Event News

Event News: World EV Summit 2012 12 – 14 June 2012 Copenhagen, Denmark

World EV Summit 2012
12 – 14 June 2012
Copenhagen, Denmark
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKE2228EVH

The World Electric Vehicle Summit aims to harness cross-value chain partnerships to drive the EV industry forward, hosting an impressive array of top level speakers from across the EV value chain including vehicle manufacturers, battery producers, infrastructure suppliers, fleet operators, leasing companies and more.

Throughout the event in a series of more than 60 presentations, leading international experts will share knowledge on high level strategic planning, technical advances and the latest opportunities for growth within the EV sector. This is the go-to event for all you need to know about electric vehicles, the grid, fleets, infrastructure, batteries and more.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from:

-          Barry Shrier, CEO, LIBERTY ELECTRIC CARS

-          Olivier Paturet, General Manager; Zero Emission Business Unit, NISSAN

-          Hugues Van Honacker, Policy Officer, Clean Transport, EUROPEAN COMMISSION

-          Akihito Tanke, Advisor To The President, TOYOTA

-          Lars Bording, CEO, CHOOSEEV

-          Steve Saltzgiver, Director – Fleet Operations, North America, COCA-COLA LTD.

-          Philippe Dupuy, Project Manager, Electric Vehicles, RENAULT

-          Torben Anderson, Chief Commercial Officer, BETTER PLACE

-          Martin M. Thomsen, Head of Technology, CLEARDRIVE A/S

-          Mariana Gerzanych, CEO and Founder, 350 GREEN

-          Stuart Donnelly, Commercial Director, FLEET LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

Visit the website now for more information: http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKE2228EVH
Or contact the WEVS team on +44 (0) 20 7017 6333, or email iee@informa.com.

Register now and receive a 10% discount by quoting the VIP code: FKE2228EVH.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are working within commercial or municipal fleet operations, you may be eligible to receive a 60% DISCOUNT off ANY package price at the time of booking! Please contact the team on the details above to apply.

Article: EV Charging Infrastructure & Grid Integration

While participating at the China EV Charging Infrastructure & Grid Integration Forum 2012 I asked for opinions on charging issues during a forum discussion and all six panelists came with a different answer. This made me realize that the EV industry is far from settled yet; everybody agrees that uncertainty and the lack of infrastructure and associated standards are the issues. As I participate in more forums (lately the China EV Forum in Shanghai) and also communicate with industry specialists in Europe and North America I have a distinct opinion on how Charging Infrastructure & Grid Integration issues can be addressed. This article is therefore a compilation of the opinions of international leaders in the EV field.

Slow charging

Everybody agrees that this is the preferential way to go and the time hereto is available at home, at work and at hotels. The infrastructure hereto must be built; every residential parking lot must have a power outlet for the chargers integrated in the car (typically 3.3 kW for battery capacities in the range of 16 – 24 kWh). The next priority is to install power outlets at offices. Acceptance of EV’s for home-work use will depend on this basic, but essential infrastructure. Optimally the chargers at residential parking lots should have built in timers so they can default be charged during the night time, when the grid has ample capacity and charging cost will be lower. Of course this default mode can be easily overruled by the user.

Medium to semi-high speed charging

This mode can be in the range of 6 – 12 kW and will thus charge a 24 kWh battery in 2-4 hours. When used at shopping malls this will therefore not full charge the customer’s EV battery but this is also no a requirement; even when charging with 6 kW during a 1 hour mall visit, adding 25% to the capacity will be enough to get the customer back home. Reducing the charging current is a priority for grid stability.

High speed charging

Industry specialists agree that high speed charging is a last resort and will be more expensive than lower speed charging. When commuting between cities (that have EV charging support) it is a requirement that charging stations are available on regular intervals, a bit more frequently than gas stations. If this infrastructure is not available, consumers will not buy EV’s without extended range option (such as the GM Chevy Volt).

When North American consumers were asked which charging speed they would expect at shopping malls more than 90% answered: high speed charging. When confronted with the option of free slow charging (using the internal charger) or paid higher speed charging more than 90% selected slow charging. Consequently mall management can safely chose a low high speed (paid) option and a high slow charging capacity; the latter will cost the mall owner typically 2 RMB, well spent marketing money.

Battery swapping

There is probably no EV subject as controversial as battery swapping. When analyzing this issue, it becomes clear that battery swapping is a perfect –and internationally widely proven- application here. Taxis –preferably managed by one organization- are also potential users as they also need to operate on a continuous basis.

But for private car owners battery swapping is not the preferred choice, mainly because of the associated higher cost but also because private individuals wish to fully own a car, reportedly especially in China. Besides, in a country like China, building a widely spread infrastructure for battery swapping would be an enormous investment, which can be compared with the high speed Maglev train from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road: an interesting technological achievement, but not deemed very useful by consumers. For public transport, investments are much lower as this is a controlled environment within a limited area.

Grid stability challenges and solutions

Now, Beijing has 40,000 electric cars. When a Chinese official was asked what would be the consequence of all Beijing electric cars be high speed charged at the same time, the answer was…. a blackout! There is little doubt that in the future electric cars will become far more popular, driven by reduced prices and improved range (CALB and Foton both stated that 300Wh/kg will be a feasible reality in the near future; more than 3 times the current performance/weight ratio).

When there would be more than 6 times the number of electric cars in the future, the grid could not even handle consecutive slow charging. One solution, as proposed by the Zigbee group is the Smart Grid, where the utility can influence the charging times in function of the grid usage. The Smart Grid can also regulate a balanced use of other power users such as HVAC, washing machines, without sacrificing user comfort.

Additionally, energy storage –that could well be performed with written-off EV batteries- can help to balance the power usage. The most structural solution is the additional use of renewable energy close to the electricity users. Residence roofs, parking lots canopies can be covered with solar PV panels. For new construction of high buildings the use of solar windows is a consideration for the (very) near future.

Used EV batteries and wind turbines

Wind turbines can normally have a limited (typical maximum 20%) contribution to the total base load (which is much lower than the maximum load), because wind surges cause a very fast increase in output. Without this limitation the grid would become instable (fluctuating output). Used EV batteries however can be used to smother the wind turbine output and will thus allow a far higher wind penetration. Needless to say that it is advantageous –like with solar PV panels- to place them close to the users; not just for EV application but to achieve a higher Renewable Energy contribution: a wider governmental goal.

If I were in charge I would first….

• Make it the highest priority to get all stakeholders on one line so the decision process can start
• Require to build power outlets at every new parking spot at residences and offices, followed by building this infrastructure in existing construction.

This way the first and foremost EV applications Home-Work and Shopping/Dining are secured. Without this infrastructure consumer acceptance will lag behind.

About the author

James Post is the Executive Product Manager of Battery Condition Test Equipment designed by a Dutch high tech company (http://engineering-spirit.nl), active in the crossroads of power electronics, embedded & technical software. He can be reached via email: jpost@engineeringspirit.nl China phone: 138.1663.0584

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure World Congress 2012, 26 – 27 June 2012, Maritim proArte Hotel, Berlin, Germany

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure World Congress 2012, 26 - 27 June 2012, Maritim proArte Hotel, Berlin, Germany

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure World Congress 2012, 26 – 27 June 2012, Maritim proArte Hotel, Berlin, Germany

Now in its 2nd year, the congress maps out the entire value and shares best practice on profitable business models, strategies and value-added services to facilitate mass adoption and drive the electric vehicle revolution. Hear from leading automakers, fleet owners, local authorities, and utilities on how they are integrating EVs into their businesses and what they need from each other and the industry to take electric vehicles mass market.

To see the full programme and speaker line up please download the brochure here – http://www.terrapinn.com/template/live/documents.aspx?e=4775

Discount offer

As a media partner of the event we can offer an extra 10% to any of our readers. To secure the discount please register with a voucher code GPFA through this link: https://secure.terrapinn.com/V5/rCalc.aspx?E=4775&R=GPFA

For more details, please feel free to get in touch with us directly.

Gargi Iyer
Project Manager
http://www.terrapinn.com/electricvehicle
p: +44 207 092 1122
e: gargi.iyer@terrapinn.com

Guest Article : Geneva International Auto Show Bares All

It is a car lover’s dream to attend the 82nd annual Geneva International Motor show. Creators of present and future technologies worldwide join together for this automobile extravaganza in search of bragging rights. Since 1905, this premier event has captivated professionals and laymen alike. Peugeot is even sponsoring a contest to give away the predecessor of its 207, the sleek 208. Simply fill out an entry form, answers a couple of questions, and you might just get to kiss your auto loan goodbye. The conventional autos on today’s roads are giving away to dramatic engineering innovations. No longer are four wheels a necessity for comfort and safety.
Take the Morgan three-wheeler for example. This two-seater comes equipped with a 120 hp engine which easily catapults its light aluminum frame up or down any winding road. The double wishbone suspension gives this double front wheeled vehicle a smooth ride at every turn. In Addition, the Morgan reveals it new electric and environmentally friendly engine. Going green is fortunately on the minds of big car companies. This is evident as a number of electric and hybrid cars have reached the pedestal.
Hyundai’s I-Oniq concept car is offering a seventy five mile electric charge with a three hundred and sixty mile gas back up. Next is Mini’s new Clubvan designed as a commercial-use vehicle. This economically fuel savvy transport is a two seater with the five doors for easy access and loads of room for cargo. Always present at the auto show is Mercedes Benz. Their latest flower child is the A-Class. This sporty compact car boasts models with high efficiency diesel engine that is almost ninety nine percent emissions free. Finally we come to Tesla’s Model X. This compact sedan has three rows of seats accessible through ‘Falcon’ doors claimed to offer easier access to the second and third row seating.

Now we enter the world of the exotics. Lamborghini makes a stunning appearance with is new Aventador. This dreamcatcher is well endowed with an engine package that propels it from zero to sixty in just under three seconds with a top sped of two hundred miles per hour. Audi stakes its claim with the TT Rs Coupe and the Eco-friendly A8 hybrid. Austin Martin shows off with its V12 Zagato. Only about one hundred and fifty of these five hundred horsepower monster Martins are available, so order yours today. BMW steps it up with its I8 concept car. This futuristic looking bullet is powers by and electric/ gas combination that shoots it from zero to one hundred in just about five seconds.

There are literally hundreds of cars at the Geneva show capable of dropping your jaw. From tiny economy cars to super fast gas guzzlers. The imagination of the scores of creators is staggering. If you are lucky enough to attend, it will be an experience you will not soon forget.

AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012 was held with great success in Tokyo! -Show Highlights-

Tokyo, Japan– AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012, held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 18^th through 20^th, has concluded in complete success.

Now we invite you to experience some of the highlights which attracted particular attentions at the industry leading event which gathered a record-breaking 349 exhibitors and 21,151 visitors.

<1> Opening Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

It was “Opening Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony” that represented AUTOMOTIVE WORLD, the central hub of the Asian automotive industry.

39 executives from almost all the leading OEM & Tier 1 companies from home and abroad such as TOYOTA, HONDA, MAZDA, MITSUBISHI, BMW, FORD, GM, VW, BOSCH … have　celebrated the opening of AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012. It has become a major event which symbolizes the prosperity of bothAsia’s automotive industry and AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012.

>> Click here for the list of Ribbon-Cutting Dignitaries

<2> Exhibition： Leading companies in 3 fields holding the key for the future of the automotive industry exhibited under one roof.

<4^th CAR-ELE JAPAN> is the leading exhibition gathering all kinds of automotive electronics technologies becoming increasingly important as a key for greater safety, improvement of fuel efficiency, etc. One of its core technologies, semiconductors were showcased here by all the major manufacturers such as INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES JAPAN, RENESAS ELECTRONICS, STMICROELECTRONICS, FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR JAPAN, LINEAR TECHNOLOGY, INTERSIL, etc. There are very few exhibitions that are able to collectively bring all the semiconductor manufacturers together who work in the automotive semiconductor industry.

At <3^rd EV JAPAN>, the core technologies for EV & HEV such as motors, inverters & drive system were presented by major companies like YASKAWA ELECTRIC, MEIDENSHA, NIDEC, TAMAGAWA SEIKI, HITACHI, FUJI ELECTRIC and many others. Among them, NIDEC had exhibited for the first time in 10 years and entered the large motor drive market for EV. It had been brought to the attention that NIDEC chose EVJAPAN to launch their new product “rare earth-less motor” into the market, which grabbed the attention of many specialists. There were many admiring comments from OEM and Tier 1 companies like ”EVJAPAN has become ‘the’ exhibition which gather the automotive industry top leaders”.

<2^nd Automotive Weight Reduction Expo> took place greatly expanding its scale from the previous show. TORAY INDUSTRY showcased a car made from new fiber materials, as well as many other companies exhibiting light-weight car body and car parts at their booths. Even though it is only the second opening of the show, this exhibition has already established its position as the indispensable business platform to work on the industry’s important challenge “weight reduction”.

<3> Technical Conference： Asia’s largest scale – 3,235 professionals attended in total.

Inviting the top key persons from TOYOTA MOTOR, VOLKSWAGEN and FORD MOTOR COMPANY as keynote speakers, total 33 sessions have been held featuring ‘’Automotive Electronics’’, ‘’EV & HEV’’ and ‘’Weight Reduction’’. Total 3,235 industry professionals and newspersons attended the conference and enjoyed building up their knowledge on the cutting-edge trends and technologies on the hottest issues.

Next year, AUTOMOTIVE WORLD will come back with even larger scale from Jan 16th to 18th in 2013 at Tokyo Big Sight. We are looking forward to seeing you at the show in 2013.

For more information: www.automotiveworld.jp/en/

Contact us:

AUTOMOTIVE WORLD 2012 Show Management, Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.

TEL: +81-3-3349-8502 / Email:car-pr@reedexpo.co.jp

Attn: Kyoko Nagakusa (Ms.), Sangmi Jong (Ms.), Yuki Ohmichi (Ms.), Ge Lan (Ms.)