My Perfect Automobile » Bob’s Blog

Chevy Volt for $10K Less?

Larry Bell — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:36:53 +0000

Chevy Volt

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson has hinted that the next generation Chevy Volt might be priced as much as $10,000 less than the current base sticker of $39,995. During a recent industry event, Akerson also noted that the future version of Volt would likely be lighter and more profitable. A $10K price cut would put the Chevy Volt smack in the middle of competitors’ EV price profile. Ford, Toyota and Nissan already offer electric vehicles that straddle the $30,000 price point.

Chevy Volt: Video

For someone who was not originally a fan of the Chevy Volt, the narrator of the above video clip certainly changed his mind. Now, during an extended review ride, he discusses some of the car’s interesting nuances of performance in cold and warm weather. Driving around the streets of Wisconsin, the driver switches between gas and electric drive several times, demonstrates the basics about home charging, and explains the wonders of what he calls “stealth,” or silent, driving. The bottom line from his demo drive is that the Volt is comfortable, fun to drive, handles very well, and gets incredible mileage.

Chevy Volt Price

Industry sources early this year reported that GM is thinking about reducing Volt’s engine size from four to three cylinders, and reducing the current 1.4-liter displacement to either 1.0- or 1.2- liters in an effort to improve fuel efficiency and trim the car’s weight. Apparently, the company is considering the smaller engine for the Cadillac ELR and the Chevy Volt, both of which use the Voltec drivetrain. As is typical in such situations, GM has neither confirmed nor denied specifics about the engine in its next generation Volt, but CEO Akerson’s more recent allusion to a lower price tag for the future Volt would make sense if the company were to cut engine size for the ELR and Volt.

For more about the Chevy Volt, and all the other vehicles made by Chevrolet, see the U.S. carmaker’s official corporate website:
http://www.chevy.com

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

EV Car Sales: Second-Generation Volt by 2016

Larry Bell — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:36:19 +0000

EV Car Sales (Pictured: Chevy Volt)

Amid a flurry of plug-in car sales announcements late last week, GM CEO Dan Akerson said Chevrolet Volt would unveil a second-generation model not later than 2016. The Chevy Volt, Nissan’s all-electric Leaf, and the Tesla Model S electric sedan all jockeyed for top sales spot in April. While Volt’s sales were down compared to April 2012, the model did manage a 3 percent increase for the first four months of 2013, compared to the same period last year. April marked the second month in a row that Volt was slightly outsold by the Nissan Leaf, as Tesla Motors appears to have beaten both those cars in the monthly sales derby.

EV Car Sales: Video

The video clip above contains the sort of footage that electric car enthusiasts live for, a Formula-E burnout on the streets of L.A. It is all quite legal of course, as the demo was under the auspices of city officials there to promote alternative fuels. Notice the odd lack of noise compared to combustion car burnouts, where decibel levels are almost deafening. Some hardcore-racing fans claim a race is not a race without noise. Formula-E followers, on the other hand, love the hum and rev of the smooth-running electric motor. The good news is, you still get the burnout.

EV Car Sales

Tesla Motors does not reveal monthly sales data, but analysts estimate that the luxury electric sedan topped the much less expensive Volt and Leaf in April sales. As gasoline prices have leveled off, one company official at Chevrolet noted that competition between GM’s Chevy Volt, Nissan’s Leaf and Tesla’s Model S will become more competitive. Volt ruled the roost for a number of months, but now that Nissan has gone into full domestic production with its Leaf, and cut its price by $6,000, the battle of the plug-ins is getting underway. For its part, Tesla Motors expects to sell 20,000 Model S cars by the end of 2013.

For more about the carmakers mentioned above, see their official websites:
http://www.chevrolet.com
http://www.nissanusa.com
http://www.teslamotors.com

Larry Bell

I’m Buying Fisker Kharma Corp!

Bob T — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:30:43 +0000

Rumor has it that Fisker Kharma is in financial trouble and can be bought. Now if I were a big car manufacturer I would seriously be looking at this opportunity. The CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards are getting closer and closer. I don’t see that some of the big car manufacturers are on target to meet these standards soon. Yet here is an opportunity to make significant gains towards meeting the standards.

The Fisker Kharma is a fully functional Electric Plug in automobile with the advantage that it has a range extender. Just like the Volt. All R&D has been done and already a few thousand have been sold. I can think of a number of companies that should be studying this opportunity. Even if they won’t continue to produce the car the way it is now, at least all the technical research has been done and proven in a fully working functional automobile. Skip the eco friendly interior, go straight for the power plant. Fiat has proven that it can take over companies and make them succeed. Since it already controls a number of exotic cars, this would be right along its specialty. Tata Motors took control of Jaguar. Although Jaguar is showing attempts at hybrids it may still be a long way from a production model. Again this would be a chance to get into this technology which had been painstakingly developed over many many years.

Or what about a Chinese company? Tell Uncle Sam thanks for the loans or supposed loans but we don’t need you any longer. We got cash and are very interested in seeing China go green. Can a Fisker Kharma be produced at half the cost?

Its time that an Arabian company starts producing something else besides oil. Think of the huge PR opportunity if a Saudi Arabian Oil Sheik started producing clean electric vehicles.

So maybe I can’t afford to buy Fisker Kharma corp. I already own a Volt, its cheaper sister, and I would seriously consider trading it in for a Cadillac ELR. But a person can always dream big! That is one thing I like about America, no lack of opportunity to dream big!

Bob Twaalfhoven

Bob Twaalfhoven + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Owner and Visionary Creator, but people just call him “Bob T”.. Here is his full Bio: Bob Twaalfhoven. Bob lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Founder of BobCAD-CAM software. BobCAD-CAM was created by Bob, who was an engineer graduate of MIT in 1978. He created the software as a means to bring the technology of CAD/CAM to the personal computer. But overall – Bob is a lover of cars, engines and anything that is fast…

Back to the Future

Bob T — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 06:58:02 +0000

Hybrid Vauxhall Ampera, Chevy Volt’s cousin

A few months ago I was traveling around Europe. I wrote this blog but didn’t have time to publish it. So here it is! I will follow up with more as there has been a lot more great news since, both from GM and other car manufacturers in the Green arena!

Volt Sales Figures to Beat Target by Wide Margin!

Traveling around Holland and Amsterdam this week I spotted more Volts in one day than back home in San Jose, CA in a single day. Ok, so the Volt in Europe is typically called an Opel Ampera. Opel is the brand under which General Motors produces and markets Chevrolets in Germany and neighboring countries. In fact it is not that simple. Some countries such as Switzerland actually import Chevrolets and although it borders Germany, it has its own import laws and duties.

Rest assured that the Opel Ampera is the Chevy Volt 100%! The only difference a slight change in front look and a feature that lets you turn off the battery so the generator starts on command.

So what does this mean for the actual sales figures? To get the total picture for GM you add up USA sales figures and European sales figures and the rest of the world.

Although the Volt has been available since end 2010 in some states in the USA, its European equivalent only became available a year later and not in all of the European countries. However sales in Europe have been brisk and if it keeps going at its current rate is going to give the USA a challenge in total numbers sold per year.

Some reports already have more than 30,000 Volts/Amperas on the road and if current sales figures are any indication GM should be able to reach 100,000 before end of next year. Naturally it would help if the car was made available to the rest of the world.

Now having taken this gamble with the first mass produced EV with range extender I hope GM doesn’t become conservative. Now is the time to offer the same technology in various other GM models such as the Cadillac and Buick.

How about a plug-in SUV or convertible luxury car? And since a lot of America is still ga-ga about huge pickup trucks with an average of 13MPG, why not produce a pickup truck with plug-in Hybrid technology and thus give a drastic boost to attaining the average MPG goals set for the future. I would give it a 300hp electric motor and possibly double the battery size.

I just cruised through Europe with my family in a Volvo S50. It has a diesel engine. When I picked up the car at the airport with a full tank it told me I had a range of about 600 miles. I proceeded to drive about 120 miles. When I arrived at my destination it told me I had a range left of 630 miles. Now that’s efficient! A Diesel car typically gets about 30% more range on a gallon of diesel than a gasoline car on a gallon of gasoline.

So GM should make a Plug-in hybrid with a diesel range extender. I know Volvo has promised a big plug-in SUV soon with range extender. Lets see who can beat GM to the market!

Bob Twaalfhoven

BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO DRIVE THE F-TYPE

Larry — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:23:43 +0000

Jaguar F-Type

Just a few elite Jaguar insiders will win a trip to Austin, Texas on April 11 where they’ll take the F-TYPE on an exclusive drive at the newly constructed home of the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix—the Circuit of the Americas.* If you win, not only will you experience the F-TYPE on one of the most challenging tracks in the world, but you’ll have the opportunity to put it head-to-head against the Porsche 911, Boxster and BMW Z4.

TRIPLE YOUR ODDS

There are even more chances to win. Invite up to three friends

per day to sign up, and if one of them is chosen, you’ll win too.

Click the link below to Enter for a Chance to Win.

http://www.facebook.com/JaguarUSA?sk=app_152687814872318

Larry Judkin

Larry Judkin + is My Perfect Automobile’s General Manager, but people call him Lar’. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Co-owner of My Perfect Automobile. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Lamborghini Limo in the Works

Larry Bell — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:22:20 +0000

Lim-borghini: Rendering of a Lamborghini limo

A British luxury car rental company has announced plans to create a limousine version of the Lamborghini Aventador. The model will sport plasma TV screens, a wet bar, four doors, and a surround sound audio system. The technical challenges involved in building the prototype are formidable; the company is offering free advertising and naming rights to major financial sponsors. Custom stretch limos are nothing new, but a faithful Lambo replica is, primarily because it’s never been done before.

Limo-borghini?: Video

The clip above is the closest you will get to a tour of the Aventador limo, complete with eerie music and non-standard photo angles. The clip is more properly called a “rendered video,” or CGI, which means that the car does not actually exist yet, but that’s not stopping Cars For Stars, the UK luxury rental company. The bar area rivals anything you may have spotted in a custom Rolls classic. When and if the Lamborghini stretch ever hits the road, it is certain to draw a crowd wherever it alights.

Electric Limo: Video

The vehicle featured in the video above is not a Lamborghini, but it is a Superbus. That is the name given to the prototype, high-speed limo that gets incredible mileage and travels at 155 mph. The creators of the elegant limo, a Dutch engineer and an Italian designer, hope that the vehicle will be a smart substitute for high-speed trains in communities that have smaller populations. Looking like a Formula 1 race car that has been stretched to several times its original length, the Superbus might just be plying the roads of European cities by the end of this decade.

For more about the makers of the fresh-faced Lambo limo, see the website for Cars for Stars:
http://www.carsforstars.net
For more about Lamborghini vehicles, see that company’s official corporate website:
http://www.lamborghini.com

Larry Bell

ConsumerReports: Hybrid/EV Buying Guide

Larry — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 02:19:25 +0000

Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid

Getting started

The era of the electrified car has arrived. Elevated and uncertain gasoline prices have consumers prioritizing operating costs, while federal regulations require progressively increased fuel economy for new vehicles, encouraging the development of thrifty cars and alternative powertrains. As a result, hybrid, plug-in, and pure-electric cars are proliferating in all vehicle categories, cutting energy costs and reducing petroleum consumption.

These electrified vehicles employ numerous technologies, making it a challenge for car shoppers to understand the benefits of one model over another. Through this buying guide, we’ll explain how these technologies work and provide the insights necessary to choose the right model for your needs, goals, and environmental objectives.

Why buy a hybrid or electric car?

By combining a gasoline engine, electric motor, and battery pack, hybrids can get as much as 30-percent better gas mileage than equivalent conventional cars. While they cost a little more, some hybrids can make up the difference in fuel savings in just a few years, depending on gasoline prices and the price differential to the conventional version. Some hybrids, especially versions of smaller, four-cylinder models, also provide smoother, quieter operation than their conventional counterparts.

Hybrid SUVs and pickups offer very good towing and hauling capacity, and they can be particularly good choices for saving fuel. Since larger vehicles naturally burn more gas, the 30-percent reduction in fuel consumption we’ve seen from some of these truck-based hybrids amounts to saving many more gallons than the benefits of choosing a small hybrid car over a small conventional car.

If you want to avoid using gasoline at all, electric cars can dramatically reduce running costs. We’ve found the Nissan Leaf, the first mass-produced all-electric car on the market, costs as little as 3.5 cents a mile to run at national average electric rates. And that electricity is produced from domestic sources, reducing our national dependence on foreign oil. Most electric cars today are sold in California, a state that gives automakers incentives to sell them. There, most electricity comes from relatively clean natural gas. California and some other states also offer additional incentives to electric car buyers, such as direct rebates or tax credits.

What you need to know

Hybrids: Hybrid technology comes in many forms, and not all hybrids are ultra efficient. Our data show that full-hybrids (those capable of driving on electric power alone at least for short distances) yield the biggest improvements in fuel economy.

All that technology comes at a price, though. Hybrids usually cost more than comparable conventional cars. But the cost difference is often not prohibitive and in many cases the expenditure is offset by energy savings. TheToyota Prius, for example, starts at about $24,000. For the space and features it offers, it doesn’t cost much more than a comparable midsized family sedan. (It is about $3,000 more than an average compact sedan.) With a very efficient car like the Prius, and one in high demand on the resale market, you can come out ahead financially over a short ownership period.

But many other hybrids come with lots of extra luxury features and sometimes a fancy nameplate that don’t contribute to fuel economy, but do add significantly to the price. If you pay more than about $5,000 above the cost of an equivalent conventional vehicle, it will be hard to save enough fuel to recoup the extra costs. If the price of gas rises, many more hybrids will make financial sense.

Hybrids’ main competition comes from diesel, which gets similar mileage improvements at a similar cost, albeit often with higher emissions and dirtier fuel.

Electric cars: Electric cars are very efficient, but can travel only short distances before their battery has to be recharged, a process that takes several hours at best. Currently, electric vehicles (EVs) cost thousands more than conventional cars, but that expense is partially offset by federal tax rebates. And the selection is limited. Many are sold only in certain regions of the country, so where you live may well determine what type of electric car you buy. Further, different regions of the country are also better suited to using electric cars. Some have more services available within electric cars’ short range and more favorable electric rates. And some areas have cleaner electric power generation than others. (If environmental factors are a motivator, consider that trading a gasoline-hybrid for an electric car may negate some green benefits if local electricity is generated by coal.)

What you’ll spend

The cheapest hybrid today is the Toyota Prius C. Starting at about $19,000, the Prius C feels like a very basic entry-level car and has several notable compromises. Other choices exist in the $20k-$30k range, from the ultra-efficient Prius to hybrid versions of popular family sedans, such as the Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry.

The most expensive hybrid SUVs run from $45,000 to $55,000, and they include numerous luxuries along with powerful hybrid powertrains. Ultra-luxury sedans, such as the Mercedes-Benz S 400 Hybrid and the Lexus LS 600h, range from about $80,000 to more than $110,000. New hybrid and electric luxury cars are arriving from startup automakers, including Tesla, with its all-electric Model S starting at $60,000, and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, which starts at $96,000.

In the near future, more hybrid choices are expected, in a wide range of body styles and prices.

Larry Judkin

Best & Worst Used Cars

Larry — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:46:20 +0000

Great choices for all budgets—and cars to avoid!

Are you shopping for a used car but overwhelmed by the choices? These pages might be the only cheat sheet you’ll need. Here, we highlight the best sedans, SUVs, and small cars available in four price ranges. Each performed well in our testing when new and had above-average reliability for the model years shown, based on our Annual Auto Survey. All of the models came standard with electronic stability control (ESC), a proven lifesaver, during the years indicated.

Less than $10,000

Small cars

Pontiac Vibe 2009

This sensible wagon’s 2009 redesign brought standard ESC and stronger, more fuel-efficient engines. A twin of the Toyota Matrix, it has a flat load floor. Pontiac’s 2011 demise means that you can find the Vibe at a cheap price, and parts and service remain available.

Sedans

Hyundi Sonata (4cyl.) 2008 and Acura TSX 2004

The economical and efficient Sonata has a decent ride, secure handling, and a responsive four-cylinder engine that returned 23 mpg overall. The Acura TSX is a more upscale and sportier alternative.

SUVs

Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.) 2004

The RAV4 was redesigned in 2001, but it wasn’t until 2004 that it got standard antilock brakes and ESC. It has nimble handling, good brakes, easy cabin access, and a particularly strong engine. Fuel economy of 21 mpg is decent for an all-wheel-drive SUV.

$10,000-$15,000

Small cars

2011 Honda Fit and 2011 Mazda3

The Fit is an excellent choice among hatchbacks. It has amazing space utilization; responsive, agile handling; and a super-efficient four-cylinder engine that returns 30 mpg overall with an automatic transmission. For a bit more refinement, look for a Mazda3 hatchback or sedan.

Sedans

2006-07 Honda Accord (V6) and 2005-06 Acura TL

The Accord is an excellent choice among used cars. Its smooth V6 engine is economical and strong, the ride is comfortable and compliant, and reliability is excellent. The four-cylinder version is nice but didn’t get ESC until 2008. A more luxurious option is the Acura TL.

Small SUVs

2006-08 Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.) and 2005-07 Honda CR-V

The 2006 RAV4 gained more interior room, a V6, and an optional third-row seat. The four-cylinder’s nimble handling, very good 23 mpg overall, and versatile cabin propelled it to the top of our small-SUV Ratings. The CR-V is a sportier, if somewhat noisier, alternative.

Midsized/large SUVs

2004-07 Toyota Highlander (V6) and 2003-04 Infiniti FX

The Highlander is quiet and comfortable. We got 19 mpg overall with the V6. The interior is roomy and the controls are easy to use. A third-row seat was optional and a hybrid version was added in 2006. The Infiniti FX is a sportier two-row alternative.

$15,000-$20,000

Small cars

2010-11 Toyota Prius and 2011-12 Hyundai Elantra (sedan)

At 44 mpg overall, the Prius delivers the best gas mileage of any non-plug-in, five-passenger vehicle. The 2010 redesign brought more room, better brakes, and sound but not agile handling. For a more enjoyable driving experience, look for a Hyundai Elantra sedan.

Sedans

2011-12 Toyota Camry (4-cyl.) and 2006-07 Infiniti M

Expect impressive 26 to 27 mpg overall with the four-cylinder Camry in addition to a roomy cabin and superb reliability. If a powerful engine and luxurious interior are your passion, opt for the Infiniti M with the V6.

SUVs

2007-08 Honda Pilot and 2009 Mazda CX-9

The Pilot combines a roomy cabin, good driving dynamics, seating for eight, and respectable fuel economy in a package that isn’t too big to fit in your garage. But road noise is a bit pronounced. The Mazda CX-9 is a more agile alternative with an even roomier third-row seat.

$20,000-$25,000

Sedans

2009 BMW 328i, 2009 Infiniti G, and 2010 Toyota Avalon

The 3 Series combines agile handling, a taut ride, good brakes, and powerful six-cylinder engines in a comfortable, if slightly snug, interior. The Infiniti G is a similarly sporty alternative. Look for the Toyota Avalon if you want a roomy interior and lots of comfort.

SUVs

2007-08 Acura MDX and 2008 Lexus RX

The Acura MDX is a well-rounded, family-friendly SUV. It has a strong and refined V6 powertrain that gets 17 mpg overall, a firm but pleasant ride, a well-appointed cabin, comfortable front seats, and a third-row seat. The Lexus RX is a smaller two-row option that’s quieter inside.

These used cars spell trouble

Kia Sorento

Steer clear. These 2003 through 2012 models, listed alphabetically, have had multiple years of much-worse-than-average overall reliability, according to our Annual Auto Survey. That’s based on at least three years of data for each model listed.

BMW 7 Series	Ford F-250 (diesel)
BMW X5 (6-cyl.)	GMC Acadia
Chevrolet Uplander	Jeep Wrangler (4-door)
Chrysler PT Cruiser	Kia Sorento (V6)
Chrysler Town & Country	Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Dodge Caravan	Mini Cooper S
Dodge Grand Caravan	Nissan Armada
Dodge Journey	Saturn Outlook
Dodge Ram 2500 (diesel)	Saturn Relay
Ford Explorer (V6, 4WD)	Volkswagen Touareg

By Consumer Reports

Larry Judkin

SAE International Announces Dates for 2013 World Congress

Bob T — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:53:45 +0000

SAE International 2013 Congress

SAE International announces dates for future SAE World Congresses, each to be held at Cobo Center in Detroit, Mich. – USA.

The SAE 2013 World Congress will be held April 16-18, 2013. Host company for the event will be Chrysler and the Tier One Strategic Supplier will be ZF. Mircea Gradu, Vice President Powertrain Transmission & Driveline Engineering, Head of Virtual Analysis at Chrysler Group LLC, will serve as Chair for the event. For more information on the SAE 2013 World Congress, visit http://www.sae.org/congress/2013/ .

Future dates for the SAE World Congress include:

SAE 2014 World Congress – April 8-10
SAE 2015 World Congress – April 21-23
SAE 2016 World Congress – April 12-14
SAE International is a global association of more than 133,000 engineers and related technical experts in the automotive, aerospace and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

RIDE AND DRIVE’ IS BACK FOR 2013!
In 2012, 24 vehicles saw over 1,500 riders with eager attendees waiting for up to an hour for their opportunity to drive the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi iPmiEV, and many of the other participating OEMs’ and suppliers’ vehicles.

We’re thrilled to report that we expect the same enthusiasm around the Ride and Drive event for 2013. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to interact with the highly-engaged World Congress audience.

Bob Twaalfhoven

Hertz Rental Adds Chevy Volt to Lineup

Bob T — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:37:50 +0000

Chevy Volt

Within its fleet at the University of Connecticut, Hertz On Demand will soon be offering the Chevy Volt as a car-sharing choice. The program operates locally to serve university students, faculty, and residents who wish to use a pay-as-you-go car service with no annual charge and which features a rate as low as $6.50 per hour. Both the hourly rates and day rates include insurance, 180 miles, and fuel. The local fleet employs electric cars, compacts, and hybrids. Hertz has already begun to expand its car-sharing services and hopes to include green vehicles whenever possible.

Hertz and Volt: Video

Hertz was one of the first global car rental agencies to make green vehicles available to private consumers and fleets. The following short video details many of the company’s efforts to include energy efficient cars and trucks among its offerings. Whether that means CNG, electric, or hybrid rentals, Hertz is introducing as many choices as possible for its customers. The Green Traveler Collection is a proprietary program that Hertz created to feature green rentals. The corporation boasts an overall fuel efficiency rating for its green collection of better than 42 mpg.

Hertz and Volt

Hertz is not the only rental company offering green choices nowadays, but it was the first to feature environmentally friendly options. In fact, Hertz was the first to have electric rental cars available on three continents, the first to try out CNG vehicles as part of its lineup, and the first to offer clean diesel cars to U.S. customers. As part of the company’s overall efforts to promote sustainability, Hertz promotes its green rentals as a sort of test-drive experience. Many consumers have told surveyors that they purchased a green vehicle as a direct result of a positive rental experience.

For more about Hertz and Chevrolet, see the companies’ official corporate websites:
http://www.chevrolet.com
http://www.hertz.com

Bob Twaalfhoven

New Approach to Li-ion Battery Modeling

Bob T — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:56:51 +0000

Li-ion battery modeling

Most models of lithium-ion batteries follow the one-dimensional analysis approach. The major drawback of this is that the porosity and liquid-phase salt transport and solid-phase electronic conductivity are not explicitly resolved and the diffusion of lithium into and out of solid is modeled using representative spherical particles assuming perfect symmetry. These modeling assumptions limit the achievable accuracy; refinement of spatial computational grid and time steps cannot overcome the modeling error introduced by the above assumptions.

Researchers at Battery Design LLC and CD-adapco set out on a new approach, one that would avoid the limitations of the standard approach by resolving the structure of the electrode and explicitly modeling the transport of lithium in the electrolyte and solid phases. The following factors motivated the researchers to go down this path.

It is now possible to obtain exact geometry of solid particles in electrodes. While the resolution of scanning devices currently is relatively poor for such microscopic structures, there is no doubt that within a few years an adequate resolution will be possible. This will allow for the building of CAD models of solid and fluid regions of battery cell electrodes.

Commercial software allows creation of quality grids in arbitrarily complex geometries. Grid-generation methods based on tetrahedral elements have been available for a long time. These elements are not best suited for diffusion-dominated problems such as those in battery electrodes, requiring layered (prismatic) meshes along solid-liquid interfaces. However, over the past decade methods of generating polyhedral grids with prismatic layers along interfaces have been developed, allowing for an adequate resolution of complex geometry present in electrodes.

Computing power is steadily growing. Computational grids made of hundreds of millions of control volumes currently are used in some advanced niche applications, such as Formula One, but it will become commonplace in the near future.

The method to allow a detailed modeling of porous electrodes and associated processes is by explicitly separating solid and fluid regions within electrodes and performing a three-dimensional discretization based on the finite volume method. Used for this research were manufactured geometries that have similar porosity, tortuosity, and active-surface-area-to-volume ratio comparable to real electrode material in order to develop the basic models and computational procedure. Real geometries can then be introduced as they become available without the need to modify the solution method. Other research groups are pursuing similar approaches.

The complex model was implemented within the finite volume framework of the computational continuum mechanic software STAR-CCM+. A sample application was undertaken, focused on a small region of a LiMn₂O₄ chemistry cell. The results were compared with an established 1-D model, and favorable and realistic trends are shown within the 3-D model. Further studies will include the analysis of grid and time step dependence and the determination of minimum size of computational domain needed to obtain reliable solutions with minimum effort.

Having shown the credibility compared to a 1-D model, this 3-D model will be further enhanced to include detailed analysis of effects at the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer to account for possible Li-ion plating due to local conditions. As the understanding of other capacity-fade processes evolves within literature, these can be added to this base modeling framework.

Attention will also now turn to improvements in the generation of representative models and the overall user process to enable industry to repeat and extend the reported work. In parallel to the generation of further idealized models (which will include binder, conducting aid, range of particle sizes and shapes, etc.), this code will also be used on data generated from scanning tomography of actual electrode samples, as soon as they become available with sufficient quality needed to generate computational models of the presented kind. Further effects that can be accounted for in the future include electrolyte flow, expansion and contraction of solid material during charging and discharging, edge effects, etc.

This article is based on SAE technical paper 2012-01-0663 by Robert Spotnitz of Battery Design LLC; and Boris Kaludercic, Samir Muzaferija, Milovan Peric, Gaetan Damblanc, and Steve Hartridge of CD-adapco.

Bob Twaalfhoven

GM President Says EV Alive and Well

Bob T — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:18:47 +0000

GM’s Chevy Volt

GM president Mark Reuss used the Detroit Auto Show to make a major pronouncement about the future of electric transportation, saying that, “The electric car is not dead.” As the executive heading up the corporation responsible for the Cadillac ELR, the Chevy Volt, and the Chevy Spark EV, Reuss speaks from experience. He pointed out that despite slow sales growth for some alternative fuel models, he is happy with the current market strength of the Volt, and looks forward to cutting the sticker price of the hybrid in the near future.

GM President: Video

The Detroit Auto Show has been a beehive of activity this year, featuring everything from important corporate announcements to trend-setting vehicle unveilings. GM’s Cadillac division was at the center of attention when it came time to hand out the Car of the Year awards, too. The North American COTY went to Cadillac’s ATS. The 49-member jury placed the luxury sport sedan in the top spot as a result of, among other things, incredible teamwork by Cadillac employees who were responsible for the winning model. In the video clip above, some of the team members speak in their own words about what the accomplishment means to them. Coincidentally, one of the other stars of NAIAS 2013 is the Cadillac ELR, a hybrid-electric car that is similar in many ways to the Chevy Volt.

GM President Says EV Very Much Alive

One of GM’s competitors, Nissan, recently slashed the price of its electric Leaf by $6,000 in an effort to boost sales and introduce a new demographic to the car. GM chief Reuss, states that the EV is very much alive, “… despite what you might hear, and despite what you might read about Americans not being ready for it …”

For more about the U.S. auto giant, see GM’s official corporate website:
http://www.gm.com

Bob Twaalfhoven