-
Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Amick A2 wind-assisted electric
spaceship vehicle
Filed under: EV/Plug-in  Amick A2 - Click above for high-res image gallery
One of the makers that we encountered setting up of the Maker Faire Detroit on Friday afternoon was Douglas Amick. Amick was unloading the A2, a three-wheeled, battery-powered, wind-assisted tandem-two-seater. The A2 was originally built by Amick's late father James. The elder Amick devised the aerodynamic arch on the rear of the vehicle which is claimed to help propel the vehicle forward in cross-winds. Apparently, airflow coming in at an angle to the vehicle will swirl around as it passes through the arch actually applying force to the rear of the vehicle giving it some boost. We'll have to check with some contacts with aerodynamic expertise on the veracity of this claim, but the vehicle is kind of cool looking. Apparently, it originally had aluminum air batteries installed but they are no longer functional.
Photos Copyright (C)2010 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: AmickGlobal.com]
Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Amick A2 wind-assisted electric spaceship vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Maker Faire Detroit 2010: EcoVElectric low speed electric vehicle
Filed under: EV/Plug-in  EcoVElectric LSEV - Click above for high-res image gallery
Richard Marks spent twenty-five years as an engineer at General Motors, finishing out his tenure there working on the EV1. Following the demise of that project, he went on to work for some suppliers before setting out to build a low-cost electric vehicle. It's not clear who would win a drag race between Marks' EcoV and Big Dog, but we're guessing those pedaling the taller machine might have more fun.
While the EcoV isn't likely to win any design competitions, it does embody the DIY spirit of Maker Faire. Marks has a partnership with automotive supplier Energy Components Group (ECG) of St. Clair, MI to produce the EcoV starting in early 2011. ECG has a facility in a renewable energy renaissance zone that will be reconfigured to produce this four-seat electric vehicle with a top speed of 25 miles per hour and a range of 25-40 miles. The tubular steel space frame carries a rack full of deep-cycle, sealed lead-acid batteries.
Photos Copyright (C)2010 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: EnVironmental Transportation Solutions]Maker Faire Detroit 2010: EcoVElectric low speed electric vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
All-electric Saab 9-3 test fleet to launch in early 2011
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Saab, Green Daily  Saab 9-3 - Click above for high-res image gallery
During a media launch for the 2011 Saab 9-5, company executives revealed plans to introduce a test fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) based on the upcoming 9-3. As Inside Line reports, Saab execs confirmed that the test fleet of EVs will roll out in early 2011 and will be deployed at various locations across the globe, including Saab's hometown of Trollhattan, Sweden.
Saab's "100 percent electric vehicle" test fleet is a joint effort between the automaker, lithium-ion battery producer Boston-Power, electric propulsion systems manufacturer Electroengine and the Swedish Energy Authority. Saab Automobile AB managing director Jan Ake Jonsson said:The main purpose is to draw technology from this test fleet, technology that we can then incorporate quickly. The key target short-term is to drive fuel consumption down. You can electrify certain portions of the vehicle.
When prodded about a target release date for a mass-production EV, Jonsson ducked out by stating:
Everybody is looking at that question. Nobody has an answer. It will take some time.
Without official word from Jonsson, we'll have to fall back on the previous comments of Saab's chief executive officer Victor Muller, who suggested that 2016 is the year the company will go for electrification.
Gallery-3856%
[Source: Inside Line]All-electric Saab 9-3 test fleet to launch in early 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Obama drives the Volt... all of 10 feet
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM, Green Daily 
During his stop today at the General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the production Chevrolet Volts will soon roll off the line, President Obama did something unusual for a president: he got behind the wheel of a car and went for a drive. It was a short one - just ten feet - but that's what happens when you need not only GM's permission but also the Secret Service's to drive a not-yet-in-production, new-technology Chevy Volt in black. We won't be geting a full-length review from the President, but he did give his initial impression after stepping out: "I'm telling you guys, pretty smooth."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said after the event that Obama has driven at a Secret Service training facility this past April and also piloted a Dodge Charger at a closed-press event. Other than these two times, Obama hasn't driven since getting Secret Service protection in early 2007.
[Source: ABC | Images: AFP/Getty Images, Jim Watson and AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais]Obama drives the Volt... all of 10 feet originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle
Filed under: Etc.  Big Dog quadri-cycle - Click above for high-res image gallery
Friday afternoon we had the opportunity to walk around the site of the first-ever Maker Faire Detroit while exhibitors were getting set up and we encountered a few wheeled contraptions including Big Dog. This human-powered conveyance was designed and built by Tom Wilson of Royal Oak, MI in his basement and his garage. Big Dog is actually the third such vehicle Wilson has constructed - his original inspiration came from a similar device he saw at the Burning Man festival several years ago.
Looking closely at the eight-foot, six-inch tall, 600-pound machine, it's clear Wilson has put some serious thought and craftsmanship into this device right down to its inboard-mounted rear disk brakes and the elaborate gear change and chain mechanism. The propane tanks in the middle are there to support the flame effects from the tower. We'll add photos if we catch it being demonstrated this weekend.
Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Tesla learning new rules as retail stores expand into more U.S. states
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors 
Any AutoblogGreen reader who lives by a Tesla Motors store - or goes near one on vacation - has probably set foot inside and experienced the high-tech, open sales boutique (oh, and the cars). While the eight stores currently open across the U.S. do a fine job of showing off the Roadsters, the road to getting them in place hasn't always been an easy one to pave.
The challenge comes from the auto dealer laws in the U.S. In Colorado, for example, Tesla needed to get licensed both as a manufacturer and a dealer. Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, spoke to Automotive News (sub. req.) and said he'd been to Tesla's Boulder store and that, "It has a very fashionable feel to it. We wish them a lot of luck." He also said:
Have we scrutinized all the issues behind what they're doing? Not really. My feeling is that a manufacturer-owned store as a business model violates the spirit of the state law here. But not a single person is complaining about it, and it's kind of a back-burner thing for us. I imagine that if we start getting complaints from our membership, we would move it up to a front-burner thing.
In Texas, Tesla admits, state laws might not be able to sell its cars to consumers there, but there's no definite decision on this. The company wants to have a larger number of stores fully operational for the Model S when it arrives in 2012, and who knows what the landscape will look like then.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]Tesla learning new rules as retail stores expand into more U.S. states originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
UPS sets new target of 20% increase in fleet fuel economy by 2020
Filed under: MPG, Green Daily
Between 2000 and 2009, the United Parcel Service (UPS) managed to significantly increase fuel-efficiency across its fleet of 60,000 delivery vehicles. During that time, UPS reports that its U.S. ground fleet boosted its average miles per gallon by a rather remarkable ten percent. The ten percent improvement allows the company to boast that UPS drivers logged 77.3 million more miles in 2009 than they did in 2000, yet fuel consumption decreased by an astounding 3.2 million gallons.
While a ten percent boost is certainly good, UPS believes that vehicle technology, sophisticated routing technology and fuel conservation efforts can improve fuel efficiency even more. The company's latest Sustainability Report outlines future goals and targets a 20 percent increase in overall fuel efficiency from 2000 to 2020. With nine years down, UPS is already at the halfway mark. In the coming years, UPS will focus on adding additional hybrid diesel electric and compressed natural gas vehicles to its fleet. Click here (PDF) to read about UPS' plans for a greener tomorrow.
[Source: United Parcel Service via Green Car Congress]UPS sets new target of 20% increase in fleet fuel economy by 2020 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America
Filed under: Green Culture, MPG, USA  2011 Infiniti QX56 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Finally, after years and years of stagnation and painfully slow sales, small cars are starting to grab a foothold in the United States. Or are they? While conventional wisdom makes us believe that Americans are ready to take the downsizing plunge in the face of - or at least the threat of - high fuel prices and environmental concerns (we're all still watching the Gulf Coast, right?), it seems that reality may once again set us straight.
Automotive sales watchdog Autodata has found that the gas-swilling large SUV segment is growing at a faster pace than the burgeoning small car segment. Want the statistics? Here you go: With a 19-percent jump over the first six months of 2010, large SUV sales have outpaced small cars (14 percent) and the overall market (17 percent).
Now, before we get our feathers riled up too much, realize that sales of large SUVs still lag way behind small cars - 974,000 to 121,000 through the first half of the year. Further, large crossovers like the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and Lincoln MKT are included in those figures right alongside traditional behemoths like the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Infiniti QX56 and Toyota Sequoia.
We also expect that small car sales will continue to climb with new models coming to market, such as the upcoming Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Hyundai's Accent and Elantra. That said, there's always going to be a demand for large and powerful SUVs that can haul people and stuff while towing a boat or camper in cool, air-conditioned comfort. For better or for worse.
[Source: USA Today via Kicking Tires]Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
GM will increase Volt production by 50% - to 45,000 units - in 2012
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM, Legislation and Policy, USA
President Obama toured the General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the automaker will build (can we say "is building" yet?) the Chevrolet Volt today, and as any good PR person will surely agree, you can't let an opportunity like that go by without making an announcement of some sort. So, GM has something to say and it's big news, too: GM will increase Volt production capacity by 50 percent in 2012.
Details are as follows: Instead of making 30,000 Volts in the U.S. in 2012, GM will now make 45,000. These numbers are lower than production numbers we heard rumors of in years past, but they're good news for fans of plug-in vehicles. Is the increase a response to positive reaction to the Volt's $33,500 after-tax-rebate price tag? Maybe. GM said in a statement that, "In the past few weeks, more than 25,000 people have joined the Chevrolet Volt enthusiast list."
The news is good for the President, too, since the White House is pushing The American Auto Industry: A Comeback Story message this week. Part of that is an interactive version of the White House map showing places where the government has supported automakers, which you can find here.
[Sources: General Motors, WhiteHouse.gov]Continue reading GM will increase Volt production by 50% - to 45,000 units - in 2012 GM will increase Volt production by 50% - to 45,000 units - in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Mercedes-Benz introduces new Vito E-Cell van
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mercedes Benz  Mercedes-Benz Vito E-Cell - Click above for high-res image gallery
Mercedes-Benz has just launched series production of its Vito E-Cell van for the European market. The Vito is claimed to be the first electric drive van produced by an automaker at its factory rather then converted off-site like the Smith Electric Vehicles products. About 100 E-Cell vans are scheduled for production by the end of this year with another 2,000 coming in 2011.
The Vito is powered by a 70-kilowatt peak (60 kW continuous) synchronous AC motor with 207 pound-feet of torque. Since this is primarily intended as an urban delivery type vehicle, maximum speed is capped at about 50 miles per hour. A 36 kilowatt-hour liquid-cooled lithium ion battery pack is installed under the cargo floor and 32 kWh is available for propulsion. That's enough energy to move the Vito about 80 miles under nominal conditions. In addition to the battery, the motor and power electronics are also liquid cooled, which should help optimize the durability of the drivetrain.
The vans are equipped with a communications system that allows dispatchers to check battery state of charge when determining which vehicles to send where. The first batch of 100 vans will be going to operators in Berlin and Stuttgart this year.
[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz introduces new Vito E-Cell van Mercedes-Benz introduces new Vito E-Cell van originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
Automotive News 
