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14 декабря, 2021
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Category Archives: Alternative transportation
Nissan leads with transfer of California ZEV credits out for year ending 30 Sep 2014
Nissan leads with transfer of California ZEV credits out for year ending 30 Sep 2014
17 October 2014
Nissan led with California ZEV credit transfers out during the last report period. Click to enlarge.
Between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2014, Nissan transferred out 663.6 ZEV (zero emission vehicle) credits from its balance account, according to the latest report by the California Air Resources Board (ARB)—just edging out Tesla with 650.195 credits. The next closest was Fiat, with 235.2 ZEV credits transferred out; followed by Ford with 38.738.
This latest credit balance report reflects ZEV regulation compliance through model year 2013, representing a total of 3.5 million vehicles including: more than 500 fuel cell vehicles; 38,000 battery electric vehicles; 29,300 neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs); 30,000 plug-in hybrids; 570,000 hybrids; and 3 million gasoline vehicles. As of September 2014, more than 100,000 ZEVs and plug-in hybrids are on California roads.
ZEV credit transfers in. Click to enlarge.
Mercedes-Benz was the leading automaker for acquiring ZEV credits (transfer in), followed by Honda. Chrysler was third (almost the same transferred in as Fiat transferred out: 237.804 in, with Fiat transferring out 235.2).
The latest data show a very different picture from the prior year’s report, when electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors transferred out 1,311.520 ZEV credits, by far, the largest of any automaker in the state. (Earlier post.)
ZEV credit balances by vehicle type as of 30 September 2014. In complying with the ZEV Regulation, manufacturers operate vehicles in California which generate varying credits based on vehicle type.
ZEV = Zero Emission Vehicle, e.g. fuel cell or battery electric
NEV = Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
TZEV = Transitional Zero Emission Vehicle, e.g. a plug-in hybrid
AT PZEV = Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle, e.g. a non-plug-in hybrid
PZEV = Partial Zero Emission Vehicle, e.g. low emission combustion engined vehicle
There are also other parties generating credits that do not have ZEV requirements. Click to enlarge.
The California ZEV Regulation requires large volume and intermediate volume vehicle manufacturers (LVMs and IVMs) to bring to and to operate in California a certain percentage of ZEVs (such as battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles); plug-in hybrids; hybrids; and gasoline vehicles with near-zero tailpipe emissions.
Large volume manufacturers for the 2013 model year included the big six: Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. IVMs in 2013 were BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Subaru and Volkswagen.
A vehicle manufacturer’s ZEV requirement is based on a percentage of all passenger cars and light-duty trucks from 0 to 8,500 lbs (3,856 kg), delivered for sale in California.
Positive credit balances represent a successful over-compliance with the ZEV Regulation. Manufacturers can use these balances to provide flexibility in the timing and production of bringing new clean cars to the market to meet the ZEV requirements in coming years. Manufacturers may also transfer credits between manufacturers and third parties.
EcoBoost Powers Ford To Three Wins In Rookie Season
Ford’s Roush Yates prepared 3.5 liter twin turbo V-6 EcoBoost engine powered Chip Ganassi Racing to three wins and seven podiums in TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competition in 2014, including victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Long Beach and Circuit of The Americas. The win at Sebring was the first for Ford since 1969.
The racing version of the V6 EcoBoost engine shares 70% of its parts with the production engine found in the Ford F-150 and Taurus SHO. “It’s a testament to the robustness of the technology that powers many of our production vehicles around the world, that our engines stood up to some of the toughest tests in North American endurance racing,” says Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing. In all, the V-6 EcoBoost engine logged more than 15,000 racing miles.
Endurance racing tests every component of a race car to the limit. The competition places a higher value on reliability than outright speed, since time spent in the pits for repairs costs the teams dearly in lost track position. The lessons Ford engineers learn from racing get translated into greater reliability for its production engines.
Before the beginning of the 2014 season, Michael Shank Racing teamed up with Ford Racing and its 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine to break a series of closed-course speed records at Daytona International Speedway. They set a new record average lap speed of 222.971 mph around the high-banked oval, smashing the old record set back in 1987.
Auto makers around the world are downsizing their production engines to meet tighter emissions and fuel economy regulations. Ford hopes the power and reliability of its twin turbocharged V-6 engines will wean customers away from their love affair with the big, heavy and thirsty V-8 engines that have been the mainstay of the American car industry for the past 60 years. And if a little of the old “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” magic rubs off in the form of increased sales of Ford cars and trucks, that would be a welcome bonus, too.
Source: Ford Motor Company
“Smitten” Kia Soul EV Has A Sweet Tooth
The Kia Soul EV will launch in the U.S. next summer, but before then the Korean automaker wants to introduce Americans to the idea of an electric crossover in a very sweet way. Rather than try to tart up the Soul EV to better fit in with the SEMA crowd, Kia made it into an ice cream support vehicle, a much sweeter alternative.
I have attended a couple of SEMA shows, and nothing is sadder than an automaker trying to hype up a vehicle that was never intended to be a sporty showpiece. You can make a car cool without adding a whole bunch of distracting engine modifications and oversized wheels. Other automakers take note; Kia played to the strengths of the Soul EV with this concept.
Dressed in the red-and-white livery of the San Francisco-based Smitten ice cream company, Kia also added a teardrop trailer with a pull-out ice cream stand. Other than the above teaser pic though, Kia is keeping the rest of the details under wraps until next month. I’ll keep an eye out for more on this sweet concept, though I’ll add that I’ll be mighty disappointed if the Kia display doesn’t come with free ice cream.
2015 Lexus RX 450h Review – Video
For 2015 the RX 450h hybrid carries forward as an alternative in Lexus’ best-selling line of vehicles.
Like low-calorie cake, the highly contented RX 450h in all-wheel- or front-wheel-drive lets drivers oxymoronically indulge without the gas-guzzling guilt assuming they can justify its $6,650 premium to get an extra 9 mpg over RX 350 compatriots.
The two-row suburbanite cushmobile gets the fuel mileage of a four-cylinder sedan while providing more room, the power of a V8, and it outsells the also fully contented three-row Toyota Highlander Hybrid by nearly three-to-one.
The RX hybrid actually originated the luxury crossover hybrid sub segment a decade ago. It saw a facelift for 2013 and revisions since, and is close to getting a thorough redesign but still stands strong.
Competitors have risen to challenge it, but for now combined mpg of 29 for AWD and 30 mpg for FWD remains best in class, and is among the best the EPA rates for all SUVs sold, and with legendary reliability and customer service baked in.
This year the RX 450h gets a few updates including standard seven-inch display audio, new wheels and paint, optional HID and LED headlamps, and updated navigation system.
Lexus Hybrid Drive
The primary distinguishing feature between the RX 450h and RX 350 is of course, under the hood. There you’ll find concealed under expanses of plastic beauty covers what is essentially Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive full parallel/series hybrid system albeit re-named because this is a Lexus.
The system has four modes of operation from low-speed pure EV to Normal to Eco and Sport and the RX 450h can operate in electric-only or gas-engine-only modes as well as a combination of both.
This may be the only time most RX owners look overly long at what’s under the hood. It uses Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), but it’s called Lexus Hybrid Drive (LHD) – not Lexus Synergy Drive. The latter choice has unfortunate initials, so that would never work.
It’s also a more powerful system than found in a 200-horsepower four-cylinder Camry Hybrid or Lexus ES hybrid. Specifically, an Atkinson cycle 3.5-liter V6 is merged up front with a 116-kilowatt electric motor generator adds to 295 system horsepower with robust but unspecified total torque. Out back for the “all weather drive” model is an additional 50-kw motor that helps in slippery conditions and adds to the acceleration.
Incidentally, Tesla just made public relations hay with its all-wheel-drive P85D version of the Model S which uses front and rear motors. The Tesla EV is special in other ways, but the principle of its AWD system is not original, as Lexus has had something like it for years, as has the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Unique is there’s no mechanical driveshaft between front and rear and nothing for the RX driver to do to engage rear wheel drive. On one hand, that makes the RX ill-suited for off-roading, not that matters for whom this car is catering. On the positive side, those same targeted drivers will be happy it just works when the need is sensed.
Power is otherwise routed for the RX’s front-wheel drive portion by a planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT). A 288-volt nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack under the second-row seats stores power from brake regeneration and a third motor generator.
Pod On Wheels
Americans tend to love their SUVs and crossovers and this one with the big “L” on the updated spindle grille is just so much more rich than a humble Honda CR-V, or other work-a-day five-person people hauler.
The exterior design of the RX is otherwise less than ostentatious, and it blends well enough into suburban landscapes like camouflage garments do in the woods. Most people are not bothered by it. Others have said it’s a bit feminine, or neutered, or best suited for soccer moms and grandparents.
It is unique with its ovalized lines pretending to be a truck, but it is really more like a Camry or ES with the dimensions enlarged. Cargo area is the same as the RX 350 at 40 cubic feet and 80.3 with seatbacks folded.
Packed With Features
Driver and occupant accommodations are quite plush, and the RX comes standard with a laundry list of infotainment, creature comforts, and with plenty of space for people.
In the standard car are touches like bird’s eye maple and dual automatic climate control as well as heated front seats. Also included is a Display Audio with Rear Backup Camera, a 12-speaker sound system or optional 15-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound system with 330 watts and 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion.
Options include dual rear seven-inch LCD screens for passengers, and the RS includes Safety Connect which is subscription based, optional navigation, end Enform with Safety Connect to communicate with 24/7/365 response centers. Subscription-based features come free the first year.
Also packed in is Apple’s Siri Eyes Free Mode technology to connect with compatible devices and phones.
The Drive
Why is the RX line Lexus’ best seller? Because it’s the quintessential have-it-all car, with good power, economy, ride, and decent handling, if not super sharp – something has to give.
As for that power, 0-60 for the quicker AWD has been clocked on a good day as low as 6.7 seconds, and the quarter mile has gone by in 14.9 seconds. That’s pretty sporty, and should put to silence other publications that have said this vehicle is suited for the AARP set.
Even at a more-realistic 7-plus-second 0-60, the RX 450h is a virtual lightening bolt next to an utterly sensible choice like Toyota Prius v which may be 3-seconds slower to 60.
But that’s only part of what the car is about – especially this one, being a hybrid. Most of the time, that power can be used simply as needed and it’s just as happy to mozy and sip fuel. We got 26-28 mpg without taking much care, and in mixed driving once in a while using the quickness to enter a roadway and keep pushing drivers off our back.
Better mpg is certainly attainable, and we’ve seen as high as 31.6 on a previous long test drive. Officially the AWD is rated 30 mpg city, 28 highway, 29 combined. The FWD is 32 mpg city, 28 highway, 30 combined.
Unfortunately fuel tank size is smaller at 17.2 gallons next to the RX 350’s 19.2 gallons, so estimated driving range is only 499-516 for the hybrid next to 384-403 for the non-hybrid.
Meanwhile, the drive is ordinarily quiet and road comfort is as much as most people would want. The taller 235/60R18 tires or 235/55R19 tires on two optional alloy wheel packages combined with sufficient suspension travel make soaking bumps no problem.
Handling rough roads with truck-like security in this car in disguise is the RX’s forte. However, a Porsche Macan, it is not.
Although there’s a “Sport” mode, the torquey gas-electric powertrain with CVT in car approaching 5,000 pounds with driver makes using that of less value than an SUV truly positioned as a sporty driver.
Several German utes will blitz through a slalom course with more poise than the RX, but it’s not so soft as to be a safety hazard. It is actually able to hustle with decent, if not exciting or fun, ability – assuming you have decent ability as a driver.
And around town or on the highway – where most people think to use vehicles not preening for an excursion to a track day – the RX is just the prescription the doctor ordered. So there’s how one could stretch definitions and call this sporty: it will sprint to pick up the kids, or groceries, and gallop cross country on vacation. That is its natural habitat, ordinary usage, and that’s where it can best satisfy.
Like every car ever purchased, its pros and cons are something to be gotten used to. It’s otherwise predictable and manageable, and for the target car buyer, its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
Thumbs Up Or Down?
Those looking for a do-everything vehicle from a brand with reputation for reliability that regularly ranks high in customer satisfaction will take a shining to the RX.
As for that hybrid price premium? We think the extra $6,550 is a bit steep for 9 mpg rated improvement over the RX 350 non-hybrid version, and is not as good a deal as the hybrid Lexus ES sedan’s 16 mpg improvement for $2,880 difference.
Payback for the “hybrid upgrade” will be longer for the RX 450h, but at this level, will that matter? Truth is, folks pay extra for luxury after objectively and subjectively perceiving the sum package for the outlay, and fuel economy is being treated as a luxury item in this case. And the RX 450h AWD versions do also add more value as well as hardware with their sophisticated three-motor powertrain with drive-shaft-free AWD. However even between the FWD RX 450h and RX 350 without the AWD hybrid’s fancy rear drive, Lexus asks the same $6,550 premium. Given how Lexus prices things, the $1,400 extra for AWD looks relatively reasonable, and it’s a no-brainer for those who drive in inclement weather and snow.
And how does it price the RX 450h? Lexus lists the base FWD at $48,545, and the AWD at $49,945 including $925 destination. The AWD model we drove had a bottom line of $59,709 with the heaviest up-charge coming from a $6,115 comprehensive luxury package including the semi-aniline leather and $1,915 voice-commanded navigation package.
Aside from mentioned competitors from Germany, one more could be the smaller, less powerful, Lexus NX hybrid crossover being launched for 2015 in the U.S. which has been a hit in Japan since launching earlier this year. This more-efficient vehicle presents a more edgy and youthful counterpoint – and is all new.
Meanwhile, the RX 450h is smaller than the Mercedes ML and BMW X5, and lacks a third row like the X5, Acura MDX, and even nicely-appointed Toyota Highlander Hybrid. For its redesign, Lexus is reportedly mulling whether a longer three-row RX 450h may be in order, especially with product overlap from the new NX, and otherwise lacking this seven-eight-passenger capacity other automakers now offer.
As it is, the RX 450h is a nice crossover that delivers what a lot of people want. It’s a useful but cozy vehicle and will insulate drivers on the road in comfort for nearly every situation they will ordinarily encounter.
Graphene NanoChem and Sync R&D partner to develop graphene-enhanced Li-ion battery for shuttle bus in Malaysia
Graphene NanoChem and Sync RD partner to develop graphene-enhanced Li-ion battery for shuttle bus in Malaysia
18 October 2014
Malaysia-based Graphene NanoChem’s wholly-owned subsidiary Platinum Nanochem Sdn Bhd has entered into a product development and collaboration agreement with Sync RD Sdn Bhd jointly to develop a graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery solution for electric buses under the Electric Bus 1 Malaysia program (EB1M Program).
The partners will develop and integrate a graphene-enhanced Li-on battery into a prototype electric shuttle bus in Malaysia designed and developed by Sync RD, with Graphene NanoChem taking the lead role in the applications development activities to design and produce the battery.
Under the Malaysian Economic Transformation Program, the Government has announced its aim to accelerate the Electric Vehicles policy and regulations for public and private transportation, targeting 2,000 electric buses and 100,000 electric cars on the road by 2020.
The 2015 Malaysian Budget, announced in October 2014, set the target to introduce 50 electric buses initially, with the first anticipated in early 2015. A critical component to this initiative is the development of the infrastructure to enable electric vehicle component manufacturing in Malaysia, including for Li-on Battery technology and manufacturing.
A prototype of the graphene-enhanced Li-on battery is expected to be completed in 2016.
Lawrence Livermore graphene aerogels could improve performance of carbon-based superconductors by more than 100%
Lawrence Livermore graphene aerogels could improve performance of carbon-based superconductors by more than 100%
18 October 2014
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are developing modified graphene aerogels for application in supercapacitor electrodes. LLNL’s graphene aerogel material could potentially improve on the performance of commercial carbon-based supercapacitors by more than 100%, said LLNL’s Dr. Patrick Campbell, lead author of a paper on the technology published in the RSC journal Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
In the paper, the LLNL team reports a 2.9-fold increase in electrical energy storage capacity (up to 23 Wh kg−1) of their graphene materials by modifying them with anthraquinone. These hybrid electrodes demonstrate battery-like energy density, supercapacitor-like power performance, and superb long-term stability, the researchers said.
Binder-free, monolithic, high surface area graphene macro-assemblies (GMAs) are promising materials for supercapacitor electrodes, but, like all graphitic carbon based supercapacitor electrodes, still lack sufficient energy density for demanding practical applications. Here, we demonstrate that the energy storage capacity of GMAs can be increased nearly 3-fold (up to 23 Wh kg−1) by facile, non-covalent surface modification with anthraquinone (AQ). AQ provides battery-like redox charge storage (927 C g−1) without affecting the conductivity and capacitance of the GMA support.
The resulting AQ-GMA battery/supercapacitor hybrid electrodes demonstrate excellent power performance, show remarkable long-term cycling stability and, by virtue of their excellent mechanical properties, allow for further increases in volumetric energy density by mechanical compression of the treated electrode. Our measured capacity is very close to the theoretical maximum obtained using detailed density functional theory calculations, suggesting nearly all incorporated AQ is made available for charge storage.
Compared to traditional carbon-based supercapacitor electrodes fabricated from carbon black and binder materials, graphene aerogels offer many advantages such as control of density and pore size distribution, and increased conductivity due to carbon linkers between the active carbon sheets and the absence of binder materials.
Aerogels derived from carbon as well as inorganic materials were developed at LLNL and have found a number of applications—from capturing space dust to lining the inside of National Ignition Facility targets.
Graphene aerogels are a relatively new type of aerogel that are ideal for energy storage applications because of their extremely high surface area, excellent mechanical properties and very high electrical conductivity. We have been exploring various ways to enhance their energy storage properties such as increasing electrode density through mechanical compression. The non-covalent modification strategy is simply another route to increase the electrical energy storage capacity.
Other Livermore researchers involved in the project include Brandon Wood, Marcus Worsley and Ted Baumann.
The research was funded by the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the LLNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program.
Resources
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P. G. Campbell, M. D. Merrill, B. C. Wood, E. Montalvo, M. A. Worsley, T. F. Baumann and J. Biener (2014) “Battery/supercapacitor hybrid via non-covalent functionalization of graphene macro-assemblies,” J. Mater. Chem. A 2, 17764-17770 doi: 10.1039/C4TA03605K
2015 Mazda Miata – 25 Years of Automotive Awesome
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since Mazda took the wraps off the original, first-generation MX-5 Miata. That car was built as a modern interpretation of the original, RWD Lotus Elan, and it captured the imagination of the sports car faithful by combining- for the first time!- a quick, nimble, and genuine open-top experience with the bulletproof reliability that is the hallmark of Japanese automakers.
As such, the Miata was a revelation.
See, up until the Miata, choosing a sports car meant sacrificing reliability. If you wanted that Alfa Romeo or that MGB, it meant that you also wanted to spend a few several weekends wrenching on the thing. It would leave you stranded, too- no matter much you loved it. It was a death trap. The Miata, however, was none of those things. It was that “right” partner that finally rewarded your love by loving you in return and, in the 25 years that have come and gone since the first Miata showed up on our collective doorsteps, that love has grown richer, deeper, and better.
Then the Miata went all “cat lady” on us and got this goofy-looking facelift, which …
… I mean, obviously you still love the Miata. It’s just, I dunno. It looks a little bit cartoonish and botox-y now, you know?
Luckily, the 2016 Miata isn’t here, yet, and the 25th Anniversary 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata can still be had for about the price of Mazda’s own 6 series mid-size sedan- but with enough in the way of classic Lotus Elan styling cues for the connection to still resonate with the older Gen-X and Baby Boomer crowds that I find myself feeling increasingly comfortable around. In addition, Chris recently drove the (nearly identical) 2014 version, so I’ll keep my review to more “practical” matters.
2015 Mazda Miata | Can You Live With It
Simple NA 4 Cyl., RWD
Reasonable trunk space
Top down
Dated cabin, ugly brown leather
Metal roof promises security
Like that first Miata, the 2015 Mazda MX-5 has a naturally aspirated 4 cyl. engine nestled between its axles that’s mated to a simple transmission that sends power exclusively to the rear wheels. In practice, the car is perfectly balanced, and feels like it’s light-years ahead of cars like the Scion FR-S/Toyota GT86, which are a generation or two newer, at least.
Inside, the Miata’s dash is free from large screens, which makes it feel like a much older car than it is. Similarly, the interior color choices on my tester were- what’s a polite way of saying “crap”? Seriously, Mazda (and Jeep, while I’m at it) seem to be hiring color-blind kids that are Hell-bent on pairing brown seats with otherwise black, plastic interiors. It never looks good, and certainly didn’t help the Miata seem “edgy” or even “nice”. A better choice, I think, would have been a durable, water-resistant cloth or even a marine vinyl that wouldn’t mind getting wet.
Speaking of getting wet, that is almost entirely optional with the 2015 Miata, which- in the case of my tester- one-ups the 1990 original by employing a folding metal roof. That metal roof, by the way, utterly removes the fear of someone slashing your top to get to your belongings (which has happened to me with both a Mustang and VW Cabrio) and doesn’t seem to carry a performance penalty. Up or down, trunk space remains very much the same.
The 2015 Mazda Miata is, in other words, an utterly drivable, practical little two-seater that could, maybe, make a practical commuter- especially in light of the 28 MPG I saw on the dash computer during much of my week with the little car.
2015 Mazda Miata | Final Thoughts
The last Miata I drove before this one was 2nd generation 1999 model. That car was light, nimble, and simple. 15 years on, the Miata is still light, nimble, and simple- and that is an astonishing achievement when you consider the bloat that other “sports cars” have packed on since 1990. Driving along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive with the top down on a cool autumn afternoon, the 2015 Miata made me a believer. Funny enough, just a week before and on the same road in similar weather, the Scion FR-S made me feel like only idiots would buy it.
I like to think that, on my better days, I’m not an idiot, and I would be very, very happy to buy a Mazda Miata if the wife/kids/urban parking situation allowed for an extra two seater- and that’s high praise from a guy who regularly scoffs at the need for car ownership. If they only offered the car in British racing green …
DSM launches next-gen Diablo high-temperature-resistant polyamides for engine compartment applications
DSM launches next-gen Diablo high-temperature-resistant polyamides for engine compartment applications
18 October 2014
Royal DSM is launching its next generation of Diablo high-temperature-resistant polyamides. The new grades are part of both DSM’s Stanyl polyamide 46 and Akulon 6/66 portfolios and are aimed at applications in automotive engine compartments where temperatures can reach as high as 260 ˚C (500 ˚F).
The automotive industry’s constant drive to create more fuel-efficient designs has resulted in reduced space and higher temperatures under the hood, due in part to the inclusion of new features such as improved pedestrian impact protection and the increasing use of turbochargers and superchargers. DSM’s next-generation Diablo grades can help manufacturers by providing both long-term and short-term heat resistance.
The technology provides a significant improvement in long-term temperature resistance components such as air intake manifolds with integrated intercoolers, ducts, charge air cooler end caps, mixing tubes and resonators used in the latest car engines.
The latest version of Stanyl Diablo polyamide 46 is able to withstand a continuous use temperature of 230 °C (446 ˚F), while the new Akulon Diablo withstands a 220 °C (428 ˚F) continuous-use temperature. Both new grades have improved resistance to short-term high temperature peaks as measured by deflection temperature under load (HDT).
New Stanyl Diablo has an improved HDT of 267 °C (513 ˚F), while the new Akulon Diablo has an HDT of 245 °C (473 ˚F). The long-term heat aging and the HDT of the new materials are evidence of their superior characteristics compared to competing materials currently on the market, DSM says.
The new grades also have improved resistance to chemicals and gases in EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) systems. They have very good processing properties and create finished parts with high-burst pressure-weld-line strength as well as excellent surface finish.
Detroit Electric Cars Get Teased as Production Nears
The message that you should get from the video, above, is clear: Despite the fact that the cars are built on an increasingly aging Lotus Elise platform with roots in the 1990s, the fact that they’re being built in Holland, and the fact that their primary market seems to be Korea, the Detroit Electric Car company really actually kind-a sort-a looks like it’s gonna happen.
No one, I assure you, is more surprised than I am.
With production of the all-electric Detroit SP:01 roadster still set to being next month and deliveries of the lightweight EVs set to begin early next year, Detroit Electric Cars is still fighting the “vaporware” stink that an early, failed start left on the company. So much so, in fact, that there are still doubts that company will be able to build the 2500 SP:01s that it hired 100 people to start work on already- maybe even among the 100 employees!
The Detroit SP:01 teased in the video has a few small styling differences compared to the prototype EV shown over the last few years, but seems true to the spirit of the car shown in Shanghai. In addition, the latest specs for the SP:01 appear to have been upgraded from 201 hp and 225 Nm to 278 hp and 280 Nmm according to Paul Tan, who also reports that the company claims its 1,125 kg SP:01 will run from 0-100 km/h mark in a mere 3.9 seconds.
Detroit Electric Cars SP:01 | Original Concept Car
Source | Images: Detroit Electric Cars, via Paul Tan.
NYC to Ban Cars on Central Park Loop in 2015
The City of New York began its revolt against the automobile back in 2009, when it closed off the iconic Times Square, Broadway, and Herald Square to cars. That move has been a great success, and now the city is looking to ban cars in other regions- starting with Central Park Loop.
You can read more about NYC’s plan to ban cars in Central Park, below, in an article that originally appeared on our sister site, Ecolocalizer. Enjoy!
NYC’s Next Car Free Zone: Central Park Loop
In the coming weeks, there will be a vote on a bill that will see the city of New York close the Central Park Loop to all automotive traffic for three months in a bid to determine the impact a car-free Central Park would have on NYC’s car, bike, and foot traffic.
“Currently, the Central Park loop is packed with cars, cyclists, and runners all vying for limited space; removing cars from the loop will dramatically reduce the risk of dangerous collisions,” said NYC council members Helen Rosenthal and Mark Levine in a joint statement.
If the bill passes, the city would close the Central Park Loop to motor vehicles between June 24 and September 25, 2015. Afterwards, the Parks Department would be required to present a report on the closure to the City Council no later than December 31, 2015. The study would examine motor vehicle traffic patterns on nearby roads, pedestrian traffic flow, environmental impact, and other criteria deemed relevant by the Parks Commissioner. The results of the study, by the way, could be significant, as the 2009 closing of Times Square showed traffic driving west on 34th Street was 32 percent faster at evening rush hour, while it took twice as long to get from Fifth Avenue to Columbus Circle on Central Park South according to GPS data cited by New York magazine.
If the results are positive (or, at least, not too disruptive) the experiment would be the first step towards a totally car-free Central Park, and another step to a more pedestrian and bike-friendly NYC. And, as more and more areas of NYC ban cars, the city will become more like Helsinki, Madrid, and London in limiting the use of private cars.
You can check out the bill’s official press release from the Office of Helen Rosenthal, which outlines the scope of the project, at Ecolocalizer.
Sources: Inhabitat, NY Daily News, and the Office of Helen Rosenthal.