ChrisBrown
Join Date: February 2008
Posts: 2
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Neighborhood Electric Vehicles - Sorting the Reality from the Hype
Forget the hydrogen hype; electric vehicles are making quicker inroads to public sale. But are they viable yet for fleets?
The vehicles at EVS23, the annual Electric Vehicle Symposium that took place in Anaheim, Calif. in December, were an education in acronyms, from PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and E-REV (extended-range hybrid) to NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) and UEV (urban electric vehicle).
Whatever the classification, when it comes to electric, it’s all about the battery.
There is still a thriving market for those anachronistic, environmentally ugly lead acid batteries because they’re reliable and cheap.
A few steps up the evolutionary ladder are nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which power hybrid vehicles such as the Prius and Escape.
But NiMH batteries are only the interim “pony express” technology that is giving way to the emergence of lithium ion technology, and that was the hot news at the show.
The energy dense Li-Ion battery represents the future of electric vehicles. Breakthroughs are coming fast, but the rub is finding ways to mass produce them at a reasonable price.
E-REVs and PHEVs
The Chevy Volt road show continues. The E-REV Volt reverses standard hybrid philosophy in that the battery is the primary means of power while the gas engine provides the assist when the charge runs out.
However, GM admits it “has a lot of work to do” before the 2010 production target. Jon Lauckner, GM’s vice president of Global Program Management, says the company is cautious in testing the new lithium ion batteries to ensure that they consistently deliver 40 miles to a charge year after year—and for a $30,000 sticker.
At this point you can only admire the Volt from behind the velvet ropes. On the other hand Toyota, as well as other third-party battery makers, offered versions of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Prius to test drive at EVS.
In a lap around the convention center, Toyota’s plug-in conversion did not seem to hamper performance. Yet the extra NiMH battery pack, which takes the place of the spare tire, gives the Prius a mere seven extra miles on a charge. And it’ll take three to four hours to recharge those miles using a standard outlet. Toyota is considering offering a plug-in option on the next version (2010) of the Prius, though nothing is official.
If you can’t wait that long, there were aftermarket plug-in hybrid conversion kits at EVS and available today. However, you’re going to drop from $8,000-$15,000 for an extra driving range of only eight to 24 miles.
Moreover, aftermarket plug-in hybrids create some concerns beyond price, according to Ed Kjaer, Southern California Edison’s Electric Drive program manager.
From a safety perspective, you’re adding up to 300 pounds of extra weight onto the vehicle which can affect its stability and create a higher rollover risk, Kjaer says. Kjaer’s other concern is that the conversion could negatively affect the emissions system, which defeats the point. “I am absolutely scared of aftermarket conversions,” says Kjaer.
But What Can I Buy Now (or Soon)?
At EVS 23 Miles Electric Vehicles introduced the ZX40ST, a low-speed (25mph) all-electric work truck. The ZX40ST, on sale now, has a 7'5" x 4'6" truck bed and a 50-60 mile driving range. The truck uses lead-acid batteries but comes in at a reasonable $18,400.
As of this publishing, Phoenix Motorcars should be finally ready for fleet sales of its all-electric Sport Utility Truck (SUT). I had test driven the compact pickup at a previous show. The highway-legal truck will go up to 95 mph if you dare. It has impressive torque (a function of electric drive) and gets 130 miles on a charge.
The body is actually a Korean SsangYong Actyon pickup. The truck ain’t pretty and the fit and finish seem sub par by today’s standards. You can bet most of the $45,000 sticker is going toward the advanced lithium titanate battery, which Phoenix says will last you for 250,000 miles.
Two other intriguing all-electric UEVs come from England manufacturers Modec Limited and Smith Electric.
With a top speed of 50 mph, urban electric vehicles straddle the line between low-speed NEVs and highway-legal trucks. They’re ideal as city delivery vehicles.
I drove the Modec electric van. There are no car doors; the driver enters through the back of the cab. Currently in a few U.S. test fleets, the nimble Modec has a 100 miles range, a top speed of 50 mph and a payload of up to 4,500 lbs.
The vehicle costs about $70,000, but you have to lease the batteries at about $800 per month. Environmental benefits aside, these costs negate the fuel savings.
The Class 5-7 Smith Newton offers a longer range (150 miles), a larger max payload (16,000 lbs) and bigger sticker shock: The 2007 Smith Newton runs $150,000.
Smith Electric is committed to the U.S. market. The company is opening a factory in Fresno, Calif. to assemble electric trucks.
The PHEVs and E-REVs from Toyota and GM may not be as far along as the all-electric vehicles offered by Modec, Zap, Miles Automotive and Smith Electric. But it’s easier to forecast that Toyota and GM are in it for the long haul with the R&D dollars, cautious market approach and dealer support.
For the fleet buyer, that would be the safer bet.
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