We need affordable reliable trolley buses or trolley/hybrid buses in every city.
♲ The War on Cars - 2023-01-24 14:47:50 GMT
"If Americans continue to depend on cars at the current rate, by 2050 the US alone would need triple the amount of lithium currently produced for the entire global market, which would have dire consequences for water and food supplies, biodiversity, and Indigenous rights."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/24/us-electric-vehicles-lithium-consequences-research
To Support Coal, Buy an EV
This article may sound controversial but it isn't. Here is a breakdown of the facts and figures. The article is primarily directed at people in coal-producing states like West Virginia but if your electricity comes from a gas-fired power plant those figures are also provided.
https://shuttersparks.net/support-coal-buy-an-ev/
#ev #evs #co2 #CarbonFootprint #PowerPlant #efficiency #coal #gas #NaturalGas #ClimateChange
Unbeknownst to me, there's already a company called Lilium selling all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jets, and is already selling them commercialy. They just announced sale of 12 jets to GlobeAir to provide flights in the French Riviera and Italy.
"The proprietary technology at the core of the Lilium Jet is Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) which we have refined through successive generations of aircraft demonstrators. Electric jet engines integrated into the wing flaps provide advantages in payload, aerodynamic efficiency and a lower noise profile, whilst also providing thrust vector control to manoeuvre the Lilium Jet through every phase of flight."
"Traditional jet engines power 95% of commercial aircraft and we have based our design on the same principles, yet far simpler. Our electric jet engines rely on just a single 'stage' rotor/stator system driven by an electric motor with zero emissions."
"The Lilium Jet can adapt for a range of customers and uses, with each configuration optimized for an unparalleled experience. The most spacious cabin arrangement is designed for private flights, with luxurious club seating. Alternatively, the cabin can be configured with 6 seats for passenger flights, or without seats to serve the zero-emissions logistics market."
"Lilium is one of the only pioneers in eVTOL seeking dual certification with EASA and FAA. Since 2015, we've designed, built and tested 5 generations of technology demonstrators and invited the world to watch as we pioneer an aircraft and flight control system never seen before."
"The Lilium aircraft requirements can be summarised as follows: Zero operating emissions, highly efficient cruise phase, vertical take-off & landing for inner city accessibility, low noise for high frequency inner city flight operations and customer acceptance, high seat capacity to achieve attractive unit economics and affordable pricing over time, and scalability whilst maintaining ground footprint and low noise."
"The main wing-span is limited to <14 meters to enable the use of existing helipads (approximately 14,000 possible locations in the US alone). Simple by design, there are no ailerons and there is no need for a vertical stabiliser. The landing gear is fixed and there are no hydraulics. Directional stability is provided by active electronic differential thrust control. The aircraft is controlled through a fly-by-wire avionics system. The main wings generate ~60% of the lift, the canards ~20%, and the remaining ~20% is generated across the fuselage. The canards and wings are positioned as far apart as practicable, to enable the aircraft to be stable in pitch."
"The propulsion system consists of 36 individually controllable flaps, which also serve as lifting and control surfaces and each flap contains a ducted electric fan. The 36 ducted fans are embedded in a 1:2 ratio on the canard to main wing. Embedding the ducted fans into the wings eliminates the need for dedicated nacelles, reducing weight and minimising aerodynamic drag loss. The flap is rotated by an integrated servo unit, which can rotate the whole flap unit for controllability during hover and cruise flight. The flaps only receive two signals, fan speed and flap angle, by which the aircraft can be controlled throughout the flight envelope via thrust vectoring."
"The fan stage is designed to be most efficient during hover flight. In order to achieve approximately the same aerodynamic stage efficiencies during cruise flight, we make use of a variable nozzle."
The website has much more information about the aircraft.
Nio cars, unlike Teslas, are designed to have the battery swapped. The battery-swapping process takes about 7 minutes.
17-year-old designed an electric motor that could enable manufacturing of electric vehicles that do not require rare-earth magnets. "The highschooler had heard of a type of electric motor -- the synchronous reluctance motor -- that doesn't use these rare-earth materials. This kind of motor is currently used for pumps and fans, but it isn't powerful enough by itself to be used in an electric vehicle. So, Robert Sansone started brainstorming ways he could improve its performance."
"Over the course of a year, Sansone created a prototype of a novel synchronous reluctance motor that had greater rotational force -- or torque -- and efficiency than existing ones. The prototype was made from 3D printed plastic, copper wires and a steel rotor and tested using a variety of meters to measure power and a laser tachometer to determine the motor's rotational speed. His work earned him first prize, and $75,000 in winnings, at this year's Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest international high school STEM competition."
This 17-year-old designed a motor that could potentially transform the electric car industry
17-year-old designed an electric motor that could enable manufacturing of electric vehicles that do not require rare-earth magnets. "The highschooler had heard of a type of electric motor -- the synchronous reluctance motor -- that doesn't use these rare-earth materials. This kind of motor is currently used for pumps and fans, but it isn't powerful enough by itself to be used in an electric vehicle. So, Robert Sansone started brainstorming ways he could improve its performance."
"Over the course of a year, Sansone created a prototype of a novel synchronous reluctance motor that had greater rotational force -- or torque -- and efficiency than existing ones. The prototype was made from 3D printed plastic, copper wires and a steel rotor and tested using a variety of meters to measure power and a laser tachometer to determine the motor's rotational speed. His work earned him first prize, and $75,000 in winnings, at this year's Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest international high school STEM competition."
This 17-year-old designed a motor that could potentially transform the electric car industry
Harley-Davidson to spin-out LiveWire electric motorcycle division as public company via SPAC; $545M in proceeds - Green Car Congress
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/12/20211214-livewire.html
Harley-Davidson to spin-out LiveWire electric motorcycle division as public company via SPAC; $545M in proceeds
14 December 2021Harley-Davidson and AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. (ABIC), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which ABIC will combine with LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle division (earlier post), to create a new publicly traded company. Its common stock is expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LVW”.
Today’s announcement is a historic milestone with LiveWire set to become the first publicly traded EV motorcycle company in the U.S. By building on Harley-Davidson’s 118-year lineage, LiveWire’s mission is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world, leading the electrification of the sport. This transaction will give LiveWire the freedom to fund new product development and accelerate its go-to-market model. LiveWire will be able to operate as an agile and innovative public company while benefitting from the at-scale manufacturing and distribution capabilities of its strategic partners, Harley-Davidson and KYMCO.
—Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-DavidsonA decade in the making, LiveWire was established as a separate Harley-Davidson division in 2019. LiveWire will also include STACYC, the all-electric balance bikes for kids.
Strategic rationale for the move:
LiveWire will benefit from its strategic partners, leveraging Harley-Davidson and KYMCO’s engineering expertise, manufacturing footprint, distribution, supply chain infrastructure and global logistics capabilities.
LiveWire will be the first public EV motorcycle company in the US with its products designed and developed in America.
LiveWire will expand its own product portfolio while focusing on the rapidly developing future of EV, ensuring that future technology is applicable to Harley-Davidson’s core segments.
From the original LiveWire ONE, the company will move to System 2, or S2, platform to open somewhat lighter motorcycles matched to a number of segments. From there the company intends to scale down the architecture with the S3 platform before scaling up to S4.
ARROW—a proprietary scalable and modular EV system combining a motor, battery, inverter and on-board charger—is the foundation of the future product portfolio. Zeitz said that Harley developed the EV systems in-house to meet the unique needs of the motorcycle market, where spacial constraints and the impact of battery weight on handling are more important factors.
By controlling the IP on the motor, the battery pack and the power electronics, we can innovate faster without the concessions that come with third-party alternatives. With the simplicity of an EV powertrain and the benefits of a scalable, modular architecture, we are able to readily expand horizontally into new segments and vertically into heavier and lighter bikes. This approach means we get to market faster, with less bespoke engineering required for each incremental model.
A site touted as the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in the U.S. is taking shape at an industrial park in New Jersey, just minutes from New York City.
https://www.powermag.com/major-ev-charging-hub-set-near-new-york-city/
#charging, #vehicles, #news, #evs, #storage, #electric, #distributed, #energy
Analysis of Tesla's upcoming battery, the 4680 cell. "The enlarged, cylindrical 4680 cell, which Tesla first teased at its Battery Day last September, brings its own sky-high hopes and challenges: If Tesla can pull off in-house, vertically integrated battery manufacturing, and the cell performs as advertised, the 4680 could fuel Musk's dreams to build millions of EVs a year around the world. Tesla's goals include boosting driving range by more than 50 percent -- 16 percent of that due to the 4680's newfound punch -- while halving battery costs and bringing a $25,000 Tesla to showrooms. Tesla continues to dominate EV sales in America, but its seemingly insurmountable lead in driving range is under assault. The Arizona-built Lucid Air sedan, the work of Musk's former Model S chief engineer, has demonstrated it can travel up to 517 miles, a lofty record for any EV. Tesla's best, the Model S Long Range, is EPA-rated for 405 miles."
As someone with a (slightly grudging) need for a pickup but who doesn't believe that climate change is a hoax, I'm very happy to see this. It's out of my price range, the infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles is still sparse, and the recharging times are too long for cross-country road trips, but it's a big step in the right direction. The Rivian R1T is a fully electric pickup with the payload and towing capacities of a full-sized pickup and a 400 mile range (though not while hauling/towing, obviously).
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