Fully Charged Nemesis electric supercar

Robert goes for a test drive of the Nemesis electric supercar created by Ecotricity's Dale Vince. The car being driven in this video is the same Lotus based EV we have been following over the last year or so.

The car uses Prismatic Lithium ion cells that give a range of 150 miles. Motive power is provided by a pair of BLDC motors, one for each rear wheel, connected to the standard CV drive shafts with a reduction gear arrangement using Gilmer belts (hence the supercharger sound track). The motors are powered by a pair of UQM inverters.

Despite the fact the car uses BLDC motors, similar to those used in the Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt, the car doesn't have regenerative braking.

Be warned, the sound track features a very loud whine inside the cabin of the vehicle made by the Gilmer belt transmission in this car.

GE to place Biggest Electric-Vehicle Order in History

General Electric Co. may jump-start the electric-vehicle industry with an order that Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said will be the largest in history.

GE, whose power-generation equipment provides a third of the world’s electricity, will order “tens of thousands” of the vehicles in about a week, Immelt said yesterday in a speech in London, without giving a total or identifying a manufacturer.

“This is a huge step up,” said Brett Smith, a vehicle technology analyst at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “It’s the biggest order to date I’m aware of, by a lot.”

Expanding the world’s fleet of electric vehicles would bolster GE as it expands so-called clean-energy technology such as car chargers, solar panels and wind turbines. For every dollar of electric-vehicle sales, GE estimates it may get 10 cents in revenue, said Gary Sheffer, a spokesman.

Immelt said half of GE’s sales force of about 45,000 will drive electric vehicles. The Fairfield, Connecticut-based company also has a vehicle-leasing division through its GE Capital finance unit. Financial terms and other details about the order aren’t yet being disclosed, GE said.

GE is investing $10 billion over the next five years in clean energy across its business lines, including power- transmission software and so-called smart-grid technologies. Its products include lithium-ion batteries for cars and trucks via a venture with A123 Systems Inc. and sodium-based batteries for use in large vehicles such as locomotives.

Creating Jobs

That spending creates jobs, Immelt told executives at an event sponsored by the University of Cambridge’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

“GE has been one of the biggest players in this game and certainly has a lot to gain from the electric vehicle,” Smith said. “They’ve really truly tried to push this hard to get things going, and it seems to be a core corporate value.”

An order the size of GE’s probably would come from several vehicle makers, Smith said.

Automakers preparing to sell vehicles powered solely by batteries in the next 18 months include Nissan Motor Co., which starts delivering Leaf hatchbacks late this year; Ford Motor Co., readying electric versions of its Transit Connect delivery van and Focus compact car; and Toyota Motor Corp., which will sell a rechargeable RAV4 sport-utility vehicle.

Global Outlook

General Motors Co. begins delivering plug-in Volt hybrids this year, and Honda Motor Co., Chrysler LLC, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and other large brands are preparing battery vehicles due by 2012.

Combined deliveries of hybrids, such as Toyota’s Prius, and battery-powered cars may reach 5.2 million by 2020, according to an Oct. 27 forecast by J.D. Power & Associates. That would be about 7.3 percent of the projected global vehicle market.

Immelt used his remarks in London to renew his call for increased private spending on renewable-energy investments.

“Now is exactly the time, because it’s less popular, where we have to invest more,” Immelt said. “We have to do it more courageously. And we’re going to have to go forward for a while without government at our backs.”

GE Energy Infrastructure is the company’s biggest industrial unit, accounting for $37 billion of the parent company’s $157 billion in revenue last year. GE is also the world’s largest maker of locomotives, jet engines, medical- imaging equipment and related information technology systems.

GE is the largest shareholder for Watertown, Massachusetts- based A123, which has signed agreements with Navistar International Corp. and Fisker Automotive Inc. to supply advanced batteries for their vehicles.

Hotslots grand opening Nov.6th

Stop by next Saturday Nov. 6th for the Grand Opening of Hotslots 1809 Philo Rd Ste A. Urbana Il 61802. There will be slotracing all day with prizes given out to racers and attendees as well. I'll be there doing a Carrera Race Day event, so stop by with your slot car and do a bit of racin'!

HaloIPT Launches First Wireless Electric Car Charger

The next generation of electric cars could be charged wirelessly and even powered up as they drive over electrified roads, claims a company backed by engineering giant Arup.

The company, HaloIPT, is the first in the world to bring to market IPT (Inductive Power Transfer) technology which allows cars fitted with a receiver pad to charge automatically when parked over transmitter pads buried into the ground.

IPT systems can also be configured to power all road-based vehicles from small city cars to heavy-goods vehicles and buses.

The technology was launched overnight in London. The first car to be powered with HaloIPT technology will be on display in London until the end of November.

Dr Anthony Thomson, CEO of HaloIPT says the wireless charging pads are designed to function beneath asphalt, submerged in water or covered in ice and snow.

In the future, the technology will be able to be embedded in roads so cars can be charged on the move. This will solve the range issues electric vehicles have and reduce battery size requirements, says Dr Thompson.

Their pioneering technology uses magnetic fields to transfer power instead of cables or brushes.

The IPT technology was developed by The University of Auckland's Power Electronics Group. The group is led by electrical engineers Professor John Boys and Associate Professor Grant Covic from the Faculty of Engineering at the University.

Dr Boys says it was an exciting development and pleasing to see research originally developed in the basement of the Engineering Faculty at the University of Auckland more than 20 years ago (1989) now making it on to the international stage.

HaloIPT

Guardian

Nissan Rolls Out New High-End Gas-Electric Hybrid Sedan

Nissan launched its first gasoline-electric car developed in-house, the Fuga hybrid, which gets listed mileage of 19.0 km/litre in Japan, comparable to a compact car.

The vehicle, its top-of-the-line sedan, will start at 5,775,000 yen ($71,470). The Fuga is sold as the Infiniti M in many markets, and the hybrid M is due to be rolled out in the United States and Europe in coming months.

Nissan lags rivals Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co by more than a decade in offering a proprietary hybrid model. Instead, it is aiming to be the leader in the zero-emission arena with top shareholder Renault SA by introducing the first mass-scale electric car this year.

Nissan said its one-motor, two-clutch hybrid system would achieve far better fuel economy, at a much lower technical cost compared with hybrid leader Toyota's complex, two-motor "series parallel" system.

The Fuga hybrid gets the best fuel economy among high-end gasoline-electric sedans, topping the Toyota Crown hybrid's 15.8 km/litre, Nissan said. It aims to sell 200 units a month in Japan.

Nissan's hybrid system has a structure similar to that of Volkswagen AG , mounting an extra clutch that separates the electric motor from the engine to allow for driving using only electric power when the battery is charged.

Unlike Volkswagen, however, Nissan's hybrid system needs no torque converter thanks to advanced electronic controls twinned with a lithium-ion battery, developed by its battery unit Automotive Energy Supply (AESC), held with NEC Corp.

Nissan has been selling a small number of Altima hybrids in the United States using Toyota's hybrid system to clear regulations in California.

NSR Porsche Video

A few photos from Italiaslot to show today from the NSR Porsche that's coming soon.

And apparently already out at Evotechshop in Spain.

Toyota announce hybrid NiMH battery recycling joint venture

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Toyota Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (Toyota Chemical Engineering), Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Metal Mining) and Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE) announce the launch of the world’s first* business to recycle nickel in used hybrid-vehicle nickel-metal-hydride batteries for use in new nickel-metal-hydride batteries.

Previously, nickel-metal-hydride batteries recovered by car dealers and vehicle dismantling businesses were subjected to reduction treatment, and scrap containing nickel was recycled as a raw material for stainless-steel manufacturing. Now, with the development of high-precision nickel sorting and extraction technology, materials can be introduced directly into the nickel-refining process, thus achieving “battery-to-battery” recycling.

To carry out the business, TMC has established the Toyota HV Call Center to help recover the batteries, constructed advanced recycling facilities designed for mass production in cooperation with Toyota Chemical Engineering, and is receiving support from Sumitomo Metal Mining concerning the refining of nickel for use in batteries. TMC is also receiving support from PEVE concerning quality assurance in the manufacture of hybrid-vehicle nickel-metal-hydride batteries.

In addition, making use of trucks on return trips from parts deliveries is planned to reduce environmental impact, including CO2 emissions during transport.

The establishment of this recycling system in Japan will accelerate the creation of a sustainable, recycling-based society, a priority measure for TMC, and is a showcase for recovery and recycling technologies as effective means of promoting and reinforcing recycling in response to global resource limitations.

TMC is currently investigating introducing this recycling system overseas.

Battery Resource Recycling Flow
A: Recovery and transport
B: Reduction and sorting process (Toyota Chemical Engineering)
C: Nickel refining process (Sumitomo Metal Mining)
D: Battery manufacturing (PEVE)

Audi A2 electric car sets long-distance record of 600km

An electric car drove from Munich in southern Germany to Berlin without recharging its battery on Tuesday, setting what organisers hailed as a new world distance record for an everyday vehicle.

The yellow and purple Audi A2 car took around seven hours to complete the 600-kilometre (372-mile) stretch and arrived in the sumptuous courtyard of the economy ministry in Berlin just before 8:00am local time (0600 GMT).

"If any journalists want to charge up their iPhones, we still have some electricity left," quipped driver Mirko Hannemann, 27, as he stepped out of the four-door car to show off the battery.

Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle welcomed the team on arrival and was even tempted into taking a spin around the courtyard, although not behind the wheel.

"They even had the heating on. It really was a luxury journey," Bruederle told a large crowd of journalists and photographers on a chilly Berlin morning.

At a later press conference, Bruederle said: "Welcome to a world record. Before, electric cars could typically only go 60 or 70 kilometres before recharging. This is a technological leap forward."

Car manufacturers hope that electric cars will grow to dominate the automotive industry but consumers see the short range of the vehicles as a major downside.

Japanese researchers have driven an experimental electric car more than 1,000 kilometres around a track, but the two German firms, lekker Energie and DBM Energy, said their vehicle was the furthest travelled by an everyday car.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government aims to have one million electric cars on the road by 2020, but Germany's car giants have been slow off the starting grid and are now scrambling to catch up with their Asian rivals.

World-leading luxury car maker BMW and Europe's biggest manufacturer Volkswagen have both said they intend to launch their first vehicles in 2013.

In contrast, last week, Japan's Nissan said it had started mass producing its Leaf electric car and is poised to put it on sale both at home and in the United States.

Nevertheless, Berlin has offered sweeteners to jump-start its national champions and hopes that by 2050, gas-guzzlers could be a thing of the past.

Slot Miniauto 73

SLOT MINIAUTO 73 – NOVIEMBRE

El nuevo Ferrari F10 de Fernando Alonso de Carrera protagoniza la portada de la revista Slot MiniAuto del mes de noviembre. Al mismo tiempo se destaca un artículo sobre todos los modelos de la NASCAR comercializados por Scalextric. La segunda parte de la Supercomparativa de los Audi R8 de Carrera, Ninco y Superslot, pone al descubierto su comportamiento en pista.
Presentamos también los cuatro Mercedes 300 SL de Slot Classic que participaron en Nurburgring de 1952 en unas decoraciones hasta ahora inéditas.
En el interior, las pruebas en pista de los nuevos BMW M3 GT2 y McLaren MP4/24 de Scalextric, el Audi R8 GT3 Lightened de Ninco, y del Jaguar XJR 14 de Le Mans Miniatures.
Se completa la revista con las secciones habituales de Noticias, Novedades, Presentaciones y Slot Sport.
Este mes, de regalo, los dos primeros meses del Calendario 2011.
(A la venta el 29-10-2010)

Slot MiniAuto en Facebook
(Más información en www.revistasprofesionales.com)

PRESS RELEASE

SLOT MINIAUTO 73 – NOVEMBER

The new Fernando Alonso Ferrari F10 of Carrera is the main protagonist in the Slot MiniAuto cover of November. At the same time an article is highlighted on all NASCAR models sold by SCX. The second part of the Audi R8 comparative between the Carrera, Ninco and Scalextric models, exposes its behavior on the slot track.
We also present the four Slot Classic Mercedes 300 SL that dominate in Nurburgring 1952, in a previously unheard decorations.
Inside, the track testing of the new SCX BMW M3 GT2 and McLaren MP4/24, the Audi R8 GT3 Lightened of Ninco, and the Jaguar XJR 14 of Le Mans Miniatures.
Magazine is complete with the usual sections of News, Novelties, new car introductions and Sport Slot.
This month, as gift, the first two months of the 2011 calendar.
(On-Sale 29/10/2010)
Now Slot MiniAuto in Facebook
(More information on www.revistasprofesionales.com)

Scaleauto Porsche RSR-Matmut

Photos of the new Scaleauto Porsche RSR in 1/24 "Matmut" decoration.

SAP and Siemens establish eCar EV partnership

As electric vehicles continue to capture the attention of consumers and governments around the globe, the future adoption of these vehicles is seen by some as a key enabler of lower worldwide carbon emissions. While the global spotlight on sustainability increases, wider collaboration among stakeholders is necessary to bring the prospect of electric vehicles to fruition. SAP AG and Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Inc. finalized a mutual working agreement during GridWeek 2010 in Washington, D.C., that will set the stage for establishing an eCar proof of concept (POC).

The POC is intended to demonstrate the cross-industry collaboration necessary to support widespread viability of electric vehicles through development of new and use of existing enabling technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which can interconnect meter data across multiple charging stations and support anticipated transaction scenarios across various utilities providers. The collaboration efforts drove the respective parties to form a work group that will assemble a sub-committee to the SAP AMI Lighthouse Council, of which Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Inc is a member. The sub-committee, the Sustainable Utility Committee (SUC), will lead the charge on enabling e-mobility.

Siemens Energy will supply a physical charging station as well as access to an e-mobility network operating center, which will enable communication between the charging station and various back-end systems. In addition to the Siemens hardware, the back-end system will initially include software from SAP and others as required by the use cases for Siemens IT Solutions and Services Inc, to properly integrate and perform end-to-end workflow processes for the utilities. The initial design will leverage the Siemens technology at the device and network level and integrate respectively into SAP® for Utilities solutions.

"Siemens prides itself on delivering the future of energy today. Siemens and SAP have successfully done this work in Europe and now it is time to introduce it to North America," said Holger Kormann, vice president, Energy - North America, Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Inc. "What test-bed environment could be better than that which has set the tone for standards and excellence with the SAP Lighthouse Council. The council has acted as the 'voice of the utilities community,' providing the connection between utilities of all types and industry leaders as they develop their technology and solutions for the future."

The work group is looking toward a sustainable future by working on clearly defined use cases. As part of phase one of the POC, the group intends to demonstrate the end-to-end process integration of measuring energy consumption and generating an invoice of an eCar charging at the "home" utility. It will also cater to the roaming use case where a "guest" utility is involved - for example, how a student living in one state could settle electricity costs incurred during cross-country commutes via their local residential bill. Additional charging and billing scenarios such as measurement and billing process for a "pro-sumer," where the customer is also a producer of electricity, are planned to be developed once the initial POC is complete and select utilities will be targeted for unique use cases.

"In areas such as smart grids, AMI and carbon measurement, SAP is helping companies across multiple industries by delivering business solutions that integrate and enable all areas of a smarter and more sustainable energy ecosystem," said Henry Bailey, vice president, Industry Business Solutions, Service Industries, North America, SAP. "This partnership further underscores the decisive steps we are taking to realize our vision of making the world run better, enabling new business models and economies of scale by helping validate and optimize power generation and distribution for the electric cars of tomorrow."

A demonstration and results of this effort are planned be provided to the utility community early next year and initial participants are expected to be announced over the coming weeks. Technologists and utilities are invited to participate in the Sustainable Utility Committee and assist in making e-mobility a reality.

Review of MillionCars website

I recently found out about a new Malaysian online car marketplace called MillionCars. It is is not the typical car site and targets all income ranges of consumers in Malaysia. The website has not been even officially launched even though it's already online. Right now it only offers limited features to the users and the first phase development of this website is just to give a chance for the dealers and buyers to get used to the website.

At this moment, individuals or dealers can register. The individual account is open to anyone in Malaysia who wants to sell a car. Individuals would receive 25 credits at registration and they can use the credits to post, renew, add and pro long their ads. If they want to post more than 4 ads, they need to upgrade their account to a dealer.

The second type of account is strictly for car dealers. They will receive 250 credits at the time of registration and they will also get their own online showroom that can be seen from the "Dealer" Page. The free registration promotion for dealers will end mid November (Nov 15, 2010). The google map feature has been integrated to make it easier for the customers to get to their selected dealer's showroom.

As for payment options, the website is integrated with the iPay88, a Malaysian company that offers safe bank online payments. It works just like Paypal. The iPay88 payment system allows different payment systems.

According to Muhammad Nasri, they plan to offer extra features in the next few months for both the buyers and sellers. They are in the process of tweaking the site to make it more user-friendly.

The user could browse used or new cars easily from the front page. Also, keep in mind that this website is not targeted for middle range type of consumers but rather, targeting for all types of consumers in Malaysia.

Scaleauto 1/24 BMW prototype photos

Photos I took last weekend of the Scaleauto BMW GT2 while I was visiting Mid America Raceway during the Scaleracing weekend of racing.

A bit of editorializing here too, hopefully Scaleauto will not mind... I found the body shape on this car to be VERY nice. All the detail that you'd hope to see on a model of the BMW is there as well as the promise of the car to be a VERY nicely performing car due to the excellent chassis that comes with this car. I'd had the chance to race the Porsche RSR that Scaleauto during a 6-hour team endurance race at Mid America and I simply love that car. The cars were run nearly box-stock with no chassis mods allowed (none appear to be needed BTW) and everyone I'd say was completely taken with the performance of the cars.

The BMW will come with the same chassis, so expect very, very strong performance from this BMW.

I fully expect this BMW to be an extremely good value for your racing dollar (or Euro).

DaveK, Publisher-Slot Car News

Daimler Sees ‘Good Progress’ in BYD Electric Car Pact

Daimler AG, the world’s second- largest manufacturer of luxury cars, said its electric vehicle partnership with billionaire Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co. is progressing well.

“The shape and form of the car are soon to be defined and those are the prerequisites for starting development,” Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said Oct. 23 at a forum in Shanghai. “We know the specific details this car should fulfill,” Zetsche said. “We have made very good progress.”

Automakers are cooperating on the development of fuel- efficient vehicles as the U.S., Japan and Europe push them to cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions tied to global warming. Daimler also agreed a pact earlier this year with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA to share platforms and engines and possibly cooperate on electric-car parts.

Daimler and BYD, partners since May, will be ready to introduce the electric car as early as 2012, Zetsche said last week in an earlier interview with Bloomberg News.

“The automobile industry has to reinvent itself and global partnerships and cooperation such as those between Daimler and BYD will be crucial in this regard,” Zetsche said. “We have to act in concert to make sure we are up to the huge challenge we are facing.”

Daimler is pushing into electric-vehicle production in China to challenge luxury segment leader Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, while the tie-up gives Shenzhen-based BYD access to Daimler technologies.

‘Complementary’

BYD, which has an advantage in battery technology, is “complementary and a good partner” for Daimler, Zetsche said. The two companies have said they will invest 600 million yuan ($90 million) in the 50-50 partnership.

Zetsche said that he expects 1 percent to 5 percent of all new-vehicle sales in 2020 will be of electric models.

Daimler’s electric-vehicle strategy includes large-scale production of a battery-powered version of its Smart minicar, starting in 2012. The company began assembling about 1,000 electric versions of the urban two-seater in November 2009. Daimler also plans to build more than 500 electric-powered Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars this year.

Nissan and Renault Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn has set the goal of expanding global production of its Leaf model to as many as 500,000 vehicles by the end of 2012. General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and other rivals are preparing their own rechargeable models.

Zetsche said China’s auto sales may reach 20 million to 30 million units by 2020, citing analyst forecasts. That would far outpace other markets, he said.

“The auto market may be a mature industry but also very much a growth industry,” Zetsche said. “The global market is expected to grow by another 50 million in five years. Growth is accelerating.”

Production of the Nissan LEAF begins at Oppama, Japan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has started production at its Oppama facility for the all-new 100% electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF, which is slated to go on sale in December in Japan and the United States, and from early 2011, in select markets in Europe. In November, the company will begin exports to the United States, followed by shipments to Europe in December.

"This is a significant milestone, not only for Nissan and the Renault-Nissan Alliance, but also for the entire automotive industry," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn at the Nissan LEAF offline ceremony. "Consumers are clear. They want sustainable and affordable mobility...and the Alliance is leading the way with cars that deliver exactly that, with the reliability, excitement and performance that consumers demand. The high-quality, innovative Nissan LEAF will radically transform what consumers expect from automobile manufacturers worldwide."

Nissan LEAF will be produced at the Oppama Plant along with popular gasoline models such as Nissan Juke and Nissan Cube. Part of the assembly line has been modified to mount battery modules at the stage of production where fuel tanks are traditionally installed, and motors and inverters are mounted at the point where engines are installed in gasoline-powered vehicles. Production quality and efficiency are assured by applying the Nissan Production Way (NPW) in every step of the assembly process.

Nissan LEAF's lithium-ion battery modules are manufactured at the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) operation in Zama, Japan, which is a joint-venture of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and NEC Corporation. The battery module, which contains 4 battery cells, are assembled at Zama and then shipped to the Nissan Oppama facility, where 48 of them are assembled into the electric car's battery pack.

Hidetoshi Imazu, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing, said, "Oppama will serve as the 'Mother Plant' for the production of Nissan LEAF. We will use all of the know-how and learnings from Oppama to ensure the highest quality at all sites that manufacture Nissan EVs."

Sites for future production of Nissan EVs include Smyrna, Tennessee, in the United States and Sunderland, England, in the UK.

The Oppama plant has an annual production capacity of 50,000 units. Nissan LEAF will start production at Smyrna in late 2012 and at Sunderland in early 2013. At full ramp up, Smyrna will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units, and Sunderland will have a capacity of 50,000 units.

Nissan LEAF is the first 100% electric, zero-emission vehicle to be produced for the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Nissan, together with its Alliance partner, Renault, aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility. To date, the Alliance has signed 80 partnerships for zero-emission mobility with governments, municipalities and companies worldwide.

New Slot It Toyota 88C/Ford GT40-Gulf!

Pix of the new Slot It Ford GT40 (Gulf) and the new Slot It Toyota 88C. Both are being shown at IHobby and both are prototypes.

Carrera at IHobby

The Carrera of America booth at IHobby 2010 in Rosemont, Ill.



There are a number of new cars on display including the new F1's, new Aston Martin in DIGITAL 124, and Corvette test car from 2008.

Car makers signal interest in wireless EV charging

Car makers are signaling their interest in wireless charging as another piece of the digital cockpit.

In one sign of the road ahead a General Motors executive is chairing a standards effort that hopes to set interoperability standards for the magnetic induction approach. Toyota and Ford managers said they also are interested in the technology and the standards effort.

"I am motivated by the possibility that wireless charging provides drivers convenience and aesthetics," said John Suh who manages an advanced technology office for GM in Silicon Valley and chairs the standards group launched in May by the Consumer Electronics Association.

The CEA effort aims to set a baseline for interoperability for chargers using magnetic coupling. One spec will target connections of less than one centimeter from coil to coil, another will address a two to six centimeter distance. The group will meet here Friday.

The group will also try to define power efficiency and standard nomenclature for different technical approaches. The committee will "look at all the technologies that could provide wireless charging--optical, RF and conductive as well as inductive approaches--. they all provide some benefit, Suh said.

Wireless charging "is in an advanced engineering stage and out of research" at Ford, said John Schneider, a chief engineer at Ford, speaking on a panel at the annual CEA Industry Forum. "We are watching to see if the standards are successful--that’s key," but the company has yet to choose a technology, said Schneider.

Car makers are still working through the costs and use cases for wireless charging, given users often keep mobile devices in a pocket or scharge gadgets overnight at home.

"Wireless charging has not factored in the top ten [in Toyota's user surveys, raher] it's been one of the bottom features people are willing to pay for," said Jon Bucci, a vice president of advanced technology at Toyota. Nevertheless, "our product planners are looking at [wireless charging] deeply," he said.

"The use cases and value is still to be proven," agreed Schneider of Ford. Almost as important, he asked "will Apple support it because unless Apple supports it" it won't be used on millions of iPhones and iPods, he said.

Despite the doubts, wireless charging could be the next step in smartphone services and apps car makers are racing to link to their vehicles. Last year, Ford released a set of APIs to link to its car controls smartphone services like Pandora.

"There will be a Toyota announcement along these lines at CES," said Bucci of Toyota.
In a CES keynote, Ford is also expected to announce more details about its future infotianment systems.

The Chevy Volt to be released in November lets users unlock, start and turn on air conditioning or heat remotely from a smartphone. "These sorts of features will roll out across our other vehicles," said Suh.

Green Overdrive: Drives the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

This week in Green Overdrive, Katie (I hate eco driving) Fehrenbacher takes the Lincoln version of the Ford Fusion for a spin while getting the full sales pitch from the passenger seat.

The Lincoln MKZ hybrid sells for the same price as the regular ICE version at $35,180. the first Lincoln model with a 4-cylinder engine and delivers an EPA city rating of 41 mpg-US (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg-imp) and a highway rating of 36 mpg-US (6.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg-imp), which made it the most fuel efficient luxury sedan in the U.S.

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid carries over the hybrid powertrain from the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, including the 2.5 L Duratec I4 with electric motor producing a total of 191 hp (142 kW). The MKZ Hybrid offers an improvement of Ford's Smart Gauge with EcoGuide, first introduced in the 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

RaceAbout All Wheel Drive Electric Car - Automotive X PRIZE

This side-by-side seat sports car employed an innovative configuration of four separate wheel motors, custom inverters, and a special supervisory controller all designed and constructed by a team of university students from the Metropolitan University of Helsinki, Finland. Using almost 33 kWh of Altairnano lithium titanate batteries optimized for power rather than energy, this densely packaged car weighed 3770 pounds yet demonstrated impressive efficiency.

The students used Audi R8 supercar aluminum suspension and brakes to match the driving performance of this vehicle. Given the mass, overall size, and battery makeup of this car, its results clearly show that traditional OEMs could build a similar car with existing technology that would achieve a similar attractive blend of energy efficiency and high performance.

Team Name: Raceabout Association
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Car name: Electric Raceabout
Class: Alternative Side by Side
No. of wheels: Four
Passengers: Two
Drive type: Battery electric, all-wheel-drive
Power source: 32 kwh lithium-ion batteries
Charging: Fast-charging is available, that will charge the car to 80 percent capacity in 10 minutes on a 250 kw supply.

Windows Embedded Automotive v7 announced, powers Nissan Leaf Dash

Today at the SAE Convergence 2010 Conference and Exhibition, Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Windows Embedded Automotive 7 to select car makers and suppliers in the automotive industry. Designed to support the development of new infotainment systems, Windows Embedded Automotive 7 is an industry-leading platform providing integrated services for communication, entertainment, navigation and information for the mass market.

With Windows Embedded Automotive 7, car makers and suppliers have access to Microsoft's latest tools and technology, as well as a worldwide partner ecosystem, which allows them to quickly create in-vehicle experiences that are easier to use and more engaging for drivers and passengers. Key features include speech commands, touch input, hands-free Bluetooth phone communications, advanced dashboard systems for access to music, maps, third-party apps and navigation, and streamlined connectivity with other devices.

"Microsoft deeply understands that technology collaboration is paramount to the evolution of integrated, in-vehicle infotainment systems," said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business Unit at Microsoft. "We are excited to create new opportunities with Windows Embedded Automotive 7 working with our broad ecosystem of partners to bring the best in entertainment and productivity solutions to drivers and passengers around the world."

Additional Windows Embedded Automotive 7 features include the following:

Silverlight for Windows Embedded. Silverlight for Windows Embedded gives car makers the ability to quickly create rich device user experiences with engaging 2-D and 3-D graphics by using a familiar Microsoft technology and taking advantage of a large ecosystem of Microsoft Silverlight designers. Experiences built in Silverlight for Windows Embedded can be refined rapidly on the desktop and deployed unchanged to the target device facilitating flawless delivery from designer to developer.

Microsoft Tellme speech technology. Microsoft Tellme speech technology powers simple and hands-free system commands such as allowing the entire interface to be driven through speech. In addition, new support for SMS reply by voice allows text message replies to be constructed by speech. Windows Embedded Automotive 7 also supports eight languages: U.S. English, U.K. English, German, Mexican Spanish, Continental Spanish, Canadian French, Continental French and Korean.

Next-generation automotive system tools. New tools for developers support the stable integration of advanced, high-performance, third-party systems and include improved test modules with easy-to-use product engineering guidelines to help simplify the development process, increase reliability and speed time to market.

"Consumers are increasingly demanding access to new multimedia content, productivity solutions, and connected services for entertainment and communication from their in-vehicle system, similar to what they expect from their other devices," said Thilo Koslowski, vice president in the Industry Advisory Service Manufacturing group at Gartner Inc. "To build and deploy compelling in-vehicle infotainment system, experienced technology partners, car makers and suppliers must come together. The result of these collaborations turn the automobile into a seamless extension of the digital lifestyle."

Strong Partnerships and Momentum for the Road Ahead

Drivers and passengers today can experience Windows Embedded Automotive in more than 80 vehicle models worldwide through solutions from partners including Ford Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp., Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Paccar Inc., and Alpine Electronics Inc. Highlights include the following:

Ford goes global with SYNC. This month, Ford announced that MyFord Touch, the second generation of Ford SYNC, built on the Windows Embedded Automotive platform, is launching in Europe and Asia early next year. SYNC has been installed in more than 2.5 million vehicles in North America since its launch in 2007.

Nissan LEAF information hub. Today, Microsoft also announced that the 2011 Nissan LEAF touchscreen information hub is powered by Windows Embedded Automotive technology, providing drivers and passengers with a navigation system and electricity charging station locator. It also shares power consumption monitoring information with drivers, and enables easy in-car climate monitoring.

Fiat. Fiat Group Automobiles is bringing the Fiat 500 to the North American market in 2010. The 500 includes Fiat's Blue&Me technology, powered by Microsoft, a media gateway that integrates mobile phones and digital music players into audio system and controls of the car, allowing voice control of these devices by the driver.

Alpine. Alpine Electronics of America Inc. delivered advanced in-vehicle navigation systems, powered by Windows Embedded Automotive, to car manufacturers, including satellite-guided, turn-by-turn directions and useful features, such as voice-guided controls, and information on more than 7 million points of interest.

Smaller And More Efficient Nuclear Battery Created

Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.

“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density,” said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope battery can provide power density that is six orders of magnitude higher than chemical batteries.”

Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, currently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can pose concerns, Kwon said they are safe.

“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said. “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”

His innovation is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor. Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.

“The critical part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said. “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”

Kwon has been collaborating with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, and is working to build and test the battery at the facility. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that the battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair. They’ve also applied for a provisional patent.

Next member of Prius family to be revealed at 2011 Detroit Auto Show

Toyota Motor Corp will show off a coming variant of its Prius hybrid in January as it seeks to distance itself from a costly safety crisis that has weakened sales and damaged its once-sterling reputation.

Don Esmond, Toyota Motor Sales USA senior vice president for automotive operations, would not say how the upcoming model will differ from the automaker's current market-leading Prius.

The Prius dominates the market for hybrids, accounting for 70 percent of global sales, and Toyota seeks to expand the Prius into a "family" of models.

"We will introduce the next member of the Prius family at the 2011 auto show here in Detroit in January," said Esmond, speaking to the Automotive Press Association at the Detroit Athletic Club.

"It's an all-new model with more comfort, styling, versatility, and while still retaining the heritage of the original Prius," said Esmond.

Esmond said the Toyota brand will introduce seven new or updated products in 2011.

Tesla Motors this week said it has reached a $60 million deal with Toyota to develop the powertrain for an electric version of the Rav4 sport utility vehicle.

Working with Tesla on electric vehicles is "a step in the right direction" for Toyota, Esmond said, but the company will remain focused on hybrids when it comes to alternatives to conventional gasoline vehicles.

The worst safety crisis in company history included a suspension of some of Toyota's best-selling models early this year, cut sales in the United States -- its top market, and pushed Toyota to uncharacteristically increase incentives to entice buyers.

"We've gone back to the basics of more carefully listening to our customers, and have made some significant changes to become more responsive, safety-focused organization," Esmond said.

He said Toyota is recovering steadily from the safety crisis.

"We've tarnished the brand but we did not rust it all the way through," said Esmond.

Esmond said that Toyota's North American auto plants are now operating at 90 percent of capacity, and will reach full capacity next year.

In 2011, Corolla sedans will roll off a new assembly plant in Mississippi, the 10th Toyota plant in North America, Esmond said.

A Japanese newspaper reported that Toyota is considering halting exports from Japan of the Corolla. The sedan is now made in 15 countries and the automaker has been considering halting exports from Japan in part on a weak yen.

U.S. auto sales are on pace for October to be the best month of 2010, a sign that the U.S. economy is slowly recovering, Esmond said.

If sales through the recent weekend continue through the month, October's sales rate on an annualized basis will be 12 million to 12.3 million vehicles, he said.

That would eclipse the highest monthly sales so far this year. In March, 11.8 million units sold, on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate.

For 2011, Toyota has said it expects U.S. light vehicle sales to be around 12.3 million vehicles.


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Batteries Smaller Than a Grain of Salt

Lithium-ion batteries have become ubiquitous in today's consumer electronics -- powering our laptops, phones, and iPods. Research funded by DARPA is pushing the limits of this technology and trying to create some of the tiniest batteries on Earth, the largest of which would be no bigger than a grain of salt.

These tiny energy storage devices could one day be used to power the electronics and mechanical components of tiny micro- to nano-scale devices.

Jane Chang, an engineer at the University of California, Los Angeles, is designing one component of these batteries: the electrolyte that allows charge to flow between electrodes. She presents her results today at the AVS 57th International Symposium & Exhibition, which takes place this week at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico.

"We're trying to achieve the same power densities, the same energy densities as traditional lithium ion batteries, but we need to make the footprint much smaller," says Chang.

To reach this goal, Chang is thinking in three dimensions in collaboration with Bruce Dunn and other researchers at UCLA. She's coating well-ordered micro-pillars or nano-wires -- fabricated to maximize the surface-to-volume ratio, and thus the potential energy density -- with electrolyte, the conductive material that allows current to flow in a battery.

Using atomic layer deposition -- a slow but precise process that allows layers of material only an atom thick to be sprayed on a surface -- she has successfully applied the solid electrolyte lithium aluminosilicate to these nanomaterials.

The research is still in its early stages: other components of these 3D microbatteries, such as the electrodes, have also been developed, but they have yet to be assembled and integrated to make a functioning battery.

Global temperatures continue to rise

The National Climate Data Center reported Monday that the January-September period is tied with 1998 for the warmest first nine months on record.

The agency said the average temperature for the period was 1.17 degrees above normal for records going back 131 years. For a full year the warmest on record was 2005.

The agency added that it has been the warmest January-September on record in the Northern Hemisphere and the second warmest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Steadily rising temperatures in recent decades have raised concerns among environmentalists and atmospheric scientists concerned that human-generated pollutants are contributing the a dangerous global warming.

AP

National Climate Data Center

Powercast Transmitter Sends Power / Data via RF Wireless Power Link

Powercast Corporation today announced its TX91501 Powercaster(TM) Wireless Power Transmitter which uses the 915-MHz ISM band to transmit common radio waves for power and data in commercial, industrial and defense applications.

As the power source for Powercast's RF energy-harvesting wireless power solution, the TX91501 broadcasts power and data over 40 feet to its companion Powerharvester(R) receivers. Embedded into micro-power devices such as wireless sensors, instrumentation and controls, the Powerharvester receivers convert the received RF energy into DC power for battery-free operation or to wirelessly trickle charge batteries. The receivers also output the data broadcast from the TX91501 as well as the received signal strength indication (RSSI).

Initial versions of the TX91501 transmitter will broadcast a unique ID for device authentication or location-tracking applications, while future versions will also transmit data such as timestamps for end-device synchronization and control.

Powercast's TX91501 transmitter is approved by the FCC (Part 15) and Industry Canada. It can be used to broadcast RF energy for both power and data in numerous energy-harvesting applications such as environmental monitoring, building automation, energy management and industrial monitoring.

The RF signal uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) modulation for power and Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) modulation for data. The TX91501 is available in versions with an output of 1 watt or 3 watts Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP).

The 6.75" H x 6.25" W x 1.63" D transmitter includes an integrated 8dBi directional antenna with a 60-degree beam pattern, and the unit mounts easily on either vertical or horizontal surfaces using one of two DC power jacks (bottom or back) and multiple mounting holes. The TX91501 operates immediately when powered on and requires no user configuration or programming. An internal shut-off mechanism automatically stops transmission when objects come close to the device, and an LED indicates transmission status.

Broadcasted RF energy creates a perpetual power source, unlike potentially unreliable solar, heat or vibration energy sources, to provide power-over-distance, one-to-many charging, and controllable wireless power (continuous, scheduled or on-demand). A wire- and battery-free power source enables zero-maintenance devices which deploy to inaccessible locations, and embeds within sealed devices for use in wet or harsh environments.

While a 3 watts wireless power system isn't suitable for an application like EV battery charging, it is interesting to consider the increasing potential of this technology as it scales up in power capacity.

The 1-watt ($235) and 3-watt ($300) versions of the TX91501 Powercaster transmitter are available through Powercast's authorized distributors.

New Slot It Alfa and Sauber

Two new Slot It's to show.
CA11c, Alfa Romeo 33/3 - #54 1st 1000 Km Brands Hatch 1971
Drivers: H.Pescarolo - A.De Adamich



CA06e, Mercedes Sauber C9 - #63 3rd Supercup Nuerburgring Sept. 1987
Driver: Mike Thackwell

Some OPEC Members Push for $100 a Barrel Oil

Some OPEC members want oil prices to rise to $100 a barrel to offset the decline in the dollar.

The value of the dollar, which has slipped 13% since June against major world currencies, means that the "real price" of oil is about $20 less than current levels, Venezuela's Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said after Thursday's OPEC meeting in Vienna

OPEC, which accounts for 40% of global crude output, left targets unchanged and called for stronger adherence to production quotas, Bloomberg News said.

"They're concerned about the dollar because as the dollar weakens, prices go up," Nordine Ait-Laoussine, former oil minister for Algeria, told Bloomberg News.

OPEC countries are exceeding their quotas as prices creep above the $70-$80 a barrel band that Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi called "ideal."

"We would love to see $100 a barrel," Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya's National Oil Corp. said. "We're losing real income. Libya in particular would like to see a higher oil price."

Other countries are less certain: Kuwait's oil minister said he'd prefer a price no greater than $85 a barrel; while the Algerian minister said a price between $90 and $100 a barrel was "reasonable."


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Renault Plans to Sell Zoe Electric Cars for Less Than $19,500

Renault SA plans to sell its Zoe electric car starting mid-2012 for less than 15,000 euros ($19,500) , Le Figaro reported, citing an unidentified company official.

Renault group refused to give comment on the report but confirmed that electric vehicles Zoe's price will be close to similar models running on the road.

The price includes a 5,000-euro credit from the government and buyers will have to pay 100 euros a month to rent the battery for the car, the newspaper said.

About 150,000 models will be produced annually at the company’s plant in Flins, France, Figaro said.


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Chevy Volt returns 127 MPG in extended real-world test

Earlier this week we were a bit disappointed to learn that the Volt really isn't a pure series hybrid electric-drive vehicle. But now that real-world independent test numbers are starting to come in, we're beginning to learn just how much of a leap forward the Volt might actually turn out to be.

Motor Trend has revealed that in 299 miles of normal driving over two weeks, their test Volt actually managed to get 126.7 MPG. That's incredibly impressive, even if it's only about half the figure GM announced with a lot of fanfare last year.

At one point in Motor Trend's test, they hammered the car over a 122-mile loop that took them out into the California desert, and the car still managed to achieve 74.6 mpg. That's way better than a Prius can get on a good day. Still, with so much of the Volt's power coming from your wall socket, making direct comparisons is a fuzzy science at best. Apparently, the EPA still hasn't decided quite how they will rate the Volt's fuel economy.

The upshot is that deciding whether the Volt makes sense for you is going to depend a lot on your driving habits. More than with just about any vehicle, people with an agenda can twist the various running-cost scenarios to come up with figures that fit their own prejudices. I expect that in the end, only the market will tell us whether the Volt was actually worth the four year wait.

Motor Trend

Cheetah sighting!

A photo of the new Carrera Digital124 Cheetah to show today, coming soon.