Detroit Discovers EV-Motoring at 2009 Auto Show
Fisker, Tesla, Daimler/Smart, Mini, BYD
By Rex Roy
There is a quiet revolution happening, and it's powered by batteries, the sun, and generators. Evidence of this revolution could be seen on the main floor at Detroit's 2009 Auto Show.
Fisker
This is a company that knows how to make a visually stunning automobile that an enthusiast could want just on looks alone, aside from its green performance. Detroit's Fisker stand held a Karma sedan and the new Karma S hard-top convertible (the S is for Sunset).
Both cars feature an aluminum space frame. The rear wheels are electrically driven. The plug-in battery pack holds enough juice for approximately 50 miles, and then an on-board generator fires up to provide electricity directly to the motor and to (only as needed) recharge the battery pack. The solar panels in the roof help off-set some power consumption.
Fisker's manager of powertrain and electrical engineering, Paul Boskovitch, calls Fisker's power management strategy "load following." Boskovitch notes, "We use the General Motor's 2.0-liter EcoTec engine because it's a perfect choice for running our generator. The engine is not mechanically connected to the drive wheels. We chose to use a 'load following' power strategy because it extends battery life, and directly connects the driver to the experience." Boskovitch went on to explain how when the engine engages the generator, the engine changes RPM to meet the driver's immediate power demands. Aural and tactile feedback help connect the driver to the car's performance, beyond simply moving a pedal-operated rheostat.
We had an opportunity to sit in the Karma, and found it snug, but rich and attractive. Batteries fill a large center tunnel that in, for example, an old Corvette, would have housed a transmission and drive shaft. The feeling is sporty and high-tech … just as it should be. But just like the Karma's Q-Drive powertrain economizes on amps and volts, to be comfortable inside the sports sedan, you'll need to watch your calories.
So far, the company has sold 100 Karma sedans that will be delivered by the end of 2009. Additional orders for sedans and the new Karma S were being written at Detroit. Eco-chic owners will see their new sedans in 2010, and the S in 2011. Prices for the sedan begin at $87,900, and the S at $106,000.
If we were spending 100 large, the Karma seems like the eco value of the sports car world.
Tesla
As the company awaits loans backed by the Feds, the company's smaller workforce sets about building the 1,500 Tesla Roadsters already on order. (Recent work force cut backs said bye-bye to a quarter of the company.) Approximately 150 of these pure electric sports cars have been delivered as of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The two-seater costs $109,000 and promise 0-60 mph runs in under four seconds plus a range of 244 miles (based on tests with the EPA).
A Roadster Sport model runs $128,500 and cuts 0-60 mph times by 0.2 clicks to 3.7 seconds. Using tricks not
unfamiliar to those who race model electric cars, the motor stators on the Sport are hand-wound, and the winding
density is up, delivering lower resistance and greater motor torque.
Tesla is moving forward with their $49,900 Model S sedan. Although they did not the show the 2011-model sedan, there was talk in the booth about how the extra volume opportunity provided by the sedan would help make Tesla's EV technology more affordable.
Other news out of Detroit is that Tesla would provide battery packs and chargers to Daimler AG for at least 1,000 eSmart, an electrified smart for two.
Daimler AG/smart
Smart showed the European version of their eSmart for two in Detroit. No mention was made of Tesla batteries, but the Tesla press conference was held the day following Smart's.
What Smart did say about the $50,000 eSmart; it's powered by lithium ion cells, and that it would become available in Europe some time in 2009. We're already aware of EV-motoring electrification programs in Berlin and several Italian cities, and Daimler has participated in these nascent efforts by loaning small fleets of eSmarts to organizations in these municipalities.
Smart's Detroit press release did announce a relationship between Daimler and Evonik, a German battery manufacturer. The two giant companies will partner in a battery development firm called Li-Tec.
MINI
As expected, MINI showed their MINI E. As you may know, BMW is leasing MINI Es to 500 Americas in New York and Los Angeles for a monthly rate of $800. In exchange, the lessees get to be guinea pigs, shaking down these heavily retrofitted MINIs to see how the electric drivetrains work for Americans. The MINI E was first shown at November's L.A. Auto Show, but MINI introduced it again in Detroit just in case somebody missed it the first time.
BYD
BYD just started selling the F3DM plug-in hybrid for approximately $22,000 in China, and they showed that car on their Detroit stand along with their all-electric e6 crossover. None of BYD's products are currently for sale, or even certified for sale in the U.S., but this should not stop the automotive industry from recognizing what a serious competitor BYD will become in just a few short years.
BYD Chairman and President Wang Chua-fu stressed the quick-charge nature of their Fe batteries that help power the F3DM, and provide all of the juice for the e6 crossover. When zapped with their special charging unit, batteries can gain a 50-percent charge in only ten minutes, and a full charge in just one hour. Overnight charging to 100-percent capacity using 110-volts requires 7.5 hours. Range for the e6 pure electric is close to 250 miles.
BYD also claimed that their new Fe batteries were capable of 2000 charge cycles, and had excellent durability. Batteries create voltage based on internal chemistry, and knowledge of this particular iron mix has been around for years. Sometimes called the Super-Iron battery, the chemistry is related to other lithium cells. The benefits of the BYD Fe design is that the materials it can use for its cells cost less and are more readily recyclable than competitive batteries using materials such as cobalt.
The Take Away
Maybe it's time for somebody to fire up the old Detroit Electric automobile company. That entity was the last major producer of electric-powered vehicles from Detroit, and their last car was delivered in 1939. With all the electric-car news from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, maybe it's time for somebody to pull a Phoenix move and get the company started again.
Rex Roy is EV-Motoring.com's editor and can be reached via his website, www.RexRoy.net.
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