Yesterday, the municipal government in Shanghai signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Potevio on development of new-energy vehicles.
As a state-owned company, China Potevio is mainly engaged in manufacturing telecom networking gear. Now it is working hard to integrate the electric-car battery industry chain.
It plans to disburse as much as CNY 5 billion to CNY 8 billion to develop renewable energy business in the coming three to five years. And it will set up a battery production base in Shanghai to roll out electric-car batteries and lithium iron phosphates.
Moreover, it will spare no efforts to serve the World Expo 2010 Shanghai by setting up battery-charging stations in the city and offering battery renting service.
Established on July 23, 2003 in Beijing, China Potevio is a domestic leading IT equipment manufacturer and service provider. It was born out of China Posts and Telecommunications Industry Corporation, which has the longest history in China's telecommunication industry.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Law change impacts NEV use
Since city officials passed an ordinance three years ago allowing the use of neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) on city streets, several Waupun residents have enjoyed the green mode of transportation; blending in with local traffic without a problem until now.
NEV owner Steve Wendt was surprised to see the flashing blue lights of a Wisconsin State Patrol squad car in his rear view mirror last week as he was traveling along Watertown Street in his NEV.
“He said that according to state law, my vehicle was not street-legal on a highway,” Wendt said. “This surprised me since our city ordinance allows us to operate on any street that has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less.”
Although Wendt got off with a verbal warning, he was left wondering how he and other NEV owners could get around the city without having to crossing or traveling on one of the four state highways running through town. Highway 49 (Main Street) bisects the city. Other streets impacted are Fox Lake Road (Highway 68), Watertown Street (Highway 26) and Fond du Lac Street (Business Highway 151).
The provision barring NEVs from traveling on or crossing state highways wasn’t even on the books when the Waupun NEV ordinance was passed, said City Attorney Daniel Vande Zande. The retooled state statute, Act 33, states that local municipalities must get written approval from the Department of Transportation to allow NEVs to travel on “connecting highways” within the municipality and/or to cross an intersection with a state highway.
“Although it could be argued that enactment of our ordinance under the prior statute does not necessitate our compliance with subsection 3 in its current form, it is probably much easier for us to simply provide the notice (to the Department of Transportation),” said Vande Zande.
According to subsection 3, the DOT has 21 days to grant its consent or state its objection to the operation of NEVs on the connecting highways.
“If they don’t object during this time, we should be fine,” Vande Zande said.
City Administrator Gary Rogers Jr. said he was surprised to hear of the contact with police, especially with the daily presence of state troopers, county deputies from Fond du Lac and Dodge County along with city police.
“We haven’t kept the use of NEVs by our citizens a secret,” Rogers said. “I find it interesting that the state would allow mopeds, bicycles and small motorcycles (on these streets) but stop an NEV.”
Waupun Police Chief Dale Heeringa said he is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“We will not be enforcing the change in the law until we get direction from the state that we need to,” Heeringa said.
Although he was told to stay off the main thoroughfares, Wendt still travels on Main Street to do business.
“I’m glad the city was progressive in allowing NEVs to travel city streets in the first place, but now they need to take the next step to allow us to continue to drive them and allow our local dealer to sell them,” Wendt said.
NEV owner Steve Wendt was surprised to see the flashing blue lights of a Wisconsin State Patrol squad car in his rear view mirror last week as he was traveling along Watertown Street in his NEV.
“He said that according to state law, my vehicle was not street-legal on a highway,” Wendt said. “This surprised me since our city ordinance allows us to operate on any street that has a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less.”
Although Wendt got off with a verbal warning, he was left wondering how he and other NEV owners could get around the city without having to crossing or traveling on one of the four state highways running through town. Highway 49 (Main Street) bisects the city. Other streets impacted are Fox Lake Road (Highway 68), Watertown Street (Highway 26) and Fond du Lac Street (Business Highway 151).
The provision barring NEVs from traveling on or crossing state highways wasn’t even on the books when the Waupun NEV ordinance was passed, said City Attorney Daniel Vande Zande. The retooled state statute, Act 33, states that local municipalities must get written approval from the Department of Transportation to allow NEVs to travel on “connecting highways” within the municipality and/or to cross an intersection with a state highway.
“Although it could be argued that enactment of our ordinance under the prior statute does not necessitate our compliance with subsection 3 in its current form, it is probably much easier for us to simply provide the notice (to the Department of Transportation),” said Vande Zande.
According to subsection 3, the DOT has 21 days to grant its consent or state its objection to the operation of NEVs on the connecting highways.
“If they don’t object during this time, we should be fine,” Vande Zande said.
City Administrator Gary Rogers Jr. said he was surprised to hear of the contact with police, especially with the daily presence of state troopers, county deputies from Fond du Lac and Dodge County along with city police.
“We haven’t kept the use of NEVs by our citizens a secret,” Rogers said. “I find it interesting that the state would allow mopeds, bicycles and small motorcycles (on these streets) but stop an NEV.”
Waupun Police Chief Dale Heeringa said he is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“We will not be enforcing the change in the law until we get direction from the state that we need to,” Heeringa said.
Although he was told to stay off the main thoroughfares, Wendt still travels on Main Street to do business.
“I’m glad the city was progressive in allowing NEVs to travel city streets in the first place, but now they need to take the next step to allow us to continue to drive them and allow our local dealer to sell them,” Wendt said.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Electric Car Companies Use Partnerships to Boost Success
Developing the electric car, bringing it to market and having it succeed are huge feats. To overcome design and infrastructure hurdles, many automakers are partnering with other organizations. Such collaborations can reduce risk, boost success and speed up the development process for all involved.
Let's examine some of these partnerships:
Ford Motor Company and Magna International Inc.
By creating a strategic partnership with Magna International Inc., Ford accelerated plans to bring an electric car to the market. Although Ford does not possess exclusive rights to the technology, this approach reduced risk and cost. Magna and Ford built a prototype using the compact model of the Ford Focus.
"We strongly believe in collaboration because it drives innovation up and keeps costs down," said Don Walker, co-CEO of Magna International. "Bringing a fully functional electric vehicle quickly to the market that meets customer expectations in terms of cost and performance is a great testament to both our companies' expertise and collaborative efforts."
This all-electric vehicle is expected to drive 100 miles on a charge and does not contain a gas generator to extend the range. Magna will manufacture the electric motor and other major components. Starting in 2011, Ford plans to manufacture 5,000 to 10,000 electric cars annually. Ford has also teamed up with Britain's Smith Electric Vehicles to produce a commercial electric truck for the U.S. market.
Proton Holdings and Detroit Electric
This partnership between the Malaysian automaker and the Dutch auto company once favored by Thomas Edison has the goal to start production in early 2010 and ramp-up production to 270,000 cars by 2013. This quantity is quite large, compared to plans from other companies for electric car production
"Today's agreement with Proton will put Detroit Electric on the fast track to bring a full line of innovative, practical and affordable pure electric vehicles to the global market," Albert Lam, Detroit Electric's chairman and chief executive, said in a recent statement.
This sedan should hit the European market in 2010 and the US market in 2011 and will cost between $23,000 and $33,000. The smaller version has a range of 110 miles per charge, while the larger version's range is 200 miles.
Nissan and Renault
This French-Japanese alliance plans to start selling its electric vehicle in 2011 in China before it markets the cars globally. They have also created a partnership with the Chinese government, where they will roll out the electric vehicle in 13 cities and assist with creating a charging infrastructure. Nissan has been working with state and city governments and charging station maker ECOtotality to create an electric vehicle corridor in the U.S. In Israel, Nissan is working with Better Place to create charging stations across the country.
"Nissan believes that zero emissions are the ultimate direction for alternative energy vehicles," says Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer of Nissan in a news release. "We are establishing innovative partnerships with governments, cities and agencies to promote EVs worldwide, and in China we will work closely with our local partners to develop the EV market."
General Motors Corporation
The highly anticipated Chevy Volt was developed in-house. The $750 million GM invested in developing the Volt may not payoff immediately, but may earn the company considerable prestige.
The car has an all-electric range of 40 miles. A gas generator produces electricity and extends the range of the vehicle by an additional 300 miles. The Volt should be ready in late 2010 and may be capped at 10,000 vehicles in the first year. Thereafter, production will be ramped up to 100,000 or whatever the market can support.
The Volt has officially partnered with Goodyear Tires to reduce rolling resistance and boost energy efficiency. Compared to the depth of the other partnerships for producing electric cars, GM is essentially flying solo with the Volt. The gas generator however makes Volt owners less reliant on electric vehicle infrastructure, thus partnerships in this area are less vital.
Image courtesy of Ford.
Let's examine some of these partnerships:
Ford Motor Company and Magna International Inc.
By creating a strategic partnership with Magna International Inc., Ford accelerated plans to bring an electric car to the market. Although Ford does not possess exclusive rights to the technology, this approach reduced risk and cost. Magna and Ford built a prototype using the compact model of the Ford Focus.
"We strongly believe in collaboration because it drives innovation up and keeps costs down," said Don Walker, co-CEO of Magna International. "Bringing a fully functional electric vehicle quickly to the market that meets customer expectations in terms of cost and performance is a great testament to both our companies' expertise and collaborative efforts."
This all-electric vehicle is expected to drive 100 miles on a charge and does not contain a gas generator to extend the range. Magna will manufacture the electric motor and other major components. Starting in 2011, Ford plans to manufacture 5,000 to 10,000 electric cars annually. Ford has also teamed up with Britain's Smith Electric Vehicles to produce a commercial electric truck for the U.S. market.
Proton Holdings and Detroit Electric
This partnership between the Malaysian automaker and the Dutch auto company once favored by Thomas Edison has the goal to start production in early 2010 and ramp-up production to 270,000 cars by 2013. This quantity is quite large, compared to plans from other companies for electric car production
"Today's agreement with Proton will put Detroit Electric on the fast track to bring a full line of innovative, practical and affordable pure electric vehicles to the global market," Albert Lam, Detroit Electric's chairman and chief executive, said in a recent statement.
This sedan should hit the European market in 2010 and the US market in 2011 and will cost between $23,000 and $33,000. The smaller version has a range of 110 miles per charge, while the larger version's range is 200 miles.
Nissan and Renault
This French-Japanese alliance plans to start selling its electric vehicle in 2011 in China before it markets the cars globally. They have also created a partnership with the Chinese government, where they will roll out the electric vehicle in 13 cities and assist with creating a charging infrastructure. Nissan has been working with state and city governments and charging station maker ECOtotality to create an electric vehicle corridor in the U.S. In Israel, Nissan is working with Better Place to create charging stations across the country.
"Nissan believes that zero emissions are the ultimate direction for alternative energy vehicles," says Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer of Nissan in a news release. "We are establishing innovative partnerships with governments, cities and agencies to promote EVs worldwide, and in China we will work closely with our local partners to develop the EV market."
General Motors Corporation
The highly anticipated Chevy Volt was developed in-house. The $750 million GM invested in developing the Volt may not payoff immediately, but may earn the company considerable prestige.
The car has an all-electric range of 40 miles. A gas generator produces electricity and extends the range of the vehicle by an additional 300 miles. The Volt should be ready in late 2010 and may be capped at 10,000 vehicles in the first year. Thereafter, production will be ramped up to 100,000 or whatever the market can support.
The Volt has officially partnered with Goodyear Tires to reduce rolling resistance and boost energy efficiency. Compared to the depth of the other partnerships for producing electric cars, GM is essentially flying solo with the Volt. The gas generator however makes Volt owners less reliant on electric vehicle infrastructure, thus partnerships in this area are less vital.
Image courtesy of Ford.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Boris Outlines Electric Vision
Boris Johnson has outlined his plans to turn Britain into the "electric car capital of Europe".
The scheme is expected to cost £60 million and work is due to start on charging points at Tube stations by the end of the year.
There are also plans to put refuelling facilities at car parks, offices and shopping centres.
The mayor made the announcement to mayors from other leading world cities at a climate change conference in the South Korean capital, Seoul.
The scheme is funded by the GLA, the government and the private sector, and is designed to cut carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2025.
The mayor said that all new developments with more than five parking spaces will have to provide charging facilities for a fifth of their capacity.
It is hoped that there will be 25,000 charging points across London by 2015, which will serve 100,000 electric vehicles.
He said: "London has today launched a comprehensive plan to make the UK the electric vehicle capital of Europe.
"Car manufacturers are gearing up to make electric vehicles a common choice for consumers in just a few years' time.
"City leaders across the world must rise to the challenge of creating the right conditions to support their usage."
There will be "slow charging points" for overnight charging and "rapid charging points" at petrol stations, he promised.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Electric Vehicles Will Provide Faster Travel For Daily Commuters
The automakers are only focused on technologies, which will charge an electric car while producing longer travels. Some of the new electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, can already drive at speeds of 40 to 50 mph. However, faster speeds will drain the life of the battery charge faster than driving at lower speeds.
Porsche is working on a new prototype to deliver an electric automobile capable of operating at 80 mph with a longer battery life. The prototype is still a couple of years from production, but it's clear that the automaker is already developing new technologies. Most commuters travel in cities that don't require high rate of speeds, which makes it possible to run completely on electricity.
Electric vehicles are developing fast as car manufacturers' race to complete new production lines for 2010 and 2011. General Motors Corp has put more effort into an all-electric car instead of expanding its hybrid line-up. This is because GM vows that its new Chevrolet Volt will be virtue to the automaker's survival.
Ford, probably the only stable American automaker, is also advancing in electric technologies. The Ford Fusion is already capable of driving more than 1,400 miles on one tank of gas. The automaker uses a combination of gas and electric battery while providing driving technics to help extend mileage.
Nissan is also working on a new electric car prototype known as the HEV. The company will use a rear-wheel power train that can deliver twice the power as conventional nickel-metal batteries. The new prototype will enter the global market in 2012.
New hybrid cars might be called electric, but they are not total electric vehicle solutions. Most hybrids still use a gasoline engine and will use the battery to run the car if it is parked or in idle. Hybrid cars will also operate the vehicle at lower speeds in an effort to save fuel and extend its mileage.
While faster electric automobile solutions might be two years away, we all can benefit from clean technology. The air quality will be cleaner and our environment will be safer. In addition, we reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
It was less than 100 years ago when the automobile was invented. Within 15 years, gasoline powered cars were common for every household. Just imagine what type of electric vehicles, we will drive in the next 15 years.
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