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World’s first electric taxi for the tropics unveiled

http://tinyurl.com/mkdem4f

Say hello to EVA, the first car to be designed and made in Singapore and the world’s first electric taxi for tropical megacities. The quick-charging, long-range car features innovations that could drive sustainable changes in public transport in cities.

Researchers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Germany’s Technische Universität München (TUM) on 24 April unveiled an electric taxi that is the first car to be designed, developed, and made in Singapore.

Also the world’s first electric taxi for tropical megacities, EVA, boasts features such as a lightweight carbon-fibre body, an energy efficient air conditioning system, seats that suck away moisture and heat, and a fast-charging battery system that will allow the car to travel up to 200 kilometres on just a 15-minute recharge, among others.

EVA was developed by TUM CREATE, a partnership between NTU and TUM to study electric mobility. It was unveiled by German Ambassador Michael Witter, along with NTU president Bertil Andersson and TUM vice president for research and innovation Thomas Hofmann.

Prof Bertil Andersson, NTU President & His Excellency, Dr Michael Witter, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, viewing EVA’s state-of-the-art battery system. Image: NTU Singapore

Prof Bertil Andersson, NTU President & His Excellency, Dr Michael Witter, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, viewing EVA’s state-of-the-art battery system. Image: NTU Singapore

The researchers behind EVA said they focused on building a sustainable taxi because although cabs make up only three per cent of Singapore’s vehicle population, they account for 15 per cent of the total distance travelled by all vehicles on the island.

An electric taxi in hot and humid Singapore would need a short charging time, long range, and a comfortable environment for passengers, noted the researchers, adding that the technologies showcased in EVA “can be adopted in both current and future vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint”.

For example, the car’s overhead air conditioning system delivers cold air to a passenger’s upper body, which keeps them comfortable without needing to cool down the entire cabin. Vents in unoccupied zones of the vehicle can also be switched off to conserve energy.

Individualised overhead cooling vents in EVA. Image: NTU Singapore

Individualised overhead cooling vents in EVA. Image: NTU Singapore

Markus Lienkamp, scientific advisor director at TUM CREATE shared that the idea for the project came four years ago when researchers questioned whether electric vehicles were suitable for public transport systems in megacities. A team of 40 researchers, mostly PhD students from about 20 nationalities, built the car over two years.

The university has identified electric mobility as one of the solutions necessary to tackle climate change, noted NTU president Andersson, adding that “our success in building an electric car for the tropics is a big step forward in realising our vision for a more sustainable future for everyone”.

Andersson also pointed out that the car was the first ever to be designed and made in Singapore, and said that although automotive manufacturing is not a core economic activity in Singapore, “the nation’s economy will definitely benefit in the long run through technology transfer”.

“We are now among the leaders in electro-mobility systems and will be able to offer our knowledge and services to the automotive industries in this region,” he added.

TUM CREATE chief executive Maria-Elisabeth Michel-Beyerle also noted that the technologies developed for use in EVA had caught the attention of the automotive industry worldwide and already clinched a technology award in Munich, Germany.

“We are also now in discussions with some companies who are interested to commercialise our innovation,” she shared.

Along with the car’s sustainability features, EVA is also fitted with other amenities essential for a taxi. These include a large storage space for luggage, an fold-out child seat, and an infotainment system which allows passengers to control air conditioning and audio settings from their mobile devices.

EVA has a built-in infotainment system which can display fares, navigate with maps and play music from the radio. Image: NTU Singapore

EVA has a built-in infotainment system which can display fares, navigate with maps and play music from the radio. Image: NTU Singapore

Despite being feature-heavy, EVA is actually 150 kilogrammes lighter than other similar-sized taxis, said NTU.

Lienkamp added that the successful design of a vehicle specially for public transport “has opened up new questions for us to explore, mainly how purpose-built electric vehicles would fit into the whole transport eco-system together with the trains and buses”.

To begin with, TUM CREATE will test the car further on the NTU campus, which is already a test-bed for other prototype electric and autonomous vehicles.

The university aims over the next four years to become a national test-bed for smart mobility solutions such as technology that enables cars to ‘talk’ to traffic infrastructure and other cars.

ZTE to expand wireless charging facilities for Tesla-like electric buses across China

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1755129/zte-expand-wireless-charging-facilities-tesla-electric-buses-across-china

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A China-made electric bus, among a new fleet of green cars rolled out across the mainland. Photo: Xinhua

Telecoms giant ZTE Corp is about to launch a wireless charging service for electric buses in several mainland cities, a step towards becoming a key player in the growing market of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Academus Tian, vice-president of ZTE’s New Energy division, said its technology would go into operation for 10 bus routes in June, with the transport companies paying for the service.

Tian declined to specify which cities would receive the service or the price the companies would pay, but ZTE already had wireless charging stations in seven mainland cities, including Chengdu in Sichuan , Kunming in Yunnan and Shenzhen.

A Tesla Motors Model S electric car recharged by connecting to a charger inside an auto store in Germany. A big complaint among electric-vehicle drivers in China is the lack of enough recharging stations. Photo: Bloomberg

A Tesla Motors Model S electric car recharged by connecting to a charger inside an auto store in Germany. A big complaint among electric-vehicle drivers in China is the lack of enough recharging stations. Photo: Bloomberg

The company planned to invest 3.5 billion yuan (HK$4.4 billion) in the technology within two years, local media reported earlier this year, although Tian cautioned that the amount was “not fixed”.

The system involves an energy transmission module, buried underground, and a reception module installed on the vehicle. The stations can be built at bus terminals or car parks.

The mainland government is making a concerted push towards increasing reliance on “green” vehicles, with the transport ministry announcing last month that officials aimed to add 200,000 buses and 100,000 taxis powered by alternative fuels by 2020.

With an eye on that growing market, Tian said ZTE hoped to work with vehicle makers to ensure 30 per cent of new electric buses and vans would be equipped with wireless-charging abilities in the next two years, most of them using the company’s technology. “We have signed agreements with over a dozen car makers and more [are coming],” Tian said.

One hurdle the market faces is the relative scarcity of charging stations. US-based Tesla struck a deal with China Unicom to build 400 charging stations in more than 100 mainland cities, but Tesla’s Chinese customers have complained the coverage is not enough.

ZTE faces the additional challenge of bringing wireless charging costs in line with traditional systems. It’s now twice as expensive. “But the cost of wireless charging would [be] cut sharply if it attracts a large quantity of users,” Tian said.

Berlin will be the first capital to run 100% e-bus line with wireless charge

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BOMBARDIER PRIMOVE to Provide Wireless Charging and Battery Technology to Berlin

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OLEV Technologies’ dynamic wireless inductive system charges vehicles while in motion

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Brunswick Gets First Of Five Electric Buses With Wireless Charging

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UK motorway to charge electric cars on the move

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EBus that Charges at each Stop

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OLEV-powered buses enter regular use in Korea

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Germany Testing Wireless Induction Charging for Electric Buses

http://inhabitat.com/wireless-induction-charging-for-electric-vehicles-to-be-tested-on-german-buses/

Primove, a subsidiary of transportation giant Bombardier, just announced plans to test wireless induction charging on public buses in Manheim, Germany! In a few months the company will outfit two buses with “invisible” inductive technology that powers the vehicles with wireless chargers installed below the asphalt of existing bus routes.

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Induction works by creating a magnetic field using conductors. Primove uses rods of varying lengths buried underneath the asphalt to act as those conductors. The magnetic field then generates electricity when another conductor, in this case a vehicle, comes in contact with the field. The electricity that’s generated is then picked up by the undercarriage of the vehicle and routed to its battery.

Charging can happen when the vehicle is stopped or even just moving over the induction surface. When there is no vehicle within its field, the charger is inactive. And according to Primove, its induction rods won’t interfere with cell phones or pacemakers. The best part about this wireless technology is that it isn’t susceptible to water or the weather.

A key benefit to Primove’s inductive charging system is that it allows for continuous electric bus operation due to high-power charging locations embedded within existing bus routes. Another benefit is that by extending battery life with intermediary inductive charging, electric vehicle batteries can get smaller and make more room for passengers. Plus, induction charging lowers the cost of ownership of an electric vehicle as you can charge your battery for free by just driving on the streets with embedded chargers.