http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EV1General Motors EV1
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General Motors EV1
Manufacturer: General Motors
Production Years: 1996/97 660 units (Gen 1)
1998/99 457 units (Gen 2)
Production Location: GM Lansing Craft Center, Lansing Mi
Production Quantity (2 runs): 1117
Predecessor: Prototype: Impact
Class: Subcompact Battery Electric 2-seat commuter vehicle
Drive wheels Front
Motor location: Front
Traction Motor: 3-phase AC Induction
Controller cooling: Liquid
Charger: Outboard AC Magnecharge
Charging connector: 6.6 kW Inductive paddle - requires specialized 220 VAC charging station
Charger cooling: Air
Opportunity charging: with portable 110vac charger carried in trunk (VRLA only)
Charge time VRLA: 5.5-6 hours
NiMH: 6-8 hours
Battery cooling: Gen1: air blower
Gen2: Vehicle air conditioner
Pack voltage: VRLA: 312 V
NiMH: 343 V
Battery type: 26 modules:
VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid), 1310 lb
NiMH, 1147 lb
All Gen 1 (1997) vehicles were first equipped with Delphi VRLA batteries, which were later replaced with Panasonic VRLA batteries.
A few Gen 2 (1999) vehicles were originally equipped with Panasonic VRLA batteries, but most Gen 2 vehicles were equipped with Ovonics NiMH batteries.
Battery capacity: VRLA (Delphi) 53 Ah; (Panasonic) 60Ah
NiMH: 77 Ah
Battery location: "T" (between and behind seats)
Range: VRLA: 55-95 miles
NiMH: 75-150 miles
Maximum speed: 80 mph (computer limited)
Perfomance: 0-60 time -<8 seconds.
Mileage: ? miles/100 kWh
0.179 kWh/mi charged
0.373 kWh/mi charge cycle
Transmission: single speed reduction integrated with motor and differential
Axles: Halfshafts with constant velocity joints
Similar: ACP tzero
Honda EV Plus
Seating: Bucket seats for driver and one passenger
Included: Heat pump (heater/AC), power steering, power brakes, power windows, keyless entry pad, keyless ignition pad, AM/FM CD player, Antilock Brakes, Airbags and Three-Point Belts for Driver and Passenger, Aluminum Wheels, Low Rolling Resistance Tires
MSRP: Unknown - Lease only. Estimated at $33,995 to $43,995
This article is part of the General Motors automobile series.
EV1 may also apply to the Saab EV-1
The EV1 was the first production quality battery electric vehicle produced by General Motors in the United States and the only vehicle in the history of the company to bear the "General Motors" badge.
GM leased over 800 EV1 cars (out of about 1100 manufactured - [1]) with the proviso that after the three-year leases were up, the cars reverted to the company. They were only available in California and Arizona and could only be serviced at designated Saturn dealers.
GM leased the EV1 mainly to satisfy the Zero-emissions vehicle Mandate in California. GM claims to have spent more than $1 billion developing and marketing the EV1, much of which was defrayed by the Clinton Administration's $1.25 Billion Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) project[2] [3]. Despite long, unfulfilled waiting lists and positive feeback from the leasees, GM claimed that it could not sell enough of the cars to make the EV1 profitable.[4] Every EV1 that was offered for lease was placed in service. The program was stopped in 2003. [5] [6]
A modified EV1 prototype set a land speed record for production electric vehicles going 183 mph (295 km/h) in 1994.
The price for the car used to compute lease payments was $33,995 to $43,995, which made for lease payments of $299 to over $574 per month. "One industry official said each EV1 cost the company about $80,000, including research and development costs." [7] Normally, the R&D and Marketing costs per vehicle drop as the cars are sold in greater numbers. The vehicle's lease prices also depended on available state rebates. At that time, the cost for the electricity used to power the car was computed to be 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the equivalent amount of gasoline. The current increases in gas prices are making electricity relatively even less expensive.
Contents [hide]
1 Technology
2 Consumer Experience
3 Cancellation
4 EV1 Drivetrain Prototypes
4.1 EV1 CNG
4.2 EV1 Series Hybrid
4.3 EV1 Parallel Hybrid
4.4 EV1 Fuel Cell
5 Personal accounts & news stories
[edit]
Technology
The EV1 was a 'purpose built' electric vehicle, not a conversion of an existing vehicle or drivetrain. General Motors used many advanced technologies including:
Aluminum frame
Dent resistant side-panels
Anti-lock brakes
Traction control
Heat pump instead of a compressor based Air-conditioner
Keyless entry / keyless ignition
Special one-way thermal glass to allow for better insulation
Regenerative braking
Self-repairing tires
Very low drag coefficient (~0.19)
Super light alloy mag wheels
Low-rolling resistance tires
Most of these technologies were included to improve the overall efficiency of the EV1.
The first generation EV1s used lead-acid batteries in 1996 (as model year 1997) and a second generation batch with nickel metal hydride batteries in 1999. Some of the GEN 1 EV1's were refurbished and upgraded to Panasonic Lead Acid batteries.
The "GEN I" cars got 55 to 95 miles (90 to 150 km) per charge with the Delco manufactured lead-acid batteries, 75 to 150 miles (120 to 240 km) per charge with "Gen 2" Ovionic nickel-metal hydride batteries, and 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 km) with the the "Gen2 Panasonic Lead-Acid batteries. Recharging took as much as eight hours for a full charge (although one could get an 80% charge in two to three hours [8]). The battery pack consisted of 26 12-volt lead-acid batteries holding 67.4 MJ (18.7 kWh) of energy or 26 13.2-volt nickel-metal hydride batteries which held 95.1 MJ (26.4 kWh) of energy.
[edit]
Consumer Experience
Many consumers and government officials questioned General Motors commitment to the EV1 program. Obtaining an EV1 was difficult at best. First of all, the vehicle could not be purchased; only a closed-end lease for 3 years with no renewal or residual purchase options was offered. The electric vehicle shopper would often have to make an appointment just for a test drive. Only certain Saturn dealerships in California carried the EV1. Only the EV1 specialist could assist in leasing an EV1. Before talking about leasing options, the consumer was taken through a 'Pre-qualification' process where the consumer was reminded of how the EV1 was different than other vehicles. Cars were never available for 'drive-away' leases. The consumer went on a waiting list with no scheduled delivery date. After a wait of two to six months, the lessee would be allotted a vehicle, but delivery still took longer. Meanwhile, the customer had to arrange for charger installation at his home; this took one to two weeks. Obtaining an EV1 was not like obtaining any other vehicle.
Some believe that the EV1 program was intended to fail from the start, that ultimately it was created to demonstrate that electric vehicles could never work. Proponents of this theory cite inadequate marketing and artificially constrained supply as evidence. The factory where EV1s were manufactured was shared with other models. GM executives repeatedly denied requests to allocate more factory time to their production, resulting in a lack of supply. Also cited is GM's insistence on repossessing and destroying all EV1s rather than selling them at the termination of the program, a decision which, according to these claims, was imposed by upper management when the program threatened to prove successful anyway. Alleged motivations vary, but the most common one is kickbacks from the oil industry. GM claimed a lack of demand, even though some GM insiders [9] later provided documentation of long waiting lists that went unfulfilled. [10] [11] [12]
EV1 shown plugged into charging station[edit]
Cancellation
Threatened with lawsuits from three major auto manufacturers, GM included, the California Air Resources Board weakened the ZEV Mandate enough for GM to essentially cancel the EV1 program. [13] Upon lease expiration, the cars were put into storage at a facility in Burbank, California. GM donated a small number of EV1s to colleges and universities for engineering students, and to several museums, including the Smithsonian Institution. As of June 19th, 2006 the car has been removed from the Smithsonian.[14] In March 2005, the last 78 in storage were transferred to the GM Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa, Arizona, for "final disposition", crushing and recycling, despite an outcry and public protests.
Stockpile of crushed EV1sSome pointed out that if GM were to sell the remaining cars, they would be subject to product liability and their policies would require them to provide service and replacement parts for ten years. [15]
Over 100 people offered to purchase the electric cars and waive liability, but GM refused. According to a GM spokesperson the electric-car venture was not a failure. GM claims that the EV1 was doomed when the expected breakthrough in battery technology never materialized.[16].
Not all of the EV1s have been destroyed. A select few can still be seen on the road, most commonly in Warren, Michigan, where GM's tech center is located [17].
A documentary about the demise of the EV1 and other electric vehicles entitled Who Killed the Electric Car? is to debut on June 30, 2006. Several weeks before the debut of this movie, the Smithsonian Institution announced that its EV1 display was being permanently removed and the EV1 car put into storage. Although GM is a major financial contributor to the museum, both parties denied that this fact contributed to the removal of the display.[18]
According to the interview with Rick Wagoner in Motor Trend, the cancellation of EV1 programme is the central regret of his tenure as GM's CEO.
[edit]
EV1 Drivetrain Prototypes
General Motors revealed several prototype variants of the EV1 drivetrain at the 1998 Detroit Auto Show. The models included diesel/electric parallel hybrid, gas turbine/electric series hybrid, fuel cell/electric version and compressed natural gas low emission internal combustion engine version [19][20].
The new platform was a four-passenger variant of the EV1, lenghtened by 19". For hybrid and electric vehicles, the battery pack was upgraded to 44 NiMH cells, arranged in "I" formation down the centerline, which could fully recharge in just 2 hours using onboard 220 V induction charger; additional power units were installed in the trunk, thus complementing the 3rd generation 137 hp AC Induction electric motor installed in the hood. Hybrid modifications retained the capability of all-electric ZEV propulsion for up to 40 miles (64.4 km).
[edit]
EV1 CNG
The CNG variant was the only non-electric vehicle in the line-up, even though it employed the same up-stretched platform. It used a modified Suzuki 1.0 L turbocharged I3 all-aluminum OHC engine installed under the hood. Due to a very high octane rating of the CNG (supposedly allowing for a greater compression ratio), this small engine was able to deliver 72 hp at 5500 rpm.
The batteries were replaced with two CNG tanks capable of maximum operating pressure of 3000 psi. The tanks could be refueled from a single nozzle in only 4 minutes. In-tank solenoids shut off the fuel during refueling and engine idle, and a pressure relief device safeguarded against excessive temperature and pressure. With the help of continuously variable transmission, the car accelerated to 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 11 seconds. The maximum range was 350 to 400 miles, and fuel economy was 60 mpg (in gasoline equivalent).
[edit]
EV1 Series Hybrid
The series hybrid prototype had gas turbine engine APU placed in the trunk. A single-stage, single-shaft, recuperated gas turbine unit with a high-speed permanent-magnet AC generator was provided by Williams International; it weighed 220 lb (99.8 kg), measured 20 inches (50.8 cm) in diameter by 22 inches (55.9 cm) long and was running between 100,000 and 140,000 rpm. The turbine could run on multiple fuels, from reformulated gasoline to compressed natural gas. The APU started automatically when the battery charge dropped below 40% and delivered 40 kW of electrical energy, enough to achieve speeds up to 80 mph (128.8 km/h) and to return the car's 44 NiMH cells to a 50% charge level.
Fuel tank capable of 6.5 gallons (24.6 l) allowed for a highway range of more than 390 miles (627.6 km) and fuel economy of 60 to 100 mpg (3.9 to to 2.4 L/100 km) in hybrid mode, depending on the driving conditions. The car accelerated to 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 9 seconds.
[edit]
EV1 Parallel Hybrid
The parallel hybrid variant featured 1.3 L turbocharged DTI diesel engine from Isuzu delivering 75 hp, installed in the trunk along with an additional 6.5 hp DC motor/generator; the two motors drove rear wheels through electronically controlled transaxle. When combined with AC induction motor which powers front wheels, all three power units delivered a total output of 219 hp, accelerating the car to 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 7 seconds. Single tank of diesel fuel could keep the car running for 550 miles with a fuel economy of 80 mpg.
A similar technology is used in the 2005 Opel Astra Diesel Hybrid concept.
[edit]
EV1 Fuel Cell
This variant extended all-electric propulsion capabilities with a methanol-powered fuel cell system (developed by Daimler-Benz/Ballard for the Mercedes-Benz NECAR), again installed in the trunk. The system consisted of a fuel processor, an expander/compressor and the fuel cell stack powered by The highway range was about 300 miles, with a fuel economy of 80 mpg (in a gasoline equivalent). The car accelerated to 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 9 seconds.
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Rick Wagoner and crew are glocksuckers for letting certain industries and monetary influence destroy what is very much needed in the USA today!
That's ok, their shortsightedness will cost them, their stocks suck, they are laying off thousands of workers, closing plants, etc... and Toyota and Honda are taking the lead. It's a riot, I remember when Toyota introduced the Prius, and the Big 3 scoffed at them. They are not scoffing at the energy efficient Japanese carmakers anymore.
How can I think that there was a conspiracy to kill that EV1 program? Simple, auto parts is a highly profitable business. So is gasoline. So is the service area at your dealerships. The list goes on and on.
Topic: I gotta see "Who killed the electric car." (Read 1208 times)