EV Report

McCain has offered $300 Million for better battery technology. The rules seem very vague…only that the prize will be given to someone who creates a better battery that has a smaller size, higher capacity and can leapfrog current technology. Is this a ploy to get more votes? We’re really not sure but one thing is certain…its definitely good for electric cars. It’ll also inspire more investors to fund X-Prize type projects for EVs that may also go beyond cars and venture off into planes, boats and other types of transportation.  Read Main Article

New details have emerged on the Think Ox due out in 2010/2011. Looking very slick, the Ox is similar in size to the Toyota Prius and can go between 125-155 miles on a full charge. 0-60 time is 8.5 seconds and the lithium-ion battery can charge to 80% capacity in 1hr. The Ox is equipped with Solar roof panels to charge radio, GPS, A/C and other onboard electronics. Also mentioned is a mobile internet connection…so we can finally listen to internet radio stations. Think is backed by many different investors including G.E., RockPort Capital and Kleiner Perkins.

This article talks about how a few new companies are converting cars like porsche, lamborghini and similar high end cars to electric. In addition to performance, owners also want the happiness of being free from sending their hard earned dollars to the oil companies. Hey if your car doesn’t go that fast now don’t worry…better batteries are coming soon for you to spend more $$$ on. Read more here

Now this is a class assignment we wish we had when we were back in high school. Converting a Chevy S-10 into a sweet electric ride. 20 NCSC students worked on the project to convert the pickup using 24 deep cycle 6-volt batteries. The truck has a range of 50 miles and can be charged with a regular 110 volt outlet. Funding was provided by KeyBank Trust & Investment Services and Milliron Industries.   Read More here

If your used to riding the ghetto express (Bus) you may be interested in a new service that will be launched in Paris. Participating drivers will be able to pick up an electric car drive anywhere in the city or outskirts and drop it off at special drop off points. All for a monthly fee of about $390. Initial rollout will consist of 4,000 electric cars and will work on a help yourself basis. Not a bad concept, we city dwellers hate cars anyway…who wants to pay for parking, getting your car broken into, paying insurance. Hey Metro in Los Angeles…you gettin’ this here’s your next multi-million dollar idea? Read more about the project here

Have we heard this claim before? Yes. Have we seen proof? Hell no. Well Genepax claims to prove it and has invited lots of attention to its new project. Apparently its newly invented system creates electricity and heat from pure water that in turn powers the electric car. The system uses a known method called membrane electrode assembly (MEA), basically hydrogen is used to create electrical currents similar to that of a fuel cell. In essence the main breakthrough that they are not forthcoming on details is the process in which they split hydrogen and oxygen from water by using little or no energy. Read more here

This ride should definitely give the streets of Beijing some character. At a top speed of 28 Mph and a range of 50 Miles it won’t blow away any benchmarks. We would add a solar panel on top so its always charged…but that’s just us. Read more at Crave

Enable IPC Corp a nanotech company has announced a 1 million charge cycle benchmark breakthrough with its ultracapacitors and microbatteries. This essentially means if you have a car or truck and you charged it 10 times a day it could last you your whole life and you could hand the vehicle on to your kids. They will be showcasing their technology at the World Capacitor Summit in San Diego California on July 14th through the 16th.

A little known Dutch startup called Epyon has a new technology that can charge electric car batteries in 10 minutes! The normal time for a full charge takes an everlasting 8-10 hours. If you have lead-acid or Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) then your out of luck. The fast charger system uses smart circuitry and ultracapacitors to analyse then charge a battery. This system works best with lithium ion batteries and lithium-phosphate batteries. No word on how much it’ll set you back but since its new like everything else with electric car tech we can only assume it’ll be a lot. Epyon is first targeting industrial companies that have around-the-clock needs like airports and non-stop factories.

Check out more by going to Epyon’s site

Electric drive systems and hybrid technologies aren’t just for electric cars anymore. They’re becoming increasingly useful with any vehicle that uses gas. While not yet fully electric it is good to see that these trucks are on the right path. The Oshkosh Truck Corporation is developing the HEMTT A3 truck. Its got a 400hp Cummins turbo diesel with a 305 KW electric generator. What makes this truck different is it uses ultra capacitors instead of batteries to feed power to the electric motors and gets its power from the generator and regenerative braking. We know that everyone reading this is just dying to take a test drive in one.
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