Renault COO Pelata resigns over spy case [video]

Renault SA accepted Patrick Pelata's resignation as chief operating officer over a botched espionage investigation that led to the wrongful dismissal of three senior managers.

Pelata, 55, who was Ghosn's right-hand man, will stay on temporarily pending a reorganization of the automaker's executive committee before moving to a role within the carmaker's alliance with Nissan Motor Co., the French carmaker said today.

Renault's board of directors also agreed at an emergency meeting on the departure of Laurence Dors, the company's general secretary, human resources manager Jean-Yves Coudriou, legal director Christian Husson and director of security Remi Pagnie.

Renault admitted last month it was hoaxed into wrongfully firing upstream development chief Michel Balthazard and two other executives after a company investigation incorrectly concluded they had received payments from Chinese companies via foreign accounts.

Renault security manager Dominique Gevrey, who had obtained more than 300,000 euros ($434,000) from the carmaker to pay an anonymous source for the information, was arrested on fraud charges after the espionage claims unraveled.

Renault fired the three executives in January on suspicion of industrial espionage, all of whom denied wrongdoing from the start. Renault last month apologized to the three falsely accused executives and offered to reinstate or compensate them.

Pelata offered his resignation at that time of the apology, but Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn refused to accept it, saying he did not want to add one crisis to another. Instead, Ghosn and Pelata pledged to forgo their 2010 bonuses and profits from 2011 stock options.

Earlier on Monday a Renault spokesman said a report by French TV channel iTele that Pelata's resignation had been accepted at a special board meeting on Monday was not correct.

Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson said Pelata's departure was a loss to Renault, although investors would not be surprised, and the fact that Carlos Ghosn was staying on as CEO would limit the impact on shares.

"Pelata as COO did a solid job of guiding Renault through the last few years," Pearson said, adding that his departure could hamper the new strategic plan Renault unveiled in February. "It does call into question the execution of the strategic plan that has only just been announced - Pelata would have been a key architect of that. It's not immediately obvious who could replace him."

Audit shows 'serious dysfunctions'

French Industry Minister Eric Besson said an external audit on the industrial espionage affair reveals "serious dysfunctions within the company's management."

Besson would not identify those responsible for the dysfunctions, adding that they were named in the audit report.

After the collapse of the espionage case, Ghosn was criticized by ministers of the French government, which owns 15 percent of the automaker, but the government later eased pressure on the CEO, saying it was important to have stability at the top of the company.

Last month, Ghosn said he had refused to accept the resignation of Pelata over the "sorry episode," as he "did not want to add one crisis to another."

Pelata helped Nissan rescue

Pelata graduated from France's elite Ecole Polytechnique in the same 1974 class as Ghosn, before joining Renault as head of bodywork assembly at the carmaker's plant in Flins, west of Paris.

In 1999, when Ghosn was sent by then-CEO Louis Schweitzer to rescue Japanese affiliate Nissan Motor Co. from near-bankruptcy, he took Pelata with him and the two have worked closely together ever since. Pelata took over day-to-day control at Renault from Ghosn in 2008.

Ghosn and Pelata are close allies but have different styles. Pelata, with his sharp suits and rectangular-framed glasses, is soft spoken, while Ghosn's oratorical style shows he relishes the reputation as a car industry guru that he earned by transforming Nissan from a money-loser into a success story.

Renault and Nissan aim to become the leader in electric cars and from 2015 the alliance will have a global EV production of 500,000 units. Renault is due to launch two EVs, the Fluence sedan and Kangoo small van, in the second half of this year. The Zoe subcompact and the two-seat Twizy are due to follow in 2012.

Audi A3 e-tron Plug-in electric wagon concept unveiled

Audi has continued its e-tron concept lineup with the unveiling of the A3 e-tron.

On the design front, the car is virtually identical to the standard model. Despite this, the A3 e-tron is distinguished by a revised instrument cluster, leather / Alcantara seats, a heated windshield and an optimized air conditioning system.

Motivation is provided by a 26.5 kWh lithium-ion battery which sends power to an electric motor with a peak output of 100 kW (134 hp) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque. Thanks to this setup, the concept can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 11.2 seconds, hit a limited top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph), and travel approximately 140 km (87 miles) on a single charge. When the battery is depleted, it can be recharged in about nine hours with a 230V household outlet or four hours with a 400V rapid charger.

Tesla Cleans up Again at the 5th Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally

The Tesla Roadster has reconfirmed its supremacy in the world of the alternative fuel vehicles, beating more than 100 competitors during an exciting Monte Carlo Rally. Driven by former F1 driver Erik Comas, the Artic White Roadster also scored a definitive victory in the Electric Vehicles Cup. The race, which ended Sunday, covered more than 800 km, from Annecy, Valence, and included sprints on the Monaco F1 track.

"Thanks to the incredible efficiency of the Roadster, on Saturday we were able to drive for more than 450 km. There is nothing on the road like it," said Comas. "Next year I will enter 5 Roadsters owned by my company Green Car Challenge into this amazing event."

The rally passed over the Col du Corobin at a height of 1230 meters, following some of the same roads as the historic the Monte Carlo Rally.

The victory comes days after Tesla announced that Roadster owners have travelled over 10 million electric miles (16 million kilometers) around the world.The Tesla Roadster has once again proven to be the only electric car capable of participating in such hard competitions, always traveling at high performance in all conditions.

The car has an EU-certified range of 212 miles or 340 kms on a single charge. In October 2009, the Roadster set a world record when owner Simon Hackett drove the entire 313-mile or 504-km segment of Australia's annual Global Green Challenge on one charge.

The Roadster can be plugged into conventional outlets throughout the world, including 120 and 240volt systems in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. No special equipment is needed for charging: if you have an outlet that charges a cell phone or a hair dryer, you can plug in your Roadster.

About Green Car Challenge

Erik Comas and his company Green Car Challenges have a fleet of five Tesla Roadsters available for rent to those who wish to organize eco-friendly and fun events for their customers and employees. Mixing regularity rallyes on open roads and the discovery of beautiful countryside in Switzerland, France and Germany among other countries, experience incredible driving with this former F1 pilot who now masters this electric supercar like nobody else.

EU wide eMotion initiative to pave way for EVs

The European Commission has kicked off a 4-year cross-European initiative to promote electromobility. The 42 partners in the initiative comprising industrial companies, automobile manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, universities, and technology and research institutions will input, exchange and expand their know-how and experience related to electric vehicles in selected regions within Europe. "Electromobility will make an important contribution toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Green eMotion is intended to ensure the fast-track success of electric vehicles," said Siim Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission, and Commissioner responsible for Transport. The project volume has been budgeted at EUR 42 million, of which the EU will contribute as much as EUR 24 million.

The partners in the initiative are to accumulate experience with electromobility in existing and new test regions within Europe and refine the technology. Key issue is the development of European processes, standards and IT solutions that allow customers of electric vehicles easy and seamless access to charging infrastructure and related services throughout the European Union. Standardization is also the key factor for a fast and cost-efficient European rollout of electromobility. The total number of charging spots within the existing pilot regions will total more than 10,000, with nearly 1,000 to be installed in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga, about 400 in Rome and Pisa, 3,600 in Berlin and 100 in Strasbourg. In Denmark, the country with the world's largest share of wind-based power generation, between 2,500 and 3,500 electric cars are to be put on the road over the course of this year with as many as 4,500 charging stations to be installed in Copenhagen and Bornholm. Furthermore, some 2,000 electric vehicles and approximately 3,500 charging stations are part of a nationwide rollout in Ireland.

"The local concepts applied to date, in which experience was accumulated in specific test regions, will now be bundled in cross-European trials. The aim is to pave the way for electromobility throughout Europe. This will require standards for infrastructure, networking and IT," said Heike Barlag from Siemens, who coordinates the Green eMotion project. "By bundling individual activities in a major partner initiative we're gaining momentum and transparency, and ensuring the coordinated development of electromobility." Experience with cars, buses and two-wheelers with pure electric drive systems and hybrid vehicles will be gathered in the Green eMotion project. Special aspects in some of the test regions include battery swapping and DC charging, as well as smart grid integration, cross-border traffic, different payment systems and the testing of alternative business models.

The partners in the Green eMotion Initiative include industrial companies Alstom, Better Place, Bosch, IBM, SAP and Siemens, the utilities Danish Energy Association, EDF, Endesa, Enel, ESB, Eurelectric, Iberdrola, RWE and PPC, the automobile manufacturers BMW, Daimler, Micro-Vett, Nissan and Renault, the municipalities Barcelona, Berlin, Bornholm, Copenhagen, Cork, Dublin, Malaga, Malmo and Rome, the universities and research institutions Cartif, Cidaut, DTU, ECN, ERSE, Imperial, IREC, TCD and TECNALIA, and the technology institutions DTI, fka and TÜV Nord.

EU ask FIA to set up F1-style electric car championship

Formula One's governing body has been asked by the European Commission to set up a racing championship series for electric cars.

FIA president Jean Todt said the governing body was working towards the creation of new electric car, go-kart and single-seater racing categories.

The developments could mean an F1-style electric car championship taking place on Grand Prix circuits.

'We want as soon as possible to have new categories with new energy,' Todt told the Financial Times.

Todt said that a first season for electric car racing could come as early as 2013, and added: 'As much as we can do it all over the world, we will do it.'

The new idea has been discussed by Todt and Antonio Tajani, the European Union’s industry commissioner, who wants EU member countries to increase public adoption of electric cars.
The project fits into Todt’s strategy for F1 teams and other motorsport series to embrace hybrid and electronic technology.

It is believed that he is meeting resistance from the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Magna's rags-to-riches Stronach set to go electric

Frank Stronach, one of the most colorful, controversial, and accomplished businessmen in Canada, is set to turn his focus to electric vehicles after letting go of the reins at Magna International.

Magna said this week that Stronach would step down on May 4 as chairman of the auto parts company that he started as a one-man tool and die shop in a Toronto garage in 1957.

It's now a firm with 96,000 employees that expects revenues of around $27 billion this year.

Stronach, now 78, joked at Magna's 2010 annual meeting that he would never really retire, although the idea of spending more time skiing and playing tennis had its allure.

"My own personal view is that Frank's taking all of those same features (that he brought to Magna) and he's going to apply them to the electric car," said Dennis Mills, a former vice-president of Magna and chief executive of the company's real estate arm, MI Developments, where he's now vice-chairman.

"That's where his passion is. And when he has a focus, it's like a laser."

Stronach has described electric cars as "a very very top priority."

"To me it's always been amazing when we add all the gasoline in the world ... it's like the Hudson River flowing down every day, and you don't have to be a great scientist to know that that will end sooner than later," he said at the company's 2008 annual meeting.

Stronach built on that passion for electric and hybrid cars last year when he traded his controlling shares of Magna for $300 million, new equity in the company, four years of lucrative consulting fees, and control of E-Car, in which he holds a 27 percent stake and Magna holds the balance.

Magna introduced an electric car last year designed to showcase the parts and technology it could offer, and the company also helped Ford develop its Focus electric car.

ZERO TO $1.7 BILLION IN 57 YEARS

Stronach emigrated to Canada from Austria at the age of 21 with a suitcase and some pocket money.

"I experienced what it was like to be hungry, to be discriminated against and to be treated unfairly," he said.

His personal fortune is now estimated at $1.7 billion, but his first job in Canada was peeling potatoes and washing dishes in a hospital kitchen.

Over the years, Stronach prided himself on treating his workforce well, introducing profit-sharing long before it was common, and running individual plants as separate entities as a way to encourage and reward individual workers.

But he ruffled many feathers along the way, especially among shareholders who disliked his tight control of the company and scoffed at his multimillion-dollar paydays.

Complaints centered on the now-bankrupt horse racing venture Magna Entertainment, as well as failed bids to buy Chrysler in 2007 -- Stronach later said Magna "dodged a bullet" there -- and General Motors Co's Opel unit in 2009.

Magna's chateau-style headquarters is nestled amid farmland about 50 km (30 miles) north of Toronto on a sprawling estate that includes Stronach's mansion, homes for other members of his family, an 18-hole golf course and thoroughbred stables.

Stronach has been the top breeder and owner of thoroughbreds in the United States for eight years.

He recently struck a deal with MI Developments in which he gave up voting control in return for racing, gaming and other assets that once belonged to Magna Entertainment.

The assets include some of the most fabled U.S. racetracks -- Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Portland Meadows -- and interests in Maryland Jockey Club.

Stronach grew up in the southeastern foothills of the Austrian Alps as the son of a Communist labor activist and a factory worker. He is married with two children.

"He's still very vigorous, energetic and in good health. So he's not going to just lay back and watch his horses graze in the field," said Anthony Faria, a business professor at the University of Windsor, across the river from the U.S. auto center of Detroit.

Mitsubishi Minicab-MiEV electric vehicle prices to start at US$20,000

Mitsubishi Motors Corp said the prices of its two types of electric minivehicles for business use due to be marketed later this year will start at some 1.7 million yen (US$20,000) and 2.05 million yen ($24,000), respectively. The company began taking orders on Friday for the Minicab-MiEV based on the Minicab Van, claiming it will be the first business-use EV to be sold by a major automaker.

It set the prices on the assumption that the government program for promoting eco-friendly vehicle purchases will remain in place.

Mitsubishi Motor said it can release the Minicab-MiEV models lower-priced than its electric passenger car i-MiEV, at 2.84 million yen (US$33,750), as production of electric vehicles has increased.

The $20k priced model of the Minicab-MiEV runs a 10.5 kWh battery while the $24k has a 16 kWh, both with Toshiba's SCiB battery. 10.5 kWh gives a range of around 100 km/charge under JC08 mode conditions and 16.0 kWh a range of around 150km.

Over 6m electric vehicles needed in UK by 2030

More than six million electric vehicles will be needed on the UK's roads by 2030 if CO2 reduction targets are to be met, according to WWF.

The organisation has published new results showing a minimum of one in seven vehicles must be powered by electric within the next decade, which equates to 1.7 million, to reach climate changes goals. This figure increases to one in six by 2030.

It estimates that under a high-uptake scenario, foreign oil imports to the value of £5 billion each year could be avoided.

"Road transport accounts for 40 percent of petroleum products consumed in the UK, so a switch from conventional cars powered by petrol or diesel to EVs would have a much needed impact on reducing fuel demand," Dave Norman, director of campaigns at WWF-UK, said.

However, government subsidies were said to be needed to help Brits get over their worries relating to range anxiety, the lack of charging infrastructure and high prices.

Previous analysis conducted by Lex Autolease, however, found current low-carbon vehicle ranges do not have sufficiently low emissions to meet 2020 targets.

Kia Naimo electric concept debuts in Seoul [video]

Korean brand Kia has unveiled the new Naimo electric car concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show today.

The Naimo's name is derived from the Korean word 'Ne-mo' which means 'square shape'. And this is one concept which isn't running away from its boxy design. It features no B-pillar and rear-hinged doors.

But the design of the Naimo is influenced by Asian Celadon-style pottery, with its asymmetrical shapes reflected in the roof design of this concept as well as in the dot-styled LED headlamps which also provide an off-center feel to the car. Those off-kilter design cues are meant to contrast with the square shape of the car.

On the inside, things get a little more down to earth with the use of Korean oak for the floor and interior door panels. Korean "Han-ji" paper serves as the headlining and these hand-crafted interior touches are complimented by the off lines of that sunroof design.

Powering the Naimo is a PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) electric motor with an output of 80 kW (109 PS / 109 bhp) and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque. Juice is supplied by a 27 kWh lithium-ion battery pack positioned under the rear trunk.

The car rolls on low-resistance tires on 20-inch alloy wheels.

Top speed on the Naimo is 150 km/h (93 mph) and the car has a range of around 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge. A quick-charge system (50 kW) allows the battery to reach 80 percent capacity in about 25 minutes.

Nissan announce LEAF pricing for France

Nissan announced today that the Nissan LEAF will be priced at €30,990 in France, after incentives and including the batteries. The French government's incentive for electric vehicles amounts to 5,000 euros.

The announcement was made at the sixth edition of EVER Monaco, an annual automotive show dedicated to ecological vehicles and renewable energies in the Principality of Monaco, which Nissan is sponsoring this year.

In order to make electric motoring even more accessible to individual customers in France, the compact family hatchback, which has been named European Car of the Year 2011, will also be available through a private finance scheme.

Under this scheme, the customer can choose the offer period (from 37 to 49 months), as well as the amount of their first deposit and optional services such as maintenance or credit insurance. For example, with a deposit of €5,339.44 (after the government's incentive), the Nissan LEAF will be available for just 499€ per month for 37 months. After three years, the customer has the option of keeping the car, trading it in for a new one or handing it back to Nissan.

Order books for the five-seater, zero-emission Nissan LEAF in France will open on April 4. To make a reservation, French customers simply need to go to http://www.nissan.fr/, configure their vehicle and place an order. The quick and easy process requires a fully-refundable deposit of €300.

The Nissan LEAF is powered by an in-house developed compact electric motor and inverter in the front of the car driving the front wheels. The AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 145 km/h (90 mph). The electric motor is powered by an advanced laminated lithium-ion battery with a power output of more than 90 kW.

The car has range between charges of up to 175 km, as tested over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), enough to satisfy the average daily driving requirements of 80% of European drivers, according to Nissan research.
The Nissan LEAF comes fully equipped with features such as air conditioning, Intelligent Key, Bluetooth connection, a parking camera and a quick charge socket.

Matching the advanced electric drive technology is the Nissan LEAF's advanced on-board IT and telematics systems called CARWINGS. The system provides continuous information to the driver via a 7'' color touch screen, including battery capacity and range, and provides the location of the nearest charging station. Navigation information is continuously updated giving drivers the latest accurate traffic conditions en route. Drivers can also use a PC or smartphone to pre-heat or pre-cool the car and check on battery status.

Nissan LEAF offers particularly low running costs: about €1.9 per 100 km in France compared with about €7 for a similarly-equipped diesel family car.

Deliveries of the car have already begun in Japan, the US, Portugal, the UK and the Netherlands.

This is the third year for Nissan to sponsor the EVER Monaco show. In 2009, the Principality signed a comprehensive partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to deliver zero-emission mobility to Monaco.

Since then, Monaco's charging network has grown from 176 normal charging stations to more that 400 today. The Principality is also installing two quick charge stations capable of charging the Nissan LEAF from zero to 80% capacity in about 30 minutes. Additional measures, such as tax incentives, dedicated parking spaces, preferential access and special parking rates for electric car owners have also been introduced.

Arrest in Renault spy fiasco

A further arrest has been made in a spying scandal that has seriously damaged the reputation of Renault.

The move comes after an investigation by French police concluded that three of Renault’s top executives, fired in January after being accused of selling information on the brand’s electric car programme, are completely innocent.

Private investigator Michel Luc has been charged with fraud and criminal conspiracy. According to the police he received more than €300,000 from Renault’s own security unit for information showing that the three executives had been paid to sell secret information about the electric car programme.

Police have concluded that the information was falsified. Earlier this month Renault’s own security agent Dominique Gevrey was charged with fraud, police saying he had taken money intended for the informant and put it in a Swiss bank account.

Renault has fully accepted that its three executives are innocent. They have all been offered their jobs back and the manufacturer is trying to organise compensation.

At one point during the scandal there were suggestions that the information was being passed to China. The clearing of the three executives led to a national outcry particularly amongst the French Government, Renault’s biggest shareholder.

Some have called for Renault head Carlos Ghosn and his deputy Patrick Pelata to go – Pelata offered his resignation but Ghosn refused to accept it.

Both have turned down bonuses due to them, but only last week French ministers were still calling for heads to roll. “We cannot just let this pass – There will have to be consequences for the incredible amateurism,” said Budget Minister Francois Baroin.

BBC denies rigging Top Gear Tesla Roadster test

Tesla Motors claims the test set up by Jeremy Clarkson on a 2008 edition of the show was rigged to make it look like the Tesla ran out of power when racing a petrol powered Lotus.

A Top Gear spokesman said the BBC would be "vigorously defending" the claim.

On the programme Jeremy Clarkson claimed: "Although Tesla say it'll do 200 miles, we worked out that on our track it would run out after just 55 miles."

Tesla said the Roadster's miles per charge had been certified at 211 miles by a third party European Union (EU) test.

It argued that because the car was "driven aggressively" on Top Gear the charge didn't last as long, but that if driven "mindfully" charges could last for 313 miles.

A Top Gear spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that we have received notification that Tesla have issued proceedings against the BBC.

"The BBC stands by the programme and will be vigorously defending this claim."

Obama boosts Hybrid and EV sales with federal auto fleet, oil strategy

President Barack Obama announced today that the U.S. government will buy only advanced technology vehicles — such as hybrids and electric plug-ins — by 2015.

The government already has doubled the number of hybrids in the 600,000-vehicle federal fleet.
At a speech at Georgetown University, Obama unveiled his strategy to cut U.S. oil imports by a third by 2025, by stepping up domestic oil production and requiring a major increase in fuel economy for the 2017-25 model years.

"Here's the bottom line — there are no quick fixes. And we will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get serious about a long-term policy for secure, affordable energy," Obama told a crowd of several hundred at McDonough Arena. "We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the snooze button when they fall again."

The reduction would be more than the 11 million barrels of oil a day the United States imported in 2008, the White House said today. Obama noted that the U.S. has just 2 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. The U.S. consumes about a quarter of the oil.

In 2010, the government purchased 23,000 more fuel-efficient vehicles for the federal fleet, including almost 9,000 hybrid-electric cars. This year, the government will buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, including its first 100 plug-in electrics.

Last year, the U.S. imported less than half of the oil it used for the first time in more than a decade.

White House aides said the president's plan to reduce imported oil relies on improving efficiency for half of the anticipated reduction, but they said the government hasn't settled on a proposed increase for the 2017-2025 timeframe.

Report predicts 3.8 million electric cars on the road by 2016

A new report from GTM Research offers some interesting insights into where the electric road might lead. The report, “The Networked EV: The Convergence of Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles,” predicts there will be 3.8 million electric cars on the road worldwide by 2016, with about 1.5 million in the United States, 1.5 million in Europe and 760,000 in Asia.

“It is the hope of this industry that just as cellular phones and laptops before them, EVs will begin as luxury products but will eventually become widely affordable,” wrote David J. Leeds, the report’s author.

Leeds notes that it took a decade and three generations of the Toyota Prius hybrid to capture five percent of the California automotive market. He expects it’ll take a third generation of electric cars, likely to be introduced around 2018-2020, for carbon-free driving to break out of Berkeley, Portland, and other early adopter cities.

It’ll come as no shock that Leeds estimates that 20 percent of electric cars will be sold in California, which currently accounts for 11 percent of total auto sales in the U.S. New York will follow with nine percent of electric car sales with Florida, Texas, and Illinois rounding out the top five.

Predicting such numbers is a guessing game, of course, and electric cars sales will be determined by a multitude of factors, including vehicle cost, advancements in battery technology, gasoline prices, government subsidies, and the fickle tastes of car buyers.

The early adopters of electric cars that will like drive the industry aren’t so much all those Prius owners but corporate accountants looking to keep a lid on the cost of company fleets of cars and trucks.

“Electric vehicles make great sense for fleets due to their highly predictable routes, as well as the fact that these groups tend to excel at logistical operations,” wrote Leeds. “More than any other sources, commercial and government fleet purchases have the power to accelerate the adoption curve of this market.”

He noted that fleets account for 15 percent of miles driven in the U.S. and that many of those vehicles travel fewer than 100 miles a day, the range of many current electric vehicles, and can take advantage of centralized parking and charging stations as well as lower electricity rates negotiated by big corporations.

General Electric, which will buy 25,000 electric vehicles over the next four years, is aggressively promoting EVs among its corporate customers.

“We can’t forgot the importance of scale,” Luis Ramirez, chief executive of GE Industrial Solution, told me earlier this month when he came to San Francisco to promote electric vehicles and GE’s various services for them. “An average delivery truck makes 10 deliveries a day in a city like San Francisco. So when you think of electric vehicles, that creates a whole new blueprint that’s more efficient and uses less energy.”

Clarence Nunn, chief executive of GE Fleet Services, noted that a big cost of operating delivery trucks is the fuel wasted when idling in congested urban areas. Noise ordinances also can restrict delivery times for fossil-fueled powered vehicles. That’s not a problem, of course, for electrics.

The blogosphere had been buzzing over reports of low sales so far of the electric Nissan Leaf and plug-in hybrid electric Chevrolet Volt. That, however, may be more of a production than a demand problem. Leeds noted that nearly 250,000 potential Volt buyers had registered on GM’s site.

“We’d like to buy more than they can build,” said Ramirez of the Volt and Leaf.

SIM-Drive launch Wheel Motor powered EV with 200 mile range

SIM-Drive has developed the Advance Development Model No. 1 named “SIM-LEI” as its nickname. LEI stands for the initial letters of “Leading Efficiency In-Wheel motor”.

The object of this project is to develop a prototype of the advanced development model aiming to start mass-production in 2013. This project collected 34 establishments and organizations who intend to enter in the electrical vehicle business in the future.

The target performance of SIM-LEI was to achieve over 300km of range per charge, which is generally pointed as the major concern for the electrical vehicle to promote in the market. The prototype achieved this target by 333km of range per charge by JC-08 mode, which represents general urban traffic condition in Japan.

The battery capacity to achieve this target is 24.5kWh as almost the same level as other electrical vehicles presented in the market. Electrical power consumption is 77Wh/km. (for comparison, a Nissan LEAF uses 173Wh/km)

The fundamental technologies to achieve this performance are the SIM-Drive original technologies, such as direct drive in-wheel motors and component built-in frame. Other than these two, the following technologies contribute a lot.

All steel monocoque body contributes to reduce body weight. High power density battery provides highly efficient energy re-generation. Super low rolling friction resistance tire reduces friction resistance. The super low air drag body reduced the drag drastically.

The SIM-LEI is as long as medium size sedan, and as wide as a compact car. It has a lot of leg room and large trunk space.

The acceleration performance, which is one of the feature of the electrical vehicle presented by
SIM-Drive, achieved by 4.8 seconds for 0-100km/h standing start acceleration. This is the performance equivalent to the prestige sport cars.

In total 34 Japanese corporations participated in this project. On completion of the development and construction, SIM-LEI proved to be able to drive in long range, and the energy consumption rate is quite favorable.

This achievement indicates that if we use mid-night surplus electricity, no additional power generation plant is required even when all vehicles in operation are replaced with the electrical vehicles.

Using battery on board of the electrical vehicle as the energy storage, electricity charged at mid-night could be used at daytime for domestic household. The electrical vehicle can be used for grid storage to help utilities at the peak-times.

Tesla sues BBC over "rigged" Top Gear electric car test [video]

Remember that time Top Gear gave the Tesla Roadster such a thrashing it broke, except it really didn't break? Tesla does, and it's now filed suit against the BBC and Top Gear accusing the Beeb of defamation.

The test from the episode aired in December, 2008 involved a race between the Tesla Roadster and the gas-powered Lotus Elise it's based on. The show featured Jeremy Clarkson saying the Tesla ran out of charge at 55 miles, with footage of it being pushed around a garage, ending with Clarkson saying "It's just a shame that in the real world it doesn't seem to work."

Shortly after it aired, Tesla said the Roadster never lost its charge, never needed to be pushed and asked Top Gear for some kind of retraction. After some sparring, the BBC admitted the footage of the push-powered Roadster was meant to show what could happen, saying the show fairly represented how the Tesla performed during tests.

With that episode still playing in repeats, available on DVD and now on Netflix streaming in the United States, Tesla says it was forced to act: "The BBC's conduct has given us no choice but to sue them and clear up their lies."

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that we have received notification that Tesla have issued proceedings against the BBC.’


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Volvo C30 Electric Extreme Winter Testing [video]

The Volvo C30 Electric has been exposed to rough winter conditions in order to ensure that the battery-powered car runs smoothly in temperatures as low as -20° Celsius.

Volvo Cars' requirements on the C30 Electric are just as stringent as on all other Volvo models and the battery-powered car is exposed to the same test regime. On top of this, several new test methods have been developed for the electric vehicles. All in all, over 200 different tests have been performed.

"We must ensure that the C30 Electric performs as intended when driving, parking and charging in a variety of conditions, from normal to very cold or hot. Northern Sweden is the perfect place to do sub-zero temperature testing," says Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars' Special Vehicles.

The Volvo C30 Electric is equipped with three climate systems: * One supplies the passengers with heating or cooling. * One cools or warms the battery pack as necessary. * The electric motor and power electronics are water-cooled.

Bio-ethanol powered heater

The C30 Electric has a innovative solution that makes it possible to get comfortable heating in cold winter conditions without compromising the battery driving range.

Climate control in the passenger compartment takes place via a bio-ethanol powered heater fitted in all cars. The car's ethanol tank can carry 14.5 litres of bio-ethanol.

It is also possible to run the climate unit on electricity from the batteries. In electric mode an immersion heater warms up the coolant in the climate unit.
"The driver can program and control the climate unit to suit the trip. Ethanol is the default mode that is used when the battery capacity is needed for driving extend mobility to its maximum. However, on shorter distances electricity can be used to power the climate system," explains Lennart Stegland.

Petrol and Diesel cars could be banned in EU by 2050

Petrol and diesel-engined passenger cars should not allowed in European city centres by 2050, the European Commission has proposed.

The proposals, outlined to EU governments today by EC transport commissioner Siim Kallas, are designed to help cut Europe’s carbon emissions and reduce dependence on oil by up to 60 per cent. They are not an attack on personal mobility, the EC claims.

Also included in the radical transport plan is a proposal for the majority of journeys of 190-miles or less to take place by train.

“The widely held belief that you need to cut mobility to fight climate change is simply not true,” said Kallas. “Competitive transport systems are vital for Europe's ability to compete in the world, for economic growth, job creation and for people's everyday quality of life.”

The EC wants 50 per cent of Europe’s vehicles to be zero emissions by 2030 and conventionally fuelled vehicles to be banned from cities altogether by 2050.

There are also plans for a fully integrated European travel network, known as ‘Single European Transport Area’, linking all airports with core railway lines to “allow for a profound shift in transport patterns for passengers and freight”.

The EC wants Europe to "move close to zero fatalities in road transport" by 2050, with an interim target of halving casualties by 2020.

EVs push Detroit to compete with Silicon Valley for tech talent

Auto industry executives are trying to make Silicon Valley engineers feel at home in Detroit. With a burgeoning number of technology job openings to fill, they're scouring Internet companies for workers, wining and dining applicants, and seeking promising students at schools such as Stanford University.

"We have a whole slew of job postings out there currently," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford's connected service solutions, who has been trying to lure engineers to the automaker to design software. "We're just on a growth binge."

Expertise in cloud computing, mobile software applications and energy management are in demand in the Motor City as automakers replace car stereos with Internet radio and gasoline engines with motors powered by lithium-ion batteries. Technology job postings in the Detroit area doubled last year, making it the fastest-expanding region in the country, according to Dice Holdings Inc., a job-listing Web site.

"There's a war for talent out there, and it's only going to get worse," said Jim Bazner, vice president of human capital solutions at MSX International in suburban Detroit, which helps automakers find specialized employees. "There are hundreds of jobs, and all the automakers are hiring."

Dearth of graduates

Ford and General Motors Co. are rapidly hiring graduates from local universities as fast as they can -- there just aren't enough of them.

"If we filled every opening that's been posted or recruited just in the Lansing area, we'd be able to hire out all of our graduates three times over," said Garth Motschenbacher, who helps place computer-science graduates at Michigan State University. About 70 percent of the school's 54 students scheduled to graduate in May have jobs lined up, he said. "The number of students has not kept up with the opportunities."

Still, attracting engineers to Detroit rather than Silicon Valley can be a challenge. The San Francisco area is home to more technology companies offering more job openings than Detroit. California's mild climate and history of innovation are also a draw. Yet Detroit is bouncing back.

Companies that work with automakers on in-car entertainment systems, such as online streaming music providers Pandora Media Inc. and Mog Inc., have opened offices in the Detroit area. Google Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., has an office in Birmingham, Mich., where it's looking for sales associates to work with the auto industry.

New wave

Marty Zacharias is part of the wave of new hires. The former Nissan Motor Co. and Ford employee joined Berkeley, Calif.-based Mog last month -- in its new Detroit office. He'll work directly with companies such as BMW AG's Mini and others to get Mog's Web-based subscription music service into vehicles.

"Many more Detroit-based automotive industry employees will follow a similar path to mine," Zacharias said in an e-mail, "or join advanced technology divisions within the established automotive companies."

The expansion has caught the eye of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which announced in December that it will open its first satellite office in Detroit. The region's high percentage of scientists and engineers, as well as its patent output, spurred the decision, said Paul Fucito, a patent office spokesman. The 4,000 patents granted to Michigan in fiscal 2010 ranked seventh among U.S. states, he said. The facility is likely to create about 100 new jobs to review patent filings.

Recession's toll

One reason why the job growth in Detroit appears so high is because the recession's toll went so deep, said Tom Silver, senior vice president of Dice Holdings and author of the jobs report showing a surge in the area.

"The recovery there is actually looking pretty substantial, but it's also a reflection, to some extent, that Detroit was probably hit a little harder than the other markets," he said.

According to 2010 U.S. Census data released this week, the city of Detroit's population plunged 25 percent over the past decade to 713,777 residents, down from a peak of 1.85 million in 1950.

Michigan lost about 413,000 jobs from December 2007 through December 2009, including 83,200 jobs in the Detroit area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Things picked up last year, as jobs in the Detroit-area professional and business-services sector, which include many of the tech jobs, rose almost twice as fast in December as the overall Michigan job market, according to the bureau.

Even with efforts to mimic Silicon Valley office culture, recruiting people to move from the West Coast to Detroit is difficult, said Micky Bly, GM's executive director of electric vehicles, battery and infotainment systems.

"I don't want to categorize it as an issue, but it is tough," he said. "You don't have people begging to come to the Michigan area."

Salary gap

Compensation is one reason why. While average salaries for Detroit technology jobs rose 2.3 percent last year to $71,445, that's still less than the national average of $79,384, and about 28 percent lower than the $99,028 paid in Silicon Valley, according to Dice Holdings. More than 940 technology jobs are currently available in the Detroit metro region, compared with more than 5,060 in Silicon Valley.

Still, Bly says the quality of life can be attractive for some. "They can get a whole lot of house in Michigan for what they can get in San Francisco," he said.

The workplace culture among automakers is also relaxing, as they attempt to adopt some of the perks more common at startups, like wearing jeans to work or telecommuting. That's a big change from when Bly started at GM 20 years ago, when everyone wore a collared shirt and a tie.

"The variation was in your pant color -- you could have gray, black or blue," Bly said. While things have changed, the perks still aren't the same as in Silicon Valley, he said.

"Do we have a free cafeteria like Google? No, but our stock isn't up to $400 a share yet," Bly said. Google currently trades at more than $575 a share, while GM's stock sits at $31. "When we get $400 a share, I'll make sure we have free meals for everyone here."

Fully Charged Delta E4 coupe [video]

Robert Llewellyn takes an exclusive first ride in the Delta E4 coupe electric car with technical director Nick Carpenter