Researchers and market advocates in a recent Detroit News interview argue that the electric vehicle movement is reaching the point where it will become an unstoppable force on the market before. Describes, Genevieve Cullen, the vice president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, an advocacy group for electric cars, “We think that increasing electric is inevitable. The speed is variable.”

I. The EV Movement has Faded Before — Will History Repeat Itself?

The question of whether the electrification movement will stick this time around is a compelling one.

In the early 1900s electric vehicles were extremely popular, outselling gas vehicles in some areas until the advent of mass production. With the arrival of modern engine designs, electric vehicles quickly faded from the mind of the auto industry and the public.

In the 1960s interest in electric cars once again rose, with concepts like the 1967 Comuta from Ford Motor Company (F). These efforts failed to gain traction, though. In the 1990s there was yet another electric revivalist movement with General Motors Company’s (GM) EV1. And yet again EVs were met with apathy and a hasty demise.

[Source & Read More: DailyTech]

Yesterday, we were first to run with the story that Beijing most likely will become EV capital of the world. Not because Beijing scientists have developed the miracle battery. Not because Chinese EVs suddenly go 400 miles on a single charge. Physics did not change. Beijing changes. Months ago, new car buyers in Beijing stopped dreaming about buying a new car.That dream was shattered. Now suddenly, an EV has become the only car a new car buyer can buy and drive tomorrow. Or on Monday. If one would be on sale. Here is what happened:

In Beijing, the car market has completely collapsed.

That does not grab you? Then what if the car market had come to a complete halt in Australia? Beijing has about the population of Australia and had car sales approaching those of Australia. Why did the Beijing market collapse? Because the city doesn’t want more cars on its roads. New car registrations are strictly rationed.

[Source & Read More: The Truth About Cars]

Built to celebrate Jaguar’s 75th anniversary, the C-X75 electric supercar concept vehicle was showcased in 2010 and has been making headlines ever since. Just look at this thing, it may be the sexiest electric vehicle ever! Watch out Tesla, there’s some competition coming your way!

The Jaguar C-X75 features lithium-ion battery technology in conjunction with two gasoline turbine engines that can recharge the battery pack for extended mileage. The C-X75 uses four 196 hp electric motors, one for each wheel, giving the car a total of 778 hp. The car can travel 68 miles on the battery pack alone, or 560 miles when working in conjunction with the gas turbine generators. In this sense, the C-X75 is more a hybrid than full electric vehicle; however, it’s system differs from other hybrids in the absense of a gas-powered engine. Rather, the gass generators help run the electric engines.

[Source & Read More: Energy Digital]

Scientists from Colorado State University presented their prototype design for a new, lithium-ion battery that features a three dimensional interior architecture at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in late March.

Researches claim the 3-D lithium-ion battery can be recharged in minutes instead of the typical hours it takes to charge standard lithium batteries currently being used in electric cars and several other devices across the nation. The leader of the scientific team, Amy Preito, stated the group currently has a working prototype that is about the size of a cell-phone battery, and that it can be charged in roughly 12 minutes compared to the two hours it would take a comparable battery.

[Source & Read More: Earth Techling]

Japanese electric car developer SIM-Drive says its SIM LEI prototype EV can travel 206 miles on a single charge in general urban traffic conditions, and 190 miles while going 62 mph.
“The prototype achieved…333 km of range per charge by JC-08 mode, which represents general urban traffic condition in Japan,” the Kawasaki-based firm said in a release (PDF). SIM-Drive’s prototype was built with the cooperation of 34 groups and companies, including Mitsubishi Motors. The four-wheel drive SIM LEI has in-wheel motors. The body design has low drag to reduce efficiency, and a top speed of about 93 mph. The car can do zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds, according to the firm.

[Source & Read More: Cnet]

South Korea plans to increase its strategic reserve of rare earth elements to cope with recent moves by some suppliers to limit exports, a government official said Monday.

The official at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Seoul has reassessed its emergency stockpile buildup plan and will work to increase stockpiles to provide local companies the resources to maintain normal production for up to 100 days by 2014.

The move is an increase from the 60-day reserves that the government originally wanted to reach in 2016, and much larger than the present four-day stockpiles held by the state-run Korea Resources Corp.
[Source & Read More: YONHUP News]

Scientists at the University of Illinois (U of I) believe they’ve stumbled upon a breakthrough that could eventually lead to the development of a lithium-ion battery that, much like some parts of the human body, actually heals itself.

The researchers took an in-depth look at rechargeable li-ion batteries used in everyday items – cellphones, laptop computers and digital cameras – and discovered that those batteries tend to degrade over time. Scott White, a University of Illinois materials engineer, stated, “There are many different types of degradation that happen, and fixing this degradation could help us make longer-lasting batteries.”

[Source & Read More: Auto Blog Green]

Thirteen partners in a European research consortium have launched the SOMABAT (SOlid MAterials for high power Li polymer BATteries) project to develop more environmental friendly, safer and better performing high power density Li polymer batteries. SOMABAT will develop novel recyclable solid materials to be used as anode, cathode and solid polymer electrolyte; new alternatives to recycle the different components of the battery; and cycle life analysis.

SOMABAT will exploit the use of alternative synthesis and processing methods to develop tailored nanostructured solid materials for their use as lithium polymer battery components. SOMABAT is targeting a battery with an energy density up to 220 Wh/kg and a final cost less than 150 €/kWh (US$208/kWh).

Total project cost is €5.04 million (US$7 million); the European Commission, via FP7 is contributing €3.7 million (US$5.1 million). The project team is led by Instituto Tecnológico de la Energía in Valencia, Spain.

[Source & Read More: Green Car Congress]