Hyundai has leased 15 ix35 FCEV’s to Copenhagen for use as municipal vehicles, taking delivery of the cars in the spring 0f 2013. Experts characterize the deal between Hyundai and Copenhagen as a “win-win” for both parties. Considered one of the greenest cities in the world, the Danish capital aggressively pursues its goal of becoming 100 percent carbon neutral by 2025, and implementation of FCEV technology plays a key role in achieving that goal. For their part, Hyundai gets a real-world proving ground for what they believe will ultimately surpass battery-electric technology with its inherent range limitations and lengthy “refueling” time.

Advantages and challenges of fuel cell vehicles

Fuel cells power a vehicle when hydrogen reacts with atmospheric oxygen through a “fuel cell stack,” producing electric power to drive a motor. The only waste product is water. FCEVs have a range similar to gasoline-powered cars (the ix35 has a range of about 365 miles) and can be refueled in minutes — much faster than the hours required for a battery-electric. That’s assuming there’s a hydrogen refueling station anywhere nearby. And therein is the rub. With a battery-electric car, the fuel source is ubiquitous, even if it doesn’t get you very far. Add to that the current estimated initial price tag of $88,000 for a FCEV and the principal challenges to fuel cell technology becomes apparent.

But Hyundai and other FCEV developers are confident those challenges will be met — and soon: “We aim to reduce prices of fuel-cell vehicles to match battery cars by 2020-2025,” says Hyundai’s director in charge of fuel cell research Lim Tae-won. With plans from companies like Germany’s Linde to half the cost of building hydrogen refueling stations and carmakers like Hyundai aiming to cut that $88,000 price tag in half as it rolls out up to 100,000 FCEV’s by 2020, Tae-won sees FCEV’s as ultimately a better choice than battery-powered cars.

Main image credit: Revolve Eco-Rally/Flickr

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In 2010, Toyota hinted that its pure-electric eQ, a variant of the iQ minicar, would break all sorts of efficiency records and sell by the thousands. In two years, however, the company has watched multiple issues plague its major competition, the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF. Sensing that consumer demand for the eQ might not be as robust as expected, Toyota says it will instead release only about 100 eQ vehicles in the United States and Japan, and then scale back its development plans for EVs.

Toyota’s vice chairman told reporters the company sees many difficulties developing electric vehicles, especially given the limited market for electric cars. “The current capabilities of electric vehicles do not meet society’s needs, whether it may be the distance the cars can run, or the costs, or how it takes a long time to charge,” Toyota’s Vice Chairman Takeshis Uchiyamada told Reuters in Japan.

For now, it appears that the company will remain focused on its existing hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, like the newly expanded Prius family. Earlier this year, Toyota announced plans to release an accessory that will allow the Prius PHV plug-in hybrid to be used as a power generator in an emergency.

So far, Nissan and GM, both of which have invested heavily in their all-electric vehicle offerings, show no signs of adopting Toyota’s cautious approach.

Photo credit: Toyota/Autoguide

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EVs and certain other zero-emission vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells and compressed natural gas are already eligible to drive in carpool lanes even when they only have one passenger, as long as they get a special sticker from the state. The program used to be even bigger, including hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, but after successfully encouraging mass adoption of hybrids, that part of program expired. Now the state legislature is focused on encouraging consumers to buy even lower-emission cars.

Assembly Bill 2405, authored by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield from Los Angeles, would allow every car that currently qualifies for carpool lanes to also avoid tolls. In some cases, the roads are both carpool and toll lanes, and in others, roads that are purely toll lanes would be affected. Critics in the government have argued that EV drivers should have to pay tolls, because the tolls are an important part of paying for some new roads.

Some have also argued that letting a single EV driver ride in a carpool lane actually encourages pollution, because the situation leads to more congestion on the road overall. That was a common argument made against allowing hybrid cars in carpool lanes, too. But a fascinating new study last year found that the opposite was actually true: When hybrid cars were banned from carpool lanes, congestion increased. The carpool lane became 15 percent slower. Researchers speculated that the reason was safety concerns — as regular lanes became more crowded, carpool drivers slowed to make passing in and out of the lane safer.

Just as carpool lane exemptions helped get hybrids on the road, the same can be done with electric cars. Exempting EVs from tolls is an extra push, and a good idea.

Main image: Model S by Tesla

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The board is a regular 8-pound longboard modified with twin brushless motors, a lithium-ion battery and custom electronics. Most EVs use DC motors, but they are heavier than Boosted Boards’ chosen twin brushless motors, which are compact yet provide 2.6 horsepower — enough to run the board up to 20 miles per hour and up hills with a 15 percent incline.

In total, the Boosted Board will weigh 12-15 pounds, which is significantly lighter than some other electric skateboards on the market: ZBoard has two models of electric skateboards weighing 37 and 30 pounds, E-Glide makes a variety of electric boards ranging from 29-75 pounds, Exkate makes boards from 28-40 pounds, and Metroboard has some relatively light boards ranging from 18-20 pounds.

The battery lasts a 6 mile range and requires only two hours to achieve a full charge (much shorter than a standard electric car). Regernerative braking — where braking pumps energy back into the battery — is also implemented in Boosted Boards. A handheld remote controls the board with a throttle and brake, along with a battery readout to know when a charge is necessary. And don’t worry, riders can still use foot power if they run out of charge or are just looking for some exercise.

The company worked through 10 prototypes before settling on the current model, which will be manufactured and distributed beginning next year thanks to a fully funded Kickstarter project. Boosted Boards turned to the fundraising website to go from prototypes to production of consumer units, and the fundraiser reached its goal within 24 hours.

Unfortunately for us cost-conscious folks, the board isn’t going to be cheap. Boosted Boards estimates the final product will retail for approximately $1,299, though funders of the Kickstarter can get one of the early boards for $1,199 or more. However, that’s a lot cheaper than other EVs, and yearly cost to charge the board will be minimal.

Photo and video via Boosted Boards/Kickstarter

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Lit Motors’ C-1 is a two-wheeled EV that’s chock full of fun technologies meant to keep you safe and connected. It’s expected to top out at over 100 mph but has an estimated range of up to 200 miles per charge and will go from 0-60 in roughly six seconds. Of course, we’ve seen fast electric bikes and motorcycles before, so that’s not the surprising part. What’s truly unique is that the C-1 includes gyroscopic stabilizers that prevent the vehicle from tipping or falling over like a bike or motorcycle. This feature, coupled with the C-1′s palatable price tag, could make it attractive to non-bikers who are worried about safety.

The C-1 will initially be priced around $24,000 when it launches in 2014, and will take a year or two to drop down to $16,000. As it scales to being mass market (~100,000 units) around 2018, the price of the C-1 will drop down to $12,500.

Unlike other EVs which piece together technologies from a assortment of different models, the C-1 was designed, machined and built by hand from the ground up in San Francisco. Not only does the sleek look of the fully enclosed C-1 appeal to motorcycle enthusiasts, it also shows that Lit Motors understands what’s important to American drivers: safety and price.

“We aim to be the future of personal transportation,” Lit founder, President and CTO Danny Kim told TechCrunch. “By taking our vehicles to the mass market quickly and internationally, we will ease traffic congestion, decrease fuel use, reduce CO2 emissions, create 2,000 to 10,000 green jobs, and allow people to get around quickly and efficiently.”

In addition to making it impossible for you to lay it down on the pavement, the C-1 will also be packed with every amenity you can find in other vehicles today, such as air conditioning, power windows and airbags. You can even program it to take orders from your smartphone.

Main photo credit: Lit Motors

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It appears that electric cars are part of the social ranking system in the global auto industry. All the cool kids are doing it, and if you’re an auto maker that isn’t working on adding EVs to your lineup, you might find yourself sitting alone at lunch. A lot.

Hoping to keep pace with its global competitors, Russian automaker Lada recently unveiled its first all-electric concept at the 2012 Moscow Auto Show. Boosted by Renault and Nissan, which are 50 percent owners in the company, the car’s design builds on the already existent Kalina model. Instead of a combustion engine, however, the El Lada will feature a Chinese lithium battery they claim will allow 93 miles of travel on a single charge, with a top speed of around 80 miles an hour.

According to Technologic Vehicles, the El Lada’s specs do not indicate a vehicle for a cross-country travel, but rather an efficient compact car for Russian urban centers with problematic air pollution. Inside Line reports that the car is mainly intended for taxi use in the Caucasus region of Russia.

Although taxi cab companies will love the fuel savings of the El Lada, experts say individual drivers might not be as enthusiastic. A regular Lada Kalina costs between $8,000 and $10,000, while the El Lada will cost the equivalent of $31,148. Still, Nissan doesn’t sell the LEAF in Russia, so Lada may have the advantage of an open market, at least for the time being.

Main photo credit: Avtovaz/Green Car Reports; video credit: Lada

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The Cayman Department of Vehicles and Licensing will now register electric cars on the island after previously barring them from its roads. The announcement came at the first ever Caribbean International Electric Car Show held at the Cayman Motor Museum. Among the vehicles on display was the Wheego, a two-seat compact car that runs about 100 miles on a single charge. The Wheego starts at $32,995 and qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit. The company is in the process of expanding its network of dealers to other Caribbean nations, including Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The cars are currently sold in 13 states, Japan and now the Cayman Islands.

In Cayman, officials are planning to construct more than a dozen new solar-powered charging stations across the territory to help support the newly legalized electric cars. Cayman Automotive, the first car dealer in the territory to sell electric vehicles, has hopes of selling as many as 3,000 electric cars by 2018, the Caribbean Journal reports.

Electric cars offer buyers environmental and long-term cost benefits. But the industry faces several hurdles that have slowed adoption by the mass population. Fully electric cars take a long time to charge — the Wheego, for instance, takes 10 hours to charge from zero to 100 percent — and the relatively low availability of charging stations makes it difficult to travel long distances.

While no one expects instantaneous, widespread adoption of electric cars across the Cayman Islands, officials there say any reduction of carbon emissions will be beneficial to the territory’s fragile environment.

“We are thrilled to be able to introduce this technology to the Cayman Islands in an effort to further preserve our treasured ecosystem,” said Hon. McKeeva Bush, premier of the Cayman Islands, at the end of last year when the solar charging stations were announced. “Our natural environment, including the Mastic Trail, the Blue Iguanas and our pristine waters, is a source of national pride, which we plan to maintain for years to come. This development is crucial to our success.”

Main photo credit: Shutterstock.com

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Unlike the rest of us, the Pope didn’t have to spend months comparing brand attributes and stressing over high cost versus benefit. Benedict’s brand new eco-friendly car was a gift from Renault, an EV car maker based in France. In order to allow the Holy Father to keep his options open, Renault donated not one but two new electric cars, both based on the Kangoo Maxi Z.E., an electric, glazed version of the Kangoo delivery van used throughout Europe. Each has 60 horsepower, and a range of just over 100 miles.

Of course, Pope Benedict is no ordinary EV enthusiast, so these are no ordinary Kangoos. The Washington Post has more on what makes these EVs unique, and how they’ll be put to use transporting His Holiness:

“The first of the Pope’s new vehicles is painted in a saintly shade of white, with the Papal coat of arms emblazoned across the doors. The car will be used when the Pope is traveling at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The second will be used by the Corps of Gendarmerie Corps in Vatican City, the Pope’s own personal police force, and is painted blue with a yellow and white stripe down the side.”

With the addition of two new Renaults, the Vatican now has an impressive fleet of three different EVs at its disposal. Earlier this year, Italian automaker NWG donated an electric car to the Vatican, but it was for the press office to use.

Photo: A Renault Kangoo, similar to the one donated to the Pope. Credit: BKM_BR/Flickr

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Due to the fact that more automakers are rushing to build electric vehicles, in combination with rising oil and gasoline prices, means that the economies of scale for lithium-ion battery manufacturing should reduce prices in the coming years. According to the study this alone would account for one-third of the projected price drop, with the balance being contributed by an influx of new battery companies, borrowed technology from electronics companies such as Apple, and refined and standardized manufacturing equipment.

The current price of lithium-ion batteries is between $500 and $600 per kilowatt hour but prices are expected to fall to $200 in 2020 and to $160 by 2025. The U.S. Department of Energy has a goal to reduce the per kilowatt hour price to $300 by 2014.

“Cheaper batteries could enable the broader adoption of electrified vehicles, potentially disrupting the transportation, power and petroleum sectors,” the study stated.

The cost of the lithium-ion batteries in a new EV is the biggest hurdle to widespread adoption of the technology. For example, just the battery packs in the new Ford Focus Electric run between $12,000 and $15,000; that’s nearly the full selling price of the base-model gasoline-powered Focus. Because of the high battery prices, the Focus Electric has a sticker price of $39,995.

If gasoline prices continue to average $3.50 per gallon and battery prices do begin to fall within projected ranges, McKinsey & Co believes that auto manufacturers will be able to build EVs that can compete on cost with their fossil-fuel burning siblings.

[via Autoblog]

Image Credit: NRMA New Cars/Flickr

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Named CryoSolplus (PDF), the new fluid is comprised of a mix of water, paraffin, and anti-freeze and is capable of absorbing two to three times more heat than air or plain water typically used for cooling. As the heat from the batteries is absorbed in the fluid, the solid paraffin droplets inside it begin to melt, storing some of that heat and then dispersing it. Once cooled down, the paraffin returns to a solid form and repeats the process. A stabilizing agent is also added to the mix to ensure that the paraffin stays evenly distributed throughout the fluid.

The fluid would only require a small storage tank as compared one needed for plain water and would eliminate the open space currently needed around batteries for air cooling circulation. Because of this, battery packs could be packed closer together under the hood, opening up additional space for more batteries and thus power. It could also prevent batteries from overheating, a common problem in EVs which significantly reduces battery longevity and storage capability. Because the batteries in electric cars are the most expensive parts to replace, technology to make them last longer and cost less would make the mass adaption of electric vehicles much easier.

Tests will begin shortly and the researchers believe that once perfected a battery coolant system based on CryoSolplus should only add 50 or 100 euros to the price of car. That’s a small price to pay for EV batteries which could last a lot longer and thus be an even more eco-friendly form of transportation.

[via Yahoo News]

Image Credit: jdiggans/Flickr

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