Electric Cars are for Girls

MARCH 20, 2019

The makers of these devices are claiming it will increase your gas mileage to 100 mpg or more. How cool is that? It's not

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DIY 2019 Conversion MPG 116

Green Car Reports

JUNE 23, 2019

Waiting and waiting for more details about the upcoming Tesla Pickup—the “cyberpunk truck”—or concerned that it’s going to be too big when it arrives? You could essentially build your own.

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DIY 2019 San Francisco Building 105

Electric Cars are for Girls

JUNE 20, 2009

Paul Holmes' DC Motor Controller: open source and do-it-yourself saves a lot of money

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DIY DC 2009 Motor 151

DIY Electric Car

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

I have a dirty secret, I like free stuff and I think you do too. Lately I find myself charged on public charging. No, I technically rarely "have-to" use the thin boxes popping up all over town. I've had facility folks come over twice now to tell me, "Those spaces aren't open!"

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DIY 2011 Volt Charging 179

Electric Cars are for Girls

JUNE 24, 2009

AC Motor Controller (Part 3 of AC Conversion, Interview with Eric Tischer

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DIY 2009 Motor Motoring 127

DIY Electric Car

AUGUST 28, 2008

The DIY website has been going under some pretty impressive changes and has included some pretty interesting threads over the past few months, but with over 3000 members and an average of 400 new threads a week there is a lot of content to go over.

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2008 DIY Electric Cars Cars 100

DIY Electric Car

JUNE 4, 2011

Some of the members here will find this obvious but I've spoken with several people recently who had no idea that we have such a fantastic resource built up. For those of you who don't know, we have an electric car conversion wiki which has tons of info for beginners and pros. It's the same one as the link on the top right of the page, but I admit, our site design is a little weak so I'm not terribly surprised that it gets overlooked. Hey, it's all about the content, right?

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DIY 2011 Conversion IDEA 100

Electric Cars are for Girls

APRIL 9, 2019

Do you think wheel hub motors will be available for the DIY market and if so, how soon? Hi, Scott - It looks like in-wheel motors might be coming

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2019 DIY Motor Motoring 127

DIY Electric Car

JUNE 18, 2008

Last week I said that this blog would be part journal, part guide to the conversion process but I've decided to separate those two categories by having a build thread for the bike with pretty pictures and having this blog as a sort of step by step guide. I'll still give you updates here but primarily the build thread will be about how I'm doing it and the blog will be about how you can do it.

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2008 DIY Electric Motorcycles Motorcycles 100

All Cars Electric

JULY 13, 2011

Electrical supply firm Leviton Manufacturing announced yesterday that it was now accepting orders for its $1,049 EVB22-3PM Level 2 charging station. Designed to provide up to 3.8 kilowatts to charge electric cars like the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the Leviton unit can be installed without any permanent modifications to a

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DIY Installation 2011 Volt 63

Electric Cars are for Girls

FEBRUARY 26, 2010

Well, this is more a suggestion, rather than a question, on how to build your own hybrid electric car. The average 4cyl car motor weighs about 700 lbs

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DIY 2010 Building Motor 89

Green Car Reports

MARCH 15, 2012

Over the past year, electric car charging stations have gone from being overpriced products with extortionate installation costs to items you can pick up at your local hardware store and install yourself. But if driving to your local Lowes and installing a pre-built unit seems a little easy or still too expensive, there’s now a third option

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DIY 2012 Installation Store 70

Creative Greenius

FEBRUARY 24, 2009

In addition to Creative Greenius you’ll find these great EV Driven blogs: DIY Electric Car. Tags: electric vehicles carbon producers DIY Electric Car Tesla Electric Car Blog renewable energy fossil fuels environment Chris Payne Tesla Founders Mini E Yes We Can!

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2009 DIY Kits Mini E 130

Creative Greenius

DECEMBER 2, 2008

As we move into the final month of the year 2008 I keep looking up at my rooftop longingly.

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2008 DIY Tax Credit Store 130

DIY Electric Car

DECEMBER 23, 2012

the "lower" cost systems out there for DIY people. methodology and materials required to do a DIY Industrial AC motor customization. to the DIY crowd. All major car makers use AC propulsion systems for a reason.

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DIY 2012 Future Motor 130

Green Car Reports

OCTOBER 25, 2017

It’s being called “DIY Dieselgate,” and it could make the air people breathe a lot dirtier. An entire section of the automotive industry—racing—has been exempt from the requirements for emission-control devices found on our everyday cars and trucks. Race enthusiasts got worried early in 2016 when the EPA issued new. Diesels Politics congress

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Congress DIY 2017 Legal 78

DIY Electric Car

JULY 16, 2009

It seems to be just getting started but looks to be the best way (besides DIY Electric Car, of course), to get current information on the Volt. Chevrolet recently launched an information and social networking site for their upcoming Electric Vehicle, the Volt. The site is full of photos of the vehicle and videos on the manufacturing process and technical aspects of the vehicle.

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DIY 2009 Volt Chevrolet 100

All Cars Electric

JULY 19, 2011

But what you may not know is that as of August DIY Enthusiasts in selected areas will If you’re the kind of person who thinks that a fun weekend consists of redecorating your bathroom, landscaping your garden or perhaps making your own shelving units from scratch, you’re probably familiar with Lowe’s, the Home Improvement Store.

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DIY 2011 Personal Store 81

DIY Electric Car

MAY 8, 2008

Just out of curiosity I thought it might be interesting to record to statistics of DIY electric car, since it seemed like it was growing pretty fast. After just a month of fairly sporadic recording of the threads, posts, members and active members I found the results pretty surprising. If you're interesting in statistics or just want to see how the website is going then check out these numbers (and excuse my dodgy excel graphs).

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2008 DIY Electric Cars Electric 100

Green Car Reports

MAY 2, 2012

We’ve passed spring break, the weather is getting warmer and you’ve turned your weekend attentions to camping trips, DIY projects and outdoor sports. For many Americans, that means digging roof racks out of their winter storage and securing them on top of the family car for the season. If that car is electric however, you’ll want

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DIY 2012 Range Electric Cars 81

DIY Electric Car

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

Hello DIY'ers, The Exploratorium in the San Francisco is looking for someone who'd like to show off their DIY Electric Car for one night on October 7th as part of our monthly After Dark series. As a part of our October After Dark event we are seeking a DIY electric car and builder who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area to display and discuss their work that evening in our Museum. As it turns out, the Exploratorium was born out of the DIY spirit.

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San Francisco DIY 2010 IDEA 100

DIY Electric Car

JUNE 15, 2010

m heavily looking toward my counselors at DIY t help me here as I am quite mathematically and electronically challenged. I know that I?m m killing everyone with minute, but I?m m very proud of the work that I?ve ve done so far.

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2010 DIY Deep Cycle Motor 130

DIY Electric Car

NOVEMBER 5, 2008

A DIY Electric Car Member, david85, has been testing a 200 Amp-Hour LiFePo4 Battery for a few weeks now and has been keeping a public journal of the results. If you're not familiar with LifePo4, it's a fairly new battery technology that promises greater safety than Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer while still holding a good energy density and a decent discharge rate.

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2008 DIY Lithium Ion Polymer 100

Revenge of the Electric Car

FEBRUARY 26, 2009

DIY Electric Car. We want you to know about a new website and community for people who are passionate about Electric Vehicles. We’re excited to be a part of: EV Driven. EV Driven aggregates the latest content from all these electric car blogs: * Creative Greenius. * Electric Car Blog. Electric Cars are for Girls. Green Car Congress. Green Gearhead. * My Green Wheels. Open Source Civic EV Kit. Plug In Partners. Plugs and Cars. Porsche 914 EV Conversion. Revenge of the Electric Car.

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DIY 2009 Kits Porsche 100

DIY Electric Car

FEBRUARY 17, 2010

Tools fit in to the time/money equation as does the DIY /Farm it out choice. There are things I need to consider: I can save myself lots of headaches, frustration, money and tantrums if I seek and entertian knowledge from others. Secondly, what kind of EV do I want when I finish? I choose to make a medium range, street legal "Grocery Getter" Next make a buget! Or at least have an idea of how much I am willing to spend, and is this amount realisitc?

2010 100

2010 DIY Legal IDEA 100

DIY Electric Car

JULY 14, 2010

If you can build Lego and with the tech help and resources of this great DIY forum you can do it! Picking Your Dream Car for Conversion. So I am converting a 1984 Pontiac Fiero, well you may ask your self why? A Fiero. Well I have always wanted three cars, A Fiero, DeLorean and Lamborghini. So after a deer hit my dino drinker, I decided to tack the plunge.

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2010 Conversion DIY Cheap 100

Honda S2000 EV Conversion

MARCH 15, 2009

Dimitri and Jim have ordered their DIY kits and will hopefully have them up and running soon. It's been awhile since the last update but I've been busy on the next step in the project which is the cell balancers for the lithium cells.

Volt 52

Volt 2009 DIY Cheap 52

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

Write For GO About Advertise Contact Login Explore GO Media: News & Opinion Family & Lifestyle Business & Technology Gas 2.0 Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.

2009 69

2009 Standards 2008 San Francisco 69

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 20, 2009

Skip to Content Massively explains Warhammer Online to the dedicated WoW player AOL Tech Europe ↓ Polska Deutschland Asia ↓ ???? ???? ??? ???? Español HD Mobile Engadget Engadget Engadget Web Images Video News Local RSS Feed Contact us Tip us on news!

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Recharge 2009 Juice Google 77

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

There are also videos on Youtube where people change the pack the DIY way or the individual modules, but be aware to only buy individual modules from a trusted source. by BLNT, PriusPodcast.com.

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2020 Cheap 2004 Prius 88

Plugs and Cars

OCTOBER 27, 2007

Third-party and DIY converters can't muck with every system on a car. Required reading: Bill Moore's EVWorld review and Martin Zimmerman's LA Times piece about their test drives of the Toyota Plug-in Prius and the hydrogen fuel cell Highlander FCHV. Paradox 1 - Soot: There's an apparent emissions paradox with plug-in hybrids (PHEV): Driving longer distances on battery power means more cold starts as the internal combustion engine (ICE) stops and starts up again after the batteries deplete.

2007 100

2007 Plug-in PHEV Plug 100

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 22, 2009

Skip to Content Budget travel destinations for 2009 Autoblog AOL Autos Green Daily Gadling Engadget AutoblogGreen Autoblog Green Web Images Video News Local More → x Jobs Mapquest Movies Music Personals Shopping Travel Yellow Pages Send us a tip Contact us Advertise Corrections/Problems?

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Minivan 2009 Chrysler Dodge 52

Green Car Congress

MARCH 26, 2009

Building materials retailer Grange Builders Providers, of Baldoyle, Dublin, has purchased a Smith Newton truck for deliveries of building and DIY products. The 10-tonne truck is the largest pure electric vehicle on the road in Ireland. Designed for city and town center use, the Smith Newton is powered by an 80 kWh Li-ion battery pack and a 120 kW electric motor. This provides a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a range of 100 miles (160 km) on one battery charge.

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Ireland DIY 2009 Li-ion 60

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 28, 2009

Skip to Content Listen to the Joystiq Podcast (because your ears cant read) Autoblog AOL Autos Green Daily Gadling Engadget AutoblogGreen Autoblog Green Web Images Video News Local More → x Jobs Mapquest Movies Music Personals Shopping Travel Yellow Pages Send us a tip Contact us Advertise Corrections/Problems? Subscribe Green News Events Manufacturers Region New Cars Used Cars Filed under: EV/Plug-in , SMART , Tesla Motors , USA , Daimler VIDEO: Driving a Tesla-powered Smart by Domenick Yoney on Apr 24th 2009 at 2:09PM Tesla-powered smart fortwo Click above for a hi-res gallery When Tesla launched its amazing Model S a while back, it wasnt the only Tesla-powered machine supplying rides to attendees. Also ferrying guests about a short circuit (so to speak) was a smart fortwo imbued with a Tesla-engineered drivetrain, fruit of its effort to supply Daimler with battery packs for 1,000 smart eds. Our friend Doug, of Tesla Motors Club fame, was at the event and went for a ride in the diminutive one, armed with a video camera to record the ride, the results of which we are happy to share with you after the break. Because of the nature of the event, there was no demonstration of heart-stopping acceleration or sure-footedness through a slalom, which is somewhat disappointing. The car would have been capable of making a lasting impression given the chance, outfitted, as it was, with the motor and gear box 1.0 from the Tesla Roadster. Perhaps more interesting than the ride, at least for some electro-geeks, are some of the pictures Doug took of the battery pack on display that will go into the electric smarts. Encased in metal and painted black, the battery looked much smaller than a Roadster pack and is said to be able to power the fortwo up to 100 miles. Check out the pics in the gallery below and dont forget to hit the jump for some smart video action. Gallery: Tesla smart mule and battery [Source: Tesla Motors Club ] Photos Copyright ©2009 Doug King Tags: smart ed , SmartEd , Tesla , Tesla smart , Tesla smart battery , tesla smart ed mule , Tesla smart mule , TeslaSmart , TeslaSmartBattery , TeslaSmartEdMule , TeslaSmartMule Email this Print this Comments ( 12 ) Share Related Articles From Autoblog Green VIDEO: First Tesla Model S buyer takes first ride 29 days ago Daimler only planning to use Tesla batteries for first 1,000 smart eds 103 days ago Detroit 2009: Tesla talks Model S, Daimler deal and Roadster production update 104 days ago Related Articles From Autoblog VIDEO: Tesla CEO 99 percent sure of DOE loan, calls NYT writer "a huge douc. 15 days ago AutoblogGreen for 03.31.09 28 days ago VIDEO: Hayabusa-powered smart , or. a rolling death-wish on skinny tires 157 days ago See More Related Articles and Blog Posts Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1) 1 TEG 3:09PM (4/24/2009) "Because of the nature of the event, there was no demonstration of heart-stopping acceleration or sure-footedness through a slalom." Well they did give brief bursts of acceleration through the parking lot to show that it does have some Roadster goodness to it. But yes, there was no slalom to see how it handles the twisties. I wish the thing was for sale as-is. It is probably a real rocket compared to the Daimler version that will eventually show up. Reply ↓ ↑ report 2 Bill 3:31PM (4/24/2009) Maybe theyll sell some as-is and put the AMG badge on it. ;-) ↓ ↑ report 3 Rishard Chapoteau 3:35PM (4/24/2009) Why these smart cars werent electric is beyond me. For 20k at that size it should have been electric to begin with. That being said, pending on the price and distance and speed I would be interested in picking something like this up. Reply ↓ ↑ report 4 Jay 1:56AM (4/25/2009) I drive a Smart and I am frequently asked if it is electric (even once at a GAS station). Seems like a very logical evolution to the brand. I would seriously consider getting one whenever it comes out. Reply ↓ ↑ report 5 solrak 5:02AM (4/25/2009) Why this secret and this limitations on the test, have they some to hide? Reply ↓ ↑ report 6 Zeph 10:32AM (4/25/2009) What they have to hide is the fact they are downgrading already fairly simple technology so as to artificially create value through scarcity. Merc wants the electric smart to perform badly, to have a short range and little power, so that it dosent eat up other products in the lineup. For this to happen there has to be a detuning process. This has nothing to do with real economics and more to do with marketing, which is the black art of herding people into paying more for less. It is probably possible to make a 20k electric smart that outperforms most other cars on the road in everything except range and top speed. But that would be too good for what merc wants to accomplish. The automotive industry is still trying to make electric cars as expensive and inefficient as they possibly can, and its a tough deal because the electronics industry is going the other way. Nokia cellphone batteries for example have been halved in size, which shows just how much better the tech is getting, without even getting into supercapacitors and alternate chemistry. ↓ ↑ report 7 jharlan 2:20PM (4/25/2009) You know, I still just have no use for a toy car at a real car price. Competition is going to force them to produce a comfortable, usable, extended range EV for that price, and I will just have to wait. Reply ↓ ↑ report 8 Roger Smith 3:45PM (4/25/2009) Why do they even sell the Gas ver of the car in the states the Diesel ver just makes more sense it gets almost twice the mileage of the petrol ver. o well I guess they think all yanks hate diesels. hopefully diesel prices will dip below regular since they finished all of the low sulfur diesel producing plants. I really would love to get a 120D coupe BMW u cant beat 0-60 of 7.5 and 49 mpg. plus its sexy and a fairly practical car a smart isnt that much smaller then a 1 series coupe to have such little storage space. Reply ↓ ↑ report 9 Ernesttechuser 11:15PM (4/25/2009) Tesla have nothing to do with the official Smart ForTwo EV (a.k.a. ED). This must be some kind of private venture. Zytek (a UK based company) make the motor and drivetrain for it. There are already about 300 of them being leased on a trial basis. The car will officially launch later this year or early next. Reply ↓ ↑ report 10 Chris M 1:48AM (4/26/2009) Actually, there are at least two different "smart EV" efforts. The first one was the Zytek design you mentioned, but this is a 2nd "new and improved" design from Tesla, with more power, higher speed and greater range. ↓ ↑ report 11 MarkT 1:31AM (4/26/2009) Could someone hurry up and start selling these please! Theres a company in Guernsey (a UK island) which does conversions (the Mk1 shape), but I want a current shape model and a 60 mile range is just fine. Why is it taking so long for manufacturers to get this sorted?? A Smart/Tesla combo sounds fantastic for the commute. Mercedes please take note. Reply ↓ ↑ report 12 Level 5 7:37AM (4/27/2009) I think an electric Smart with this sort of power would sell well. Theres alot of people I know who have said "Oh Id love to drive one of these but it doesnt have enough power, Id get eaten alive on the highway." While I dont agree with that statement, a Tesla powered version of the Smart would make that argument pretty moot, yes? Reply ↓ ↑ report Add your comments Email Confirm Autoblog Green AOL First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting. Name: E-mail: Members enter your username and password. E-mail: Password: Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password. Your comments: Remember me E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, youll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password. To create a live link, simply type the URL (including [link] or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use or tags. Follow us on Twitter! 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Bill OReilly challenged by Electric Aid to sign up for an electric car Chevy Volt test drives: surprisingly good stuff in the Cruze bodies SAE 2009: Rasers PHEV is a 100 mpge HUMMER Police sting doesnt stop homebrew electric vehicle maker in California Resources About Send us news tips Contact Us Advertise Corrections? Problems? RSS News Feeds Feeds by category Featured Galleries Ford Fusion hybrid hypermiling test Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster Concept ElectricAid questions politicians SAE 2009: Yazaki SAE 2009: Honda Fuel Cells Lexus RX 450h clean plant SAE 2009: Dodge Circuit quick drive SAE 2009: H-ERGO hydrogen vehicle Bright IDEA Find Your Next Car New Used Select a New Car Select a Used Car Resources Car News & Tips All New Cars All Used Cars Kelley Blue Book Sports Cars Luxury Cars Hybrids Crossovers Sponsored Links Search for your next new car at NewCar.com. Read reviews, get free pricing, and much more. 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2009 55

2009 Dodge Circuit Zytek Dodge 55

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

Plug-In Conversions Corp www.pluginconversions.com of Poway, near San Diego, CA converts the Toyota Prius using NiMH batteries and the EAA-PHEV open source control system, and will provide kits to qualified DIY installers.

PHEV 47

PHEV 2009 Nickel Metal Hydride Prius 47

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

Write For GO About Advertise Contact Login Explore GO Media: News & Opinion Family & Lifestyle Business & Technology Gas 2.0 Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.

2009 51

2009 MIT Tango 2008 51

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 28, 2009

Skip to Content Listen to the Joystiq Podcast (because your ears cant read) Autoblog AOL Autos Green Daily Gadling Engadget AutoblogGreen Autoblog Green Web Images Video News Local More → x Jobs Mapquest Movies Music Personals Shopping Travel Yellow Pages Send us a tip Contact us Advertise Corrections/Problems? Subscribe Green News Events Manufacturers Region New Cars Used Cars Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Chrysler , Dodge , AutoblogGreen Exclusive , SAE World Congress Dodge Circuit EV First Drive: electric car makes grand promises on Earth Day by Sebastian Blanco on Apr 22nd 2009 at 7:48PM Two months ago we went for a ride in the Dodge Circuit EV. We can now say with confidence that it is worth waiting 70+ days to make the shift to the left side of the car, following a brief spin around Cobo Hall in a prototype vehicle during the SAE World Congress here in Detroit. We got to spend about 15 minutes in the car with John Myers, who works for Chryslers ENVI and was project lead on the Dodge Circuit EV. Not to take anything away from what Chrysler has done here, but every time we get behind the wheel of an EV, we get the same giddy smile. It will be a long, long time before the thrill of driving an all-electric vehicle wears off. Chrysler isnt the first to realize that building an EV off of a Lotus platform makes for an incredibly fast and fun experience (see also: Tesla Roadster ) We escaped from the dark confines of Cobo Hall onto a decently sunny day and cruised along the river and past the Ren Cen, gunning the Circuit whenever possible. A car like the Circuit does not like to be stuck on roads with 25 mph speed limits, but those roads made up most of the prescribed route. Still, the instant torque of the electric motor is a rush you get to experience all the time in city driving; each time you pull away from a red light and stop sign youre wondering why gasoline engines ever became popular. The trouble is you then have to stop right away, which brings about some pretty strong regenerative braking action, something that Chrysler needs to work on before making the Circuit available for sale. Keep reading about the EVs good and bad qualities after the jump. Gallery: SAE 2009: Dodge Circuit quick drive Myers told us that the brakes are just one of the things that will be refined before the Circuit ever makes it to showrooms (and, by the looks of it, this might be the first ENVI out the door ). The tight grip that the Circuits brakes have on the wheels as soon as you take your foot off of the gas acceleration pedal might be changeable by the driver through a knob on the dashboard, Myers said. For now, if you want to keep moving, you need to keep pressing go. No coasting available. Thankfully, since parts of the powertrain in the Circuit are also used in other Chrysler ENVI vehicles - like the all-electric USPS minivan that was unveiled earlier today - work that is done on one model can be applied to others. The car is noisy, with the hum of the electric motor omnipresent when youre not at a standstill. Luckily, the sound is kind of cool. Part movie spaceship, part oil independence klaxon, the sound fills the cabin and certainly wont appeal to everyone. Of course, NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) work is also on Chryslers To Do list, but Myers pointed out that at least the motor is quieter than if the Lotus Circuit has a gasoline engine, so thats something. Other parts that need work are the incredibly thick sills between the occupants and the doors (you can see what Im talking about in this picture ). The already-tiny cabin is made even smaller and is a challenge to get in and out of, but this isnt Chryslers fault - blame Lotus and the way they make their cars. Myers said that when the car goes through crash testing, they hope to reduce the width of the sills, but for now they wanted to go with something that was tried and tested. One last major area that simply must be changed is that the Circuit has basically zero rear visibility. Side mirrors and a tiny tunnel of light for the rearview mirror to see through simply are not enough, and did nothing to make driving this expensive prototype easy with Detroit drivers all around. Small size. New technology. An (expected) high price tag. A troubled company. Can these things add up to make a car that people want to buy? One anecdote from the drive is worth relaying. While taking a few quick pictures of the car out of doors, a passerby stopped to check it out. He was immediately impressed and said it got two thumbs up from him. Then, he halted. "You can only fit two midgets in there," he said, "And Im talking midget midgets." Not subtle, but it shows that it didnt take the average man on the street much time to identify one of the major drawbacks to the Circuit. Well see how the masses respond when they are presented with the full reality of Chryslers first (?) fully electric car. Still, for all the faults, this is a very promising vehicle. Well need to spend some more time with the car to find out how it holds up over longer drives, but the powertrain tech obviously works. This one fact is arguably more important than how the car acts on the road. For now, the Circuit has all sorts of EV appeal, but itll be up to groups that Chrysler cant control - the Presidential auto task force, the higher-end customer market, etc. - to decide if we ever get to see these promises fulfilled. Gallery: Dodge Circuit EV Tags: chrysler , chrysler electric vehicle , chrysler ev , ChryslerElectricVehicle , ChryslerEv , dodge circuit , dodge ev , DodgeCircuit , DodgeEv , envi , featured , john myers , JohnMyers Email this Print this Comments ( 19 ) Share Related Articles From Autoblog Green Chryslers first EV will be the Dodge Circuit 11 days ago New York 2009: Performance, the past and the hoped for future 18 days ago New Dodge EV to be called Circuit 108 days ago Related Articles From Autoblog Lets Make a Deal: Chrysler, Canadian Auto Workers agree on union concessions 3 days ago AutoblogGreen for 04.23.09 5 days ago AutoblogGreen for 04.17.09 11 days ago See More Related Articles and Blog Posts Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1) 1 morgan 9:26PM (4/22/2009) Am I the only one who thinks this looks like a mid 90s car? Reply ↓ ↑ report 2 john 12:31AM (4/24/2009) you got it! your the only one hating on the looks everyone else thinks its sick!!! ↓ ↑ report 3 Tohe 9:49PM (4/22/2009) I always thought the viper was one of the most masculine sport cars out there, the circuit fits the bill. Reply ↓ ↑ report 4 Nick 10:37PM (4/22/2009) Yeah I agree, and the side-view mirrors are 80s. Not bad looking though, it needs modernization. ↓ ↑ report 5 Neil41487 11:04PM (4/22/2009) Id like to see what Lotus can do with an electric car. This is nice and all, but Lotus seems to have a better grasp on what a sports car should be: simple, quick, light and excellent handling. Add in the "eco" flavor and they have a buyer! It seems like it still may be cheaper to just buy a well used Lotus Elise and modify it yourself. READ: $10,000 of changes and the satisfaction of the build + $25,000 of Used car = $35,000 of Fun! Not to mention the parts you most definitely could sell from the running gear. Reply ↓ ↑ report 6 CaramelZappa 3:20AM (4/23/2009) Yea, you COULD convert a lotus for $10k but the conversion wouldnt be terribly satisfying. If you want it to perform like a sports car instead of a slug in a sportscars skin, youre going to need that 10k for the ac drive system alone, and then maybe another 15k for a lithium battery pack. Which puts you at 50k, plus labor. ↓ ↑ report 7 CaramelZappa 3:26AM (4/23/2009) Id also like to add that it would be a fun project, and its been done before. [link] This guy has a very nice looking conversion, he managed to do it for about 25k. Its no tesla but its still a fantastic little car. ↓ ↑ report 8 Joe 11:52PM (4/22/2009) "the Circuit has basically zero rear visibility".Its a Lotus. Reply ↓ ↑ report 9 mroverlord 9:01AM (4/23/2009) I SOOOOooooo want one. I really hope this can be built for a reasonable cost. I would love to have one for my daily commuter. Then I can keep my current quad cab truck for when I need to move more people or haul stuff. Reply ↓ ↑ report 10 Throwback 11:06AM (4/23/2009) I liked the Zeo concept from last years show season. Too bad Chrysler wont be around to follow through on this. Their Envi division however will be picked by someone at the liquidation sale. As a long time Mopar fan, seeing this company go under will hurt. Reply ↓ ↑ report 11 Doug 11:15AM (4/23/2009) "Their Envi division however will be picked by someone at the liquidation sale." What exactly do they have to sell? A contract with UQM? If the Circuit is any example, ENVI has no actual IP. ↓ ↑ report 12 Throwback 11:29AM (4/23/2009) Envi includes the GEM entries. I think electric cars are the furture and this unit has some real world experience. I also think it will be cheap, which is why I think someone will buy the group. Or maybe just snap up the engineers. ↓ ↑ report 13 MemphisNET 11:17AM (4/23/2009) How big is something like this compared to say, a Chrysler Crossfire ? Reply ↓ ↑ report 14 Mikey G 3:10PM (4/23/2009) If Chrysler, Tesla, Fisker and the rest of these companies would stop wasting time developing 2 seater electric sports cars and start building the hybrids that people need for kids, groceries and everyday life for everyday people they would be much better off. Reply ↓ ↑ report 15 CaramelZappa 7:23PM (4/23/2009) They ARE working towards that. Chevys volt is exactly what a family with kids would need, as is the Tesla model S, and yea, theyre both pricey. Its new technology, it takes time, and money. The reason theyre starting with high priced sports cars is because aiming at that market is the easiest way for them to fund R&D and scale up production so they can make smaller more practical EVs for the masses. ↓ ↑ report 16 XGM 11:14PM (4/23/2009) Id like one of them in my driveway, hopefully they can make this car. Reply ↓ ↑ report 17 DRK_ILLIDAN 1:09AM (4/24/2009) Stop makin f*kn battery powered cars there not gonna work, yeah woo zero emissions remember where the powers coming from rite now nim rods, you still have tins of co2 at the power plant. This is only useful after your on some other renewable source of electricity or using nuclear. FCVs are the way of the future! Reply ↓ ↑ report 18 Chris M 3:18AM (4/24/2009) You write just like Gorr, same anti-battery zealotry, same lack of logic. Sorry, but electrics and electric power plants are so efficient that CO2 emissions are less than gassers even when the electricity comes from coal - and a lot of electricity doesnt come from coal. In California, 20% of our electricity comes from zero CO2 renewables (sun, wind, geothermal), another 20% from zero CO2 hydro, and only 20.1% from coal. As more renewables come online, battery electrics just keep getting cleaner and greener. But where does Hydrogen come from? Well, the cheapest source is from steam reformed fossil fuels, and that process produces CO2, especially when that fossil fuel is coal. So, Nimrod, didnt you realize that FCVs would cause CO2 emissions as well? Or did you think all that H2 would be produced by electrolysis only, at a higher cost? Well, then, youre back to coal burning power plants, and a dirty little secret the H2 hypers dont like to discuss: The electrical storage efficiency of water electrolysis, compression for storage, and PEM fuel cell combined is only 23%. The combined electrical storage efficiency of charger and batteries is 85%. It takes 3x more electricity going the H2 route! That means either 3x more coal burning for that electricity, or 3x more of our limited supply of clean renewable energy diverted to transportation, leaving less renewable energy to displace fossil fuel usage elsewhere. You seriously want to reduce CO2 emissions? Then push for the more efficient plug-in option and renewable power, not the less efficient "made from fossil fuels" H2 fuel cell option. ↓ ↑ report 19 Stevo 10:30PM (4/24/2009) Chris you make a very fair point but thats only in california rite. In lots of other cities around the world the majority of electricity come from fossil fuels rite??? Although Climate change is a massive problem, it always comes down to money with the real decision makers so rite now you could say people use only steam reforming but we havent really developed H2 technology much have we??? i reckon we should go with a mix of all of these vehicles and see how it goes for the next few years while we further develop the technologies. Are the parts from either FCVs or EVs recyclable? Reply ↓ ↑ report Add your comments Email Confirm Autoblog Green AOL First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting. Name: E-mail: Members enter your username and password. E-mail: Password: Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password. Your comments: Remember me E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, youll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. 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Dodge Circuit 51

Dodge Circuit Dodge 2009 Chrysler 51

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 16, 2009

Skip to Content Massively explains Warhammer Online to the dedicated WoW player Autoblog AOL Autos Green Daily Gadling Engadget AutoblogGreen Autoblog Green Web Images Video News Local More → x Jobs Mapquest Movies Music Personals Shopping Travel Yellow Pages Send us a tip Contact us Advertise Corrections/Problems? Subscribe Green News Events Manufacturers Region New Cars Used Cars Filed under: Emerging Technologies , EV/Plug-in , AutoblogGreen Exclusive Greenlings: Benefits of charging stations vs. battery swaps vs. home charging by Domenick Yoney on Apr 9th 2009 at 7:52PM As electric vehicles (EVs) slowly emerge back into the transportation picture after 100 years of semi-hibernation, consumers may be faced with a paradigm quite different from the regular visits to the gas station most are used to. The three leading new options to re-supply our autos with energy are charging at home, battery swap stations and fast charge stations. There are proponents of each method and, though all three could be used, it is possible that one or more might never make it in the real world or that another method might come to the fore. Well take a look at these three different energy resupply methods and outline some of their strengths as well as weaknesses. Hit the jump for a comparison that includes plenty of pics and video. The method that should seem most natural is charging at home. Just as we have become accustomed to plugging in our cell phones everyday, the habit of plugging in your car after returning home could easily become second nature. There are likely many benefits to home charging that ought to make this the most popular option and here well cover the three "c"s: convenience, cost, and carbon-control. Theres no questioning the convenience of never having to stop by an energy station to "fill up" before heading off on a busy day about town. It eliminates waiting in lines or out of order machinery and gives you the benefit of your vehicles full range right from your doorstep. The only time involved is the few seconds it takes to plug in and later, unplug, your car and possibly press a button. If cost is an important consideration, than charging your EV at home is a no-brainer as it cuts out any profit-hungry middlemen. Also, besides giving you the ability to charge at night when most utility rates are lower, future vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology may allow you to sell some of your stored energy back to the utilities. Many future owners may be driving EVs in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and charging at home could give them the opportunity to control the source of the energy that goes into their car. For instance, they may have solar panels on their roof or could, via their utility, opt for energy from renewable sources. Of course, everything has its drawbacks and one problem with charging at home is that it is not an option available for some city dwellers. Although charging infrastructure is beginning to find its way into cities, it may be awhile until they are available in residential neighborhoods en masse. Gallery: Plugging in at home Battery swap stations are a concept often associated with Better Place , an EV infrastructure company. The idea is that when your car needs more energy, you can drive your car into a station and, like an automated car wash, your depleted battery is replaced robotically by one that has a full charge. It is thought that the cars that Renault is building to function with the Better Place model will have the ability to have its power supply swapped and the newly announced Tesla Model S is said to also incorporate this concept. Currently, there are some industrial facilities that use battery swapping to replenish the energy stores of electric forklifts. The main benefit associated with the swapping model is speed. The whole operation could take less than five minutes, pretty much the same amount of time many people spend filling their gas tanks at stations today. Another plus is not having to leave your car or deal with potentially tangled or dirty cords. You could sit in your vehicle while the operation takes place. Hey, maybe you got an email during the drive, right? Battery swapping has its critics. A couple of drawbacks to consider might be the capitalization costs of building these stations and the batteries that they would have to have in stock. Some critics also point out the possible dangers of electrocution from a malfunctioning robot swap arm. Standardization of battery shape and chemistry is another consideration that gives one pause. Chrysler alone, for instance, may have 3 different battery pack shapes in its upcoming models. Finally, there are charging stations. Giving drivers the convenience of charging their vehicles when they are away from home, charge stations have already been with us for some time and are now being installed in at a quickening pace. They offer the opportunity of adding range to your vehicle while you are working, eating or shopping. There are a growing number of companies in this field - Coulomb , Elektromotive , and Better Place (again), to name just three - and the competition should see the evolution of increasingly better equipment and electricity sources. Besides single charging points at strategic consumer locations, some companies are also developing plans for stations that offer you other services while you wait, while others are pinning their hopes on facilities with the ability to "fast charge". BYD , for examples, says their 60 mile range-extended vehicle can add 30 miles of range in ten minutes. They have several stations already built and plan on thousands more. One of the main drawbacks to charge stations is speed. Most charge points available today take much longer to re-energize batteries than it does to fill a gas-powered cars tank. Also, until standardization of connectors becomes fully implemented, EV owners may have to carry an assortment of adapters to be able to plug in to chargers from different suppliers. Fast charging could possibly address the speed issue but that system, too, is not without its detractors. The demands on the grid would require a lot of infrastructure work without some sort of "energy reservoir" in place. Perhaps more importantly, quickly "pouring" electricity into many of the batteries available today may stress the very expensive component and shorten their useful lifetime. Whatever the method we eventually use to charge our vehicles, it is a welcome break from the smelly dirty world of disease-causing liquid fuel. Please feel free to tell us what you believe to be the benefits of some of the various recharging modes mentioned above in the comments section below. Tags: battery swap station , battery swapping , BatterySwapping , BatterySwapStation , charging , charging infrastructure , charging station , ChargingInfrastructure , ChargingStation , fast charge battery swap , FastChargeBatterySwap , Greenlings , plug in at home , PlugInAtHome , quick charge , QuickCharge Email this Print this Comments ( 35 ) Share Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2) 1 Superfavor 8:48PM (4/09/2009) Each of them plays a different but practical role in the life of a battery car. Charging stations or quickcharge stations allow drivers to fill up and go while on the move. Home charging gives the added conveniences of filling up the batteries at home or office. Battery swap involves the replacement of died-out or faulty batteries and the task can be carried out at charging stations or auto depots and dealerships. Reply ↓ ↑ report 2 jzj 9:18PM (4/09/2009) Battery swaps are a great idea for ease, quickness, providing unlimited range, not having to worry about your expensive battery pack going bad, and potentially removing the expensive battery pack from your purchase cost: but, it does not look like it will happen as manufacturers -- even Nissan, whos is half of the Nissan-Renault partnership that is building Better Place its cars in Israel -- are not even considering building vehicles with uniform removeable battery packs (Tesla S excepted). Therefore, until we get quick-charge batteries -- based on new breakthroughs, Ill take a WAG and estimate that we will have real 5-minute quick-charge batteries in perhaps 10 years -- we are likely to get our juice mostly from our home chargers. Which is probably fine, because itll take 10 years or so for EVs to become so mainstream that they will be widely adopted by everyone for all purposes. Until then, they will primarily be second cars (save for those who are really committed but who do not represent the mainstream). The thing is, you really dont want EVs to be charging during the day when there is so much other electrical usage. And, you have to recognize that they pull a hell of a lot of power through the local grid: there will come a time when we will see utility transformers popping from all the current being drawn (imagine just a few dozen EVs fast-charging simultaneously, on 480V at 500A: wow). Obviously, with replaceable battery packs, they can both be charged at the optimal time and always be hanging around to serve as valuable electrical power storage for the grid. I regret that the powers that be in this field are still dicking around with figuring out plug uniformity standards (which they just established: woopee), when they should -- dare I say it -- look down the road and see the virtue of uniform replaceable battery packs and therefore set standards and mandate/encourage their use. Reply ↓ ↑ report 3 Ernie 3:30AM (4/13/2009) "And, you have to recognize that they pull a hell of a lot of power through the local grid: there will come a time when we will see utility transformers popping from all the current being drawn (imagine just a few dozen EVs fast-charging simultaneously, on 480V at 500A: wow)" Is that it? Vancouvers trolley bus fleet operates at 600 volts and god knows how many amps. Maybe you should ask some engineers at the local power utility before you go shooting your mouth off, decrying how the idea will never fly. Im certain that they have customers that make 240 KW look like a 9v battery. Like shopping malls for example, or very nearly any manufacturer or industrial consumer. Just because it sounds like a lot to you and your piddly wall socket, doesnt mean its infeasible. ↓ ↑ report 4 jzj 11:02AM (4/13/2009) Ernie, indeed I have spoken to engineers: they are quite concerned regarding the future of EVs in various non-coordinated low-use environments pulling a tremendous amount of power at the same time. Your trolleys are relatively few, and are on lines constructed with the knowledge that the trolleys will be using them for power. The large users you spoke of are also relatively few and built in areas where their large consumption is accounted for. Residential users are not built on high-use lines and their transformers, switches, and whatnot are not intended to have so much use all at one time. Think of it this way: a house tends to pull about 10KW. A fast-charge EV can pull 10,000KW. Multiply this by dozens of homes. See the problem? And on a different note, lets try to be respectful about claims that someone is "shooting their mouth off": perhaps you might have first inquired as to whether I had checked with engineers prior to accusing me of failing to do so. Cheers. ↓ ↑ report 5 polo 3:12PM (4/15/2009) "Residential users are not built on high-use lines and their transformers, switches, and whatnot are not intended to have so much use all at one time. Think of it this way: a house tends to pull about 10KW. A fast-charge EV can pull 10,000KW. Multiply this by dozens of homes. See the problem?" Incredibly idiotic thing to say. People will fast-charge their EVs at FAST CHARGE STATIONS, not their homes. The rest of your claims are equally mind-numbingly dumb. ↓ ↑ report 6 jzj 3:24PM (4/15/2009) Polo, First, there will indeed be need for such fast charging at home because the future of a renewable energy grid will depend upon V2G energy storage, and that will require fast in-out charging. Second, the statement "the rest of your claims" are unanswerably indistinct. Third, I dont understand why people feel it available in message chatting to speak in a manner they would doubtless not use in personal conversation. Must you say "incredibly idiotic" and "mind numbingly dumb"? It does not reflect well upon you. Cheers. Jason ↓ ↑ report 7 jharlan 10:41PM (4/09/2009) Home recharge with your home solar recharge station would be the most desirable for commuting from the suburbs. For extended range I guess one could carry a fairly modest generator set in the trunk to avoid ever being stranded. Reply ↓ ↑ report 8 Pixls 11:17PM (4/09/2009) ive always thought that battery swaps would be a good idea. my idea is that it would work the way propane tanks work now. you can go and get your tank filled up, or you can simply exchange the tank (or battery) for a full one and just pay the cost of the fuel (or electricity) with a little overhead to the station. i think this is the best idea simply because of the ease of such a plan. of course this would only work if cars have generally uniform battery packs, or perhaps different types of packs (similar to AA, AAA, C.) of course home recharge stations would be great as a secondary, or even primary source of power, using changing stations only on long journeys or emergency cases. I dont like the idea of leasing a battery pack, or project Better Places pay for however-so-many miles on a plan and whatnot. Reply ↓ ↑ report 9 goo 11:40PM (4/09/2009) Although battery swapping sounds like a good idea, it is highly impractical. Automakers get their batteries from different sources; they put different size batteries in different size cars. Think of a battery in laptops. Nearly EVERY single new model has its own battery size. Forcing companies to conform to standardized batteries prevents them from designing better cars. What if one car is designed to have the batteries laid flat under the car instead of a big block in the back (not saying its practical or realistic), the battery swapping location has to carry EVERY battery type out there, or will have to pick and choose which ones it will carry. Definitely wont work. ↓ ↑ report 10 Pixls 11:45PM (4/09/2009) well i think, in a perfect world there would be some level of uniformity to the batteries per car of course not all cars would have the same pack, that would be impossible, but perhaps, an SUV pack, a sport pack, minivan pack, and like regular car or something. the same way nearly EVERY propane tank fits nearly EVERY gas grill, something like that could be plausible if enough companies were in on it ↓ ↑ report 11 Tohe 6:34AM (4/10/2009) Another option is for battery swap stations to work as vending machines offering battery packs from companies that take part in the program. ↓ ↑ report 12 Chris M 12:56AM (4/11/2009) Goo, may I point out how many different devices use the same standard AA battery? And for wildly different applications, too. Some may use just one AA, another may use two, or 3, or 4. In a similar way various types of EVs could use the same standard battery packs, varying the number of packs from just 1 for a small short range sub-compact up to 6 or more for a very large long range SUV. A rectangular pack design could be installed horizontally for "under-floor" mounting, or installed vertically for "tank" mounting in the trunk or under the hood. Battery swapping wouldnt make economic sense without a considerable degree of standardization. Of course, EVs that arent designed for battery swaps wont use it, and plug-in hybrids wont need it. ↓ ↑ report 13 Mel 12:17AM (4/10/2009) considering that most cars are only used one to two hours a day the best solution might be the wide spread installation of charging points at home, work, street parking spaces, with vehicle to grid communication. This way the utilities can balance the usage of their networks by slowly charging the cars over the remaining 22-23 hour period. It will also enable us to make good use of rooftop solar power generation since the electricity can be absorbed locally as it is beeing produced. This should result in better rates for electricity. Fast charging will then only have to serve drivers on longer trips and with this diminished role, the strain on the grid should not be too enormous. Reply ↓ ↑ report 14 Vlad 12:22AM (4/10/2009) I think the fast-charging will undoubtedly be the way of the future. It works with current customer habits quite well. Home charging will have its place as a back-up, but battery swapping is too impractical and costly. Companies like ECOtality are already working with Nissan, which seems to have given up on battery swapping. Reply ↓ ↑ report 15 Ken 2:04AM (4/10/2009) I want to charge at home. So much more convenient than having to take time out of my day and go out of my way (wasting more energy) to get a charge elsewhere or do battery swaps. Of course when on a trip the other options would be desirable. The majority of the time most drivers are just commuting locally and in-home systems make more sense. Apartments will have to be retrofitted to have parking lot charging stations as residents demand them. City streets can get charging stations that will eventually pay for themselves. To end dependence of foreign-sourced fuels and all the political baggage associated with them, to have clean air, and to stop global warming are goals that we can achieve. ↓ ↑ report 16 Vlad 10:25AM (4/10/2009) I dont think that home-charging is even a question and that it will be universally available soon. But I also believe that City streets, store parking lots, and gas-station-like fast-charing infrastructure will also be the norm. ↓ ↑ report 17 Stan Wellaway 4:09AM (4/10/2009) The fact that we currently have a multitude of differing battery shapes/sizes/positionings doesnt bother me. At this early stage in what amounts to a global revolution, that is to be expected. Nor do I expect that battery swap stations will end up having to stock a whole range of different shapes and sizes -- I expect we will end up with modular units. A bigger truck might swap say 10 of them, and a small car 2 of them, and a bigger car 6 of them, or whatever. At present, vehicle maker Modec [link] has a battery cassette which can be swapped in 15 minutes using a forklift. Theirs is slid in from the side, but I expect underslung packs to become the norm for all vehicles, making pit-stops easy. Drive in, drop the underslung pack, hydraulically uplift a fresh pack, drive out. I would prefer to recharge at home, and could do so. The biggest problem with recharging at home - as already alluded to in the article, is that electric cars are mostly marketed as city vehicles. That is the compact territory to which they are best suited. Yet city dwellers - particularly inner-city dwellers - do not have their own driveways over which to trail a cable. Very often they have to park some distance away. The very people for whom electric cars are most appropriate are the same people who dont have home access. One problem with battery swap arrangements, is ownership of the batterypack. Many posters on bulletin boards baulk at leasing - they would rather own their battery pack. But the batterypack is the most expensive part of the car -- it can cost thousands of dollars and equate to half the vehicle price. Handing that pack in at a swap station means trusting that the freshly recharged pack you pick up is not a cracked one that has been abused or which leaks or which fails to hold its charge. With leasing, that doesnt matter so much - the battery isnt yours. If one station is offering untested packs you go do business with a different station. Reply ↓ ↑ report 18 Efried 5:47AM (4/10/2009) I will hang a poster about the comparison at EVS24. Just one remark from a practitioner. There is no need for complex charging infrastructure. A vertically hanging plug allows high flexibility for placing the vehicle somewhere in the street. Intelligent plugs may allow access only to registered users at a flat rate, depending on the vehicle. The losses for the utilities by far outweigh the costs for erecting counting plugs. Progress in technology will allow to retrofit step by step. Beware of businessmen trying to make a fortune with the wish to shift to cleaner propulsion! Analyse their business models thoroughly! Reply ↓ ↑ report 19 Billy 9:27AM (4/10/2009) Sure, modular swappable battery packs make excellent sense. If every car accepts 2 or 4 or 6 of these universal packs then true economies of scale can kick in in their manufacture. Takes the car companies out the battery business. and your Honda/Sony car will be perfectly happy with any Durcell/Energizer pack just like AA calls in your flashlight. I would expect a fight from the car companies since they all will push their licensed formats to try and reap royalties. govt/industry defined standards my be required.?? The modular concept also allows scalability even within your own car. only carry around (or lease) 2 packs for your day to day driving, pop in 4 if youre a log commuter and even allow for 6 or 8 packs for the occasional extended highway trek. Only lease extra packs when needed.Smart! Still, swapping need only be an option. it seems to me there is too much range anxiety about these machines. Remember, charging at home will give you a 100% full tank each morning and depending on your pack that gives 100- 200 or more miles, far more than 99% of us drive each day anyway. Charge at home solves fully 95% of average charge need. additional charge at work solves another 3-4% and the last 1-2% the swap or charge stations can address.Cities and Utilities can easily add a couple metered spots per block next to light poles for overnite charges or even corner stores, etc can offer overnight charge parking that turns their previously dead blacktop parking lots into overnite revenue generators. not an issue. The other proposal that makes some sense is adding on-the-fly charging to carpool/hybrid lanes on highways that many states already have. Around town you will virtually never need a charge and if one lane on the highway had a 440 volt commutator groove cut in it where cars could drop their charge shoe into while traveling at 60MPH uninterrupted ala slot car. install these hot-shoe grooves (that have no effect on other vehicles) beginning 10 miles outside of cities since that is the only place needed. Install 3 miles of charging lane with about the same frequency as Rest Stops. every 40 miles or so. Might make sense Reply ↓ ↑ report 20 Billy 9:50AM (4/10/2009) How is battery capacity of a vehicle much different than cargo capacity? No single vehicle does it all even in todays petrol world. I still keep my van for those once a month cargo trips to Home Depot, etc. that my day to day car cant solve. When you need to haul. use a hauling vehicle, when you need long rage. use a long range solution. Still for 99% the EV fills my requirements just fine. Either rent a van or truck or long range machine when needed or. have a couple community vehicles for those purposes. ZipCar offers pretty much those other options with gas powered cars and trucks sprinkled all over many cities for daily or hourly rental. All this range anxiety I think is way overblown. Just because weve always have infinite range doesnt mean it is needed. It absolutely is not needed. Reply ↓ ↑ report | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments Add your comments Email Confirm Autoblog Green AOL First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting. Name: E-mail: Members enter your username and password. E-mail: Password: Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password. Your comments: Remember me E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, youll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password. To create a live link, simply type the URL (including [link] or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use or tags. Follow us on Twitter! Breaking News Feed Chryslers first EV will be the Dodge Circuit Vectrix in trouble, may be for sale REPORT: Toyota claims 40,000 pre-orders for new Prius Cadillac Converj reportedly approved for production *UPDATED New York 2009: Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV will come to U.S. New York 2009: The Scion iQ goes Big Wheels! New York 2009: Mercedes E250 Bluetec concept would get 28/39 city/hwy rating Breaking - Zero Motorcycles unveils the Zero S [w/Video] GM and Segways PUMA live reveal Hyundai to offer plug-in hybrid in U.S. for 2012 Featured stories Feed Greenlings: What is regenerative braking? Bill OReilly challenged by Electric Aid to sign up for an electric car Chevy Volt test drives: surprisingly good stuff in the Cruze bodies SAE 2009: Rasers PHEV is a 100 mpge HUMMER Police sting doesnt stop homebrew electric vehicle maker in California Quick Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid, two-mode goes German New York 2009: Counter Balance - the batmobile of yellow, expandable trucks Fuelmaker goes bankrupt, Honda to blame? Money-losing Chevy Volt will stay alive even if it cant "pay the rent" Tesla CEO will refund money if theres an "Armageddon scenario" Resources About Send us news tips Contact Us Advertise Corrections? Problems? RSS News Feeds Feeds by category Featured Galleries 2025 Sunbeam Tiger LSR Tribute Bill OReilly and the Think City Peugeot Capsule concept Peapod detail shots ELMOTO HR-2 Formula Hybrid New York 2009: EVII PeaPod i MiEV Find Your Next Car New Used Select a New Car Select a Used Car Resources Car News & Tips All New Cars All Used Cars Kelley Blue Book Sports Cars Luxury Cars Hybrids Crossovers Sponsored Links Search for your next new car at NewCar.com. Read reviews, get free pricing, and much more. Motor Trend Magazine has extensive coverage of all cars online including road tests, free videos, buying guides, etc. Looking for a better auto insurance rate? InternetAutoGuide.coms free quote and agent locator can help you get lower rates online. Automotive.coms auto loan locator can help you get a lower new car finance rate. Let lenders compete for your business! 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2009 45

2009 DIY Dodge Circuit Dodge 45

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

JANUARY 15, 2009

Battery {Returnto top of page} EV Plans Sources Built For Fun ElectricVehicles : DIY plans for karts and buggys Drive Electric: EV3 Tri-Electric ElectricBicycle (Slipstream) : DIY plans and parts for the Slipstream electricbike Robert Q. RileyEnterprises : Electric and hybrid DIY plans.

Frazer-Nash 28

Frazer-Nash Taylor-Dunn DIY Midget Motors 28

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

Large-scale shopping malls, DIY stores, etc. Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have agreed on the details of specific financial assistance they will provide to installers of charging stations for electric vehicles (PHVs, PHEVs, and EVs). This announcement follows an agreement the four companies announced in July jointly to promote the construction of a user-friendly network of charging infrastructures. Earlier post.).

2013 88

2013 Japan DIY Mitsubishi 88

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 19, 2009

Skip to Content Great gifts for geeks, hand-picked by Download Squad Autoblog AOL Autos Green Daily Gadling Engadget AutoblogGreen Autoblog Green Web Images Video News Local More → x Jobs Mapquest Movies Music Personals Shopping Travel Yellow Pages Send us a tip Contact us Advertise Corrections/Problems? Subscribe Green News Events Manufacturers Region New Cars Used Cars Filed under: Emerging Technologies , EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , Lotus Lotus and Harmon partner up to add sound to hybrids by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Apr 17th 2009 at 2:54PM Its been a little while since weve heard about the supposed dangers of electric and hybrid vehicles that shut down their engines and therefore stop producing the sound of fuel being ignited and exhaled, but the issue is apparently alive and well. Lotus Engineering and Harmon International, two heavyweights in their respective industries, have teamed up to create a new technology known as Electronic Sound Synthesis (ESS). Basically, the external ESS is a system that produces artificial vehicle noise. This is supposed to help pedestrians recognize the sound of an oncoming vehicle, even if its not making any noise. For drivers that just cant do without the sound of internal combustion, a separate system inside the car can pipe in a new soundtrack thats meant to mimic the rising and falling sounds of an engine. More data needs to be gathered before we truly understand whether the lack of a running engine makes a difference in pedestrian safety. Until then, we can always program the ESS to make what Lotus refers to as "more futuristic sounds for electric vehicles [that] can be created using sampled sounds and generated waveforms." Alternatively, may we suggest the sound of the neighborhood ice cream truck? We always seem to hear that one coming from a mile away. [Source: Lotus] PRESS RELEASE : Lotus and Harman International Announce Collaboration Lotus Engineering reaches agreement with Harman International to be granted exclusive rights for Active Noise Control technologies Lotus Engineering, the world-renowned automotive consultancy division of Lotus Cars Ltd and Harman Becker Automotive Systems, the automotive division of Harman International, have reached an agreement to jointly develop noise management solutions using Lotus patented Active Noise Control technologies. Exclusive rights are granted to Harman Becker to manufacture the latest technology solutions for the worldwide vehicle OEM market. The agreement includes all of Lotus Active Noise Control technologies comprising Road Noise Cancellation, Engine Order Cancellation, and Electronic Sound Synthesis. The Road Noise Cancellation and Engine Order Cancellation systems will provide vehicle manufacturers with the ability to greatly improve in-cabin refinement, with additional design opportunities for optimising vehicle weight reduction and fuel economy. Road Noise Cancellation and Engine Order Cancellation reduce both overall noise levels and specific audible frequencies which may be unpleasant in the cabin space. Electronic systems determine the signal needed to provide cancellation which is then seamlessly generated through the in-car entertainment system. The result is a quiet, controlled environment free of intrusive noises. External Electronic Sound Synthesis provides specified electronic sound models which can be applied to an external speaker system to improve pedestrian safety. This is especially important for electric and hybrid vehicles which can be difficult to hear at lower speeds due to their drive mechanism. A synthesised sound, dependant on speed, is projected from speakers at the front and rear of the vehicle, making it instantly recognisable that the vehicle is in motion. Internal Electronic Sound Synthesis allows sound contouring in the cabin, enhancing the driving experience by creating engine speed and throttle dependant sounds audible through the in-car entertainment system. The system delivers audible feedback to drivers even when the engine is silent or, alternatively, it can be used to reinforce an OEM sound DNA to the end user. Harman International, the world-renowned high-end infotainment systems provider, will be the production system integrator and supplier, and will work with vehicle manufacturers on model specific system architecture options. Lotus Engineering, which has over twenty years of experience in Active Noise Control technologies will assist manufacturers with system performance optimisation. "We are delighted by this agreement with Harman International, which will allow motorists to benefit from the greater levels of refinement and safety in future vehicles which these Lotus technologies enable," said Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc. "The Active Noise Control technologies are part of a steady stream of ground-breaking innovations that Lotus has brought to the automotive industry and we are committed to pursuing further developments in vehicle refinement and environmentally friendly transport solutions." "We are privileged to team up with Lotus for this new development initiative, which will reinforce our mission to deliver exceptional audio and infotainment experiences for automotive customers," said Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harmans Chairman and CEO. "The rich sounds of our in-car systems will be complemented by this technology, opening new opportunities for deployment and enjoyment." "The utilisation of the Lotus suite of ANC technologies within our extensive product portfolio reinforces our commitment to support the increasing market demand for environmentally conscientious technologies," said Dr. Klaus Blickle, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Harman International Automotive Division. The result of the Lotus and Harman International technology collaboration will be to generate Active Noise Control system solutions available to vehicle manufacturers in all worldwide markets. Working systems are ready for production implementation and manufacture. The introduction of affordable noise management systems offers multiple benefits to manufacturers and consumers alike, achieving eco-friendly optimization of vehicle weight reductions and improved CO2 emissions. ENDS About Lotus Active Noise Control technologies The Lotus suite of patented Active Noise Control technologies comprises three main systems, each of which can be used individually or in combination. The first two systems are Road Noise Cancellation (RNC) and Engine Order Cancellation (EOC). Both of these look to reduce noise levels in the cabin, particularly at frequencies that are audibly unpleasant. In the case of RNC, the system reduces broadband noise levels at frequencies below 250Hz whereas EOC tackles harmonic frequencies generated by ignition events in the engine. Input signals from the engine (for EOC) or sensors mounted to the suspension system (for RNC) are fed into the electronic controller, as are sound signals, measured by microphones located in the cabin. The software algorithms of the controller then calculate what sound is needed to provide cancellation and the speakers of the in-car entertainment system are used to put this into the cabin. All this takes just a few thousandths of a second and repeats and adapts constantly through the complex control system, seamlessly and instantaneously adapting to changes in speed or road condition. The cancellation system operates on the input signals so other noise in the vehicle such as the audio system and speech are not interfered with or cancelled. The result is a quieter, more pleasant cabin. The third system is Electronic Sound Synthesis which has applications internally and externally. Internally, Electronic Sound Synthesis enhances the sound in the cabin. The control system uses engine speed signal, a throttle position sensor and the in-car entertainment system to add sound. In this way a car could be made to sound sportier or be given the pleasing sound characters of, say, a flat 6 or V8 engine. Coupled with EOC and RNC, the interior sound in the cabin can be tuned to enhance the driving experience and match the brand attributes of the vehicle. When applied externally, Electronic Sound Synthesis, provides engine sound for hybrid or electric vehicles. To synthesise the engine sound, a road speed signal is taken from the vehicle and a waterproof loudspeaker system is positioned behind the grille allowing the sound to emanate from the front of the vehicle. The sound can also be synthesised from the rear of the vehicle in the same way, allowing warning when the vehicle is reversing. When a car is operating on the electric motor only, throttle and speed dependent synthesised sound projects an engine sound in front of the vehicle. The technology was designed around the behaviour of a conventional engine, using an existing engine sound which makes it instantly recognisable with the pitch and frequency helping to identify vehicle distance and speed. If the hybrids engine starts operating, at higher speeds or throttle demands or lower battery levels, the control system automatically stops the external synthesis. When the powertrain control system switches the car back to running on the electric motor only, the synthesis controller instantaneously sets the system running again. It is all completely automatic and the driver hears almost none of the additional sound. In order to generate a realistic engine sound, recordings of a suitable donor engine are made and analysed to establish the characteristic frequencies at different engine speeds. These frequencies are then entered into the synthesis controller in the form of a voice which outputs the sound through an amplifier and out through the loudspeakers. Alternatively, more futuristic sounds for electric vehicles can be created using sampled sounds and generated waveforms. Tags: active noise control , ActiveNoiseControl , electronic sound synthesis , ElectronicSoundSynthesis , hybrid noise , hybrid sound , HybridNoise , HybridSound , noise control , NoiseControl , quiet hybrid , quiet hybrids , QuietHybrid , QuietHybrids Email this Print this Comments ( 10 ) Share Related Articles From Autoblog Green AAA picks 10 best new vehicle technologies, thinks green 2 days ago Cadillac blends top 2 Escalades for one really expensive hybrid 21 days ago Sentience Research Vehicle shows how tons of data can save millions of barr. 44 days ago Related Articles From Autoblog New York Preview: 2010 Land Rover Range Rover is awash in new power and tech 11 days ago New York Preview: 2010 Land Rover LR4 11 days ago Lotus gives hybrids a V8 soundtrack 256 days ago See More Related Articles and Blog Posts Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1) 1 jake 3:45PM (4/17/2009) I though this idea was over, I guess not. Reply ↓ ↑ report 2 Snoopy 3:47PM (4/17/2009) Its funny, because I was thinking about this over the past couple of days, while walking the streets of my relatively quiet neighbourhood. Ive noticed that youll hear the sound of an oncoming cars rolling tires before you hear the sound of its engine. Even if I couldnt see, Id be able to hear the sound of the tires well before that car got to me. What about busy city streets? Well, it wouldnt make much of a difference there. You probably wouldnt be able to specify between the sound of one quickly advancing car and another. The only difference would be if an electric vehicle or silent hybrid was stopped at a loud intersection and began rolling forward. In that case, the sound of the tires might not audible, but they wouldnt be audible anyway. Im not against a system that creates a sound for electric or hybrid vehicles, but it should be because people want it, not because people believe they wont be able to hear cars moving. People should get it because they want to hear specific car sounds. It could be like a ringtone market or something. They could sell you car "Revtones" on iTunes. Reply ↓ ↑ report 3 Snowdog 6:22PM (4/17/2009) Totally agree. I have stated the same before. Other than sports car wanna-bes, modern cars are so quiet that you hear tire/wind noise much more than engines. If they force noice makers on Hybrids and EVs, this will be yet another break down in common sense. ↓ ↑ report 4 Tohe 11:54PM (4/17/2009) I want mine to play an ice-cream cart melody. ↓ ↑ report 5 Snoopy 12:21PM (4/19/2009) Haha! Thats exactly the dame thing my friend said when I told him about the whole issue. ↓ ↑ report 6 fnc 4:40PM (4/17/2009) Thank goodness nobody has gone out with a decibel meter and both normal and hybrid cars to do any actual research on this matter. Reply ↓ ↑ report 7 Snoopy 12:32PM (4/19/2009) A very good point. While I dont know how they would go about doing the testing (scientifically speaking), it should be quite feasible. My friend (same one who made the ice cream truck sound effect comment to me) asked me if this was some kind of conspiracy from gasoline advocates to try and further delay mass acceptance of EVs. I didnt know what else to tell him other than, "I hadnt thought about that". ↓ ↑ report 8 John 6:50PM (4/17/2009) having been in London for a bit now and seen the first electric cars actually buzzing around (the little ol g-wizz cars) you can clearly hear their distinct motor whine and, yes its different yes its quieter, but for people that are hearing impaired or otherwise handicapped it just means getting use to something new. a cyclist is much quieter, and these cars do have horns still for people what step out in front. a system like this just wastes energy and reduces range, if people insist on these systems maybe have it an upgradable option if you as a motorist are concerned with the issue, kinda like leather seats upgrade or satellite navigation upgrade, just dont make it mandatory please Reply ↓ ↑ report 9 magnumpc 7:11PM (4/17/2009) I can see it now. There will be a huge aftermarket in engine sounds with some actually wanting the engine sounds to be much _louder_ than the originals (the same people that equip their cars with obscenely loud and obnoxious car stereos). This is, of course, in addition to the "fantasy" engine noises: horse trotting, warp drive, (heaven forbid) musical riffs, and on and on. This will only end badly. Reply ↓ ↑ report 10 Nathe Forden 6:17AM (4/19/2009) ". but for people that are hearing impaired or otherwise handicapped it just means getting use to something new." Whoa. I see false information here. Hearing impaired/deaf people ARE NOT handicapped and is NOT something new. Guess it means hearing people getting use to something new by PAYING ATTENTION. When was the last time you heard a deaf pedestrian got hit by a car? Hmm?!?! Must be nice to know that deafies are actually smarter than those hearie idiots! I know this and I speak for them. because I am one. Nonetheless, I do agree that it wastes of energy, reduces range and should NOT be mandatory. Reply ↓ ↑ report Add your comments Email Confirm Autoblog Green AOL First time? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting. Name: E-mail: Members enter your username and password. E-mail: Password: Enter your AOL or AIM screenname and password. Your comments: Remember me E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. When you enter your name and email address, youll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password. To create a live link, simply type the URL (including [link] or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use or tags. Follow us on Twitter! Breaking News Feed Chryslers first EV will be the Dodge Circuit Vectrix in trouble, may be for sale REPORT: Toyota claims 40,000 pre-orders for new Prius Cadillac Converj reportedly approved for production *UPDATED New York 2009: Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV will come to U.S. New York 2009: The Scion iQ goes Big Wheels! New York 2009: Mercedes E250 Bluetec concept would get 28/39 city/hwy rating Breaking - Zero Motorcycles unveils the Zero S [w/Video] GM and Segways PUMA live reveal Hyundai to offer plug-in hybrid in U.S. for 2012 Featured stories Feed Greenlings: What is regenerative braking? Bill OReilly challenged by Electric Aid to sign up for an electric car Chevy Volt test drives: surprisingly good stuff in the Cruze bodies SAE 2009: Rasers PHEV is a 100 mpge HUMMER Police sting doesnt stop homebrew electric vehicle maker in California Quick Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid, two-mode goes German New York 2009: Counter Balance - the batmobile of yellow, expandable trucks Fuelmaker goes bankrupt, Honda to blame? Money-losing Chevy Volt will stay alive even if it cant "pay the rent" Tesla CEO will refund money if theres an "Armageddon scenario" Resources About Send us news tips Contact Us Advertise Corrections? Problems? 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2009 38

2009 Land Rover i-MiEV Dodge Circuit 38

Green Cars News

JUNE 10, 2009

While adapting cars to run on high doses of biofuel is fairly common place, DIY electric cars are not. An Indianapolis man has built his own electric car, US television station WRTV reported recently. Patrick Roth adapted his Ford Escort to run on electricity alone after conceiving the idea while running his hybrid Lexus. He said; “I found myself constantly trying to trick the car to run on the electric motor as much as possible, which got me thinking,&# Roth said.

DIY 37

DIY Indianapolis Lexus Legal 37