Electric Vehicles Archives

Renault EVs recognised by GreenFleet

Renault has been awarded the title of Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year at the UK’s 2017 GreenFleet awards. It also picked up another, for City Car Manufacturer of the Year thanks to its line-up of compact EVs that include the ZOE.

Annually, GreenFleet Awards recognizes manufacturers or organisations that successfully introduce fuel saving strategies and innovations that include low emission vehicles. Renault currently has several different vehicles that utilizes EV technology, which include the upgraded Kangoo Z.E.33.

Speaking of the accolade, Angela Pisanu, editor of GreenFleet magazine, said, “The winner this year has had their experts come up with new battery technology that has enabled them to increase the range on their small car and van EV offering.”

The latest ZOE has received a decent upgrade that includes an improved battery pack that allows for a 50% increase in range on a single charge. The automaker has admitted that, in real world driving conditions, the car should be able to cover a distance of 299km in warm weather conditions and 200km in areas that are subjected to winter conditions.

Through the use of its patented Chameleon Charger, the ZOE is able to charge its battery from 0-80% in an hour. In addition to that, this charger is able to adapt to a wide range of power supplies to ensure that the charging duration is kept to a minimum.

Similarly, the new Kangoo also has an upgraded battery pack that allows for a 60% improvement in range over its predecessor. This electric van is able to travel for about 274km on a single charge, which isn’t extraordinary but increases practicality.

Apart from these two vehicles, Renault also has a number of other EVs that are just as efficient, which include the Twizy quadricycle and the upcoming Master Z.E. large panel van. This line-up is responsible for spearheading the French automaker’s charge to dominate the increasingly popular EV market.

And the GreenFleet award is a testament to this very fact. However, there are several other publications that have given these vehicles the same recognition for innovation, practicality and ease of use. The following are the latest accolades picked up by Renault:

What Car? Best Electric Car 2017 – Renault ZOE
What Car? Best Used Green Car 2018 – Renault ZOE
Autocar Game Changer 2017 – Renault ZOE
Parkers Eco Car of the Year 2018 – Renault ZOE
Pure Electric and Hybrid Cars Green Apple Champion 2017 – Renault ZOE

Expect more from this French automaker in the near future because competition in the EV market is bound to increase by several orders of magnitude. Tesla has recently announced a fully electric lorry that may revolutionize the way we see freight transportation in general. All we can say is, this is a pretty interesting time for the automotive industry.

Drag race video of high speed racers, with a twist

E.ON, a well known energy provider, has released a witty video that showcases the versatility of electric mobility. The 1:36 minute film depicts an American style drag race that takes place on a wide barren dessert floor in the middle of nowhere.

A variety of different vehicles line up side by side at the start of the race. They comprise of the world’s first big foot EV, Tachyon Speed by Raesr, an electric hyper-car prototype, Baja buggy, Shelby Cobra motorbikes, and a number of other vehicles.

Initially, the video would have you believe that all these vehicles are in fact petrol or diesel powered. their engine notes or lack there of, were masked by the audible sound of several electric guitars played by musicians from the bed of pick-up trucks.

Their musical notes mimic that of actual engine sounds and exhaust notes. And as these vehicles pass a small petrol station in the desert, the music stops to reveal that all vehicles in the race are in fact, fully electric. The big foot, actually has 30 separate batteries in it that total 360 volts and the Tachyon Speed, has about 1,250bhp of EV power at its disposal.

The video ends with the words, E.ON is setting the electric car free, referring to the idea that any car, regardless of age, can be converted into a fully electric one. This maybe a startling revelation to some, but many manufacturers including Bosch, already produce modular systems that can be adapted to support multiple platforms.

E.On however isn’t a manufacturer but a major supporter of the EV platform and is currently running The ‘Freedom is Electric’ campaign. It showcases the diversity of the world of electric vehicles, charged using E.ON’s fast-charging technology, which will be available in thousands of locations across Europe.

It’s ultra-fast charging network, offering 150 kW of charging power with a modular upgrade option to 350 kW, will enable charging of a full 400 kilometres range battery in only 20-30 minutes. This will help somewhat, to make electric cars more practical as daily drivers and for long distance commutes.

All vehicles that were featured in the film, including the motorbikes and drones used for filming, were actually EVs. Not a single drop of fossil fuel was used in the entire making of the video, which exemplifies the notion of electric mobility being the future of modern transportation.

Polestar 1 is automaker’s first hybrid concept car for the masses

Polestar has finally revealed its first ever production car to the world. Called the Polestar 1, the vehicle is a Volvo S90 based Coupe that is built upon the Swedish automaker’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA).

The company stated that parts sharing with its Volvo cousin has enabled it to build the Polestar 1 in record time, taking just a fraction of what usually amounts to years worth of research & development as well as testing. That said, 50% of the components used are new while the remaining half are inherited from Volvo.

Sporting similar a silhouette as the S90 sedan, Polestar has done away with Volvo’s signature chrome grille and placed an understated yet menacing louvered grille. The projector headlights with DRL’s resembling Thor’s hammer are still present but subtle tweaks have been made to the front and rear sections of teh car for better aero efficiency.

The body is made from carbon-fibre, which has enabled the improvement of torsional stiffness by 45% and lowered the car’s centre of gravity. This will result in a massive weight reduction compared to the standard Volvo meaning, that agility and nimbleness should be better too.

The car features a hybrid powertrain that brings total output to a colossal 600bhp and 1000Nm of torque. Called the Electric Performance Hybrid, the Polestar 1 is able to travel about 150km on pure electric power, making it the only hybrid vehicle currently on sale that can achieve such a feat on a single charge.

Another first, the Polestar 1 is the first car in the world that will be fitted with the Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) advanced chassis technology. That coupled with a double electric rear axle for torque vectoring, will enable the car to remain planted while cornering at high speeds.

Marketed as a 2+2 seater grand tourer, the Polestar 1 is a concept vehicle that previews what the production version may look like when it is unveiled in mid-2019. The vehicle will be built in Polestar’s state-of-the-art production centre in Chengdu, China. Due for completion in mid-2018, the facility will be responsible for manufacturing future models from the automaker.

During the reveal, Polestar made it known that it will be launching two further models called the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3. The former will be an electric vehicle that will take on the Tesla Model 3, while the latter is poised to be an SUV styled EV.

Apart from this, the automaker is also planning on revolutionising the way we buy our cars. It will allow its vehicles to be purchased/rented online and will also introduce a substription service that will enable ownership with zero-downpayment at a steady monthly fee. In addition to that, owners can also rent alterntavie vehicles within the Volvo family.

The exact details are still a bit hazy at the moment as Polestar has yet to lay down concrete framework that will enable the public to its subscriptions service for a 2-3 year lease of its vehicles rather than opt in to an out-right purchase.

Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar said, “Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand.”

Despite this, Polestar will still have its brick and mortar showrooms around the globe to facilitate customers how prefer the old fashion way of buying vehicles. The order books of the Polestar 1 begins today, and Polestar says its ready to facilitate all interested parties.

Oxford to ban non-electric vehicles from its streets by 2020

It looks like cities around the world are taking turns to drop bombshells in terms EV regulations, in the recent weeks. Now, Oxford has decided to jump in and propose its own heavy-handed regulatory policy, which effectively bans all non-electric vehicles from its roads by 2020.

As absurd as that may sound, it gets a whole lot worse because the ban doesn’t just encompass the sale of new cars, rather it involves all vehicles, including taxis, buses and HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicles) used to transport shipments and cargo into the city.

Skeptics believe that the rushed effort reflects the lack of consideration given by the city council to the current infrastructure. Based on an article by Car Throttle, it is estimated that Oxford is home to about 160,000 residents but the current EV infrastructure isn’t able to match their EV demands.

The city plans on investing in this area by creating 100 more charging outlets, which wouldn’t be able to do much good considering the influx of electric cars by 2020. That said, the ban will only be fully enforced by 2035. Oxford only plans to banish fossil fuel burning vehicles from its busy city streets in the next couple of years, the complete ban, will only take place 15 years later.

This news can serve as an indication of things to come in terms of environmental regulations. Governments around the world are beginning to realize that the use of electric vehicles will help reduce our carbon footprint, improve air quality and lessen the effects of global warming.

Source: Car Throttle

Nissan has big plans for its electrified future

Nissan is going to be quite busy within the next several years according to its ‘Four Pillars’ plan that was revealed in Norway. This quartet signifies the company’s focus on the launch of new electric vehicles, additional infrastructure investment, battery charging and home storage advances as well as a revolutionary way of offering free power to EV owners.

The new Leaf has already gone into production and is expected to hit markets such as the UK, very soon. There will be a special variant for Europe called the 2.ZERO, which will have unique fittings that set it apart from the base car. In general, the Leaf will offer a range of 378km per charge, ProPILOT driver assist and autonomous parking systems.

Nissan will also be update its e-NV200 electric van that offers 280km range on a single charge, which is a 60% improvement over its predecessor. Despite the increase in performance, the vehicle’s battery size and weight has remained the same as the one in its predecessor – an impressive feat because storage space and payload capacity remains unchanged.

Working with the EV fast charging standard called CHAdeMO, Nissan plans on expanding its outdoor charging network by 20% over the next 18 months. As it stands, the company already has an extensive network of charging stations that includes over 4600 quick chargers. Now, it plans on installing a further 100 chargers over the course of the next 18 months.

The third area where Nissan plans on making an impact is with improvements to its range of home and office charging units with the introduction of its double speed 7kW charger and 22kW fast charger. the 7kW one is able to charge a Nissan EV to 100% charge in 5.5 hours which is about 70% faster than before.

Its 22kW charger on the other hand, which is mostly targeted at fleet and business owners, can accomplish the same feat in just 2 hours. This super-fast charger can also be purchased by the general public who want a quicker charging experience.

Supplementing this is Nissan’s smart energy storage system for EV owners that will charge connected vehicles when needed and depending on electricity tariffs. This offers customers greater control over the costs incurred for charging their EVs.

Last but not least, through its new bi-directional charging system, Nissan hopes to offer ‘free-power’ to its customers. This system allows Nissan EVs to draw power from the grid when needed and ‘sell back’ this power when the vehicle is sitting idle in a driveway. This helps offset the daily costs of charging such a vehicle.

Though not groundbreaking, Nissan’s latest steps will help shape the way we see electric mobility. Such systems are already at play in places like Denmark but it should catch on in places like the UK where the infrastructure is already available to support the future of electric mobility.

Chery to launch new brand and vehicles for European market

Chery Automobiles Co., Ltd is planning on revealing a new compact SUV concept at the up coming Frankfurt Motor Show in September and under a new nameplate. It will mirror, in some form, the actual production vehicle that is aimed at the younger car buyer.

This nameplate, and the vehicles that bear its namesake will spearhead the Chinese automaker’s charge into the European passenger car market within the next few years. The adoption of a new brand name for the new line of vehicles may be a marketing ploy by Chery to ensure that it starts off with a clean slate instead of inheriting unwanted baggage.

“In just a few years we intend to start selling a family of vehicles in European markets across multiple segments, with power supplied by a range of electrified powertrains,” explains Chery CEO Dr. Anning Chen at Chery Automobile Co., Ltd.

Chery is also evaluating sales opportunities in key markets before it initializes the setting up European sales operations with its various import and distribution partners. This is probably toe ensure that it makes all the right moves in a market that is relatively unknown to the Chinese.

Chery has also stated that it hopes that the new design and R&D facilities in Europe accelerate its plans and efforts for global expansion. This news isn’t surprising considering that like Chery, Geely and its subsidiary, Volvo cars, recently agreed to technology sharing between the brands.

This in turn will allow Geely access to technology that should make its vehicles compelling alternatives to models offered by established European automakers. Chery, though lacking a such a treasure trove of sophisticated tech, may have the same goal in mind.

The Chinese automaker has also revealed its intentions of selling a range of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This should make it a formidable force in the EV segment in the next few years.

Maserati to take the electric route before 2022

Tesla’s resilience when faced with almost insurmountable challenges of making a practical electric car, has had an impact on the industry. It wasn’t too long ago when many mainstream automakers suggested that producing a practical electric car was still some ways off, and that the internal combustion engine was here to stay.

Now however, many have changed their tune and are willing to step into relatively uncharted waters and begin mass producing electrified powertrains. Not long ago, Volvo announced that it will only be building hybrid or fully electric vehicles from 2019 onward. Hyundai too are planning on a similar strategy sometime in the near future.

And if an article published by Autocar UK is to be believed, it would appear that Maserati, a well known Italian sports car company has decided to take the electrified route as well. It’s parent company FCA (Fiat Chrysler Autombiles) who also owns Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Dodge, want Maserati to take the lead and produce electrified vehicles and technology.

This same technology can then be adapted by the rest of the brands under the FCA umbrella and ensure that about half of the company’s model range comprises of either hybrid or EVs by 2022.

That said, the first electrified Maserati, which will probably be a hybrid, is predicted to be unveiled by 2020 at the earliest and may be based on the Alfieri concept that debuted at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

The article goes on to speculate that Prior to the launch of that vehicle, Maserati might hybridize other current generation vehicles like the Levante SUV. Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but we won’t be surprised if the Italian automaker chooses to go fully electric in the not so distant future.

Many car buyers around the world are beginning to embrace hybrid and electric vehicles as the future of personal mobility. And as soon as there is sufficient infrastructure to sustain their practicality as daily drivers, that will be the final nail in the coffin of the internal combustion engine.

Source: Autocar UK

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