Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Charge Your Electric Car Wirelessly

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 02:42 PM PST

Lately I've been seeing commercials for these so-called "power pads" that wirelessly charge cellphones. "Wouldn't it be cool if they had something like that for electric cars," thought I. Turns out New Zealand has just such a device.

A Kiwi company called HaloIPT has developed power pads similar to those cellphone chargers. Called inductive power transfer, an electrified coil in the power pad is connected magnetically to a pickup pad on the electric vehicle. When an electric car is parked over the pad, power is transferred wirelessly from power pad to vehicle. They officially launched their wireless electric vehicle charging pad, the first of its kind, at the beginning of the month.

The power pads can transfer power through asphalt, snow, and are supposed to be resistant to weather and vandalism. At $2,000 a pop, they are similar to plug-in chargers in cost, but are less obvious. The initial pilot program will see these installed in homes. What sets these apart from wired chargers though is that they could one day charge electric cars on-the-go. HalopIPT wants to do just that on portions of Britain’s M25 highway.

Imagine infinite mileage on designated "e-ways" that have a sucession of power pads installed, wirelessly trasnfering electricity to your car. No fuel-powered engine could ever do this, but according to Halo IPT, this technology exists today. Some kind of cost structure will be to be built in, but the ability to charge-as-you-go could erase the argument that electric vehicles have limited range.

Even just installed in a parking lot or garage, these pads will charge an EV in about 6 hours from 20% capacity. That’s not bad. By as early as 2020 they envision e-ways being installed into highways, possibly M25. Sounds a bit ambitious to me, but I have no reason to believe this isn't someday possible. Chalk another one up for electric cars.

Source: AutoCar

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.

M55 “Beast” Electric Bike Makes Cycle Shorts Cool

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 09:16 AM PST

I haven't been biking in some time, but recent revelations have me reconsidering the hobby. Take the Beast, built by M55. With a 40 mph top speed and 75 mile range, this electric bicycle is in a word, badass.

If John McClane (of Die Hard fame) were to ride an electric bicycle, the Beast would be his choice. Made from titanium and carbon fiber, it is going to be one of the toughest bicycles on the planet.

With this e-bicycle, your pedaling both moves the wheels and powers the onboard electric motor, which can take you to speeds of up to 40 mph and as far as 75 miles on a range. The electric motor serves as an assist, so say you're going up a hill and need some extra torque? The motor kicks in and makes your life a little easier. It also features a Fox suspension and other components which make it suitable for both off-roading and urban commuting.

The price? Don't ask. You didn't think titanium and carbon fiber were cheap, did you?

Source: Engadget

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.

Renault Planning Electric “Hot Hatch”

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 07:57 AM PST

In the next few years we can expect several sporty "hot hatchbacks" to hit the road, such as the Ford Focus ST. Renault hopes to enter the fray with a sporty version of its upcoming electric car, the Zoe.

Renault, one half of the Nissan-Renault alliance, was recently cleared by a French judge to use the "Zoe" name for its upcoming electric minicar. The Zoe is expected to hit streets in 2012 with a 79 horsepower electric engine and about 100 miles of range.

Not too shabby, and Renault is on track to build a sportier version of the Zoe featuring a 134 horsepower electric engine and 200 ft-lbs of torque. Not exactly Earth-shattering, but in a tiny little car like the Zoe, that should be more than enough oomph to put a smile on my face.  Despite the extra power, Renault does not expect to have to sacrifice range, and in my humble opinion, the Zoe is a sharp looking car. I could see myself modifying that little hatchback and racing through the streets of Paris, and the hot-hatch version should hit the streets sometime in 2012.

Even better, since Nissan and Renault are so closely linked, such a hot electric hatchback could easily find its way to American showrooms. Such a hot little electric car will convince those youngin's that cars can still be cool.

Source: AutoCar

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.
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