Ecars Now- Community based purchasing power in Finland

In Finland a group of like minded individuals who support the major car manufacturers paradigm shift towards EV and Hybrid technology but do not want to wait for future release dates has come up with a pretty interesting way of getting more EV’s on the street at a really economical price.  Moreover, this concept really depends on the passion of the people within the Ecars community.  The more members who “buy-in” to their concept, the cheaper it will be for all of them to get into an EV now.

There are already billions of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars on the roads today, each slowly blacking out the sun with their smog, each contributing to our dependence on foreign oil and now, each with an opportunity to join the Ecar Now battery conversion cause.  In a nutshell, this group plans to tackle the Financial challenge of EV adoption by converting existing ICE cars into EVs.  This is not a new concept.  Two companies in Canada alone are doing fleet conversions on a large scale.  Rapid Electric Vehicle and ZENN Motors have a business model based on converting fleets of business vehicles into Electric ones.  The challenge however is cost.  It is not cheap to do the conversion.

The real paradigm shift from Ecars Now, is its volume purchasing power.  The group chooses a single vehicle that everyone already owns or can purchase and then mass purchases the batteries, the components and any other parts needed to make the conversion happen.  In their case, they have chosen the Toyota Corrolla and the SMART Fortwo.  Now you might be thinking to yourself, how many people will actually go out an buy this car or how many already own it and are willing to make the additional investment of purchasing the technology and make the switch.  Well, according to Ecars now, they have 1700 people signed up.

This is a community based idea and Ecars now encourages like minded people in other communities to start their own chapter and either join in to leverage even greater economies of scale for the batteries and parts needed for more Corrollas and Smart Cars, or follow their model and choose a different car that your local chapter wants to proceed with.  Here’s the link to their website for you to learn more  http://ecars-now.wikidot.com/

 

 

Downtown Vancouver Streetcar Project

The city of Vancouver, lead by Mayor Gregor Robertson is really pulling out all the stops to make Vancouver “the greenest city in the world.  As part of that mandate, the city is actively working on 6 major projects as well as a number of partner projects to get us to that goal. The major projects are:

1. Burrard Bridge Reallocation Trial
2. Olympic Transportation Initiatives
3. Granville Street Re-design
4. Rapid Transit
5. Downtown Transportation Plan
6. Downtown Vancouver Streetcar Project

The Downtown Vancouver Streetcar Project is a sustainable, accessible and reliable mode of transportation proven in cities such as Portland, Oregon; Nottingham, United Kingdom; and in Melbourne, Australia. The city suggests that the “modern streetcars will provide an attractive and exciting transit experience, linking activity centres in Vancouver’s metropolitan core and integrating with other transit modes – SeaBus, SkyTrain, West Coast Express, and bus services”.

Here is the Chronology of how this project began

1999

City Council approved a concept and routing plan for a Downtown Streetcar system.

2002

Council reaffirms its support for a Downtown Streetcar as part of the Vancouver Transit Strategy and requests a report back on funding options.

2004

Council approves work to plan for the Downtown Streetcar, including determining more accurate ridership estimates and defining a more detailed layout plan for track location and operation.

2006

Project update is presented to Council on the findings of the Downtown Streetcar

2007

Council approves an award of contract for preliminary engineering and design for Phase 0, of the project, Gravnille Island to Science world, involving phasing and alignment

2008

Council approves a budget to replace the existing single-track rail infrastructure between Granville Island and the 2nd Avenue Canada Line Station, and instructs staff to seek opportunities to develop the Downtown Streetcar Demonstration Project for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. A right-of-way along 1st Avenue in Southeast False Creek has also been reserved for the future alignment of modern streetcars.

So where are we today?  A very thorough report was deliverd to city council discussing the pros and cons of the project.  Heres the link http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20080311/documents/tt3.pdf  It looks like there will be a pilot project .  Staff recommend that detailed design begin immediately for replacement of the existing DHR track infrastructure between Granville Island and the 2nd Avenue Canada Line Station with
the ability to deliver a streetcar demonstration project for the 2010 Winter Games.  They asked that
$8.5Million be allocated to support the design and construction of the aforementioned
demonstration project; and that a maximum of $1.0Million be allocated to safeguard the modern
streetcar alignment along 1st Avenue.

 

 

 

Domestic Big Car Company thoughts

Who will come out on top as the first domestic car maker to be profitable making hybrid or electric vehicles? Ford just announced that they made almost $1 billion US.  This surprised every analyst.  The only company not to take a government bailout, is also making money?  This bodes well for their future at least from a customer confidence standpoint.  It will be interesting to see how sales revenue from the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid continue to perform.  One would think that continued success of they hybrid lineup at Ford would encourage the executive team at Ford to continue its plans for the Electric Vehicle roll-outs scheduled.  I for one am really interested to see the sportier Ford Focus EV (shown on the Jay Leno Show “the Green Car Challenge”) as part of the North American plan.

GM continues to promote the launch of the Chevy Volt and suggest that its self imposed release deadline of November 2011 is still happening. In a recent interview posted on the GM Volt website, it was suggested that full production is still slated for November and products to be available in dealerships by Christmas of 2011.  Having said this, there are those who suggest that a recent product release delay (namely the Chevy Cruze) may have implications for the Volt.  Both cars share many of the same underpinnings, components and manufacturing.  As such, it is possible that a delay for the Cruze might be mirrored by a delay for the Volt.

Fiat-Chrysler’s electric vehicle plans seem to be the most in jeopardy.  The biggest challenge for this new company will be the maintenance of market share and revenue as the two companies phase out many of the “dogs” from the Chrysler line-up and work on building new cars.  A great article on EV World discussed a recent product lineup press release where CEO Sergio Marchionne discussed the near future plans for its cars.  In a nutshell, there are no “real” plans for Electric Cars and there was no mention of the ENVI program which was Chrysler’s electric car program.  Marchionne instead revealed a plan to reduce the number of large vehicles and shrink many cars down and offer a super mini type vehicle as well.  At face value one might really criticize this plan as all of Chrysler’s competitors have a hybrid or EV play in their plans.  I, on the other hand, can not be highly critical.  I am disappointed by their product roll-out plans, but understand that restructuring realities had to be made to save many domestic jobs.

 

1 on 1 Interview with Nissan Motor Co. on its Electric Car Road Map Part 2

This is the second part of a two part interview I had with Didier Marsaud, Senior Manager Corporate Communications at Nissan regarding the Leaf, the plants to build it, their views on global trends and what their product road map might look like.

Reg Kao:

Has Nissan begun to rollout out charging station pilot projects in Japan or any other country?  If so, what have the initial results been?

Didier Marsaud:

The alliance (Renault- Nissan Industrial and Commercial Partnership) is aiming for true global proliferation of zero-emission cars.  It is partnering with over 30 countries, regions and corporations to build infrastructure and preparatory systems essential to the wider use of EVs.

In building infrastructure, teams in each region have been executing the plans, and constructive talks are ongoing.  Portugal, Monaco and the City of Yokohama are already taking action to build infrastructure based on results from their own studies.
We will continue increasing our partnerships while putting priority on final agreements with existing partners based on memoranda of understanding.
* Portugal plans to set up 320 charging stations in 2010, increasing that to 1,300 by the end of 2011.
* Monaco will increase charging stations from 176 to 300 by 2011, and add three new fast-charging stations.
* The City of Yokohama plans to use public parking lots for EV charging in fiscal 2009 and has set 15 specific locations, including ward government lots.

Reg Kao:

Honda and Toyota seem to really be pushing a “Green Thumb” agenda throughout its entire vehicle lineup be promoting fuel efficiency.  Nissan on the other hand, seems to be targeting the performance car consumer with its focus on the GT-R, the 370Z etc.  Are there plans for a second generation Leaf or second vehicle in the Nissan EV lineup to be more sporty looking?

Didier Marsaud:

We don’t comment on future products. As of today, Nissan has announced 3 EV vehicles: The Nissan Leaf, one Infiniti EV vehicle that will be true to the Infiniti brand’s promise of “Inspired Performance” and one electric commercial vehicle Together with a commitment to be a global leader in zero-emission vehicles, we continue to develop other technologies that reduce vehicle emissions. This is consistent with the objectives of our Nissan Green Program 2010. Those technologies include:

• Clean diesel technology is now available on the X-TRAIL in Japan since  2008
• Hybrids: Altima Hybrid already on sale since 2007 in the US and our own unique hybrid system in 2010
• Gasoline engines: Continue to work on more efficient gasoline engines including a ‘three-liter’ car in 2010 (gasoline-fueled car that runs 100km on three liters of fuel)
• Expand availability of Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) within the next three years
• In January 2009 Nissan announced the production of flex-fuel Livina in Brazil. It is the first passenger vehicle to be produced through the Renault-Nissan Alliance Plant in São José dos Pinhais. It will be Nissan’s first E100 flex-fuel vehicle capable of running on both petrol and ethanol. Livina   has been on sale in Brazil since March 2009
• Fuel Cells: Ongoing research into this mid-long term technology

All of these technologies will continue to represent a major investment for Nissan in addition to our commitment to bring an all-electric vehicle to the US, Japan, and Europe in 2010 and to mass market during 2012.

Reg Kao:

What is the most updated production release date for the leaf in Canada?

Didier Marsaud:

Leaf will hit the Canadian Market in Vancouver during the second half of 2011.

Reg Kao:

Do you have a price for the vehicle at this time?

Didier Marsaud:

It is too early to estimate a price for the car in Canada. However, our goal is to make its monthly operating costs — including payments — similar to a comparably equipped, five passenger, family car  – but without the emissions

 

 

1 on 1 Interview with Nissan Motor Co. on its Electric Car Roadmap Part 1

 

This is part 1 of a two part series of interviews that I had with Didier Marsaud, Senior Manager Corporate Communications at Nissan regarding the Leaf, the plants to build it, their views on global trends and what their product road map might look like.

Reg Kao:

Nissan Motor Co. has received a $1.6 billion USD loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to modify its Smyrna, Tenn., plant to produce electric vehicles and batteries to power them, with production starting in 2012.  Are there any plans for future plants to be built in Canada?

Didier Marsaud:

The Smyrna plant will produce the  Leaf and its batteries for the American market and there is no plan for a plant in Canada as of now.

Reg Kao:

Will your new plant in the U.S. be adopting “green technologies” so that the manufacturing process is also sustainable?  For example, Toyota’s new Tsuitsumi plant that manufactures the Prius makes use of a 2,000 KW photovoltaic generation system that they claim is the biggest used by any car manufacturer in the world. The exterior walls of the plant will be painted with photo catalytic paint that will absorb harmful emissions made by the plant.

Didier Marsaud:

We are currently in the design phase of the new battery plant at this time. We intend to make the building and the processes as green and sustainable as possible, while at the same time minimizing the operating costs and controlling the capital expenditure. We will make the best use of the technologies and processes that will provide the best value for our investments.

Reg Kao:

A common consumer criticism is “range anxiety”.  Given that the Nissan Leaf will have a finite range, it would make sense that Nissan work with Cities to develop charging infrastructure.  Has Nissan begun these discussions with the City of Vancouver?

Didier Marsuad:

We have signed a MOU with the city of Vancouver,Province of BC and BC Hydro, and this will be part of the discussions. A MOU is a memorandum of understanding – an agreement to work together to find a solution toward a common goal. Our goal is to bring the Leaf into Vancouver in the best conditions possible in order to have our customers able to get the best experience with Leaf. Leaf will have a range of 160 km which should easily meet the needs of a lot of customers – the average commute is about 18km – so the range of Leaf is about 9 times compared to what a person requires in a normal day. And the vehicle is recharged every night with home charger.

For more information visit the Nissan Zero-Emission website (http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com/EN/index.html),

Part two of the interview will be tomorrow.  In it you find out Nissan’s plans for rolling out charging stations globally, technology road maps, Leaf pricing and Leaf release updates.

 

 

Invasion of the Super-Cutes

Is it just me or is there a common theme starting to emerge from many automakers who originally hadn’t planned to release a fully electric vehicle and have now decided to “Wow” us with their Nissan Leaf fighters?  Here is a handful of the cutest of the cute cars coming soon.  Fellas, the ladies will love you, but your beer drinking buddies will never let you live it down.  Having said that, once your neanderthal buddies see you chating up all the lovely ladies, they’ll secretly want one of these too!

Mini -E

Would it surprise you to know that this uber -cute, yuppie chariot from BMW has actually already been on the roads of major US cities since early this year? I wonder how many existing mini owners who already own one of these iconic examples of neighborhood chic will trade in their gas guzzling, petro retro versions and opt to buy this super cool, pa pa pa pa paparazzi inspiring version.  BMW, who really seems to be focusing on hydrogen long term and whom really has not mentioned an entry level (3 series) hybrid, seem to want to catch up with Nissan with the Mini-E. BMW is currently testing 500 of these little darlings which have a range of 240 kms per charge, 110 km/h top speed and tons of asphalt chic.

Honda EV-N

This is by far my favorite of them all.  Honda says the design inspiration draws from the original Honda civic launched into the North American market over a decade ago. I think its an homage to George Jetson meets Cute Pug Dog.  With its stubby nose and cute demeanor, one must wonder if it will fit in the Gucci dog carrying handbag of the super socialites.  Can you imagine Whitney from “The City” driving to work in one of these?  Can you say “Drama”?  I guess she would be able to use the ” oh its auto haute Couture” excuse.  Besides an electric engin, it is also supposed to have interior fabric that one could switch depending on the fashion of the season, a super cool entertainment system and most importantly, on those days when you park your EV and you don’t want to walk; the passenger side door contains the UX3 a crazy looking super unicycle.

Fiat/ Chrysler 500

Although Chrysler’s ENVI (electric vehicle program) has gone completely quiet, probably due to the fact that they were bought out; I must admit that their Fiat 500 mini car is cool.  The gasoline version that has been tested by many car review programs and magazines suggest that it is amazing for its size.  One could only assume then that swapping the ICE (Internal combustion engine) for an electric one is a no brainer.  Would it surprise you to know that this car in the gasoline form is hitting showrooms in North America next year?  Would it surprise you even more to know that this uber cute, munchkin ready, city cruiser had an electric cousin version in 2008? A version of the Micro-Vett Fiat 500 was shown at the London Auto Show.  So if you think this car is “to die for”, start saving your penny’s.  (P.S. the car i this picture is not the 2008 version, rather its a 2010 model with style showing in the Paris Auto Show.

 

Obama is “putting his money where his mouth is”

President Obama has just announced up to $8 Billion USD in funding to companies to begin the monumental effort of bringing the United States Electric Grid into the 21st century. This funding is to be used for companies who manufacture smart meters, thermostats and various other elements of the electric transmission system.  One can also assume then that the next round of funding would go to the infrastructure itself to make energy delivery and consumption information more readily available at the distribution point.

What is smart metering?  In a nutshell, these are intelligent devices that communicate two-way between the utilities and its customers. It provides information related to energy consumption, peak levels, low usage points and most importantly, break downs in the system which requires a solution.  For example, if there is a blackout due to hardware failure, the utility is notified and alternative energy delivery strategies are determined to get power back to the customers sitting in the dark.

There is a common misunderstanding  about the infrastructure in the US.  Critics have argued that everyone is getting power today from the existing energy infrastructure in place, so why spend money on the infrastructure? In the United States, the utility industry is a mish-mash of private and public companies all trying to make a buck.  With the abundance of cheap energy (when compared to Europe or Japan)   there was no reason for the utilities to improve their ability to provide energy.  Moreover, there is a dis-incentive for them to improve their infrastructure.  They (the utilities) are in the business of selling energy, and there is a substantial cost for them to upgrade the infrastructure.  Most importantly, the utilities want power consumption 24hrs a day and a smart meter designed to only obtain energy at its cheapest, is not necessarily in the best interest of the utility.  Having said this, I am sure that the government is working on incentive programs such as loans to the utilities to make the idea more appealing to them.

What does this have to do with Electric Cars? When you drive your fully charged EV to work and plug in at the office for 8 hrs, you can have a smart meter sell any surplus energy back to the utility at peak prices and then recharge in the evening at lower prices.  This is not a new idea, however it is a revolutionary one.

 

Fisker buys GM Manufacturing Plant: But will they sell an affordable car for the masses?

It is now official, Fisker Automotive has purchased a General Motors manufacturing plant in Delaware. The initial plans suggest that Fisker will re-tool the plant in preparation for “Nina”.  This is the code name of the new hybrid sedan that they are working on.  This car is supposed to be targeted at the masses.  When I say masses, I mean anyone who can afford a $40,000 hybrid (after tax credits).  Hint Hint, this is the same target audience that GM is after with its Chevy Volt.

It certainly looks to me like there will be some head to head competition brewing between GM and Fisker. Both companies are working on a luxury Plug-in hybrid (Cadillac Converj vs. Fisker Karma) and a more economical production car for the masses (Chevy Volt vs. Fisker Nina). GM has been doing a lot of press around its premium plug-in concept, the Cadillac Converj.  This is basically a Chevy Volt but with way more bells and whistles coupled with some futuristic and sexy looking sheet metal.  Fisker has also turned a lot of heads with its Karma sedan.

The plant formerly built the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky.  So without reinventing the proverbial “wheel”, can one expect that Fisker automotive would carry over the previously built vehicles platform,change the sheet metal to reflect the Karma design language and present North America with a really sexy alternative to the Checy Volt? Only time will tell.

 

 

Colorado’s ground breaking tax credit

The State of Colorado has just issued a ground breaking tax credit.  Until Dec 31, they will issue new car purchasers a tax credit for a percentage of the difference between an alternative fuel vehicle and its closest gasoline vehicle competitor. It would seem the main purpose behind the incentive is to nullify car purchase rejections based on price differences at the consumer level.

From what I gather, if you were to purchase a Prius, they would give you a tax credit between the difference in price between that prius and its closets competitor (perhaps a chevy malibu).  The scenario gets really interesting as you compare higher ticket item cars such as the Tesla Roadster at $109,000 and its closest competitor the Lotus.  Treehugger.com did an analysis and suggests a savings of approximately $42,000.

Now I’m not a math wiz, but according the my humble calculations, the total cost for a Tesla Roadster is $45,780. This is still a lot of money for mere mortals such as moi, but for someone who was considering a car in this price range, the Tesla just got a whole lot more appealing.

 

China leads the way

According to the NY Times, The Chinese government’s goal is to be the world leader in EV and hybrid production within 3 years. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/global/02electric.html  Given that China sold 11 million units in the first quarter of this year alone, compared to 10 million units in the United States; this could be a reality sooner than we think.  Chinese automakers such as BYD and Cherry are at the forefront of the car manufacturing push and the previous could actually beat (to market) Toyota and GM with the first production ready plug-in electric vehicle.

Yes they can. The Chinese have lagged behind the traditional automakers such as the Detroit three and their respective Japanese and Korean counterparts in the production of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for quite some time, however the EV and Hybrid market has no clear leaders yet.  In fact, companies such as Build Your Dreams (BYD) may actually have a competitive advantage as they started life as a low cost battery manufacturer.