Electric Cars: Detroit Goes Green

By Feann Torr - 14/January/2008

Detroit, America – The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) has traditionally been the stomping ground of American muscle cars, a place where more cubes and more cylinders lands the headline.

But the 2009 Detroit Motor Show was different; this was the year the electric car took centre stage.

Electric vehicles and their hybrid brethren will begin permeating European and North American markets en masse in 2010 and 2011 and here in Australia we'll get our own silent cars from 2012.

The horsepower wars aren't over, not by a long shot, but the emphasis has shifted significantly away from fossil fuels like petrol and diesel.

To keep them financially healthy in the short term, Chrysler and General Motors were the beneficiaries of a multi-billion dollar US Government handout late in 2008 and one of the conditions of these loans was the development of environmentally friendly technology.

As such, Chrysler showed off no less than four hybrid and electric prototypes in a bid to satisfy its lenders, and GM showed a new battery-powered Cadillac and has several electric cars in development.

Ford was the only company of the 'Big Three' not to receive a multi-billion dollar government loan, but it also put forward an intriguing new electric car plan.

Chrysler

Pushing the electric car theme with three models that can each travel up to 64 kilometers (40 miles) on battery power alone, Chrysler's electric motor technology appears to be moving along at a good clip.

The Chrysler 200C EV is the little brother of the 300C and is being touted as an Audi A4 rival - albeit able to travel 64km on battery power alone, conditions permitting.

Like the other two hybrid/electric vehicles on its stand at the Cobo Centre in Detroit - the Chrysler Grand Voyager EV and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited EV - it has a small backup petrol motor that will recharge the batteries to extend the vehicle's range so drivers don't get stranded.

It was thought that Chrysler would launch the 200C as an everyday petrol vehicle with a V6 or even the company's tyre-shredding Hemi V8, but the push to develop a mass market electric vehicle is now a top priority for the 93-year-old company.

The bright orange Dodge Circuit EV uses a slightly different setup to the other EVs or electric vehicles, and will be the precursor to a new zero emissions performance car if testing and public response remains positive.

Based on the Lotus Europa, Chrysler has stripped out the V6 engine and dumped a hefty 200kW electric motor into the rear compartment.

This gives the vehicle an impressive 320km range inbetween recharges and has a top speed of 200km/h.

Best of all, this silent road warrior smashes the 0-100km/h sprint in less than 5.0 seconds.

General Motors

General Motors is planning to bring one of the first plug-in electric cars to (the North American) market as manufacturing of the Chevrolet Volt is set to begin 2010.

This is arguably one of the most talked-about and highly anticipated cars in GM's history and will be badged as a Holden when sold in Australia in 2012. 

However not a lot of new info on the car was released at the Detroit '09, but during GM's keynote address at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, CEO Rick Wagoner confirmed that LG Chem will be the company that builds the lithium ion battery cells, one of the most important components of the electric power system.

"The design, development and production of advanced batteries must be a core competency for GM and we've been rapidly building our capability and resources to support this direction," said Wagoner.

The batteries for the plug-in electric propulsion system are big, measure 1.8 metres long and weighing around 180kg.

"This is a further demonstration of our commitment to the electrification of the automobile and to the Chevrolet Volt - a commitment that now totals more than US$1 billion," revealed Wagoner.

General Motors showed off the modular nature of the new electric propulsion system by presenting the new Cadillac Converj, a luxury electric coupe that uses the technology pioneered on the Chevrolet Volt. 

Along the same lines as the Volt, the Converj is a plug-in electric car that has a 64km range and uses a compact range-extending petrol engine to charge the batteries if need be.

Like Chrysler, General Motors is expected to use the new electric engine in a range of vehicles post 2010.

Ford

Unlike Chrysler and General Motors, Ford is taking more time developing its electric car systems, and is planning to release a small battery-powered passenger car in 2011 that has a range of 160km (100 miles).

Partnering with Magna International, Ford will fast-track a small lithium-ion battery-powered electric car to market in the States, currently a Ford Focus mule, to rival GM and Chrysler's upcoming EVs.

"Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future," said Ford executive chairman Bill Ford. "I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge."

Ford will also partner with Tanfield in the UK to develop battery-electric commercial vehicles, such as the Ford Transit and Transit Connect for the European market.

"Around the world, we have become one Ford team, leveraging technologies and assets across markets and vehicle lines," said Alan Mulally, Ford's president and chief executive officer. "That is allowing us to deliver products our customers want and value even more quickly, including our progress with electric-powered vehicles."

Future Shock

It may have taken the spectre of financial disaster to convince some executives of America's big three automakers to flip the switch on the electric car, but the wheels of change are securely in motion and over the next four years we will witness a new era in motoring.

Australian drivers will be able to pilot the first mass produced electric car in the form of the Holden Volt in mid-way through 2012, and it will be the first of many.

But will these silent battery-powered cars be lasting salve to the automotive industry's wounds?

There is still some conjecture over the environmental viability of the electric car, particularly when the manufacture of the massive battery cells is far from carbon neutral, and if the recharging of the batteries in garages and car ports is achieved via coal-fired power the 'green' image becomes more of a sooty black.

It should be said however that as the number of electric cars increases, the technology will improve and along with it efficiencies in both operation and manufacturing.

Nevertheless, the news from Detroit is very positive and with European and Asian car makers also hard at work on electric vehicles or EVs, the next couple of years will be seen as a significant turning point in the history of the motor car.