Wednesday, April 08, 2009
A New Electric Vehicle
EV Innovations is unveiling a commuter-vehicle prototype tomorrow.
By Kevin Bullis
| New Wave: A prototype of a new electric car, called the Wave. Credit: Kevin Bullis |
Another small company is having a go at filling the demand for electric vehicles that the major automakers haven't yet filled.
Tomorrow, a company called EV Innovations, based in North Carolina, will officially unveil a prototype of the Wave, an electric vehicle with a range of 170 miles that's expected to cost $34,900. It was available for a preview at the New York International Auto Show today.
The company only recently got a manufacturing license. Before that, it was converting conventional vehicles into electric cars. The prototype seems to be inspired in part by a fish-shaped electric car developed by Aptera, although the Wave has four wheels instead of three--a potential advantage because having four wheels allows it to qualify for tax credits. However, there is a bill before Congress to rewrite legislation to allow three-wheeled electric vehicles to qualify for tax credits.
The company is also developing an electric sports car that's expected to accelerate from 0 to 60 in four seconds. Again, the company seems to be following in the footsteps of others, this time Tesla Motors. It will have a larger interior than Tesla's Roadster, which could make tall people happy. Mike Cerven, director of sales at EV Innovations, hopes to get Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger interested.
Overall, though, there's not much that stands out about these new offerings. The battery chemistry isn't new, the range isn't impressive, and so far the design doesn't seem that thrilling. But the company has been developing its own batteries, and it hopes to bring them to production by persuading the government to give it some of the money set aside for battery R & D in the stimulus package that was signed into law in February, Cerven says. Maybe those batteries will significantly improve the cars.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Comments
For longer continuous highway driving a 500 cc inline four cylinder high compression engine would be used which could run on gasoline , propane , natural gas , diesel , or hydrogen . ( it would be a good way to get hydrogen into the system without going through the high cost of fuel cells)
This engine would be connected to drive the front wheels only and would be a full powered gen-set , and would generate power for the battery and can be started without a separate starter motor . It would be connected by an electric clutch and a single speed gear set for driving at highway speeds (cheap & simple)
The car would come from Ford as Plug-in and the heat for defroster and warmth would come from the engine when the temperatures drop .
The engine would run when a/c is used to cool the car too .
This would be a low cost and easy to build hybrid that would fit nicely in a midsized or a full size bodied car .
Drive around town on electric , get up to highway speed on electric , and cruise all day on the 500 cc engine until passing is needed then use both together for maximum torque and power . Eighty miles per gallon would be easy with this set up and it would only require a 144 volt battery pack which will cut down on battery costs as well .
Keith Tomils...
04/09/2009
Posts:9
I just wonder whether with this stimulus money, that it would be better invested in these newer companies and for sure better invested in battery technology on which it all depends.
GaryB
04/09/2009
Posts:64
Tysto
04/09/2009
Posts:24
DJTal
04/09/2009
Posts:129
The sports car isn't pictured--all they had at the auto show was a mock-up frame.
Kevin Bullis
04/09/2009
Posts:92
DJTal
04/10/2009
Posts:129
I would love to see GM or Ford put out a super-efficiency vehicle like this. Not a 50mpg hybrid, but a small 2 person ultra-aero car that does like 120mpg equiv. Like the VW 1L concept car. They could probably do it for about $12,000 rather than $35 grand like these little boutique outfits. They just have never tried.
ArtInvent
04/09/2009
Posts:28
The only thing lacking is the Govt. will. We world citizens can adapt to that for the sake of our mother Earth.
sudhanshu.ra...
04/10/2009
Posts:5
Three wheels vehicles are a security nightmare, prone to overturn. Sometimes forbidden in the last 30 years; think of a 3 legs stool.
Four wheels is the way to go, take regulations out of people backs and let them invent.
open4biz_inv...
04/13/2009
Posts:4
sudhanshu.ra...
04/15/2009
Posts:5
MickeyFouse
06/02/2009
Posts:47