New Cars Rombengan 2011 - 2020

PluginCars.com's John Gartner is not alone when he says that 2011 will be the year of the revenge of the electric car, but he reveals some interesting key trends identified by Pike Research in this white paper. Some can be summarized in these 5 electric vehicle predictions for 2011. Having worked in the media industry, I cannot help myself but laugh at #5. So true.

1 - The majority of people who drive a plug-in vehicle won't own it. Thanks to car rental fleets, taxis, and car share programs, getting people into plug-in vehicles will be more influential in the long run than getting them to sign on the dotted line.


2 - Automakers will get push back from EV owners about how long it takes vehicles to fully charge. Most vehicle charging will be done overnight, enabling owners to wake up to a fully charged battery without concern for the rate at which it was charged. But because automakers decided to take the cautious (and less expensive) approach of installing onboard charging equipment that provides a maximum of 3.3 kW to the batteries, a full charge will take longer than necessary leaving some consumers feeling like they overpaid for charging equipment.


3 - The most popular selling EVs won't have four wheels. Electric two-wheeled vehicles, including bicycles, scooters and motorcycles are a huge global market that will continue to overshadow electric passenger vehicles for the foreseeable future. China is by far the largest market, with more than 48 million sales projected. In North America, the sale of two-wheeled EVs will outnumber passenger PEVs by approximately 8:1 in 2011, but the gap will be narrowed to close to 2 to 1 by 2015 as passenger vehicles sales will grow much more quickly.


4 - Many EV charging stations will spend the majority of their time idle. The strategy of installing a network of charging equipment may be good psychologically for EV owners and the automakers, but the business benefit for the owners of charging equipment will be lacking during the early days of EV sales. During 2011 and 2012 there will not be sufficient penetration of EVs for charging spots to see many visits–if any—per day.


5 - Somebody somewhere will have a bad EV experience and the media will overreact. The first time a driver is left "stranded" by running out of charge will be cause célèbre for the doubters to highlight the superiority of gas cars. The potential also exists for EV owner frustration if the promised all-electric driving range advertised is not realized. Heavy-footed drivers and trips taken in extreme weather will substantially cut into driving efficiency, but that should not be a surprise or especially noteworthy.

Read more of it and get the white paper at PluginCars.com

Tweet this post  From the Detroit News: BYD Co. Ltd., one of the most widely-watched of China's emerging automakers, plans to unveil two advanced technology vehicles at the Detroit auto show next month: an all-electric 2012 e6 crossover, and a S6DM hybrid.

BYD, a battery-maker that branched out into the auto business, said today that it also will display solar panels, home energy storage units and other environmentally friendly products and technologies in an exhibit titled "Green City Solutions."

BYD, which counts U.S. billionaire Warren Buffet among its investors, is one of China's most closely observed automakers because of its battery expertise. The company plans to export vehicles to the United States in the near future.

The BYD e6Premier, equipped with an iron-phosphate "FE" battery, has a 186-mile range on city roads and a top speed of 87 miles per hour. It takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6 using a 100-kilowatt fast-charger and six hours on a standard outlet.

BYD's S6DM SUV can travel 38 miles on electric power alone and more than 310 miles when engaging a 2-litre gas engine. A 10-kilowatt electric motor is paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission propelling the front wheels, while a powerful 75-kilowatt electric motor powers the rear wheels.

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From the BBC/Reuters: New rules have taken effect in China that restrict car purchases in an effort to combat serious traffic problems in the capital, Beijing.

City authorities will allow only 240,000 vehicles to be registered for 2011 - one-third of this year's total.

Car buyers have been swamping dealers in anticipation of the new rules, which will still leave about five million cars on the road in the capital.

Traffic and air pollution in Beijing is among the worst in the world.

Beijing officials are trying to balance the desire of a growing middle class to have the convenience and status of car ownership, with a huge congestion problem.

Officials said the new rules would not solve the full extent of the city's problems, only slow the down the rate at which they are worsening.

"It will be difficult to dramatically improve the traffic situation in a short time," said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

"But it can slow down the pace of worsening traffic congestion."

Car registrations will be allocated by a license plate lottery system from Friday.

Under the new rules, government departments will not be allowed to increase the size of their fleets for five years.

About 750,000 new cars appeared on Beijing's streets this year, raising the total of registered vehicles for the city 4.8m.

China overtook the US as the world's biggest car and van market in 2009, with 13.6 million vehicles sold within the country.

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Tweet this post From the International Business Times: General Motors China introduced an electric concept vehicle Sail at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show on Tuesday. Under the theme of "Drive to Green and Leading Innovation," it is showcasing 23 production and concept vehicles. Among the products on display are the Sail electric concept vehicle, which is making its global debut, and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle, the car maker said.

The Sail electric concept vehicle is powered by a lithium-ion battery with maximum output of 65 kW and maximum torque of 220 Nm. It has a maximum speed of 130 km/h and can go up to 150 kilometers on a single electric charge. It uses regenerative braking to produce additional energy.

"GM is committed to delivering a range of advanced propulsion technologies and offering a portfolio of solutions that will allow our customers to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs," said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. GM's expertise in batteries, electric motors and power controls will enable us to provide the best possible choices when it comes to vehicle electrification technologies, he said.

The Sail electric concept vehicle was developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, the carmaker said.

Earlier last month, China had said annual production of electric vehicles will hit one million units by 2020 and become world's largest auto market for new energy vehicles, which will hold the key for development of the country's auto industry.
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Of the more U.S.-relevant reveals at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show in China today is this Hyundai Verna. Why? Because it's the overseas version of what we know as the 2011 Hyundai Accent.

Sporting Hyundai's latest 'fluidic sculpture' design language, the Verna comes off overall as a shrunk-down 2011 Sonata - not that that's a bad thing. The now-familiar sweeping side character line, oversized headlights, and wavy front grille are all present on the new Accent - a vehicle that has been in need of a significant makeover for some time.

From what we can see of the interior, Hyundai seems to have applied a slightly up-market touch to the inside of its new Verna. The Korean automaker also claims to have made large improvements to NVH levels in the compact sedan.

Underhood, the 2011 Verna features the new-generation Gamma gasoline engine in either 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter DOHC inline-four configurations. The larger of the two is expected to be offered in the U.S. and 106 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque are available in the Chinese-spec version. Transmission options include a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.

Hyundai, like many other automakers, has been enjoying strong sales in China, with over two million vehicles being sold there since the brand arrived in 2002. In 2009, Hyundai posted a 94-percent year-over-year sales boost, making for an easy decision to maintain its presence in the market.

We'll continue to keep you updated as more information on the U.S.-spec 2011 Hyundai Accent arrives.

[Source: Hyundai via Motor Trend]

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