Author: Green Car Online News

Hydrogen fuel-cell e-bike claiming longer range, quick refueling

Before the Toyota Mirai, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, and the Hyundai Nexo faced off with the current crop of electric cars, there was a hydrogen fuel-cell e-bike—the Alpha, which also demonstrated that with hydrogen it could go farther than battery-boosted e-bikes.

Now France’s Pragma Industries has introduced Alpha2.0, a new version of the bike that’s good for 93 miles of electric-assisted range on a single charge—versus a typical range of 30 miles for e-bikes with only a lithium-ion battery.

Pragma claims that it’s the only e-bike with a range meter that can indicate the remaining riding range with an accuracy within 0.6 miles (1 km). It also emphasizes that the system provides consistent range and performance regardless of weather conditions. So when it’s extremely cold outside, for instance, the assisted range won’t plummet.

The Alpha2.0 combines a 150-watt PEM fuel cell with a 150-watt-hour lithium-ion battery pack helping buffer the energy flow. The Brose 36V electric motor capable of providing up to 250 watts (0.34 horsepower) of electric assistance.

Alpha2.0 hydrogen fuel-cell e-bike with hydrogen station

Its tank holds 2.0 liters of hydrogen gas, stored at 300 bar versus the previous 200 bar (the key to the higher energy on board), and it fills in just two minutes. Pragma has partnered with Ergosup, a hydrogen conversion company (see the video below), to make available the HyRis, a compact hydrogen fueling station.

The upgraded bike will be formally introduced with a lot of 200 headed to the G7 summit August 24.

Alpha2.0 hydrogen fuel-cell e-bikes headed to G7 conference – August 2019

While both Toyota and Hyundai have aims to scale up their fuel-cell systems beyond passenger vehicles, to commercial vehicles and industrial use, Pragma argues for scaling down, and says that the bike is good for fleet-duty situations such as for corporate staff, last-mile deliveries, tourist rentals, or bike-sharing programs.

The e-bike has one serious handicap, other than where to find hydrogen: It remains too expensive for personal use—in the vicinity of $7,500 for the bike, with the compact refueling station costing many times that. Perhaps, just as with those fuel-cell cars, there’s a good model for subsidized leasing.

For VW, focus groups highlight EV-adoption challenges beyond price

Volkswagen has been targeting affordability all along with its upcoming electric cars and the modular MEB platform they’re built on.

Leading up to the launch of the first models to arrive, starting with the ID 3 at the start of 2020 for Europe and a crossover for the U.S. later in 2020, VW executives haven’t stopped discussing the price points. They continue to state that once the carmaker’s global push for mass-market electric cars picks up the pace, they’ll reach price parity with comparable gasoline vehicles.

Pricing and affordability are important, but they won’t guarantee that the cars will be a success. It helps that, as VW’s U.S. CEO Scott Keogh has said to Green Car Reports, we’re at a cultural tipping point for electric cars. But dealer education, marketing, and advertising will be crucial parts of the rollout, too—as will addressing some common misconceptions that persist.

At the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Michigan earlier this month, Reinhard Fischer, the Volkswagen Group senior VP overseeing VW in North America, spoke to Automotive News about some of the issues it’s seen at recent focus groups.

One of them, for instance, is a fear of driving electric cars through water, and the idea that electricity and water don’t mix.

More seriously, perhaps, Fischer mentioned the issue of charging accessibility, noting that “range anxiety has now been replaced by charging anxiety.”

“A hundred years ago, gasoline was sold at pharmacies,” said Fischer. “Today, we have 122,000 gas stations in the United States. It's transformed from a bottleneck to a commodity.”

Teaser for 2020 Volkswagen ID 3 debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto show

As funded by the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement, Electrify America will play a part in that, deploying more than 2,000 fast chargers at nearly 500 U.S. locations by the end of 2019.

Provided those other issues are addressed, so will price. VW plans to price its first EVs at a slight premium to gasoline—much like it did with diesel. While the exact numbers haven’t been revealed for the U.S., the carmaker says that launch edition ID 3 models will cost less than $44,400 (40,000 euros) in Germany, with entry versions of the ID 3 to start just below $33,300 (30,000 euros). A future, more affordable MEB model could be priced below $23,000.

Tesla offers new solar rental program

Electric cars and solar panels are like chocolate and peanut butter: two great things that are even better together.

On Monday, Tesla began offering a new solar rental program. Homeowners can choose among three system sizes, for small, medium, or large homes or corresponding electrical use.

The company does not require homeowners to pay any installation charges, and the rental can be terminated at any time, though there is a $1,500 fee to have the solar panels removed. Homeowners will have to pay for any ancillary upgrade costs that may be required, such as larger main breaker panels, conduit, or even new roofs.

– The small system is 3.8 kilowatts, which will produce between 9 and 13 kilowatt-hours per day. It rents for $50 a month, and Tesla says will fit for a 1,000- to 2,000-square-foot home with an electric bill estimated between $60 and $80 a month.

– The medium system costs $100, uses 7.6 kw of panels, and is expected to produce between 18 and 27 kwh per day, which Tesla says will offset an electric bill of $110 to $170 a month, good for a 2,000- to 3,000-square-foot home.

– The large system, for $150 a month, has 11.4 kw of panels, and produces between 27 and 40 kwh per day, or an estimated electric bill of $170 to $250 a month, the company says.

Prices are slightly higher in California.

eMotorWerks JuiceBox wall mount charging Tesla Model X

Customers can order the panels with a $100 deposit and calculate the size they need on Tesla's solar website. The site also provides a link to the National Renewable Energy Lab's solar production calculator.

These are conventional rack-mounted solar panels installed on the roof, not the solar roof tiles that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has widely promoted, but which the company has been slow to produce.

Tesla bought Solar City in 2016 and has worked to integrate home solar into its business alongside electric cars and storage batteries, which can store solar power produced during the day for later use at night, and also provide home emergency backup power.

While Solar City was known for leasing solar panels, sales have been slow since the company eliminated that program and focused on sales instead. Customers can still buy the panels, if they don't want to rent.

For EV owners, rooftop solar can provide a way to offset higher electric bills from charging their cars.

Rumor: Sixth production-bound VW ID electric car to be previewed with LA show concept

The Volkswagen Group plans to build 27 different electric-vehicle models, across its brands, by 2022—on its way to building 10 million EVs on its upcoming MEB architecture by later in the decade. That requires quite the ramp-up of company resources, and it’s likely the brand has many more new ideas and designs to test as concept cars.

One of those new concepts is due at the Los Angeles Auto show this November. Sources at VW with knowledge of the plans have confirmed to Green Car Reports that this will foreshadow a sixth production-bound member of the ID family to wear the Volkswagen badge.

So far the ID, ID Crozz, ID Buzz, ID Vizzion, and ID Roomzz concepts are all either confirmed or strongly hinted at as being production-bound. Of those, the ID, to be called ID 3 in production, is the only one open to reservations thus far, and it won’t be sold in the U.S.

Teaser for 2020 Volkswagen ID 3 debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto show

With a production version of the ID Crozz already confirmed for U.S. arrival in the second half of 2020, and the production (sans camo) version of the ID 3 bound for the Frankfurt motor show in September, Volkswagen could be waiting until the LA show to preview (in concept) the ID 2, a small, affordable urban crossover.

Volkswagen hasn’t yet made an official statement about or confirmed any such debut.

Volkswagen ID Buzz Concept

Volkswagen has said that its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant expansion will be ready to make electric cars in America in 2022. That also happens to be when VW intends to release the Microbus-revival ID Buzz. However, VW still has much to share in regard to which markets will get each respective vehicle and where they’ll be produced.

World’s largest EV never has to be recharged

A quarry in Biel, Switzerland, is operating the world's largest electric vehicle, a 110-ton dump truck, to haul lime and marl off the side of a mountain to a cement factory. Perhaps best of all, it consumes no energy doing it.

How is that possible, you ask?

The dump truck, at 45 tons, ascends the 13-percent grade and takes on 65 tons of ore. With more than double the weight going back down the hill, the beast's regenerative braking system recaptures more than enough energy to refill the charge the eDumper used going up.

The Elektro Dumper—eDumper for short—made by Kuhn Schweitz, is based on a Komatsu HB 605-7: 30 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 14 feet tall. The tires are six feet high, and the dump bed reaches to more than 28 feet, fully raised.

Kuhn Schweitz adds a 600 kilowatt-hour battery pack—big enough for six, long-range Tesla Model Ses—from Lithium Storage that weighs 9,000 pounds.

CNN recently brought Formula 1 driver Lucas DiGrassi along to test drive the machine, owned by Swiss cement company Ciments Vigier SA. He reported starting with a 90 percent charge at the bottom and reaching the top of the grade with 80 percent, then recovering battery charge to 88 percent on the way down (not unlike our writer's experience with a Chevrolet Bolt EV in the Rockies.)

Marking that trip around 20 times a day, Kuhn Schweitz says the eDumper produces 200 kwh of surplus energy every day, or 77 megawatt-hours a year. A typical dump truck uses between 11,000 and 22,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year. That saves up to 196 metric tons of global-warming carbon-dioxide gas a year.

Colorado adopts California electric vehicle mandate

For months, Colorado lawmakers and businesses have taken sides at a figurative continental divide—and not far from the real one—over whether (and how) the state might join California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle program and its corresponding electric-car mandate.

We now have an answer. The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has voted 8-1 in favor of a new standard requiring zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

With the move, Colorado is one of ten other states to observe California's ZEV standards, which include a mandate that a certain portion of electric vehicles sold in the state be some combination of battery electric cars, plug-in hybrids, or potentially fuel-cell vehicles.

The other states observing the California rule include Oregon in the West and Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont in the East.

Under framework adopted Friday, and worked out in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado will require that 5 percent of sellable inventory be ZEVs in 2023 and that moves up to 6 percent in 2025. The program allows some flexibility across model years and vehicle types, under the assurance from automakers it would mean more models available in the state.

The move isn’t at all unexpected. Last November, Colorado moved to adopt California Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards, which, among other things, ramp up the standards on how long vehicle emissions equipment needs to last versus federal rules. Then in January, Colorado Governor Jared Polis directed state agencies to develop policies that would encourage EV adoption in the state.

CARB ZEV program – greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions

A report supported by the Environmental Defense Fund concluded that under a baseline scenario in which Colorado didn’t adopt ZEV rules, annual sales of such vehicles would rise modestly to 8,594 in 2023 and 12,680 in 2030. But under the most ambitious scenario, in which it was assumed EV sales would also be growing nationally, numbers of 15,589 and 65,055 were projected. According to the Auto Alliance, there were 270,687 total vehicle sales in the state in 2017.

That and several other studies arrived at economic benefits (partly linked to public health) from the adoption of the rules. Under the adoption of the rules, the EDF report projected that emissions of nitrogen oxides, a precursor to smog—would be roughly halved across the vehicle fleet by 2050.

The Denver region is especially smog-prone and is the 12th most-polluted city in the nation, based on smog-forming pollutants, according to the American Lung Association.

The consumer advocacy organization Consumer Reports called the adoption of the program a smart move for saving money and reducing air pollution.

“Thanks to this decision, Coloradans can expect to be among the first to get access to electric vehicles, including electric pickups and SUVs, as they come to market in the coming years,” said Shannon Baker-Branstetter, CR’s manager of cars and energy policy.

Consumer Reports called the state’s approval “a win-win,” but noted that consumer education is an important hurdle. It found that 85 percent of prospective car shoppers in the state are unaware that it offers a $5,000 incentive for consumers purchasing or leasing a new electric car [Ed: or plug-in hybrid].

Chevrolet Bolt EV at ChargePoint station

Automakers, represented by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, had been pushing for voluntary rules instead. In a June op-ed in the Colorado Sun, the CEO and president Tim Jackson of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association—one of the most vocal critics of the plan—claimed that it would place a financial penalty on those who don’t find plug-in vehicles meet their needs.

The new challenge for automakers is more of a logistical one. California and the nine states that had up until now gone with the ZEV mandate make up nearly 30 percent of the U.S. new-vehicle market. Adding Colorado to the mix nudges ZEV states close to a third of the market—all while the EPA could be poised to challenge California rules and further relax federal emissions and fuel economy rules.

Charging stations now outnumber gas stations in Britain

It’s not unusual to hear people wave off the change to fully electric to when EV chargers are as plentiful as gas stations, and when vehicle charging can be done, in a pinch, in nearly the same time.

One side of that equation has already arrived—in the UK. According to Nissan UK, there are about 9,300 public charging stations, as opposed to 8,400 gas stations.

Shell charging station in Britain (higher res)

The number of gas stations has been on a slight decline for the past 50 years in the UK, and some places are becoming petrol deserts. Just four gas stations exist in London’s congestion-charge zone, for instance, while Transport for London has installed more than 1,000 charge points in the past year.

As for the other thing—the speed of charging stops when you’re in a pinch—there’s been progress. About 1,600 of those locations are fast chargers—generally of the 50-kw level and above. That won’t get charging stops quite close enough to gas-station speeds yet, but it does assure that a wide range of EVs (the Nissan Leaf Plus, for example) can get an 80 percent in less than an hour (or much shorter in some instances, like the Tesla Model 3 or Audi E-tron).

Gas stations versus charging stations in the UK [Nissan UK]

Nissan notes that according to Zap-Map, two new fast-charge stations were opened every day the last month. Zap-Map also points to a current total of 290 Tesla Superchargers in the UK.

Not the case in the U.S.

In the U.S., gas stations remain far, far ahead. According to the U.S. Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are 22,408 charging stations in the U.S., including 3,092 DC fast charge stations. And according to the EPA there are 168,000 gas stations in the U.S.

So Brits, celebrate your victory. In the U.S. we have some infrastructure-building to do.

Some 2019-2020 Toyota and Lexus hybrids recalled for brake booster issue

Toyota will recall nearly 7,000 vehicles—including many hybrids—for a faulty brake booster that could malfunction and impair those cars' brakes, the automaker announced last month.

The recall affects mostly 2019 model year cars and includes the Toyota Prius, Prius Prime, and RAV4 Hybrids built between late April and late May. A small number of 2020 Toyota Prius Prime and 2020 Corolla hybrids are included in the recall. The 2019 versions of Lexus UX 250h, LC 500h, LS 500h, and ES 300h hybrids are also affected, although their numbers are smaller compared to the Toyota hybrids. (Just one ES300h sedan will be recalled; two LS500h sedans will be recalled.)

2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

According to paperwork filed with federal regulators, misshaped small brushes in the brake booster pump were improperly installed. Those brushes could become stuck in the holder and could cause the motor pump in the booster to stop operating. If it does, the braking assist could stop altogether and the vehicle's stability control systems could be disabled. Warning lights should illuminate on the dash if the malfunction occurs, according to Toyota.

Toyota said it discovered the issue in May 2019, and said it will begin notifying affected owners next month.

Toyota said one in four cars could potentially have the faulty brake booster, but the company didn't report any crashes or injuries related to the defect. One complaint registered with federal authorities reported that a 2019 Corolla crashed due to faulty brakes and injured its driver, although 2019 models were not included in the recall.

Toyota said it will replace the brake booster in affected cars for free.

Quiet launch: Daimler builds first electric heavy-duty semis for fleet test

Tesla might have been the first to generate a lot of fanfare over an all-electric Semi, but it’s not the first to actually place an electric Semi with customers for full-time use.

That nod would go to Daimler Trucks North America. The initial two Freightliner eCascadia semis were built this week for its Electric Innovation Fleet—funded by a $16 million California grant—and they’ll be placed into duty later this month by the Southern California operations of two companies: Penske Truck Leasing and NFI.

The company’s intent is to test how the trucks fare in large-scale fleet conditions, and the innovation fleet “will inform the final production versions” of its two upcoming electric trucks, the eCascadia, and the medium-duty Freightliner eM2. Daimler also has an Electric Vehicle Council of 38 customers “to identify and address all potential hurdles to large-scale deployment of commercial battery electric vehicles.”

How much range these trucks can achieve, while performing the tasks they’re expected to—year round—has been one of the great challenges for development teams. Daimler has quoted a range figure of 250 miles from the eCascadia pack’s 550 kwh of usable capacity (with an 80-percent charge possible in about 90 minutes), while Tesla has stuck to claims of versions offering 300 and 500 miles.

With both trucks essentially fitting the spatial constraints, that led some in the industry to question the physics involved—including Martin Daum, the head of trucks at Daimler, who told Bloomberg that “for now, the same laws of physics apply in Germany and in California.”

Tech luminary Bill Gates is among those with doubts about trucking going electric; he went so far as to say he doesn’t see them working quite yet. But Daimler sounds bullish on electric.

Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO Roger Nielsen

“The road to emissions-free transportation is going to be driven with battery-electric vehicles,” said Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO Roger Nielsen, as part of the keynote address to the annual ACT fleet conference in April. “I believe the future is electric.”

At that time Daimler called natural gas “an interim solution,” and stated that while it sees the potential for fuel cells it doesn’t see near-term viability. It stressed that three things need to happen: a common vehicle charging infrastructure; cheaper, lighter, and more powerful batteries; and incentives to strengthen electric’s ownership-cost advantages.

Those might not be the only eCascadias to soon be placed in duty. Daimler says that it will put 50 commercial EVs into use by the end of the year in North America, and more deliveries of trucks from the Electric Innovation Fleet will continue through the year.

Freightliner eCascadia electric semi and Freightliner eM2 short-haul truck

The longer-hauling electric truck gets its name from the Cascadia, which is the best-selling Class 8 heavy-duty truck, and both electric Freightliners will be built in Portland, Oregon, with full-scale production in 2021.

Tesla has followed a different strategy. It’s been getting the Semi out for customer test drives—including a long tour last year visiting big-name reservation-holders such as UPS and J.B. Hunt. Tesla hasn’t recently provided a formal update on the Semi, but Green Car Reports has reached out to the company for comment.

The two trucks could actually reach the market within months of each other. The Tesla Semi is now expected for first deliveries in late 2020, while Daimler is targeting full-scale production in Portland, Oregon, beginning in 2021.

Rivian might build upcoming Ford electric SUV

Rivian could be entrusted to build an upcoming Ford electric SUV—due within the next few years—at the startup’s former Mitsubishi assembly plant in Normal, Illinois.

“It would be counterproductive for us to try and make what they have capacity to do in the beginning here, because they've got a factory in Illinois that meets a lot of our criteria,” Ford CEO Jim Hackett told MotorTrend, in a story published Tuesday.

That's a departure from what was announced in April, with the formation of a strategic partnership between the two companies. At that time, Ford said that it will build an all-new battery electric vehicle using Rivian’s flexible skateboard platform, and that the companies would develop this next-generation vehicle together.

Rivian R1T, R1S chassis

The Ford truck project, which is now sounding more like an electric SUV than an electric pickup, will leave much to Rivian. It's due to share all of Rivian’s core components, such as its battery pack, power electronics, electric motors, and electronic architecture, but Ford will develop what sometimes in industry terms is called a top hat—a different or fully differentiated body that fits onto the skateboard, with all the key technical components shared.

Ford may have a little more influence in Rivian’s platform as it moves toward production, however—and potentially, many more models. The partnership was spearheaded by a $500 million minority investment from Ford, and under that, Ford President of Global Operations Joe Hinrichs was given a seat on the Rivian board.

Ford emphasized that the deal doesn’t affect its existing $11 billion investment toward electric and electrified vehicles, including the upcoming Mustang-inspired electric crossover, which is due to arrive next year, or work on a fully electric version of the Ford F-150 pickup.

The Rivian R1T pickup is due to arrive in late 2020, with the R1S SUV to follow in 2021—and the Ford product after that.