“Dock+Go” Encore: EV Extending Range Add-On Concept Ahead of the Geneva Salon

Rinspeed is a Swiss-based automobile manufacturer and tuning designer with a very vivid imagination. Although it produces “normal” tuning products like the 600HP Porsche 911 Turbo, it is projects like the James Bond-like submersible Lotus Elise or the BamBoo EV study that are its hallmark.

Now, the innovative design house is planning to launch a new “mobility concept” at the 2012 Geneva Salon next March. The “Dock+Go” is the brainchild of Frank M. Rinderknecht, who describes it as a docking “backpack on wheels”.

The idea behind its creation was born out of most electric vehicles’ problem: their restricted range. Although any EV can serve as a basis, Rinspeed chose the electric Smart ForTwo for displaying its solution.

The “Dock+Go” is like a trailer that, as its name suggests, docks to the rear of the car. The Vario-Hybrid can be fitted with a normal internal combustion engine, a range extender, a battery pack or a fuel cell, and it drives the rear axle of the car, thus extending its range.

Rinspeed doesn’t limit its use to EV vehicles, though. Apart from the range-extending Vario-Hybrid, the “Dock+Go” can also be fitted with a variety of “packs”, from an integrated heated box suitable for pizza delivery, a toolbox, camping, golf, skiing or even a party package.

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ACEA Wants Carmakers to Adopt Standardized Charging Plugs for EVs : Fine Thinking

The European Union has already agreed with cell phone manufacturers to adopt a common charger format for their new phones. Therefore, consumers we will be able to buy a new phone without a charger, which up until now, was different to the one used by their old cellphone.

Now ACEA, the European car manufacturers association, is following the example and wants carmakers to adopt a common standard concerning chargers for their plug-in electric vehicles. To that end, it has already compiled a set of recommendations that stipulates the use of a uniform type of plug regardless of the country or power provider.

“This is a major step towards the broader introduction of electrically-charged vehicles in Europe and paves the way for a harmonized solution around the world”, said ACEA Secretary General Ivan Hodac. “We call on the European commission to adopt these recommendations and to clear remaining issues as soon as possible.”

Up until now, each manufacturer has introduced its own type of charger. A common type of chargers and charging stations will create a uniform infrastructure throughout the continent and is believed to help increase sales of electric vehicle across Europe.

According to Hodac, adopting a common standard will benefit not just the consumer, but also the carmakers and the charging stations providers: “Standardization provides predictability to investors, economies of scale and reduces costs. We have also ensured that our solution meets the highest safety standard and is easy to use.”

ACEA urges the EU to examine and approve of the new standard “as soon as possible”. Car manufacturers, on the other hand, want it implemented from 2017.

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Gordon Murray Reveals T.32 Pure Electric Roadster

Gordon Murray, who revolutionized Formula 1 cars in the 1980s and was responsible for the creation of the one of the best supercars of all time, the extraordinary McLaren F1, has recently become a champion of environmentally friendly vehicle.

Not too long ago, he even revealed an all-electric city car, the T.27, and said that he's talking to three manufacturers for getting it into production.

However, old habits die hard. Despite all the talk about revolutionizing city mobility, his true calling is in sports cars. Now, if Murray could create an eco-friendly sports model, he would combine his two different interests into one all-encompassing project.

The chance came along when carbonfiber specialist Toray Industries Inc. commissioned Gordon Murray Design [GMD] to build an all-new all-electric roadster. The result is the open-top, two-seater Teewave AR.1, or as Murray calls it, the T.32.

The Teewave AR.1 uses a carbonfiber monocoque chassis developed by Toray and is powered by the Mitsubishi iMiEV's electric powertrain. While the electric motor develops only 65-horses, the AR.1’s weight does not exceed 850 kg (1,874 lbs) including the 240 kg (529 lbs) battery.

Still, 65HP is, well, 65HP so GMD's performance figures aren't exactly worthy of a car that wants to belong to the sports segment: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 146 km/h (91 mph).

Nevertheless, Murray claims that the T.32 “proves that performance through light weight is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to achieve power-to-weight targets.”

GMD says that development of the car from concept discussions to running vehicle took just nine months.

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Toyota Says New Prius Plug-in Hybrid will Cost Under £31,000 in Britain

After Toyota's U.S. arm came out with pricing details on the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid, the firm's British division is next in line to inform buyers what they're going to pay for the car when it goes on sale in Britain in the first half of 2012.

However, instead of giving a exact price tag, Toyota UK said the plug-in version of the Prius will "cost less than £31,000" before any government incentives, which can reduce the price to customer by up to £5,000, or under £26,000.

Toyota says that while official consumption numbers are still pending, it predicts the Prius Plug-in Hybrid will emit 49g/km of carbon dioxide and achieve 134.5mpg UK (equal to 112mpg US or 2.1lt/100km) combined cycle fuel economy (apparently when working in both pure electric and hybrid modes).

Ewan Shepherd, General Manager Toyota/Lexus Fleet Services commented: “Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be an exciting and valuable addition to what is already an industry-leading Toyota range that delivers significant financial benefits to companies and company car drivers with advanced and highly efficient models such as Prius and the British-built Auris Hybrid.”

Toyota added that it has entered a partnership with LeasePlan to support a corporate sales programme for Prius Plug-in Hybrid not only in the UK but also across the rest of Europe.

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Toyota Invests in Safety, Demonstrates Hybrid Synthetic Sound Alert and More

Toyota has taken a lot of heat in the past couple of years over safety issues, especially in North America. But last January, the Japanese company announced that it will invest $50 million over five years in its Collaborative Research Safety Center (CRSC) to develop new safety technologies.

Recently, Toyota Motor Sales USA organized a Safety Seminar in which it displayed the technologies developed by the CRSC and its partners while also announcing plans to launch 10 new research initiatives with leading US universities and institutions.

One of the initiatives is a solution to the danger electric cars pose to pedestrians who will not hear them, since unlike conventional cars powered by internal combustion engines, they are silent.

Toyota's proposal is a synthetic motor sound alert that makes a humming sound that raises its pitch under acceleration and lowers it under braking, warning not only pedestrians but also bicyclists of the car’s presence on the road.

This system will equip the Prius line-up, the new RAV4 EV that was developed jointly with Tesla Motors, as well as other Toyota hybrids and EVs.

The Japanese manufacturer also demonstrated an autonomous-driving Lexus LS600h, which thanks to its advanced hardware and software, can detect pedestrians.

In addition, the company demonstrated a 35 mph head-on barrier crash test of its brand new Camry mid-size sedan, which sports 10 airbags and Toyota expects will earn top marks for safety both by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) as well as the IIHS (Insurance Institure for Highway Safety).

“The CSRC intends to publish as much of the research of its partnerships as possible to make it available to federal agencies, the industry and academia”, said CSRC’s director and Toyota Technical Center’s senior executive engineer Chuck Gulash.

Story sources: Toyota & Motor Trend

IAA 2011: Ford's Pure Electric E-Bike Concept

Lost somewhere between the world premieres of the production 2012 Focus ST and the conceptual Fiesta ST and EVOS at Ford's Frankfurt Motor Show gig, is the E-Bike Concept that was created to demonstrate how the company's design language can translate into a bicycle.

The pure electric bicycle was developed by a Ford Design team headed by Executive Design Director Martin Smith, in partnership with cyber-Wear, the German brand behind the automaker's lifestyle collection products.

The E-Bike features a lightweight frame made from aluminium and carbon that tips the scales at a mere 2.5kg or about 5.5 pounds. Concealed in the frame is a lithium-ion battery that drives a front wheel hub motor and which promises to offer a range of up to 85km (52 miles) on a full charge.

The conceptual bicycle is fitted with control unit that activates or deactivates the electric motor, with Ford claiming that it provides "a seamless integration of the power of the legs with the power of the motor".

“The E-Bike market is growing very, very rapidly, with some 30 million units sold globally last year,” said Axel Wilke, director, vehicle personalization, Ford Customer Service Division Europe. “We see E-Bikes as an important element of urban electric mobility. More and more people are using E‑Bikes for short distance commuting and they are becoming comfortable with the concept of electric mobility."

Ford noted that while it has no plans to produce the E-Bike, it will continue studying the concept.

Technical Specifications [From Ford Press Release]

Drive Unit:
Front wheel hub motor
Max. nominal power: 350W
Electricity: 36V – 250W
Supports up to 25km/h (to EN 15194)
Clutch with freewheel function
Gearbox: Planet gears
Integral sensor technology

Battery:
Cell type: Lithium-ion accumulator
Electricity: 340Wh, 36V, 9.3Ah
Charging cycles: 1000 cycles at 80% residual capacity
BMS (Battery Management System): protects against deep discharge and self-discharge Charge times: 80% after 2 hours, 100% after 3-4 hours (at room temperature)
Range: Up to 85km (depending on drive power and support mode selected)
Temperature range: -20°C to +60°C

Extremely small unit to connect battery (remains on bike) to normal mains network.
Intelligent electronics to prevent overcharging, undervolting, overheating and shortcircuit; in particular, sleep function prevents deep charging and necessity for recalibration with charger connected

Controller display functions:
Background lighting with light sensor system
Energy-saving automatic sleep mode
Diagnosis function with fault code display
Support modes: Economy, Comfort, Sport
Displays: Range, Battery capacity, Speed, Time, Distance, Maximum speed, Average speed, Total distance, Service reminder, System diagnosis, Support modes
iPhone Smartphone app control function planned

Bicycle Components:
Wheels: Mavic Elipse Aluminum black (modified with Ford Design crossing)
Tyres: Continental Ultra Sport black
Pedals: Wellgo LU-C27G, silver/black
Handlebars: Downhill Aluminum black, custom made
Stem: Giant SLR Carbon 110mm
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR XC
Brakes: Avid Elixir 5, full hydraulic, 185mm, white

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New Electric Vehicle To Be Develop in China By GM and SAIC

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson and his counterpart at SAIC Motor Corp., Hu Maoyuan, signed an agreement for the joint development of a new electric vehicle in China.

The Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, which is jointly owned by the two companies, will undertake the development of the new architecture, with GM and SAIC teams working together.

“The co-development of this new electric vehicle architecture demonstrates the broad range of benefits made possible by the strong partnership between SAIC and GM” commented Tim Lee, president of GM International Operations.

“For almost 15 years our two companies have forged an unprecedented level of cooperation. This is another demonstration of our companies’ commitment to work collaboratively,” he added.

The products of this joint venture, further details of which will be announced at a later date, will be sold in China under both the Shanghai GM and SAIC brands. They will also used by each company separately for developing their own models in other markets.

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U.S. to Miss Out on Street Legal SLS AMG GT3, Perhaps Even the E-Cell, But will get the Black Series

Fast Cars

If the standard SLS AMG with its 6.3-liter engine and 571-horses is not hot enough for you, you’ll be happy to learn that Mercedes-Benz has told Motor Trend that the company will launch not one, but two hotter versions of its supercar.

“We absolutely have to do a Black Series SLS AMG”, said Tobias Moers who is a member of the board of directors and head of vehicle development at AMG. Although he declined to provide further details, judging from recent Black Series versions such as the C 63 Coupe, we can expect more power and, of course, an impressive aero-kit and race-inspired interior.

The Black Series, however, will look tame compared to the road-legal version of the SLS AMG GT3 racer, which will be created to homologate it for Europe.

Unfortunately, it won't be heading over to this side of the Atlantic due to the massive cost of re-certifying it for the States. “AMG does not make money losing projects. We can’t afford to,” said Moers.

The 2013 SLS E-Cell electric version may be another SLS that may not cross the Atlantic. Mercedes hasn’t yet ruled out bringing the 525HP pure electric supercar to the US, but once again, the company officials are contemplating whether or not the sales volume will justify the cost of the re-certification.

Story Source: Motor Trend

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IAA 2011: Opel Envisions an Affordable Urban Commuter with the RAK e Concept

Opel Rak e

Not to be outdone by its German counterparts, Opel displayed its vision for a low-cost urban commuter with the two-seater RAK e concept car. According to GM's German subsidiary, the study has "production potential".

The battery-operated vehicle with the exposed wheels is based on a steel space-frame structure beneath a skin of conventional synthetic material.

The reason why Opel avoided the use of exotic materials is to keep the RAK e as affordable as possible. Nevertheless, Opel managed to keep the weight down to just 380kg (837 lbs) or about 80kg (176 lbs) less than VW's NILS concept.

The RAK e measures around three meters long and 1,190mm high and can seat two people, including the driver, in a tandem layout.

Powering the concept is an electric motor that generates a peak output of 49HP (36.5kW) and a continuous 14HP (10.5kW), while energy is drawn from a 5kWh battery. According to the German automaker, after charging the battery for three hours at a cost of about one euro (equal to US$1.37), the experimental vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).

The company claims that over an annual 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles), the RAK e’s energy consumption would be 525 kWh, which could be supplied by a five square-meter, 500-Watt solar panel mounted on the roof of the garage.

Opel added that the RAK e has a projected top speed of 120 km/h (75mph) and zero to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration in less than 13 seconds.

"We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel CEO, in Frankfurt.

"The range-extending concept of the Ampera demonstrates our leadership in electrification of the automobile, the RAK e experimental vehicle aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. The RAK e has cool looks and production-potential." Stracke added.

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