Washington Auto Show Expanding Presence of Green Technologies
January 13, 2010 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis
This year’s auto show season has begun with a focus on ‘green’ - both in the money and eco-friendly sense of the word. Among the first shows this year, The Washington Auto Show plans to more than double the size of its exhibits featuring ‘green’ cars and technologies.
Even before the actual exhibits open on Jan. 27, the day before will kick off with the beginning of the 2010 Electric Drive Transportation Association Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
The EDTA is a cross-industry trade association that works in and outside of Washington, D.C. to promote the electrification of transportation, including battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. Members include automotive and equipment manufacturers, energy companies, technology developers, as well as battery and component suppliers.
Among the issues that are set to be discussed will be ways to accelerate the development and adoption of fuel-efficient electric drive vehicles.
As for the actual ‘green’ exhibiting, the show will feature a 65,000 square-foot display called the Advanced Technology SuperHighway, which will showcase advancements in electric, diesel, natural gas, advanced petroleum, biofuels, ethanol, hydrogen, and safety technologies.
Adding to the excitement, Green Car Journal has announced the finalists for its 2010 Green Vision Award, which will be presented at the auto show‘s “Change Happens Here” event on Jan. 26.
The five finalists are the:
- CODA Sedan
Photo courtesy of Ridelust.com.
This all-electric four-door sedan is powered by a lithium ion battery and propulsion system providing a real-world driving range of 90 to 120 miles, based on aggressive driving and city driving cycle tests, respectively. The CODA can recharge by plugging into any 110 or 220 volt standard outlet, and complete a full charge in less than six hours at a 220 volt service. Charging the battery for a 40-mile commute can be completed in about two hours. The CODA is scheduled to be on the market by the fall of this year.
- Ford Focus BEV
Photo courtesy of egmCarTech.com. This prototype battery electric vehicle has a lithium ion battery pack with the capacity of 23kWh (kilowatt hours) and a chassis-mounted 100kW (kilowatt) permanent-magnet electric traction motor. The BEV is expected to have a range of up to 75 miles and a top speed of up to 85 miles per hour. Charging the batteries is expected to take between six to eight hours using a common 230 volt grid. The BEV is expected to launch production vehicles in North America in 2011.
- Mercedes-Benz F-Cell
Photo courtesy of cnet Australia. This is a hydrogen fuel cell car based on the compact B-class, four-door hatchback. The tank system includes compressed-gas cylinders in which the hydrogen is stored at a pressure up to approximately 700 bar. This lithium ion battery stores electricity to support acceleration. It is supplied from the fuel cell system and from regeneration (meaning that braking energy is captured and converted to electricity). The F-Cell is expected to be able to reach a top speed of 170 kilometers per hour. It’s expected to enter small-scale production early this year in the United States.
- Nissan Leaf
Stock photo. This four-door hatchback has a laminated lithium ion rechargeable battery with a capacity of 24kWh and a power of over 90kW. The hatchback is touted to reach a driving range of about 100 miles (160 kilometers) on one full charge, and lacks an internal combustion engine, so emits zero carbon or other greenhouses gases. The Leaf is expected to rollout in mass production in late 2010.
- Toyota Prius PHV
Stock photo.
This plug-in hybrid’s lithium ion battery pack facilitates acceleration up to about 60 miles per hour on only electric power. With a fully charged battery, it can travel a maximum of about 13 miles in electric vehicle mode, and once that mode is depleted, it defaults to normal, full-hybrid mode and operates like a regular Prius. Early this year, 500 of these vehicles will participate in a global demonstration program.
Beyond those up for awards, there will also be many vehicle prototypes that will be seen for the first time ever at the auto show. Among them will be the introduction of the BMW Concept ActiveE, the latest electric vehicle project under the BMW Group.
BMW Concept ActiveE. Photo courtesy of lincah.com.
The BMW’s electric drive system will draw energy from a new lithium ion battery pack developed jointly by BMW and co-operation partner SB LiMotive. The vehicle will have a range of about 160 kilometers (100 miles) in everyday use.
Additionally, the charging period required for the lithium ion batteries is expected to be very short. On the European power grid, the battery pack could be fully charged in about three hours at a wall box with a current of 50 ampere at 230/240 volts. In North America, using a high-current (32 ampere continuous) residential wall box, the charge time is about five hours.
The BMW Concept ActiveE is following the all-electric MINI E as the second large-scale electric vehicle test program to be conducted in the hands of interested customers. In all, the show is expected to be an exciting event.
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