The Japanese automaker has signed a collaboration agreement for the transfer and use of plug-in hybrid vehicles to various agencies and institutions of Spain under the Movele Plan, managed by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Energy Saving (IDEA). Among those institutions is the city of Madrid, whose mayor, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, recently received from President of the Japanese company, Katsuhito Ohno, a plug-in hybrid Prius.

The aim of the agreement is, according to Toyota, the various agencies to assess “in real conditions the viability of plug-in hybrid vehicle, as well as the needs and requirements to be considered in establishing a refueling infrastructure in Spain.” According to the Japanese producer, “collecting data on actual usage of the vehicle will enable Toyota to better understand customer expectations in terms of plug-in technology and encourage the development of an infrastructure of charging stations for public access.”

According to Toyota, its plug-in hybrid vehicle project is part of a “comprehensive program to define the ideal self and the capacity of the battery before mass market plug-in hybrid technology.” As part of this global program, Toyota has released 600 units of plug-in hybrid Prius in Japan, USA and Europe. Both in the Old Continent and the rest of the world, this program will enable Toyota to adjust its current activity in research and development on plug-in hybrid vehicles.”

80% of trips of less than 25 kilometers
The plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius, a plug-in hybrid vehicle combined, offers a range of approximately 20 kilometers, with a top speed in electric mode (EV) of sixty miles an hour. This autonomy in all electric mode is “ideal for short trips,” the Japanese manufacturer, which ensures that the first plug-in hybrid tests in Europe have shown that up to 80% of daily trips made are less than 25 kilometers, “so the plug-in hybrid Prius will largely meet mobility in electric mode.”

For longer distance trips, the plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius with Hybrid Synergy Drive system, in which both the electric motor and the gasoline can transmit wheel drive would provide an unlimited autonomy. According to Toyota, ion battery – lithium plug-in hybrid Prius four times the capacity of third-generation Prius and can be fully charged in an hour and a half connected to a standard household 220 V

The Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid is a reduction of over 30% of fuel consumption in combined cycle with respect to the third generation Prius, standardizing a figure of only 2.6 liters per hundred kilometers. CO2 emissions stand at just 59 grams per kilometer, according to the European combined cycle.

Nowhere has this become more apparent than in the car industry where it seems very company has come up with their own concept car, hoping to gain a foothold into this growing industry.  One company will soon be releasing what is termed to be the world’s first affordable electric carand that is the Nissan Leaf.  Let us take a look at the Leaf and what it brings to the table to entice consumers to get on board.

As mentioned above, the Nissan Leaf is the first affordable electric car on the market but it will also have the double bonus of zero emissions.  Gone will be the days of having to have your car emissions tested before you can register it again will your Motor Vehicle branch.  It will also be the first to be mass-produced by a car manufacturer, which is a big step when you consider they feel the technology is both stable as well as saleable enough for a large rollout.  The Leaf that will be produced will not be one of those tiny box vehicles that you and your buddy could ride in but a family of four would have no use for.  No, this Leaf is being manufactured to be able to fix a group of five inside of it, a vast improvement that the consumer would be sure to take note of.

Surely one of the first things you’re thinking when you look at it is “What makes it run”.  Well as you might expect from an electric car, it runs on batteries, but not your normal everyday Diehard.  The Leaf is powered by compact lithium-ion batteries, which give it the capacity to produce up to 90 kilowatts of power while its electric motor will be able to provide 80 kilowatts of power.  What does that mean for the layperson in terms of how far can they go or how long it takes to charge up the vehicle?  Well the Leaf has improved on some numbers from other models that have come out in the same class.  Its range on a full charge comes in at around 100 miles which would be find for a driver with a typical commute to and from work.  If you use the quick charger for the Leaf you can get these batteries fully charged in a time span of around 30 to 40 minutes.  If your going to be using a normal

charger from your typical 200 volt home outlet then your looking at more of the overnight routine which will take eight hours to reach full charge capacity.  Either way, impressive numbers to consider.

Normally these types of vehicles are not esthetically pleasing or equipped with any significant extras, but the Nissan Leaf certainly breaks out of this mold with their vehicle.  One of the eye pleasing features that you will catch from the onset is the V shaped design of the car and the aqua blue paint color, which is matched by a similar colored interior layout as well.  The headlights are another distinctive feature of the Leaf.  These headlights are of the LED type and have been uniquely fitted into the design of the body so as to be able to cut the wind and reposition it away from your side mirrors.  This helps immensely cutting done on wind related noise.  Along the lines of being more environmentally friendly as well, the headlights only use ten percent electricity, which is a dramatic decrease from those from the traditional lamp family.

Now you ask, “What’s inside the car that will grab my attention?”  After all, most of these electric cars are not built with many “luxuries”.  The Nissan Leaf though has incorporated some features that you would most likely find in only higher priced luxury cars.  For instance, the Leaf has incorporated an IT system within the car, which it connects to a global data center.  This data center can be an important feature to its owner due to the fact that it can provide them with various types of support and information.  On the top of the dashboard you will find a nicely placed monitor which will relay to the driver critical data important to the car such as how much power remains, the reachable area you can it expect to make it to, and the location of any recharging stations around you.  Surely you would agree that this would be an integral thing to have in the vehicle.  Why this car even gives the owner the ability to turn on air conditioning or set charging functions from the convenience of their cell phone.  Imagine the uses for that.  A hot day at the beach and you would just love to be able to get back to your car and already have it cooled down, ready to provide you comfort.

There are a number of things that make this a very attractive buy for the consumer who wants to be friendlier to the environment and conserve natural resources.  At what cost though can you get this impressive little motor vehicle.  Well Nissan has not at this point made an official announcement of a final price, but the rumor is that you can expect it to be in the range of $25,000 to $30,000.  That seems like more than affordable for what the car gives you as a package, plus what you will save in terms of gasoline and things of that nature.

Los Angeles-based KB Home has announced that it will offer the feature on custom-built homes so consumers won’t have to add a high-voltage box later.

“It’s a great feature for home buyers who currently drive electric cars, or for those who want to build their new home to accommodate these cars in the future,” said Jeffrey Mezger, the company’s president and chief executive. KB Homes, which operates in 10 states, has built about 500,000 homes since its founding in 1957.

In response to consumer demand, more  home builders are offering energy-efficient features, such as extra insulation or Energy Star appliances – some at no extra cost.

Several plug-in cars, including the Nissan’s fully electric Leaf and General Motors’ rechargeable Chevrolet Volt, are expected to be on the market by year’s end.

They’ll charge more quickly with a 220-240 volt box, but adding one in an older home could cost thousands of dollars. In designing my own green home, which won’t have a garage, we’ve requested a high-voltage outlet outside by the parking pad for a future electric car.

Nissan spokesman Mark Perry said the cost of adding home charging is one-third hardware (the box itself) and two-thirds installation and labor costs, according to a story this week in the New York Times. He said homes built in the 1990s or later usually have  adequate 200-plus amp service but not older ones.

Until the end of December,, a federal tax credit will cover 50% of a home charger installation, up to $2,000) is covered by a federal tax credit. “We’re working hard to extend it,”  Perry is quoted as saying. “Everybody recognizes the need for it.”

During a recent presentation at the New Castle Chamber of Commerce, Fisker spoke about the progress of the plant and their future plans. This includes hopefully producing around 100,000 plug-in electric vehicles per year by 2014.

Fisker’s Karma sedan makes some bold promises; 0-60 in six seconds, 125 mph, and 50 miles of all-electric power, after which it becomes a hybrid car capable of high mileage (around 67 mpg or so). The Karma is also going to cost $80,000, not exactly practical for most of America. That is why Fisker is also working on what they call “Project Nina”, a lower-cost sedan with mass market appeal. The Karma is certainly eye-catching; I’m hoping the Nina will be just as sexy.

During his speech, company CEO Henrik Fisker said that he wants to build cars that people want. And as a recent study pointed out, people don’t just want fuel efficiency; they want a car that is in every way a better automobile. Fisker hopes to get prototype models of the Nina pumping out of the plant next year, with production ramping up in 2014. The Karma will be assembled in Finland and shipped over to America later this year, although the Delaware plant could feasibly be retooled to build the Karma as well. Fisker hopes to also export both of these cars to emerging markets like China.

I’m looking forward to the Karma in a big way, and it would be nice to see a start-up company give the Detroit Big Three some competition en masse.

‘We are thinking about a small electric vehicle,’ the chief of the General Motors unit, Nick Reilly, told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

‘We believe there is strong potential for growth in cities across the world,’ he added, predicting that ‘various governments are going to provide fiscal support for this kind of vehicle.’ An Opel spokesman said the new model – which would be smaller than the Corsa – was expected to be launched in three years, in both electric and conventional fuel versions.

Hit by falling sales, Opel this month unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan along with an appeal for countries that host Opel and its British sister brand Vauxhall to stump up 2.7 billion euros (S$5.18 billion) in state aid.

By 2014 Opel has said it plans to invest 11 billion euros in new models and environmentally friendly technology such as electric powertrains.

Its first electric-only car, the Ampera, is scheduled for delivery in 2011. Its wheels are powered exclusively by an electric engine, with a small fuel engine integrated to recharge its batteries.

The utility also plans to train employees so they’ll be conversant in topics such as the electric wiring needed to charge the vehicles and even have names of contractors that can do wiring upgrades, if needed.

Electric utilities want to make it as easy as possible to own an electric car.

“The electric utility industry wants to enable (electric vehicles) and not hinder them,” said Kevin Bryant, vice president of energy solutions for KCP&L.

The Electric Power Research Institute and a group of about 50 utilities — including KCP&L — have been working with automakers to do just that. General Motors, which is expected to begin selling its Chevrolet Volt in November, has been especially keen about a relationship with the utilities.

Other automakers also see the importance, including Nissan, which is expected to begin selling its Leaf electric car by the end of the year. Automakers are offering more models next year and in 2012.

But most of the attention is on GM, which is expected to be the first to offer an electric car intended for the mass market. The Volt’s purchase price hasn’t been released, but it could carry a sticker price of about $40,000. Making the cost more palatable is a $7,500 tax credit that Volt buyers will receive.

Volt sales will start slowly. GM is expected to produce about 10,000 Volts during the first year, and those will be directed toward California, Michigan and Washington, D.C

Some of those cars could end up elsewhere, however, as cars change hands and owners move. But it should be easier to buy a Volt by late 2012 when the car is rolled out nationwide, said Britta Gross, director of GM’s global energy systems.

By that time, consumers could have a choice of models — and some interesting decisions to make about the kind of electric car they want and the mileage range of the battery. Several automakers are shooting for a range of 100 miles or more before recharging is necessary.

But GM thinks there is a better way in part because an extended range will mean a more expensive battery. GM said its experience with its EV1 electric car, which was sold in small numbers in the 1990s, also showed that relying solely on a battery makes motorists uneasy. Drivers often worried about running out of power even when half of it remained.

So the Volt will rely on a smaller battery with a 40-mile range, which is enough for 75 percent of commuters driving to work and back. As for range anxiety, if the battery is depleted, a gas-fired generator will automatically provide electricity to continue the trip.

“We have done our homework,” said Gross. “But the market is going to tell us real soon what makes the most sense to consumers.”

The approach leaves GM less concerned about having public charging stations available, since it has backup power to keep from being stranded.

GM believes that the priority for Volt owners will be charging from home.

The Volt will cost less than $1 to recharge, which will take eight hours with a 120-volt line or three hours with a 240-volt line. Because home garages are more likely to have 120-volt power, nothing more has to be done if you’re not concerned about the longer charging period. If you want a 240-volt line, GM will have a nationwide third-party installer you can hire as an option.

There will also be some cell phone applications that use GM’s OnStar satellite communications. One application will allow you to check the battery’s charge, and remotely start the car while it’s still connected to a wall outletl.

Although electric cars will mean more business for the utilities, there are concerns about the vehicles being charged on hot summer days when the grid is strained.

Owners will be encouraged to charge the cars at night, but eventually “smart” meters could offer an incentive of lower electricity prices if the recharging is done at non-peak periods.

Recharging at night could someday have more benefits for those wanting a smaller carbon footprint. KCP&L said wind kicks up at night, meaning more wind energy could be used for recharging electric vehicles.

“We will look to use wind energy to power electric cars,” said Chuck Caisley, a spokesman for the utility.

Mercedes is calling the F800 Style a research vehicle, and it’s adaptable for a plug-in hybrid configuration or as a fuel cell. It’s skinned it an eye-catching body with bold fenders and a prominent grille that hints at future styling directions for the German company.

The plug-in setup uses a V6 engine rated at 300 hp and a hybrid module that makes 109 hp, for a total output of 409 hp that works with a seven-speed automatic transmission. It uses lithium-ion batteries and has a range of 18 miles on electricity. Though it’s an eco-friendly powertrain, Mercedes says it performs like a sports car with a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. In pure electric mode, it can reach a top speed of 75 mph.

The fuel-cell variant offers 136 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque while producing only water as an emission. It uses parts from the B-class F-Cell. The range in this setup is claimed to be 375 miles.

Mercedes points to both powertrains as evidence of smart design, with all of the components fitted into the engine compartment or spaces in the chassis so as not to intrude on the interior.

The five-seat, rear-wheel-drive car also is laden with a pile of other updated and new technology for driver comfort and safety. A new camera touchpad records images of the user’s hand and displays it in transparent form above the center console. Pressing the display is similar to the feeling of typing on a laptop, Mercedes says. There’s also a “range on map” feature that shows how far the car can travel in electric mode.

The F800 Style also has a new version of the Distronic cruise-control system that allows drivers to follow the car in front of them into curves without steering at speeds of up to 25 mph. There’s also Mercedes’ Pre-Safe 360 Degree system, which engages the brakes about 600 milliseconds before a rear-end collision to prevent a secondary crash into another car or object.

Meanwhile, the appearance of the F800 Style lives up to its name with a stately design with short overhangs, long wheelbase and flowing roofline. It’s accented by LED lights and a curved grille. Inside are wood parts and and lightweight seats made of magnesium and carbon-fiber shells. Additionally, the back doors are sliding for ease of entry.

Already the US gets about 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and with President Obama’s new commitment for more uranium-fired power plants, that percentage could rise a few points. So, depending on what grid your electric car is recharging from, or for that matter what time of day it is, your car could very well be storing electricity generated at a nuclear plant. If so you’ll have a nuclear-powered car.

All this assumes that someday you’ll be driving an electrically-driven car, which is a likelihood that’s increasing almost daily.

Certainly, financial help from Washington, using money on loan from the nation’s taxpayers, is helping to push along the drift toward electric driving. The requirement for automakers to meet new fuel economy standards is also helping the electric drive effort.

But government is not the only force behind this electric drive effort: Small companies and startups are getting into the electric car business because they want to. Ditto for big companies. Many of the majors are making sure electric cars and trucks are in their model portfolios of the future because they want them there.

The reasons for the interest in electric cars are varied and numerous:

— Zero or dramatically reduced carbon emissions removes the cars as contributors to climate change;

— Zero or dramatically reduced noxious emissions removes the cars as contributors to unhealthy air pollution;

— Then there’s the the issue of oil supply. Manufacturers have seen the results – the failure of their businesses – due in part to a spike in oil prices;

— Leaps in technology, particularly in batteries, have taken place. Lithium-based batteries with less weight and more stored power have improved range. Charging times have dropped as well. High voltage charging (440/480 volt for example) charging times could near that needed to fill up a tank with gas. High voltage charging could also eliminate the need for battery swap-on-the fly schemes now being promoted. (High voltage charging is an electric vehicle breakthrough, by the way);

— There’s also battery life and afterlife. The lithium batteries are expected to last roughly the life of the vehicle. Further, when batteries can no longer hold enough charge to propel a car they can work in semiretirement storing electricity from renewable energy from the grid, such as solar power;

— Finally, there appears to be enough demand in the marketplace for electric cars. There are people who want to charge from home, possibly with home-generated electricity. There are people who want the relative simplicity of electric drive. And then there are the early-adopters who just want electric drive because it is new and different.

If there’s anything that’s holding back the full commercialization of electric cars it’s the cost of batteries that drive up the cost of the whole vehicle. Further, pure battery electric drive shouldn’t be expected to completely dominate the vehicle market for decades, if at all. The mix of vehicles on the road will range from conventional vehicles, any combination of hybrids, plug-in hybrids as well as variations of biofuel-powered vehicles for many years.

Even so, vehicle manufacturers continue to push forward with electrically-driven vehicle plans:
— In the US and Canada the Renault-Nissan Alliance has formed partnerships to develop electric-vehicle infrastructure in the State of Massachusetts; the State of Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; the State of Oregon; Sonoma County and San Diego, California; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Washington D.C.; Seattle; Raleigh, North Carolina; Houston, Texas and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Now Renault-Nissan is almost ready to take orders for its Leaf battery-electric car. Soon after announcing the price of the vehicle in April, those who have registered for information about the sedan will be given first priority to reserve a Leaf with a refundable $100 reservation fee. Firm orders will begin in August and the first deliveries to select markets will be by December;

— Ford is offering new information about its Transit Connect Electric, the first product in the company’s accelerated electrified vehicle plan.

The Transit Connect Electric has targeted range of up to 80 miles per full charge, and will be rechargeable using either 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlets.

Ford also says generally “the number of components typical in an internal combustion engine and transmission are dramatically reduced in an electric vehicle to just a few moving parts in the electric motor and transaxle, which results in much fewer parts to wear out or maintain. Electric powertrains operate with solid state electronics, which have demonstrated low or no maintenance over the life of the product . Electric vehicles have completely sealed cooling systems that do not require refilling, replacement or flushing. There are no belts to wear out or break and no spark plugs or injectors to clean or adjust.

There is no exhaust system to replace and no liquid fuel system to freeze or clog. The use of regenerative braking reduces wear and tear on brake pads.

It seems as though Ford likes its upcoming electric vehicles.

Transit Connect Electric will be followed by the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and next-generation hybrid technology in 2012;

— More than a decade ago the US Postal Service had plans to electrify its delivery fleet Now the agency may be trying again.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide is building a concept advanced electric postal delivery vehicle. The vehicle, which will be based on the widely-used Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV), is being developed under a one-year demonstration and validation program to be conducted by the USPS in Washington, DC. If all goes well the USPS could begin to electrify its entire fleet – 178,000 vehicles, the largest civilian fleet in the land. The emission-free vehicles will help support the continued development of the US electric vehicle industry.

President Obama’s yet-to-be-passed budget has $54 billion in federal loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors. True, the reactors will provide emission-free power, but nuclear power to charge electric cars isn’t the “green” way to go.

The car attains average speeds of about 80 km an hour. The best part is that the car can become viable as it gives more space, if the solar panel is taken-off; the car also has a second mode — electric power.

Boddington said that he and his team has a huge advantage over the other advanced car manufacturers.

“Any advantages from a light weight advanced car are negligible from the amount of carbon it generates during recycling. So, we look at the whole lifecycle of the vehicle, which is the difference between us and other manufacturers. That’s why we won the environmental awareness award in 2007. It is the most eco friendly solar car ever made,” said, Boddington.

They are working on higher version of the car, which will attain a speed of 177 km per hour.

Boddington insisted that the point is not whether people want to use solar cars or electric cars; it is a necessity.

On a practical note, Boddington accepted the fact that solar energyalone couldn’t be used in vehicles. It has to be combined with some other form of energy, be it electrical or a fossil fuel.

He opined that the technology should be shared so that it can yield better results. That’s the reason his group shared technology of making solar cars with the students of Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Almost every display from almost every manufacturer at the massive, sprawling show that has taken over the Metro Toronto Convention Centre has an environmentally-friendly component — from cutting edge electric cars to sleek hybrids and high-efficiency engines.

But it’s largely for show, according to one analyst. While automakers have no choice but to play up the green aspect of their R and D, it’s still only a tiny fraction of most carmakers’ business.

“Right now green is still a bit of a novelty,” Mark Richardson, editor of Wheels magazine, tells CTV.ca.

“It’s a niche in every manufacturer’s product line but probably in 10 years time green will be normal and we’ll just expect to see this stuff.”

Companies must demonstrate they have an eye on the future and that their ‘eco-conscience’ is driving the direction their product lines are going — even though green cars are not all that profitable yet, Richardson says.

Quite simply, car makers that want to stay relevant have to be green — or at least appear as if they are, Richardson says.

As a result the Toronto show and the Detroit auto show — the premiere event in North America — have steadily become more and more green-focused over the last few years.

“You watch all the different manufacturers this year — they all have electric cars, hybrid cars. There’s no point in coming out with a regular car as any kind of halo vehicle anymore,” he says.

Even the federal government is getting in on the action. Peter Kent, minister of state of foreign affairs, was at the Toronto show on Thursday to hand out ecoENEGRY Vehicle Awards for the most fuel efficient new cars and light trucks.

“Car and truck emissions account for 12 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada every year and the government is committed and continues to be committed to bringing those numbers down,” Kent tells CTV.ca.

Officials from Transport Canada were there too, to announce a new partnership with Mitsubishi to test its new electric car for road-worthiness.

The greening of Canada’s cars seems to be a priority for nearly everyone involved. But there’s still a price tag attached to that goal — for the government, consumers and automakers, Richardson says.

Hybrids still cost thousands more than traditional gas-only vehicles, while electric cars are expected to cost tens of thousands more. Even efficient diesels like the Car of the Year Volkswagen Golf GTI is approaching $10,000 more than its City Golf gas-powered cousin.

Until those prices come down, their sales numbers are likely to compare to the less expensive, more traditionally-powered counterparts.

“There’s a price for being green and people can’t always afford it, but green demonstrates your company is looking into the future and if you’re not green right now you’re not going to be anywhere in 10 years,” Richardson says.

For the foreseeable future, he says, the prevailing colour at auto shows is likely to remain green.

The Kia Ray, which was debuted Thursday at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, is one of Kia Motors America’s first forays into hybrid vehicles that will offer an array of green technologies designed to reduce its carbon footprint compared to more conventional vehicles.

In addition to its plug-in capabilities that can boost the 153-horsepower engine’s fuel economy to 202 miles-per-gallon, the car also features solar cells that are located in the vehicle’s glass on its roof. When the car is parked, the cells generate a small charge of solar energy to operate cooling fans to reduce the vehicle’s interior temperature.

“It is important to imagine what people will want in the future from a green perspective early in the design process, because people want to reduce their carbon footprint without driving carbon copies,” said Peter Schreyer, chief design officer, Kia Motors Corporation.

Nano-laminate films and other cooling materials on the vehicle’s windows are also designed to reduce heat in the interior, which in turn will reduce the use of air conditioning and the release of greenhouse gases.

Smith Electric Vehicles is scouting locations in the Bay Area and Sacramento for a facility that would assemble, sell and service their plug-in trucks, used by such companies as Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Smith sees the move as a way to reach more potential customers. Right now, if one of the company’s trucks has a serious breakdown, Smith has to send a mechanic from its U.S. base in Kansas. The company plans to open facilities in 10 urban markets nationwide that would be capable of assembling and fixing the trucks.

“You could see it, touch it, see the technology, and you’d also have the confidence that you could service it,” said Bryan Hansel, chief executive officer of Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corp. “It opens up an entire new class of customers for us.”

The proposed facility would employ about 40 full-time workers, Hansel said. For possible locations, Smith is looking at closed big-box stores or large, shuttered car dealerships. The company plans to pick a location by June.

PG&E, based in San Francisco, has been testing one of Smith’s trucks since last year, said Kory Raftery, a spokesman for the utility. The company has since ordered 12 more, to be delivered this spring. The trucks will be scattered throughout PG&E’s vast territory in Northern and Central California.

“We’re going to try to check the truck’s performance in all kinds of conditions,” Raftery said.

To date, most of the excitement surrounding electric vehicles has focused on cars, not trucks. Tesla Motors of Palo Alto has grabbed the public’s attention with a sleek and pricey electric sports car, while large automakers such as Ford Motor Co. are developing mass-market, plug-in sedans.

But Smith argues that electric trucks, in some ways, make more sense than electric cars, at least right now. Commercial trucks often run predictable routes, so there’s no worry about their batteries running out of juice. They can easily be recharged at a central facility each night.

“It’s depot-based logistics,” Hansel said. “You’ve got a central warehouse. You come back and park in the same space every night for 10 years. You drive the same route every day.”

A typical Smith truck can go about 100 miles on a charge, another reason the company wants to locate its assembly and sales offices close to potential customers. The trucks’ window-sticker price ranges between $130,000 and $150,000. But starting in March, California customers will be able to take advantage of a state rebate program for zero-emission vehicles, worth up to $20,000 for commercial trucks.

The interesting fact is that the material resembles a fabric, and can be shaped into different objects, so maybe in the future mobile phone users won’t have to have a battery in their cellphone, just because its case will do the job.

The researchers received a €3.4 million budget for developing their idea during a three-year project, in which Volvo is also involved. The wonder-material is made of carbon fiber and a polymer resin. Unlike standard batteries, these won’t suffer from degradation for a long time, because there is no chemical process involved in charging/discharging them.

The lightweight material can be made strong enough to make car body parts, and could be recharged from your home’s regular wall socket.

Further developing the material, the researchers want to achieve much higher storage capacity by growing carbon nanotubes on the surface of the carbon fibers. They will even made a test by exchanging a car’s metal floor or wheel well with the carbon composite material, thus decreasing the car’s weight by up to 15 percent.

Project co-coordinator, Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, says: “We are really excited about the potential of this new technology. We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof, its bonnet or even the door, thanks to our new composite material. Even the Sat Nav could be powered by its own casing. The future applications for this material don’t stop there – you might have a mobile phone that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for a longer time without recharging. We’re at the first stage of this project and there is a long way to go, but we think our composite material shows real promise.”

Inventing new materials for energy storage and decreasing the vehicles’ weight makes electric cars one step more viable when compared to their gasoline counterparts, and brings them closer to everybody who wants to drive them safely, cheaply and efficiently.

Industry ministers will meet on Tuesday in San Sebastian, Spain to discuss how to realign power infrastructure, equipment standards and the marketplace so that European carmakers can race ahead of rivals in Japan, China and the United States.

The European Union has succeeded in cutting the link between economic growth and rising carbon emissions, but has failed to control the transport sector where output of carbon dioxide has soared by 38 percent over the last 20 years, EU data has shown.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has pledged to reverse that situation by trying to decarbonizes transport, and new rules for cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles are being considered.

The sources of power for electric vehicles will top the agenda in San Sebastian, documents show, amid warnings some can can do more harm than good.

“The provision of electricity may need to be adapted to drivers’ charging patterns, causing new electricity demand peaks,” says a discussion paper for the talks, seen by Reuters.

SMART NETWORKS

For example, drivers’ natural tendency to plug in their cars when they get home and charge them overnight will increase demand for steady “baseload” power generation, which in countries such as Poland comes mostly from coal.

“Charging them on electricity produced with coal results in equal or higher emissions than for comparable conventional vehicles,” warned a report on Monday by Dutch consultants CE Delft, written for four environmental groups.

About 400 grams of carbon dioxide are emitted on average for every kilowatt-hour of electricity in the EU, but this can more than double if coal is used, says the report.

The answer is to integrate electric cars with a “smart” electricity network, which would charge vehicles only when there was an abundance of green power from sources such as windfarms, said Franziska Achterberg of Greenpeace, one of the groups that commissioned the report.

In cities, electric cars are estimated to spend 95 percent of their time sitting in garages, giving ample opportunity for flexible battery-charging and absorbing any problematic spikes in renewable power production such as when the wind blows hard.

Cars’ batteries might even put electricity back into the network when household demand is high, serving as a back-up power source. But smart power networks are a largely untested concept and need both research and funding to take off.

Ministers in San Sebastian will also discuss how to boost research into better and greener batteries, how to build national networks of standardized charging stations and how to target any financial support.

Green politician Claude Turmes, from Luxembourg, said his group opposed any fresh state subsidies for energy and automotive companies without strong environmental criteria.

“If not, this will just be a green wash,” he added.

LG Chem will begin delivering the lithium-ion batteries in the second half of this year, the South Korean company said in a statement Friday without disclosing the value of the contract.

LG Chem started delivering batteries to Hyundai and Kia last year. The company also signed supply contracts with GeneralMotors and Eaton. CEO Kim Bahn Suk said Jan. 29 the company is seeking orders from China and Europe.

Global demand for electric cars will increase from 900,000 vehicles last year to 3.3 million by 2013 and 4.6 million by 2015, LG said in June.

Bernhard named at Daimler

Daimler appointed Wolfgang Bernhard as head of production and procurement at Mercedes-Benz Cars, where he takes over from Rainer Schmueckle.

Bernhard will continue as head of Daimler’s vans unit, and Chairman Manfred Bischoff plans to add him to the management board, the Stuttgart, Germany-based company said in a statement Friday.

The 49-year-old worked at Daimler’s former Chrysler unit and was appointed to head Mercedes in 2004 before leaving to join Volkswagen after a dispute with then-CEO Juergen Schrempp. Current CEO Dieter Zetsche brought him back to Daimler via the vans unit last year.

“This should put Bernhard in a good position to succeed Zetsche,” said Rebecca Lindland, an automotive analyst with IHS Global Insight. “The vans project was an opportunity to reset his standing in the company and broaden his experience.”

Brazil’s auto output up 32%

Brazil’s vehicle production rose 32% to 243,425 vehicles in January from a year earlier, the country’s automaker association said.

Registrations of new cars, trucks and buses gained 8% to 213,312, Anfavea, as the association is known, said Thursday in Sao Paulo. Exports more than doubled to 44,828.

Japan’s mileage plan disputed

The U.S. is disappointed with Japan’s decision to use city mileage to determine which vehicles qualify for a cash-for-clunkers auto trade-in plan because it limits U.S.-made models, Trade Representative Ron Kirk said.

Not using the Environmental Protection Agency’s combined highway/city mileage in Japan’s program is “particularly unfortunate in light of its recent announcement to open opportunities for U.S. autos to qualify,” Kirk said last week in a statement.

More money for electric cars

The director of the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” is filming the sequel, “Revenge of the Electric Car.”

Tesla could be cast as the dashing protagonist, while Better Place might be up for best supporting actor.

As for Coulomb Technologies, the Oscars might miss it altogether. Silicon Valley’s third entry in the race to electrify vehicular travel will never be as sexy as a Tesla Roadster or seem as futuristic as Better Place’s battery-switching robots. Coulomb’s logo, apt but dull, reimagines a gas pump as a standard three-prong electrical socket.

When Coulomb announced last week $14 million in second-round funding to advance its business model for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the Campbell, Calif., startup gave more momentum to the EV revolution. The funding follows Tesla’s disclosure that it will seek an initial public stock offering and Better Place’s announcement of a $350-million investment as it prepares to roll out its technology in Israel and Denmark.

The car looks suspiciously like a Versa/Rogue combination, but Nissan assured me the Leaf is built on its own platform. In fact, Nissan is very proud that the Leaf is built from the ground up, since most electric cars on the market are built on an existing platform of a gasoline-powered car. Why is this important? When you build an electric car on an existing platform like that, the car it’s based on was designed around an emissions and exhaust system and other components thatelectric cars don’t need. This produces an inherent inefficiency in design, since now the electric car has excess unused parts and dimensions.

The car spent a lot time in the wind tunnel to reduce aerodynamic drag. The bulbous headlights are designed to stream air around the side mirrors, for example, so that the mirrors don’t produce as much resistance. Techniques that are not uncommon in today’s cars, but these new propulsion technologies require a bit more attention to detail than your typical car.

Since batteries are the heaviest part of any electric-powered car, Nissan made every effort to lower the center of gravity in the Leaf by placing them below the seats. This helps keep the driving dynamics sporty and responsive.

Since the Nissan Leaf on display at the tour is a multi-million dollar prototype, Nissan didn’t allow it to be driven for the test drive. Instead, they fitted a Versa with the Leaf’s drivetrain and put it on an indoor track in the convention center. Hardly an ideal environment, but that’s all that was available. As you can see in the pictures, the small track was outlined in cones, and each driver got a lap or two around it at low speeds with a Nissan engineer sitting shotgun. During my drive, I was impressed with how linear and quick the acceleration was. Electric cars may not be hotrods yet, but 100% of their torque (about 210 lb-ft in the Leaf) is available from a stop. I decided to test it on the small straightaway and ended up getting yelled at by my passenger for going too fast. The handling seemed responsive and smooth with a low center of gravity to keep it from feeling top-heavy.

Unfortunately, the tiny indoor track didn’t give us enough chance to properly evaluate the car, so that’s all I can really say about it until Nissan comes around with another tour, which I was told would happen before they’re officially launched. Prospective customers in all 50 states will be able to preorder the Leaf in April for delivery later this year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but expect the car to be somewhere around $28,000 to $35,000. The battery pack, which is the most expensive part, might end up being leased on a monthly basis instead of purchased, which Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan-Renault said “The monthly cost of the battery, plus the electric charge, will be less than the cost of gasoline,” if that’s the way they go.

Other than price, Nissan’s biggest hurdle right now is figuring out the charging process. Plugging your car into a typical wall outlet to charge it from 0 to 100% would take an unacceptable 16 to 18 hours. On 220V power you could charge it in 8 hours, which is more reasonable (plug it in overnight,) but still a concern. Nissan is considering a sort of quick-charge platform which would charge the battery from 0 to 80% in only 20 minutes; perfect for a gas station stop if you were on a longer than 100 mile trip. And that’s the hurdle makers of electric cars are facing – there is no existing infrastructure for electric charging yet, and developing one is extraordinarily expensive.

The agreement (originally announced last June) was negotiated and signed by the Department’s Loan Programs Office, which supports the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies to create thousands of clean energy jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“This is an investment in our clean energy future that will create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Secretary Chu. “It will help build a customer base and begin laying the foundation for American leadership in the growing electric vehicles industry. This is part of a sustained effort to develop and commercialize technologies that will be broadly deployed throughout the American auto industry.”

Tesla’s planned Model S will consume no gasoline and will not produce any tailpipe emissions. It is being designed to offer a variety of range options depending on the battery pack used, from 160 to 300 miles on a single charge. Volume production of the Model S is planned to begin in 2012 with a target production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2013. According to Tesla, the Model S project and power-train manufacturing facility are expected to create over 1,600 jobs.

This announcement marks the second loan arrangement agreement signed by DOE with an advanced technology vehicle manufacturer. In September 2009, DOE signed its first loan agreement for $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Company. The Department has also signed conditional commitments with Nissan North America, Inc. and Fisker Automotive. Tenneco Inc. became the first advanced technology component manufacturer to obtain a conditional commitment from DOE in October of last year. Nissan plans to build electric cars and battery packs at the company’s Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing complex, while Fisker recently announced plans to build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by reopening a shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Department of Energy was appropriated $7.5 billion by Congress to support up to $25 billion in loans to companies making cars and components in US factories that increase fuel economy at least 25 percent above 2005 fuel economy levels. The Department plans to make additional loans over the next several months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production chain. The intense technical and financial review process is focused not on choosing a single technology over others, but is aimed at promoting multiple approaches for achieving a fuel efficient economy.

The solar parking lot is connected to the grid, so NJ electricity users will be the first to benefit from this construction. The company says they have installed the system on the largest continuous Elevated Solar Racking structure in the U.S., equivalent in size to three football fields elevated 23 feet into the air.

The 1 MW array consists of more than 5,000 photovoltaic panels, and has a total area of 104,000 square feet. The panels are tied in to one single meter via 11 separate inverters; this ensures that if a single array needs troubleshooting, 90 percent of the system will be producing electricity.

Construction and installation required 550,000 pounds of steel, 240 cubic yards of concrete and 54,000 feet of wiring. The system will generate more than one million kilowatt hours per year, which is roughly the amount required to power 114 homes. The resulting CO2 offset of 1.9 million lbs is equivalent to preventing the annual emissions from 158 cars.

“Alpha Energy specializes in the design, engineering and installation of complete renewable energy systems for businesses of all sizes,” said Drew Zogby, President and COO of Alpha Technologies. “The extraordinary size of this Elevated Solar Racking structure was an ideal fit for us, as we were able to present Manheim NJ Auto Auction with a comprehensive project package including system options, material procurement and turnkey project management. To help reduce the net cost of the project, we advised Manheim of the potential federal and state incentive programs, including New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Credits.”

So, when you’ll have an electric car, and you pass by Bordentown, NJ, have a stop at the solar parking lot to have the greenest recharge possible of your vehicle.

The series B round was led by HSBC Holdings and brought new investors Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Lazard Asset Management. The investment, which follows a $200 million round in 2007, is likely to be one of the largest in the green-tech area this year.

Better Place also said that its first two projects in Denmarkand Israel are on track to go online in 2011 using all-electric Renault sedans. The new money will allow the company to further build its technology and test it in full-scale trials in the second half of this year.

Better Place, started by former SAP executive Shai Agassi, has developed a business model around consumers paying a monthly fee to lease electric batteries. Instead of fueling up at gas stations, people can charge for free at home or swap out batteries at specific locations. People can sign on for different monthly plans, which would correspond to how far they expect to drive.

Although many people agree it’s an innovative business model, the company has only signed on one carmaker, Nissan Renault, to build cars with swappable batteries. Still, the investment by HSBC and others, including first-time investors, is an endorsement for the plan, Agassi said in astatement.

“One of the world’s largest, most conservative banks, HSBC, [has taken] the validating step of investing in a private company intent on bringing innovation to the trillion-dollar automotive and energy industries,” Agassi said.

The round values Better Place at $1.25 billion.

Better Place said that it expects to continue working on already-announced projects to install charging and battery-swapping networks in Australia and certain area in the U.S., including San Francisco and Hawaii.

It indicated on Monday, though, that it expects to expand in geographical regions that offer the best financial returns, which are in Europe and Asia.

2010 will be the year of electric vehicles for biggest automakers. This weekend’s Detroit Auto Show has offerings from some of the world’s major automakers, as well as exciting specialty cars like the fast California-built Tesla Roadster.

But is this phenomenon real, or could it be just an elaborate form of greenwashing?

Despite past discouragements like General Motors’ still-lamented EV-1, an unprofitable electric car sold for a few years, then discontinued in 1999, there’s evidence that today’s wave of interest will produce a more durable impact on the market for autos.

That’s true in spite of some significant problems, like the high cost of batteries and consumer concerns about the driving range and safety of electric cars, says Philip Gott, director of automotive Science and Technology at IHS Global Insight, a big economic consulting firm.

Before the end of this year, at least two big automakers expect to be selling electric cars in North America, the Leaf from Nissan and the Volt from General Motors. By next year, Ford plans to have an electric version of its compact Focus and Toyota a plug-in upgrade of the Prius.

Gott is one of the authors of a study made public yesterday that estimates by 2030, nearly 20 per cent of the global market for autos will be filled by plug-in hybrids and battery-powered electric cars. Indeed, electric cars of some kind could capture more than half the total market under ideal conditions of consumer acceptance and government support, although Gott made it clear that, right now, that looks like a stretch.

However, other recent estimates suggest that much earlier, by 2020, electric cars could capture seven to 10 per cent of the auto market, with plug-in hybrids capturing a similar or larger share.

And this doesn’t include the already big market for conventional hybrids like the highly successful Toyota Prius. These marry electric motors with gasoline ones to wring the maximum mileage from each litre of gas – a remarkable 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres, or 60 miles per U.S. gallon, for the current Prius.

When you add in these conventional hybrids, fuel-efficient autos using new technologies could capture 26 per cent of major world markets within 10 years, according to a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group.

The big obstacles to wider acceptance of electric cars are their cost and limited range. “Electric vehicles do meet most people’s needs most of the time, but people do not buy cars for most of the time,” Gott says.

What he means is an electric car with a range of 160 kilometres – like the Nissan Leaf – will handle most people’s daily commute and errands with ease, and that’s about all we need most of the time. But if we decide to visit someone in another city, it’s pretty inconvenient to stop every 160 kilometres for an eight-hour recharge.

On the other hand, the cost of fuel, compared with a gas-powered car, is next to nothing. But even here there’s a catch: the initial cost is thousands of dollars higher because batteries remain so costly.

If cost is no object, then you’re all set. The Tesla Roadster, a very fast sports car built in California, can reportedly go about 400 kilometres on a charge. But it sells for more than $100,000 U.S.

The likely solution: electric car producers will initially depend quite a lot on generous government subsidies and fleet sales to buyers like urban car-sharing organizations, where range is no problem.

And there’s no reason to believe that the electric auto won’t be able to become competitive within another decade or so, believes Gott and other experts.

“It’s early days for battery chemistry,” Gott says: “There’s a huge opportunity for cost reduction. Anything can happen in 10 years.”

If battery technology improves enough to permit long trips and simultaneously slash the big cost disadvantage of electric cars, it will bring a revolution in the way we travel, along with the opportunity to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

It won’t be a solution to the problems of peak oil, air pollution and global warming, but it could be a part of one.

Environment Oregon released a report Friday that stressed the importance of plug-in cars. Industry leaders, including Eugene-based Arcimoto, say the current economic and environmental times show the need to re-vamp America’s transportation system.

The two-year-old business is preparing to launch the Pulse next year. The CEO says the three-wheel commuter car will meet rising consumer demand for lower global warming emissions and oil consumption. He says demand is rising as fuel prices go up.

“So, I think that’s why we saw such a huge collapse in automotive, is that as soon as fuel prices started to move upwards, the types of vehicles they were focused on producing were just no longer relevant in the marketplace,” said Arcimoto Founder & CEO Mark Frohnmayer.

Arcimoto is also working with state legislators to get help for building the cars and to create special electric vehicle roads. Legislators expect to start drafting bills next year.

One car specifically, the 2010 Chevy Volt, may hold the key to the legitimacy of the plug-in car and further yet, the fully electric car. With a release date already scheduled, Chevy will unveil a car that will no doubt excite audiences with its 40 miles to the charge battery life, smartphone remote control, and sleek, sporty body. Chevy believes it will have at least 50,000 buyers ready to invest when it is released.

Chevy’s confidence as the plug-in leader, it seems, goes beyond the 2010 plug-in model that offers 40 miles to the charge. Without seeing the Chevy Volt hit the streets or consumer’s wallets, Chevy is looking to develop a fully electric car that carries the Volt name.

Talk about throwing a fair amount of eggs into the plug-in and electric car basket.

GM believes in the Volt so much, or has at least invested so much into it that it is willing to invest more time and resources into the fully electric version. This in light of Toyota’s national manager Bill Reinert announcing that he does not believe the current power grid will be able to support electric cars because of buyers clustering in specific zip codes and geographical regions.

Reinert believes EV’s and hybrids “tend to cluster in affluent neighborhoods,” which, if they were all pulling energy from the same transformer, could cause outages and major problems for electric cars.

With potential prices floating around in the $30,000-$40,000 range for the Chevy Volt, Reinert may have a point that only certain consumers will be able to buy electric cars.

That being said, Reinert may be overlooking a few key features of the Volt that will not only help it survive, but others just like it.

First, the new smartphone technology from OnStar will allow smartphone users to pick times to charge their Volt according to the power grid. That means the Volt can charge during off-peak hours.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the government controls the destiny of GM. That means tax credits to lower the price, which would in turn break up EV clusters, as well as stimulus money to improve the power grid (Obama has already put $3.4 billion into modernizing the power grid).

It may be safe to say that the government has more control of the fate of the plug-in electric car than any manufacturer, but either way, the Volt is the right mix of cutting edge technology and price to debut strong and get consumers interested enough to buy electric cars.

If the initial plunge of the Chevy Volt doesn’t generate interest or sales dollars, we may have round two of “who killed the electric car?”

The charging stations are connected to the power grid, but they can capture solar power as well through their 1.9KW solar panel , storing the energy in a 8.4kWh battery. The maximum output of the station using the grid is 202VAC/3.2kW, while using the solar panel-battery pack the output is 101VAC/1.5 kVA. The excess energy produced by the solar panel can be used for other facilities or sold to a utility company.

Earlier this year, Toyota announced an EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment), which has a communication function with a maximum output of 200V/16A/3.2KW. Currently TIC (Toyota Industries Corp) is working on a smaller on-board charger with higher efficiency in order to meet the growing demand for PHVs and EVs. Prius, on one hand, seems to come with more and more devices that will help the development of PHVs and EVs, including generators, converters, inverters and air conditioning compressors.

The president of the company, Pawan Goenka, told, that an exelctric vehicle will be showcasted at the Auto Expo.

Mahindra and Mahindra, one of the largest automakers in the country, plans to launch the electric vehicle by the end of 2010, he said. The electric vehicle will be on display along with the automaker’s full range of products, including two-wheelers, utility vehicles, light commercial vehicles and trucks at the upcoming Auto Expo.

The company also has plans to launch hydrogen and CNG vehicles over the next 12-18 months.

Goenka said the company had developed hydrogen and CNG powered vehicles, which could be launched over the next 12-18 months depending on the infrastructure. He added that the company also planned to launch hydrogen-powered three-wheelers at a later date.

The 25 vehicles will be driven under normal traffic conditions in Cologne, where Ford’s European division is based.

According to Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen, drivers will consist of customers and researchers and the models will be controlled by the computers, that can excite testing of more than 10.000 vehicles.

According to Bernd Meier, it is the first study in Europe.

Ford, the first U.S. automaker to offer a hybrid model, said on Dec. 8 that it may spend $300 million to $500 million on factories in its home state of Michigan to build electric vehicles and batteries. The Dearborn-based company has a target of rolling out an electric-powered version of the Transit Connect commercial van next year, followed by an electric Focus in 2011.

Local utility RheinEnergie AG will supply vehicle-charging stations for the test, which is being financed by the German government’s economic-stimulus package, Dudenhoeffer said.