Evatran’s Plugless Power System Gets An Upgrade, Looks More and More Attractive
One of the issues that is under constant discussion when talking about renewable energy use in cars is how they will be refueled or recharged. While there are gas stations virtually on every other corner in the country, there isn't a nationwide infrastructure for electrical vehicles (EVs) or hydrogen power vehicles. Part of this is due to the fact that no one form of renewable energy has beaten out all others definitively. Nobody wants to invest all of their money in creating charging or refueling stations for a technology that will be replaced in a year or two. It would be a living nightmare to try to switch the wires, plugs, adapters, and all the other little doodads and parts that the new technology would need. A recharging technology that doesn't have too many moving parts, is simple to use, and effective would be ideal, both in terms of catching on in the EV industry, and in terms of ease of replacement.
Enter Evatran, a company that has developed a system of recharging the batteries in electric vehicles without any physical contact like plugs or adapters. Evatran's Plugless Power charging system take advantage of inductive charging, a method of energy transfer that uses an electromagnetic field, without any physical contact of materials (as is necessary in conductive charging, which we all know and love).
The Plugless Power system uses a disc that is slightly smaller than an hubcap that is anchored to the ground and another plate that is fastened to the underside of your car. When you need to recharge your electric vehicle's battery, just drive over the disc on the ground, and the Plugless Power system will begin to transfer energy to the plate under your car, which in turn is connected to you EV's battery. The ground plate can be anchored just about anywhere there is adequate power, so it wouldn't be restricted to recharging station use - you could install it in your own garage! About a year ago, Evatran's ground-anchored disk was actually a rectangular mat that was about as long and wide as a car's underside, mustered only 80% efficiency, and required you to line up accurately if you wanted it to charge properly. Today, the mat is smaller than a tire, boasts 97% efficiency, and has a little bit of wiggle room in terms of aligning the plates up to charge.
Testing is beginning on Chevy Volts and will expand in January, but you can get your own car retrofitted and buy your own charging station for your home if you are willing to pay. An indoor charging station will run you $2,000, an outdoor station will cost $3,000, and retrofitting your car will cost an additional $2,000.
Source: Autobloggreen via Engadget
Toyota and Tesla Lend Each Other a Helping Hand
Last Thursday, Toyota and Tesla Motors announced that they have decided to scratch each others backs by teaming up and combining their strengths for a sweet deal.
Toyota is suffering from a tarnished reputation as a result of a massive recall that sought to address the problem of "sticky accelerators" in some of their automobiles, while Tesla has fallen prey to production problems, pushing back the anticipated shipping date of their Model S to 2012.
So how exactly do they plan to help each other? According to the agreement, Toyota will buy $50 million worth of Tesla stock when the electric-sports-car manufacturer goes public, as well as letting Tesla use a factory in Fremont, California that they closed last year. In addition, Toyota will lend the startup automaker the expertise of their own staff to help with any problems Tesla might run into while getting production going.
In return, Tesla will share with Toyota a closer look at the unique technology that powers their cars. Toyota will benefit by having a leg up on the competition in their EV endeavors, as well as getting a ton of good publicity for reopening a factory that once was the source of almost 5,000 jobs. The fact that the new jobs will be "green" only adds to the good karma Toyota is cooking up for itself.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that a Tesla-powered Toyota will be available before the Model S is released, and it is safe to assume that when it does hit the streets, there will probably be a Toyota part here and there under the hood.
Source: Wired
The Guantanamo Bay of Batteries
Peter Roth is a man whose job entails one thing and one thing only. Destroying batteries. The government pays him to figure out (in a laboratory) the multitudes of ways that batteries can sizzle, fizzle, leak, flame, and explode, so that measures can be taken to prevent them from happening when consumers like you and I use them in everyday life.
Roth's lair of destruction is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Sandia National Laboratories. It consists of a number of rooms behind a 2,000 pound door - just the type of thing you'd want between you and a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery spewing toxic fumes and flames. To put things in perspective, though, the explosions that Roth sets off pale in comparison to what could happen if any of the other (nuclear) research experiments in the building were to go awry.
In addition to putting batteries in situations that causes them to fail (such as high impact punctures, short circuits, submersion, etc.) Roth and his colleague, Chris Orendorff also test out what chemicals, when used in batteries, are more stable and safe than others. Their quest, which was noble enough to garner $4.2 million in funding from the Department of Energy, is to pass all of the information they gather to manufacturers, the military, and even NASA, who use the data to constantly improve. Recently, Roth and his work has gained more attention, with the advent of hybrid and electric vehicles that draw power from large lithium-ion batteries. With most if not all automotive companies coming out with such models, many questions are being raised about battery safety. What would happen to the lithium-ion battery pack of a Chevy Volt if it was punctured as it flew off a bridge into the salty depths of the ocean? Hopefully, Roth will figure that one out for us. And how to fix it too.
Source: Wall Street Journal via Gizmodo
Audi e-Tron v2.0 Surfaces at Detroit Auto Show
This year's North American International International Auto Show in Detroit features all of the biggest and best automobile companies in the world. But one of the most talked-about presences at the show is that of Bavarian car manufacturer Audi. To be more specific, Audi's e-Tron is the topic of conversation in many circles.
For those of you who haven't heard of it, the e-Tr
on is Audi's entry into the EV (electric vehicle) field. And quite frankly, it's beautiful. Would you expect anything less from Audi?
Although it has been featured at past auto shows, it has been positioned as more of a concept vehicle until now. The e-Tron on display now in Detroit is a scaled-down version of the original concept in terms of specifications. It's got about 100 less horsepower than the concept (down to 204 from 313) and is about a second slower in terms of 0-60 acceleration (5.9 seconds, up from an original 4.8). Since it is an electric car, the range of the e-Tron is another important aspect to consider. After fulling charging the 220 volt battery over 11 hours, Audi claims a range of 155 miles with the e-Tron.
On top of it all, the e-Tron has a new type of regenerative braking system that doesn't lose any energy from the "residual slip" you usually get from such systems. We're not sure what exactly that means, but it sounds awesome.
Source: Wired