Stephen Gloor

I So Want One of These Cars

I really really want one of these cars - it is called the Aptera and it is classed as a motorcycle.

It is an all electric car with a plug in hybrid to be produced soon.

For me it is the ideal car as I will only have a requirement for 2 people soon and with it's range I can easily drive it to work and it is a lot safer than the Vectrix scooter.

You can see more on its Aptera Website and listen to an interview with the designer on EVWorld.

As you can see from the previous post, the first in a long time, I am going to try to get some of the Green Car Initiative Fund to be spent on this or the Think! City

Letter to my Local Member of Parliament

Right Honourable Judy Molan MLA,

I am writing to you today as a member of your electorate to bring to your attention some issues with the Green Car Innovation Fund of the Government and request some information on how to proceed.

As you probably know 35 million dollars of taxpayers money was recently pledged to a large multinational, Toyota, to encourage them to build their hybrid car, the Toyota Camry, in Australia under the Green Car Innovation Fund program.  While this is a laudable feat the Toyota Camry Hybrid only reduces petrol consumption and CO2 emissions and does not eliminate them, at least for the car.

There exists in production and pre-production many battery electric cars, that have no emissions or petrol consumption themselves, that could easily be made in Australia and sold to Australians.  Currently there are no battery electric cars available to be bought in Australia which is a disgraceful state of affairs.  Recently an importer tried to bring the Gee-Whiz electric car, that is in everyday use in London, into Australia only to be rejected because, unlike the UK, we do not have quadracycle classification for these restricted performance cars operate under.

In Norway a battery electric car, developed in part by Ford, is entering mass production for the US and European market.  It is called the Think! City and is a practical and safe commuter vehicle that meets all international safety standards and could be sold unchanged in Australia.  Currently there are no plans to sell this car here.

One of the standout electric cars and soon to be a plug in hybrid is the Aptera.  It is a low drag commuter car that could be registered under exisiting motorcycle laws here.  With the rising deaths from motorcycles as commuters turn to them in the face of high petrol prices this could be a safer and emission free alternative.  To a small company like Aptera the money given to Toyota, which to them is a drop in a billion dollar bucket, could mean the difference between the car being produced and not being produced.  Money from the Australian goverment would not only ensure that the company produces cars but also makes them in Australia.

I am asking you to raise in Parliament why the Green Car Innovation Fund cannot be spent better on emission free cars like these.  Failing this can you please send me some contacts so that I can lobby the government with a view to getting some of the Green Car Innovation Fund spent on allowing one or both of these cars to be constructed and sold in Australia.  I also declare that I have no financial interests in either of the companies and I hold no stock shares in either nor am I a member of either organisation.

I have enclosed internet links for the cars and also a presentation I have prepared on the different types of low emission vehicles that you may find imformative as it details all the different types of electric and plug in cars.

Regards

Stephen Gloor

Aptera - http://www.aptera.com/

Think City - http://www.think.no/

A Couple of Electric Vehicles Available in Australia

The new Vectrix electric scooter is now going to be available in Australia. I rang the Australian distributers  and have found out that it will cost $17 500.00.  This is a bit steep however if I buy one I can use it for commuting.  My work may be starting 6:00am early shifts and this starting time makes it almost impossible to take my normal public transport.  If I had a Vectrix I would be able to commute with a clear conscience.

Anyway here is the details of the Vectrix:

VECTRIX SPECS

 

Performance	Max Speed	62 mph / 100 km/h
	Acceleration	0-50 mph (80 km/h) - 6.8 seconds 0-31 mph (50 km/h) - 3.6 seconds
	Range	68 miles (110 km) @ 25 mph (40 km/h) Simulated urban driving - 5 hours
	Braking	Patented multi-function throttle (DAaRT) provides regenerative braking and slow-speed reverse Front and rear Brembo disc brakes
	Tires	Pirelli: GTS23 120/70-14 (Front) and GTS24 140/60 13 (Rear)
	Fork	Marzocchi Telescopic Fork
	Suspension	Sachs Twin Shocks
Battery	Battery Type	Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
	Rated Battery Capacity	30 Ah, 3.7 kW-h
	Rated Battery Voltage	125V
	Charger	1.5kW on-board battery charger
	Recharge Requirements	110V-220V (50/60Hz)
	Recharge Time	2 hours (80% charge)
	Battery Discharge Cycles	1,700 (80% charge)
	Estimated Battery Life	10 years or 50,000 miles / 80,000 km
Motor & Gearbox	Motor Type	Brushless DC, radial air-gap motor
	Peak Power	20 kW peak power at 3000 rpm
	Max Current	275 Amps
	Max Torque	65 Nm
	Gearbox	Integrated rear-wheel mounted planetary gear drive
Electronics	Controller	DSP & IGBT based all-digital electronic control and motor drive system
	Instrumentation	LCD¹s display speed, odometer, battery charge,, estimated range, and system status
	Communications	Controller Area Network (CAN) Bluetooth wireless sytems diagnostics and communication
Dimensions	Weight	462lb (210 kg)
	Wheelbase	60" (1525 mm)
	Seat Height	30" (770 mm)
	Wheels	Front - 14" Rear - 13"
	Storage Capacity	Under seat storage for a full-faced helmet Glove compartment
Other	Frame	Lightweight aluminum frame
	Warranty	24 months
	Emissions	Zero
	Retail Price	$11,000, not including tax, registration, freight or delivery charges.

Pretty impressive and the ideal commuter.  Nickel Metal Hydride batteries make sense when extreme range is not needed.  They are less expensive and conserve lithium for longer range requirements.  Why use more expensive Lithium batteries if you only need a 100km range.

The other one is a electric conversion that I read about in ReNew magazine - Blade Electric Vehicles.  You can view their website here.  It is a Hyundai Getz conversion called the Blade Runner however I do not know what the motor is and whether it is AC or DC.  I have emailed the company with some questions and I will update this post with the reply.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Recommended car for conversion to electric       drive       Hyundai Getz 2002 - 2007              Readily available through       Peter Stevens Motorworld - Ballarat, Victoria       Telephone Tyrone Mahoney 03 5336 8777
0- 60kph	9       seconds and cruse at 100kph
Body	Retro-fitted       Hyundi Getz
Drive	Variable electric drive
Range	100 - 120km in urban areas
Controller	500Amp
Fuel       cells	Lithium ion
Life	Li ion 8        - 10 years (dependent on use and recharge frequency)
kwh	Li ion 14 to       19kwh
Recharge times	Charger A       - 240v @ 16amps takes around       9 hours              Charger B - 240 v @ 10 - 50amps       takes around 2.5 hours
Cost to       fuel	Approximately $1.20 per 100 klms (Off peak rates)
DC       electric motor	40kw       electric motor
Occupants	4 seat
Towing       capacity	500kg towing       a small Aunger box trailer
Price	Please       contact Ross Blade on  61 (0)             3 5472 2960
Warranty	5 years on labour, manufacturers warranty applies to parts

 

Back

Again almost the perfect commuter - depends on the price though

What is Wrong With Biofuels

On the face of this report from the ABC is good.  It is reporting a new green service station opening that only sells biofuels.  However one woman pulling in and filling up her Prado encapsulates the main objection I have to biofuels.  She says "I am driving a car I shouldn't be driving but at least I am using the right petrol".

What is wrong with this and the whole biofuel thing is that we need to start driving the correct cars not just fill them up with fuel produced from food and think that we are being green.

The Green Consultant

I found this really funny.

Tesla Electric Car

If anyone is interested here is the Tesla Electric car in all it's glory.

Download Tesla.divx

You will need Divx to view it from here

Really Mr Hunt???

Greg Hunt, the parliamentary secretary to the Environment Minister has told Australian industry that it should invest in hybrid cars.

Speaking at an energy conference in Hobart today, Greg Hunt, the parliamentary secretary to the Environment Minister, said he was in direct contact with industry players, to encourage manufacturers to re-tool and take advantage of new world trends.

He says car manufacturers are being urged to put proposals to the Government.

"I think for Australia it is profoundly important that firstly in terms of our environment we help encourage a hybrid car development here," he said.

Really Mr Hunt?? Perhaps they could produce an EcoCommodore.  Check the date out Mr Hunt - 24th May 2000.

Like the top-selling Holden Commodore it is based on, the ECOmmodore is a full-sized family car. Its unique hybrid-electric powertrain — which combines an electric motor powered by supercapacitors and advanced lead-acid batteries with a four-cylinder aluminium alloy petrol engine — delivers the same level of performance as a standard 3.8 litre V6.

The ECOmmodore's technologies are specifically targeted at improving overall vehicle efficiency. These include significant mass reduction through the use of advanced, lightweight materials, clever aerodynamics, reduced rolling resistance and regenerative braking.

This was about the same time as the Prius was getting popular.  Perhaps instead of mining so much coal you should take a look at the trail of missed opportunities that concentrating on coal mining will bring.  Holden could be selling 500 000 hybrids a year if your pathetic government had helped them back in 2000 - 6 bloody years ago.

Go and take a running jump Mr Hunt and take the minister for coal mining with you!!!!!!!!!

New Batteries for EVs

AltairNano has demonstrated that their new electrode material for Lithium batteries can actually do 10 000 cycles.  This is an enormous step forward both for EVs and V2G.

Hat tip to The Energy Blog with this post.

The main advantage is the very rapid discharge and charge characteristics of the battery.  Less than 6 minutes charge and discharge.  This allows an EV to be refilled in almost petrol car times.  As well with the 10 000 cycle battery life the car battery will not be harmed by being used on a grid in V2G.

Battery Electric Car with V2G!

A Brazillian company is releasing a battery electric car called the OBVIO!  with, wait for it, a Vehicle to Grid, interface.  This is exactly what is needed for replacing transport first strategy.

This report is from the Green Car Congress blog.  Some of the highlights:

The preliminary specifications for the OBVIO! electric cars include a range of 200 to 240 miles, with acceleration from 0 to 60 mph of less than 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph. A 39 kWh lithium-ion battery system will power the 120 kW (160 hp), 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) electric motor.

A full normal recharge will take five hours, with a fast charge taking two hours. A 30-minute quick charge will provide a 20 to 50 mile range.

OBVIO! is also providing a bi-directional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interface.

At last something is moving.  Mind you this puts Brazil into an interesting postion.  It already fuels a lot of its transport with ethanol and now is building battery electric cars with vehicle to grid.  Seems like Brazil is going to be pretty well off if oil supplies get tight.  Not bad for a third world county.

Contrast this with a first world country not too far away that want to be a fossil fuel superpower, has no renewable plan despite having renewable riches and whose car industry that built a viable hybrid car before the Prius really got going and buried it never to be seen again.

I wonder who will end up the superpower????????

Yet Another Reason to Get Rid of Internal Combustion Cars

I just watched a really good episode of Catalyst.  It was called Dirty Little Secrets and was about the high levels of ultra small particles that are emitted by cars and trucks and the effects that they have on our health.

So what are ultra fine particles?

Particles in the ultrafine, and more generally, submicrometre ranges are generated mainly from combustion, gas to particle conversion, nucleation processes or photochemical processes, with some of them being primary (emitted directly by the source) and some secondary in nature (formed in the air from the precursors emitted by the sources).

In terms of numbers, the vast majority of airborne particles are in the ultrafine range. The total mass of the ultrafine particles is, however, often insignificant in comparison with the mass of a small number of larger particles, with which most of the mass of airborne particles is associated. The biggest contribution to the particle surface area in turn, is from particles somewhat above the ultrafine size range. Chemical composition of particles is multi-factorial and depends on particle source as well as post-formation processes. The most important chemical properties of particles include elemental composition, inorganic ions and carbonaceous compounds (organic and elemental carbon). Primary particles generated from combustion processes consist mainly of soot, which is formed from hydrocarbons burning under fuel-rich conditions. The main chemical constituents of secondary particulate matter in urban locations commonly include sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate, ammonium and other nitrates and organic compounds. There is also a whole suite of trace metals associated with ultrafine particles. Chemical composition of particles differs significantly from place to place and depends on the type of the local sources, relative contributions from the sources and in the case of internal combustion sources, on the fuels on which the sources operate. Since ultrafine particles reach high concentrations in terms of their numbers but their mass is often very small, measurements of particles in ultrafine or broader, submicrometre ranges are more commonly based on particle number rather than mass concentration. Particle number concentration and number size distribution are usually measured in real time, while particle mass concentration, mass size distribution and morphology, require that samples are first collected, and then the properties investigated under laboratory conditions, using appropriate instrumentation. In general, the instrumentation used for particle number concentration and size distribution measurements is complicated and expensive, as the particles which they investigate, can range down to molecular sizes. Analysis of particle chemical composition is almost entirely conducted using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation, which again, requires that a representative sample be collected. (1)

These particles are so small that they slip through into the bloodstream delivering their chemical cocktail into our bodies.  They can cause the following effects.

A study conducted in Germany on daily mortality showed comparable and independent increases in mortality in association with fine and ultrafine particles. The mortality data suggest that fine particles have immediate health effects whereas ultrafine particles have more delayed effects. Immediate effects seem to be attributable to respiratory disease mortality whereas delayed effects are based on an increase in cardiovascular disease mortality. Panel morbidity studies with asthmatic subjects indicate that both fine and ultrafine particles are associated with the respiratory health of the exposed population. A decrease of respiratory function (e.g., peak expiratory flow) and an increase in symptoms and medication use are associated with elevated concentrations of ultrafine particles, independently from fine particles. There is an indication that the acute effects of the number of ultrafine particles on respiratory health are stronger than those of the mass of the fine particles. The acute effects of ultrafine particles on respiratory health of adult asthmatics are more severe than those found for children with asthma symptoms. Inflammatory events in the lungs develop over a time scale ranging from hours to days. It is likely that a lag time exists between exposure to ultrafine particles and the acute respiratory health effects of the exposed population. Cumulative effects over 5 days seem to be stronger than same-day effects. There is an association between exposure to ultrafine particles and cardiovascular morbidity in the population with chronic heart diseases. A panel study among subjects with coronary heart disease indicated that there are independent associations between both fine and ultrafine particles and the probability of specific electrocardiogram changes used as an indicator of myocardial ischemia (ST segment depression). The study report increased odds ratios for 45 subjects ranging from 1.03 to 3.29 with 95% confidence intervals ranging from 0.54 to 6.32.

In conclusion: Both fine and ultrafine particles appear to affect health outcomes such as mortality and respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and appear to do so independently of each other. However, the database at present is too limited (both in numbers of studies and numbers of subjects) and geographically restricted, to allow clear conclusions on the mode of action or generalization to other settings. Further studies are currently under way but more studies in other settings need to be initiated to improve our understanding of ultrafine particles and health outcomes. (1)

Replacement of polluting IC cars with electric vehicles cannot come soon enough.

References
(1) http://www.deh.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/health-impacts/summary.html