Leading provider of lithium iron batteries for vehicles, Valence Technology, has provided ten of its U-Charge XP energy storage solutions for Imperial College London’s student entry into the TTXGP – the world’s first clean emission motorcycle Grand Prix, on the Isle of Man.

The Imperial bike will be ridden by Chris Palmer, three-time overall race winner at the Isle of Man TT, holding the lap records for the Billown Circuit and Mountain Course for the Ultra-Lightweight TT class.

Valence has shipped more than 72MWhs of energy storage solutions, equating to around 200,000 batteries, or enough to power 6,500 electric cars or 2,000 hybrid buses. More than a 100 manufacturers in the automotive industry are trialling Valence batteries, which employ safe lithium iron magnesium phosphate chemistry.

The bike weighs in at 290kg and has a peak power output of 50hp, with the ability to accelerate from 0-60mph in 4 seconds and go on to a top speed of 100mph. It has an impressive range of up to 150 miles. The electric motors have been mounted towards the rear, with the batteries occupying space previously occupied by the engine and fuel tank, meaning the bike benefits from a lower centre of gravity.

Mark Donaghy, Global Marketing Director for Valence Technology, said “We are proud to be supporting Imperial College’s entry into this ground-breaking event. Valence energy storage solutions have been successfully applied across multiple vehicle sectors, from motorcycles and scooters to 12-tonne trucks and double-decker buses.”

Nikolaus Sauer, a mechanical engineering undergraduate at Imperial and Project Manager for the TTXGP bike, said “We have enjoyed working with Valance to develop this solution. Valence provided a package which was simple to integrate yet outstanding in terms of performance and safety, making use of the most advanced lithium phosphate technology.”

The TTXGP will take place on 12 June 2009, integrated into the traditional TT programme.

A collaboration between the UK’s leading automotive engineering facilities has resulted in the development of the first plug-in retro-fit hybrid conversion of a combustion engine vehicle. Known as the Affordable Add-on Zero Emissions Vehicle (ADDZEV), the technology that has been developed demonstrates how it may be possible to convert much of the UK vehicle fleet into hybrid vehicles.

Developed to reduce the carbon emissions of inner-city driving, the ADDZEV system was perfected utilising a standard Vauxhall Combo van. Designed to operate as a ‘Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle’ (PHEV), the development team retained the existing conventional front-wheel-drive system of the Combo but added an electric drive, powered via Exide’s low cost advanced lead acid batteries, to the rear wheels. This transformed the van into a hybrid vehicle, capable of achieving an all electric range of over 20 km, from one charge.

Conceived by a consortium of experts from Cranfield University, Millbrook Proving Ground, Provector and Oxford University with battery advice from the European Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (EALABC), the project team behind the ADDZEV believes that, due to simulation studies using real-world data from a range of vehicles, the technology could be scaled up for larger vans and even city buses.

The retro-fit system announced before many manufactured plug-in hybrids have even hit the market could mean that conventional cars could be upgraded to feature the most cutting edge technology.

The system is powered through twin liquid-cooled motors, with a maximum power of 100 kW for maximum gradeability, mounted in a discrete sub-frame under the rear floor of the vehicle, Electric only drive has been limited to propel the vehicle at a speeds up to 60 km/h. For out-of-town driving or higher speed operation, the existing front-wheel-drive diesel power unit provides conventional operation. It can also be configured to switch manually between modes, enabling selection of ultra low emission operation in a low emission zone or city centre.

The batteries are charged through specially-devised control software and power management systems created by Cranfield University and Provector. As a result, drivers have two options for charge – either by connecting to the electricity grid or via the internal combustion engine that generates and stores energy when the vehicle is in motion. This results in a typical operating cost for fuel in a small delivery business that could be reduced by 40 per cent compared to operation on traditional fossil fuels alone. The technology, which can be retro-fitted onto a wide range of vehicles, has performed well in final testing at Millbrook.

Andy Eastlake, head of laboratories at Millbrook, praised the team, concluding: “This has been a diverse project with many challenges but by bringing together the technology providers, system integrators and the development organisation to connect the supply chain directly to the vehicle operator, we have been able to focus not only on what can be delivered but, importantly, on what the end customer wants to operate.”
Conducted as part of the Low Carbon Research and Development programme run by the Energy Savings Trust (EST), the project was jointly-funded by the Department for Transport and the European Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium.

Andrew Adonis, Minister for Transport, said: “We want Britain to be at the forefront of ultra-low carbon automotive technology. This research shows we can do that not only by producing new, more environmentally friendly electric cars, but by modifying existing vehicles.

“The technology could even be applied to buses, which will help us to cut our carbon emissions by even more. This, coupled with the incentives announced last week to make electric cars a real option for motorists, will help us to meet our aim for low-carbon vehicles to be an everyday feature of life on Britain’s roads in less than five years.”

Nigel Underdown, Head of Transport Advice at the Energy Saving Trust, said “With CO2 emissions caused by production, driving and disposal, swapping your old vehicle for a new electric or hybrid is not always the most sustainable solution. To be able to retrofit, so that the vehicle becomes more efficient and emits less carbon is a wonderful solution. We commend any steps made to reduce the emissions of the 30 million cars and vans on Britain’s roads today.”

“The project has shown the untapped environmental potential of modifying existing urban vehicle designs to hybrid,” said Nick Vaughan, Head of the Department of Automotive Engineering at Cranfield. “In the current economic climate, relying on the gradual penetration of newly-built vehicles to reduce carbon emissions will not deliver much-needed carbon savings in the short term. Our target for ADDZEV was to demonstrate what could be achieved with the existing urban fleet.”

The Toyota Prius will, this summer, take its advanced hybrid power technology and environmental leadership on to a higher level.

The new, third-generation Prius will arguably become the world’s most technically advanced mainstream car, and will also help demonstrate the real world benefits of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive (2004 International Engine of the Year, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Green Engine of the Year) has been comprehensively revised and improved, with more than 90 per cent of its components redesigned to create a lighter, more compact system, with a focus on increased power, further reductions in real-world fuel consumption and improved cold weather operation.

System power output has been increased by 22 per cent, from 109 to 134bhp (110 to 136 DIN hp) and, with performance to match a conventional 2.0-litre petrol vehicle, new Prius will accelerate from nought to 62mph in 10.4 seconds.

At the same time overall fuel economy has been improved by 10 per cent, new Prius returning 72.4mpg in combined cycle driving. The adoption of a larger, 1.8-litre engine reduces the rpm during high-speed driving to give a 10 per cent gain in long-haul cruising fuel efficiency. And with more torque produced at lower engine speeds, new Prius offers more relaxed cruising performance, too.

Prius easily exceeds the Euro 5 emissions standards, producing 89g/km of CO2. And when operating in EV mode at speeds up to 30mph, it uses no fuel and produces zero exhaust emissions.

Hybrid Synergy Drive System Components

Unlike parallel or ‘mild’ hybrids, which use additional electric motor power purely to boost petrol engine performance, or ‘series’ hybrids, which rely on electric power alone to drive the wheels, new Prius is a full hybrid capable of running in petrol and electric modes alone, as well as a combination of both.

That means it delivers the energy-saving benefits of a series hybrid combined with the performance benefits of a parallel hybrid. It gives new Prius seamless acceleration and remarkably quiet operation, while also returning class-leading fuel efficiency and ultra-low emissions.

The system comprises a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine, a powerful electric motor, a generator, a high-performance battery, a power control unit and a power split device, which uses a planetary gear set to combine and re-allocate power from the engine, electric motor and generator as required.

The key to the successful installation of Hybrid Synergy Drive within Prius’s front-engine platform is the housing of the electric motor, generator and power split device on a single, lightweight and highly compact transmission casing that is little bigger than a conventional gearbox. The new transaxle itself is smaller, 20kg lighter and benefits from a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in driveshaft energy losses compared to the current system.

1.8-litre VVT-i Atkinson Cycle Engine

A new four-cylinder, 1.8-litre VVT-i Atkinson cycle petrol engine replaces the 1.5-litre unit in current Prius. Generating 97bhp (98 DIN hp) at 5,200rpm and 142Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, it delivers higher torque at lower revs – a reduction of 300rpm at 75mph – and combines quieter running with a 10 per cent improvement in long distance cruising fuel economy.

Adopting the Atkinson cycle and a new, cooled exhaust gas recirculation system brings significant gains in fuel efficiency and emissions reduction.

Because the intake valves close late in an Atkinson cycle engine, compression is delayed. This creates a high expansion ratio for less compression, reducing intake and exhaust energy losses and converting combustion energy to engine power more effectively. As a result the exhaust temperature is lower than that of conventional engines. Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation reintroduces the cooled gas into the intake system, further reducing engine operating temperatures.

Together, these technologies reduce the likelihood of fuel enrichment being needed for cooling to protect the catalytic converter from overheating damage, thus improving fuel economy and emissions.

Prius has a new engine heat management system that improves fuel economy in cold weather and cabin comfort, using a heat recovery system and an electric water pump. Using an electric system in place of the water pump drive belt reduces mechanical losses and, as a result, the coolant flow rate can be controlled with greater precision, achieving better fuel efficiency.

80bhp Electric Motor

New Prius has a 80bhp (60kW) electric motor that works in tandem with the petrol engine to improve acceleration, and which powers the driven wheels alone when the vehicle is operating in EV mode. Compared to the motor used in the current Prius, it is 20 per cent more powerful, yet 33 per cent smaller.

During deceleration and under braking, the electric motor acts as a high-output generator to produce regenerative braking. This optimises energy management in the Hybrid Synergy Drive system by recovering kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat as electrical energy for storage in the high-performance battery.

Power Control Unit

The Power Control Unit (PCU) consists of a voltage boost converter, an inverter and a DC/DC converter, controlled by a motor control ECU that receives commands from the hybrid vehicle control ECU.

The new inverter, 36 per cent lighter and 37 per cent more compact than before has faster switching for improved efficiency. It can convert the battery’s direct current into a higher, 650V (+150V) alternating current to drive the electric motor and, on occasion, the generator, giving significantly improved PCU performance.

High Output Battery

Output from the nickel-metalhydride Hybrid Synergy Drive battery, a proven reliable battery technology, has been increased to a maximum 27kW (+2kW), allowing new Prius to be driven in EV (electric vehicle) mode, using electric motor power alone.

The battery has been positioned to minimise impact on cabin space. The efficiency of its cooling system has been improved with a significant increase in fan capacity.

Three On-demand Driving Modes

New Prius’s seamless transmission has three ‘on-demand’ driving modes: EV, ECO and POWER to increase fuel economy, driving efficiency and performance according to driving conditions.

From start-up and at speeds of less than 31mph (50km/h), new Prius automatically operates in EV mode. The driver can also select EV mode manually, with the car’s driving range determined by the level of battery charge.

In ECO mode, throttle response to aggressive accelerator pedal inputs is reduced and the air conditioning control is adjusted for improved fuel economy. Depending on driving conditions, ECO mode can help drivers achieve a 10 to 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption.

Finally POWER mode modifies response to throttle inputs, boosting power to improve acceleration and give greater driving pleasure.

FUSION HYBRID AVERAGES 81.5 MPG, SETS WORLD RECORD WITH 1,445 MILES ON SINGLE TANK OF GAS

Drivers trained in mileage-maximizing techniques such as smooth acceleration and coasting to red lights were able to get an extraordinary 1,445.7 miles out of a single tank of gas during a fund-raising effort in Washington, D.C. that concluded today. They did it by averaging 81.5 miles per gallon in an off-the-showroom floor, non-modified 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient midsize car in North America – nearly doubling its U.S. certified mileage.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk would like to congratulate Ford on their fantastic achievement.

Following on from yesterday’s news about losses and falls in profit for Mitsubishi, Daihatsu and Hino Motors, Honda has now announced a significant loss of more than £1billion for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2008-2009.

With sales slumping by a dramatic 35 per cent, the company expects group operating profits to slump by 94.7 per cent to a mere Y10billion over the fiscal year which started earlier this month. Over the course of fiscal year 2008, its group net profit has fallen by 77.2 per cent to 137.01billion Yen – although this is notably better than the Y80billion it had originally predicted.

Nevertheless, with its operating profit slumping by Y189.64billion – down 80.1 per cent – the company suffered its first year-on-year drop in sales in nine years.

Worse may yet be to come for the Japanese automotive sector as a whole. Honda is expected to be the only major manufacturer to remain in the black for the past fiscal year with Nissan and Toyota predicted to announce huge losses when they release their results in May.

In an effort to cope with its financial woes, Honda has already decided to sell its motorsports team. It is expected that much of its future success will hinge on green cars such as the new Honda Insight, which is seen as a direct competitor to the Toyota Prius.

Another day, another new car from Toyota as this time the Verso is launched across the UK.

The vehicle, which features in the compact MPV segment, is the third-generation of the car and has a new look both inside and out with larger external and wheelbase dimensions as well as substantially more load space.

The new Verso benefits from Toyota Optimal Drive powertrains across the engine range which allow for stronger performance but lower emissions and improved fuel economy. For example, the new 1.8 Valvematic petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox is capable of an additional 18bhp compared to the model it replaces but brings CO2 emissions down by 19g/km to 165g/km. Its fuel economy is impressive too with an extra 3.7miles a gallon for an official figure of 40.4mpg on the combined cycle.

In addition, the 2.0 litre D-4D engine has been revised with new piezo electric injectors helping to enhance the torque performance and lower the vehicle’s emissions.

The vehicle will be available in three grades – the T2, TR and T Spirit. The T2 has five airbags, air conditioning, a Easy Flat-7 folding rear seats, electricity adjustable heated door mirrors and electric front windows and body coloured bumpers among its features. The TR grade adds Bluetooth, additional driver and front passenger side airbags, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels. Finally, the T Spirit includes climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and comes equipped with a hard disk drive.

The maker of Subaru automobiles, Fuji Heavy Industries, has announced that development of its Subaru Plug-in STELLA electric vehicle has been a success.

The car is scheduled to be introduced in Japan this summer with the company providing the Ministry of the Environment with 15 units for a verification test which will be conducted by five prefectural and city governments.

The new prototype Subaru Plug-in STELLA boasts improved driving performance thanks to increases in power compared to its predecessor from 40kW to 47kW. Its efficiency has also been boosted thanks to a lighter body weight and the downsizing of the battery pack design. Its specifications are set to match those of an electric vehicle to be introduced by the company this summer.

Fuji Heavy Industries has also been looking into lithium-ion battery technology after the success of the Subaru R1e. The company hopes to test market production electric vehicles from July this year in Japan with around 170 units to be delivered during the fiscal year.

The firm hopes it will be the perfect combination of environmental considerations and a pleasant, reliable driving system. FHI now hopes to position itself as one of the leaders in the field.

A new test platform that could reduce the time required for the design and development of a hybrid architecture is now up and running.

The so-called HyHIL virtual hybrid test platform was originally launched in 2008 by D2T in partnership with several companies including LMS-Imagine, the Laboratoire de Génie électrique de Grenoble (G2ELAB), Renault and IFP. It uses a suite of generic tools to reproduce and assess the architectures of hybrid cars.

Three architectures have already been validated using this platform after testing over several driving cycles using an energy supervisor developed by IFP. The three architectures are pure thermal mode, stop & start mode and hybrid mode with simulation of electric propulsion. 

Parameters can be adjusted on the powertrain test bench so effects on emissions and drivability can be analysed. Validation will now focus on hybrid four-wheel drive architecture to evaluate the vehicle’s dynamic behaviour and to fine tune the development of functions relating to energy recovery and braking.

Research is under way for a possible hybrid battery/ultracapacitor system that would be used in small electric vehicles.

Representatives from Aalborg University in Denmark and the Illinois Institute of Technology presented a paper on the work at the SAE 2009 World Congress. The system allows the batteries to function as the main energy storage source of the vehicle supplying average power to the load. The ultracapacitors then are used to meet the power demands during transients.

During the course of the study, the researchers were able to connect the battery pack and ultracapacitor in parallel to the DC link using bi-directional two quadrant buck-boost converters. The system is then controlled using a power flow management methodology based on load demand.

The vehicle target is a small electric vehicle, similar to a neighbourhood electric vehicle, with a speed limit of 25-31mph and weight at around 800kg.

According to the initial results of the study, the power management based on hybrid system reduces the stress in the battery current without a drop in performance. This provides a reduced battery size with a longer lifetime.

The controversy surrounding the use of biofuel in road fuel has heightened as one African publication accuses the biofuel industry of taking food directly out of the mouths of the hungry.  Business Daily Africa’s article entitled ‘Africa to feed EU’s appetite for biofuels as its people starve’ explores the relationship between the European Union’s introduction of a biofuel directive in 2008 and rises in food prices.

In addition to concerns about the true carbon footprint and environmental cost of biofuel, a coalition of international charities accuses the EU Biofuel Directive (which requires all road fuel used by member states to consist of 10 per cent biofuel by 2020) of making biofuels much more profitable than feeding the hungry, the publication reports.

The French chapters of Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Catholic Committee against Hunger and for Development (CCFD) report that the figures speak for themselves;  232 kilos of maize are needed to produce 50 litres of ethanol — roughly enough to fill an average car tank, or enough to provide the amount of calories a child needs in a year.

Ambroise Mazal, who heads CCFD’s side of the campaign against biofuels told Business Daily Africa: ‘‘The problem remains that, as of today, the EU can produce a mere two per cent of the required total [to meet the Biofuel Directive]. European agriculture could potentially account for half of the required 10 per cent, but the rest will have to be imported from outside the EU.”

According to the publication, many African countries have expanded single-crop farming surfaces as a response to European hunger for biofuel, leading to land, water and other limited resources being diverted from scarce food-producing crops.

Several international institutions including the International Monetary Fund have acknowledged the social, economic and nutritional impacts on developing countries and their already tense food resources. Despite this, several African states have drafted policies in favour of biofuel crops.

Here in the UK, the Renewable Fuels Agency which was set up by the Government to implement the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a response to the EU Biofuel Directive, commissioned the Gallagher Review last year to investigate the link between biofuels, rising carbon emissions and spiralling food prices. The report concluded that the use of biofuels in road fuel had lead to some unintended environmental and social problems. An amendment was subsequently made to the first target set out RTFO, to 5 per cent biofuel by 2013-14 instead of the initial target of 5 per cent by 2010-11, but it failed to halt the demand for biofuel. 

The UK exceeded its biofuel obligations last year, making around 2.7 per cent of the total UK road transport fuel supply. Research last year by Friends of the Earth found that some fuel suppliers were adding twice as much biofuel as required by law,  bulking out their fuel with cheap biofuel and defying the RFO’s call to slow demand for the controversial ‘green’ fuel.

In Senegal, a country affected by food riots a year ago, up to 200,000 hectares (10 per cent of the country’s arable land) might be set aside for jatropha crops for biofuels. 

Second and third generation biofuels are supposed to limit environmental and social impacts because of either the use of non food-producing crops or biomass such as algae and fungus.

‘‘That’s a sham,’’ insists Mazal, ‘‘because second generation fuels made from non-edible crops still take up arable lands and the research is far from developing sustainable biomass in laboratories.’’
To read the full article, visit Business Daily Africa.

What do you think? Should the EU and the UK halt obligations for biofuels until such time as we can be sure of the environmental and social impacts? Should fossil fuel suppliers be stopped from exceeding legal obligations on biofuel? Are biofuels green?