January 2009

January 2009

 

The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2009. Meetings will be held at the Clark County Library on 1401 E. Flamingo Road from 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM. Members will be displaying their own electric cars and answering questions before and after each meeting.

Happy New Year!

 

Calendar

 

January 2 Green Outlet, The Arts Factory and First Friday Art Exhibit

January 17 Monthly Meeting

February 21 Monthly Meeting

March 21 Monthly Meeting

April 18       Monthly Meeting

April 25 Summerlin Earth Faire

May 16 Monthly Meeting

June 20 Monthly Meeting

July 4 Boulder City Damboree Parade

 Summerlin Freedom Parade

July 18 Monthly Meeting

August 15 Monthly Meeting

September 19 Monthly Meeting

October 17 Monthly Meeting

November 21 Monthly Meeting

December 5 Santa’s Electric Night Parade (Boulder City)

December 19 Monthly Meeting

 

LVEVA Board of Directors:

 

Richard Furniss, President

Lloyd Reece, Vice President

Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer

Al Sawyer, Jan Himber, Jon Hallquist, Dan Trujillo

 

Newsletter Editors and Contributors:

 

Richard Furniss, Lloyd Reece, Bill Kuehl, Al Sawyer, P.E.,

Jan Himber, Stan Hanel

WATTS HAPPENING

is published monthly by the

Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association,

a chapter of the Electric Auto Association

 

Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association web site

http://www.lveva.org

Electric Auto Association web site

http://www.eaaev.org

Electric Auto Association

Membership Renewals

323 Los Altos Drive

Aptos, CA 95003-5248

Current EVents contact: 

At http://www.eaaev.org/eaaboard.html

 

 

Ron Freund

Chairman, CE Publication

 

Address Correspondence to:

LVEVA

2816 W. El Campo Grande Avenue

No. Las Vegas, NV 89031

 

Call for Information:

Richard Furniss (702) 453-6196

Jan Himber for Al Sawyer (702) 642-4000

Bill Kuehl (702) 636-0304

 

Contents:

   -- Bill Kuehl’s “Saga of An EV Wannabe” (Part 7)

   -- 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids to Appear at Dealerships in 1st Quarter 2009

   -- National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture

   -- K2 Energy in Henderson, Nevada Presents Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery to LVEVA

   -- LiFeBATT Announces New Lithium Iron Phosphate 3.3 Volt 14 Amp-hour Battery Cell

   -- Project Better Place Promotes Electric Automobile Infrastructure in Israel and Denmark

   -- Coulomb Technologies Pioneers Smart Recharging Stations

   -- EV Charge America Brings EV Recharging Technology Infrastructure to Las Vegas

   -- Free Energy Store Introduces Electric Vehicle Conversion Kit and Instructions for $10,000

   -- The Arts Factory and First Friday Art Exhibit Go Green with LVEVA Vehicles

   -- New 10-MegaWatt Solar PhotoVoltaic Power Plant Online in Boulder City

   -- NV Energy and RES Americas Move Forward on Wind Energy Project

   -- New LVEVA Board of Directors Elected for Three-Year Terms

   -- LVEVA DVD Reference Library

   -- EV Repairs and Service

   -- EV Conversion and Fabrication Support

   -- EVs and EV Parts for Sale

 

 

The Saga of an EV Wannabe (Part 7)

By Bill Kuehl, LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer

 

Editor’s Note (Synopsis): This month continues the seventh of a nine-part series of practical EV conversion and driving tips written by LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer Bill Kuehl, who is also a co-founder and former president of the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association. The series recounts some of his thirty years of experiences as part of a small group of pioneers who believed they could convert gasoline vehicles into roadworthy electric battery-powered vehicles. This series of articles was originally published in the LVEVA “Watts Happening” monthly newsletters during 2003. With the recent rise of gasoline prices during the last few months, Bill’s story of his lifelong commitment to enabling EV conversions continues to hold many insights and helpful hints for the “do-it-yourself” EV builder. Bill Kuehl has converted over 200 gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles during the last forty years. He also holds records for ¼-mile electric vehicle drag racing and electric vehicle endurance racing.

 

During the first three installments of this series, Bill talked about the OPEC oil crisis that restricted the foreign supply of oil and petroleum during October 1973 as being the motivation for his interest in building electric vehicles. The cost of gasoline jumped from 33 cents per gallon to over $1.50 per gallon during a period of just a few months. Bill’s first attempts to make a full-size electric car for commuting to his work site that would cover a round trip of 16 miles resulted in a successful conversion of a 1974 Ford Pinto on a shoestring budget. This successful commuting solution worked for 3 ½ years until Bill’s work site was relocated, forcing him to redesign a vehicle that would have a round trip range of 32 miles. The second part of the series profiled a 1973 Honda Civic conversion that allowed him a range of over 60 miles on a single battery charge as well as allowing him to set an endurance record at a road rally sponsored by the Electric Auto Association that achieved 100.8 miles on a single charge of his lead-acid battery pack. 

During the third through fifth part of the series, Bill talked about his acquisition of an Electric Pickup Truck, an electric Datsun 310 conversion, spare motors and controllers that were built by Lectra Motors in Las Vegas. He continued to participate in annual EAA rallies in Sunnyvale, California where he met like-minded EV enthusiasts from California who bought many of the parts and the Datsun 310. Bill also detailed his successful EV conversion of a 1985 Pontiac Fiero, his electric auto cross racing experiences with the Sports Car Club of America that included fellow LVEVA members Jan Himber and Al Sawyer at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and a Clean Air Road Rally held in Los Angeles. He continued to help build EV conversions for many local LVEVA members, including former LVEVA Vice-president Bill Yule.

Bill Kuehl’s saga of EV conversion, experimentation and discovery continues…

 

After finishing Bill Yule’s 1994 Hyundai Excel EV conversion project, I continued driving my 1985 electric Pontiac Fiero for the rest of the summer. During June through August, I installed the Cableform motor speed controller with its SCR-based electronics technology so that it would not overheat during the 110-plus temperatures of the Las Vegas desert.

 

On September 15, 1994, I got my motor home ready, hooked up my tow dolly to it, and loaded up the 1985 Pontiac Fiero for a trip to the annual EAA rally that would be held in Sunnyvale, California on September 17, 1994. I started out on the morning of September 5th, driving my motor home with the Fiero in tow and drove as far as Bakersfield where I stayed the night. The next day I drove up to Cupertino, California, to my daughter’s house and stayed there for the duration of the trip. The total distance was 560 miles on e way. The next morning, on the 17th, I towed my Fiero to Sunnyvale for the EAA rally.

 

I parked in the lot next ot where the rally was to be held and unloaded the Fiero from the tow dooly. I drove the Fiero over to the starting lineup, registered for the competition, had the vehicle inspected for safety and was given the route that we were to drive on. The road rally route covered 4.2 miles on city streets and was mapped so that it would finish at the same initial starting point, allowing the drivers to make continuous laps. Each time that a car left on another lap, the driver had to pick up a passenger from the general public who was there to experience a free ride in an electric car over the 4.2 mile route.

 

As each car left from the starting line, it had a time card that was punched from the time the car left. When coming back to the finish line, the card was punched in to show the end of the run. There was a 15-minute time limit for each vehicle to make a run.

 

This year, the EAA had put in a 100-yard dash acceleration test event for each vehicle starting out on their first run. After leaving the parking lot and getting lined up straight on the street, each car was then stopped. Then, when it was ready to go, each car was timed from the point when it first started to move until it passed the 100-yard point. Then the car went on to complete the first run around the course. Here were the results published by the EAA:

 

“First place went to Mike Slominski in his 1979 VW Rabbit. Mike drove his car from his home in San Mateo, California, 42 miles to the rally. His total mileage was 102.9 miles. His time on the 100-yard dash was 12.63 seconds.

Mike’s son Adam drove an electric Renault LeCar, just getting his license one month earlier. It was his first time behind the wheel of a stick shift car, let alone an electric one. His mileage was 66.0 miles and his time in the 100-yard dash was 13.645 seconds.

Second Place went to Bob Westman in his 850 Fiat Spyder using U.S. Battery 2300’s for a total of 90.2 miles and a time in the 100-yard dash of 10.44 seconds.

Third place went to Bob Schneevis and his Fiat X-19 that used two strings of 132-volt battery packs in parallel comprised of 12-volt Eveready (Costco) batteries. His total mileage was 86.1 miles and his time in the 100-yard dash was 9.34 seconds.

Fourth Place went to Clare Bell in her 1980 VW Rabbit, “Hopalong”. Hopalong got balky on the last 19th lap and would not go forward, so it was run “bassackwards” for expediency (and for the sheer fun ot it!). The Rabbit delivered both driver and passenger, cotton-tailing to fourth place for the finish. Her mileage was 77.9 miles and her time in the 100-yard dash was 12.55 seconds.

 

The “hot wheels” of the day were:

William Kuehl’s 1985 Fiero which ran the 100-yard sprint in 9.09 seconds. The Fiero came all the way from Nevada. Now that is dedication. The Fiero had 120 volts of Trojan T-105 batteries and total mileage was 61.2 miles.

 

Team New England’s lightweight three-wheeler, ably piloted by Marianne Walpert of the Women’s Electric Racing Team (WE’RE-IT) repeated the efficiency performance it showed in the recent Tour de Sol to sail away with the 3-whell class win. Total mileage was 94.3 miles and her time in the 100-yard dash was 13.79 seconds.

 

On the sidelines, Anna Cornell handled the information table. Members of the Peninsula EAA Chapter grilled hot dogs and scrambled all over each other to get the lemonade mixed but they successfully fast-charged (and fast-stuffed) rally participants and attendees. EAA cups, T-shirts and keychains were available at the adjoining booth.”

 

In short, a good time was had by all, both wheeled and footed alike, while demonstrating the capability of today’s EVs to a growing number of interested people.

 

Editor’s note: End of Part Seven. “The Saga of an EV Wannabe (Part Eight)” will continue in the February 2009 issue of the LVEVA “Watts Happening” newsletter, and will chronicle more of Bill Kuehl’s pioneering EV conversion projects and racing adventures. Happy Clean Air Motoring!

 

 

 

2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids to Appear at Dealerships in Spring 2009

 

During the recent U.S. automotive industry “bailout hearings” before Congress at the end of 2008 for the “Detroit 3” major automakers, GM and Chrysler received billions of dollars of taxpayer-funded loans that will hopefully keep their companies out of bankruptcy through March 2009. Chrysler shut down 30 production plants for 30 days during the month of December 2008 to cut its expenses going into the new year.  Ford Motor Company’s CEO Alan Mulally abstained from the need for a loan of tax-payer bailout funds but requested access to them in the future if further financing was required for the company beyond the end of 2009.

Ford recently rolled out its solution to competing in the new “gasoline constrained” economy with the introduction of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and its twin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid at: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29448

Production models of these vehicles should start appearing at Ford dealerships during Spring 2009 for potential customers to test drive. Both cars are full-sized sedans with larger trunk space than the competing Toyota Prius. The gasoline-electric output of the combined engine and electric motor is 191 horsepower. Zero to 60 mph acceleration is under 9 seconds. Gasoline consumption is rated over 52 mpg for mixed city-highway driving. The retail price of a Fusion Hybrid is about $27,500 but buyers will be eligible for federal tax credits, dropping the price into the $25,000 range.

 

The hybrid propulsion system in both cars is based on one originally implemented in the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, that in turn was originally licensed from Toyota as an early generation of its Synergy drive system used in the 2002 Toyota Prius and 2003 hybrid Highlander SUV. Since licensing the technology from Toyota five years ago, Ford engineers have added their own refinements and incremental design improvements. Like the Toyota Prius, the traction battery pack technology uses proven Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery cell chemistry. The pack is supplied by Sanyo in Japan with a rating of 270 Volts and 1.4 kiloWatt-hours. Compared to the Escape Hybrid SUV, the Ford Fusion battery pack is 30% smaller in volume and 23% lighter, making it easier to cool from ducted cabin air near the rear seat. In electric-only mode, the car can accelerate up to 47 mph before needing assistance from the gasoline engine.

The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, approximately twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.

 

From the Ford Motor Company web site:

“The next-generation hybrid system features:

New 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (155 horsepower/136 lb.-ft. of torque) running the proven Atkinson cycle mated to an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission or e-CVT.

Intake Variable Cam Timing (iVCT), which allows the vehicle to more seamlessly transition from gas to electric mode and vice-versa. The spark and cam timing are varied according to the engine load to optimize efficiency and emissions.

Enhanced electronic throttle control reduces airflow on shutdowns, reducing fueling needs on restarts.

Wide-band lambda sensor analyzes the air-fuel ratio and adjusts the lean/rich mixture accordingly to keep the system in balance and to minimize emissions.

A new smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery has been optimized to produce 20 percent more power. Improved chemistry allows the battery to be run at a higher temperature and it is cooled using cabin air.

An added variable voltage converter boosts the voltage to the traction battery to operate the motor and generator more efficiently.

A new high-efficiency converter provides 14 percent increased output to accommodate a wider array of vehicle features.

Smarter climate control system monitors cabin temperature and only runs the gas engine as needed to heat the cabin; it also includes an electric air conditioning compressor to further minimize engine use.

The regenerative brake system captures the energy normally lost through friction in braking and stores it. Nearly 94 percent energy recovery is achieved by first delivering full regenerative braking followed by friction brakes during city driving.

A simulator brake actuation system dictates brake actuation and delivers improved brake pedal feel compared to the previous generation braking system.

“Because our hybrid can run at a much higher speed in electric mode, you can do so much more in city-driving situations,” said Gil Portalatin, Hybrid Applications Manager. “Under the right conditions, you can drive in your neighborhood or mall parking lots without using a drop of gasoline.”

The Fusion Hybrid also offers drivers a way to be more connected to the hybrid driving experience thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster execution that helps coach them on how to optimize performance of their hybrid.

SmartGauge with EcoGuide features two, high-resolution, full-color liquid crystal display (LCD) screens on either side of the analog speedometer that can be configured to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, average and instant miles-per-gallon.

EcoGuide uses a multi-layered approach to coach the driver to maximum fuel efficiency.

A tutorial mode built into the display that helps the driver learn about the instrument cluster and the hybrid in a whimsical way that does not overpower. Technical enthusiasts will love the detailed gauges that will help them learn to become more efficient in their driving. Everyday drivers will love another new feature in this same gauge cluster. Called “Efficiency Leaves,” the system “grows” leaves and vines on-screen to reward customers for efficient driving.

Drivers can choose one of four data screens to choose the information level displayed during their drives. They are:

Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status

Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer

Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power

Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption

All levels can show instant fuel economy, fuel economy history, odometer, engine coolant temperature, what gear the car is in and trip data (trip fuel economy, time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty). The engine coolant temperature indicator turns green when engine conditions are warm enough to allow engine pull-down.

Several other elements help differentiate the Ford Fusion Hybrid from its gas-powered sibling, including unique hybrid “road and leaf” badging on both sides and the rear of the vehicle; unique 17-inch, eight-spoke wheels; eco-friendly seat fabric made from post-industrial 100 percent recycled materials; and a standard 110-volt power outlet.”

One new innovation mentioned that Ford brought to improving its high-voltage management system in its new hybrids involves the use of two variable-voltage DC-to-DC converters that provide more efficient power to all the electrical systems in the vehicle. One variable voltage DC-to-DC converter can temporarily step up voltage to the battery pack as needed during peak acceleration demand while driving or, conversely, during hard braking by allowing current to flow quickly back to the battery in the form of regenerative energy. The second variable voltage DC-to-DC converter provides boosted power on demand to several secondary vehicle high-voltage systems, including electric power steering, electric air-conditioning and electric-assisted brakes.

 

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is equipped with a 17-gallon gas tank for range. Ford is claiming that a driver can travel 700 miles on one fill-up of the tank with an average gas consumption rating of 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Ford Fusion is based on the Mazda 6-based platform. Ford Motor Company is a part owner of Mazda. The Mazda 6 platform has been improved by Ford Engineers to include enhancements to the suspension, braking and steering systems. Thicker glass, better door sealing, and upgrades to cabin materials make for a quieter ride that reduces wind and road noise along with a more luxurious appearance.

 

 

National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture

 

More than a dozen U.S. technology companies are collectively asking the government to help subsidize the development of a domestic lithium ion battery industry. Such batteries could hold the key to future automotive innovations. However, most manufacturing is outsourced overseas, where battery makers often receive help from their local national governments. The alliance of firms hopes to level the playing field.

 

Fourteen technology firms have banded together to form a new industry alliance that cooperatively seeks $1 billion to $2 billion in federal funding. Their mission is to create a center for the development and manufacture of domestic lithium ion batteries for transportation applications in the United States.

 

The National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture is currently being advised by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, a national research lab and a leading developer of new battery technologies, which will continue to serve in an advisory role as the Alliance begins operations.

 

Central to the Alliance's mission is the belief that lithium ion batteries will replace gasoline as the principal source of energy in future cars and military vehicles. Today, U.S. automobile manufacturers and defense contractors depend on foreign suppliers -- increasingly concentrated in Asia -- for lithium ion battery cells, the Alliance says.

 

The key problem right now is that there is very little battery manufacturing in the U.S. The collective membership feels this is both a potential national energy security risk, similar to a reliance on international petroleum, as well as a competitive domestic automobile manufacturing risk. Lithium ion battery cell manufacture is heavily subsidized in many countries. The Alliance hopes to make the U.S. competitive in this area once more.

 

Although new battery technology innovation in the U.S. is going forward, much of the manufacturing of the resultant intellectual property from battery innovation research has been shipped overseas or sold off to the companies in Asia. Surveys show there are as many as four dozen advanced battery plants being built in China but none being built in the United States.

The founding members of the Alliance include 3M, ActaCell, All Cell Technologies, Altair Nanotechnologies, Dontech Global, EaglePicher Corporation, EnerSys, Envia Systems, FMC, MicroSun Technologies, Mobius Power, SiLyte, Superior Graphite, and Townsend Advanced Energy. The Alliance anticipates that additional battery developers and materials suppliers will join.

U.S. truck and auto makers and representatives of the Department of Defense will be invited to serve on the Alliance's advisory board. The advisory board will help the battery cell makers move toward standardized cell formats that will simplify manufacture and ultimately lower the costs of cells and battery management systems.

 

The Alliance says it wants to replicate the success of Sematech, a government supported collaboration of U.S. semiconductor manufacturers formed in the 1980s to address the increasing migration of semiconductor manufacturing from the United States to Asia. Between 1988 and 1993, the Alliance said, Sematech raised $990 million in government grants and private investment to help U.S. manufacturers recapture their lead in semiconductor technology.

 

 

 

K2 Energy in Henderson, Nevada Presents Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery to LVEVA

David Anderson of K2 Energy (formerly Peak Battery Company), presented his company’s Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery technology at the December 2008 meeting of the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA). The company is located in Henderson, Nevada at:

K2 Energy Solutions, Inc., 1125 American Pacific Drive, Suite C, Henderson, NV 89074

 

Contact information:

By phone: (702) 478-3590 (between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time Zone)

By email: info@peakbattery.com

Web Site: http://www.k2battery.com

 

Shipping Information:

In stock items are normally shipped within one to three business days. For out of stock items, you will be contacted for the shipping time.

 

The company’s product line includes imported rechargeable battery cells from the following chemistry technologies—Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4), Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd), and Alkaline. Compatible Multi Chargers for each type of chemistry are also available from the company.

 

The company currently markets its cylindrical Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cell technology as its LFP product line. On the company’s web site, its most recent product offerings include the LFP123A cell rated at 3.2 Volts, 600 milliAmp-hours with a list price of $9.75 per cell, the LFP18650P High Power cell rated at 3.2 Volts, 1.25 Amp-hour with a sale price of $7.99 per cell, the LFP26650P High Power cell rated at 3.3 Volts, 2.5 Amp-hours with a sale price of $13.00 per cell, the LFP26650EV High Energy cell rated at 3.2 Volts, 3.2 Amp-hours with a sale price of $11.50 per cell.  The company imports this Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cell product line from Shanghai, China and then integrates the cells by welding them together in battery packs tailored to its customers’ needs at its local assembly plant in Henderson, Nevada where the company currently employs 25 people. Welded battery tabs can be added to the purchased cells for an incremental price of $2 per cell. The battery cells manufactured in Shanghai, China use patent-protected powder mixtures originally developed by Lithium Iron Phosphate pioneer Dr. John Goodenough at the University of Texas-Austin.

 

K2 Energy also sells integrated battery packs consisting of multiple cells welded together. The LFP200ES is a 12 Volt, 16 Amp-hour battery pack that retails for $249. A compatible 12-volt Smart Charger is available for $49.99.

 

During the December 2008 LVEVA meeting, Dave Anderson also unveiled a prototype for a new 3.2 Volt, 83 Amp-hour battery pack that consists of 26 LFP26650EV High Energy cells welded in parallel (26 x 3.2 Amp-hours = 83.2 Amp-hours). Total Watt-hours for the battery pack would be 3.2 Volts x 83 Amp-hours = 265.6 Watt-hours. This battery pack would also retail for $249 and could be scaled up by connecting multiple packs that would be suitable to propel full-sized electric vehicle applications while costing less that $1 per watt-hour for the battery pack.

 

To drive a full-sized electric vehicle using a 120-volt system rated at 160 Amp-hours, an electric car manufacturer would require 80 of the K2 Energy battery packs at a cost of $19,920. Volume pricing can be negotiated with the company to help bring down the overall cost for multiple pack purchases.

 

K2 Energy does not sell Battery Management Systems (BMS) that are compatible with its battery pack and cell technology at this time, leaving it up to the buyer to provide protection for the Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry in the K2 energy cells and packs during application usage. The company only warranties workmanship defects within individual cells or battery packs that occur at the time of manufacture in either the Shanghai battery cell manufacturing site or the Henderson battery pack manufacturing site.

 

This is an important engineering and cost consideration when adapting Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cell technology to an electric vehicle. The electrolytic materials in Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries can be permanently damaged at any time if an individual cell is overcharged beyond its upper voltage or current capacity limits. The electrolytic materials within each cell can also be permanently damaged if the applied load drains any cell in the pack below its minimum voltage and current thresholds. When comparing multiple cells in multiple battery packs, each cell can exhibit significant variance in performance characteristics from one cell to the next. Equalizing and charging multiple cells at the same time requires a fine electronic “smart” system to oversee the recharging process, not allowing even one cell in the entire system to exceed its top voltage and current capacity limit during each recharging cycle in order to prolong the life of the battery pack.

 

As the battery pack is depleted by its applied load, the BMS must also monitor the voltage and current state of each cell to receive feedback as to how close it is approaching individual low-end voltage and current capacity limits. When reaching these limits, each individual cell must be disconnected from the load in order for it not to be drained below its minimum capacity. This usually requires some kind of signal feedback to a control system that can open the circuit between the individual cell and the load. Additional external relay and contactor hardware may also be required to implement this disconnection process.

 

The necessity for these kinds of electronic control systems to employ Lithium Iron Phosphate battery technologies into a full-sized electric vehicle can add significant peripheral costs to the basic battery pack price. However, early technology adopters and OEM manufacturers are eager to try because the benefits provided by Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries include lighter weight, longer range, better power discharge, quicker recharge times and a much longer life cycle that can provide many improvements over the capabilities of industry-standard lead-acid battery technology for so many of today’s industrial battery applications.

 

An electric Shelby EVX Cobra conversion driven by Michael Kadie of HST Automotive used K2 Energy battery cells to set record times in the “Concept Vehicle, 193-240 Volt (CV/B)” 1/8-mile class during the Electric Dragin in Barona, California (January 2008). The drag racing event and Michael Kadie’s record in the “ShelbyEV” were sanctioned by the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) at: http://www.nedra.com/record_holders.html

 

Newly-elected LVEVA Board of Directors member Dan Trujillo is also an employee of K2 Energy. Dan drives a 1981 Lectra Centauri based on a Datsun 200SX glider that he hopes to convert from a 108-volt lead-acid battery pack to a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack in order to extend his driving range.

 

 

 

LiFeBATT Announces New Lithium Iron Phosphate 3.3 Volt 14 Amp-hour Battery Cell

 

Michelle Robinson is an LVEVA member and also Chief Operating Officer of LiFeBATT, Inc. USA, a distributor of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries with U.S. corporate headquarters located in Las Vegas, Nevada at: http://www.lifebatt.com

LiFeBATT, Inc. USA is a U.S. distributor that imports its product line from LiFeBATT, Inc. Taiwan. These products include integrated Battery Pack System (BPS) modules that can come equipped with built-in Voltage Monitoring Systems (VMS), compatible Smart Chargers, and a wireless Global Battery Tracking System (GBTS).

 

To receive more detailed information the company’s product line and pricing, contact the company at: (702) 804-2641 or (702) 804-2642

 

The local Las Vegas company first began distributing large format 3.2 Volt, 10 Amp-hour Lithium Iron Phosphate battery cells for electric vehicle applications in January 2008. LiFeBATT’s Model 40138 cylindrical cell measures 38.1 mm in diameter by 139.7 mm long. Threaded screw terminals on each end of the cylinder that form attachment points for the anode and cathode of the cell add another 31.8 mm that extends the “tip to tip” length to 171.5 mm. Total weight of the cell is 359 grams. 

 

The materials used in the cell are manufactured by Phostech Lithium in Canada using patent-protected techniques developed by battery pioneer Dr. John Goodenough from the University of Texas-Austin in conjunction with Hydro-Quebec and Universite de Montreal. The government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan added innovative processing technologies to create this larger cell size for electric vehicle applications with a larger capacity than Lithium Iron Phosphate cells sold by other comparable battery companies. LiFeBATT Taiwan employs over 100 people in its factory near Taipei to manufacture integrated product lines based on these battery cells for worldwide distribution. The company also continues an aggressive development program in conjunction with Taiwan government and university research efforts.

 

LiFeBATT Inc., USA sent a sample of the large format Model 40138 cell to Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico for evaluation. The resulting 33-page report (SAND2008-5583) published by the Advanced Power Sources R&D Department at Sandia National Laboratories was released in September 2008 and can be found within the LiFeBATT web site at:  http://www.lifebatt.com/sandiareport.pdf

 

During 2008, the company began integrating the 40138 cells into High Power System (HPS) battery pack modules that could be scaled into different voltage and current configurations to form larger battery packs suitable to drive full-size electric vehicles. The Taiwan engineers also integrated a Voltage Monitoring System (VMS) into each HPS module that can notify users of over-voltage or under-voltage conditions within the battery pack. These warning signals include integrated “state of charge” LEDs visible on the outside panel of the battery pack modules, an internal audible buzzer, and two external RS-232 serial connectors that include pins with digital logic-level signals to indicate over-voltage or under-voltage states within the battery pack module cells. Multiple HPS modules with multiple internal VMS signals would each have their own individual module ID number and could be interconnected through the two RS-232 serial connectors in a daisy-chain configuration that would pass the signals from each HPS module to a supervising Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS could then monitor the voltage level of each individual cell in the entire battery pack. Abnormal “events” or conditions that exceed daily charging and operation cycles are recorded and time-stamped automatically through the internal embedded VMS system.  This internal electronic record allows the company to monitor extreme operational conditions over time in order to determine its warranty obligations to its customers. LiFeBATT USA offers a 3-year/30,000 mile full-replacement warranty on all of its Lithium Iron Phosphate HPS modules. The warranty is conditional, depending on the company’s review of the HPS module’s internal logs for abnormal operational events. The LiFeBATT warranty does not apply where records of excessive battery pack abuse are shown over time. User diagnostic software is available to the battery pack owner that runs on Windows 2000 or Windows XP Operating Systems.

 

Sales of HPS battery pack module systems also include compatible smart chargers that can be turned off when signaled by the HPS module that internal cells have reached upper voltage and current capacity thresholds. Alternative chargers chosen by users for their applications must be approved by LiFeBATT in order to qualify for the 3-year warranty support of the HPS modules.

Also embedded in each HPS battery pack module is the hardware and firmware for a wireless GlobeTRAC™ Global Battery Tracking System (GBTS). GlobeTRAC™ uses an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) and a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) that work with the embedded Voltage Monitoring System (VMS) to scan the voltage level of every cell in an EV battery pack remotely. The GBTS-to-VMS interface code is built on a Microsoft WinCE™ Real Time Operating System (RTOS) core. The wireless GBTS can also be used to implement a two-way worldwide call-system to alert a driver through a GSM-format personal cell phone. A text or voice message can be sent to a LiFeBATT battery pack user with information that individual cells within the pack are in danger of exceeding upper or lower voltage thresholds. If such conditions occur during vehicle operation, a driver can use caution to pull off the road or find a nearby vehicle service station to facilitate repairs. If abnormal conditions are recorded while recharging the vehicle, the driver can also be alerted to check for faults in the recharging system before a more severe problem occurs. This feature can pre-empt potential service problems before they can cause a danger to the user and also help plan more effective service maintenance schedules. It is available as an add-on service that requires installation of a GlobeTRAC™ Bluetooth interface box within the vehicle and an additional monthly service fee.

More details about the operation of the LiFeBATT Voltage Monitoring System (VMS) and GlobeTRAC™ Global Battery Tracking System (GBTS) can be found within the company’s web site at: http://www.lifebatt.com/VMSandGBTS.pdf

 

LiFeBATT differentiates itself from competing Lithium Iron Phosphate battery companies by selling integrated systems that include an embedded Voltage Monitoring system and GlobeTRAC™ hardware/firmware as part of the purchase price. Retail prices for different power configurations are featured within its web site at: http://www.lifebatt.com/retail_sheet.html

The price of an integrated high voltage HPS module rated at 120 Volts, 10 Amp-hours is about $2,500. Approximately 16 of these 10 Amp-hour packs will be needed to drive a full-sized electric vehicle for a total cost of $40,000. Volume price discounts can be negotiated with the company to lower the cost per HPS module.

 

During December 2008, LiFeBATT announced development of a new large format 3.2 Volt, 14 Amp-hour Lithium Iron Phosphate cell that will fit in the same dimensions as the cylindrical 40138 cell. Shipments of HPS modules integrated with this new larger cell are expected by Spring 2009. More detailed cell specifications will be available on the company web site in early 2009. The larger individual cell capacity within the same space means that fewer cells will be needed. The resulting Voltage Monitoring System and GlobeTRAC™ Global Battery Tracking System would also use fewer components, decreasing overall system costs.

 

 

Project Better Place Promotes Electric Automobile Infrastructure Worldwide

 

The San Francisco Bay Area could become the nation's electric-car capital if an ambitious $1 billion plan announced by a Palo Alto, California start-up company becomes implemented.

Project Better Place is a start-up company led by Shai Agassi, a former software company founder and CEO, who electrified the European community with his ideas during the 60th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the state of Israel. He proposed the establishment of a nation-wide electric car recharging and battery-replacement infrastructure within Israel, as well as easy access to the purchase of electric cars by the nation’s citizens. This national government-industry partnership would build multiple battery-charging stations as well as garages where drained batteries can be quickly swapped for fully-charged ones, enabling support for the use of electric cars throughout the country. The business model for Better Place is similar to the mobile cell phone business. The company would own the batteries, recharging equipment and battery technology. These resources and infrastructure would be provided to the vehicle owners in the same way that mobile phone companies provide “minutes” of communication time to their consumers. Better Place would enable a vehicle owner to have access to “hours of range” within a country’s transportation infrastructure over time by providing the electricity and storage capability for the vehicles. This type of battery pack swapping business was originally practiced 100 years ago with the U.S. electric car industry at that time.  Thomas Edison’s Nickel Iron battery packs, although heavy, were used in many electric vehicles and had a life cycle of 90 years.  In New York’s garment industry, whole banks of batteries could be swapped out by disconnecting a wooden box of batteries from delivery vehicles and exchanging each vehicle with a freshly charged set. Most of the factories in the garment district were wired to run on DC power in order to drive the motors in the conveyer belts of each shop and were easily connected to recharge electric vehicle battery packs.

 

Shai Agassi’s recent efforts have attracted the support of automakers Renault and Nissan, who have already put into plans an industry partnership to create the next-generation of electric cars and trucks that would function and interact within this proposed recharging station infrastructure by 2011.

 

The countries of Denmark and Australia have also expressed interest in creating their own government-industry sponsorships to build out an electric car infrastructure in order to create new jobs and industries. Denmark acquires 30% of its nation’s electric power from wind turbine generators that operate primarily during the night, coinciding with the expected charging schedule for electric vehicle batteries. Australia recently discovered significant new deposits of Lithium within its borders and is poised to become a significant player in the Lithium-ion battery, solar-electric power and electric car industries.

 

In November 2008, the mayors of eleven San Francisco Bay Area cities in California agreed to cooperate with an initiative by Better Place to create an electric car recharging infrastructure that would surround the San Francisco Bay. Based on Better Place's preliminary market research, it will take about 100,000 charging stations, 50 battery exchange stations, and a control center to service Bay Area electric car drivers within a total population of approximately 5 million people. The overall cost of this system could exceed $1 billion and would be shared by the city governments as well as public contracting companies.

 

Silicon Valley startup companies like Coulomb Technologies in Campbell, California are creating “smart charger” products that could help build up this infrastructure at: http://www.coulombtech.com

 

The mayors committed to a nine-point plan that will set regional standards for expedited permitting and installation procedures as well as seek regional incentives for people who buy electric cars.

 

The Electric Auto Association (EAA), the parent non-profit organization of the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) chapter is also located in Palo Alto, California at: http://www.eaaev.org

The EAA has formed alliances with CalCars, Plug-in America, and the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) to promote the visibility and use of plug-in electric vehicle transportation. This international organization has also formed an EV Charger News discussion list, led by EAA coordinator Tom Dowling. It is administered by a group of volunteers within the EAA organization who attempt to advocate for the creation of municipal and private recharging stations throughout the U.S. They maintain an active map of existing public recharging sites while also requesting daily active feedback from EV owners who visit these sites at: http://www.evchargernews.com

The state of Hawaii has also expressed interest in creating an electric car infrastructure on its islands as well as continuing to lead the nation in sugar cane-based biofuel production for internal combustion engine cars, a practice started during the 1940s. For more information, visit the Better Place web site at: http://www.betterplace.com

 

 

Coulomb Technologies Pioneers Smartlet Recharging Stations

 

Silicon Valley start-up company Coulomb Technologies hopes to lead the development and deployment of electric vehicle recharging stations worldwide at: http://www.coulombtech.com

 

The local Las Vegas distributor for Coulomb Technologies is EV-Charge America at: http://www.ev-chargeamerica.com

Coulomb Technologies is anticipating the arrival of Plug-In Vehicles and the new era of electricity as a mainstream transportation fuel in reaction to the instability of U.S. dependence on crude oil-based transportation fuel, concerns over global warming, and a national “green” movement that is taking shape at the grassroots level.

 

During 2008, major automotive manufacturers are also monitoring this trend and announcing a multitude of plug-in electric vehicles to arrive within the next three years. Coulomb Technologies has grouped these vehicles into three categories:

 

1. Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREV) that are electric cars with range extending peripheral power plants that recharge the electric vehicle batteries as they discharge to a certain threshold, such as the Chevy “Volt” announced by General Motors to arrive in 2011.

 

2. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) such as the Toyota Prius PHEV also announced to arrive by 2011 that can be plugged-in to and external electric power source to recharge a battery pack that drives an electric motor. Parallel hybrid vehicles can run in electric-only mode but also must be supplemented by a parallel internal combustion engine or fuel cell that can either drive the vehicle directly or recharge the electric traction motor battery pack.

 

3. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) such as the Tesla Motors Roadster, already on the road since 2008. These are pure electric vehicles with no supplemental range extender or hybrid internal combustion engine.

 

“All of these cars have one thing in common: They need connection to the existing electric grid to recharge on-board batteries. When operating in the all-electric mode, they eliminate gasoline consumption.”

 

According to research performed by the company and published in their brochures, there are many problems or “needs” to be overcome in order to establish a strong, reliable electric car recharging infrastructure:

 

1. Need for charging points: According to the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy, there are 247 million cars in the U.S. today but only 54 million garages. This implies that most cars are not parked in garages. The situation is most extreme in dense urban areas, the very places where a medium-range plug-in vehicle would be an ideal solution for personal transportation.

 

2. Need for a scalable solution: The infrastructure must be built on a solid business case. A “free” infrastructure based on subsidies and mandates will not scale. Grants and subsidies can kick start a market, however a viable solution must provide a cash flow to pay for equipment, maintenance, space and electricity.

 

3. Need for grid load management: Utility companies are increasingly concerned about the rising demand for electric power and the effect it will have on the grid. As a result, they are implementing Demand Response (DR) policies (a.k.a. “peak shaving”) that dynamically reduce demand on the grid. Furthermore, some utility companies are releasing relatively inexpensive “valley filling” rate schedules that will increase the demand of electricity for plug-in vehicles during high grid capacity times and, thereby increase the efficiency of the grid.

 

4. Need to meet consumer behavior and desires: A recent U.C. Davis study revealed that consumers want to keep their PHEV and EV batteries fully charged by plugging in multiple times a day. This, along with their strong desire for lower fuel costs, the desire to avoid going to gas stations, the desire to have the infrastructure conveniently located, and the desire to have a charging system that is easy to use, results in an inevitable demand for charging points in public and private parking facilities.

 

5. Need to address diminishing gas taxes: As people begin to use electricity for fuel, federal, state, and local agencies will become concerned about eroding gas tax revenue. Gas tax revenue funds a large portion of roadway development and maintenance. Inevitably, taxing electricity when it is used as a transportation fuel will be necessary to offset eroding gas taxes, and therefore the means for measuring and controlling the refueling of plug-in vehicles is essential.

 

To address these needs, Coulomb Technologies is creating a ChargePoint™ Network that will consist of the company’s Smartlet™ EV charging station product lines that can be installed at gasoline service stations, parking garages, curbside parking spaces, and private commercial building complexes. These smart charging stations can interact with the different battery chemistries onboard plug-in electric vehicles and will also be capable of being interconnected in a wireless 802.15.4 LAN configuration. Onboard embedded computer systems can perform energy metering functions as well as integrate parking fee charges for private parking garages and private parking spaces. Payment is handled with a credit card through an Internet payment system.

 

Each Smartlet™ Charging Station is connected through the Internet to a centralized control station where energy policies, billing and reporting can be administered. Through a centralized web site presence, the company can also provide customer inventories for OnStar™ and GPS navigation services as well as be a secure portal for Smartlet™ charging station hosts, subscribers, and utility companies to interact.

 

Hosts are the people or business that purchase, install and maintain access to the Smartlet Charging Stations at their private or public locations. They are the owners of the equipment at the host site. Subscribers are customers or EV drivers who use the Smartlet Charging Stations to recharge their vehicles. Utilities are the companies who provide the electricity to the local grid that supports the Smartlet Charging Station network in each region.

 

From the company’s brochure published in July 2008:

“There are three major components of the ChargePoint Network:

1. Smartlet Charging Stations: These stations perform bi-directional energy metering and use 802.15.4 wireless LAN technology to support a charging subscription model with the ability to communicate relevant information back to a central administrative server. The ChargePoint Network Operating System individually controls each Smartlet Charging Station via the network.

There are three configurations of the CT1000 Smartlet Charging Stations:

Smartlet CT1000 110VAC Pole Mount Model: This model straps onto a streetlight. Since conduit is already available at a streetlight pole, the installation cost associated with this model is greatly reduced. The Smartlet Pole Mount model only supports 110VAC/15A charging.

Smartlet CT1000 110VAC Bollard Model: This model stands on its own and is designed for curbside and parking structure installation. It supports 110VAC/15A charging.

Smartlet CT1000 Dual Mode (110VAC and 220VAC) Bollard Model: this model is also a bollard and supports 110VAC 15 Amp and 220VAC 15 Amp charging.

Coulomb is developing a Level 2 Smartlet family of charging stations for charging rates up to 220 VAC 70 Amps for release in 2009. Future Smartlet Charging Stations will share the same Smartlet Communications Network and ChargePoint Network Operating System.

 

2. Smartlet Communications Network: The network provides a meshed LAN wireless environment using 802.15.4 technology with WAN connectivity and communication to the ChargePoint Network Operating System using GSM/GRPS technology. User authentication, access control, energy flow control and energy metering are communicated over the Smartlet Communications Network.

 

3. ChargePoint Network Operating System (NOS): The ChargePoint NOS manages the Smarlet Charging Stations through the Smartlet Communications Network. The NOS also provides web portals for subscribers, hosts and utilities. Functions include user authentication, access control, energy flow control, location management, utility company policy administration, user portal, host property portal, utility portal and GPS system interface. User portals include maps and directions showing locations of Smartlet Charging Stations. 

Since there are approximately 3,000 different electricity utility companies across the U.S., the chance of a plug-in vehicle driver crossing utility boundaries in day-to-day driving is very high. Coulomb manages this system through two mechanisms:

 

a. First, Coulomb Technologies works with the owner of the Smartlet Charging Stations (a.k.a. the “host”) to implement an energy bill reimbursement and revenue share program. This means that the ChargePoint Network is independent of the local utility company and grid operator. The EV driver (a.k.a. the “subscriber”) pays the ChargePoint Network for access to electricity, while Coulomb Technologies reimburses the host site for electricity used.

b. Coulomb Technologies works with each utility company to establish grid management policies that implement demand response and valley filling. The ChargePoint Network also enables host sites and utility companies to offer “green” electricity to plug-in vehicle drivers for promotional credits.

 

A typical Subscriber business model will allow EV drivers to purchase a single use recharge via cell phone or credit card payment stations attached to the Smartlet Charging Station. For 110 Volt charging, one scenario would be that the EV driver would use a GPS navigation system to find the nearest available Smartlet Charging Station and park alongside it. The subscriber will swipe a key fob to authenticate his subscriber membership and open the Smartlet access door. After plugging in a 110 VAC cord from his charging unit, the door will lock in a partially open position to secure the cord and begin charging. After charging is complete, the subscriber will scan the key fob again to deactivate the charging station and unlock the access door so that the 110 VAC cord can be disconnected. After cord removal, the access door will automatically close and the cost of the transaction will be displayed on the charging station. The driver will replace the cord into its original position in his EV and drive away.

 

For Dual Mode Smartlet Charging Stations with 220 VAC charging capability, the power cable is attached to the Smartlet Charging Station. A 220VAC pistol grip connector must be connected or interfaced to the EV’s charging system. The driver then just swipes the key fob to enable the charging cycle and swipes the key fob a second time to disable it.

One alternative business model involves a host who buys a Smartlet Charging Station in order to subsidize drivers’ costs. For example, a condominium association in a planned community where EV drivers own Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV) may want to offer “free” electricity to drivers instead of a for-profit subscriber model. In this case, Coulomb does not collect subscriber revenue, just charging station maintenance fees. The host arranges payment directly to the utility for electricity consumed as part of its other group-scale electricity contracts on behalf of its residents.

 

The benefits to host companies that participate in owning Smartlet Charging Stations as part of the ChargePoint Network infrastructure include:

1. A recurring revenue stream that is analogous to a coin-operated Laundromat business model. The host purchases the equipment and each time an EV driver uses it, it generates revenue.

2. A typical anticipated return of capital investment, including installation costs, in 3 to 6 years, depending on customer usage and duty cycle.

3. An integrated parking meter system, where a parking spot can take care of both charging and parking management administration.

4. The ability to capitalize on various incentives and government-sponsored credits for clean transportation.

5. Inexpensive and easy-to-install systems. Installation requires the same qualifications as streetlight installation.

6. Minimal maintenance

 

The benefits to utility companies that participate in the ChargePoint Network infrastructure include:

1. Encouraging more revenue streams through subscription plans that include off-peak charging (“valley filling”) by providing lower rates during off-peak hours

2. Allows for load tracking and load moderation during peak demand times (“peak shaving”). The ChargePoint Network can track the actual load of a group of charging stations located in a service area and display the information to utilities.

3. Enables creation of demand response (DR) programs by providing control of Smartlet Charging Stations in aggregated groups. The ChargePoint Network can track “shed-able loads” in each service area that, in case of a demand response event, can shed aggregate loads through a single action or message via the ChargePoint Network communications portal.

4. Enables control of other energy management policies such as providing access to “green” electricity.

5. Ensures policies are available with all plug-in vehicles, whether or not there are charging control mechanisms in the vehicle.

6. Provides ability to maximize revenue and minimize costs

7. Future proposed Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) projects are already enabled by including bi-directional energy metering and vehicle communication through the ChargePoint ™ Network system.

More information on these technologies and potential business models for the ChargePoint™ Network can be found at: http://www.chargepoint.net and at http://www.ev-chargeamerica.com

 

More detailed information on Coulomb Technologies can be found by emailing: info@coulombtech.com

 

 

 

EV-Charge America Brings EV Recharging Technology Infrastructure to Las Vegas

 

LVEVA member Russell Lord has launched a new company called EV-Charge America whose mission is to enable more EV recharging infrastructure within the Mountain West region. The company headquarters are located in Las Vegas. Russ recently negotiated a distributorship agreement with Coulomb Technologies to sell that company’s Smartlet™ Charging Stations and ChargePoint™ Network systems within the states of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

For more information on the services provided by EV-Charge America as well as pricing for the Coulomb Technologies’ product line and related installation costs, contact Marketing Director Tom Haynie at:

 

EV-Charge America

8620 Eastern Ave. Suite 1

Henderson, NV. 89123

Tel: (702) 516-1090

Cell: (702) 738-7456

Fax: (702) 320-0270

Email: tom@ev-chargeamerica.com

 

 

 

Free Energy Store Introduces Electric Vehicle Conversion Kit and Instructions for $10,000

 

The Free Energy Store continues to carry on a decades-old tradition of providing renewable energy systems to southern Nevada consumers. The roots of the company were formed by Gene Canttnao when he founded “Mr. Solar” in the 1970s, in response to the first OPEC oil embargo crisis in 1973 that challenged Americans to consider new goals for energy independence. President Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House in 1976, mandated laws to increase gasoline mileage in vehicles sold within the U.S. borders, and limited national highway speeds to urge Americans to employ energy conservation. These efforts decreased crude oil imports by 70% at the end of the 1970s. 

When President Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1980, he removed the solar panels on the roof of the White House and reversed many of the conservation gains that had been made at the time to wage more geopolitical strategies that helped improve America’s economic and military strength over time. However, renewable energy research was put on hold and the strategy to develop alternative sources of fuel for the transportation industry was curtailed. President Reagan’s strategies and some well-timed luck resulted in the end of the Cold War with Russia, allowing the U.S. to become the pre-eminent superpower nation in the world. As the American economy strengthened and new worldwide oil reserves were discovered, the dollar value of a barrel of crude oil continued to drop to a low of $29 a barrel in the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, this set the stage for the automotive industry to once again begin manufacturing large, inefficient SUVs and trucks, an industry that is now collapsing as new global demand for crude oil pushed the price to $140 per barrel in the summer of 2008. The U.S. found that its economy was importing 70% of its oil-based petroleum from an unstable Middle East region where it had become entrenched in prolonged wars with terrorist insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Laissez-faire economic policies under the George W. Bush administration led to a potential financial and economic collapse of the U.S. economy by 2008 that nearly forced General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler into bankruptcy. Japanese and European automakers were also affected by a developing worldwide economic recession. The only silver lining related to all these problems was that the price of crude oil retreated below $80 a barrel, providing some relief to the transportation infrastructure and to consumers.

 

Gene Canttnao and Mr. Solar continued to provide solar products to consumers and businesses throughout the 1970s, 1980s the 1990s, and into the new millennium before he passed away in 2002. At that time, Russell Lord, Kellee Paulsen, and other former employees of Mr. Solar created the Free Energy Store on a business model that they had envisioned before Gene died. They hoped to open a chain of renewable energy product stores that would have multiple “green” product lines for residences, businesses, and even electric vehicle transportation needs. Their efforts have pulled together an impressive array of products that they can deliver and install for customers who seek alternative energy solutions from solar power, wind power, environmentally friendly lighting, and electric vehicle transportation. The company’s web site is at: http://www.freeenergystore.com

Russ Lord is a general contractor as well as an electrical engineer, who has struggled to grow this company as well as find financing resources for customer projects. After almost seven years of building his business, the company is now poised to ride the current wave of “green” energy innovation and conservation interest by the general public. One product that has been a popular seller at the store is a “Renewable Energy Design Guide and Catalog” written by employees of the Free Energy Store that retails for $15 in print format or is available as a free download from the company’s web site shown above. The guide features over 100 pages of technical, product and pricing information that can help a customer begin planning a green energy project for themselves. Once a customer has an idea of projected costs and resources needed for this project, they can more easily work with employees of the Free Energy Store to see their ideas become reality.

As the Las Vegas region was growing rapidly over the last decade, the Clark County School District found that it needed to quickly build new schools to keep up with the growing student population. During the early part of the millennium, the school district was rapidly building over 10 new schools each year to accommodate them. The Free Energy Store landed several contracts for these new schools that included solar and wind energy power generation systems. These alternative free electricity sources would relieve power consumption from the electrical grid and eventually save power costs over the long term after installation and product costs were recovered. These installations also created a synergistic educational benefit as teachers incorporated the solar and wind systems into science classes that could help teach students about renewable energy sources of the future.

For EV conversion hobbyists and fabrication businesses, the Free Energy Store has been a distributor of Netgain Warp™ electric motors and other EV products. The company can also build custom battery interconnect cables that form the linkage for an EV battery pack that might consist of 20 individual batteries. The company also distributes hub motor kits and motor speed controllers for bicycle, tricycle and even four-wheel hub motor vehicles. How about a modern “surry with a solar panel on top”! In addition, fully-built electric bikes (including an electric tandem bicycle built-for-two) and scooters are also available from the company. 

In September 2008, the company completed a three-year Volkswagen Vanagon EV conversion project in conjunction with Grassroots EV that was registered through the Nevada DMV and that Jon Hallquist drove in the LVEVA Poker Run Rally during the month of October.

Based on these experiences, the company is now offering an electrical vehicle conversion kit, excluding a battery pack, that can be installed in an appropriate car. The suggested retail price is $10,000. Included in the kit is an instructional manual and DVD.

For more information, contact:

The Free Energy Store

300 West Utah, Suite 101

Las Vegas, NV 89102

Tel: (702) 320-0770

Fax: (702) 320-0270

Web site: http://www.freeenergystore.com

Contact: Russ Lord

Email: russ@freeenergystore.com

 

 

 

The Arts Factory and First Friday Art Exhibit Go Green with LVEVA Vehicles

 

Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) members Lloyd Reece and Bob McNamara brought their electric vehicles to participate in the following EVent on January 2, 2009 to usher in the new year:

 

Source: Clark Innovative Marketing

Contact: Cindy Godzisz

2961 Industrial Road #75

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Cell: (702) 845-9599

Fax: (702) 921-6370

cynthea.clark@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (December 29, 2008) The Arts Factory goes green with the addition of the G3reen Outlet January 2, 2009 for First Friday, Las Vegas Arts District’s monthly arts, entertainment, and social block party held downtown. The G3reen Outlet, located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 135,  features an eco gallery, a green store and a resource center focused on green living solutions. Among displays, Pulte DelWebb Homes will be featuring their new community, Villa Trieste, the first LEED certified and Solar Community in Nevada. Other partners include NV Energy, Car Planet, and Liquid Stucco. 

 

“We are excited to expand our cultural center and incorporate resources to help people take steps toward going green,” said Arts Factory owner, Westley Myles. “First Friday in January is the perfect time to debut it.”

 

Green Outlet founder Tara Pierce, is actively involved in promoting sustainable community development as a strategic member of Nevada Energy Star Partners and is leading efforts for a green home build with Habitat for Humanity. Creator of Nevada’s fastest growing green network and online resource, Project ecoBrand, Pierce is working to unite green businesses and consumers through education and awareness about local eco-friendly products and services.

 

“The G3reen Outlet is a unique opportunity to connect people, planet, and products,” says Pierce. “Going green is a great way to save money, especially in the current economic climate.”

For more information, go to www.goinggreen.com or www.projectecobrand.com

 

LVEVA Vice-President Lloyd Reece drove his Lectra Motors Centauri electric car and Bob McNamara brought his three-wheel Electrans ATV as part of the Green Outlet exhibit. 

 

According to Lloyd, “Well, aside from the nippy weather this evening we had a good time at the First Friday Showing.  Bob McNamara was there with his electric trike and, between the two of us, we wowed a lot of people.  Turns out, the attendance was not as good as expected (probably due to the cold weather and the current economic conditions…), but a lot of people asked questions and could not believe that an electric car was 28 years old and still going strong.  

 

Bob's electic bike was admired by many also.  I saw fellow LVEVA Board Members Dan Trujillo and Jon Hallquist there. We handed out some flyers and business cards, while encouraging people to come to the LVEVA monthly meeting to ask questions. I had a good time and I think I put the idea into a lot of heads that, not only can an electric car be manufacturable, some consumers should try to build one for themselves. Only time will tell if we get any new members but I enjoyed the time with Bob and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

 

 

 

New LVEVA Board of Directors Elected for Three-Year Terms

 

During the monthly Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association meeting on Saturday, December 20th, 2008, registered members of the LVEVA elected nominated candidates to three rotating Board of Directors’ positions that have become open this year. There are seven elected members on the LVEVA Board of Directors who commit to serve three-year terms as advisors and governors of the local Las Vegas chapter. Elections for the positions on the Board of Directors are staggered each year so that at least two terms expire each December to allow for a new vote.

Each candidate who was nominated and elected during the two monthly meetings must have been seconded by at least one other registered and fully-paid member of the LVEVA.

The new Board of Director members are:

1. Al Sawyer, P.E., former President and Director of R & D at Lectra Motors car company

2. Dan Trujillo, owner of a Lectra Motors Centauri electric car and employee of K2 Battery Company

3. Jon Hallquist, Manager of the Las Vegas office of Grassroots EV, selling EV parts and gasoline-to-electric vehicle conversion services

 

This new Board of Directors will meet after the next LVEVA monthly meeting on January 17th to appoint officer positions for President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer as well as discuss proposed agendas for 2009. Input and feedback from the LVEVA general membership is always welcome. Please attend the LVEVA monthly meeting on January 17th to help us determine the future direction of the LVEVA during the new year. Thank you for your continued support of the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association.

 

 

 

New 10-MegaWatt Solar PhotoVoltaic Power Plant Online in Boulder City

 

Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy in San Diego, California, completed construction of a 10-megaWatt solar photovoltaic power plant in the El Dorado Valley near Boulder City just before Christmas 2008.  Sempra Generation is planning to eventually expand this facility to generate up to 60 megawatts of power on a daily basis that it will sell to California’s Pacific Gas & Electric utility. The photovoltaic cells in the Sempra Generation array are made of a semiconductor material that enables the flow of electrons when sunlight photons bombard it. One megawatt of electricity can provide daily power to sustain 750 residential homes. 10 megawatts can supply power to 7,500 homes.

The El Dorado Valley is also home to Nevada Solar One, a 64-megawatt project completed in the summer of 2007 by Acciona Energy of Spain. Nevada Solar One is a solar thermal project that uses polished arrays of mirrors to heat long continuous tubes filled with fluid that, when expanded, spin generators to create electricity. After over a year of continuous operation, Acciona Energy is also considering expanding its capacity, selling more of the generated power to its customer, Nevada’s NV Energy utility.

NV Energy has built two substations in the El Dorado Valley to transmit the generated power to the utility grid. Boulder City continues to retain ownership of the land under the power stations, leasing the land to the companies and helping increase city revenue in the process.

Nearby Hoover Dam is the site of the largest hydroelectric power station in the southern Nevada region at Lake Meade. Built as a renewable energy public works project in 1936 during the height of the Great Depression, falling water from the Colorado River drives huge generators that provide over 2 gigaWatts (2000 megaWatts) of electric power to light up the city of Las Vegas and the nearby region during the night. During the hot summer months, electric power also drives the multitude of air conditioning systems throughout the Las Vegas region.

Boulder City began as a housing community for the workers on the Boulder Dam (later named Hoover Dam) project. After the dam was completed, many of the workers stayed on in their government-built housing to create a new town in southern Nevada. Today, Boulder City residents continue to innovate new ways of living every day.

 

 

 

NV Energy and RES Americas Moving Forward with Wind Energy Project

 

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States December 18, 2008

NV Energy (NYSE:NVE) and Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) are moving forward with development of the China Mountain 200-megawatt (MW) wind-energy project in northeastern Nevada and southern Idaho. Earlier this year the companies finalized a joint development agreement and NV Energy recently closed on its purchase of a 50% interest in the project development which was contemplated under the agreement.

The China Mountain project is proposed for a location at the Nevada/Idaho border on a combination of federal, state and private lands. Construction of the project to serve NV Energy's electric customers would be conditioned on grants of rights-of-way (ROW) by respective landowners and approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. Consideration of ROW applications for federal lands includes analysis of the environmental impacts of a proposed project.

"Tapping into the wind resources in Nevada fits well within NV Energy's strategy of being the premier energy supplier in Nevada for Nevadans," said Michael Yackira, NV Energy President and CEO. "We will continue to expand our leadership position in renewable energy by investing in and developing projects to provide the most affordable and clean energy to our customers."

The project, which could eventually be expanded to 425 MW, will use state-of-the-art large-scale wind turbines to produce electricity for delivery to a nearby NV Energy 345 kV transmission line. The wind resource at the project site is particularly strong relative to that at most other potential wind project sites in Nevada, and the wind turbines installed on the project site will not produce any conflicts with military airspace activities.

Craig Mataczynski, president of RES Americas, said, "RES Americas is looking forward to working with NV Energy to help meet their energy goals. RES Americas national experience, in design and construction of wind projects and NV Energy's long-time relationship to the community will work to bring renewable energy to the forefront in Nevada."

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is underway to identify and analyze the potential environmental impacts of the project on federal lands. The review is estimated to be completed in late 2010. After completion of the NEPA analysis, the BLM will issue a decision on whether or not to grant a ROW for the project. Wildlife studies will be completed as part of the review and will determine appropriate measures to avoid or mitigate impacts to wildlife and habitat. These studies will include a comprehensive two-year analysis focusing on sage-grouse, which is a species of concern identified in the proposed project area.

This is one of several wind energy projects that NV Energy is working to develop. The company also is performing wind energy studies in Clark County and other northern counties in Nevada.

"This is the first of several projects that we think will have a significant effect on Nevada's renewable energy future." said Tom Fair, NV Energy executive, renewable energy. "We have been working over the last two years to advance wind energy development in Nevada to a point where we feel that real projects will begin to get built and contribute to our portfolio."

Fair added, "Working closely with RES Americas, one of the industry leaders and most experienced wind developers, has allowed us to take that next step towards capturing wind energy for Nevada."

In addition to ongoing efforts such as this one where NV Energy identifies and targets renewable investment opportunities, the Company recently issued a notice to proceed with engineering, procurement and construction of its first utility-owned renewable energy project, a recovered energy facility in southern Clark County, and is in the process of evaluating a number of proposals for long-term contracts from renewable energy project developers.

Headquartered in Nevada, NV Energy, Inc. is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, are doing business as NV Energy. Serving a 54,500-square-mile service territory that stretches north to south from Elko to Laughlin, NV Energy provides a wide range of energy services and products to approximately 2.4 million citizens of Nevada as well as approximately 40 million tourists annually.

Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) is a fully-integrated wind energy company that develops, constructs, owns and operates wind projects across the United States and Canada. By the end of 2008, RES Americas will have constructed more than 3,400 MW and has over 15,000 MW in development. It has developed or constructed more than 12% of the operating wind projects nationwide, and developed or constructed 20% of the operating wind projects completed in the US in 2007.

RES Americas' corporate office is located in Denver, CO with regional offices located in Austin, Texas, Portland, OR, Minneapolis, MN, and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. RES Americas continues to seek new locations for wind projects as well as opportunities to participate in other forms of renewable energy.

Source: NV Energy

 

LVEVA DVD Reference Library

The LVEVA maintains a growing library of DVD reference videos that are available to its members that can be borrowed for one month at a time. Bill Kuehl, LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer is also the LVEVA video librarian. He can be contacted to pick up and return these videos at each monthly chapter meeting. The current list of videos that are available for a one month rental are:

1. “Who Killed the Elecric Car” Documentary

2. Plug in Partners National Campaign (2006)

3. EAA Silicon Valley CalCars PHEV Technology Overview (2005)

4. Boulder City Christmas Parade Highlights (2006)

5. Convert Your Pickup to Electric (DIY Video by GrassrootsEV)

   Note: This video can be copied to viewer’s hard disk to keep!

6. Tom Gage of AC Propulsion speaks at EAA Silicon Valley (2005)

7. Monster Garage EV conversion (Jesse James)

   and John Wayland White Zombie Videos (2006)

8. Electric Avenue by George Gladic Fox Valley EAA Chapter 2006.

9. Bruce Katz of Polyplus Battery Company speaks at EAASV (2005)

 

 

EV Repairs and Service

Western Petroleum Station

2051 E. Sahara (corner of Eastern Avenue and Sahara)

Las Vegas, NV 89104

Contact: Jim Johnson

Telephone: (702) 457-2675

Web site: http://storefront.dexonline.com/jims-texaco

 

EV Conversion and Fabrication Support

 

The Hybrid Company

5225 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 16

Las Vegas, NV 89118

Web site: http://www.thehybridcompany.com

Tel: (702) 539-2337

Fax: (702) 255-2710

Contact: John DeVillier

 

 

EV Parts and Kits for Sale:

 

GrassrootsEV.com

Las Vegas Office

Address: 5225 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89118

“Electric Vehicles and Everything for Them”

Contact: Jon Hallquist

Tel: (702) 277-7544

Email: jon@grassrootsev.com

Web site: http://www.grassrootsev.com

 

OKA NEV ZEV Parts and Kits for Sale: www.okaauto.com

OKA NEV ZEV KIT cars in stock now for immediate delivery prices start at $5,000 FOB Las Vegas.  We also have 4844 ALLTRAX Controllers(48V 400 A DC for Series motor) in stock (more than we need) $550 list, $375.00 NET.

Contact: Miro Kefurt

OKA AUTO USA : www.okaauto.com

Distributor: MIROX Corporation

5015 W. Sahara Ave. #125-130

Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

USA

Tel: (702) 683-8292

E-mail: okaauto@aol.com

 

The Free Energy Store

300 West Utah, Suite 101

Las Vegas, NV 89102

Tel: (702) 320-0770

Fax: (702) 320-0270

Web site: http://www.freeenergystore.com

Contact: Russ Lord

Email: russ@freeenergystore.com

 

 

 

 

 

EV-Charge America

Sales and Installation of Coulomb Technologies "Smartlet" EV Charging Stations

 

 

8620 Eastern Ave. Suite 1

 

Henderson, NV. 89123

Contact: Tom Haynie

 

Tel: (702) 516-1090

 

Cell: (702) 738-7456

 

Fax: (702) 320-0270

 

Email: tom@ev-chargeamerica.com

 

 

For Sale: Chrome "Electric" Emblems for EV's

Mike Chancey - Posted 06/25/00

Location: Kansas City, Missouri

Checked: 07/13/03

Chrome "Electric" car emblems, just like the OEM factory lettering. Okay, so you own a beautiful electric vehicle, but does the world know? Show them with these profession quality "ELECTRIC" emblems. Fabricated from weather resistant thermoplastic, these signs feature a bright chrome like finish on the letter faces with a subtle matte black background. They mount easily with the self adhesive HighTack backing. Simply peel off the protective cover, and press the sign into place. Each sign is approximately 1.25" in height and 7" in length. Only $6.00 each or four for $20.00, plus $1.75 shipping and handling per order. Discounts for larger orders available. Send check or money order to:

Mike Chancey, 1700 East 80th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131, or order online.

 

 

EVs For Sale:

Electrans 3-wheel Futurista ETV

Range of 55 miles

Top speed of 45 mph. 

Department of Transportation (DOT) approval to license this vehicle through the DMV

List price is $13,995

Contact: ElecTrans

Address: 5450 South Cameron #101, Las Vegas, NV 89118

Tel: (702) 889-2146

Web site: www.futurista.biz

 

For Sale: Electric 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” --Record-Holding Race Car

This 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” Conversion currently holds four National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) Class Records.

1. Class MC/F (Modified Conversion 97-120 volts)

2. Class MC/E (Modified Conversion 121-144 volts)

3. Class MC/D (Modified Conversion 145-168 volts)

4. Class MC/C (Modified Conversion 169-192 volts)

The 1985 Pontiac Fiero has been converted with:

1. A new Netgain Warp-9 Electric DC Motor coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission.

2. A DCP T-REX 1000 Water-cooled Controller with an Input Voltage Range of 96 to 336 Volts

and Motor Current Rating at 1000 Amps.

3. The Battery System is at 192 Volts. The battery pack consists of sixteen 12-volt sealed ODYSSEY PC-680 batteries with the capability of increasing battery pack capacity and voltages to compete in the NEDRA MC/B Class (Modified Conversion 193-240 volts) or to a maximum capacity of 336-volts to compete in the MC/A Class (Modified Conversion 241 volts and higher).

 

4. Tires are B.F. Goodrich G-Force T/A Drag Radials P215/60 R14 that connect the Electric Motor torque to the road for “no slip” acceleration.

5. Battery Charger is a 120- to 240-volt Variable Transformer with a heavy-duty full bridge rectifier. Additional cables and connectors are installed for Dump Charging from a DC battery pack.

 

Asking Price: $10,000 or Best Offer.

Contact: William Kuehl

Address: 4504 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032

Telephone: 702-636-0304

 

 

 
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