Renault

May 18, 2009

Are Automakers Finally Seeing the Light? Will Government and Greens See it Too?

Auto Industry Lines Up To Praise National Program Idea, Now the Hard Work Begins

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

The auto industry, tired of being seen as the bad guy whenever fuel economy and emissions regulation is on the table, is wasting no time lining up in support of tomorrow's White House announcement on development of a national carbon emissions and fuel efficiency program.

A cynic might think this doesn't bode well for the ultimate result of the rulemaking process that President Obama will outline at a press conference in Washington Tuesday morning: That the auto industry figures it has enough clout left to wring the life out of any effort to significantly improve fuel economy.

But we think it simply shows that an industry on life support and dependent on government largess here and overseas has finally read the writing on the wall and realizes that this is as good as it is ever going to get and that if it doesn't play ball it will have no say in the rules it eventually will have to live by.

Automakers also have been caught in a trap of their own making. They've been fighting California, the national leader in establishing greenhouse gas controls on motor vehicles, insisting that individual states shouldn't be able to set carbon emissions rules and that a national standard is needed.

Now the Obama administration has stepped to the table and said, as the president is wont to: "Okay, let's develop a national rule."

To oppose that would be political suicide.

In that vein, the two lobbying groups representing almost every car maker that does business in the U.S. have jumped on board and are voicing support for the so-called National Program for Autos.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 18, 2009, 6:00 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, BMW, Chrysler, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Porsche, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: National CAFE Plan

May 13, 2009

Better Place Battery Exchange Demo In Japan Goes Off Without A Hitch

Now the Silicon Valley Start-Up Has To Do It a Couple Hundred Thousand Times More

Model of Better Place battery exchange station shows cars on top level waiting for service while new battery (blue) is being installed in bottom car. Underground storage facility (center) is where charged batteries are kept and depleted batteries are recharged after being removed from cars.

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Better Place strutted its stuff here Wednesday and it was a production well worth watching.

The would-be leader of the nascent electric-vehicle charging industry trotted out its battery switching technology at a demonstration project in downtown Yokohama and showed that, with a national network of battery exchange stations and vehicles designed to properly interface, EV ownership wouldn't have to be subjected to any significant limitations.

The battery exchange station - the first in the world to be shown to the public - ought to come with a knife and fork so those who've said that battery-electric vehicles' usefulness always will be constrained by lengthy recharging times can eat their words.

An End to Range Anxiety

In Better Place's better world, a depleted battery could be swapped for a freshly charged one in less time than it takes to pump 10 gallons of gasoline into the family sedan.

At the demonstration station, which will be open for the next six weeks in this bustling port city just south of Tokyo, a battery exchange was deliberately slowed down so those in the audience could follow it step-by-step. Even so, the exchange took just under 90 seconds.

If this kind of station were readily available, a cross-country trip in a battery-electric car wouldn't have to be interrupted every 200 miles or so to complete 4- to 6-hour battery charging sessions.

Better Place's founder and chief executive, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Shai Agassi, boasted that the engineering mule at the company's R&D center in Israel can do the job in as little as 40 seconds. That would get most of us into the station and back out with a fresh load of electrons in about a tenth of the time it takes to gas up a car with an internal combustion engine.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell May 13, 2009, 6:47 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Japan, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Battery Exchange System

April 28, 2009

Nissan-Seattle Pact Secures Both Ends of a West Coast 'Electric Highway'

Seattle has joined to the growing list of U.S. localities partnering with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to promote development of an electric vehicle charging network in advance of Nissan's introduction next year of a 5-passenger electric sedan.

The automakers and Seattle city officials announced their deal about a minute ago, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles saying his city will develop plans to help streamline installation of an EV charging network. Among other things, that means making sure zoning codes and safety and construction permit policies are adapted to facilitate public charging stations.

Nissan and the city also will cooperate on deployment, operation and maintenance of the chargers, and Nissan has committed to make a number of its EVs available in and around the Seattle metropolitan area (there won't be a blanket nationwide launch, as is usual with conventional internal combustion engine vehicles: the Nissan electric vehicles will be allotted to dealerships in areas where charging systems exist).

"Nissan and the city of Seattle share in the belief that electric vehicles offer one of the best solutions to reducing CO2 emissions," said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president of administration and finance for Nissan North America.

Nissan, through the Renault-Nissan alliance, has entered into similar EV infrastructure development pacts on the West Coast with the state of Oregon and, in California, the county of Sonoma and city of San Diego.

The areas are too far apart to create an "electric highway" that would enable EV drivers to traverse the length of the U.S. West Coast without worrying about finding public charging stations, but with San Diego and Seattle on board, both ends are covered and Nissan is working on filling in the gaps with new charging system development pacts excpeted to be announced periodically in coming months.

The alliance (it's actually all Nissan in the U.S., but the deals are doen in the name of both companies) also has signed agreements with the state of Tennessee and the regional government associations representing the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas in Arizona.

In Seattle, where hydroelectric power makes the city's electric utility carbon-neutral - the first public utility in the world to be able to make that claim - Nickels has set a goal of using clean, green electricity to help power city's transportation system.

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Diablo Dam on the Skagit River is part of Seattle's hydroelectric system.

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Outside of the U.S., the Renault-Nissan Alliance has begun initiatives in Kanagawa Prefecture and Yokohama in Japan, and in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Monaco, the UK, France, Switzerland, Ireland, China and Hong Kong.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 28, 2009, 2:46 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Electric Highway

April 23, 2009

Automakers Raise Questions About Better Place's Battery Swap Model

We've been trying for months now to get some face time with entrepreneur Shai Agassi, founder of EV charging infrastructure pioneer Better Place, so far to no avail.

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Exchanging large hybrid and EV battery packs such as this form a Ford electric vehicle test model, won't be easy, automakers say.

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We want to ask him about his business model and how he intends to get the world's contentious and competitive automakers to sign on to a plan that would make it possible for an independent such as Better Place to set up shops to easily and economically swap depleted battery packs for fresh ones in various brands of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

It seems to us this would take a degree of cooperation and commonality (where to put the packs so they could be pulled and exchanged quickly would require some common design features, battery attachment points and even size and weight ranges) that automakers so far have been loath to agree to.

Our paths almost crossed this week as Agassi attended a forum on battery development near out home base in Southern California - unfortunately, though, we were on the other side of the country in Florida at an alternative fuels and vehicles conference.

But several major automakers were there, as part of a panel, and according to E&E News' coverage of the Fortune magazine-sponsored event, were pretty united in their opposition to the idea of swappable batteries.

While patting Agassi on the back for his vision - a network of roadside "service stations" where the fuel is electric and the main service the swapping of depleted batteries for fully charged ones - executives from Toyota Motor Co., BMW and Ford Motor Co. all were doubtful it would work.

E&E News reports that Bill Reinart, national manager of Toyota's advanced technology group, said lithium-ion batteries and the highly charged plugs that power are not designed for constant switching and that a number of safety hazards could be created

Tom Baloga, vice president of U.S. engineering at BMW, agreed, according o the report , explaining that constant damage to batteries is likely during switching.

"Anytime you have a rapid connect and disconnect, you have to think about stability," Baloga said. "We have to be concerned about that."

Baloga added that Better Place's battery swap model is worth studying, but raised the same concern we have with battery pack uniformity and whether a battery exchange station could afford to stock a variety of packs to meet the needs of motorists who, some day, might be driving a dozen or more makes and styles of electric vehicles.

We're talking about the need to stock lots of various designs of 400- to 1,000-pound assemblages that cost $5,000 to $25,000 each, not a bunch of 50-pound, $120 lead-acid batteries.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell April 23, 2009, 3:15 AM
Categories:: BMW, Batteries, Ford, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Battery Exchanges

April 15, 2009

Renault-Nissan Alliance Adds Phoenix Region To Growing EV Charger Program

There are those who maintain that electric vehicles need a public charging infrastructure like fish need bicycles - that wall plugs already available in homes, apartments, stores and office buildings will suffice.

Nissan and its French partner, Renault, aren't part of that minimalist crowd, though, and see the value of public chargers for travelers and those who don't have easy access to a wall plug for their cars.

So the Renault-Nissan Alliance is aggressively pursuing compacts with various government and private entities to get public charging systems underway in advance of Nissan Motor Co.'s planned launch next year of a rechargeable electric car.

The latest to sign on to the program, and the sixth in the U.S., is the private-public partnership of the Maricopa Association of Governments, which represents communities in the Phoenix, Ariz., area, and Ecotality, a Phoenix-area electric transportation and power storage company.

The alliance is scheduled to announce the deal in Phoenix Thursday morning.

As have previous arrangements - and this is the second in Arizona following the announcement last month of a pack with the regional government group representing the Tucson area - the deal calls for the region's governmental agencies to promote and assist in "the development, operation and maintenance " of a public electric vehicle charging network.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 15, 2009, 9:00 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle Chargers

April 9, 2009

If Stars Align, Annual EV Sales Could Hit 3-Million Mark by 2015, Says Analyst

Cheaper Batteries, Lots of Chargers, Government Incentives are Necessary Ingredients

By Danny King, Contributor

The jury's still out on whether battery-electric vehicles will be a luxury or relatively commonplace within the next six years, according to a recent report that finds a lot of uncertainty still exists regarding battery performance characteristics.

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Electric cars such as the proposed Tesla Model S could proliferate, but would only trickle into the market without infrastructure development and government support, report says.
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Annual global battery-electric vehicle sales will range from as few as 500,000 to as many as 3 million units by 2015, depending on factors such as how long the cars can run on a single charge and how quickly they recharge, high-tech consultant Strategy Analytics said in its report.

Battery-electric car manufacturers will build about 10,000 units this year, up from 4,000 in 2008, according to the report's author, Kevin Mak, industry analyst of Strategy Analytics' Automotive Electronics Service.

It will take cheaper battery costs that drive electric-car prices closer to their gas-powered counterparts, a comprehensive recharging infrastructure, cars with features such as batteries that may be swapped out, and hefty government incentives for battery-electric vehicle sales to hit that 3 million mark by 2015; without such advances, annual sales will be closer to 500,000 units, Mak said.

"More advances are needed to make recharging faster - battery swap is an alternative approach - and to make more accessible recharging infrastructures, to increase range through greater energy density in batteries, to enhance reliability, and to lower costs to make electric vehicles more affordable to consumers," Mak said.

One thing is certain, though. The number of electric vehicles will grow, even if very slowly.
Companies ranging from larger automakers like Nissan to relative start-ups like Tesla Motors are planning to start selling all-electric vehicles to the U.S. public within the next two years.

Nissan Motor Co. plans to start selling its EV to U.S. fleet customers late next year and has reached an agreement with Japanese electronics giant NEC that will allow production of enough lithium-ion batteries to supply as many as 200,000 hybrid vehicles and electric cars per year.

Meanwhile, Tesla, which last week unveiled the $57,400 (base-price) Model S sedan that it plans to start selling in late 2011, said it has received more than 500 advance orders for the car, which can be equipped with a variety of battery packs good for 160, 220 or 300 miles between charges.

Others with EVs on tap include Miles Electric Vehicles, which is planning to launch its own highway-legal sedan late next year; Mitsubishi Motors, which will start selling a battery-electric city car, the i-MIEV, later this year in Japan; and Subaru, which has said it will sell a limited production EV in Japan in 2010. Several Chinese auto makers also have announced plans for EVs of their own.

Strategy Analytics cited EV battery-charging network developer Better Place as a potential factor in advancing the product enough for mass adoption.

The Silicon Valley-based company is working with Nissan and its partner, Renault, to develop electric cars and a recharging infrastructure for Israel and Denmark, though the car makers may not adopt Better Place's strategy of designing electric cars with swappable battery packs.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell April 9, 2009, 7:20 AM
Categories:: Miles, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Tesla
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

March 23, 2009

Renault-Nissan Alliance Signs EV Charging Deal With San Diego's Power Utility

Huge Region Becomes 5th in U.S. To Help as Nissan Preps for 2010 EV Launch

Add California's southernmost big city, San Diego, to the growing list of places plugging into the Renault-Nissan Alliance's effort to promote an electric vehicle battery-charging infrastructure to coincide with the launch of the EV it has promised for next year.

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Nissan will use this electric vehicle "mule" to show off its technology in a U.S. tour that begins in San Diego.
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Just weeks after announcing that it signed an EV promotional pact with the Tuscon, Arizona, metropolitan area's regional government association, the Renault-Nissan Alliance this morning is unveiling a similar deal with San Diego Gas & Electric. The public utility that supplies power to a 4,100 square-mile region with a population of 3.4 million.

The joint agreements the auto-making partners are executing with utility and government groups around the country (and in a number of foreign countries as well) call for Nissan and Renault to aid the entities in the acquisition of electric vehicles and to work with them to promote installation of an EV charging infrastructure as well as use and understanding of the vehicles.

The government and utility groups in turn agree to take the necessary actions -- including changes in zoning laws and building permit policies when necessary -- to make it easier for privately or publicly owned EV charging stations to be installed in convenient locations.

The San Diego deal specifically calls for the automaker and the utility to work together to "implement and maintain" a battery charging network. Officials from San Diego's city government and several other area entities including San Diego County's association of governments, were on hand for the announcement, an indication of regional support for the plan.

The San Diego announcement also kicks off what Nissan Motor Co. is calling a coast-to-coast tour of its electric vehicle prototype: A late-model Nissan Cube converted to electric drive.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 23, 2009, 11:30 AM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Battery Charging Infrastructure

March 6, 2009

Tucson Regional Government Group Signs Onto Nissan-Renault EV Promotion Plan

Adding another name to its list of target communities for sales of its upcoming electric vehicle, the Renault-Nissan Alliance today said it has signed an agreement with an Arizona regional government association to promote development of an EV charging network in the Tucson metro area.

Nissan has said it will introduce an electric vehicle in the U.S. next year and plans a global rollout of Nissan branded EVs in 2012.

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Nissan was testing this EV, a version of the Cube, in Japan last year but says its retail model will be a new design.

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The agreement with the Pima Association of Governments, which represents the Tucson metro area, calls for the region's governmental agencies to promote and assist in "the development, operation and maintenance " of a public EV charging network.

That typically is done by encouraging zoning and permit policies that allow installation of chargers on public and private properties

A private electric transportation and power storage company, Ecotality Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., is part of the partnership and will assist in installation of the EV chargers and coordination of various government policies affecting EV charging systems, Nissan said.

The automaker has agreed to "assist" the government association and its member agencies in acquiring electric vehicles - language that likely means the company will sell or lease them its EVs at discounted rates.

Nissan works with its French partner, Renault, though the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which has begun zero emission vehicle initiatives alone and with other partners in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Monaco, Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture and the City of Yokohama, French electric utility company EDF, and two private British firms, the car-rental company Greentomatocars, and zero-emission transport system company Elektromotive.

In the U.S., the Alliance is participating in electric car partnerships with the states of Tennessee and Oregon, the County of Sonoma in California, and now the Tucson regional government group, to explore ways to promote zero-emission vehicles and development of an electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell March 6, 2009, 11:13 AM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicle Charging

January 27, 2009

Better Place Secures $133.8-Million Infusion for Danish EV Charging Network

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor
Better Place, the California-based electric vehicle battery charging infrastructure pioneer, said this morning that it has secured a 103-million euro ($133.8 million) equity and debt financing in conjunction with Denmark's DONG Energy to fund initial deployment of its previously announced Danish charging infrastructure.

DONG will be the preferred supplier of renewable energy to the charger network and will assist Better Place in rolling out the nationwide system of EV battery chargers and battery exchange stations.

The charging infrastructure is part of a plan by Better Place, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Danish government to begin marketing electric cars in Denmark in 2011.

Renault-Nissan is designing and building the vehicles, which will have a battery pack system that can be quickly removed when depleted and replaced with a fully recharged pack.

The rapid exchange system is part of Better Place's plan to extend the effective range of electric vehicles so they can be lengthy trips without the without the inconvenience of otherwise lengthy battery charging sessions.

Better Place charging stations, to be located in parking lots and other public areas, will be available for short "top-ups" of the battery packs while a car is parked for short periods, perhaps while the driver is shopping or attending a theater performance.

The company, founded by high-tech entrepreneur Shai Agassi, believes that installing an electrical "fueling" infrastructure is the necessary first step in making electric vehicles a marketable alternative to gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 27, 2009, 1:50 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

January 15, 2009

Better Place Announces EV Charger Program With Canada's Car-Building Capital

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

While we're well aware of how faddish this world can be, we're heartened by all the attention the electrification of the passenger vehicle is getting these days - and we hope it lasts.

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Wind-generated electricity for EV charging is part of Better Place vision.
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One company trying its best to make a permanent part of life going forward is Better Place.

The Silicon Valley developer of an electric-vehicle battery charging and exchange system is signing deals right and left to help develop an EV "fueling" infrastructure that will be there to help provide juice to the electric cars and trucks almost every automaker now says it will be making soon.

The latest pact, announced this morning, is a research and planning agreement with Canada's Ontario Province, which wraps around the top of the Great Lakes and contains the cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor and Timmins - home of country singer Shania Twain and the Toyota Motor Co.'s North American cold weather test facility.

The province also contains many of Canada's auto plants (Windsor is directly across the Detroit River from General Motors Corp's headquarters in downtown Detroit) and its autoworkers have produced more cars and trucks in each of the past two years than have Michigan's.

Shai Agassi, the high-tech entrepreneur who founded and heads Better Place, said the deal calls for the company to set up a Canadian headquarters in Toronto and spend the next four months doing a thorough analysis of what it would take to install a network of EV battery chargers and battery exchange stations in the sprawling province.

At the same time, Ontario's state government would run a analysis of what it could do to encourage electrification, including rules to make it easier for a charging infrastructure to be installed; establishing government subsidies for electric vehicles, including a policy for government use of EVs in its own fleets; and development of a public education and promotion campaign.

"This is one step to getting us a little bit closer" to a future of clean, oil-free transportation, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said in announcing the pact at a press conference in Toronto.

The terms of the deal echo those of exploratory agreements Better Place struck late last year with a group of cities in the San Francisco Bay area and with the state of Hawaii and the Australian state of Victoria.

"We'll both (Better Place and Ontario's government) announce our findings in reports issued in April and then we'll proceed from there," Sean Harrington, Better Place global development director told Green Car Advisor.

The deal also calls for Better Place to build an EV demonstration and information center in Toronto should things move beyond the study stage (Better Place is developing a similar center in Japan for the city of Yokohama, and a smaller one in Hawaii as part of its deal there).

It also introduces Canadian renewable energy company Bullfrog Power into the mix with an agreement for all of the power to be used by EVs operating in Ontario to come from Bullfrog, with uses wind and hydroelectric generation.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 15, 2009, 7:45 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

January 5, 2009

Daimler Says It Intends To Take on Bosch, Other Suppliers on Batteries for EVs

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

It would appear that Daimler not only views electrification of the automobile as the key to sustainable mobility, but it also views the shift from gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and trucks to electric vehicles as an opportunity for the Stuttgart automaker to compete head on with major automotive parts suppliers.

In an interview today with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Chief Executive Thomas Weber (pictured) said Daimler -- parent company of Mercedes-Benz and Smart -- intends to compete directly with German automotive parts supplier Robert Bosch and other companies in selling high-performance lithium-ion batteries to third parties.

Weber's comments follow the joint announcement last month by Daimler and German chemical, energy and real estate company Evonik Industries that the two companies had partnered to develop lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and hybrids, with the first publicized target for the new batteries being the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid due out this year.

Daimler and Evonik made that announcement less than a week after Mercedes-Benz disclosed plans to unveil a trio of BlueZero electric-drive concept vehicles at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, which starts next Monday, and Daimler's announcement to expand its test program of electric-drive Smart Fortwos from London and Berlin to the Italian cities of Rome, Milan and Pisa.

According to industry forecasts, the market size for high-performance lithium-ion batteries will exceed $13 billion within the next decade. Clearly, Daimler and Evonik Industries want a chunk of that market, as do Toyota, Volkswagen and Renault-Nissan, all of which have recently partnered with battery-makers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett January 5, 2009, 3:28 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Daimler, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: BlueZero

December 16, 2008

Renault-Nissan, Utility Agree to Develop Charging Network for EVs in Switzerland

The Renault-Nissan Alliance team tasked with partnering with utilities and governments to develop battery-charging networks for electric vehicles has done it again.

Swiss electric utility company Energie Ouest Suisse and Renault-Nissan announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding under which the automaker will supply electric-drive vehicles to the utility and both parties will study ways of implementing and maintaining the battery-charging network throughout the land-locked, lake-filled, clock-cuckoo country.

The utility produces 85 percent of its electricity from hydropower, which means that not only will the EVs zip around without spewing greenhouse gases, but the electricity they use will, for the most part, come from sources that don't produce climate-changing emissions.

Renault-Nissan has reached similar agreements with Israel, Denmark, Portugal, the Principality of Monaco and the French utility company EDF, as well as the U.S. states of Tennessee and Oregon, Sonoma County in Northern California, and in Japan, the Prefecture of Kanagawa and the City of Yokohama.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 16, 2008, 4:24 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

Daimler, Evonik Industries Team to Produce Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs, Hybrids

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

German automotive giant Daimler of Stuttgart and chemical, energy and real estate company Evonik Industries of Essen have partnered to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and hybrids, with the first publicized target for the new batteries being the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid due out next year.

The German companies made the announcement Monday -- less than a week after Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler, disclosed plans to unveil a trio of BlueZero electric-drive concept vehicles at next month's 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Presumably the new batteries will make their way into whatever production models arise from the concepts.

Daimler officials have often stated that electrification of the automobile is the key to sustainable mobility. To that end, Daimler engineers have registered more than 600 patents associated with battery-powered vehicles over the past three decades, of which 230 were in the field of lithium-ion technology.

For its part, Evonik Industries has invested $110 million in battery technology in recent years. The outcome, according to Evonik Industries and Daimler: "Production-ready high-technology battery cells that are superior to competitor products in several key areas."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett December 16, 2008, 11:34 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Toyota, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: Battery

December 9, 2008

Better Place Dedicates First of 500,000 EV Charging Stations Planned For Israel

A company founded by California EV entrepreneur Shai Agassi has dedicated the first of what it says will be as many as 500,000 electric vehicle recharging stations in Israel, the first country to sign on to Agassi's vision of electric cars for everyone.

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Better Place Israel's Moshe Kaplinsky demonstrates EV charging station.

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The company, Better Place (formerly Project Better Place), has agreed to install 500 of the charging points in a number of Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in a pilot project now, and says its expects to have half a million installed by the time electric vehicles made by Renault and Nissan are ready for market in 2011.

More to Come

The Israeli EV charging network would be the planet's first nationwide commercial system, but Better Place has similar agreements with Denmark, the Australian state of Victoria, the state of Hawaii and a consortium of major San Francisco Bay Area cities.

The company also announced Monday that it has been invited by the Japanese government to build a battery exchange station in Yokohama early next year as part of a electric vehicle demonstration project involving a number of Japanese auto makers.

Israel's First

In a report in today's edition, Britain's Guardian newspaper said the first charging spot in Israel has been installed in a parking lot atop a shopping center in the coastal city of Ramat Hasharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

The paper quotes Moshe Kaplinsky, head of Better Place Israel, saying that the firm believes electric cars are a fundamental challenge to the ubiquitous gasoline and diesel vehicles.

"The vision is to stop this addition to oil," he told the paper.

In addition to charging stations, the Better Place network will include quick-exchange stations where depleted EV battery packs can be replaced with fully charged packs - the same sort of station the company will build in Japan.

Participants in the Israeli system would purchase an electric vehicle but the local arm of Better Place would own the batteries and lease them to vehicle owners - an electrified version of buying the car and then purchasing fuel on an as-needed basis.

Like Cell Phone Contracts?

EV customers would pay for fixed or unlimited mileage on their batteries - much as cell phone users sign up for plans based on minutes of use - and when they didn't want to wait for a recharge from the grid would go to one of the battery exchange stations for a battery pack switch.

Better Place has teamed with the Renault-Nissan Alliance for a program in which the California-based company will provide the charging infrastructure and the automakers will design and build the vehicles to use them.

So far, the automakers have only shown a concept for a Better Place car based on a Renault Megane sedan (left).

Various government partners can provide financial assistance and ease the way for installation of the charging infrastructure.

Such a system works in small, self-contained territories such as Israel and Hawaii, or in urban areas such as San Francisco, because the average automobile trip is relatively short.

Israel, for example, is 260 miles long and only 85 miles across at its widest point. It is about 75 miles from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, well within the 100-mile range of the lithium-ion battery packs Better Place says the Renault-Nissan EVs will use.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell December 9, 2008, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place Israel

November 19, 2008

2008 LA Auto Show: Oregon Joins Nissan to Advance Zero-Emission Mobility

The Renault-Nissan Alliance announced today that Nissan and Oregon are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle charging network.Â

Portland General Electric also is a participant in the partnership and is working toward the development of an easily accessible and reliable network of charging stations throughout the state.

The Alliance has committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles. Nissan will introduce ZEVs in the United States in 2010 and will mass market ZEVs globally two years later.

Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, announced the Oregon agreement during an address at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

"This partnership represents a major step toward reliable zero-emission mobility in the state of Oregon," Ghosn said. "Together, we are creating conditions that will encourage consumers to consider an electric vehicle as an attractive choice that is also good for the environment."

The partnership supports Oregon Gov. Theodore Kulongoski's commitment to sustainability, which includes the effort to lead the nation in establishing the infrastructure necessary for a greener transportation system.

As part of the agreement, Nissan has committed to make available a supply of ZEVs to Oregon and work with the state to develop plans to promote the EV Charging Network.

The state, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation, has committed to promote the deployment, operation and maintenance of the EV Charging Network by developing specifications for charging stations and seeking agreements with suppliers that may be used by entities such as local governments and utility companies, Ghosn said.

Over the past several months, PGE has installed six charging stations--with the capability to charge several dozen vehicles--across the Portland and Salem areas, with more on the way.

The Alliance has begun ZEV initiatives in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan and with French electric utility company EDF.

Because the United States is so large, the Alliance is entering partnerships there on a state-by-state basis. Prior to today's announcement, the Alliance had partnered with Tennessee.Â

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett November 19, 2008, 10:04 AM
Categories:: Emissions, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Carlos Ghosn

November 5, 2008

Renault Nissan Alliance To Launch Electric Vehicle in Yokohama in 2010

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Pushing forward with its plan to electrify the personal transportation world, the Renault Nissan Alliance said today that it had signed a deal with the city of Yokohama to begin preparing for introduction of a Nissan electric car there in 2010.

That is the same year the alliance plans to introduce an electric vehicle in the U.S.

Nissan has shown a concept EV called the Mixim (right) but is expected to offer different models for retail use. The vehicles to be used here and in Japan are still under development, said Fred Standish, a Nissan spokesman in the U.S.

Standish also said that sales or leases of the Nissan EVs initially would be limited in scope, with a global rollout planned for 2012.

The U.S. program is likely to concentrate on California, where an electric-vehicle charging infrastructure exists because of the state's early flirtation with EVs in the late 1990s under its since-amended Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.

There is no mutual development agreement with the U.S. government, but the Renault Nissan Alliance has signed electric vehicle introduction deals similar to the Yokohama pact with the nations of Portugal and France, the Australian state of Victoria and the state of Tennessee, site of Nissan's North American headquarters.

Additionally, the alliance has teamed with a California-based venture, Better Place, to supply electric vehicles in Israel and Denmark. Better Place would provide the charging infrastructure in those countries.

Except for the U.S. and Yokohama EV launches in 2010 and the Australian launch in 2012, all of the programs are scheduled for 2011.

The Yokohama agreement calls for feasibility studies of customer incentives and citywide electric vehicle recharging infrastructure development as well as use of navigation system networks to alleviate traffic congestion and introduction of programs to promote what the car-maker calls eco-driving -- the use of fuel-saving driving techniques.

Nissan has been working with Yokohama city officials since 2006 on a pilot program combining telematics and in-car navigation systems to offer real-time traffic information to drivers.

Yokohama is participating in a Japanese program called the Environment Model City pilot project. Under the program, Yokohama aims to achieve significant CO2 reductions by experimenting with a range of methodologies in various key areas including transportation, housing and renewable energy development.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell November 5, 2008, 12:34 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Nissan Electric Car

October 9, 2008

French Automakers, Utility to Collaborate on National Recharging Network for EVs

Electricite de France, Europe's largest utility, and French automakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault today agreed to work together to develop a nationwide recharging network for electric cars.

The deal follows the announcement last month that Daimler and German utility RWE plan to build a network of electric-car recharging stations in Berlin.

The venture with Paris-based EDF calls for a business plan to set up outlets in France for recharging electric vehicles, or EVs, by 2011.

Renault and its Japanese affiliate, Nissan, have pledged to introduce EVs in the U.S. by 2010 and in Israel and Denmark by 2011. Renault also plans to introduce its first mass-market EVs domestically in 2012.

The project with EDF, which was announced at the Paris Auto Show today, will be open to other automakers, Renault spokeswoman Rochelle Chimenes said. Battery leasing and battery-exchange stations are being considered, she said.

Peugeot said in a statement today that its pact with EDF will cover EVs and rechargeable hybrids, building on plans the manufacturer announced in June to develop electric powertrains with Mitsubishi.

EDF and Toyota announced a partnership 13 months ago to evaluate rechargeable hybrids and charging infrastructure in Europe.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking at the car show today, said France plans to provide $550 million in research funding for low-emissions vehicle technologies. He also said a $6,827 bonus on purchases of cars generating less than 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, introduced in January, will remain in place until at least 2012 or until a subsidy for the 100,000th vehicle has been given.

Shai Agassi, the CEO and founder of Better Place, an American company that aims to reduce global dependency on oil through the creation of a worldwide electric-vehicle infrastructure, welcomed Sarkozy's comments.

He said his company "applauds and supports the efforts being made in France to extend the feebate policy to 2012, deploy zero emissions public car fleets, and improve battery technology. We accept President Sarkozy's challenge to develop the necessary infrastructure supporting standardized electric vehicles in France, and around the world."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 9, 2008, 10:49 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Daimler, Emissions, Energy Companies, Fuel Economy, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Better Place

Electric Cars: From the Paris Motor Show to a Driveway Near You.

Electric cars are the hot topic at this year's Paris auto show, with General Motors, Renault, Nissan, Smart and many lesser-known car manufacturers showing off a huge variety of EVs.

They range from wildly exotic supercars to tiny commuter cars that look ready to park in your driveway. Some are strictly concepts. Others could go on sale - even here in the U.S. -- much sooner than you think.

Green Car Advisor's man in Paris, contributor Nick Kurczewski, was at the show last week and offers some thoughts on the biggest electric-car newsmakers there.

Chevrolet Volt - Yes, we've written a ton about it and you've read even more, but we still can't ignore it. There it was, sitting on the GM stand in Paris, bowtie gleaming in the spotlights.

Chevy's Volt is often called a plug-in hybrid, and it is a hybrid by definition. But it also is an electric car, using only an electric motor for propulsion.

Its small 1.4-liter gasoline engine cranks over only to recharge the batteries and never sends its power directly to the Volt's wheels.

Whether you consider it an EV or a hybrid, chances are the bigger factor in consumer acceptance of the four-door sedan will be its escalating price tag.

A new bill just signed by the White House makes the Volt eligible for a $7,500 federal income tax credit, but before applying that, the sticker price - which determines the size of down payments and monthly lease or purchase costs - is likely to be at or above $40,000 when it goes on sale in late 2010 in the U.S.

That's awfully steep sticker-price, especially considering that new Honda Insight hybrid will cost less than $20,000 when it arrives next year.

Renault Z.E. Concept - Renault and its sister company, Nissan, are busy co-developing electric vehicles that will go on sale as early as 2010. The Z.E. Concept is the first indication as to where Renault is taking its version.

The design of the Z.E. - for Zero Emissions -- looks like a shortened version of the humble Renault Kangoo, a tall and boxy utility van currently sold throughout Europe. The green glass in the concept model adds a bizarre touch of show-car drama.

Other details include the use of rear-view cameras instead of side mirrors - to smooth out the aerodynamics and improve range - along with solar panels built into the roof, to aid battery recharging.

The Z.E. concept car uses double-walled insulating bodywork, which keeps the cabin cozy whether it is hot or cold outside and requires less energy from the ventilation system.

Its lithium-ion batteries provide a driving range between 60 to 90 miles.

Renault does not currently sell cars in America, which makes it unlikely the French manufacturer will ever bring its EV stateside.

But it's Japanese partner has other plans.

Nissan Nuvu - Don't worry if you love the idea of an electric-powered Nissan but hate the blobby looks of the Nuvu concept car.

The 2+1 seat Nuvu is important chiefly because it offers a glimpse of the lithium-ion powered drivetrain of the electric vehicle Nissan says it will start selling in the U.S. in 2010.

The Japanese company reassures us that the quirky Nuvu is not a totally faithful indication of what this production car will eventually look like.

Under its skin, the Nuvu's battery pack provides a range of 75 miles and a top-speed of 78 miles per hour. Range will likely be improved, and the wacky looks toned down a bit when Nissan unveils a more accurate glimpse of its upcoming EV during next year's Tokyo motor show.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 9, 2008, 3:00 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Solar
Technorati Tags:: Electric Cars

October 8, 2008

Renault Highlights Its Green-Technology Efforts With All-Electric Z.E. Concept

Looks like someone who's really into highlighters got to this Renault.

Called the Z.E. Concept -- as in Zero Emissions Concept -- this gem is the French automaker's vision of the electric vehicle as an efficient, user-friendly car.

It features lithium-ion batteries and a 70-kilowatt electric motor producing 166 foot-pounds of torque.

The electric vehicle is one of handful we can expect from the Renault-Nissan Alliance that aims to bring a string of EVs to market beginning in 2011.

The windows aren't simply intended to get attention, although they are doing plenty of that at the Paris Auto Show right now. Rather, they are intended help control the climate inside the vehicle without the use of electricity.

Just how the greenish yellow or yellowish green glass windows manage that is anyone's guess, as Renault doesn't offer an explanation, but they are undeniably fun.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 8, 2008, 3:54 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault

October 3, 2008

Bail-Out Passes, Includes Plug-In hybrid Tax Credits. Now Bring On the Cars!

In case you've been in a deep, dank cave with no wireless connection for the past few hours, the news du jour is that the House has approved the Wall Street rescue measure that includes the original $700-billion in bail-out bucks plus wads of cash for renewable energy, biofuels and energy-efficiency programs.

The $17 billion energy package also includes a plug-in hybrids tax credit plan with an estimated price tag of $1 billion. It won't expire until the auto industry has, collectively, sold 250,000 plug-in cars and trucks that run at least part of the time on all-electric drive from energy stored in rechargeable, on-board batteries.

While none of the major automakers has yet to offer a plug-in, just about all (Honda Motor Co. is a notable exception) are working on them, with General Motor Corp.'s Chevrolet Volt perhaps the best known of the bunch.

Reporters walking the floor of the Paris Auto Show this week, however, are seeing a lot more as European car makers seem to have embraced the idea of electric cars and gas- and diesel-electric hybrids with a fervor usually associated with revival meeting preachers.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 3, 2008, 12:47 PM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Fuels & Technologies, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Honda, Legislation, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Subaru, Tata, Toyota

September 15, 2008

Preview: Green Is the Fashion at Paris Auto Show This Year

By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor

Paris, fashion capital of the world, usually has more influence on what hangs in your closet than what's parked in your driveway.

But from October 4th through the 19th, when the doors to the Paris auto show are open to the public, the automobile takes center stage in the City of Lights, and big fuel economy numbers will be as essential to automakers as little red dresses or neatly tailored black suits are to the fashion world.

Car manufacturers will be displaying everything from hybrids, such as the new Honda Insight, to electric cars and fuel-sipping diesel and gas-powered models like the new Ford Ka and Toyota iQ (above) city cars.

To help whet your appetites, Green Car Advisor offers a look at the cars that are set to make the biggest impression in this distinctively enviro-chic auto show:

Honda Insight

The newest hybrid from Honda represents the Japanese company's most determined effort at cracking Toyota's stranglehold on this increasingly important market.

The five-passenger, four-door hatchback uses an improved version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. Better fuel economy, a lower center of gravity and reduced cost are said to be the main benefits.

The Insight is expected to be cheaper than its rival, the next-generation Toyota Prius, when both cars go on sale early next year. Our one complaint: Why did Honda feel the need to copy the potatolike profile of the Prius?

Toyota iQ

If the Insight is Honda's take on a Prius fighter, the iQ is Toyota's attempt at outsmarting the Smart Fortwo.

The iQ is slightly longer than the Smart, and the Japanese city car offers two tiny rear seats, whereas the Fortwo -- as the name makes clear -- is strictly a two-seater.

The iQ goes on sale in Japan in October and in Europe later this year.

Will Toyota bring the iQ Stateside? The company's not saying, but with the sales success of the Smart Fortwo in America, it would be pretty dumb not to consider the idea. And Toyota's not noted for dumb.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 15, 2008, 3:31 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Diesel, Ford, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: New Green Cars

September 8, 2008

Honda Still Saying 'No' To EVs

While rivals in Japan are increasingly experimenting with small electric vehicles, Honda Motor Co. apparently is sticking to its guns and arguing that battery-electric cars still don't make sense.

The automaker, which already boasts the industry's most fuel-efficient fleet, doesn't believe that battery technology is sufficiently advanced to make a case for electric vehicles, Honda's research and development chief told industry trade journal Automotive News.

R&D chief Masaaki Kato said he sees EVs limited for now to short-range commuter and inter-city delivery vehicles.

Rival Toyota Motor Co. apparently figures that's a good-enough market and is joining Mitsubishi and Subaru in developing a minicar EV of its own.

And Nissan, Renault and several other carmakers apparently don't buy Honda's argument at all and have invested in battery-making enterprises and are designing full-service electric cars for the global market.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 8, 2008, 1:55 PM
Categories:: Honda, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Honda Electric Vehicles

Subaru Mini-EV to Launch In Japan Next Year

Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries has decided to join the growing cadre of carmakers hustling to launch battery-electric vehicles for the retail market.

A report in Automotive News, a subscription-only auto industry journal, says the company intends to build a limited run of four-seat minicar EVs with a range of 50 miles per charge. The cars will be based on the gasoline-fueled Subaru Stella model and intended for Japan's intra-city commuter market.

Actually, Subaru pretty much confirmed production plans for the car during the New York Auto Show in March, and introduced a few concept models of its EV at the recent G8 economic summit in Japan earlier this summer. But it's nice to see additional info hitting the media.

Subaru plans to launch the cars next year and is aiming to sell about 200 to fleet customers in Japan.

Like Mitsubishi's minicar-based i-MiEV electric car, the Subaru EV isn't intended for the U.S. market, Automotive News reports - although Fuji put a couple test cars into service in New York following the auto show there earlier this year and is about to wrap up a six-month test to gauge the cars' chances in this market.

(We also suspect that Mitsubish, which has tested its i-MiEV in the States, is rethinking its plans and considering the possibility that these tiny cars just might have a future here if marketed to the proper audience.)

Power for the Suby EV will be storied in and delivered by a lithium-ion battery pack from Automotive Energy Supply Corp. - a joint venture of Nissan Motor Co. and NEC.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 8, 2008, 1:45 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Subaru, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

July 22, 2008

Nissan Teams With Tennessee for Electric Vehicle Promotion

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

It just had to happen.

After all, Nissan is there, in a master-planned business park next door to Nashville; Nissan wants to promote electric vehicles; and the Tennessee Valley Authority, which oversees a vast hydroelectric empire, has juice to spare.

-----------------

Nissan's Mixim EV Concept, right

-----------------

So Nissan and the state of Tennessee announced today that they are forming a partnership (actually, Tennessee and the Renault-Nissan Alliance) to promote zero emission vehicles - a category that right now includes only electric vehicles.

Nissan, which has said it will begin marketing electric vehicles in the U.S. in 2010, apparently will provide the ZEVs, while the state, working with the TVA and other corporate and non-profit participants, will work on ways to keep those electric cars running. That would include installation of publicly available recharging stations.

Efforts initially will be focused on the mid-Tennessee region along the Interstate 24 and Interstate 65 corridors.

The Tennessee Valley Authority - the nation's largest public power supplier - "is looking forward to being part of this project to explore the potential of electric vehicles," said TVA Chairman William B. Sansom.

"Electric vehicles could put electricity to work overnight, or off-peak, when other power needs are lower," he added, "and that has the potential to be an economic and environmental plus for all of us."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell July 22, 2008, 1:43 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault
Technorati Tags:: Electric Vehicles

Acura, Smart, Chevy Models Top List of Healthiest Cars Tested by Ecology Center

Soy foam in the seats the Ford F-150 pickups and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Locally farmed hemp, "ethically produced" woolen fabric and floor mats made of sisal in the Lotus Eco Elise.

Some automakers are increasingly going to great lengths to make the interiors of some of their models if not environmentally friendly, at least a bit wholesome.

But others, well...

Early today the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Michigan, posted its second-annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and children's car seats at www.HealthyCar.org.

More than two hundred 2008- and 2009-model-year vehicles and more than 60 children's car seats were tested for unhealthy chemicals that seep in gaseous form from the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, seats and carpet.

The "new-car smell," as the gases are commonly called, mingle with the air occupants breathe and have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.

The Ecology Center reported that Mazda, General Motors and Nissan improved since last year's findings, with GM showing the greatest gains of the domestic automakers, with an average vehicle ranking improvement of 27 percent.

The list of the 10 best and 10 worst vehicles as picked by the Center appears in the chart above.

Average child-car-seat scores improved 28 percent overall. The list of 10 best and worst car seats for 2008 as picked by the Center appears at left. Click on the chart for a better look.

For more information, go to www.HealthyCar.org.

Below are the three worst 2008-model-year vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Suzuki Reno and Volkswagen New Beetle.

Below are are the three best vehicles by interior pollution, according to the Center (click on each to enlarge). From left to right: Acura RXD, Chevrolet Cobalt and Smart Passion Cabriolet.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett July 22, 2008, 12:21 AM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Think, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 17, 2008

That New Car Smell Might Kill You

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

That's our sensational headline for 2008, but there's more than a smidgen of truth in it.

Last year Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ecology Center released the first-ever consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats -- and what they reported was sickening.

The odor you inhale when you slide into a new car? It might very well be bromine, chlorine, lead, other harmful chemicals or a witches' brew of them. They've been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and, no doubt, cancer.

If you think the government protects you against such things, think again. Some of the vehicles on the road today are veritable toxic dumps on wheels. And many drivers are exposed to these chemicals through inhalation and contact with dust every day.

In case you missed last year's report, Ecology Center found the most toxic vehicles were the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo, Scion xB 5dr and the Kia Rio. The least toxic vehicles were the Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Odyssey and the Volvo V50.

Next Tuesday -- July 22 -- Ecology Center will release its second annual consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats, and if you're thinking of buying a new car anytime soon, you'll want to check it out. The guide will be posted at www.healthycar.org a little after midnight on the 22nd.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett July 17, 2008, 1:39 PM
Categories:: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge, Emissions, Fiat, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Legislation, Lexus, MINI, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opinion, Pontiac, Porsche, Renault, Saab, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

July 10, 2008

Renault Nissan Alliance Getting Recharging Stations in Place for an EV World

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Assuming the major impediment to creating electric vehicles for the masses can be overcome -- that being development of batteries that are lightweight, powerful, reliable, long-lived, cheap, non-toxic, fast-charging, and easy to recycle and eventually dispose of -- all that stands in the way of a world where the EV is king is the installation of millions of recharging stations.

As frequent visitors to this blog know, there are armies of brainiacs working on the battery problem, and a far fewer number of people working on the recharging-stations problem. Skeptics say EVs will stay niche until motorists feel confident there are enough recharging stations around to rejuvenate their batteries when they need rejuvenating. Gas-powered cars, they say, would have been doomed had it not been for gas stations. Right? Right.

But if recent events portend things to come, the Renault Nissan Alliance is taking serious steps to overcome the recharging-stations hurdle. Its solution: a mix of public-private and private-private pacts.

Its most recent success story unfolded Wedesday, when alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to lay the groundwork for use of electric vehicles in Portugal.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett July 10, 2008, 6:14 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Nissan, Opinion, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault

June 25, 2008

Renault Unveils Fuel Cell-Electric Scenic Prototype

Renault today unveiled additional details and a schematic of the Scenic ZEV H2, the fuel cell-electric prototype we blogged about last month that loads Nissan's fuel cell technology and lithium-ion batteries onto Renault's five-seat Grand Scenic minivan.

The French carmaker says the Scenic ZEV H2 (for zero emissions vehicle, hydrogen) project is part of wider, continuing efforts with its Japanese alliance partner to develop and bring to market a range of zero-emission vehicles.

Renault engineers redesigned the Scenic's floor and raised its ground clearance by 2.3 inches to accommodate Nissan's fuel-cell stack, a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank, and lithium-ion batteries.

Instrumentation has been adapted to the new powertrain...

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett June 25, 2008, 9:30 AM
Categories:: Batteries, Emissions, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hydrogen, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault

May 29, 2008

Renault-Nissan Looking Past Batteries to Fuel Cells

Nissan X Fuel Cell Vehicle will begin making rounds in Europe next month.

Nissan and Renault haven't started making and marketing their much-anticipated battery-electric cars yet, but already are moving beyond batteries to hydrogen fuel cells.

The first, previously announced, steps in the Renault-Nissan Alliance's "zero-emission motoring future," as the companies call it, is to begin selling battery EVs in the U.S. and Japan by the end of 2010 and to mass-market them in Israel and Denmark beginning in 2011 as part of an energy independence program developed by California entrepreneur Shai Agassi and his Project Better Place foundation.

Step Two, the companies said Thursday, is to continue development of fuel-cell electric vehicles.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 29, 2008, 1:43 PM
Categories:: Batteries, Fuel Cell, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault

May 2, 2008

Renault-Nissan In EV Talks With Unnamed Gulf State

French automotive executive Carlos Ghosn told reporters attending a product review in Portugal today that automakers Renault and Nissan are talking with a Gulf region country abut participating in a bold electric car project that already has been adopted by Israel.

"We are negotiating to launch an electric car with a Gulf state," Ghosn told a news conference in the coastal resort of Cascais, near Lisbon.

Renault and Nissan, which have operated as an alliance since the French company took control of the Japanese automaker in 1999, plan to put an electric-powered car on the road by 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell May 2, 2008, 4:15 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Transportation Alternatives

March 5, 2008

Nissan Sets 2010 for U.S. Electric Car Launch

Nissan Motor Co., which has come late to the hybrid game, doesn't want to be caught unplugged when electric cars start hitting the market, says company boss Carlos Ghosn.

An electric Nissan will be introduced in the U.S. in 2010, he told reporters Wednesday during an impromptu discussion at the Geneva Motor Show, with a global launch of the vehicle to follow in 2012.

Ghosn, who chairs both Nissan and its French partner, Renault, said the electric car would be sold worldwide by both brands. He did not elaborate on brand distinctions, model variances or particulars of the electric drive system being prepared, but did say the cars would not be identical.

Renault would target the European market, Ghosn said, while Nissan would target Asia and the U.S.

Ghosn said that California's 2004 law aimed at reducing automotive carbon-dioxide emissions has spurred Nissan and Renault engineers' joint research into alternative energy sources such as electric drive.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell March 5, 2008, 3:45 PM
Categories:: Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Transportation Alternatives

January 22, 2008

Renault-Nissan EV Deal Confirmed

French automaker Renault and Japan's Nissan have confirmed that they are teaming with California-based Project Better Place and the state of Israel to develop a new electric car and a related battery recharging infrastructure.

The cars and battery stations will be launched in Israel in 2011, the companies said, and ultimately will be made available globally.

Green Car Advisor reported Friday on the then-pending deal, and Edmunds AutoObserver provides some fresh details today, so jump on over and take a look.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell January 22, 2008, 12:00 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Batteries, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault

January 18, 2008

U.S. Entrepreneur Key to New Electric Car Program: Renault, Nissan To Launch Cars in Israel

An electric car and battery exchange program that's been in the works for months appears to be ready to launch.

Renault and Nissan Motor Co. are expected to announce Monday a joint venture to build and test electric cars, using Israel as the first test site and a California entrepreneur's vision for a battery exchange network as the catalyst to make it all work.

The automakers, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, are teaming with California entrepreneur Shai Agassi (right), who last year began a venture aimed at establishing a global network of battery charging and replacement centers to facilitate electric car use.

Edmunds.com first reported on Agassi's talks with Israel almost two months ago.

In a recent interview with Green Car Advisor, Agassi said his "Project Better Place" would solve the nagging problem of how to keep electric vehicles running after the initial battery charge is depleted – how to make them cars that can be used every day by all kinds of drivers, for long trips as well as short commutes.

The system envisioned by Agassi – former product division president at business software giant SAP -- works much like a conventional fueling system in which people buy cars from automakers and get their gasoline or diesel fuel as they need it from filling stations affiliated with various energy companies.