Gas 2.0

Okay people. I’ve had enough of these willy-nilly government programs and incentives in the transportation market without being given an actual national plan of action. This habit our country has of “let’s throw out everything and see what sticks” is not in any way in our best interest. All of these programs cost us taxpayers money — something that is scarce for many of us today.

I’m tired of waiting around for our legislators to create a long-term sustainable transportation platform so I went ahead and did it myself. Someone had to do it. Why not me?

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First we had electric trains. Then electric cars. Now, airplanes.

Sonex, a national leader in providing affordable high performance kit aircraft, is developing a concept Waiex E-Flight Electric-Powered plane.

I caught up with Mark Schaible, Marketing Director for Sonex, at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture last year, the largest aircraft event on the planet. The EAA AirVenture is held in July and early August every year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at the Wittman Regional Airport.

“That’s our goal,” says Schaible, surrounded by the entire family of kit aircraft, including the Sonex Sport Trainer, Sonex Sport Acro and Xenos Sport Motorglider.  “Keep ahead of the marketplace with an electric airplane.  Someone is going to do it, so it might as well be us. We have made a lot of progress and are working very hard toward first flight [with our Waiex E-Flight Electric Powered aircraft].”

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On Wednesday, June 10, astronaut Maurizo Cheli set a world record while piloting the fully electric SkySpark. During an eight-minute flight at the World Air Games 2009 in Turin, Italy, he hit a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

That’s a record speed for a 100-percent electrically powered aircraft. Read the rest of this entry »

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg acquired a controlling interest in Saab so that it could get its hands on the company’s electric car production facilities.

The claim, made on Swedish language website realtid, cites unnamed sources in saying that the move is likely to bring the cutting-edge solar-powered Quant EV concept car (pictured) a step closer to production reality.

Sources also suggest that low volume production of the ZEV Quant (video) is expected to begin in a couple of years. The car was designed by Swedish outfit NLV Solar AG, a world-leader in photovoltaics and electrical-power technology.

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Renault has announced plans to showcase a trio of electric cars at this September’s Frankfurt motor show, including all-electric versions of the Megane saloon and the Kangoo (on sale 2011), as well as an all-new concept EV.

At this stage, Renault is keeping tight-lipped about the details of its concept car, revealing only that it will be a four-metre, five-door hatchback that will go on sale in 2012.

According to Renault C-Segment Development Chief Christian Steyer, all of the company’s new EV offerings will feature noticeable styling, but nothing too radical. He told reporters, “We want a real signature for our electric range, so when people see one in the street they will know it is a Renault electric car. The key is to do this without frightening customers away. Customers must be tempted, and not rushed too fast.”

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Is it the truth or just wishful thinking that British car company Jaguar is developing an electric luxury vehicle?

Jaguar has an electric vehicle, the XE roadster - a two-seat convertible, scheduled for introduction at the Geneva show in 2011. The XE roadster will come with an optional range-extended electric drive-train, which is similar to the Chevy Volt.

The roadster will receive an electric motor with an extended-range three-cylinder gas engine, which is being engineered for the new-age E-Type. It is uncertain whether this engine would come in addition to Jaguar’s conventional 5.0-liter and supercharged 5.0-liter V-8s.

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Eighth-grader David S. Dixon–along with his dad David G. Dixon–has built a street-legal quadricycle powered by a solar-charged electric motor. The bike not only carries his dog and three friends, but it has also has an iPod dock and GPS. Ya, it’s that cool!

Coined as the Solar Human Hybrid (SOHH), the vehicle was launched as part of David Jr.’s middle school project for the Novato Charter School. Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s Note: This is a 4-part series covering my trip to Michigan to test-drive the Chevy Volt. See post 1. LiveBlogging from the opening of GM’s New Battery Lab, and 2. Chevy Volt Test Drive: How GM’s Electric Car Works. Disclaimer: GM flew me out for this event. This post is in no way affiliated with the GM ads that appear at the margins.

The real reason we were in Warren, MI wasn’t to test-drive the Volt, but to be on hand for the grand opening of GM’s new battery testing facility. The $25 million Global Battery Systems lab is now the largest battery testing facility in the United States, and is four times larger than the company’s old lab.

GM made a strategic decision to keep battery development in-house, because it will likely be a key competitive advantage in the race to commercialize electric vehicles. The lab already employs 1,000 engineers who work on advanced battery systems like the one found the the Chevy Volt. Read the rest of this entry »

The financial woes at General Motors could finally be catching up with its fuel cell vehicle development program.

In a Web-based interview with the media Tuesday, CEO Fritz Henderson said the company may take a close look at what it spends on fuel cell development. When asked by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Matt Daneman about fuel cells, Henderson said “while we need to be more efficient in this area, we are confident we can maintain the capabilities necessary to win in the market going forward.” Th giant automaker declared bankruptcy this month and is selling off subsidiaries.

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The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced yesterday that over the next three years it is ploughing $11 million into research projects to develop advanced batteries for electric cars.  The projects are also in line to benefit from a whopping $19 million in further support from the private sector.

A total of seven cutting-edge projects will focus on improving battery material performance and developing the manufacturing processes to produce them.  The ultimate aim is to reduce the cost of batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), one of the main financial barriers to more widespread uptake.

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