The BMW welcomes "National Platform for E-Mobility"

Recently,German Chancellor Angela Merkel lanched a new Program named "National Platform for ElectroMobility".This program has got support from car manufacturers like BMW group.It is said that BMW will contribute its many years of experience in the field of electromobility to help the project, plus the extensive scientific results from field tests currently being carried out with the MINI E. The “basic conditions” working group will be chaired jointly by Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for development, and Prof. Lars-Hendrik Röller from the European School of Management and Technology.

The aim of this joint initiative – which brings together the worlds of politics, science and industry – is to further strengthen the pioneering role of Germany in the area of electromobility. “Germany is well positioned to become an international leader in the area of electromobility over the long term. To make this happen, our leaders in politics and industry have to be pulling in the same direction,” said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the BMW AG Board, in Berlin on Monday.

The BMW Group has been conducting intensive investigations into the issue of electromobility for many years and plays a leading role in this area. Since mid-2009 the company has been gathering valuable information on the everyday usage of electrically-powered vehicles as part of a worldwide pilot project involving 600 MINI E cars. For example, in Germany the company has teamed up with its partner Vattenfall to release 50 of the cars to customers in Berlin as part of a project supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Initial results from the Berlin study after more than six months of usage show that the electric car’s limited range is proving – in the vast majority of cases – to be sufficient for the participants under everyday conditions. Added to which, the charge time required for the MINI E does not have a restrictive effect on users. In the target group for the car, i.e. city dwellers with small cars, the MINI E is used in a comparable way to a conventional vehicle.

The BMW Group sees e-mobility as one element in a future system of mobility which comprises several different fuels and drive systems (electric and combustion engines, hybrids), each competing to provide the best solution for the varying requirements of customers.

As early as next year, the BMW Group will offer a second electric vehicle, the BMW ActiveE, to customers as part of another pilot project. The results of the tests will be channelled into the development of the future Megacity Vehicle, the BMW Group’s first series-produced electric vehicle.

The Megacity Vehicle, an emission-free city car for the world’s metropolitan regions, is currently being developed as part of project i, and will be available under a BMW sub-brand from 2013. With weight a key factor in determining the range of electrically powered vehicles, the company is set to branch out into new territory with its choice of materials for the Megacity Vehicle. Indeed, the extremely lightweight yet high-strength composite material CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) accounts for a large proportion of the materials which make up the car.

“Basic conditions” working group targets wide-ranging issues

The “basic conditions” working group will focus on the measures which need to be put in place to meet the German government’s planned figure of one-million electric vehicles on the country’s roads by 2020. Here, the key issues are the necessary infrastructure, the provision of renewable energies, a stable legal framework and future technology trends.

Electric vehicles are fantastic in theory, but the big concern is how much pollution is created in manufacturing the li-on batteries for all these cars. If I remember correctly, the entire process of making electric cars is actually dirtier than just driving a very efficient and modern turbo diesel for a number of years.

We need to invest more time and money into the carbon nanotube battery technology. When we can utilize their potential, we will have truly solved a large portion of the pollution problem. The next step is making the manufacturing of car parts, shipping, and actual electricity production cleaner. We should first figure out what we really need and what we really could do.That's pretty much important for car manufacturers and customers.

Article Material Source:http://www.mjsneaker.com/

Yes Roadster 2009

A small boutique car manufacturer called Funke & Will AG opened its doors 10 years ago and produced its first vehicle, the Yes Roadster, in 1999. The firm sold 200 of the first generation of its scratchbuilt two-seaters before redesigning the car two years ago. Now, Funke & Will AG is making a push to sell its second-generation Yes Roadster in the U.S. through YES North America, Inc.

The Yes Roadster, or Yes! as the company calls it, made its North American debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show on February 6. YES North America plans to announce a deal with a handful of select U.S. dealers by the end of February to begin selling cars in June. The company says it hopes to sell 50 cars in North America in 2008.

Two models will be offered, the Yes Roadster 3.2 and the Yes Roadster 3.2 Turbo. Both will feature Audi-sourced 3.2-liter V6 engines and transmissions feeding power to the rear wheels. The base 3.2 puts out 255 horsepower and is offered with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, also sourced from Audi. The 3.2 Turbo will have 355 horsepower and come only with the six-speed manual.

The company says the base model will get 24 mpg combined city/highway and can accelerate the car from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Turbo model will get a combined 22 mpg and can make the 0-60 sprint in 3.9 seconds. An available $8000 Turbo upgrade package increases horsepower to 415 and decreases 0-60 time to 3.4 seconds. Top speed is a claimed 158 mph for the base model, 174 mph for the Turbo, and 200 mph with the Turbo upgrade package.

On the outside, the Yes Roadster looks like a Lotus mated with a last-generation Audi TT roadster. It features a cloth manual top, and a removable hardtop is optional. Underneath, it has a scratchbuilt aluminum space frame, a double-wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes. The total weight is just 1962 pounds.

Without options, the cars will be light on equipment. Standard features will include cloth upholstery, an alarm, remote keyless entry, power windows, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Turbo model adds a rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels. The only safety features will be antilock brakes and a driver airbag.

YES North America's price list shows the following options: Sport suspension with adjustable damping, locking rear differential, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, an audio system, Bluetooth hand-free cell phone link, a navigation system, air conditioning, leather upholstery, heated seats, a dead pedal, stainless steel exhaust, a fire extinguisher, and a suit case?all at sky high prices. Buyers will be able to pick their own interior and exterior colors.

The Yes Roadster 3.2 will sell for $77,995, while the Turbo will run $97,995.

Volkswagen L1 Concept--VW’s one-liter car is finally on its way.

A one-liter car? This moniker describes a car that uses one liter of fuel—about a quarter of a gallon—to propel a car for 100 kilometers, or 62 miles. The one-liter car’s fuel economy translates to almost 240 mpg, and VW has had such a car in its sights for some time now. In 2002, outgoing VW CEO Ferdinand Piëch, now head of the company’s supervisory board, drove a cigar-shaped prototype fromVW headquarters in Wolfsburg to a shareholders’ meeting in Hamburg.

Now the idea of the one-liter car has been resurrected. VW’s biggest news at the Frankfurt auto show was the L1 concept, a prototype that "is close to production" and "will be developed," the company says. Three ingredients were needed to make it happen: a supremely efficient powertrain, great aerodynamics, and lightweight engineering.

As to the powertrain, VW has opted for a two-cylinder, 39-hp turbo-diesel engine combined with a 14-hp electric motor. There is a stop/start system and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The L1 can reach 100 mph, but fuel economy at that speed drops to a shameful 1.38 liters per 100 kilometers, or 170 mpg.

The front-wheel-drive L1’s aerodynamics are optimized by the two-seat layout with the occupants sitting in a row. The result is a car that is relatively long, quite low, and extremely slim. The monocoque and body is made of carbon fiber, and total weight of the L1 is a mere 838 pounds. We think that the seating configuration will likely be changed as development progresses; two people sitting behind each other is too unusual for prospective buyers.

Even so, the L1 looks refined and close to series production, which couldn’t be said of the 2002 concept. It could be on the market as soon as 2013, Volkswagen sources tell us. The L1 may seem ironic to those who remember that VW is also responsible for Bugatti, which makes the fastest production car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron, and which just unveiled the W-16 Galibier sedan concept. But if you think about the styles of both Piëch and current VW chairman Martin Winterkorn, this contradiction seems logical: These guys both tend to go to extremes. And we submit that the Volkswagen L1 is a more significant step in saving resources than are heavy gasoline-electric hybrids.