Solar Powered Nissan Leaf Eliminates Winery's Energy Bills

Winemaker Joseph Evans had grown frustrated at an annual electricity bill that had climbed to $6000 for his Barossa Valley vineyard, Ballycroft. And so he decided to do something about it.

The first step, he says, was to install a rooftop solar system that could entirely power his property during daylight hours, immediately removing $4000 from his annual power bill.

 But that still left the question of how he’d power his home and property at night, which was responsible for the remaining $2000 in annual power costs.

His Nissan LEAF, and its Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, held the answer.

“I’ve gone from a $6000 annual power bill to making around $50 per week in profit selling my excess power back to the grid,” the celebrated winemaker says.

“That is more than $2500 in annual profit, from what was once a significant cost. And what’s even better is the fact that, while fuel and electricity prices are only heading in one direction — and that direction is up — my costs are fixed, and fixed at zero.

”Instead of paying for my power, I’m getting paid for my power. “ Evans has also eliminated fossil fuel expenses from the bowser.

Ballycroft has been one of the first pilot sites approved by SA Power Networks (SAPN), who have been leading the way nationally in the installation and integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources within their network

While securing required approvals nationally continues to be a work in progress, customers in South Australia can now apply to SAPN to install a Wallbox Quasar V2G units in the same way they otherwise would for a new home solar or battery installation. JET Charge will be opening orders to South Australian customers in late January for the next shipment of Wallbox Quasar V2G chargers.

“This is a game-changer, and I wanted to be right at the front of the queue to have V2G installed," Joseph says.

“It makes me entirely self-sufficient with my power needs, makes my home and business more sustainable, and it’s so easy to use.

“If your next car is going to be an EV, and it should be, make sure it has Vehicle-To-Grid technology, like the Nissan LEAF.”

Joseph is one of the first in Australia to put V2G technology to the test in a real-world setting, using charging infrastructure supplied by JET Charge and the 40kWh battery in his 100% electric Nissan LEAF.

The sustainability-driven winemaker and viticulturist at Ballycroft Vineyard and Cellars uses his Nissan for the roundtrip to Adelaide to make wine deliveries to local restaurants, before recharging through his solar panels.

He then plugs his LEAF into his V2G charger, and uses the stored energy in the Nissan’s battery to power his home and property overnight, before replenishing it in the morning via solar power.

Not only does the vehicle provide enough energy for all of his living, heating and cooling needs — as well as meeting the agricultural requirements of his 10-acre vineyard — but he also feeds excess energy back into the grid, earning Joseph a rebate tariff.

A simple charging application on his phone means Joseph can charge his LEAF, or discharge the power from it, at the turn of a digital dial, with his vehicle not just providing the power needed for his home and property, but also playing a crucial role in helping to stabilise Australia’s power grid.

Demand for grid power fluctuates significantly, and it’s this instability in the grid that can lead to issues and blackouts. The V2G technology in the Nissan LEAF can also provide energy to the grid to help stabilise the load in peak and off-peak periods.

Ballycroft is among the first businesses in Australia to pilot V2G in a real-world setting, marking a key moment in our transition to a more sustainable future.

It follows the Realising Electric Vehicle Services (REVS) project, which saw 51 Nissan LEAF EVs deployed across the ACT to trial the technology and to explore how it can support Australia’s energy infrastructure.

The Nissan LEAF is the only factory-delivered and warranted V2G-capable battery electric vehicle on the market today.

“While the REVS project continues to be extremely positive, it’s incredibly rewarding to see this game-changing technology now being piloted in a residential and commercial setting, and to see the real-world benefits V2G can deliver,” says Nissan’s National Manager of Electrification and Mobility, Ben Warren.

“V2G transforms the Nissan LEAF from a vehicle into a mobile energy storage solution, at once meeting both your transport and home energy needs.  

“We’ve seen this technology deployed internationally, and it’s so exciting to now see it begin rolling out across Australia, first in the ACT with the REVS project, and now with our first customer site in SA.”

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Sunswift Violet ready to compete in World Solar Challenge

Sunswift Violet, a sleek four-seat sedan designed and built by engineering students at UNSW, left Sydney on Wednesday on a 4,300 km drive to Darwin, where it will compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

It is the sixth-generation solar car created by the UNSW Solar Racing Team Sunswift (EV News had the opportunity to test Sunswift eVe back in 2014), built for practicality, speed and endurance, combining cutting-edge technology with modern comfort.

Sunswift Violet will be battling 47 teams from 21 nations in the 3,021 km race from Darwin to Adelaide, which begins on Sunday 8 October 2017.

“Violet looks like a family sedan, but uses as much power as a four-slice toaster,” said Sunswift team leader Simba Kuestler. “She’s got entertainment and air-conditioning systems, including navigation, reverse camera parking sensors, and there’s even wi-fi aboard. And she’s got plenty of front and rear boot space.”

It has a top speed of 130 km/h and a range of 800 km running just on its rooftop solar panels. It also sports modular lithium-ion batteries which store power from the sun; running just on its batteries, it has a range of 400 km. The vehicle relies on around 7kW of horsepower at 110km/h, and two 1.5kW motors that run at 98% efficiency.

With a twill carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, Sunswift Violet weighs less than 400kg. And because good aerodynamics are vital in the quest for energy efficiency – the more slippery the car, the better – Sunswift Violet has a drag coefficient below 0.2, better than the best wind-cheating cars on the market.

While undergoing race testing at the Sydney Motorsport speedway in Eastern Creek late last week, the car experienced a mishap: a bolt on the left-hand front suspension fractured during intense speed braking tests, causing the car to drop onto the roadway and skid for some 30 metres. There were four students aboard at the time, but no-one was hurt.

Mark Hoffman, UNSW’s Dean of Engineering, said challenges like these were a learning opportunity: “The car is operating at the cutting-edge of what’s possible, and the students are putting it through strenuous testing ahead of a race where they will face intense conditions, so it’s no surprise they will face setbacks,” he said. “That’s what an engineering degree should be about, learning about demanding, real-world challenges.”

Despite the setback, the team of undergraduate students worked late nights and over the weekend to repair the damage and reinforce all the dynamic systems of the car, in order meet their original schedule.

The Sunswift team holds the world land-speed record for an electric vehicle, recognised in 2014 by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, when their previous vehicle – Sunswift eVe – travelled at an average 100 km/h over a distance of 500 km on a single charge. This broke a record that had stood for 26 years, and was recognised with a world record trophy.

Teams competing in this year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge come from Belgium, Canada, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as Australia.

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Bridgestone return as World Solar Challenge title sponsor

The Bridgestone brand will again act as title sponsor of this year’s World Solar Challenge – which will be known, as you’ve already probably guessed, as the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2015.

The event will take place in Australia between 18 and 25 October and is the 13th World Solar Challenge since 1987. Bridgestone intends to use the World Solar Challenge as a platform for promoting its ‘Ecopia with ologic’ technology, and the company says it will also engage in associated environmental initiatives and programmes that support young engineers participating in the event.

The last World Solar Challenge in 2013 attracted 38 teams, including many university students, from 22 countries. The participants competed in a 3,000 kilometre (1,184 mile) cross-country race using only solar energy to power the vehicles. The competition features three separate classes – Adventure Class, Cruiser Class and Challenger Class – which will compete for the title of the world’s most efficient solar car.

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World Record holders Sunswift launch Pozible to fund refit of car for road registration

UNSW’s solar racing team Sunswift has launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise money to rebuild their car for Australian road registration.

The eVe vehicle, which recently smashed a 26-year-old world record for the fastest electric car over 500 km, is seen as a symbol for a new era of sustainable driving. It is covered in zero-emission solar panels and uses a battery storage system that can be charged with the solar cells or by plugging the car into a power outlet.

The world record proved the car is technically capable of covering the maximum distance a normal road user might want to drive in a single day.

The next step in the Sunswift journey is to put eVe within reach of the average driver by converting it from concept car to road-registered coupe.

The team of 60 undergraduate students behind Sunswift is aiming to raise $30,000 – about one-third of the amount they need – using the crowd-funding site Pozible. They plan to source the remaining money and components via sponsors and in-kind contributions from industry partners.

If successful, it will mark the first time a university solar car team has built a vehicle to the stringent standards of the Australian Design Rules – the national motoring standards that govern vehicle safety, anti-theft and emissions.

“Full registration is no humble feat with essentially the whole car needing to be deconstructed and rebuilt,” says project director and engineering student Hayden Smith.

“The car requires front, rear and side impact protection, headlights, windscreen wipers, new raised suspension and new wheels in addition to updated electrical components.

“The interior will also be redesigned to meet safety regulations and offer a level of comfort that would be expected from a commercial car.”

Coinciding with its latest fundraising push, the team has set an ambitious goal of achieving road registration as early as March 2015.

“Having solar cars conquer the roads would mark a huge leap in the race to develop more sustainable transport alternatives, showcasing their potential to be commercialised in the near future,” Sunswift’s chief business officer and student Rob Ireland says.

"However, we can't change the world by ourselves so we're asking for help to make it happen."

Supporters who contribute to the crowd-funding campaign will be offered rewards including 3D printed models of the car, solar cell mantlepiece trophies and one-time advertising space during PR events. The campaign begins on Monday 1 December.

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Tesla Model S Vs Sunswift eVe.. 500 km range on 1/5 the battery capacity

Recently EV News had the opportunity to test drive two electric vehicles with 500 km range within a fortnight of each other. One, a Tesla Model S P85+ and the other a world record breaking electric car, the University of New South Wales Sunswift eVe solar race car.

I wrote last year how in many ways the two share a common heritage with technology in the Tesla having a direct evolutionary path from the inaugural World Solar Challenge in 1987. While I was massively impressed by my short drive in the top-of-the-line Model S, it's interesting to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of two EVs that both achieve the holy grail of plug-in vehicles, 500 km range on a single charge.

Following Sunswift eVe's World Record run in July, Wired magazine hailed the student-run university project as Tesla's new competitor, ahead of the likes of BMW or General Motors. Hyperbole? Perhaps as eVe is not a road registered vehicle let alone production ready. But that doesn't detract from the fact that during the world record run, Sunswift eVe achieved 500 km range at highway speeds of 107 km/h (66 mph), sans solar array charging, with a battery pack made of the exact same Panasonic cells used by Tesla but with 1/5 th the capacity of the Model S.

It should also be noted that the Tesla Model S maximum range of 502 km is set under the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) test procedure. Tesla motors themselves claim a maximum range of 480 km at a steady 88 km/h (55 mph) while the official EPA rating is 426 km. According to Tesla's founder himself, range for a Model S 85 kWh reduces to 400 km (250 miles) @ 110 km/h (70 mph)

Taking into consideration that much of the Model S design, from the large wheelbase to the all aluminium body construction, is dictated by the 500 km range goal and the size and weight of the battery pack required to achieve that, any vehicle with energy efficiency high enough to reduce the 18650 lithium-ion battery cell count from 7,104 to 1,200 must offer some advantages.

Number one on the list is direct drive in-wheel motors. Sunswift eVe is rear wheel drive powered by 2x 1.8 Kw (10 Kw Peak) Australian developed direct drive CSIRO wheel motors that give eVe a top speed of 140 km/h. The axial flux BLDC wheel motors are 98.3% energy efficient and because the permanent magnet rotors are integrated directly into the wheel rim there are no gearing losses that typically reduce energy efficiency at the tires by 20-30%.

Sure, rated power of only 1.8 kw is barely enough to run a 4 slice toaster but the driving experience, at the HART facility in Sydney's northern suburbs during a sponsor day, demonstrated that 20 kw peak (27 horsepower) provides enough performance to accelerate and maintain highway speeds with minimal fuss. Each wheel motor weighs in at only 15 kg with the Australian developed 99.2% efficient Tritium WaveSculptor22 motor inverters adding less than 1 kg each to over-all powertrain weight.

Next up is aerodynamic efficiency. Because the car was deigned for a 3,000 km race with a high average speed on extremely limited solar power, aero efficiency is king. Sunswift eVe has a 1800 x 4500 mm footprint (larger than a Tesla Roadster) and although the car has twice the frontal area of its blade-like solar car predecessor, Sunswift has achieved a similar drag coefficient. It’s managed this partly through a unique high-set “tunnel” underside design, giving the car the look of a catamaran.

Tesla claim a 0.24 drag coefficient for the Model S which is the lowest of any production vehicle. The Sunswift team went through 50 design iterations over 3 months using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation to achieved a Cd of 0.16. During my test drive of eVe, even though the vehicle had both doors removed for easy access, the lack of aero drag seemed noticeable while coasting. One team member told me it takes eVe several kilometers to coast to a stop from 100 km/h.

While the Model S monocoque is entirely aluminium, every panel on the Tesla Roadster was carbon fibre and UNSW has taken that a step further and fabricated the entire chassis from the material. Manufactured through a sponsorship deal with New Zealand firm Core Builders Composites, the company that built much of the America's Cup fleet, the vehicle has a kerb weigh of just 320 kg. A Tesla Model S weighs 2100 kg.

The main benefit of light weight when at constant speed is reduced rolling resistance. Approximately 5–15% of the fuel consumed by a typical car may be used to overcome rolling resistance. Sunswift eVe uses Michelin special order low rolling resistance tyres which are run at 80 psi. While not exactly the same kind of road car tires as the 285/30 R21 at the rear of a P85+, they are possibly not too far removed from the bicycle like 155/70 R19 tires fitted to the BMW i3.

The combination of zero mechanical transmission losses, high electrical energy efficiency, low aero drag and rolling resistance means a 16 kWh battery made from 1200x Panasonic NCR18650 cylindrical Lithium Ion cells, with a pack weight of only 63 Kg, is enough to give eVe a single charge highway speed cruising range of over 500 km. That's the same battery capacity as a Mitsubishi iMiEV which has a maximum range of 155 km or a Volt which achieves 70 - 80 Km in EV mode. The combined range for Sunswift eVe with it's 800 watt solar array connected is 800 km (500 miles).

Although carbon fiber is roughly 20 times more expensive than steel, BMW believe it is the future of electric vehicle production and have invested €400 million to launch the first carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) production car, the all electric i3. BMW’s goal is to get the expense of a carbon-fiber frame down to the level of aluminium by 2020. While only the passenger cabin of the i3 is made from carbon fiber with the drive train, battery and suspension attached to an aluminium chassis, it seems only a matter of time before 100% CF chassis like eVe become economically viable for mass produced road cars.

The next challenge for the Sunswift team is to make eVe the first road-legal solar-powered car in Australia. They expect it to meet Australian road registration requirements within as little as one year.

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Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Hybrid Concept Goes Off the Grid [VIDEO]

Ford Motor Company announced today the C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, a first-of-its-kind sun-powered vehicle with the potential to deliver the best of what a plug-in hybrid offers – without depending on the electric grid for fuel.

Instead of powering its battery from an electrical outlet, Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept harnesses the power of the sun by using a special concentrator that acts like a magnifying glass, directing intense rays to solar panels on the vehicle roof.

The result is a concept vehicle that takes a day's worth of sunlight to deliver the same performance as the conventional C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, which draws its power from the electric grid. Ford C-MAX Energi gets a combined best miles per gallon equivalent in its class, with EPA-estimated 108 MPGe city and 92 MPGe highway, for a combined 100 MPGe. By using renewable power, Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is estimated to reduce the annual greenhouse gas emissions a typical owner would produce by four metric tons.

"Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept shines a new light on electric transportation and renewable energy," said Mike Tinskey, Ford global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure. "As an innovation leader, we want to further the public dialog about the art of the possible in moving the world toward a cleaner future."

C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, which will be shown at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, is a collaborative project of Ford, San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower Corp. and Atlanta-based Georgia Institute of Technology.

Strong electrified vehicle sales

The C-MAX Solar Energi Concept debuts as Ford caps a record year of electrified vehicle sales.

Ford expects to sell 85,000 hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles for 2013 – the first full year its six new electrified vehicles were available in dealer showrooms.

C-MAX Energi is Ford's plug-in sales leader, with sales of more than 6,300 through November. Ford sold more plug-in vehicles in October and November than both Toyota and Tesla, and it outsold Toyota through the first 11 months of 2013. Plug-in hybrids continue to grow in sales as more customers discover the benefits of using electricity to extend their driving range.

C-MAX Hybrid over the last year has been a key driver in helping Ford sell more hybrids than any other automaker in the United States, second only to Toyota. C-MAX Hybrid continues to bring new customers to the Ford brand, with a conquest rate of 64 percent and drawing nearly half of its sales from import brands. Conquest rates are even higher in key hybrid growth markets like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Breakthrough clean technology

SunPower, which has been Ford's solar technology partner since 2011, is providing high-efficiency solar cells for the roof of Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept. Because of the extended time it takes to absorb enough energy to fully charge the vehicle, Ford turned to Georgia Institute of Technology for a way to amplify the sunlight in order to make a solar-powered hybrid feasible for daily use.

Researchers developed an off-vehicle solar concentrator that uses a special Fresnel lens to direct sunlight to the solar cells while boosting the impact of the sunlight by a factor of eight. Fresnel is a compact lens originally developed for use in lighthouses. Similar in concept to a magnifying glass, the patent-pending system tracks the sun as it moves from east to west, drawing enough power from the sun through the concentrator each day to equal a four-hour battery charge (8 kilowatts).

With a full charge, Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is estimated to have the same total range as a conventional C-MAX Energi of up to 620 miles, including up to 21 electric-only miles. Additionally, the vehicle still has a charge port, and can be charged by connecting to a charging station via cord and plug so that drivers retain the option to power up via the grid, if desired.

After C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is shown at CES, Ford and Georgia Tech will begin testing the vehicle in numerous real-world scenarios. The outcome of those tests will help to determine if the concept is feasible as a production car.

Off-the-grid car

By tapping renewable solar energy with a rooftop solar panel system, C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is not dependent on the traditional electric grid for its battery power. Internal Ford data suggest the sun could power up to 75 percent of all trips made by an average driver in a solar hybrid vehicle. This could be especially important in places where the electric grid is underdeveloped, unreliable or expensive to use.

The vehicle also reinforces MyEnergi Lifestyle, a concept revealed by Ford and several partners at 2013 CES. MyEnergi Lifestyle uses math, science and computer modeling to help homeowners understand how they can take advantage of energy-efficient home appliances, solar power systems and plug-in hybrid vehicles to significantly reduce monthly expenses while also reducing their overall carbon footprint.

The positive environmental impact from Ford C-MAX Solar Energi could be significant. It would reduce yearly CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from the average U.S. car owner by as much as four metric tons – the equivalent of what a U.S. house produces in four months.

If all light-duty vehicles in the United States were to adopt Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept technology, annual greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by approximately 1 billion metric tons.

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Team Eindhoven Win Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Michelin Cruise Class [VIDEO]

The Dutch have dominated this year’s 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Having already won the elite Schneider Electric Challenger Class title when team Nuon crossed the line first on Thursday, Team Eindhoven made it two from two winning the Michelin Cruiser Class category announced at the Awards Ceremony in Adelaide on Sunday night.

With a score of 97.5% to Eindhoven it was perhaps closer than the Dutch had predicted, with Germany’s Hochschule Bochum team a close second on 93.9%, in turn just beating Australia’s UNSW Sunswift team, who scored 92.3% taking third place.

The Michelin Cruiser class was judged on the key criteria of solar kilometres travelled, passenger kilometres, speed, energy efficiency, and a subjective element of design and practicality.

Of the eight Cruisers built especially for the Australian event, four completed the 3020 kilometres on full solar power, the University of Minnesota from the USA joining the ranks with the Dutch, German and Australian teams, taking out fourth place with 79.2%.

Each of the top teams had differing strategic approaches to the contest. Eindhoven being a four seater car easily accounted for the most passenger kilometres; Bochum were the most energy efficient, and UNSW Sunswift were the fastest to the finish line.

Final judging occurred on Saturday afternoon with the expert panel assessing characteristics such as: ease of access, comfort, controls, features, style, ease of charging, overall desirability, road registration, parking and cargo space. Judges put the cars through their paces on the finish line. Teams were tested for their parking skills, their ability to load the trunk with numerous suitcases and the ultimate cargo test – could the Aussie esky also be stowed the right way up in the trunk?

The judging panel spent hours deliberating final scores with the topl three cruisers all shining in their own right. Team Bochum’s Powercore Suncruiser scored high on accessibility and desirability and Sunswift’s ‘eVe’ was the most stylish. In the end it came down to just five points between the three top teams with the world’s first four seater solar family car , ‘Stella’ taking the honours.

The remaining four cruisers completed the Challenge with a combination of solar kilometres and trailer kilometres: Goko High School from Japan (2288 km); Apollo Taiwan (1558); Australia’s TAFE SA (1469) and University of Calgary (719).

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started October 6th in Darwin and finished 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Top Teams Nuon and Tokai Race to World Solar Challenge Finish [VIDEO]

A familiar scenario is being played out between two champion teams in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. After nearly 2,800 kilometres just 20 minutes separates the two leading cars. It is almost a repeat performance of 2011 except on this occasion the order is reversed, with the Netherlands Nuon Solar team leading Team Tokai from Japan.

The flying Dutch team have maintained an average speed of around 93 kilometres an hour accelerating at some points today up to 113 km but the Japanese matched their pace, refusing to let the gap between the two teams widen. Unless the Japanese team has something more in reserve, Nuon in their solar car ‘Nuna 7’ look poised to take back the title they lost to Team Tokai in 2009 and again in 2011.

Both teams are camped south of Port Pirrie and are due to make their final run to the official finish line in Hindmarsh Square Adelaide, arriving mid-morning tomorrow.

Netherlands Team Twente with their ‘Red Engine’ is in third place some 240 kilometres behind the leaders with Stanford University from the USA hot on their heels in 4th just nine kilometres behind, 49 kilometres south of Woomera. Belgium’s Punch Powertrain is in 5th with Solar Energy Racers about 25 kilometres behind in 6th. Still flying the flag for Australia, team Arrow holds 7th position. Other teams still under solar power include Onda Solare from Italy, Blue Sky Solar from Canada and Australia’s UWS Solar team in SolAce.

Strong wind gusts today played havoc with some of the teams including the American solar champions Michigan, who were bumped to the side of the road coming into the Coober Pedy Control Stop. They are now frantically working on their solar car Generation hoping to resume tomorrow morning.

All Michelin Cruisers are now in Coober Pedy for their last mandatory overnight stop before they resume tomorrow morning for the final stage. It will be a battle between Team Eindhoven from the Netherlands in their four seater Stella; the German Hochschule Bochum’s Powercore SunCruiser and Australia’s UNSW Sunswift Team, in their solar sports car ‘eVe’ who flew into Coober Pedy today hours ahead of the field. Final judging of the Cruiser class will be held in Adelaide on Saturday, taking into account design, practicality and person kilometres travelled which could put Eindhoven in a strong position as they have the capacity to carry four passengers.

In the GoPro Adventure Class Australia’s Aurora arrived into Coober Pedy, their final overhead stop, ahead of the other contender still running on solar power, team Antakari from Chile.

The leaders are expected to reach ‘finish of timing’ in Angle Vale tomorrow morning before proceeding to the Official Finish Line at Hindmarsh Square. Even if a team is first to Angle Vale they must still reach the official finish line to claim victory.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later tomorrow in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Nuna 7 Takes Early Lead in 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

Team Nuon from the Netherlands, in their solar car Nuna 7, took an early lead in the Schneider Electric Challenger Class of the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and at the end of day one are approximately 633 kilometres south of Darwin. Just 32 kilometres behind at the Dunmarra Control Stop there is one minute separating second placed Team Twente in ‘Red Engine’ also from the Netherlands and the 2011 Champion team Tokai from Japan, who as predicted, made up time early from 20th position on the starting grid.

USA solar champions, team Michigan, are in fourth place approximately 10 kilometres out of Dunmarra with Australia’s Team Arrow showing they can mix it with the elite international field just behind in fifth place.

In the Michelin Cruiser Class team Bochum from Germany are in first place approximately sixty kilometres north of Dunmarra, with team Eindhoven from the Netherlands just five kilometres behind in second place, Minnesota Solar team from the USA in third place and University of NSW Sunswift team in fourth place approximately 100 kilometres north of Dunmarra.

Leading the GoPro Adventure Class was Australia’s team Aurora who have never missed a solar challenge; followed by IVE from Hong Kong and Antakari from Chile.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started today October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Underdog Team Scores World Solar Challenge Pole Position [VIDEO]

Qualifying day for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge at Hidden Valley Raceway didn't follow any script with an underdog team setting the fastest overall time, a Michelin Cruiser Class car coming in second fastest and many of the favorites struggling to set a competitive time at all.

Pole position goes to Australian TeamArrow, a Queensland based team associated with the Queensland University of Technology, who set a lap time 5 seconds clear of the entire field. Second in the Schneider Electric Challenger Class is Japanese team Kogakuin University Solar Vehicle Project with a close third place going to the Stanford team with Luminos.

Of the favorite teams, University of Michigan are fifth in the starting order with Nuna7 starting lucky 13th having set a time 33 seconds off the pace while Tokai Challenger starts 20th after spinning twice at the final corner leading onto the main straight. The 'official' reason given is sand on the track although only one other car spun at that corner, the Hochschule Bochum SolarCar Team who still qualified third in the Michelin Cruiser Class.

Of all the asymmetric cars (with the driver positioned in a side pod of the car) in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Tokai Challenger is the only car with rear wheel steering which may have contributed to the car spinning each time it negotiated the final turn at Hidden Valley. We don't expect there are many hairpin corners along the 3,000 km route from Darwin to Adelaide so this may not be a good indicationn of likely race performance.

On pole for the Michelin Cruiser class, and second fastest time overall is Solar Team Eindhoven with their 4 seater Stella. University of Minnesota starts second with final turn spinners Hochschule Bochum SolarCar Team starting third.

UNSW Solar Racing Team with their Sunswift eVe two seater start forth with a qualifying time 26 seconds off the pace following some drama on their first attempt at a flying lap. Sunswift's eVe literally limped around the Hidden Valley track on it's first warm up lap and came straight back into the pits barely moving under it's own power. The problem turned out to be a seized front brake caliper that was only diagnosed after the team were forced to set a time before eVe could be repaired. The team has also been having persistent motor controller issues.

Pole position for the GoPro Adventure class, which includes quite a few older generation three wheeled solar cars that no longer qualify for the outright class, was set by SIKAT Solar Philippines with SIKAT II followed by Aurora Evolution and Team Solaris from the Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey.

This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.

Full results: Bridestone World Solar Challenge

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Top Gun Scrutineering for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

The Clipsal and Schneider Electric Challenger Class single seat aerodynamic masterpieces were presented to Scrutineering on day 2 of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge at the Royal Darwin Showgrounds.

This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.

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World's Most Efficient EVs Travel 3,000 km without Plugging-In

This time next week the world's most energy efficient electric cars will be hitting speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) as they race 3,000 km (1,865 Miles) coast to coast across the Australian Outback contesting the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The outright contenders for line honours will come from the big budget single seater aerodynamic vehicles of the Schneider Electric Challenger Class. The only external energy source allowed during the race is solar irradiation received by a maximum of either 3 square meters of high-efficiency (22.5%+), triple-junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells or 6 square meters of silicon based solar cells with less than 22.5% efficiency. The solar array is paired with a maximum on-board energy storage capacity of 5 kWh to assist with energy use strategy, hills, clouds or extra acceleration for overtaking.

To have a good chance to win each car has to 1) Collect as much solar energy as possible and 2) Use as little energy as possible. This means special attention needs to be applied to the efficiency of transferring electrical energy to the wheels and minimising friction from aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance which is affected by vehicle weight amongst other things.

To achieve the electrical efficiency goal, every Bridgestone World Solar Challenge winner since at least 1999 has used a direct drive in-wheel motor to propel the vehicle. Direct drive eliminates mechanical transmission losses that can be as much as 20%.

Solar cars use very low rolling resistance tires that are specially designed for this race with a rolling resistance ten times less than an average road car. With the rolling resistance of a cars tyres accounting for roughly 20% of all energy used, tyres can account for up to one in every five tanks of fuel in a regular road car. Vehicle weight is also kept extremely low with extensive use of carbon fiber, again to minimise rolling resistance.

In 2011 Tokai Challenger won with an average speed of 91.54 km/h (56 mph). With such high average speeds combined with the physics - air resistance being proportional to the square of speed - aerodynamic drag is the main source of losses on a solar race car. Much design effort is invested in CFD computer simulation, scale and full size wind tunnel testing. The best solar race cars achieve a drag coefficient as low as 0.07 (Nuna 3 – which holds the record for highest average winning speed @ 102.8 km/h) where a road car ranges from 0.24 (Tesla Model S) to 0.35 (Toyota Land Cruiser).

It is the chase of maximum aerodynamic efficiency that has lead to the race winning dominance of “coffee table” type vehicle designs which brings up the question of how practical can a solar-powered vehicles be? The 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge sees the introduction of the Michelin Cruiser Class which is not focused on speed but practicality, with the ultimate goal of entrants being able to meet the requirements for road registration. Cruiser Class cars must seat a minimum of two people and will be allowed over-night battery charging at select locations.

While the Michelin cruiser class aligns solar race car design more closely with road car requirements, if the limitations of having the solar cells on the vehicle itself are removed, powering a regular road going EV with solar power is an affordable reality today!

Tesla Motors recently launched a network of solar powered superchargers capable of charging their Model S to 320 km of range in 30 minutes. Even a modest 1.5 kw residential roof-top PV solar system generates enough energy to power a commuter EV like a Nissan Leaf for more than average annual mileage. In fact, displacing the cost of petrol instead of grid power will reduce the break even time on a roof-top PV installation from years to months.

This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.

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World’s first solar powered family car set for stellar performance [VIDEO]

With just 17 days to go before 43 teams from 24 countries take to the start line in Darwin on October 6 to contest the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 3,000 kilometre quest across Australia; one team is already putting its revolutionary 4 seater solar family car, Stella, through its paces in Darwin.

First time entrants in the inaugural Michelin Cruiser Class, Solar Team Eindhoven of Eindhoven University of Technology from the Netherlands are hoping their pre-race road testing in Darwin will pay dividends across the Aussie outback. Purpose built for this year’s event ‘Stella’ is the first ‘energy-positive car’ with room for four people, a trunk, intuitive steering and a range of 600 kilometers.

Competition in the Michelin Cruiser Class is not about finishing first across the line. It is about taking the technology to the mainstream and developing a car for the future Competitors will be judged on energy use and efficiency; how many people they’ve carried and over what distance and the potential of the design and practicality to appeal to the mainstream motoring market. ‘Stella’ will have her work cut out for her with competition from the German Bochum team, whose former car, the ‘BoCruiser’ inspired the category; Australian teams from Uni NSW and TAFE SA; and teams from Japan, Taiwan, USA, Canada and New Zealand.

Teams in the Elite Challenger Class are also well prepared. An unprecedented number of crews arrived in Australia early including America’s most successful solar team, University of Michigan who have yet to post a win here. They’ve been venturing out on test runs, and have even organised a ‘mock race’ to simulate the real Challenge in every way possible.

The Dutch Nuon Solar team from Delft University, believes their car, Nuna 7 can deliver their fifth World Solar Challenge from seven attempts. Until recent challenges they dominated, winning in 2001, 2003, 2005 & 2007. Their excellent record was thwarted in 2009 and again in 2011 by the impressively slick Japanese Tokai University team. Team Tokai are here to win and will not give up the title without a fight. Others to watch include Team Twente with their car, Red Engine, and Stanford University, who hope their car, Luminos, will live up to its name and be a leading light.

This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is held from 6th – 13th October. If you can’t make it to Darwin or Adelaide, you can follow the race on Twitter via @tsport100 or @WorldSolarChlg.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

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Panasonic Announce Tokai University Solar Car Team Sponsorship

Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has agreed to provide technical support to Tokai University's solar car team, which will compete in the 2013 World Solar Challenge (WSC 2013), one of the world's biggest races for solar cars, to be held from October 6 to 13 in Australia. Under the sponsorship agreement, Panasonic will provide the Japanese university team with its HIT(R) solar cells which boast the industry's top-class electricity output as well as its high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

The WSC, which started in 1987 and became a biennial event in 1999, is a time-based competition over a distance of 3,021km from Darwin in the north down to Adelaide in the south. Teams from around the world, including universities and corporations, participate in the race in cars powered solely by sunlight.

The Tokai University team has an impressive track record in solar car racing. The team won the previous WSC races held in 2009 and 2011, and is now looking to make a hat trick in the WSC this year. Last year, the team also won the race in South Africa that was recognized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as the world's longest alternative fuel vehicle car race. Panasonic's energy products contributed to the team's victories at these international competitions.

Panasonic's HIT solar cells have a unique hybrid configuration with a crystalline silicon substrate surrounded by ultrathin amorphous silicon layers. Compared to ordinary crystalline silicon-based solar cells, Panasonic's HIT solar cells suffer less degradation of power output at high temperatures, delivering the industry's highest-level energy output per unit of area. This makes Panasonic's HIT solar cells ideal for solar cars competing in races such as the WSC, given that the WSC regulations limit the total area of solar cells installed on the body to up to six square meters and that the cells will be exposed to the scorching Australian sun. The HIT solar modules for the Tokai University team are purpose-built for the solar car race, using the same solar cells - the main component that converts the sunlight into electricity - that are mass-produced for the residential market.

The rechargeable batteries Panasonic is providing are the cylindrical 18650 type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in height) high-capacity lithium-ion battery cells which use the company's proprietary nickel-based positive electrode. The high-capacity and lightweight battery cells store excess power generated by the HIT solar cells so that the car is able to continue running even on overcast days.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge starts on October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Bridgestone Sponsors World Solar Challenge 2013

Bridgestone will be the title sponsor of the World Solar Challenge 2013, which will be held in Australia October 6-13.

Dubbed “The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013,” the event will see a record 45 teams from 26 countries compete in a 3,000 km cross-country race using only solar energy to power the vehicles.

The event will feature three separate classes, Adventure Class, which will showcase cars built for previous events; Cruiser Class, which will be judged by design practicality, and Challenger Class, which will compete for the title of the world’s most efficient solar car.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge starts on October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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UNSW Sunswift launch 140 km/h “eVe” Cruiser Class Solar Racecar

UNSW Solar Racing Team Sunswift revealed their solar racing car eVe at the University of New South Wales last Friday.

The latest addition to the Sunswift family is designed for the new Cruiser class, which consists of four-wheeled vehicles that must meet regulations for normal roads-worthy vehicles in the country they come from. They’re also required to have both a driver and a passenger.

The new Sunswift racer is RWD and powered by 2x 1.8 Kw (10 Kw Peak) Australian developed direct drive CSIRO wheel motors, now manufactured under license by Marand Precision Engineering, giving a top speed of 140 km/h. 15 kWh worth of Panasonic cylindrical Lithium Ion batteries, weighing only 63 Kg, output 140 volts and give eVe a single charge highway speed cruising range of over 500 km, as much as the 85 kWh Tesla Model S!

This incredible range is achieved by a combination of light weight (about 300kg) carbon fiber monocoque construction, extremely low drag coefficient, 98.3% energy efficient direct drive wheel motors and solar charging. Battery charge comes care of continuous top-up from the PV cells, with opportunities for major fills from the grid at points in Tennant Creek, Alice and Coober Pedy.

eVe has a 1800 x 4500 mm footprint (larger than a Tesla Roadster) with four square metres (WSC rules allow up to six square metres) of Mono-crystalline silicon cells provided by SunPower.

Although the new car has twice the frontal area of its blade-like predecessor, Sunswift has achieved a similar drag coefficient. It’s managed this partly by the use of a smaller PV cell area, and partly through a unique high-set “tunnel” underside design, giving the car the look of a catamaran.

For the carbon fibre bodywork, Core Builders Composites in New Zealand, best known for its work on maxi-yachts of the calibre of Oracle’s America's Cup ocean racers, offered the team a sponsorship deal. The result is a structure of immense strength, with the only metal component a steel roll bar, there for compliance with FIA motorsport standards.

The team is looking towards a hi-powered version of the car using motors on all four wheels although to do so the team say the battery would need a significant upgrade.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge starts on October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: Post is sponsored by Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Words and thoughts are entirely my own.

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Formula Sun Grand Prix | TRANSLOGIC 134 [VIDEO]

Translogic head back to the Circuit of the Americas race track in Austin, Texas to check out Formula Sun.

The Formula Sun Grand Prix solar car race attracts college teams from across the globe to compete and promote clean energy.

Some of these teams will, no doubt, be shaking down their vehicles in preparation for the World Solar Challenge race across Australia in October.

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Four time World Solar Challenge winners unveil - Nuna 7

The team that won the World Solar Challenge four times consecutively between 2001 and 2007 have unveiled their latest solar racer.

The Nuna7 solar-powered vehicle – which features pioneering pore-filling technology – will take part in the competition in Australia in October, representing the fourth time that the Nuon Solar Team from the Technical University in Delft and Sikkens paint experts from the company's Automotive and Aerospace Coatings business have worked together.

This year, however, will be the first time that the Nuna has used the new composite pinhole filler Aerowave 2501, which has already been used on commercial aircraft.

"When the carbon fiber shell of the Nuna is manufactured, the process creates pinholes that must be filled with putty and then sanded, often multiple times," explained John Grevers, AkzoNobel's Technical Coordinator for Benelux and Sikkens project leader for the Nuna.

"Our water-based pinhole filler replaces much of the putty and doesn't require sanding, because it can be easily wiped away. Which means it also adds less weight to the car than traditional fillers."

As well as the new pinhole filler, the Nuna 7 also features an aerodynamically advanced Sikkens coatings system designed to reduce wind drag and cut down on preparation time. Products used include Colorbuild Plus, Autocryl Plus LV, and Autoclear LV Superior.

"AkzoNobel is helping us a lot in terms of making sure that we have the best possible aerodynamics thanks to the finish they provide," said Leslie Nooteboom, the Delft team's Public Relations manager. "We feel that the company is playing a very important role in our chances of winning the race in Australia."

Added Grevers: "It has been a valuable experience for us to develop coatings that not only provide advanced aerodynamics, but can also perform well under the extreme temperatures of solar car racing. And it’s always good to work with students because they bring a fresh vision."

The team hopes to go one better than 2011, when the Nuna 6 finished second in the 11th World Solar Challenge. The biennial event – which aims to promote research on solar-powered cars – attracts teams from across the globe. The 2013 race will be staged from October 6 to 13.

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Sunswift's solar racer gets radical redesign [VIDEO]

The future of solar-powered vehicles in Australia is being re-imagined by a group of talented UNSW students determined to transform a once 'alien' design into a more "human friendly" car.

“We want to go beyond the spaceship type cars we’ve built in the past and create the sort of car you could drive anywhere, all while keeping the design cool and producing zero emissions,” says UNSW engineering student Sam Paterson.

Paterson is the project manager for Sunswift, the UNSW solar racing team run by undergraduate business and engineering students.

The team is currently building a next-generation vehicle for the 2013 World Solar Challenge – an epic 3,000 km race from Darwin to Adelaide. The focus is on delivering a more “human friendly” car and the team has launched a crowd funding campaign to help bring it to life.

In 2011, UNSW Sunswift set a world record with its fourth generation car, which became the fastest solar powered vehicle, reaching a top speed of 88 km/hour. This was the team’s second world record since forming in 1996.

But this year the team is competing in a new class – the cruiser class – where the objective is not speed but practicality. Vehicles must have four wheels instead of three, and must accommodate both a driver and a passenger.

“The ultimate goal is to design and build a car that can meet the requirements for road registration in Australia,” says Paterson. “We’re extremely confident in our latest design, and excited for the race in October.”

“We have tried a new fundraising method with this car and are hopeful we can reach our target. We are also incredibly grateful for all the support and encouragement we’ve already received,” says Paterson.

The team just reached $14k of our $20k crowd-funding goal! With 11 days to go. The final day of the campaign is Thursday 27 June. For more information on Sunswift’s fifth generation car, known as eVe, and to support the project visit the campaign profile on the Pozible website: www.pozible.com/eVe

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University of Michigan wins the 2012 American Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

University of Michigan Solar Car Team won the 2012 American Solar Challenge with their car Quantum for a fourth consecutive time.

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team, with its car Quantum, crosses the finish line at 2:30pm on July 21, 2012 at the American Solar Car Challenge in St Paul, Minn.. The team won its fourth consecutive national championship with this event (and 7th overall), and broke the national record, winning by 10 hours and 18 minutes over its nearest competitor. Image credit: Ethan Lardner, U-M Solar Car Team

The eight-day, biennial 1,650-mile competition for solar-powered vehicles started July 14 in Rochester, N.Y., and ended July 21 in St. Paul, Minn. The U-M car crossed the finish line at about 2:30 p.m. CDT for a final time of 44 hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds—10 hours and 18 minutes ahead of second-place Iowa State University, breaking the national record set by U-M in 2008 with its car Continuum.

This is the seventh North American title for the U-M team, which won the inaugural event in 1990 with its first car, the Sunrunner.It is exciting and a relief," said crew chief and recent electrical engineering grad Ryan Mazur. "We have proven that Quantum is a great car and made all our alumni proud."

The racers encountered some bad weather conditions on the route, including intense rain on the second and last day of racing. U-M took advantage of the weather on day two, acquiring a two-hour lead as other teams hampered by the rain were forced to drive slower to preserve their energy.

Their lead continued to increase throughout the race. However, a bad storm on the last day of racing forced U-M to pull over a few times to adjust the vehicle in the rain, once for "irregular rotation of the vehicle."

"We've tested the car extensively in the rain, and each of our drivers has practiced in the rain, so that really gave us an advantage," said mechanical engineering student and 2012 lead strategist A.J. Trublowksi. "While our overall strategy stayed mostly the same, we definitely had to make some adjustments to adverse weather conditions."

Racing in bad weather is always a challenge. According to 2011 race manager Rachel Kramer, the teams' strategy units will usually take the lead on speed and tactics, but safety is always a concern.

"You need a lot of experience and talented people in bad weather, and a lot of communication between the driver and the rest of the team," she said."Ultimately, it's up to the driver—it's their call when safety is an issue."

Compared with previous routes, the 2012 path cut through more cities and towns, allowing for more encounters with fans, but also increasing the difficulty for the teams.

"This was a very interesting and difficult route," Mazur said. "The varying places we were driving made things a challenge from a navigation standpoint. We had to deal with heavy traffic and dangerous drivers on busy roads often."

Quantum, U-M's lightest-ever vehicle, finished third in the World Solar Challenge in Australia last fall. It weighs a full 200 pounds less than its most recent predecessor, and it is 30 percent more aerodynamic.

The U-M Solar Car Team has finished third in the World Solar Challenge five times, most recently in 2011. With more than 100 students from schools and colleges across the university, U-M Solar Car is one of the largest student organizations on campus.

"The atmosphere on solar car is unlike anything I have ever experienced before," said race manager Jordan Feight, an atmospheric and oceanic space sciences student. "The dedication and commitment to push beyond what was previously possible is simply amazing. There has been no class that has come to close to paralleling the knowledge I have picked up being on the solar car team."

Major sponsors of the U-M Solar Car team include IMRA America, Michigan Engineering, Ford and General Motors.

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