News
Urban EVs gain traction in France
Two recent announcements provide evidence that the major industry groups are beginning to take EVs and urban car sharing schemas more seriously-at least in France.
Toyota is providing the eastern city of Grenoble with electric vehicles for the new Cite lib by HoMo car sharing schema: 35 of the innovative three wheelers and similar number of more conventional COMS four-wheeler will be available for three-year pilot program.
Renault has joined with Bollore, which has provided the vehicles in the infrastructure for several already successful schemas, including Lyon, Bordeaux and Paris where well over 2000 cars are in operation under the auto lib banner
http://ricardo.com/Documents/RQ%20pdf/RQ%202014/RQ%20Q3%202014/RQ_Q3_2014.pdf
Audi commits to 48 volts
"The much-anticipated industry move towards dual voltage electrical architectures is now officially underway, with VW subsidiary Audi announcing it will upgrade part of its
vehicles’ electrical systems from 12 to 48 volts. The move will allow the company to incorporate efficiency-boosting features such as electrically powered superchargers
and drivetrain electrification that would not have been feasible with current single voltage networks.
Significantly greater energy recovery rates are possible using 48 volt systems, and a technology demonstrator based on the current A6 model has shown savings of 10 g
CO2/km due to this property alone. Audi’s plan is for a scalable platform with an ascending ladder of features, culminating in the electric supercharger."
"We are using the full bandwidth of the electrification in our drive principles strategy. Running part of the vehicle electric system at 48 V plays a central role in this," commented Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the board of management for technical development at Audi. "It enables us to make more energy available. That paves the way for new technologies with which we can make our cars more sporty, more efficient and more convenient to use"
http://www.ricardo.com/Documents/RQ%20pdf/RQ%202014/RQ%20Q3%202014/RQ_Q3_2014.pdf
PSE&G AnnounPSE&G Announces Program Incenting Companies To Provide Charging for Employees Who Drive Electric Carsces Program Incenting Companies To Provide Charging for Employees Who Drive Electric Cars
Company also releases one year data on its employee electric car incentive plan – 120,000 commuting miles on electric
(Newark, NJ – July 22, 2014) - PSE&G today announced an innovative program to encourage New Jersey businesses to provide employees with electric car charging at work. The unique perk would foster greater adoption of electric cars, which would help to improve the state’s air quality, help companies achieve sustainability targets, reduce costs for employees and help America become more energy independent.
The program will provide “smart” charging equipment for approximately 150 cars. Charging stations will be given out on a first come, first serve basis to companies that secure a commitment from a minimum of five employees that they will use an electric car for their commute.
“Our company believes there is a strong future in electric cars here in New Jersey, and workplace charging is a critical part of that future,” said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G. “We want to be a partner with New Jersey businesses and New Jersey electric car drivers. Electric cars not only benefit the environment, but are cheaper to own and operate than conventional cars.”
PSE&G will provide the charging systems for free. Participating workplaces will need to install the units and pay for the electricity. PSE&G will own the charging systems and collect usage data to better understand the impact of workplace charging on electric demand and the electric delivery system. The Hydra data collection system will be provided by Liberty Access Technologies.
“Electric vehicle charging is usually a matter of hours, not minutes, so charging your EV while you are at work is an ideal solution,” said Chris Outwater, President of Liberty Access Technologies. “At work charging will make EV ownership possible for many more people. It is especially important for apartment dwellers who cannot easily charge while at home.”
The incentive is available only to companies located in PSE&G’s electric service territory. Companies interested in more information on the program can contact PSE&G at: EVworkplacecharging@pseg.com
PSEG also released data on the first year of operations of its own employee electric car incentive program launched one year ago, including:
- The 13 employees in the program are estimated to have driven 120,000 miles on electric commuting to and from work in the first twelve months of the program.
- The participants are estimated to have saved 5,300 gallons of gas and avoided spending nearly $19,000 on gas just on their commute.
- By commuting on electric, it is estimated that the program helped avoid 50 to 60 tons of CO2 being released into the air as well as reduced particulate, SOx and NOx emissions in communities through the state.
Infographic: one year data on PSEG workplace charging
Employees in the PSEG workforce program bought/leased a range of cars including the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Honda Fit, Ford C-MAX Energia, Toyota Prius plug-in and Tesla.
Electric cars in New Jersey are particularly helpful for the overall air quality because of New Jersey’s clean mix of fuel used to produce electricity. More than half of electricity produced in New Jersey comes from nuclear energy which produces no air pollutants or climate change gases.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).
http://www.pseg.com/info/media/newsreleases/2014/2014-07-22.jsp#.U86JNLHQBGh
Tesla Completes First Coast-To-Coast Supercharger Route
While likely not committed with the driving of a silver spike, Tesla has completed the first Supercharger line spanning from each coast. This achievement now makes it possible to drive a Tesla Model S from LA to NYC, recharging the vehicles exclusively through Superchargers. Best of all, at these stations, Tesla drivers can top off their tanks for free.
Tesla’s website now brags there are 85 such charging stations across the lower 48 and part of Europe.
The coast-to-coast route takes drivers from the Pacific, through Arizona, up to South Dakota and through Chicago with the ultimate destination of New York City. But, Tesla hasn’t stopped there. The Supercharger network actually spans down both coasts from Seattle to San Diego and Connecticut to the tip of Florida.
These stations are conveniently located for drivers. Tesla says they’re located near major interchanges and amenities. But drivers will not be stranded for long. A Supercharger can recharge a Tesla to 80% in 40 minutes; a full recharge takes 75 minutes.
Tesla introduced the Supercharger in 2012. Instead of simply announcing the intention to build such a network, the company revealed the program and six stations in California. Since then, Tesla has expanded the Supercharger network at a crazy pace. It was just last May that Elon Musk announced plans to build the coast-to-coast link.
Tesla, shut up and ship it.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/27/tesla-completes-first-coast-to-coast-supercharger-route/
The new 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
MONTVALE, NJ - The all-new 2014 model year Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive makes its world debut at the New York International Auto Show. The Electric Drive shows off a dynamic design, high-quality interior and a high-torque electric motor for completely emission-free driving. This makes for a lively drive with an estimated range of around 115 miles (200 km). In addition, the B-Class Electric Drive is digitally networked. Thanks to its connectivity, it can be conveniently checked and configured via the internet. As a true Mercedes it also sets high standards in terms of comfort, quality and safety. The B-Class Electric Drive will have its global launch in the USA in early 2014 and be the first luxury battery electric car from Mercedes-Benz in the market.
The 2014 B-Class Electric Drive surprises with a particularly dynamic driving experience, delivering decidedly brisk acceleration while gliding along the road in near perfect silence. The driver and passengers in this new electric Mercedes will enjoy the familiar comfort of a well designed, high-quality interior offering generous space. The B-Class Electric Drive offers driving pleasure with zero local emissions - in short, electric driving at the premium level.
Dr. Joachim Schmidt, member of the Mercedes-Benz Cars Board of Management responsible for Sales and Marketing: "The B-Class Electric Drive meets the wishes of many customers for emission-free driving without foregoing the hallmark attributes of a Mercedes-Benz, namely: safety, comfort and, of course, not to forget exhilarating driving pleasure."
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/about_us/press?pressId=27329648072bd310VgnVCM1000007c184335____