The Think City: coming to America.
(Credit: Think Global)Correction to release time of car made on January 6 at 3:50 a.m. PT.
Carmaker Think plans to manufacture its highway-capable electric car in Indiana and and make it available in the U.S. next year, the company said on Tuesday.
The Norway-based company is scheduled to hold a press conference in Elkhart, Indiana, where it intends to make the small car. CEO Richard Canny and Indiana governor Mitch Daniels will attend.
The Think City is an all-electric car that can go about 60 miles per hour and has a driving range of about 100 miles. It runs from lithium ion batteries supplied by EnerDel, which is based in Indiana.
Think began delivering the City to European customers in December, a year after it halted operations because it had run out of money. The company, which has its roots at Ford, had to restructure and raise more money.
The move to produce cars in the U.S., which was expected, is a welcome sign for the U.S. auto industry which has been hit hard by falling car sales and, in some cases, strategic missteps.
In a press advisory on Tuesday, Think did not indicate what sort of financial incentives the state offered. But many policymakers are eager to attract companies with advanced auto technologies, such as plug-in electric vehicles. The Obama administration last year dedicated $2.4 billion to promote domestic car battery manufacturing.
It's expected that Think will market the two-seat City to American consumers as a car suitable for daily errands or commuting. In many cases, it could be second car with a household's primary gas car able to take longer trips.
Pricing for the car is not yet available. In general, automakers say that the cost per mile of electric cars, which charge their batteries from a home outlet, will be cheaper than gasoline cars.
Plugging in your electric vehicle, or extended-range hybrid, may soon be a thing of the past. Evatran is developing a "hands-free" proximity charging system with the engineering team from Colorado company Syncroness.
The idea is to pull up to the Plugless Power system and get your car recharged. Evatran has a short animation depicting the process. The company will not have a product available until fall 2010, according to a press release.
Mazda, EnerDel, Think Global, and others are partnering on a test project that will pair all-electric cars with stationary storage units as charging stations, EnerDel and Mazda announced this past week.
Mazda plans to convert some of its Mazda2 vehicles (known as the Mazda Demios in Japan) to all-electric cars running a Think drivetrain with EnerDel lithium ion batteries.
The Mazda2 (called the Demios in Japan) is expected to become available in the United States in 2010.
(Credit: Mazda)The cars will be offered to Japanese customers through a rental car program, called the Tsukuba Environmental Style Test Project, which should be up and running by March 2010 in Tsukuba City, Japan, near Tokyo, according to Mazda.
U.S. battery manufacturer EnerDel has described the test project as the Japanese equivalent to Zipcar in the States, a program in which customers join a car club that offers car rentals on an hourly or daily basis.
Instead of recharging stations tapping directly into a smart grid, those in the Tsukuba test project will use stationary grid storage units also developed by EnerDel. The stationary storage units will enable the rapid charging of the all-electric Mazda2 cars, while avoiding the possibility of having to tap into a smart grid during peak usage hours.
"The unique combination of on-site battery storage with rapid charging allows the use of direct current throughout the system, sharply reducing the amount of time needed to charge a vehicle," according to a statement from EnerDel.
The recharging stations, which will draw from solar panels as well as grid power, will be located at Family Mart convenience stores in the Tsukuba City area.
Itochu, a Japanese conglomerate that has partnered with EnerDel on energy projects since 2003, owns the Family Mart chain. It was through a partnership with Itochu that EnerDel and Think Global converted and tested a fleet of trucks to all-electric vehicles for the Japanese Postal Service.
Simon Hacket and Emilis Prelgauskas at their 313-mile mark in Coober Pedy, South Australia.
(Credit: Hackett)A record for a Tesla Roadster driven on a single charge was set at 313 miles (501 km) in Australia on Tuesday.
Tesla Roadster owner Simon Hackett and his friend Emilis Prelgauskas drove his electric sports car from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, to Coober Pedy, South Australia, as part of an alternative-fuel vehicle rally called the Global Green Challenge.
The Tesla's electric-charge port door was sealed shut at the start of the 313-mile journey and the trip was filmed for a documentary, as well as monitored by contest officials. The Tesla's lithium ion battery, which the company assures owners will last over 200 miles between charges under normal driving circumstances, had 3 miles to spare when the team reached its destination in Coober Pedy, according to Hackett's chronicles of the race experience on his company blog. (Hackett happens to also be the founder and managing director of Internode, an Australian national broadband and Internet services company.)
Hackett said in his blog the achievement is actually a record for any production electric car, not just a Tesla Roadster, which is why his team was so careful to record it. To squeeze as much distance out of the Tesla's battery as they could, Hackett and Prelgauskas tried to drive at a consistent speed of 55 kph (roughly 34 mph) for a large portion of the almost 12-hour journey.
"The security seal was applied to the charge port door when we started the journey. As this is being done as part of the Global Green Challenge, we have a full set of official verifiers here who will attest to the results and to achieving the outcome. We were followed along the journey by our support crew and a documentary film crew--so we have it on film," said Hackett.
While Tesla Motors is not an official sponsor of the contest or Hackett, the company has shown support by spreading the news of Hackett's success. It's not hard to imagine why as Tesla poises for a major retail expansion.
The stunt may certainly speak to consumers who likely drive nowhere near 313 miles in a single day, but are still reluctant to hem themselves in with a car restricted to a limited number of miles between recharges.
(Credit:
Toyota)
Check out the following video that showcases some of the hottest green concepts (and one hot sport compact) from the Tokyo Motor Show in the round. Featured in the video are the Toyota FT-86 concept, the Honda CR-Z, the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi's PX-MiEV concept, and the Mazda Kiyora concept.
The video is narrated in Japanese, so we've no clue what's being said. However, we've reported on most of these cars already, just hit the links above for more info.
The Nissan Land Glider concept solves it's narrow track problem by leaning into the turns to gain traction.
(Credit: Nissan)
If you like what you've been hearing about Nissan's Leaf electric car, but think it looks too much like a futuristic Versa 1.6 for your tastes, then maybe Nissan's other zero-emissions concept will pique your interest.
The Nissan Land Glider concept is a tiny electric vehicle that features a computer controlled steering system that leans the car into the turns. The pilot driver is seated centrally in the cabin with space for a single passenger directly behind in the narrow cabin. At least, it looks like that's where the passenger would sit. Although the photos clearly show a driver's four-point harness, none of the pictures show a rear seat belt.
The steering wheel has been replaced with what looks like a flight yoke. The rear view mirrors have been replaced by cameras and monitors. The dashboard definitely looks like it belongs on a vehicle of the future.
Now THAT is a cockpit!
(Credit: Nissan)
Ultimate speed is not this vehicle's goal.
(Credit: Nissan)Details about the drive train are scarce, but we do know that it will be motivated by all-electric power. Expect the battery technology to be similar to that of the Leaf, albeit on a smaller scale. With its narrow profile and potentially lighter weight, we presume that the Land Glider will get by with less horsepower than the Leaf requires.
The Land Glider will be displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, alongside the Leaf production concept. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge. In the meantime, check out the embedded video of the Land Glider in action after the jump.
... Read More
(Credit:
Suzuki)
Suzuki is an automaker that we don't hear too much from in the U.S. However, when we do hear from it--such as with the two SX4s we've tested--we generally like what it has to say. So when we got word that a plug-in hybrid version of one of the smallest Suzukis, the Swift, would be on display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, our interest was piqued.
The Suzuki Swift plug-in hybrid can be classified as a series gas-electric hybrid or an extended-range electric vehicle, depending on who you ask. The front wheels are turned by a 54 kW (72.4 horsepower) electric motor, which gets its supply of electrons from an array of lithium ion batteries. The battery pack is mounted in the center tunnel with rather novel window cut into the center console, displaying one of the cells.
The Swift PHEV's center tunnel mounted battery, visible through a cutout.
(Credit: Suzuki)
Like any good concept, the Swift PHEV has cool looking seats made of odd materials.
(Credit: Suzuki)When the batteries run low, a small 600cc gasoline generator kicks in (a la Chevy Volt) to power the electric motor and keep the batteries topped off.
Range and fuel economy data has not yet been supplied, but stay tuned to our continuing coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show for more details as they emerge.
Toyota recalls 3.8 million cars, automakers gear up for the Tokyo Motor Show, Garmin sets a date and price for the Nuvifone, and we go for a ride in Lincoln's smallest luxury car.
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EPISODE 138
SHOW NOTES• Toyota recalls vehicles over loose floor mats
• Skydeck concept: Honda's hybrid van of the future
• Mazda to show concept, fuel efficient engines in Tokyo
• Subaru's Tokyo concept surfs trends
• Reserve Nissan's Leaf EV starting Spring 2010
The Honda EV-N concept looks like a cross between a robot pug and an electric panda.
(Credit: Honda)
The EV-N pays homage to the Honda N compacts of the '60s and '70s.
(Credit: Honda)The Honda EV-N will be on display at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show as a part of Honda's "HELLO! Zone" electric vehicle showcase. While details about the power train are still fuzzy and vague, we do know that it's all-electric and is cute as a darn button. Here's what else we know:
The EV-N appears to be a futuristic homage to the Honda N 360s and N 600s of the 1960s and '70s. It is a microcompact with a short wheelbase and seating for four passengers (only two of whom will probably be comfortable). Solar panels on the roof will either supplement battery charging or supply power to auxiliary systems--similar to the 2010 Prius' solar climate control system.
The interior is where things start getting weird. At least one of the doors houses Honda's UX-3 robotic unicycle, which is a whole different sort of quirky. If you don't like the red fabric seating surfaces, don't fret. Just pop the panels out and replace them with a color or pattern of your liking.
Stay tuned to our continuing coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show for more details as they emerge.
(Credit:
Nissan)
Nissan has announced that it will begin taking reservations for its upcoming Nissan Leaf electric vehicle starting in the Spring of 2010. The automaker predicts that it will have about 20,000 preorders lined up before production of the Leaf begins late next year.
According to Nissan's press release:
Nissan will invite people to "opt-in" and receive updates and information about Leaf through a reservation system that will tell them when the electric car is available--either for test drives or to take home. Participants will receive the latest news about the company's zero-emission activities as well as information about Nissan Leaf and how to become "plug-in ready."
Whether or not a deposit will be required to make a reservation is as yet undetermined, as is the final MSRP of the Leaf.
