Year 2020: "Throw Another EV on the Junk Pile, Harv!"

In 2010, the total number of passenger vehicles sold worldwide is expected to reach 44.7 million units. Of this number, approximately 954,000 vehicles—or 2.2% of the global total—employ some type of battery propulsion system, either hybrid electric or pure battery-driven.

By 2020, global passenger-vehicle sales are expected to reach 70.9 million units, of which 5.2 million units (7.3% of the total) will feature some type of battery-powered configuration. _JDPower

JDPower PDF
The great global push toward green jobs and green cars is being driven by political institutions and special interests -- not by consumer demand. The electric car is destined to remain a "niche vehicle" for a small minority of auto owners for the foreseeable future.

Consulting firm J.D. Power recently produced a report on the potential for alternative vehicles titled: “Drive Green 2020: More Hope than Reality?” One wonders why they added the question mark. The report notes that hybrid and battery vehicles accounted for just 2.2% of global vehicle sales last year. They predict what appears like a healthy 13.8% annual growth rate over the next decade, but note that this would still mean alternatives representing just 7.3% of total car sales by 2020.

As a technology, the internal combustion engine cleaned the battery car’s clock a century ago. The fundamental problem is that the energy-to-weight ratio of batteries is minuscule compared with that of gasoline. The other problem is that car companies have produced a constant stream of stunning technological advances ever since. Electric vehicles lag conventional cars in every department except creeping up on pedestrians. They lack driving range, refuelling convenience, performance and value.The J.D. Power report claims that “the biggest obstacle” to alternative vehicles is all that relatively inexpensive petroleum. Only in Green Bizarro world would the economic boon that is cheap petroleum be seen as an “obstacle.”

The report concludes that “it is unlikely that global demand will reach the levels that have been widely predicted by the industry.” But there are surely doubts whether demand will reach even the levels predicted by J.D. Power, since the only thing driving it is that unpredictable, Dr. Strangelove-style government boot on the accelerator. Such policies almost invariably wind up with a crash. _FinancialPost

Al Fin has promoted pluggable hybrids in the past. And if you are affluent, live in the city, and drive an average of 20 miles or less daily, a pluggable hybrid can make economic sense. As long as you stay within range of your batteries, an overnight re-charge may be all the "fuel" you will ever need -- until your batteries need replacement.

Most North American drivers fall into a different category, and will require vehicles of greater range and greater value. And budgets in the 2010s will find the massive $multi-trillion transportation infrastructure overhaul required for electric fleets to be a bit difficult.

Electric motors certainly provide great acceleration, and electricity from the grid is less expensive than gasoline. But I have followed advances in battery technology for almost 20 years, and the progress has been incredibly slow. Until we see multiple significant breakthroughs in battery energy density, power density, costs, and sustainability of materials, electric vehicles will perpetually remain confined to a small niche market.

We need 2050s battery technology, but we are stuck with what we have. This means that liquid fuels will be driving most automobiles for decades to come. That is where the focus should be: newer, better, cleaner liquid fuels and vehicles.

See Al Fin Energy for more energy news.

"Gee-whiz!" futurism is fine when relaxing over a fine beverage, but when it comes time to get out the checkbook, a bitter dose of realism is more appropriate.

More 16Dec11: The Problem with the Electric Car Naturally, Al Fin energy experts are not concerned about CO2, the plant's best friend. But "green" thinkers are inherently confused, and apparently unaware of the obvious contradictions in their thinking. It helps to point some of them out in the interest of promoting clearer heads.

New Foldable Form of Urban Transport

The key advantages of the mini-farthing design are:

It is super-small and light so it can go everywhere in a city. The light weight means it is easy to carry up/down stairs, in the store or as part of a commute. The small folded size means it is easy to tuck away on a train or bus, in a car, in an elevator, in a closet, under a desk etc.

There is no parking hassle meaning it is faster to get from point to point. And because you can just take it with you, there is less risk of theft.

The mechanics are enclosed so it is both low maintenance andclothes don’t get damaged (particularly when carrying).

It is a stable platform with emphasis on safety. The shorter wheel-base makes it very manoeuvrable, the front wheel is a decent size for bumps and curbs, the upright riding position makes it easier to see and be seen in traffic and handle-bars are no longer a hazard in an accident.

All of these features mean that a mini-farthing can often be the most convenient and fastest way to move around congested cities – particularly when combined with public transport.

Source -- ImpactLab

General Motors and Segway? What a Rush!

Update: Brian Wang has also posted on the new Segway - GM collaboration.
When the maker of Corvette teams with the maker of Segway, it is hard to predict what will result. The video above gives you a good idea of the 2 wheel experience of driving the new electric "car."

The 300-pound vehicle runs on a lithium-ion battery that lasts up to 35 miles between rechargings, GM says. It tilts on its wheelbase, balancing on two wheels using “dynamic stabilization” technology similar to that developed for the Segway PT. (Technically the vehicle has six wheels, including two additional “landing-gear” wheels in front and two in back to catch it when it’s not moving.) The “keys” and dashboard controls for the P.U.M.A. apparently reside in an iPhone-like removable wireless device.

“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” Segway CEO Jim Norrod said in the joint announcement. “The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment, and others.” _Xconomy

Future city designers may well build roadways dedicated to small electric vehicles and human powered vehicles. City districts that specialise in shops, restaurants, and entertainment would do well to make their areas friendly to small, slow vehicular traffic. They might want to provide plenty of re-charging stations as well.

Electric Cars: How Soon and What Kind?

Electric storage batteries cannot store enough energy to transport an electric powered automobile very far. This is a serious drawback, and one of the reasons that some people are predicting that it may be more than 50 years before electric cars are taken seriously by most of the buying public.

Brian Westenhaus takes a look at new competition for EESTOR, the maker of a mysterious hybrid battery : supercapacitor. He discusses a "Reticle Carbon", a new electrode material for ultracapacitors that may give electric cars a big boost. As described by Brian, the technology looks fascinating. They may have to wait for financing, however, in this extreme economic slowdown of 2009.

One California startup plans to boost the range of electric cars by placing charging machines at convenient locations. They call them "vending machines for charging electric cars." An important development for California, where daily commutes can be far and long. These special re-charging stations may become more practical if new, super-fast re-charging batteries come on the scene.

For those wondering, Elon Musk's Tesla electric car is still out there working, planning to make a big splash soon.

Hybrids are a necessary link in the development chain, combining internal combustion engines with electric motors. Here is an interesting look at the hybric car, going back to the 1800s.

Some electric car enthusiasts are promoting a "battery swapping" approach to extending range, but executives at Mercedes are giving that idea a thumbs down. Mercedes is promoting permanent lithium ion batteries with a driving range of just over 100 miles.

The bottom line is that traditional internal combustion engine automobiles are in no immediate danger of being replaced by all-electric cars. So far, hybrids have not lived up to their promise, and are more expensive in both short and long term calculations, when taking into account battery replacement.

Al Fin's prediction? Fuel cells that run on all types of hydrocarbon including ethanol and methanol will begin to replace the ICE within 10 years. The new power plants may very well also incorporate newer, lighter hybrid ultracapacitor : battery storage packs for extended boosting power when passing or accelerating onto a turnpike. Fuel cells are on a rapid developmental trajectory, as are ultracapacitors and batteries. But all electric (battery only) autos are an impractical solution looking for a cause. First come hybrids. Then come fuel cells paired with ultracapacitor:nextgen battery hybrids. Only carbon hysteria delusions underlie the persistent demands for all-electric (battery only) cars.

Cross posted at Al Fin Energy

Now This Is What I Call a .... a .... a .... Long Range Thorium Powered Vehicle

Go 100 years without having to re-fuel. Imagine how far you could go on one fill-up.

Created by Loren Kulesus, everything about the WTF has been created to last 100 years without maintenance. That's the reason for the element number ninety, thorium: to act as a nuclear fuel powering batteries that would power the car.

Elsewhere, every major system is redundant in case of a failure. And the wheels don't have individual tires - in fact, what's located at each corner is one combined unit made up of six individual wheels. That gives you 24 wheels in total, and each wheel has its own induction motor. Said Kulesus, "The vehicle would require the tires to be adjusted every five years, but no material would need to be added or subtracted." _Autoblog_via_EphemeralIsle

For the bonus round, list ten different ways to make this vehicle amphibious -- float like a boat, fly like a plane, submerge like a submarine, etc. Reminds me of the film "Repo Man." Uh, officer, I really don't think you want to look in there . . .

49,000 Sea Horses Will Graze the Wide Oceans

American Superconductor and Northrop Grumman have successfully tested a 49,000 hp (36.5 MW) superconducting electric motor at full power. The motor is built for naval ship propulsion, powered by a nuclear reactor capable of providing 36.5 MW of power. Don't try this at home, the cost of feed for 49,000 horses alone will bankrupt you.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC), a leading energy technologies company, and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced today at the Surface Navy Association’s 21st National Symposium the successful completion of full-power testing of the world’s first 36.5 megawatt (49,000 horsepower) high temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor at the U.S. Navy’s Integrated Power System Land-Based Test Site in Philadelphia. This is the first successful full-power test of an electric propulsion motor sized for a large Navy combatant and, at 36.5 megawatts, doubled the Navy’s power rating test record.

This system was designed and built under a contract from the Office of Naval Research to demonstrate the efficacy of HTS motors as the primary propulsion technology for future Navy all-electric ships and submarines. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) funded and led the successful testing of the motor.

Incorporating coils of HTS wire that are able to carry 150 times the power of similar-sized copper wire, the motor is less than half the size of conventional motors used on the first two DDG-1000 hulls and will reduce ship weight by nearly 200 metric tons. It will help make new ships more fuel-efficient and free up space for additional warfighting capability.

“The successful load test of our HTS motor marks the beginning of a new era in ship propulsion technology,” said Dan McGahn, senior vice president and general manager of AMSC Superconductors. “This motor provides the U.S. Navy with a truly transformational capability relative to size, stealth, endurance and survivability, providing our Navy with a clear performance advantage for years to come. We are grateful for the steadfast support from the Office of Naval Research, Naval Sea Systems Command and the Naval Surface Warfare Center.” _Source _ via _ NextBigFuture

The US Navy is the source for a great deal of important new technology, spinning off applications like NASA used to do when it was still devoted to space -- before being enslaved to the counter-factual climate orthodoxy of Gore, Obama, and Pelosi. Expect a similar downfall for all branches of the US military under the narcissist - in - chief, when instated.

Superconducting motors, generators, and transmission lines will eventually impact every part of modern society.

Adapted from a posting at Al Fin Energy

8 Hours of Boating Fun on One Gallon of Gasoline!

This little hybrid cat will take you on an eight hour tour around the lake or bay for the cost of one gallon of gasoline! Powered by a 55 pound thrust electric motor, this open-air 2 seater hybrid will give you plenty of time to see the sights, have an on-the-water picnic, and catch a few rays of sun--courtesy of an easily removable, portable gasoline generator.

The Hybrid is powered by both gas and electric, and is available in two models: the CraigCat Hybrid and the CraigCat E2 Hybrid. Both models feature an easily removable portable gas generator, which can be used for camping, fishing and hunting. Additionally, both models are equipped with deluxe seats for comfortable side-by-side seating, convertible bimini top for shade protection, and a powerful 55-pound thrust electric outboard motor for zero water pollution. The hybrid models are easy to operate and great fun in either fresh or salt water.

The E2 Hybrid has twin 55-watt halogen docking lights, two NAV lights, anchor light and a fishing rod holder for four rods and a cooler. Both boats are super-stable and unsinkable.___NextEnergy

More observant readers will notice that the CraigCat zipping along in the image above is not the hybrid model. But it does give the hybrid something to shoot for!

A serial hybrid is the most efficient of current hybrid designs. The gasoline powered generator provides the electric current for the super-efficient electric motor that provides the boat's propulsion. The same basic principle is operative in a serial hybrid automobile--even in a serial hybrid locomotive!

Using a gasoline or diesel generator in place of bulky, heavy batteries, takes advantage of the superior energy density of liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel, or butanol. You should keep an eye out for liquid fuel-powered fuel cells, though. Boat designs incorporating a methanol fuel cell, for example, could dispense with the less efficient internal combustion driven generator altogether.

Why Not Cellulosic Electricity? Bio-EtOH vs. EVs

The ongoing debate between promoters of cellulosic ethanol (or butanol) and electric vehicles (EVs) is heating up. Can you get more energy from biomass by converting to ethanol (or butanol) and burning it in flex-fuel vehicles, or by burning the biomass with (or in place of) coal in power generators--and run the vehicle (EVs) on the generated electricity?

According to the NREL report referenced above, converting biomass into cellulosic ethanol can be done at about a 45% efficiency (i.e. 45% of the energy of the biomass makes it into the fuel.) In contrast, biomass can be converted at 33-37% efficiency [pdf] when cofired. Combining this with the 5x improvement of drivetrain efficiency that comes with electric propulsion, and the same amount of biomass converted to what I'll call "cellulosic electricity" will take a vehicle 3.8x as far as it would in the form of cellulosic ethanol. In a more recent article on Biomass, Vinod Khosla states "we consider [Energy Return on Investment] a less important variable than carbon emissions per mile driven." If carbon emissions per mile driven are the most important variable, a 3.8x increase in miles driven on the same energy source will lead to a less than 27% of the carbon emissions per mile driven.

While cellulosic electricity is still not sufficient to displace all of our current petroleum use, it comes much closer than cellulosic ethanol. Biomass cofiring with coal also tends to reduce SOx and NOx emissions.

Biomass is a distributed resource, seldom available in large quantities in any one place. This will be a problem for the cellulosic ethanol and cellulosic electricity industries. Only a fraction of the available biomass will be close enough to existing coal plants that it will be practical to transport for cofiring. Cellulosic visionaries see a system of distributed ethanol plants, yet that still leaves the problem of getting the fuel to market, since the current pipeline system for petroleum products has difficulty accommodating ethanol.

On the other hand, while distributed direct- fired biomass generation of electricity is probably twice as expensive as cofiring with coal, distributed generation leads to opportunities for Combined Heat and Power (CHP), or cogeneration. CHP can displace heating fuels such as natural gas, propane, or electricity, and often have combined efficiency from 50% to 80%. In addition to the potential of displacing additional fossil heating fuel, cellulosic electricity is identical to the fossil fuel derived kind. Therefore, unlike cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic electricity is completely compatible with the existing electric grid, leading to far fewer difficulties in transport.

Source

The calculations are still in flux. But it is important to include "cellulosic electricity" in the total planning, when looking at biomass power. More here and here

Greener Cars, Snow to Antarctica, a Coming Ice Age

This prototype electric car has some impressive stats: a battery range of over 150 km per charge, and speeds up to 120 km/hr.

Staff and students at the University of South Australia have designed and built a prototype of what they reckon might be the future commuter car for Australian cities. Trev sounds rather impressive. He goes from 0 to 100kph in 10 secs, has a top speed of 120 km/h, with a travel range of 150+km between charges of his 7kWh 44kg lithium ion polymer battery....When charged from mains power he costs you $1 AUD per 100km to run, using what is said to be 1/5th of the energy of conventional car. TH

Speaking of lithium ion batteries, a recent announcement of Li ion nanowire batteries claimed a 10 times greater capacity than conventional Li ion batteries. New Energy and Fuel has taken a look at those claims, and carefully explains why it will take some time just to achieve a 3X or 5 X increase in energy density from nanowires in Li ion. But in the long run--with radical improvements in cathode design, the silicon nanowire modification should work very well.

On a colder front, Russian Acadamician Khabibullo Abdusamatov updates his predictions for a coming (little) ice age.

"A year ago, many meteorologists predicted that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would make the year 2007 the hottest in the last decade, but, fortunately, these predictions did not become reality," Abdusamatov said.

He also said that in 2008, global temperatures would drop slightly, rather than rise, due to unprecedentedly low solar radiation in the past 30 years, and would continue decreasing even if industrial emissions of carbon dioxide reach record levels.

By 2041, solar activity will reach its minimum according to a 200-year cycle, and a deep cooling period will hit the Earth approximately in 2055-2060. It will last for about 45-65 years, the scientist added. Source
via Tom Nelson

As for melting polar ice caps, think again. There has been a doubling of snow accumulation in parts of Antarctica, and prospects of rapid snowmelt in Greenland or Antarctica causing catastrophic sea level rise does not seem to be in the cards.

Personally, I like to think and act clean and green--within reason. Global warming catastrophism is not being green. It is being mindlessly faddish and fashionable. Being caught with your pants down when the next ice age hits could involve some painful frostbite.

Step by Step to Ubiquitous Electric Automobiles

Two recent articles at New Energy and Fuel illustrate two of the incremental improvements needed to make electric vehicles the norm, rather than the exception. First:

What the researchers have done is explore the alloys of magnets usually used in these types of motors and design an alloy that offers much higher operating temperatures which can be produced at low cost and manufactured quickly and efficiently....The new alloy proposal adds yttrium and dysprosium to neodymium solve the heat gain – magnetic decline problem. With most neodymium-iron-boron magnets [ed: operating only] at half strength at 125 degrees C, the new alloy [operating] at near full strength at 200 degrees C offers a solution to production of electric motor magnets for vehicles....Now motors can be built lighter and more powerful within the specifications of a vehicular application. These kinds of background developments are significant to the move to electric drives.

New Energy

Next:

The EEStor technology is described across the board from battery to ultra capacitor, as having 10 times the capacity at one-tenth the weight than “traditional battery technology” and a big improvement in leak down over time. Those are three of the battery limiting issues of the day....The combining of battery and capacitor attributes is quite exciting. Capacitors are very fast acting allowing very quick charge and discharge abilities that will dramatically improve the usefulness of devices that are self-storage powered....

New Energy

Another vital need is for enough electrical power generating capacity to support a rapidly growing electric vehicle industry. Preferably clean energy such as advanced design nuclear. If renewables such as wind and solar are to be stepped up appreciably, a form of utility scale storage (such as flow cells) is mandatory.

Here is more about EEStor from GMVolt.com. (from New Energy)
Speaking of the GM Volt, this Wired interview with GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz gives more information on the upcoming 2010 flex-fuel pluggable hybrid.

Energy Links ++

One of the more interesting themes in the age of higher oil prices, is the move to turn garbage into energy. The latest effort to do this is a partnership between startup Coskata and General Motors. Coskata aims to produce ethanol from garbage, waste, and old tires.

The new US Geothermal Inc. Idaho geothermal power plant utilises a binary cycle technology.

The Raft River project employs binary cycle technology, in which the geothermal fluid is pumped through a heat exchanger to vaporize isopentane, an organic compound that vaporizes at lower temperatures than water. The isopentane vapor drives a turbine, which spins a generator to produce power. The vapor that exhausts from the turbine is then condensed and returned to the geothermal heat exchanger, forming a closed loop....A new report from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) claims that binary cycle technology revolutionized the geothermal power industry by allowing power production from medium-temperature geothermal resources.

Source
GM announced the 2009 Saturn "pluggable hybrid" with "two-mode" transmission. The design incorporates regenerative braking, and the ability to combine electric drive with gasoline engine drive for extra power. With a 3.6 liter V6, it should leave other hybrids in the dust.

This ultracapacitor hybrid may turn out to be an example of wishful thinking (150 mpg), but it is clear that the only way to replace internal combustion engines with electric power at this time, is to use batteries + ultracapacitors, with the possible addition of fuel cells.

What is the sound of a banana farting? Vrrroooom! Methane from banana peels and stems may be just the ticket for the methane moon rocket.
With the possibility of a little ice age appearing on the near horizon, it may be time to learn to live with ice--a lot of ice. You may want to schedule your next vacation in one of the ice hotels above.

But just because we will be living in ice is no reason to accept ice crystals in our ice cream. This edible antifreeze may be what we need to keep our frozen desserts nice and creamy.

Electric Battery-Only Powered Aircraft Flies in France

This French kit-built plane goes a step beyond the self-launched electric powered glider from Slovenia. The French plane has made a 48 minute flight, and is preparing to fly the English Channel!

The 48-minute flight of the “Electra” covered more than 50 kilometers (31 miles)...The single-seater, based on a Sourciette kit aircraft, is the product of APAME (Association pour la Promotion des Aéronefs à Motorisation Électrique, Association to Promote Electrical Aircraft), with the support of a number of partners.

The wood and fabric Electra is 7m in length, with a wingspan of 9m. Weight of the aircraft without batteries is 134 kg. The battery pack weights 47 kg. Maximum takeoff weight is 265 kg. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 90 km/h.

APAME plans to cross the English Channel in July 2009 with the Electra...

Green Car Congress

Notice that the French Electra has very tight weight margins. Until electric storage batteries achieve a better energy density, Electra pilots must be petit.

From 5000 Feet You Can Go Just About Anywhere

Until recently, the idea of flying an aircraft on electric power alone would have been ridiculous. But the Electro Taurus from Slovenian company Pipistrel proves that it can be done. At least in a self-launching glider.

The recently announced Taurus Electro (a project started in 2006), has reportedly become the World's first two-seat self-launching electric motor-glider. Details remain scant, but with performance matching the Rotax 503 powered version, the Taurus Electro becomes a "...noise free, emissions free, totally ecologic" alternative to conventional power systems....A total of 6 minutes of climb will get you to 3300 ft, while a 10 minute climb will produce 5000 ft of thermal searching altitude. And as any glider guider can tell you, from 5000 feet, you can go just about anywhere.

Aero News

Via Nextenergy News and Ecofriend

Saving The Planet--By Twike!

Westerners are addicted to their cars. And cars cause pollution. But what if you could create a "car" that created no pollution except the exhaust gases of the driver and passengers? I am referring to the Twike

The Twike is the world’s first pedal-powered human electric hybrid car.

The company says this car can get up to speeds of 15-45 mph, with a 5 speed electric motor.

The unique aspect about this car is that it can run only with the pedal power provided by your feet, much like the Flinstone mobile. If you team up to pedal with another passenger, the combined power could generate up to 500 watts, which can increase the range of the car by an astounding 50%.

TrendhuntersBefore long, you will be seeing creative solar panel add-ons.

This is like an enclosed, recumbent side-by-side moped--except with electric motor assist, not gasoline. With photovoltaics and advanced lightweight battery add-ons, the range on a sunny day might extend hundreds of miles.

Highway safety would be an issue, and dedicated twike-ways may be in the offing. Will bicyclists share space with Twikes?

The YouTube video below demonstrates the Twike in action:

New Volvo Pluggable Concept Car Has No Driveshaft or Transmission--60 Miles on a 3 Hour Charge

Before you get too excited, you should know that this car will not see production before 2015 at the soonest. The four independent electric motors are built into the wheels, and the only power connection to the wheels is a power cable from the battery. The 1.6 liter flex-fuel engine is only there to keep the batteries charged.

When fully charged the Volvo ReCharge Concept can be driven approximately 62 miles on battery power alone before the car's four-cylinder 1.6 Flexifuel engine1 is needed to power the car and recharge the battery. The concept car also retains the Volvo C30's lively and sporty drive thanks to an acceleration figure of 0-62mph in 9 seconds and a top speed of 100mph.

"This is a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable transportation. This plug-in hybrid car, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available on the market today. Emissions may be even lower if most of the electricity comes from CO2-friendly sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear power. A person driving less than 60 miles per day will rarely need to visit a filling station.

...During a journey the combustion engine starts up automatically when 70 percent of the battery power has been used up. However, the driver also has the option of controlling the four-cylinder Flexifuel engine manually via a button in the control panel. This allows the driver to start the engine earlier in order to maximise battery charge, for instance when out on a motorway in order to save battery capacity for driving through the next town.

* The battery pack integrated into the boot uses lithium-polymer battery technology. The batteries are intended to have a useful life beyond that of the car itself.
* Four electric motors, one at each wheel, provide independent traction power.
* Four-cylinder 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine drives an advanced generator that efficiently powers the wheel motors when the battery is depleted.

...The central electrical components in the Volvo ReCharge Concept – the generator for the APU and the wheel motors – were developed together with British electromagnetic specialists PML Flightlink.

With an individual electric motor at each wheel, weight distribution as well as mechanical efficiency and traction are maximised and the friction in mechanical gears is eliminated. Since the car does not have the transmission found in ordinary cars, there is no need for a gear lever.

...The energy that is generated during braking is transmitted to the battery pack. When the system is ultimately developed, traditional wheel brakes will be completely replaced by electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction. To ensure reliable operation of the drivetrain and braking system, driver inputs are fed into a quadruple-redundant electronic control system.

Source
Hat tip Gizmag

Energy No-Brainer: Pluggable Hybrid Automobiles

First of all, what is a pluggable hybrid? Also called a Plug-in Hybrid, a pluggable hybrid is a car that can be powered by either internal combustion engine or electric motor--but it has larger batteries than conventional hybrids, and you can plug it in overnight to use inexpensive power grid energy for your daily commute. That constitutes a major shift in energy use from petrol to grid electricity. If the grid electricity comes from renewables (or nuclear), you can commute to work all week in a pluggable hybrid, without burning fossil fuel.

Among those who follow energy trends, the pluggable hybrid has become quite popular. Which makes many people wonder, why has Toyota gone to great lengths to distance itself from the pluggable hybrid concept?

On Tuesday, a Toyota representative wrote to an individual, "we do not currently have any announced plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid Toyota vehicle in the U.S." Find an expert who could say if that's intentionally evasive. (See our chronology of all automakers comments in the past year at http://www.calcars.org/carmakers.html .)

In a story broadcast today on NPR All Things Considered, you can hear spokeswoman Cindy Knight say, "You can certainly make a vehicle that will run, but you can't necessarily make a vehicle that people will buy.... Toyota went to great lengths to address the drawbacks of battery vehicles so that people do not have to plug our hybrids in, and our customers tell us that that is one of the features they like about the vehicle, they don't have to plug it in."

If the big carmakers distance themselves from this obviously winning concept, smaller players will rush in to fill the gap. Jim at the Energy Blog keeps close track of developments in pluggable hybrids, and he has a full array of energy links. Jim's place is an excellent site for following the progress in this war of the vehicular power plants.

Check out this Al Fin post for some of the underlying energy issues involved in the transition from internal combustion engines to fuel cell/supercapacitor/battery powered electric motor vehicles. The pluggable hybrid is a very useful intermediate step in the transition. No matter what the big auto manufacturers do, they cannot stop it from happening.

OBVIO! From the San Francisco Intl. Auto Show

Gizmag has a feature about a new Brazilian "trybrid" automobile that can run on gasoline, ethanol, any combination of the two, or electric motor. Realistically, it is a hybrid with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. But the ICE can run on gasoline, ethanol, or any combination. So please excuse them for calling it a "trybrid."

Brazil has made ethanol a signature technology for the national economy. Sugar cane produced ethanol is more efficient than corn produced ethanol. Many economists believe the yield is not economical, even with cane. Time will tell.

Regardless, the automobile itself has many interesting features, including a continuously variable transmission, which might attract some buyers, and certainly will attract curiosity seekers.

My point of view is that pluggable hybrids (using any number of ICE fuels) are the most logical technology for driving automobiles at this time. Fossil fuels are an excellent mobile store of energy, but they do contribute to pollution, and the hydrocarbons could probably be better used as chemical feedstocks.