The Suit Magazine

A new generation of electric cars has arrived.  And there is a futuristic-looking concept car in the works, a micro-hybrid version of the sport utility vehicle.

Electric
President Obama has set a goal of a million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and all-electric vehicles (BEV) on American roads by 2015.  New electric options such as the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric, and the hybrid plug-in Chevy Volt, have hit the market.  Others, including the Ford focus Electric, are on the way.  Americans can now receive a $7,500 tax credit for purchasing one of the next-generation electric vehicles.  In addition, since Obama took office $2.4 billion in funding has been made available; to put American manufacturers to work producing these vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make them run.

BEVs and PHEVs
This new wave of electric vehicles is powered by lithium-ion battery packs.  Trekkies may be reminded of the fictional di-lithium crystals which powered the starship Enterprise.  The real-life version can be charged via a standard 120-volt outlet, which can take more than 20 hours for a full charge, or it can be charged in several hours using a 240-volt home-installed charging station.  “Range anxiety” and price have been factors concerning consumers.

The Nissan Leaf, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $32,780, is all-electric (BEV), and has been built to go 100 miles on a single charge, but actual range will be 62-138 miles depending on speed, cargo and driving style.  It has a top speed of 90 mph.  With 20,000 orders nationwide in 2010, it has been so popular that Nissan stopped taking reservations for new Leafs late last year, and will begin accepting new reservations on May 1. 

The Ford Focus Electric, with an MSRP of $34,500, is an all-electric vehicle being brought to market at the end of 2011.  With a top speed of 84 mph the range is forecast to be 100 miles on a fully charged battery, but the actual mileage will vary.  Dave Finnegan, Focus Electric brand manager, told the Suit Magazine, “The real point of differentiation for the Focus Electric was the engineering done to take an existing gas-powered vehicle and turn it into an all-electric vehicle.  As a result, Focus Electric can be built on the same line as the gas-powered version.” So the production line can be amped up or down according to demand.  Finnegan continued, “the charging time is also a key advantage for the Focus Electric.  It can recharge in half the time of the Nissan Leaf.”

For those with a more expensive taste for sports cars, there is the all-electric Tesla Roadster, with an MSRP of $109,000.  It’s a two-seater with a 248 horsepower electric motor that has a top speed of 125, can go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, and has a range of 244 miles on a single charge.  Imagine stepping on the accelerator of a bumper car and shooting up to 60 miles an hour.  First released in 2008 by Tesla Motors in California, the Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States.  As of March 2011 it had sold 1,500 units in 30 countries.
 
The Chevrolet Volt, with an MSRP of $40,280 is a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV).  It is a “series hybrid”.  Only the electric motor powers the wheels.  The very small 1.4 Liter gasoline engine, with 80 hp, simply recharges the batteries.  As a result, despite a limited range of 35 miles on a single charge of the battery pack, the gas-powered generator allows it to continue for another 375 miles.  It soothes “range anxiety.”  It has a top speed of 100 mph. 

In a report issued by Pike Research, it was forecast that 3.2 million BEVs and PHEVs will be sold over the 5-year period from 2010 to 2015.  The report estimated that 841,000 will be sold in the U.S., falling short of Obama’s goal, and 880,000 will be sold in China.  According to the report, “PHEVs and BEVs will complement, rather than displace, the market for conventional hybrid electric vehicles.”

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
In the previous generation of HEVs, including the Toyota Prius, the engine arrangement is a “power-split” or “series-parallel” hybrid combination of electric motor(s) and gasoline engine.  The electric motor powers the car at low speeds.  On the open road the gasoline engine takes over, usually around 40 mph.  When maximum power is required, for example to pass another car, the electric motor is used to assist the gas engine.  Despite their increasing presence, hybrids only accounted for about 2% of total car sales in the U.S. in February 2011.  During that month 23,263 hybrids were sold out of a total of 989,808 vehicle sales, and the Toyota Prius accounted for 15,639 of those hybrid sales.

Cross-Over Utility Vehicles (CUVs)      
One of the real gas-guzzlers on the road today is the conventional SUV.  A CUV is a vehicle built on a car platform, while retaining the features of an SUV, such as tall interior packaging, high seating and high ground clearance.  It is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the auto market, and it’s considered a non-electric micro-hybrid.  An exciting entrant into this field of auto design is Ford’s concept car, the Vertrek, which won an award at the Detroit auto show in January. 

Stefan Lamn, Director of Exterior Design, Ford Europe, told the Suit Magazine, “People are looking for something more sleek and fuel-efficient.  They’re also looking for a combination of style and spaciousness; the Vertrek is a one-concept car.”  Ford uses its kinetic design in the Vertrek, with converging Z-shaped accents between the front quarter-panel, the doors, and the rear quarter-panel.  Asked about the intimidating, king-of-the-road aspect which Americans seem to love in their SUVs, Lamn laughed, “We disguised it with some clever lines and surfacing, but the Vertrek still has a bold aspect.  I’m proud of the architecture of the car.”   

Fuel efficiency has been increased in the Vertrek with the use of Ford’s Eco-Boost system.  “The Eco-Boost technology is really important in the Vertrek, because as a car manufacturer we have a responsibility to address sustainability,” Lamb said. “This is also vital when addressing the global market.”  The system combines direct injection technology with twin-turbo-charged performance, providing a V6 engine with the power of a V8.  It allows the Vertrek to be powered by a 1.6 liter engine. 

The Vertrek is considered a non-electric micro-hybrid because it utilizes 2 hybrid technologies – start/stop technology along with brake energy regeneration.  Start/stop technology, which reduces emissions about 5-10%, involves shutting down the gasoline combustion engine when the car is stationary.  Brake energy regeneration is a technology which captures the energy lost during a car’s deceleration, turns it into electricity, and recharges the battery, allowing for the repeated use of the battery each time the vehicle comes to a rest. 

These are welcome developments.  With the rising cost of gas making life miserable for car owners around the world, and the exhausts from combustion-powered vehicles choking the life out of our planet’s ecosystems, the strategies of electrification and fuel efficiency in auto production are crucial.

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