Michelin North America has announced the 2011 theme for the Michelin Challenge Design, its global vehicle design competition. In its tenth year the competition bears the name ‘PLUS 10. The Best is Yet to Come!’ and entrants have the opportunity to share their transportation concepts for the year 2021.
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According to Michelin, a special power train requires a special tyre. And it claims to have embraced this philosophy when designing its first concept tyre for electric vehicles. Known as the EV, the Michelin concept tyre is intended to provide a range of benefits that include increasing the vehicle’s range between charges or reducing battery size to optimise use of interior space. At the same time, the tyre is said to enhance driving safety and deliver superior longevity. Furthermore, says Michelin, the prototype tyre offers a quiet ride that is ideally suited to a relatively noise-free power source.
The UK's streets and car parks could see thousands more charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars thanks to £30 million of Government funding. Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis today invited cities and businesses to join together to bid for the money which will help fund the installation of charging points on streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities.
China's auto industry has shown signs of overcapacity, but automakers continues planning further expansion, Chinese state news agency Xinhua has reported that the country’s largest car makers face overproduction, but have further expansion plans anyway. China’s car production capacity is predicted to exceed 16 million units by 2012.
Leading auto companies, including SAIC Motor, FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor and Changan Auto, have each announced multi-million unit sales targets for the coming two years. Chery Auto, for example, has set an output and sales goal of 1 million units by 2012. Beijing Auto is aiming at output and sales of 1.5 million units in 2010 and 2 million in 2011.
In the auto industry stimulus plan unveiled in March, China set a target of annually producing 500,000 electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles in 2009-2011, with new-energy vehicle sales making up 5 percent of total passenger vehicle sales.
The Ontario government has reportedly announced rebates of up to $10,000 to people who buy plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles after 1 July 2010. Premier Dalton McGuinty said his government aims to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario electrically powered by 2020. The size of the rebate will depend on the vehicle’s battery capacity.
Local news sources quote automotive analyst Dennis DesRosiers said the incentive plan isn’t well thought through: “The fact they are offering such a high upfront incentive is an admission that there is high risk for this technology,” Mr. DesRosiers said. “Years before the vehicles are available they’re putting a bribe of $10,000 in the market place and the only reason they do that is because they anticipate they aren’t going to sell.” DesRosiers said the government would have been further ahead if it followed the lead of the U.S., which has invested $25-billion in a fund to promote electric battery technology. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continental claims the lithium-ion batteries it has developed offer significantly greater storage capacity compared with the nickel-metal hydride battery technology still currently used in hybrid vehicles. The battery’s energy density is said to be around 30 per cent and its power to size ratio some 50 percent greater, while still retaining its compact dimensions. Development work on this unit, which saw its series production debut in the latest Mercedes-Benz S 400 BlueHYBRID, took place at Continental’s Nuremberg, Germany facility, and the site now has a production capacity of 15,000 units per annum. Recently Conti’s Powertrain Division and its Hybrid & Electric Vehicles business unit were acknowledged for the battery’s development and series introduction with an award from a logistics and transports association located in the factory’s local region.
The Government’s £25 million Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator scheme, which aims to accelerate a shift towards low-emissions motoring, will pave the way for the creation of the world’s biggest network of electric vehicle (EV) recharging stations. The organisations involved in implementing the eight Demonstrator programmes across the UK have together committed to installing more than 500 roadside, car park, business and home charging stations by June 2010. The majority will be produced and installed by Brighton-based Elektromotive, in what will become the world’s biggest-ever co-ordinated EV infrastructure installation project.
The race is on to develop more efficient batteries for electric vehicles, and on April 8 the US based National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture announced the establishment of a research and development centre for this very purpose. The Kentucky-Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center in Lexington, Kentucky will house collaborative research by scientists from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Argonne National Laboratory.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Think has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver up to 500 TH!NK city electric-powered vehicles this year to ElmoNet, a subsidiary of Mobility Service Netherlands.
With the Dutch Parliament calling for the rapid introduction of EVs (electric vehicles), the Minister of Transport, Mr. Camiel Eurlings, earlier this year announced a fund of 10 million Euros to be made available to support the large scale, early introduction of electric mobility.
“Ambitious visions and concrete measures are required to make the Netherlands the most important experimental garden for electric mobility” says Marjan Minnesma, Director of Urgenda. Urgenda is an active foundation that aims to transform the Netherlands into a model for sustainable development.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and UK company Elektromotive, a pioneer in zero emission transport infrastructure, have announced they are collaborating in the Partnership for Zero-Emission-Mobility, with the aim of accelerating the installation of charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs) in cities.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the two companies ahead of an imminent and dramatic rise in the number of EVs on Europe’s roads, with the Renault-Nissan Alliance starting sales of purpose-designed EVs in Japan and the US from next year and globally by 2012.
Valeo and Groupe Michelin are combing efforts to develop electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicle systems. The pair will work on such systems as drive train, engine and battery cooling management, climate control, lighting, energy management and tyres.
“Michelin and Valeo are convinced that by joining forces they will help to accelerate the emergence of electric vehicles in France and worldwide,” the companies said in a statement. (Tire Review/Akron)
Michelin has reportedly teamed up with a Chinese company to jointly develop electric powertrains. Information published by Automotive News indicates that the French firm has signed an agreement with battery material supplier CITIC Guoan Mengguli (MGL) to develop electric powertrain systems for electric vehicles and plug in hybrids. The system will integrate Michelin’s active wheel technology with lithium ion batteries from MGL, and the two companies will jointly develop controllers for the system.
On September 24 Continental’s Powertrain Division held a celebration to mark the start of series production for its lithium-ion batteries for use in hybrid drive cars. The beginning of series production – which takes place following an investment of more than three million euros into developing manufacturing capacity at its factory in Nuremburg, Germany – is, says Conti, a world first.
“This underlines Continental’s claim that, by developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art drive technologies, it can contribute to a significant reduction in fuel consumption by vehicles in future and, consequently, to a reduction in CO2 emissions as well”, said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, CEO of Continental AG and head of the Powertrain Division.
Developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles, Ener1, has acquired the 19.5 per cent share in joint venture company EnerDel held by former joint venture partner Delphi Corporation. This share purchase gives Ener1 100 per cent ownership in EnerDel and brings along with it exclusive ownership of essential manufacturing and intellectual property assets from Delphi. The agreement was approved by US judge Robert Drain, who is overseeing Delphi’s efforts to emerge from bankruptcy.
A survey of 8,000 motorists Conducted on behalf of Continental in eight major international markets indicates that electric and hybrid drive vehicles are currently the subject of “remarkable” interest amongst motorists. At the start of 2008 the market research company TNS/Infratest surveyed approximately 1,000 motorists each in China, Germany, France, UK, Japan, Austria, Switzerland and the USA, asking a series of questions focused upon their current knowledge and opinions of hybrid drive systems, driving styles and battery powered cars. The feedback received showed that 36.0 per cent of those surveyed were willing to buy a hybrid drive car and a surprising 45.8 per cent expressed an interest in purchasing an electric car. “This trend holds great potential for us as an automotive supplier and provider of environmentally-friendly drive technologies,” said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Conti Executive Board member and chief technology officer, at a press conference in Austria.
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