September 2008 Archives
After announcing the bad news first, a $400 million loss for the year so far, Chrysler followed up with some very surprising good news: three new electric vehicles. And unlike GM, whose Chevy Volt is an uninspiring sedan that appears to have been traced from a silhouette of the Toyota Prius (despite the very exciting concept version the General teased us with), Chrysler has released the iconic Jeep Wrangler and the immensely popular Chrysler Town & Country minivan as range-extended electric vehicles. On top of that, they also released a pure electric convertible built on the Lotus Europa platform that will compete directly with the Tesla Roadster.
It turns out Chrysler has been sandbagging us all along, and has been working on electric vehicles since January 2007. They even went so far as to bring three electric vehicle mockups to the Detroit auto show in January "to show what electric vehicles could look like" and also to appear way behind GM in the electric vehicle race. Leading up to announcements from GM and Chrysler Tesla and Phoenix have dominated the consumer EV arena while hobbyists have continued converting existing cars with aftermarket EV components.
It turns out Chrysler has been sandbagging us all along, and has been working on electric vehicles since January 2007. They even went so far as to bring three electric vehicle mockups to the Detroit auto show in January "to show what electric vehicles could look like" and also to appear way behind GM in the electric vehicle race. Leading up to announcements from GM and Chrysler Tesla and Phoenix have dominated the consumer EV arena while hobbyists have continued converting existing cars with aftermarket EV components.You must download Flash to watch this video.
Chrysler ENVI Electric Cars Video
GM has finally released photos of the long-awaited Chevy Volt series hybrid electric vehicle to mixed reviews. The production version of the Volt has a much less dramatic form than the concept car, and reminds viewers much more of the Toyota Prius parallel hybrid than the high-end sports car that it was originally intended to be, as suggested by the sleek profile of the concept and a price tag north of $40,000 before tax incentives.
Designers had little choice in the matter of looks, however, with the smoothed lines and abrupt rear end necessary to reduce drag and wring as much range as possible out of the lithium-ion battery pack powering the car. GM has announced that the T-shaped battery pack has met their 40 mile range requirement, though the company is still deciding between Continental and CPI as suppliers of the batteries.
The Chevy Volt operates very differently than the Toyota Prius. The Volt is a series hybrid, meaning that its gasoline engine is used only to charge the battery pack, and is not connected to the drivetrain mechanically. The battery pack can provide 40 miles of driving as a pure electric vehicle, and for longer trips the gas engine kicks in to charge the battery pack and provide range extending capabilities of 400 miles or more.
The Prius, on the other hand, is a parallel hybrid, meaning that both the gasoline engine and the electric motor work in parallel to drive the wheels. Another difference is that the Volt is a plug-in hybrid, meaning that the driver can plug in the car once they return home at night. If their daily commute is less than 40 miles round trip, it is possible that the Volt can be driven entirely on electricity from the grid, without ever needing to refill the tank.
Both Honda and Toyota are working on plug-in hybrids of their own, and there are systems available to convert a Toyota Prius into a 100-mpg plug-in hybrid. However, because the hybrids from Honda and Toyota are all parallel hybrids, relying on the gas engine for a significant amount of power when accelerating, they are much less effective as plug-in hybrids than a series hybrid such as the Volt. While it is disappointing that GM had to make such drastic changes to the styling of the Volt, it is still exciting to have the world's largest automaker back on track supporting alternative transportation technologies. Electric Vehicle Authority looks forward to providing our readers with continuing coverage as we learn more about the new Chevy Volt plug-in series hybrid slated to begin production in 2010 for the 2011 model year.
Precer, a Swedish company developing biomass vehicle powerplants, has released a biofuel series hybrid vehicle called the Bioracer. The powertrain consists of a wood pellet burner which acts as the heat source for a stirling engine generator. The stirling engine charges the traction batteries, which in turn drive an electric motor to power the Bioracer. Precer is also experimenting with steam turbines, and claims to have a new engine concept under development that could replace the stirling engine currently in use.
The Bioracer is a 900 pound off-road vehicle with dual A-arm suspension in the front and swingarm suspension in the rear, much like an ATV or sand rail. The vehicle is powered by a 16 hp electric motor and is available with 2 or 4 wheel drive. Energy is stored in a 24 to 96 volt, 100 to 400 amp-hour battery pack depending on the customer's specifications, providing up to 3 hours of driving on battery power alone. The stirling engine consumes 3 to 6 pounds of wood pellets to provide enough charge for 10 miles of driving, also depending on the customer configuration.
Precer's goal is to significantly improve the economy and environmental aspects of vehicles today, by using environmental biofuel that is compatible with all future vehicle requirements. The biomass drivetrain Precer has developed can also be adapted for use in any modern vehicle, with the advantages that once switched over to wood pellets as fuel, consumers are able to domestic raw materials that do not require refining, reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
Precer's goal is to significantly improve the economy and environmental aspects of vehicles today, by using environmental biofuel that is compatible with all future vehicle requirements. The biomass drivetrain Precer has developed can also be adapted for use in any modern vehicle, with the advantages that once switched over to wood pellets as fuel, consumers are able to domestic raw materials that do not require refining, reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
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