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The electric vehicle acceleration! Part 2: The Manufacturers
Looking at the crisis in demand, the automobile constructors have understood that their success went for a big part with the major technical rupture which represents the progressive giving up of the motor on combustibles. The other part of their policy is one of massif reduction in production costs and in prices to downsize the total cost of property of a vehicle.

This goes by the simplification and reduction of the dimension of the vehicles. These two axes of transformation imply an acceleration in the innovation. The automobile industry, often criticized for its apparent passivity, keeps its position as a leader in the matter of innovation: one out of five certificates concerns the automobile industry and 35% of them consists of carbon reduction.

The supply is being shaped
On the subject of electric vehicles, the manufacturers in Frankfurt have proven to be unsatisfied by concept cars only and are rather answering to the needs rather in terms of stabilized products.
Renault has taken a long way upfront compared to its competitors thanks to its partnership with Better Place and the synergies with Nissan and its partner NEC. Renault has announced four models: Zoé, Fluence électrique, Kangoo Be-Bop Ze and Twizy. The Fluence has been ordered by Better Place for an amount of 100 000 pieces in Israël and Denmark.

The German manufacturers, penalized compared to the European standards for CO2 emissions (130 g/km in 2015) were not very active compared to the electric vehicle solutions. They preferred to choose for an optimization of their diesel and gasoline engines, recognized for their performances.
However, they engaged themselves to follow a strategy of small electric vehicles based on existing models.
The Daimler group communicated about its electric version of the Smart which will be manufactured in France as of November 2009 in small numbers (1000 vehicles) and in a larger number as of 2012.
BMW starts off in California, followed by Europe in 2010, with a fleet of 600 Minis-E, at the same time sport (150 kW) and high-end.
Volkswagen, being reserved for a long time on this matter, engages with its concept car, E-Up!, that will end up as a 100% electric model of the type of the Lupo.

In the United States, GM confirms on the launch of the Volt, an entirely electric car but equipped with an auxiliary thermal generator who lengthens its autonomy up to 500 km. Chrysler-FIAT has taken the decision to launch a range of electric vehicles. Ford still has confidence in its hybrid solution and has still high hopes for its Fusion, sold at 32.000 $, which can achieve 2.325 km with one full fuel tank, which is a world record. However, Ford also envisages to launch a smaller electric version, the Transit Connect, next year and the Focus in 2011.

The Chinese manufacturers have identified this market that represents the electric vehicles and have started to announce a great number of products. China bets largely on the electric vehicle to conquer the world leadership on the car and has a technical capability enabling them to control the full value chain. BYD (“build your own dream”), manufacturer of batteries and car manufacturer since 2005, announced the launch of its E6 model, which, according to its marketing director, exceeds the standards technique thanks to its batteries with iron phosphate with an autonomy of 400 km and a maximum speed of 180 km/h. A fast system should make it possible to reload it to 50% in ten minutes. Warren Buffet has just bought 10% of BYD, for 230 M$. Volkswagen signed a contract for collaboration in this matter with the Chinese manufacturer. The objective of BYD is to become the first Chinese car manufacturer in 2015 and in the world in 2025…

In Japan, Toyota exploits its ten years experience on the hybrid vehicle by developing a complete range of hybrids, from which the Prius 3 is the leader with more than one million sold vehicles and with high production rates of 50.000 vehicles per month. Nevertheless, Toyota does not ignore the pure electric vehicles with its FT-EV 2 Concept. Honda is also very committed in her quest for solutions in diversification. Its vehicle with hydrogen, Clarity, functions and drives without problems in California, but it is especially the Insight and the Civic hybrids which represent the know-how of the manufacturer on the roads. Honda presents in Tokyo a concept car of a mini electric urban vehicle, the EV-N, retro lines included.
Nissan announced in August in Japan to launch its electric vehicle in 2011. This vehicle, the Leaf, will be manufactured in the United States, Great Britain and Japan.
Equipped with ion-lithium batteries, it will have an autonomy of 160 km. But unlike all predictions, it is the Mitsubishi i-Miev, a urban, four-places-vehicle that will be the first standard vehicle being sold to the general public in Japan in 2010. It is this model which the group PSA has chosen to introduce under its mark: Peugeot Ion is envisaged by the end of 2010.

Nissan advances quickly within the framework of its common research with Renault and NEC. Nissan EV-11 is close to commercialization. It offers 160 km of autonomy and a system of sophisticated follow-up on consumption and geo-localisation making it possible to assist the driver in the process of refilling its vehicle.

The Korean manufacturer Hyundai announces two electric vehicles, i10 electric that should be commercialized in Korea within the second half of 2010 and the electric Sonata.


The electric opportunities are there to be seized by the manufacturers in the niches

One should not forget in this inventory the role of the pioneers, manufacturers who do not come from the traditional automobile sector, but the ones that opened the innovative way by popularizing this concept. Even more, certain manufacturers have been created to exploit the technological rupture which represents the electric vehicle. The technical challenge to develop a car of this type is much lower than that of their thermal equivalents and the chain of value is moving towards the suppliers of batteries. A new offer, exploiting the Web and new telematics is emerging.
It is of course necessary to quote the Bolloré, which is developed around its system of LMP batteries (polymeric lithium metal), the Blue Car, whose commercialization was committed to with its presentation at Geneva in March 2009 and who should come out in 2010 if its industrial partner, Pininfarina, is able to face its engagements. Heuliez fights to industrialize its Friendly model with the support of the public authorities and the Chinese manufacturer Cherry. Friendly, equipped with lithium phosphates iron batteries, is in pre-reservation for a price publicly announced on the site of Heuliez at 12.000 € (tax excluded). The delivery is envisaged to start from April 2010 for the companies and in 2012 for the private individuals.

The Norwegian manufacturer Think announced his intention to establish itself in the United States and to develop in the countries of the European Union. The Indian firm Reva Electric Car from Bengalore presented to Frankfurt its model NXR, put in pre-sale on the Web for 15.000 € and its concept NXG (next generation), which will be sold at 23.000 €.

Electric sport vehicles

Tesla, the Californian pioneer, of which Daimler possesses 15% of the capital, comes out with a vehicle, Model S, which supplements its emblematic offer of the roadster sport, sold at 101.000 $.
For the (new) chapter of electric supercars, it is also necessary to assess the concept presented by Audi with its R8 equivalent: an ultra sport vehicle equipped with four electrical motors of 313 horsepower, able to go up to 100 km/h in 4,8 seconds, the e-tron. It would seem that the story of this exceptional vehicle will have a commercial ending.

The characteristics of these vehicles converge

Two families of vehicles will be available: the urban ones of small size, 3.5 m, and average vehicles with four doors. The market concerned is mainly that of the second urban car. Their motorization - 60 kw - authorizes largely sufficient performances, like a top speed of about 130 km/h but especially a capacity of acceleration and an immediate couple available, which makes them very sharp.
The manufacturers announce a real autonomy around 160 km rather than the 250 km sometimes referred to with ion-lithium batteries. These batteries are completely reloaded in 7 hours on a traditional 220V plug, but can profit from a fast load of 80% in 30 minutes on a three-phase special plug. The Alliance of Renault-Nissan is the only one to have developed an automatically interchangeable system of batteries which bring back the refill to the time of a full of gasoline (3 minutes). It is the solution which will be deployed in Israel by Better Place.

It should also be stressed that the market of the small commercial vehicles is very appropriate to the electric vehicles, in particular for the deliveries and interventions in a urban environment. The diversification of the vehicles will contribute to create a continuum going from the assistance of the electric bicycle until the smaller utilities.
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