Renault (w/Nissan) Outline Zero Emission Strategy: Here is a excerpt from the longest electric car press release of all time! (4,435 words…I counted) “Renault will begin to introduce an unprecedented four electric vehicle range, starting with Kangoo Van Z.E. From 2012, three further models will be launched: Fluence Z.E. plus two new, all-electric models which will have their own specific, innovative designs based on the Twizy and Zoe concept cars” Read the rest here, if you dare.
Mercedes Unveils A-Class E-Cell: Which is just a fancy way to say, a really small EV. The CUV is scheduled for a limited production run of 500 units, but could go into production at some point in the near future. It has a 70 kW motor (95hp) that puts out 215-odd pound-feet of torque, top speed of 93 mph, and according to Daimler will go 124 miles (not 125 mind you) between charges. Looks good…just build it already. (autoblog)
Fisker to Debut First Factory Built Karma Plug-In: The oft-delayed Karma will show a production intent model for the fist time at the upcoming Paris Motor Show next month. The other thing (besides delays) Fisker is known for is ‘sensualized’ marketing, the Paris Motor Show will be reportedly be no exception…guess it worked as Fisker makes the roundup again this week:
- Delays What Delays?
40 Mile Plug-In Prius Conversion Kit to be Ready By Christmas: The good people over at PICC (Plug-In Conversions) have done a couple of special things. First, is that they converted a 2010 model Prius (which was thought to be “even harder” for hackers to access), and they have achieved a couple significant milestone along the way. First was equaling the Volt’s 40 mile range,(which is likely to be the new benchmark for conversions), and secondly, their conversion kit allows the Prius to do drive up to 70 mph in EV-only mode…the PHV Prius caps out at 62. No word on pricing yet. (PICC)
Another Idea From GM’s “Bad Idea Jeans” Department: GM launched a “online tracking” tracking page for customers to follow their Volt through the production process…which is actually a pretty great idea. However, in explaining (or rather making excuses) for the system, GM revealed that orders are produced by the priority sequence of the dealer not the customer.
So, what does this mean in the real world? Well, if ‘Sally’ puts in her name and deposit at Dealership A, but that dealer is only getting 10 Volts for 2011 and she is number 11, she gets her Volt in 2012. Then ‘Sally’ tells her lazy sister ‘Samantha’ about the Volt, and ‘Samantha’ eventually decides to roll up at Dealer B’s lot. Dealer B, who is also overcharging (gouging) for the Volt, still has still has not filled their initial allocation, so ‘Samantha’ could have her Volt by this Christmas while ‘Sally’ continues to wait.
![Will Ferrell Spotted Driving a Nissan LEAF [Video]](http://nissan-leaf.net/wp-content/themes/bigfoot/includes/timthumb.php?src=
http://nissan-leaf.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/wf.png
&h=48&w=48&zc=1)
She is waiting for the car to finish charging.. this is where the ad for the L3 charger comes in.. I think Fisker could have done better with a more voluptuous model, to match the car… they were probably afraid of denting the body panels.
Those llamas look so cuddly, but I bet the chew your ear off if you try to hug them.
Herm(Quote)
Need help department: Where can I upload pictures that I then can retrieve in posts on this site?
RB(Quote)
Wait, what is the question again?
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
…and there once was an item on the nissan-leaf site about gm introducing a bev in Korea. Then that item disappeared, only to resurface on the gm-volt site today….
..maybe an hour or two before this note disappears too…
RB(Quote)
So the underlying question is how to post pictures on this site. I think the basic idea is to upload the pictures to some server someplace from which the pictures are accessible, and then to link to that server from a post here. Correct? and what is a good server to upload the pictures too?
RB(Quote)
There was actually 4 total in the series for Fisker, these are the other 3:
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Statik…I’m also curious about GM now creating the Chevy Cruze EV (demos) but also trying to trademark ‘Range Anxiety’. What gives? Maybe GM thinking Nissan (Leaf) and Ford (Focus EV) are on to something..maybe?
Unlimited_MPG(Quote)
Ah, ok. I gotcha.
Your best bet is to host them at a 3rd party. I would suggest http://imageshack.us/ because it easy (no dance to go through)
1.) Browse
2.) Upload
3.) Copy & Paste HTML code they generate here
4.) Done
/easy
Nothing so sinister.
I had written a piece for GM-Volt.com that was going to run today, but the electric Cruze test fleet story came out last night and I put up a quick ditty. I ended up trading Lyle (@gm-volt.com) the Cruze story back about a hour later for my original story, and will run it tomorrow because he already has a couple good items for monday and tuesday. Digital horse trading if you will, (=
/good eyes RB
…and the llamas will never leave us, they are eternal
(although I can’t guarantee a stray llama will never find its way over to gm-volt.com and stick its head into the lower corner of a picture someday)
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Ah, ok. I gotcha.
Your best bet is to host them at a 3rd party. I would suggest http://imageshack.us/ because it easy (no dance to go through)
1.) Browse
2.) Upload
3.) Copy & Paste HTML code they generate here
4.) Done
/easy
Thanks; I’ll give it a try.
RB(Quote)
Experiment:
RB(Quote)
statik — Help on images, please. Thanks.
RB(Quote)
Jay,
Did you do a lead article on the PICC kit??.
It’s pretty interesting. The latest iteration is using Li bats, 12.5 kwh (instead of NiMH)—and it looks like they are claiming EV mode speeds increased from 34 to 70MPH WITHOUT OVER SPEEDING MG1. Any idea how they are doing this??? seems physically impossible!!
GeorgeS(Quote)
that stupid picture of cute llamas ended up in a 6 hour trip thru google, then onto wikipedia reading about Charles V King of Spain, Columbus and reading a book by Orson Scott Card called Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.. and it all started with that picture. I think a llama will fit in my backyard, probably will keep the grass down.
That girl is close to anorexic..
Did you know llamas are comunal poopers?.. a group of them will stand close, put their butts together and poop at the same time.
Charles V and Jay Leno suffer from the same condition, and Jay Leno will probably end up owning a LEAF.
Herm(Quote)
Your so close, lol.
After you upload, imageshack will give you the HTML Embed code, just copy and paste it here. You are posting the hosting page and not the link.
(I fixed the first one…nice llama,heeh)
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Good question, looks like at speed when the electric motor is under duress the engine come on as a assist.
Quotes from them regarding the previous generation, 25 miles/6.1 kWh conversion:
“What we’re essentially offering is all-electric performance for about 25 miles at highway speeds,” said PICC founder and president Kim Adelman. “The car is no longer limited to 34 miles per hour. This also allows a Prius to perform much like the Chevy Volt, but for a much lower cost.”
The software upgrade is based upon patented technology developed by Chicago-based Ewert Energy Systems, which has granted PICC exclusive rights for its use in Prius conversion kits.
The software upgrade was designed with safety in mind. Some previous Prius plug-in conversion kits allowed motorists to go as fast as 52 miles per hour using “forced stealth” mode. But that can force the electric motor to run above its recommended speed range, said Ewert Energy Systems co-founder and vice president Andrew Ewert.
It also requires drivers to stop and restart the vehicle before its gas engine can engage – which can cause safety issues and erase emissions data recorded for smog checks.
“Our system allows the gas engine to turn on instantly, when needed, and allows us to initiate a controlled engine warm-up at any time to meet strict emissions standards, thus eliminating the traditional problem of a cold start,” Ewert said.
The software upgrade also allows PICC-converted cars to “operate in an enhanced hybrid mode at various speeds, with the vehicle heavily favoring the electric motor versus the gasoline engine in different modes,” Ewert said.
Here is the only hard article I can find on it (again the 25m/last gen version):
http://www.pluginconversions.com/picc_pressrelease61009.html
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
On the other end of the conversion kit spectrum ……
I’m actually toying with the idea of buying a used gen ii Prius and installing the Enginer plug in conversion kit:
http://www.enginer.us/
It’s a budget kit with much more simplified operation, but driven on short daily cycles (less than 30 mi) you could probably average 80+ mpg.
I imagine there’ll be a few glitches and repairs required but it looks like a fun science project to learn more about plug-in hybrid tech and the batteries. Might be able to get the whole thing done (high mileage (100,000+) car +kit) for under $10k.
Carcus(Quote)
I’ve seen that kind of thing happen over at GM-volt.com
Carcus(Quote)
Now have a sense of humor boys… Are those leashes on the llamas 100 miles long?
Jimza Skeptic(Quote)
Thanks. Will try again sometime soon.
RB(Quote)
They are. And should you run out of charge, you llama will pull you back home. Very good cold weather performance, I might add
[URL=http://img411.imageshack.us/i/dsc0106bu.jpg/][IMG]http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3757/dsc0106bu.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
RB(Quote)
No, they trot alongside the Leaf, make a cuddly EREV, all weather capable
RB(Quote)
Carcus,
Go to this Priuschat thread and read about the guys installing it. Jack Chen has fixed a lot of the problems they had w/ the kit like cell balancing, inverter overheating etc. It’s a very long thread but you will learn a lot after reading it.
PS- I contacted Jack about a range extender kit for the Leaf and he is game!!
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-phev-plug-in-modifications/62376-has-anyone-installed-enginer-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicle-39.html
The kit’s made in China as well as the cells. (Oh well, everything is it seems) esp if it is cost effective.
GeorgeS(Quote)
Jay, thx for the feedback.
GeorgeS(Quote)
Thanks for the link (I’ve been through that one and several others).
On the China thing:
On the batteries — the thundersky batteries have been in the DIY electric car forums for a while now. Seems like they’d be good enough for this application.
On the electronics — doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot to it. If they (Regen) keep coming up with the fixes, one would think after a couple of iterations they’d end up with a pretty decent product. I think it’d be kind of fun to jump in now while they’re already into the second revision of the kit. You get to ride along and watch/implement some of the upgrades/changes (gen iii, gen iv…?) but don’t have to suffer with all the frustrations of the initial offering. — assuming everything keeps moving onward and upward, of course.
Carcus(Quote)
Beautiful Fisker pictures.
Even if never built, you have to give them credit for showing us what might have been.
RB(Quote)
statik– following your list of instructions (thank you), I saw that imageshack gave 9 versions of code following my upload. Using the one imageshack identifies as “HTML code” I cut and paste here:
Is there a picture? If so, thanks.
If not, am I copying the wrong imageshack line?
RB(Quote)
PS- I contacted Jack about a range extender kit for the Leaf and he is game!!
Good idea! There is plenty of trunk space in the LEAF. Would like to see what type of range I am getting once I have it. Then go from there.
James(Quote)
Yupe, still wrong, I print screened a shot from imageshack of the code location:
…and the code looks like this (I swapped out the ‘< ' and '>‘ for ‘{‘ and ‘}’:
{a target=’_blank’ title=’ImageShack – Image And Video Hosting’ href=’http://img834.imageshack.us/i/herei.jpg/’}{img src=’http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/936/herei.jpg’ border=’0′/}{/a}
Don’t worry about it if you can’t make it work, just host it somewhere and put the link in the message, I always swing by and embed all pictures and video anyone links too.
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
Thanks statik. What you said is what I thought I was doing, but I’ll look at it again.
RB(Quote)
RB(Quote)
RB(Quote)
Hey RB, Its not you…its me. /naturally
I see all the trouble you are having with the photes, so came in unregistered and ‘poof’ no photo on my link. I did not want to have a membership system here, just anyone who wants to, can do whatever…but I apparently have a coding issue for photos of anyone who is not a ‘member’ now.
I will work on it, in the meantime, just post the direct link to the photo, and I am practically omnipresent here, I will convert it to a picture for you (I have been doing that mostly anyway), that way you don’t have to mess with it at all. I’ll let everyone know when I get the ‘add image’ functionality worked out. You should have to go to all that trouble anyway.
Sorry about that my friend.
Jay (Statik) Cole(Quote)
I feel you will find a problem with your web blog utilizing Internet explorer internet browser.
wegenbelasting berekenen(Quote)