EU to become free of petrol-fuelled cars by 2050

From Deutsche Welle: Europe's cities could be free of petrol- and diesel-fuelled cars by 2050, under "very radical, very ambitious" targets set out by the European Commission.

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BMW i8 to star in Mission Impossible IV

Tom Cruise will drive the electric/diesel hybrid i8 in new Mission Impossible film The Ghost Protocol, says The Sun.

And it will go on sale in 2013 as part of a radical brand of BMW electric/hybrid cars.

The brand, launched this week in Munich, will be called BMWi - with the first models an electric city car, the BMW i3, and the high-performance i8 coupé.

The i3 will be a zero-emission all-electric supermini with room for four and a range in excess of 100 miles. It is aimed at commuters around the world. But the car that will change the image of electric motoring will be the stunning i8, a four-seat coupé with supercar performance, but fuel economy of nearly 90mpg, a range of 435 miles and CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km - and that means no road tax.

The incredible performance comes from a relatively small 1.5-litre turbo diesel, boosted by two electric motors, that delivers 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Expect a price around £100,000 plus.

BMW's Sales and Marketing boss Ian Robertson said the new brand and cars would "radically alter the motor industry and set a new benchmark for premium electric cars".

He added: "These cars and the i brand will shift the game and shape the future of motoring.

"It will change the way we build cars with new materials and production techniques and the way we drive."

He said it was too early to talk prices for the new cars but said that the i3 - despite being a small city car - would have a premium price and cost more than such rivals as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.

Luxury The ground-breaking brand follows a decision at the weekend by Rolls- Royce, also owned by BMW, to develop an all-electric Phantom as the first ultra-luxury electric car.

And BMW are also working on plans for an electric Mini - the German Group own Mini - to complete their electric range.

To that end BMW have been testing a fleet of 600 prototype electric Minis in the UK and around the world for the last two years.

And research from those drivers who took part in the Mini electric trials has been vital in developing the BMW i3 city car.

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Germany not doing enough to promote EVs

From Deutsche Welle: Germany is targeting a fleet of one million electric cars by 2020. But the path forward isn’t clear, and some say the country needs to pick up the pace to protect the future of its auto industry.

Electric cars need perks if the market is ever to take off, says the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI).

The association believes the best way to kick-start the electric car market in Germany is to offer incentives like the use of bus lanes to skirt past traffic, free parking in reserved spots and tax breaks.

Although the German government hopes to see 1 million electric vehicles on the country's roads by 2020, it's not doing enough to set an example, according to ZVEI. The association points to China, which aims to put 500,000 electric vehicles on the road in 2012 and the French government's decision to buy 50,000 for its own use.

The race to put electric cars on the road isn't just about innovation and production power, says ZVEI spokesman Andreas Abs; it's also about developing a market for used electric vehicles, which consumers can more readily afford.

France's decision to equip its government fleet with electric vehicles "creates a strong market impulse," Abs told Deutsche Welle. "In five or six years, there will be a veritable market for used electric vehicles."

And China, Abs believes, could eventually pull ahead of Germany when it comes to automotive expertise.

"Anyone with 500,000 electric cars on the market is going to acquire early experience with that technology," he said. "That's why we simply need to do more. The government needs to do more. The automobile industry is a significant part of our industry, and we can't afford to stand by and watch."

But if electric cars are to gain widespread appeal, there have to be obvious advantages to owning one. Among other things, that means an attractive infrastructure to service them and incentives to buy them.

Tax breaks and more

For a start, ZVEI recommends temporarily lifting Germany's 40 percent tax on electricity for consumers charging electric vehicles. The industry group also suggests introducing an interchangeable license plate similar to Switzerland's, which can simply be swapped between a conventional and electric car. Such a plate would reduce insurance and licensing costs as an incentive.

"We believe progress can be made with practical suggestions that don't necessarily cost money right away in the sense of a premium for electric vehicles," Abs said.

While ZVEI doesn't advocate direct subsidies, it does believe the German government should invest more in research, particularly in batteries. The association recommends doubling government funding to 1 billion euros or more.

"Instead of seeing money invested at the back-end with a premium for purchasing, we want to see it invested at the front-end in research and development because that's more difficult for a company that needs to make money on its products," Abs said. "We also need a smart grid, which fills the batteries of an electric car whenever wind turbines are turning. That's particularly appealing because consumers will then know that the electricity they're using to drive with wasn't generated by burning fossil fuels."

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Range Rover and Porsche Panamera go hybrid

Land Rover is debuting its Range_e, a diesel hybrid plug-in prototype, at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. According to the British car manufacturer, the technology-packed Range_e is one of several working prototypes currently being developed at Land Rover's design and engineering centre in the UK.

The Range_e is based on a Range Rover Sport and features a 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Matched with a plug-in parallel diesel hybrid system it offers a premium SUV that can run as a pure electric vehicle. The 'Range_e' is the first capable 4WD model from Land Rover to achieve 89g of CO2. It has an EV range of 20 miles, a top speed of around 120mph and a range of 690 miles.

Porsche is also unveiling in Switzerland a new hybrid model, its second, the Panamera S Hybrid. According to the German sports car manufacturer, the new Panamera model produces 380 horsepower with fuel consumption of only 6.8 L/100 km on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Porsche calls its Panamera S Hybrid the most fuel efficient Porsche of all time. Optional low-rolling-resistance tires developed especially for the Panamera help this hybrid performance sedan deliver its NEDC fuel economy figure. But even with standard performance tires, the Panamera S Hybrid's fuel consumption is a low 7.1 L/100 km. Official EPA fuel economy estimates will be available closer to the car's on-sale date, Porsche states.

The Panamera S Hybrid sets new standards in terms of Porsche performance as well as hybrid efficiencies, the manufacturer claims. The S Hybrid accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds and has a top track speed of 167 mph (270 km/h). Its range in purely electric mode is approximately one mile, with electric-only acceleration possible up to just over 50 mph (85 km/h).

The Porsche parallel full hybrid system also reduces consumption at high speeds thanks to its 'sailing' or coasting mode. When the driver lifts off the accelerator at normal highway cruising speeds, the gasoline engine is completely switched off and disengaged from the drivetrain by a decoupling clutch. This eliminates the combustion engine's drag forces and braking effect in the interest of lower resistance, fuel consumption and emissions. As soon as the driver presses the accelerator, to pass another vehicle for example, the gasoline engine smoothly starts within fractions of a second and engine rpms are increased to match the current vehicle speed. It does this seamlessly thanks to the Hybrid Manager, which also helps the Panamera S Hybrid accelerate dynamically in gears at higher speeds much like a conventional Panamera.

The same gasoline engine/electric motor combination that has already proven itself in the Cayenne S Hybrid drives the Panamera S Hybrid. A 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine delivering 333 horsepower is supported by a 47-horsepower (34 kW) electric motor. Depending on driving conditions, either drive unit can operate independently or together to drive the rear wheels. The electric motor, which also serves as the car's generator and starter, combines with the decoupling clutch to form the compact hybrid module located between the combustion engine and the transmission. The electric motor is connected to a nickel metal hydride (NiMh) battery that stores electric energy recovered from braking and other driving situations. The transmission is the same eight-speed Tiptronic S fitted in the Cayenne models, with a wide range of gear ratios.

The Panamera S Hybrid has an even higher level of standard equipment than the V8 Panamera S, Porsche says. Adaptive Air Suspension with the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive shock absorber system, Servotronic variable-assist power steering and a rear wiper have been added to the list of standard equipment. Other standard features include Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with navigation, the universal audio interface to connect an external audio source such as an iPod or a USB stick to the PCM system, and Bi-Xenon headlights. Inside, this new model also features an innovative display that provides the driver with relevant information about the status of the vehicle's hybrid drive systems.

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Bulgaria rolls out electric vehicle plan

From UPI: Transportation costs for commuters in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, will be cheaper as vehicles transition to alternative fuel sources, a company announced.

Bulgaria's REnergY announced during a two-day conference on electric vehicles that it planned to soon start construction on at least 15 charging stations in the country, the Sofia News Agency reports.

The company said it was working on prototype models, adding drivers of "traditional" vehicles will be at an economic disadvantage once electrical vehicles become a reality in Sofia.

The company said the first few charging stations would be free for the first year to promote the use of electric vehicles. German engineering company Siemens, a partner in the project, won financing for EV stations through a grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The aim of the pilot project is to examine the best ways to develop a functional network of EV charging stations across the country.

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Smart to decide on electric scooter by the summer

From Automotive News Europe: DaimlerAG's Smart subsidiary, which is seeing its car sales decline, will decide by the summer whether to expand its lineup by launching an electric motorcycle and an electric scooter, the unit's boss, Annette Winkler, said.

"We want to reach a decision within the next six months. The question is whether the business case is positive," Winkler told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show. Winkler said the business case currently is looking positive.

Smart is talking with potential production partners, but Winkler declined to disclose names of motorcycle makers with which Smart is negotiating. Smart unveiled concepts for the two-wheelers at the Paris auto show in October 2010.

This year, Smart forecasts sales of more than 90,000 units, compared with 97,500 in 2010 and about 134,000 in 2008. Its biggest markets were Germany, Italy, the UK, France and the United States. Last year, U.S. sales decreased to 5,930, compared with 24,000 in 2008, the year that the one-car brand launched sales in the country.

The successor to the current Smart ForTwo two-seat minicar will go on sale at the end of 2013 at the earliest. A four-seat Smart will follow in 2014 and will help boost sales.

Until then, Smart's only innovation will be a full-electric ForTwo, which will launch in 2012 with forecast sales of 10,000. Winkler said electric Smart sales could be combined with offers, such as the possibility to rent a larger car on a short-term basis.

Winkler also hopes to win new customers by selling individualized ForTwo models.

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German electric airplane is ready to fly

From the Green Car Congress: PC-Aero, a German aircraft design, engineering and consulting company for general and business aviation, in December 2010 successfully performed the static tests on the 1-seat Elektra One prototype electric powered aircraft for German Ultralight Certification.

The structure of the aircraft (wing, fuselage and tails) was loaded up to limit load.

In November 2010, PC-Aero performed the rollout of the electric airplane with running engine. This event took place at the Rotortec company in Görisried/Germany, where the aircraft is being prepared for first flight, which is scheduled for this month.

Elektra One, intended to be the first member of an electric aircraft family, was presented for the first time at the AERO 2010, The Global Show for General Aviation, in Friedrichshafen/Germany.

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BMW electric supercar could be named the i8 and cost 200,000 dollars

From Green Car Reports: BMW is pressing forward with its plans to build a production version of the striking plug-in hybrid concept car it called Vision Efficient Dynamics, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009.

According to reports filtering out of Germany, the model that goes on sale in October 2013 may be called the i8 and cost roughly $200,000.

BMW's "i" sub-brand, for which a logo was leaked a couple of weeks ago, stems from its uber-green "Project i" research program. The "i" name will also be applied to the radical "MegaCity" carbon-fiber all-electric car that's scheduled to launch in 2013. You could consider the "i" label the green counterpart to its "M" series of performance editions.

The company hasn't announced which "i" number the MegaCity Vehicle will carry, though betting is on either zero or one. But if the i8 label is confirmed for the Vision Efficient Dynamics, it would clearly position the production plug-in hybrid as a counterpart to BMW's 8-Series sports coupe.

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BMW to launch its electric series, the i

Tweet this post The BMW MegaCity will be the German manufacturer's first production electric vehicle, part of the future i Series.

The MegaCity, still under development, will be presented during the 2012 Olympic Games in London and is not expected to go on sale until 2013.

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VIDEO: Mercedes electric SLS AMG review

After Tesla, it was just a matter of time before Mercedes supercars went electric. UK's Auto Express has tested the SLS AMG E-Cell, a car with not one, but four electric motors.

With an impressive estimated autonomy of 200 km (125 miles), the SLS AMG E-Cell promisses to deliver the same thrills of a V8 - almost, as it is 400kg heavier than the non-EV SLS.

And it will be probably twice as expensive, Auto Express states, although there's still a lot for Mercedes to reveal about the model. The SLS AMG E-Cell is expected to debut in the markets somewhen between late 2012 and early 2013.

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Germany calls for global EV and mobility standards

The standard use of AC charging plug standard IEC 62196-2 Type 2 vehicle inlet, priority for wired charging over inductive charging and battery swapping and the standardisation of batteries at cellular level are some of the proposals made by the German National Platform for Electromobility in an interim report revealed by Cars21.

The working group led by Audi and RWE utility company also calls for increased cooperation with China, for a German-Chinese led standardisation process. The uniformisation of charging interfaces, charging stations and battery safety rules is identified by the group as the most important requirement for a successful market introduction of electric vehicles.

Read more at Cars21 and download the interim report (in German)

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Cars21: Germany's electricity grid ready for millions of EVs

From Cars21: An interim report of the National Electromobility Platform concludes that Germany’s grid is ready for electric vehicles. Only upgrades in some regions are needed to handle far more than the 1 million EVs on the street forecasted for 2020.

As part of the National Electromobility Platform (NEP), the working group "Charging Infrastructure and Network Integration" is chaired by experts from energy service provider E.ON AG and Siemens and submitted their key findings to the German federal government recently. The report points out that the German government’s smart grid plans, including the integration of up to 1 million electric cars by 2020, will generally not pose a problem for the power grid. Only in cases of a locally high density of electric cars could isolated segments of the grid be overloaded and require upgrading.

Read more (includes download links for the reports in German)...

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EVs and hybrids: BMW to hire 2,600 new employees

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s larger maker of luxury vehicles, is increasing hiring as the company expands its lineup to meet environmental regulators’ demand for cleaner-running cars.

The manufacturer plans to add 1,300 employees this year and at least 1,300 in 2011, Michael Rebstock, a spokesman at Munich- based BMW, said today by phone. The maker of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce models aims to add expertise in electric vehicles, hybrid powertrains and cleaner combustion engines to develop models with lower carbon-dioxide emissions, he said.

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