuel efficiency and mileage. The best thing about the Raser Electric Hummer is that it’s a plug-in hybrid. That means it is propelled by an electrical motor and not an internal combustion engine. Aside from that, the Raser Electric Hummer has a small internal combustion engine to make sure that batteries are charged and as a result, the batteries’ lives are extended.

So how does the Raser Electric Hummer move? Basically, all of its power comes from 200-kilowatt AC induction motor. It’s directly connected to the vehicle’s transmission, sharing its power to the front and rear axles. Overall, the Raser Electric Hummer can travel from 360 to 400 miles by simply using its fully-charged batteries.

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