Nissan Motor Co. plans to launch production of electric vehicles and their batteries in the United States to tap low-interest loans for green vehicles, the Nikkei business daily said.
The overall investment is estimated at 50 billion yen ($516.4 million) and may rise to 100 billion yen, it said.
Under the plan, the new electric-car assembly lines are to be built at Nissan's plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
The facility, capable of making 50,000 to 100,000 eco-friendly vehicles a year by 2012, is expected to first produce a small passenger car, it said.
Nissan also intends to construct a production facility for high-capacity lithium ion batteries at the Smyrna site with NEC Corp.
The automaker has applied for funding from the U.S. government under a low-interest-loan program to support the automobile industry.
Nissan will soon receive approval for a loan of more than 100 billion yen, the paper said, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Nissan intends to assemble up to 50,000 electric cars a year in Japan starting in fall 2010, the paper said.
Showing posts with label Electric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electric. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Mitsubishi i-MiEV Leads the All-Electric Cars
No one can accuse Mitsubishi of lousy timing. At least, not this time.
With Canada and the United States going green, its new all-electric i-MiEV has a head start on much of the competition, and as far as Tomoki Yanagawa is concerned, fully electric automobiles from his company and others should be available for purchase in Canada within the next five years (it went on sale in Japan this month).
Yanagawa is vice-president of sales, marketing and corporate planning for Mitsubishi Canada, and has been making the rounds to show off the i-MiEV.
The i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) represents the “pinnacle” of Mitsubishi's green technologies, and is a completely clean-running, zero-emissions vehicle. According to the company, even taking into consideration its overall emissions and costs during construction, it emits just 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide of a similarly-sized internal combustion car.
When it hits the road in Canada – probably within a year – the i-MiEV's expenses per kilometre will be one-third that of a comparably sized gas-engined car and during recharge, it'll cost one-ninth of what it costs to fill up a conventional automobile.
Built on Mitsubishi's “i” mini-car platform, the i-MiEV is propelled by a 330-volt, 16-kilowatt, 63-horsepower electric motor that is located in the front of the vehicle. It has a rear-wheel-drive layout and its 22 batteries are of the lithium-ion variety.
Mitsubishi is claiming that the i-MiEV will accelerate from zero to 80 km/h 11/2 seconds faster than its gas-fuelled counterpart, which has been sold in Japan for the past five years or so. The electric car can reach a top speed of over 130 km/h; it seats four adults and weighs about 1,080 kilograms.
More importantly, it will have a cruising range of at least 120 kilometres and can be recharged using either a typical 120-volt or 220-volt household plug, or through a dedicated quick-charge system.
When (and if) it comes on-stream in North America, the quick-charge arrangement will be in the form of a small kiosk supplied by Mitsubishi (at additional cost), and will get the system back up to 80 per cent of a full charge in about 30 minutes. Using a 120-volt plug, recharge time is 14 hours, and it's half that with 220 volts.
All three systems have their own circuits and, in the fullness of time, Yanagawa envisages quick-charge stations located throughout the city – in parking lots and so on.
“Range and recharging should not be an issue,” he says. Just to be on the safe side, the i-MiEV also has a “limp-home” mode that will give you a few more kilometres if you drain the system completely.
Unlike General Motors' ill-fated EV-1, the i-MiEV will not suffer damage if the system is completely depleted. Yanagawa claims the Yuasa-made batteries will last at least 10 years or 150,000 kilometres.
Behind the wheel, the i-MiEV is simplicity itself. Just turn the key, wait a few seconds for the system to power up and then put it drive and away you go.
It has all the usual conveniences, such as air conditioning, power windows, a stereo system and so on, and performance is actually quite lively. It's far too early to talk about price, but unofficially, the i-MiEV will probably start in the low- to mid-$20,000 neighbourhood.
One of the intriguing things about electric vehicles is that torque and power are available almost instantly, with no “spooling up” or engine rpm buildup. The i-MiEV's torque output is pegged at 133 lb-ft, which is almost double that of its gas-engined counterpart.
Aside from the fact that the model Mitsubishi had on hand in Vancouver was right-hand drive, there was no drama or weirdness when under way.
The i-MiEV easily keeps up with traffic, and has an “Eco” setting to help conserve even more power. It also features regenerative braking to recapture energy when decelerating. As an urban runabout, it would seem to do the job nicely.
The powers that be seem to think so, too. Mitsubishi, the British Columbia provincial government, the City of Vancouver and BC Hydro recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will see at least one test i-MiEV added to the fleets of BC Hydro and the city, with more cars being added as they become available – probably in the fall.
A few questions about the viability of this fully electric car remain, however. For starters, its purported range of 120 kilometres is based on driving the vehicle slowly, in perfect weather, on flat ground, with one occupant, and no accessories being used.
As well, the i-MiEV's performance in the depths of winter is still a huge unknown, occupant protection in a crash has yet to be determined, and the whole quick-charge recharging stations scenario is very much up in the air.
“We haven't put the i-MiEv through any cold weather testing at this point,” Yanagawa admitted.
So it's all good, but what may work in Vancouver won't necessarily cut it in Toronto or Winnipeg or Montreal.
With Canada and the United States going green, its new all-electric i-MiEV has a head start on much of the competition, and as far as Tomoki Yanagawa is concerned, fully electric automobiles from his company and others should be available for purchase in Canada within the next five years (it went on sale in Japan this month).
Yanagawa is vice-president of sales, marketing and corporate planning for Mitsubishi Canada, and has been making the rounds to show off the i-MiEV.
The i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) represents the “pinnacle” of Mitsubishi's green technologies, and is a completely clean-running, zero-emissions vehicle. According to the company, even taking into consideration its overall emissions and costs during construction, it emits just 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide of a similarly-sized internal combustion car.
When it hits the road in Canada – probably within a year – the i-MiEV's expenses per kilometre will be one-third that of a comparably sized gas-engined car and during recharge, it'll cost one-ninth of what it costs to fill up a conventional automobile.
Built on Mitsubishi's “i” mini-car platform, the i-MiEV is propelled by a 330-volt, 16-kilowatt, 63-horsepower electric motor that is located in the front of the vehicle. It has a rear-wheel-drive layout and its 22 batteries are of the lithium-ion variety.
Mitsubishi is claiming that the i-MiEV will accelerate from zero to 80 km/h 11/2 seconds faster than its gas-fuelled counterpart, which has been sold in Japan for the past five years or so. The electric car can reach a top speed of over 130 km/h; it seats four adults and weighs about 1,080 kilograms.
More importantly, it will have a cruising range of at least 120 kilometres and can be recharged using either a typical 120-volt or 220-volt household plug, or through a dedicated quick-charge system.
When (and if) it comes on-stream in North America, the quick-charge arrangement will be in the form of a small kiosk supplied by Mitsubishi (at additional cost), and will get the system back up to 80 per cent of a full charge in about 30 minutes. Using a 120-volt plug, recharge time is 14 hours, and it's half that with 220 volts.
All three systems have their own circuits and, in the fullness of time, Yanagawa envisages quick-charge stations located throughout the city – in parking lots and so on.
“Range and recharging should not be an issue,” he says. Just to be on the safe side, the i-MiEV also has a “limp-home” mode that will give you a few more kilometres if you drain the system completely.
Unlike General Motors' ill-fated EV-1, the i-MiEV will not suffer damage if the system is completely depleted. Yanagawa claims the Yuasa-made batteries will last at least 10 years or 150,000 kilometres.
Behind the wheel, the i-MiEV is simplicity itself. Just turn the key, wait a few seconds for the system to power up and then put it drive and away you go.
It has all the usual conveniences, such as air conditioning, power windows, a stereo system and so on, and performance is actually quite lively. It's far too early to talk about price, but unofficially, the i-MiEV will probably start in the low- to mid-$20,000 neighbourhood.
One of the intriguing things about electric vehicles is that torque and power are available almost instantly, with no “spooling up” or engine rpm buildup. The i-MiEV's torque output is pegged at 133 lb-ft, which is almost double that of its gas-engined counterpart.
Aside from the fact that the model Mitsubishi had on hand in Vancouver was right-hand drive, there was no drama or weirdness when under way.
The i-MiEV easily keeps up with traffic, and has an “Eco” setting to help conserve even more power. It also features regenerative braking to recapture energy when decelerating. As an urban runabout, it would seem to do the job nicely.
The powers that be seem to think so, too. Mitsubishi, the British Columbia provincial government, the City of Vancouver and BC Hydro recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will see at least one test i-MiEV added to the fleets of BC Hydro and the city, with more cars being added as they become available – probably in the fall.
A few questions about the viability of this fully electric car remain, however. For starters, its purported range of 120 kilometres is based on driving the vehicle slowly, in perfect weather, on flat ground, with one occupant, and no accessories being used.
As well, the i-MiEV's performance in the depths of winter is still a huge unknown, occupant protection in a crash has yet to be determined, and the whole quick-charge recharging stations scenario is very much up in the air.
“We haven't put the i-MiEv through any cold weather testing at this point,” Yanagawa admitted.
So it's all good, but what may work in Vancouver won't necessarily cut it in Toronto or Winnipeg or Montreal.
Monday, June 8, 2009
First Hybrid Truck added to Forgotten Harvest Fleet
Forgotten Harvest Receives New Hybrid Truck to Fight Hunger in Metro Detroit - Susan Goodell, executive director of Forgotten Harvest (second from left) accepts keys to a new 2009 Freightliner M2 Hybrid Class 7 diesel-electric truck from Klaus Entenmann, president and CEO of Daimler Financial Services (third from left), Chris Patterson, retired president and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America (right) and Ron Ricci, president of Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies today.
Forgotten Harvest, Metro Detroit's only mobile food rescue organization, is adding this first hybrid-powered truck into its 20 vehicle fleet and it will enable Forgotten Harvest to rescue 850,000 additional pounds of fresh food annually at a 30-percent fuel savings. The new truck is donated by Daimler Financial Services, Daimler Trucks North America and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies.
Donation from Daimler's U.S. truck, financial services divisions and supplier will increase organization's capacity by 850,000 additional pounds of food annually while reducing fuel costs by 30 percent.
Forgotten Harvest, Metro Detroit's only mobile food rescue organization, today took delivery of its first hybrid-powered truck. The Class 7 Freightliner, donated by Daimler Trucks North America, Daimler Financial Services and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, will enable the organization to rescue 850,000 additional pounds of fresh food on an annual basis at a 30 percent fuel savings.
Susan Goodell, Executive Director of Forgotten Harvest, was presented the keys to the 2009 M2e Hybrid Freightliner diesel-electric truck by Klaus Entenmann, President and CEO of Daimler Financial Services, and Chris Patterson, recently retired President and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, at Forgotten Harvest's Metro Detroit facility. Ron Ricci, President of Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies of Rice Lake, WI, donated the 20 -foot fiberglass refrigerated truck body with ElectriMax, all-electric refrigeration that will keep the food fresh during deliveries to homeless shelters and social service agencies that feed the hungry throughout Metro Detroit.
"This generous donation by our friends at Daimler Financial, Daimler Trucks and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is a leap forward in advancing our mission of reducing hunger and waste," Goodell said. "It will not only improve our operating efficiency by keeping fuel costs down, it will also allow us to direct more donated dollars to distributing food in a way that protects the environment."
The 31,000-pound Class 7 truck is the fifth truck donated by Daimler Financial Services and Daimler Trucks North America and aftermarket "body builders" in the past four years, bringing Forgotten Harvest's growing fleet to 21 vehicles.
Like a hybrid car, the M2e Hybrid Freightliner performs best with consistent stop-and-go applications. Launch and acceleration are aided by the 60hp electric motor, then with increased demand from the throttle, it blends combined diesel and electric power as needed. During braking, the braking power restores the battery charge. The hybrid system has been proven to increase brake life by over 100% in urban delivery service.
Combined with the industry's most thermal efficient truck body and all-electric refrigeration solution by Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, the new hybrid truck will contribute a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency over a standard powertrain Class 7 truck and body with traditional diesel-powered refrigeration.
"There is a tremendous need to feed the hungry all over the United States, but especially here in Michigan where the economy has taken its toll on those most in need," said Entenmann. "
Patterson agreed, saying: "At Daimler, we welcome the opportunity to be able to contribute to the extraordinary work being done on a daily basis by Forgotten Harvest."
In 2008, Forgotten Harvest rescued and delivered 9.5 million pounds of prepared and perishable food to emergency food providers across metro Detroit. This year, due to the staggering increase of people seeking food assistance, the organization is on target to distribute more than 12 million pounds. The food, which is donated by grocers, wholesalers, farmers and other food providers, is delivered same day and free of charge to soup kitchens, shelters and pantries in the tri-county area.
About Forgotten Harvest
Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to fight two problems: hunger and waste. Forgotten Harvest will rescue more than 12 million pounds of food this year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from a variety of sources, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors, and other Health Department-approved sources. This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered absolutely free of charge to 150-plus emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. The individuals and families served are as diverse as the community's residents - young and old, from all races and faiths. The common bond uniting them with each other and with Forgotten Harvest is hunger. Visit www.forgottenharvest.org
About Daimler Financial Services
Daimler Financial Services (DCFS USA LLC), headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., provides brand-specific financing for Mercedes-Benz automotive dealers' inventories and their retail customers, and conducts business in the United States luxury car market as Mercedes-Benz Financial. In the U.S. trucking industry, Daimler Financial Services Americas conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and finances Daimler commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star for dealers and their customers in the fleet, vocational, municipal and owner/operator segments. Daimler Financial Services Americas serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,600 employees. Daimler Financial Services Americas is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 40 countries with an employee base of close to 6,800. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide. For more information visit www.daimler-financialservices.com/na
About Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore., and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 vehicles and is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. For more information, call or visit your nearby Freightliner Trucks dealership or go to www.FreightlinerTrucks.com
About Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies
Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is recognized as the industry leader in refrigerated transport. With headquarters in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Johnson is the innovator and manufacturer of molded fiberglass refrigerated truck bodies and specialized trailers that range from 8 to 36 feet in length. Johnson has a reputation of quality, durability, and innovative all-electric refrigeration solutions that are designed for many years of maintenance-free delivery. In business since 1932, Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is a CARLISLE Company. For more information please call 800-922-8360 or visit www.johnsontruckbodies.com.
Forgotten Harvest, Metro Detroit's only mobile food rescue organization, is adding this first hybrid-powered truck into its 20 vehicle fleet and it will enable Forgotten Harvest to rescue 850,000 additional pounds of fresh food annually at a 30-percent fuel savings. The new truck is donated by Daimler Financial Services, Daimler Trucks North America and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies.
Donation from Daimler's U.S. truck, financial services divisions and supplier will increase organization's capacity by 850,000 additional pounds of food annually while reducing fuel costs by 30 percent.
Forgotten Harvest, Metro Detroit's only mobile food rescue organization, today took delivery of its first hybrid-powered truck. The Class 7 Freightliner, donated by Daimler Trucks North America, Daimler Financial Services and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, will enable the organization to rescue 850,000 additional pounds of fresh food on an annual basis at a 30 percent fuel savings.
Susan Goodell, Executive Director of Forgotten Harvest, was presented the keys to the 2009 M2e Hybrid Freightliner diesel-electric truck by Klaus Entenmann, President and CEO of Daimler Financial Services, and Chris Patterson, recently retired President and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, at Forgotten Harvest's Metro Detroit facility. Ron Ricci, President of Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies of Rice Lake, WI, donated the 20 -foot fiberglass refrigerated truck body with ElectriMax, all-electric refrigeration that will keep the food fresh during deliveries to homeless shelters and social service agencies that feed the hungry throughout Metro Detroit.
"This generous donation by our friends at Daimler Financial, Daimler Trucks and Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is a leap forward in advancing our mission of reducing hunger and waste," Goodell said. "It will not only improve our operating efficiency by keeping fuel costs down, it will also allow us to direct more donated dollars to distributing food in a way that protects the environment."
The 31,000-pound Class 7 truck is the fifth truck donated by Daimler Financial Services and Daimler Trucks North America and aftermarket "body builders" in the past four years, bringing Forgotten Harvest's growing fleet to 21 vehicles.
Like a hybrid car, the M2e Hybrid Freightliner performs best with consistent stop-and-go applications. Launch and acceleration are aided by the 60hp electric motor, then with increased demand from the throttle, it blends combined diesel and electric power as needed. During braking, the braking power restores the battery charge. The hybrid system has been proven to increase brake life by over 100% in urban delivery service.
Combined with the industry's most thermal efficient truck body and all-electric refrigeration solution by Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, the new hybrid truck will contribute a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency over a standard powertrain Class 7 truck and body with traditional diesel-powered refrigeration.
"There is a tremendous need to feed the hungry all over the United States, but especially here in Michigan where the economy has taken its toll on those most in need," said Entenmann. "
Patterson agreed, saying: "At Daimler, we welcome the opportunity to be able to contribute to the extraordinary work being done on a daily basis by Forgotten Harvest."
In 2008, Forgotten Harvest rescued and delivered 9.5 million pounds of prepared and perishable food to emergency food providers across metro Detroit. This year, due to the staggering increase of people seeking food assistance, the organization is on target to distribute more than 12 million pounds. The food, which is donated by grocers, wholesalers, farmers and other food providers, is delivered same day and free of charge to soup kitchens, shelters and pantries in the tri-county area.
About Forgotten Harvest
Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to fight two problems: hunger and waste. Forgotten Harvest will rescue more than 12 million pounds of food this year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from a variety of sources, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors, and other Health Department-approved sources. This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered absolutely free of charge to 150-plus emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. The individuals and families served are as diverse as the community's residents - young and old, from all races and faiths. The common bond uniting them with each other and with Forgotten Harvest is hunger. Visit www.forgottenharvest.org
About Daimler Financial Services
Daimler Financial Services (DCFS USA LLC), headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., provides brand-specific financing for Mercedes-Benz automotive dealers' inventories and their retail customers, and conducts business in the United States luxury car market as Mercedes-Benz Financial. In the U.S. trucking industry, Daimler Financial Services Americas conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and finances Daimler commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star for dealers and their customers in the fleet, vocational, municipal and owner/operator segments. Daimler Financial Services Americas serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,600 employees. Daimler Financial Services Americas is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 40 countries with an employee base of close to 6,800. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide. For more information visit www.daimler-financialservices.com/na
About Freightliner Trucks
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore., and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 vehicles and is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. For more information, call or visit your nearby Freightliner Trucks dealership or go to www.FreightlinerTrucks.com
About Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies
Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is recognized as the industry leader in refrigerated transport. With headquarters in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Johnson is the innovator and manufacturer of molded fiberglass refrigerated truck bodies and specialized trailers that range from 8 to 36 feet in length. Johnson has a reputation of quality, durability, and innovative all-electric refrigeration solutions that are designed for many years of maintenance-free delivery. In business since 1932, Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is a CARLISLE Company. For more information please call 800-922-8360 or visit www.johnsontruckbodies.com.
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