NextEV Shows Off Its NIO EP9 Supercar (w/Video)

Yet another Chinese backed electric car startup has begun life by building a so-called supercar. Faraday Future did it last year at the CES show in Las Vegas. Its car, the FFZero1, was a non-functioning show car with no plans for production. NextEV has just done it with an actual working car that is scheduled for limited production and which just set the fastest lap ever recorded by an electric car at the Nurburgring. The car was officially unveiled to the press in London on November 21 at a splashy media event at the Saatchi Gallery.

The new car, designated the NIO EP9, costs $1.2 million to manufacture. The company expects to produce a total of 6 cars and sell them to people who could care less about the federal tax credit. NextEV is headquartered in Shanghai but has several offices around the world, including one in Silicon Valley. It was founded in 2014 by William Li, a Chinese entrepreneur who started the online automotive marketing and advertising firm Bitauto.

Li says the company first plans to sell its electric and autonomous cars to consumers in China starting in 2017. Global sales are expected to follow. The company’s CEO in the US is Padmasree Warrior, former CTO at Cisco Systems.

Li told his audience in London, “The NIO EP9 was born to push limits and is the first stage of automotive production for NIO. It is a statement of our vision and technical and manufacturing capabilities. It is a best-in-class product that showcases what is possible with electric vehicles.”

What possible relevance does a super expensive electric car have to the lives of ordinary people? The answer is, “It depends.” On the surface, the answer appears to be, “None.” But the engineering and technology that went into making the EB9 will prove invaluable when it comes to making vehicles for regular drivers. Battery management and motor control systems are critical to both kinds of vehicles. NextEV currently competes it the Formula E racing series.

The NIO brand is supposed to represent a new day the company says. Translated into Chinese, NIO means Blue Sky Coming, as in an atmosphere that is not polluted with carbon emission from burning fossil fuels. Elon Musk would approve. Be sure to check out the EV9 on its record setting lap of the Nurburgring in the video below.

Source: Fortune

SAIC Displays Six Models of New Energy Vehicles to Be Used at Expo 2010 and Unveils Commercialization Plans for Hybrid, PHEV and BEVs by 2012

The Chinese seem serious about producing alternate energy vehicles as their nation begins to demand more and more cars and the highway infrastructure is built. It is clear the nation does not want to follow the United States in its current energy dependency. Indeed, the Chinese have a plan and have options, which is certainly more than we can say about the Detroit Three.

From Green Car Congress:

At the China International Industry Fair held earlier in November in Shanghai, SAIC Group displayed six models of new energy vehicles, which will serve the Expo 2010. Of those models, two made their premiere at the Fair. The models were the Shenchi Brand 4-seat battery-electric car; the Shenchi Brand 11-seat fuel cell vehicle; the Shanghai Brand fuel cell car; the Shanghai Brand hybrid; the Buick LaCrosse hybrid; and the UNDP fuel cell bus.

SAIC has set clear targets for industrializing new energy vehicles in combination with the 2010 World Expo Shanghai, including the introduction of mild-hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery electric vehicles (BEV) by 2012:

• SAIC will introduce the Roewe 750, a mild-hybrid car offering a 20% boost in fuel economy compared to the conventionally powered model, into the market in quantities in 2010.

• The Roewe 550, a plug-in strong hybrid car offering a 50% boost in fuel economy, will enter the market in quantities in 2012.

• In the same year, SAIC-made and branded battery-electric vehicles will also enter the market.

SAIC Group says it has set up a relatively complete new energy vehicle industrial supply chain, laying a solid foundation for integrated vehicle development. As a leading auto maker in China, SAIC says it adheres to the principle of “making independent innovations, integrating resources both at home and abroad and utilizing overseas and domestic strengths at the same time”.

While seeking international cooperation, SAIC has actively fostered domestic parts suppliers and eventually put in place an industrial chain that is strategically safe and independently controlled by SAIC.

The plug-in hybrid system developed by SAIC has entered the prototype-making stage. This technology helps circumvent the technical barriers erected by Toyota, General Motors and other overseas and domestic hybrid product makers, SAIC says, so that people can expect SAIC-made new energy vehicles to be equipped with electric transmissions in 2012.

SAIC Expo 2010 Gallery
	Shenchi Brand 4-seat electric inter-pavilion car (for service within the Expo Zone). The bodywork is made of high-strength glass fiber-reinforced plastic. The chassis is made of parts for mini vehicles. The powertrain adopts advanced overseas and domestic products. Maximum speed is 35 km/h (22 mph) and the continued driving mileage is up to 80 km (50 miles).
	Shenchi Brand 11-seat fuel cell sight-seeing car (for service within the Expo Zone). The vehicle features front and rear independent suspension, four-wheel disc brake, electric power steering and vacuum brake booster. Maximum speed is 40 km/h (25 mph) and the continued driving mileage is up to 80 km (50 miles).
	LaCrosse hybrid car (for service outside the Expo Zone).The LaCrosse hybrid car is the first such in the mainstream B-plus models made in China. The car is equipped with a 2.4L ECO engine plus an all-new hybrid powertrain. For urban driving, LaCrosse ECO-Hybrid can improve fuel economy by 16% and more, and meets the EU IV emissions standard. (Earlier post.)
	Shanghai Brand fuel cell hybrid car (for VIP service inside the Expo Zone). Shanghai Brand fuel cell car is the first SAIC-developed and branded fuel cell hybrid. A plug-in hybrid, the vehicle uses the battery as the main power source (rechargeable with 220 V direct current) and a small hydrogen fuel cell system for auxiliary power. For short distance driving, the car can run on the battery pack. For longer distances or when the battery runs out, the car can shift to a hybrid driving mode, where the fuel cell generates electricity and produces enough electricity to drive the car while supplementing the power battery with electricity in the meantime.
	Shanghai Brand hybrid car (for VIP service outside the Expo Zone). This mild-hybrid vehicle uses a BSG system (belt driven starter generator) system. Top speed is 205 km/h (127 mph). The Shanghai Brand hybrid car offers a 20% boost in fuel economy and can be expected to go to the market at the end of 2010.
	UNDP fuel cell bus (for service on the Expo Avenue inside the Expo Zone). This vehicle is specially developed for implementing the phase II project of GEF/UNDP, i.e. Demonstration Project of China’s Fuel Cell City Bus Commercialization. It adopts the advanced dual fuel cell system independently developed in China. Using an advanced ultra-low-floor structure, this model is a high-end mainstream city bus.

Chinese Automaker, New Power, Reveals a 250 Mile Electric SUV

New Power All-Electric SUV





It is quite exciting to see the news reports come in from around the globe that detail the electrification of the automobile. This report is from China that outlines a new SUV that is all-electric with a range of 250 miles. Quite impressive. Ten years ago, Toyota produced an electric RAV 4 that was capable of 120 miles range, so this vehicle provides double the fun!

This car, if it makes it market, will certainly be a game changer as the range issue is put to rest. Indeed, most commuters can drive all week long without a charge. Even on long trips, this kind of range makes it easy as long as you research areas to recharge. MSRP is reportedly between $27K and $33K and when coupled with the $7500 US Federal Tax Rebate makes the SUV affordable to the masses.

From Times Online:

In the week that General Motors filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, ending a century of global dominance, the centre of gravity of the world’s car industry shifted perceptibly towards China. Here, some of the biggest strides in motor engineering are being made, including one shown to The Sunday Times on an industrial estate in Hangzhou, 90 miles southwest of Shanghai. This is where engineers for New Power have beaten western rivals to achieve what they claim is the first production-ready, all-electric car to offer a range comparable to petrol-powered vehicles.

For years, engineers in Europe, America and Japan have struggled to achieve the perfect balance: a battery that is small and light enough to fit in a family car, yet capable of storing enough energy to keep it going for a practical range between top-ups. The Reva G-Wiz, Britain’s bestselling electric vehicle, has a range of no more than 48 miles between charges; the Smart ED, on trial in the UK, beats it by only 14 miles; and although the electric Mini claims a range of 150 miles, it is only a two-seater (the huge battery taking up the back seat), and BMW has no plans to put it into production.

New Power, by contrast, claims to have developed an electric four-seater with a range of 250 miles and plans to bring it to the UK “within the next couple of years”. Known as the Zhong Tai (the name translates roughly as “peace and safety for the people”), it has lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in 6-8 hours from a conventional socket, or in two hours from a high-power recharging point. With a top speed of 75mph and an estimated price tag of between £16,300 and £20,500 in Britain, the Zhong Tai could be both practical and affordable enough to make drivers part with their internal combustion engines for good.

The Sunday Times was the first western publication to put New Power’s claims to the test. On first impressions the Zhong Tai looked anything but remarkable. The car’s basic bodywork and chassis are based on a 2006 Daihatsu Terios, a compact 4x4, the licence for which was bought and adapted for Chinese production, originally as a petrol car. The electric version looks identical to a conventional Terios from the outside, with the recharging point where the petrol cap should be and only the absence of an exhaust pipe giving the game away.

The interior feels a little dated but that reflects how much standards of comfort have advanced in the past three years. The dashboard display flashed up speed, distance travelled and the percentage charge left in the batteries — 75% when we first stepped into the car.

At New Power’s spartan headquarters, Mao Zhong, the company’s general manager, outlined how his car could “solve the emissions problems” plaguing both China — where the number of cars is predicted to hit 150m by 2020 — and the rest of the world. On paper, it seems astonishing that such a small operation, with a staff of just 30, should have produced China’s first production-ready all-electric car. But the Zhong Tai has been in development for six years, backed by Zotye, a mainstream car maker, of which New Power is a “green” subsidiary.

Chinese industry has put huge efforts into battery development, a fact that was reinforced last month when Volkswagen said it would be collaborating with BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, to develop its first hybrid vehicles.

Still, New Power’s claims of a 250-mile range were remarkable so we were intrigued to find out how the vehicle would perform. Tipping the scales at 1.2 tons, the Zhong Tai sounds like a cumbersome beast. Its battery alone weighs about 660lb. It is housed under the car, although in the model I tried, a further auxiliary battery took up a good proportion of the boot space.

The claimed acceleration rate is 0-60mph in 12sec and the car is, indeed, quite spritely. When I pressed hard on the accelerator, the car leapt from 18mph-54mph in just 5sec, but then alarms started screeching and the engine had to be restarted. There was another worry. Accidentally touching the battery in the boot resulted in a mighty electric shock, although the company insisted this was a minor fault and rectified it within minutes.

And what of that all-important 250-mile range? Unfortunately, we couldn’t cover that distance in the time available for the test but by keeping an eye on the charge monitor it was possible to get an idea as to the veracity of New Power’s claims. At the start of the test the car had a three-quarters charge; 120 miles of reasonably hard driving later, it was showing a 42% charge. Assuming the power meter was accurate and proportional, the company’s claim is not unfeasible.

On an open road, at an average speed of 60mph, the car’s range drops to about 170 miles, according to New Power. Reduce average speed to 48mph and the company claims an average range of 218 miles. In “city driving with stops and starts”, the company reckons it can reach its maximum range of about 250 miles.

The Chinese government has announced plans to set up a 10 billion yuan (£890m) fund to promote alternative energy and is offering generous grants towards the production of electric vehicles, stating that all car companies should be producing one green vehicle by 2011.

The Zhong Tai is set to go into production next year, eventually building towards annual production of 20,000 vehicles. Wu Aibing, public relations director for New Power, claims the company is “in conversations about co-operation for overseas distribution” in the UK and US.

The company has been in touch with Electric Village, a London-based marketing company specialising in electric vehicles, about promoting the car in Britain. “The new vehicle is game-changing in the rapidly emerging electric car sector,” says Stewart McKee, the chief executive of Electric Village. “Hence we are looking at a distribution and sales strategy for the UK market.”

Even if New Power’s reliability and range claims hold up under further testing, there are still question marks about the car’s potential success, particularly in foreign markets.

Chinese exports, such as the Jiang-ling Landwind, a large petrol-powered SUV, have failed European safety tests. Aside from safety, the Zhong Tai’s retro looks may not appeal to image-conscious westerners.

However, with most mainstream European car manufacturers putting off electric car production until 2011 or later, and current options offering a range of no more than about 50 miles, this car could lead the way to a practical all-electric automotive future.