Here’s the official music video for Jason Mraz’s new song ‘Long Drive (We can take the long way)’ featuring the BMW i3.
Note, though, that it’s a little risqué (probably NSFW).
Source: YouTube via Inside EVs
Category Archives: Electric Cars
Northampton e-Car Club Nissan Leafs
A few weeks ago I spotted a set of electric cars parked up near the town centre in Northampton. Today I parked up nearby on my way to picking up my girls from choir and had the opportunity to investigate further.
There are three 2014 Nissan Leafs in a row, all black and marked ‘www.e-carclub.org‘ on the boot. They are parked in specially marked bays by the Derngate theatre, and just next to a recently installed pair of EVlink fast chargers.
Clearly they belong to the E-Car organisation, but I have not yet learned anything more about them. There is a passing reference in a news release from another company, but clear there has not yet been an official launch of this E-Car site.
I’ll post more news as I get it.
Update: there has since been a press release about it.
Mercedes-Benz TV: With the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID through Copenhagen
With the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID, the first certified three-litre luxury saloon in the world, Mercedes-Benz Reporter Torie encounters a whole new driving experience: silent, fully electric and locally emission-free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Hgz7YcTcw
A Trip by Tesla Taxi in Norway
On a business trip last month (21st October) I arrived with a colleague at Haugesund, a small airport on the windswept west coast of Norway.
We were quickly out and walked over to the taxi rank and straight into a Tesla. I was delighted as I am very interested in electric cars, and the Tesla is definitely the flagship EV in my mind.
I made sure I got the front seat. The car is a delight. Comfortable, quiet and smooth. The dashboard contains an absolutely enormous LCD screen with a myriad of context relevant data.
We got talking with the driver. He had received the car in March and, so far as he knew, he was the only Tesla operating as a taxi driver in that region. He said on most days he worked the full day on one charge. Only if he had some exceptional journeys might he need to recharge.
Cable opens Cleaner Vehicles Centre
Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced further funding of £32 million for two new projects to research electric motors manufacturing technology for electric vehicles and develop cleaner internal combustion engines, during a visit to officially open the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) headquarters at the University of Warwick.
The two new projects are led by Jaguar Land Rover. They will be part of the projects announced this year that will safeguard 2,500 jobs, in the £1bn industry and government commitment to turn low carbon propulsion technology into products developed in the UK.
The APC projects committed so far will reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to the output of 250,000 cars per year over the next decade.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“Green technology will drive the cars of the future and UK designers and manufacturers must continue to be leading innovators in this field. That’s why we’ve collaborated with industry to provide £1billion joint investment in the Advanced Propulsion Centre – one of the driving forces behind our automotive industrial strategy.”
“The APC will be the hub for projects as diverse as using motorsport braking systems in buses, and streamlining the production of electric motors. It’s these kind of initiatives that will enable our automotive sector to raise the bar in innovation, give businesses the confidence to invest and create high skilled jobs.”
Speaking at the opening of the APC Hub at the University of Warwick, Chief Executive Tony Pixton said:
“The Advanced Propulsion Centre is now active as an enabler for low carbon propulsion development and production in the UK. Today’s news confirms we are on track to support and create more than 30,000 UK jobs over the next decade, cutting CO2 emissions and driving exports.”
“We are delighted to welcome the Business Secretary and Co-Chair of the Automotive Council, Dr Vince Cable MP to the APC Hub to announce the latest investments and launch the next funding competition in our ten year programme of investments. The APC is leading the development of the UK as a Propulsion Nation as we expand from the Hub with the announcement of the new London Spoke, in conjunction with Loughborough University and adjacent to the proposed Centre of Excellence for Digital Engineering and Test.”
The APC helps forge partnerships between those who have good ideas and those who can bring them to market. The services provided by the APC enable projects which provide profitable growth and sustainable opportunities for the partners involved and contribute to the UK’s economic prosperity.
Loughborough University in London welcomed the news that the first APC Spoke will be located at its premises on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park campus.
Vice Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, Robert Allison, said:
“We are delighted that Loughborough University in London is to host this first, and highly important, Spoke of the Advanced Propulsion Centre.”
“Loughborough University has been training automotive engineers since 1919 and our research in powertrain engineering, propulsion and manufacture is recognised as world-class. Powertrain and propulsion development is a key strategic area for Loughborough: indeed earlier this year we announced a five-year investment of £1.5 million in research appointments, which will help us to develop the new advanced propulsion technologies required for the move to zero emission vehicles. We are therefore exceptionally well-placed to support this very important and hugely exciting development.”
Announcements about further spoke locations, funding competitions and the development of the APC team will be made in the coming months.
Source: Newspress
Tesla Model S scores Euro NCAP five star safety rating
Despite some much overblown crash controversy in the US, the Tesla Model S has once again proved its safety credentials, adding a five star Euro NCAP score to its five star result from the US road safety authority, NHTSA.
In the latest round of safety tests, the Model S secured a five star result alongside the new Nissan Pulsar, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and Skoda Fabia. Also tested was the Suzuki Celerio which scored a less impressive three star result.
For the Model S though the latest result reaffirms just how safe electric cars are despite overblown coverage of a number of crashes involving Model S cars last year, which might have suggested the car was a fire risk.
An investigation into fires involving the Model S by NHTSA last year, reaffirmed that the Model S was safe, although Tesla did nonetheless decide to make a few tweaks to improve the car further including adding a new titanium body shield.
Read more: Green Car Website
BMW likely to phase out IC engines over the next 10 years
During a recent interview with CNBC.com, mutual fund manager Ron Baron of Baron Capital revealed that two of his analysts recently visited BMW in Germany and the BMW financial team believes that a “revolution in the drive train is underway.”
“We believe that BMW will likely phase out internal combustion engines over the next 10 years,”
Baron wrote in his most recent quarterly letter to shareholders of his funds.
Almost exactly 12 months ago, BMW product chief Herbert Diess told Autocar “all BMW models will soon need to be sold with some form of electrification.” BMW’s head of production for large vehicles, Peter Wolf, told motoring.com.au. “We are planning to have a plug-in hybrid in each and every model series.”
Read more: Electric Vehicle News
Have your say on the London Ultra Low Emission Zone
London’s air quality has improved significantly in recent years and is now considered compliant for all but one air pollutant for which the European Union has set legal limits. This pollutant is nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which has impacts on public health. London is currently in breach of legal limits. An equivalent of 4,300 deaths in London is attributed to air quality related illness. The Capital also faces challenging targets to mitigate the effects of climate change.
This means further action is needed to reduce air pollutant and CO2 emissions from transport to improve quality of life and public health. In recognition of this, the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have developed a proposal for an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London.
The ULEZ would require all vehicles driving in central London to meet new exhaust emission standards (ULEZ standards). The ULEZ would take effect from 7 September 2020, and apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A vehicle that does not meet the ULEZ standards could still be driven in central London but a daily charge would have to have been paid to do so.
The ULEZ would include additional requirements for TfL buses, taxis (black cabs) and private hire vehicles (PHVs):
A requirement that all taxis and new private hire vehicles presented for licensing from 2018 would need to be zero emission capable
A reduction in the age limit for all non zero emission capable taxis from 2020 from 15 to 10 years (irrespective of date of licensing)
Investment in the TfL bus fleet so that all double deck buses operating in central London will be hybrid and all single deck buses will be zero emission (at source) by 2020.
Read more: Transport for London, EV News Report
Triple Standard RAPID EV Charger For Wiltshire
The UK’s latest EV quick charging network, RAPID EV, installed by Chargemaster across six sites in Wiltshire, is now open for business.
UK’s Minister for Transport, Baroness Kramer, officially opened the network during a special event held Monday, November 3 2014.
The RAPID EV network has been set up by Wiltshire Council and partially funded by the UK government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
The charging points, located in public parkings in Salisbury, Melksham, Warminster, Trowbridge, Corsham and Chippenham, are of the type that can charge an electric car to 80 percent of its capacity in a little over 20 minutes.
Chargemaster said each charging point is ‘triple-standard’ with three separate plugs to connect to the widest possible range of electric vehicles, including a DC 44 kilowatt CHAdeMO plug, a DC 44 kilowatt CCS Combi plug and an AC 43 kilowatt Type 2 plug.
Baroness Kramer mentioned in her speech all six RAPID EV charge points are free for EV drivers to use, with only normal parking charges applying at each of the sites.
“More and more people are switching to plug-in vehicles, with more than 5,000 sold in the last three months,” said Transport Minister Baroness Kramer. “We need the right infrastructure to keep building that momentum. Providing charge points like these means people can be confident that they can charge their car when they are out and about.”
All RAPID EV charging points are said to be linked to Chargemaster’s national POLAR network, with access via the POLAR charging card, as well as smartphone APP based access at www.polarinstant.com.
Source: Hybrid Cars
Mercedes’ first electric car goes on sale
Mercedes-Benz has opened the order books for its first fully electric car in Germany; the new B-Class E-Cell.
Based on the combustion B-Class hatchback, the new E-Cell model is due to go on sale across Europe later this month.
But details have already emerged about price and specifications that customers in Germany can expect to enjoy, giving us a better idea of what to expect when the B-Class arrives here.
According to details emerging from Germany, the E-Cell will be available to lease from €399 a month (around £312 a month and based on a 3 year, 30,0000 kilometre contract hire agreement with a €8,473.31 deposit).
To buy the new model, costs from €39,151 (£30,621.61) – making around £8,000 more than an entry-level combustion B-Class, and therefore highly affordable once government grants are taken into account.
Strong performance
Fitted with a 132kW electric motor, offering max torque of 340Nm, the new B-Class will deliver on performance too, with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds (almost as good as the best in the B-Class range, the B220 Sport 7G DCT 4MATIC, at 7.5 seconds).
There will also be a 124 mile range – comparable to that of the Nissan LEAF.
There is also a choice of three drive modes; Economy Plus, Economy and Sport.
With the lithium ion battery pack safely tucked under the floor, the B-Class offers impressive 501 litres of boot space and is offered in a choice of three trims; Style, Urban and the exclusive Electric Art.
Mercedes will also offer Range Plus as an option, which can extend the range of the E-Cell by around 18 miles. The driver simply presses the Range Plus button on the dash to extend the range. This option also include a heated windscreen, various insulation measures and heat-insulating, dark-tinted glass.
There is also an optional radar-based, regenerative braking system (€416.50) which uses data from Collision Prevention Assist Plus system to either increase or reduce to zero, as appropriate, the level of regeneration and therefore deceleration.
To protect pedestrians and cyclists, an acoustic vehicle alerting (€119) is also offered and generates a specific Mercedes-Benz sound up to a speed of 18mph.
The B-Class Electric Drive will come as standard with a charging cable for wallbox and public charging stations (faster charging, Mode 3) although a charging cable for a domestic socket will also be offered at no extra cost.
For an extra €297.50, customers can order a combination of a charging cable for a standard household socket (Mode 2) and a charging cable for wallbox and public charging stations (faster charging, Mode 3).
More details of a UK-bound B-Class E-Cell are due to be released in the coming weeks as order books are expected to be opened here too this month.
Source: Green Car Website