The EV1 was the first modern production electric vehicle from a major automaker and also the first purpose-built electric car produced by General Motors (GM) in the United States.
Controversy
On June 30, 2006, a documentary film debuted entitled “Who Killed the Electric Car?”. The subject of the film is the demise of the EV1. Much of the film accounts for GM's efforts to demonstrate to California, that there was no demand for their product and then to reclaim every last EV1 and dispose of them. A few vehicles were disabled and given to museums and universities, but almost all were found to have been crushed.
According to the film, many EV1 lessees offered to purchase their vehicles from GM at lease-end for the residual price. For instance, US$1.9 million was offered for the remaining 78 cars in a Burbank storage lot. Apparently GM did not entertain any of these offers. Subsequently, the film depicts nearly all of the EV1s being decommissioned by GM, crushed and recycled as scrap metal. These are some of the reasons why many analysts question GM's motives. Several weeks before the debut of the film, the Smithsonian Institution announced that its EV1 display was being permanently removed and the EV1 car put into storage. GM is a major financial contributor to the museum.
According to interviews from various government officials and consumers in the film "Who Killed the Electric Car", many consumers and government officials questioned General Motors' commitment to the EV1 program. Concerns over inadequate marketing and limited vehicle supply have led some to believe that GM intended the EV1 program to fail. One theory is that GM intended to demonstrate that electric vehicles were not commercially viable with 1990s technology, which would [or did] discourage what was at the time a growing public interest in electric vehicles. GM's stated position was to spend US$500 million to produce a workable electric vehicle that could compete and win "heads up" in the marketplace. The company said that if they could have recouped their investment by selling the vehicles commercially, they certainly would have done so. GM never responded to the lessees offer to pay the residual lease value.
The film explores some of the reasons that the auto and oil industries worked to kill off the electric car. Wally Rippel is shown explaining that the oil companies were afraid of losing out on trillions in potential profit from their transportation fuel monopoly over the coming decades, while the auto companies were afraid of losses over the next six months of EV production. Others explained the killing differently. GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss argued it was lack of consumer interest due to the maximum range of 80–100 miles per charge, and the relatively high price.
Ardent supporters of electric vehicles have been very vocal about the EV1 program's demise. Of particular interest is the leasing program which formally required the vehicles to be returned to GM at lease expiry. General Motors stated reason for the lease-only option was that, as the modern era's first ground-up electric vehicle, the EV1 could not be expected to maintain its performance level (or affordability in regard to maintenance) over the long run. GM also had significant concerns over long term liability issues relating to the vehicle. This was partly due to the relatively short R&D period the car was designed and produced under, and the high percentage of "invented on schedule" technology employed in the car as compared with a standard gasoline powered vehicle. While many lessees and prospective owners have complained about the lease-only availability of the EV1, it is important to note that each leased vehicle was in effect heavily subsidized by General Motors. The car was very popular with its lessees, but it was not known if anyone would have purchased a new electric vehicle at the time had it been offered for sale even at a "break even" price of US$35,000-40,000. A higher production volume would have been required for the production cost to be reduced.
The process of obtaining an EV1 was difficult when compared to the purchase of any other commuter car. The vehicle could not be purchased outright. Instead, General Motors offered a closed-end three year lease, with no renewal or residual purchase option. The EV1 was only available from Saturn dealerships (then less prevalent than they are today), and only in California and Arizona (for technical reasons).
Before reviewing lease options, a potential lessee would be taken through a 'pre-qualification' process in order to learn how the EV1 was different from other vehicles (a similar 'buyer familiarization process' was standard for all Saturn buyers). Following this, prospective lessees would be placed on a waiting list with no scheduled delivery date. After an average wait of between two and six months, the lessee would be allotted a vehicle. Installation of a home charger took one to two weeks and cost an additional US$2500 (on average).
An EV1 is still on display at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, in addition to the one in the Petersen Automotive Museum.
The Latest News
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in series-hybrid electric vehicle by General Motors, with production expected to begin in 2010. The company has avoided the use of the term "hybrid," preferring to call it an electric vehicle with a "range extender" due to its design.
The vehicle is designed to run purely on electricity from on-board batteries for up to 40 miles — a large enough distance to cover the daily commutes of most Americans, which is around 33 miles. With use of a small internal combustion engine driving a generator to re-supply the batteries, the vehicle's range is potentially increased to 360 miles (579 km) on the highway.
The Volt was targeted to cost around US$40,000 to US$48000 and that only government tax incentives could take the price tag nearer to US$30,000.
GM faces competition from Nissan Motors, which announced their own electric cars on May 13, 2008, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, as well as a number of startup auto manufacturers, some backed by Silicon Valley angel financing.
Opel Flextreme
The Opel Flextreme is a diesel plug-in hybrid concept car created by General Motors. It can travel 34 miles on its lithium-ion battery before a small diesel engine starts charging the battery (it is a series hybrid). The Flextreme uses the same platform and technology as the Chevrolet Volt. In order to expand on different ways of recharging the battery on the GM E-Flex platform, GM created the Cadillac Provoq to recharge itself using a hydrogen fuel cell, in addition to the onboard gasoline, E85, and diesel engines found in the other concepts.
The Hy-wire
The Hy-wire (Hydrogen drive-by-wire) is a concept car from General Motors originally introduced in January 2002. The car runs on hydrogen fuel cells and uses a drive-by-wire system, meaning that the car is controlled electronically.
The fuel cell is capable of producing 94 kilowatts of power continuously without refueling on a saltwater solution and up to 129 kilowatts for short periods. The fuel cell itself is supplied with hydrogen from 3 tanks of compressed hydrogen located in the skateboard holding 2 kg, but future models may hold larger capacities, yielding increased driving range. With its three-phase electric motor the ~1814 kg vehicle has a top speed of 100 mph. General Motors has stated that it is confident that it can produce a commercially viable model by 2010.
The Sequel
The Sequel is a hydrogen fuel cell-powered concept car and sport utility vehicle from General Motors, employing the latest generation of HydroGen3 technology developed by Opel. The Sequel uses a drive-by-wire system. It has a range of three hundred miles, and its only emission is water. It debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.
This vehicle can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than ten seconds. Additionally, it provides a high level of control on bumpy terrain, snow, and ice. 42 percent more torque and quicker deceleration when braking are additional benefits of some of the new technologies used in the Sequel.
Small Segment Electric Cars (NEV)
Listed here a few electric cars, small in size and ment for shorter drives, classified as neighbourhood electric vehicles.
The Dynasty IT is a Canadian battery electric vehicle in production that is built by Dynasty Electric Car Corporation. It is designed to qualify as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, primarily made for urban, recreational and light commercial markets.[1] It is available in five different variants including a sedan, mini pick-up, van and two open air versions. The North American version has a range of up to 30 miles (50 km) and does not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h). Most models have a curb weight of 1450 lb (653 kg).
Buddy is a Norwegian electric car, produced by Elbil Norge AS, at Økern in Oslo. The Buddy is delivered with advanced lead batteries, which offer the best price/yield ratio. Completely discharged batteries can be recharged in 6-8 hours. The batteries can be rapidly charged so that one hour's charging allows the vehicle to be driven about 10 km. Charging requires an ordinary, grounded outlet with a minimum circuit of 10 A. The life expectancy for the batteries is expected to be between two and five years, or about 20 000 km, depending upon depending on driving and charging habits. A complete battery set costs NOK 19 000 excluding value added tax.
The Kurrent was designed in Italy and is built in Michigan, USA. According to the manufacturer, a fully charged Kurrent can travel up to 40 miles before needing a recharge. A Kurrent is not a hybrid vehicle, so it needs to be plugged in to a 120 volt outlet; when its batteries are fully drained, a complete recharge takes 8 hours. Its power comes from 4.1 kW electrical motor and powered by four 12 volt lead-gel sealed batteries. ( Total 48 volt system). It also has a battery to power optional equipment.
ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise) is a 2-seat battery electric vehicle currently in production and built by ZENN Motor Company. It has a range of up to 35 miles and does not exceed 25 mph. 
Electric power is stored in six 12V lead-acid gel batteries, which has a recharge cycle of 8 hours.
Also optional are a retractable fabric sunroof, air conditioning, audio entertainment center, and AC motor, stated to be better for hill climbing. The 2008 model has a standard AC motor.
REVA G-Wiz or simply REVA is an Indian electric car intended for use as a City car. More REVAs have been produced than any other currently selling electric car and sales are increasing. It is manufactured by the Reva Electric Car Co, in Bangalore, India, currently the world's leading electric car manufacturing company.
The Reva is a small 3-door hatchback measuring 2.6 metres long, 1.3 m wide and 1.5 m high. It weighs 745 kilograms. The car can accommodate two adults in the front and two children in the rear. The back seats can also fold down to increase cargo space. The maximum passenger and cargo weight is 270 kg.
Power comes from eight 6 V lead acid batteries wired in series to create 48 V. The batteries are located under the front seats. The latest model now uses AC rather than DC motors which increases the top speed by nearly 10 km/h to 70 km/h and gives 40% extra torque for improved acceleration and hill-climbing. The maximum range is approximately 80 km, but using the heater reduces the range by about a quarter. The REVA is intended for short city trips, particularly in areas of high congestion.
The car may be exported to the USA with a speed limiter for use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The current price in the UK (where it is marketed as the G-Wiz) is approximately £9000 ($18,000) for the standard model. It qualifies for exemption from the London congestion charge due to being an electrically propelled vehicle.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment