Monday, 25 July 2011
Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has announced that an electric version of its Scion iQ car is currently being assembled and will arrive in the USA by 2012.
Toyota’s first attempt at producing an electric vehicle was the RAV4EV, which was released in 1997. Since then, Toyota has been better known for its hybrid vehicles, so the media has welcomed the news of a new all-electric vehicle entering the market.
(Source: www.inhabitat.com)
But along with a revamped version of the RAV EV, it presented to dealers an electric version of their smallest car, the Scion iQ EV.
Inhabitat reports that the car is rather tiny, with a limited battery range.
Monday, 14 March 2011
The 81st Geneva International Motor Show took place from 3 to 13 March at the Geneva Palexpo in Switzerland. Each year the exhibitions get more exciting in terms of green vehicle technology (Joule was showcased last year), with forty-four new vehicles incorporating eco-friendly technologies on display at the 2011 showcase.
Due to the success of the Green Pavilion at last year’s convention, organisers gave the star attraction a prime location at the 2011 event. The Green Pavilion was placed near one of the show’s main entrances, giving the sustainable models fantastic exposure to the crowd of around 700 000.
At a press conference held on 1 March at the autoshow, three finalists were named for the World Green Car award – the Nissan Leaf, the Chevrolet Volt, and the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Edition. Three experts, specially appointed by the World Car Steering Committee, selected these finalists. The judges will carefully review each aspect of the energy efficient vehicles, and winners will be announced on 21 April at the New York International Auto Show.
Nissan’s Leaf is also a top three finalist for the coveted World Car of the Year title, marking the first time an electric vehicle has appeared in this category, a major milestone for green technology.
There were many other notable green vehicles that appeared at this year’s show. The Rolls-Royce’s Phantom Experimental Electric is the most expensive battery-electric vehicle the world has ever seen. At $1.6 million, the car is not intended for production, but rather to spark discussion and dialogue amongst eco-conscious millionaires.
Nissan unveiled its ESFLOW electric sports car and Opel premiered its Ampera, which will be available by the end of 2011. Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford and Daimler all had their own unique energy efficient models.
It’s clear that major manufacturing brands are feeling pressure to present consumers with a green product due to climate change, but also in light of oil prices which have recently surged. The Geneva Motor Show is considered one of the most important annual motoring events, with nearly all major internal combustion engine models in the history of the automobile having been showcased there since the first show in 1905. The fact that green vehicles have an increasingly strong presence at the prestigious event speaks volumes about their significance in the automotive industry of today.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
As of 21 December 2010 citizens of the South Korean city, Seoul have been able to enjoy a new form of eco friendly public transport. A fleet of electric buses now runs on the city’s central route, marking the first time that this type of public transport has operated commercially.
The vehicles were constructed in partnership by Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hankuk Fiber. Each peanut-shaped vehicle is 11.05 metres in length and can travel 83 kilometres on a single charge, at a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour. The high capacity lithium ion battery can be fully charged in under 30 minutes with a high speed charger – very convenient! Engineers have also incorporated a system that allows the buses to collect and re-use energy when driving downhill.
Other cities like Los Angeles and Mumbai are experiementing with electric public transport, but Seoul is the most impressive so far, having committed to converting 50% of all public transport vehicles to electric power by 2020.
We like this a lot, great news to start off the new year!
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Optimal Energy hosted a sneak preview of Joule’s pilot fleet yesterday afternoon at it’s headquarters in Cape Town. Four test vehicles were on display to invited guests from the public and media, and it’s safe to say that those who attended liked what they saw.
Aside from the design and technical features, the pilot fleet also showcases some of the different shades that buyers can expect to choose from, namely Snowy, Chocolate, Cherry and Dolphin. Each colour comes with a different shade of interior upholstery which, I might add, is very luxurious in look and feel.
Plush seating for comfortable travelling.
These pilot vehicles were hand built and will now undergo rigourous testing under a variety of conditions to identify any flaws or complications before mass production at the East London factory commences in 2014. Each model will travel 100 000 km, providing plenty of feedback to Optimal Energy’s engineers.
Four Joules, in all their low carbon glory.
The Joule in Snowy, my personal favourite.
Perhaps you'd prefer it in Cherry?
...or Chocolate brown?
Guests at the preview were able to explore the features of the cars to get a real sense of how it operates differently from conventionally fuelled vehicles.
The driver's view.
The operating system. We work with buttons, not gears.
It was very exciting to finally be able to see and touch the car we’ve talked about for so long! Now that Joule has moved into the final testing stage and commercial production is in sight, we can expect to hear a lot more about the car as a tangible product, rather than a concept.
Some people at the event were even lucky enough to test drive Joule. To find out more take a look at a great write up of the preview event and the test drive experience on News24.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Established luxury automotive brands can no longer afford to omit energy efficient technology from their product offerings in a market of increasingly eco-conscious buyers, where independent manufacturers like Optimal Energy are setting the bar for green vehicle engineering.
Pressure is also coming from higher places as governments all over the world look to support environmentally sustainable motoring initiatives and promote less indulgent and excessive living. This presents a challenge for brands which have built their reputations around high performance luxury vehicles.
Unlike Optimal Energy’s Joule, which is an original product engineered primarily for affordable sustainability, products from brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi have traditionally held appeal because of the exclusive experience and high class status they offer consumers. Now that the market’s priorities have begun to shift, the giants of the luxury automotive industry have to adjust accordingly, while still maintaining the element of elitism which has been crucial to their traditional business models.
Luxury brands have therefore been somewhat slow to respond to the green movement, but evidence of carbon-cutting activity from the likes of Mercedes Benz and BMW, as well as Porsche and Bentley, has begun to emerge over the past few months.
Mercedes Benz has invested €1 billion (around R9.5 billion) in green technology development this year, and plans to roll out a four-cylinder S-Class Sedan with a diesel engine which will meet Europe’s new fleet exhaust emissions standards. Mercedes Benz has declared itself the first luxury auto manufacturer to offer a model with a CO2 emission rate of less than 150g/km.
BMW has put €1.2 billion towards its effort to provide high end customers with a more environmentally responsible product offering. The brand plans to release its Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car onto the market in 2013. According to the manufacturer the sportscar will combine two electric motors with a three cylinder combustion engine, and will demonstrate impressive performance with CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Audi is also looking into the idea of combining electric motors with small, more fuel efficient motors. The brand is said to be releasing a four-cylinder petrol version of its A8 in 2012.
One of the biggest contributors to our global carbon footprint, the automotive industry will undergo drastic change as sustainability becomes more of an urgent concern. We are moving towards an environmentally responsible way of life on Earth, and major industries have no choice but to move with us.
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