Tag Archives: Electric Cars

Low Gas Tax Revenue Prompts New System

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Counties in the San Francisco Bay area are considering getting rid of gas taxes and switching to a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) system instead. The National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission (NSTIFC) recommends the switch because revenue from gas taxes have declined over the years as hybrid, electric, and more fuel efficient vehicles become prevalent on roads. They say that it will “balance the costs and benefits of the surface transportation system to those who are using it”, and could also reduce traffic congestion on the roads. The proposal is one idea in long range planning, updated by the agency every four years. If the idea is accepted, it would likely not be fully imposed until 2020.

Randy Rentschler, a spokesman for the regional commission, admits that the idea could be difficult to introduce. Radical changes like this will always be opposed by certain groups, and privacy issues will be questioned as a GPS based systems would be used to log information on when and where drivers are traveling. Transit advocacy groups are encouraging the transition to a VMT system to be tested first in the Bay area where the idea will be more easily accepted and the revenue could be used to support alternative public transportation options.

Powering EVs With Lithium-Air Batteries

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Consumers who are thinking of purchasing an electric car are usually deterred by the range of the lithium-ion battery used as the power source. Concerns about range, life expectancy, and the ability to find a charging station usually results in the consumer purchasing the vehicle with the technology they are familiar with, the combustion engine. Researchers are hoping to change consumers attitude toward electric vehicles with a new electrochemical cell called the lithium-air battery.

Lithium-air batteries are attractive to researchers because they rely on air as the cathode and lithium metal as the anode. This allows the battery to be lighter and can offer up to ten times more energy per density mass unit than conventional lithium-ion batteries. The first lithium-air battery was developed in the mid 1990’s but the technology still requires improvements before we can expect to see it used commercially.

  • The battery requires a steady flow of oxygen to operate, so an air compressor and blower will need to be added to the system. This not only negates the weight reduced on the battery, but adds extra parts to the system.
  • Lithium metal is highly flammable when exposed to water, so water vapor must be removed from the air and a water tight encasing is required.

Despite recent significant improvements in the technology, researchers say we are still 15 to 20 years from seeing it offered to the public. Once the battery has been approved a long term array of testing is required to make sure the battery can be used safely.

BMW Power Steering Problem

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BMW is recalling certain 2011 1-Series Active E an 2012 Z4 vehicle because drivers could experience sudden loss of power steering assist. Variations in electrical currents occurring within the power steering assist system could lead to sudden loss of power steering increasing the effort needed to maneuver the vehicle. Difficulty in steering could increase the chance of the driver getting into an accident. BMW will be notifying owners starting in July and will replace the steering assistance module free of charge. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW And Toyota Share New Technologies

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German automobile manufacturer BMW and Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota have announced that they will be expanding a 2011 agreement between the two companies to share strategic technologies in four different areas. BMW and Toyota emphasized that they have no intentions of building stakes in each others companies. Both say they share the same strategic vision of sustainable individual future mobility and feel their alliance will only strengthen both companies competitive position in sustainable future technologies. The agreement includes:

  • The joint development of a fuel cell system.
  • The joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle.
  • Collaboration on power train electrification.
  • Joint research and development on lightweight technologies.

The agreement will also end any further discussions of BMW working with General Motors and will eventually dissolve a joint venture with France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen to share components for hybrid cars.

Fuel Saving Technology At A Cost

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With fuel prices on the rise, more Americans are turning to electric and hybrid vehicles for the promise of saving money. Today’s consumer is offered a wider selection of vehicles, advertising better fuel economy with super fuel saving technologies. Even the government has jumped on the bandwagon with significant changes to fuel economy window stickers that estimate what a drivers annual fuel costs and savings will be. But, once the consumer starts looking into buying one of these vehicles, the promise of saving money is not always apparent.

According to recent studies, even if gas prices would climb to $5 a gallon, it would take the average hybrid or electric vehicle, six years before the consumer would start to see any savings. Analysts say that the price of these new technologies is a road block that limits the appeal of fuel efficient cars and trucks. The proof in in the numbers, with hybrid and electric car sales accounting for less than three percent of the total market.

So why do consumers pay more for these advanced technologies that promise to save them money? Many are blinded by advertising, but never actually sit down to do the math, or they overestimate the miles per gallon savings compared to actual savings. Some see the better fuel economy as better for resale, and hope to make up the difference when they sell their vehicle. Others just want to do something for the environment. Regardless of what the reason is, every day that gas prices increase, electric or hybrid automobile owners can feel better about the purchase they made.

GM Replaces Charge Cord On Volts

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Complaints from Chevrolet Volt owners about charging cords overheating and melting have been met with a GM customer satisfaction initiative that will have the 120V charging chords replaced. The initiative will cover all 2011 and certain 2012 version of the hybrid electric car. According to GM spokesman Randal Fox, the new cord will be a larger wire gauge making it more durable and able to withstand higher temperatures. The initiative is not a safety recall, but an effort by GM to offer a more consistent charging experience. GM will contact owners about the new cord in a few weeks.

This Chevrolet Volt cord replacement follows an announcement in January, that had owners bringing in their vehicles to have steel plates added around the Volt Battery. These plates are installed to spread the force of an impact over a larger surface area preventing the battery from being damaged. This battery upgrade came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) experienced a battery fire three weeks after crash tests were done on a Volt.

Slow Sales Stop Chevy Volt Production

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General Motors Co. has announced that they will stop production of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid vehicle for five weeks to allow their surplus of inventory to be depleted. This will be the third time that production of the Volt has been stopped for at least a month since the car first went on sale in December 2010. The lack of interest in the Chevy volt is being blamed on several factors:

  • A recent NHTSA investigation into battery fires resulting after crash testing.
  • The lack of charging stations in some states.
  • Electric car technology is still relatively new and problems need to be solved before it can be attractive to the mass market, the biggest complaints being lack of range and performance.
  • The production of electric vehicles by other automobile manufacturers.

GM hoped to sell 10,000 Volts last year, but ended up selling just over 7,600. Some feel the promotion of the electric vehicle by the Obama administration has failed. Even as gas prices continue to climb and government incentives are used, it is still not enough to get consumers to buy electric cars. The plant shutdown is expected to lay off almost 1,300 workers, and slow down companies that supply parts and batteries for the Volt.

Paying For The Car Pool Lane Experience

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The car pool lane is a roadway reserved for vehicles with at a specified number of occupants. These high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) may have the appearance of being lightly traveled, but statistics show that they carry more people per lane with fewer vehicles and usually at higher speeds. Some places allow hybrid and electric vehicles to access these lanes to encourage the use of a more environmentally friendly means of transportation.

Other states are looking at the concept of putting a price on the convenience of using HOV roadways. They say that tolls would not only raise money to maintain the roads but could manage traffic congestion as well. Motorist would be allowed to “buy their way” into the express lanes using an electronic transponder that logs how long and at what time of day the driver accesses them.

While the goal of the program is to keep traffic in the restricted lane moving at a reliable pace, a coalition of local groups say allowing people to by their way into the lane is having the opposite effect, and they have petitioning to have the program suspended. The state of California has recently restricted some older hybrids from HOV lanes because they were becoming too congested.