One of the great hopes behind electrified vehicles is reduced dependence of not only foreign oil, but all polluting energy sources. In a step towards that greater goal, Ford announced that they have teamed up with solar energy panel manufacturer SunPower. While not the first domestic manufacturer to team up with a solar energy provider (GM recently announced a $7.5million investment in Sunlogics), they are the first to provide a customer-centric solution towards decreased grid-dependence.

The fruit of the team up is a rooftop solar system designed to provide Focus Electric owners enough renewable energy to offset the electricity used for charging. The 2.5Kw SunPower system is projected to provide 3000 kilowatt hours of energy annually.

“Under the ‘Drive Green for Life’ program, Focus Electric owners can reduce their total cost of ownership by generating enough energy from their high efficiency SunPower rooftop solar system to offset the electricity required to charge the vehicle at night,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford director of Global Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure. “It’s an eco-friendly solution that perfectly complements our plug-in products and other green initiatives.”

The panels are sized to provide approximately 1000 miles of driving for an average customer. Ford and SunPower intend the system to be an offset to customer’s charging needs, and would provide renewable energy back to the grid when they are charging during the day.

The SunPower E18 panel at the heart of the system is touted by the company as being 50% more efficient than competitive systems. The total panel conversion by the E18 panel is 18.5%, which makes it a competitive solution to most of its current competitors in the home solar market.

The complete SunPower solar system is offered at a base price of less than $10,000, after federal tax credits. Local and state rebates, along with other incentives, may drive the system cost down even more, depending on a customer’s location. Included in the purchase is a residential monitoring system, which includes the ability to track the performance of their solar system on the web or through an iPhone application.

For the coin consumers won’t be saving money in a direct comparison with just buying a gasoline powered Focus, but that isn’t the point. The goal of the project is to spur interest in home solar initiatives as being directly related to plug in driving. As the cost of solar systems continue to drop more of these home systems would make plug in motoring a truly green alternative.

SunPower has worked with other automakers in the past, putting the largest rooftop solar installation in North America on Toyota’s North American Part Center California.

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In the United States, federal laws already allow significant income tax deductions that apply to new vehicles, such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf.   According to IRC 30D, purchasers of electric cars are allowed a basic tax deduction of $2,500 and vehicles with larger battery packs can provide tax savings up to $7,500.  Those who modify a gas guzzling car into a vehicle capable of operating with electric charge qualify for a tax benefit of $4,000.  Overseas in the UK, government grants provide up to £5,000 to buyers of ultra-low carbon hybrids, or plug-ins.

So what about the States?

Depending on the state in which you live, tax incentives can vary wildly.  For example, California‘s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project allows rebates up to $5,000 for low-carbon cars and up to $20,000 for commercial trucks.

Washington car buyers are exempt from paying sales taxes on electric and fuel-cell powered cars.   Converted cars are eligible for tax credits as well.

The state of Tennessee, choosing to go in an interestingly different direction, is offering free charging equipment to plug-in owners who need to refuel at home.  As of now, however, only certain cities are eligible.

Florida provides special financing arrangements for those who wish to install charging equipment on their property.   Residents or businesses in the Orlando metropolitan area can apply for free charging equipment from Coulomb Technologies.   All electric vehicles are allowed on the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane.

To learn more about the wide variety of rebates, grants, and credits that might be offered in your state, the Department of Energy breaks down the laws and tax incentives.  As you can see in the table, certain states are way ahead of others (ahem, California) in the subsidizing game… for better or for worse.

These laws are fluid, and they are certainly going to be amended and updated once the plug-in rollout hits full speed.  In determining whether to opt for an electric car, price is obviously a major consideration for consumers.  Whether it trumps performance, and more importantly, convenience, is another question.  It seems, however, that all these considerations are at least being worked on.

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REVA, an automobile company based in Bangalore, India, is preparing to launch its own plug-in models, except with a twist.  Shown off at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and scheduled for production early this year, the NXR, a 3-door, four-seater hatchback, will have a range of about 100 miles and a top speed of 65 mph.  The NXG (shown above) will sport a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 125 miles.  Both of these car models will feature REVive, a reserve-charging technology.

According to key experts in the company, REVA will be adding a unique technology to its plug-in cars, which will be designed to combat “range anxiety”.  This phenomenon arises when motorists worry that their car will run out of charge mid-way through their journey — or perhaps on their way to a charging station. The REVive telematics™ feature will operate like an “invisible reserve fuel tank”, enabling drivers to get their reserve battery power remotely activated during an electricity crisis on the road.  In such a situation, drivers would need to call or text-message REVA for an immediate top-up, however, remotely.

This idea might sound gimmicky at first, however it is meant to address a key issue with plug-in vehicles: the lack of charging infrastructure.  Knowing that there is “spare fuel” in your vehicle might be an incentive to purchase a plug-in.  However, the actual usefulness of this technology will depend on motorists behavior.  The instant they start thinking of this extra charge as part of their normal battery life, its function will be worthless.  Granted, having to text message your auto manufacturer in order to continue to operate your vehicle, and the embarassment it might cause when others are inside, might be enough of a hassle so the technology is not misused.

Prices for the REVA NXR start at $9,995 for the lead-acid battery version and $14,995 for the lithium-ion version.

About Reva:

REVA Electric Car Company is a Bangalore-based car manufacturer. It is a venture of AEV LLC of California and Maini Group of India, which is supported by US investors such as Draper Fisher Jurvetson and the Global Environment Fund.

Launching its 1st electric car in 2001, the company is capable of manufacturing around 30,000 cars in a year at its factory in Bangalore.  They are developing a new plant in Bangalore for an “ultra-low carbon” motor vehicle. This plant will have the capacity to produce an extra 30,000 units per year.

REVA operates in a country with a population that is becoming more affluent and highly invests in clean-energy vehicles.

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Late in 2011, Toyota Motor Corp will launch a hybrid sub-compact and broaden its electric car line-up. The vehicle will be available for 1.5 million yen, or $15,760. Government tax breaks, subsidies on cleaner technology, and an increasing demand for gasoline-electric vehicles have promoted EVs in Japan greatly.  Toyota may have future plans to produce the new hybrid model in France as well, to cater to a European market.

According to a Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, the new hybrid compact by Toyota will use the platform and engine of the Yaris sub-compact, which is likely to be fully remodeled before launch in order to compete with the fuel efficiency and cost competitiveness of the Prius.

Dominant automakers Honda Motor Company and Toyota have reduced prices on their premier hybrid cars recently. The price of Toyota’s Prius has been lowered to 2.05 million yen and that of Honda’s Insight has been lowered to 1.89 million yen.

The month of April listed Honda’s Insight, the first hybrid car, on top of the best selling cars list. However, in May, Toyota’s new Prius replaced the Insight, and became the No.1 hybrid car in the Japanese market.

The Toyota sub-compact hybrid, which is yet to be launched, would be a tough contender to some of the upcoming small hybrid cars like Honda’s Fit Compact and the Honda CR-Z Hybrid.  It has been reported by The Daily that the automaker is likely to raise its daily production target in Japan. This will increase production to about 13,500 units in September and around 13,700 in October.

Why the sub?

Toyota and Honda have introduced sub-compact hybrid models to introduce a fresh alternative to existing hybrid cars (which were mostly SUVs) in the last couple of years. These SUV hybrids are more fuel-efficient (15 to 20 percent more than their counterparts). However, the mpg of these models ranges from the late teens to the early twenties.

The new subcompact hybrids are likely to be marked high in the fuel economy rankings, possibly at the 50 mpg mark or higher. Moreover, their prices are slated to be comparatively lower than the prices of current hybrid cars.

If the past is any predictor, car enthusiasts and organizations such as CalCars will begin upgrading these new hybrids into plug-in models as soon as they are released.  It remains to be seen, however, if and when they are brought to the American market, whether they will be adopted on a mass scale by an increasingly price-conscious and choosy consumer.

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The exclusive leasing program of BMW’s all-electric vehicles (Mini Es) has created quite a buzz. After all, only 450 models exist. Now, through a draw in a lottery, 4 lucky Californian municipalities, including Glendora, Diamond Bar, West Covina and Azusa, hit the jackpot as they were selected to participate in BMW’s first ever EV pilot program.

Each township will receive two of the two-seater Mini Cooper look-alikes. Moreover, while other lessees shell out $850/month, the winners will only be paying $10/month per car. Why $10, you might be wondering? Well, it’s not supposed to make sense. Afterwards, they would be expected to provide feedback on the cars, which presumably would perfect the engineering process by the time BMW starts mass-producing the Mini E.

The Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments helped organize the lottery. Michael Cacciotti, the representative of the AQMD Governing Body revealed the fact to the media that around 15 cities had shown interest in acquiring the car; however, only four cities were chosen. Mr. Cacciotti is a representative of the Los Angeles County Eastern Region as well.

Mr. Michael Cacciotti acquired 2 Mini E cars for South Pasadena city a couple of months back, when he met with BMW officials. He was promised six more electric cars during that time. Later, when the production increased, other cities were selected to lease out the cars.

According to engineers at BMW, the Mini E would have a single charge electric range of 150 miles. Its top speed would be 95 miles per hour, with a 0-60 acceleration of about 8.5 seconds. The car’s backseat and part of its trunk would be occupied by a 573-pound lithium-ion battery, which would be used to power a 150kW electric motor. All lessees in the pilot program would be given a free high-voltage wall box, which would reduce the charge time of the battery to 3 hours.

Chris Jeffers, the Glendora City Manager responded positively to the electric car. He said that it would be a ‘win-win situation’ for masses, as the car would enable the city to save about $500 to $800 on gasoline on a yearly basis. He commented, “For us, it shows our green side as we’re trying to be as green as possible. It also allows us to delay purchases for some new vehicles.”

Yup, it was a hard decision to make, but in the end he chose to accept the free BMWs.

Update: BMW has announced plans to produce an electric car specifically geared to meet California’s Zero-Emission-Vehicle statute (ZEVs) by 2012.  The car will be called the BMW City or “Project i”.  There is no way to tell at the moment if they will scrap the Mini E program, or if this model is its natural successor.

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The New Mercedes-Benz Supercar

For those with the patience and the pocketbook, a powerful car is about to hit the markets in the year 2015.  Without a doubt, Mercedes-Benz has ambitions to lead several other high-end auto companies, should the race for plug-in automobiles really take off.   To that end, company representatives have announced a  zero-emission supercar, which is a newer version of the SLS AMG,  that will be publicly unveiled on September 15^th of this year.

The development of the car is still a work-in-progress, as revealed by the engineers of AMG. However, such an advanced model could potentially have an impact on multiple fronts, from limiting environmental damage, to reducing breakdown cover costs. The officials let it be known that the same signature gullwing style doors and aluminum-based lightweight body would be offered for the SLS eDrive. Even the interior of the car would be standard with minor changes in the switchgear in order to accommodate the underlying electric driveline.

According to the head of AMG, “The great thing is we haven’t had to alter the styling in any way.” He also pointed out that “The very nature of the SLS, with its sizeable engine bay, sturdy torque tube running back along the backbone of the car and the mounting point for fuel tank, lends itself perfectly to adaptation for electrification.”

The Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS eDrive will be a modified version of the standard rear-wheel-drive SLS.  It will be driven by a total of 392kW, coming from four 98-kW motors powering each wheel, providing a sturdy 649 lb-ft of torque.  By comparison, the SLS, powered by a modified version of AMG’s 6.2-liter V8 engine, provides 571 hp and 479 lb-ft.  The new zero-emission car would also include a new pushrod front suspension compared with the standard car’s double-wishbone arrangement.

The plug-in vehicle will use lithium-ion batteries. As stated, they would require 8 hours to recharge on standard outlets, and 5-6 hours if hooked up to a high-density power source.  Moreover, the fuel tank space behind the seats would be utilized for further battery capacity in the car.  All this means a range between 93 and 112 miles, supplemented by captured brake-energy.  Wolf Zimmermann, the head of SLS eDrive, asserts that the top speed of the car would be 120 mph and it would be capable of achieving an acceleration of 0-62 mph in under 4 seconds.

In the words of Mornhinweg, the ultimate goal of the car is being sporty along with electrification. He said, “The goal is to redefine the one-dimensional way electric cars drive today.”

“We didn’t want to do another concept car without any real relevance to what we’re doing today. Instead, we decided to bring the future to us by applying advanced technology we’d already been looking at to a car we’re just about to launch. “

With an expected release date of 2015, that advanced technology is sure to change in the meantime.  And with a long charge-time, limited electric range, and the hefty price-tag that is sure to be attached to any Mercedes plug-in model, one will wonder if this announcement is just meant to bring attention to its green-credentials at a time when every car company is flouting them.   On the other hand, it is possible that Mercedes really sees potential in the technology.   Even if it is just a marketing ploy, this announcement is a first step in getting acquainted with the engineering challenges that face every electric-car manufacturer.

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The engine will release less than 50 grams/km.  of carbon dioxide emissions (using the NEDC standard).  According to Volvo, this would qualify it for a “super-credit tax incentive band” in several countries.   There is no word yet whether the U.S. will adopt any super incentives.    Another intriguing feature of this car will be the placement of two battery-charging ports on its exterior:  one at the rear for use with public charging stations, and one at the front for use in homes and garages.

The design and introduction of the new model is being accomplished as a joint project between Volvo and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.    Like the Toyota/EDF Energy relationship, Vattenfall will manage the operational aspects of the charging process, providing the infrastructure as well as supplying the needed electricity.   They are also offering customers the opportunity to sign an agreement for renewable electricity sourced specifically from windpower or hydropower, as an alternative to the regular mix of electricity sources.

A demonstration fleet based on the Volvo V70 model will be arriving in the U.S. to promote the technology.   Spokespeople from the company have declared that the base price would be slightly higher than conventional automobiles, but that the range would be “class-leading”.

Unsurprisingly, the battery pack will consist of lithium-ion cells.   The supplier of those cells, at the moment, is unknown.  There are also plans to produce a purely electric car in the future.

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