France targets 2 million electric cars by 2020

France hopes to have 2 million electric cars on the road by 2020, and its energy minister Jean-Louis Borloo will on Thursday launch a plan designed to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place in time. The French state will invest over a billion euros, installing charging stations, adapting the electricity grid and buying vehicles, as well as providing subsidies to buyers and carmakers, Paris Match reported on its website on Wednesday.

The government wants to build up a network of 4.4 million charging points by 2020, enough to support 2 million vehicles, Paris Match said.

Last week, industry minister Christian Estrosi said public and private players would launch tenders for 50,000 electric vehicles during the autumn.

French carmakers Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen are both launching electric cars, but their forecasts of the likely market for the vehicles differ.

Philippe Varin, CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroen, which displayed the i0n, based on partner Mitsubishi Motors' iMiev, at the Frankfurt Auto Show, said earlier this month that he expected around 1 in 20 cars sold worldwide by 2020 to be electric.

Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn, meanwhile, who is also CEO of Japanese alliance partner Nissan Motor Co is sticking by a forecast of 1 in 10 electric cars by 2020.

Volvo to put plug-in hybrids on the market in 2012

Volvo is introducing a series-produced plug-in hybrid as early as 2012. Pure electric power from the battery will cover the daily transport needs of 75 percent of European drivers. For longer distances, an efficient diesel hybrid engine automatically takes over. The combined range is about 1200 kilometres. Carbon dioxide emissions will average out at 49 grams per kilometre, with fuel consumption of 1.9 litres per 100 km.

Volvo is convinced that in the future, customers will continue to want safe, comfortable cars with good driving properties and generous load-carrying ability. Irrespective of whether they are powered by electricity or other fuels.

Plug-in hybrids are an attractive car type offering the user the best from both electric power and conventional drivelines: extremely low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with a long range and high performance.

"The new Volvo plug-in will be a truly enjoyable car to drive, featuring Volvo's high safety and comfort standards. At the same time, CO2 levels and fuel consumption will be as low as half that available on the market today." says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.

Volvo plug-in hybrid advantages:

* Fuel consumption, running costs and CO2 emissions are very low
* The car is a "normal" Volvo, with all its customary good properties
* It is conveniently recharged at home via a regular wall socket
* It is an enjoyable car to drive, offering high performance

Electric power with CO2 levels close to zero

Electricity is highly suited as a car fuel. The electric motor has a high efficiency rating and consumes about one-fifth as much energy as a corresponding engine running on fossil fuel. Volvo's plug-in hybrid cars will be propelled by a robust electric motor that receives its power from a lithium-ion battery. What is more, additional electricity is generated every time the car brakes.

The battery is conveniently recharged at home via a regular wall socket. Electricity as a fuel is far cheaper than petrol or diesel, which results in low operating costs. The battery will take about five hours to recharge.

The range will be about 1200 kilometres, just like in a conventional diesel car. It will be able to be driven up to 50 kilometres on pure electric power and when running on the battery, emissions from the exhaust pipe will be non-existent. If the battery is recharged using electricity from renewable sources, the net emission of CO2 will be close to zero, even in a lifecycle perspective. Volvo's dealers will offer customers who buy a plug-in hybrid a special contract for the supply of renewable energy. This agreement has been created in cooperation with the company's partner, Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall.

Efficient diesel engines as a complement

As a complement to the electric motor, one of Volvo's fuel-efficient diesel engines will also be fitted under the bonnet. It will be optimised to run on renewable synthetic diesel and will meet the tough forthcoming exhaust emission requirements.

The diesel engine can be run separately or in combination with the electric motor for optimal power and energy utilisation. For example, the diesel engine can support or replace electric power at high speeds or when the battery charge drops, while the electric motor can offer additional torque at low engine revs. Being able to combine these two power sources makes it possible to offer high performance and trouble-free use by the owner.

Most car trips cover short distances, to and from work. This means that the forthcoming Volvo plug-in hybrid will cover the transport requirements of most people. For longer distances, the diesel engine starts up automatically, giving the car the same properties and range as a conventional diesel car.

According to the standardised NEDC certification driving cycle, CO2 emissions from Volvo's plug-in hybrid will be lower than 50 grams/kilometre. Cars with emissions below 50 grams of CO2/kilometre will probably have the most favourable incentives in many European countries. In addition to tax relief, these countries will offer a discount of about 5000 euros on the purchase price, a move that is expected to set the standard for the rest of Europe too.

"We are focusing strongly on plug-in hybrids in order to meet the demands for low CO2 emissions and to provide sustainable road transportation. We naturally expect that the relevant authorities will offer subsidies to boost developments, speeding up the creation of a market for this type of car," says Stephen Odell.

Today's electricity capacity covers requirements

Plug-in hybrids consume less electricity than most people believe. The fact is that a single medium-sized wind-power station can produce renewable electricity to cover the annual consumption of 1000-2000 plug-in hybrids in normal use. Even a large number of plug-in hybrids on the roads would be able to be supplied within the framework of the electric grid's existing capacity. If 15 percent of Europe's cars consisted of plug-in hybrids, this would mean that total electricity requirements would only increase by between 1 and 3 percent.

Through simple household energy savings, for instance by switching off the PC and TV overnight and using low-energy bulbs, the total energy requirement would probably be able to be kept at current levels. To put this into perspective, the energy-efficiency improvements that Volvo Cars has implemented in its factories in Ghent and Göteborg over the past four years correspond to the annual electricity consumption of 15,000 plug-in hybrid cars.

Plug-in hybrids - market potential

The purchase price of a plug-in hybrid is expected to be considerably higher than for a conventional diesel car since the batteries are still expensive. Fuel costs on electric power will be about one-third compared with driving on diesel, and this partially compensates for the higher purchase price, although not fully.

Volvo Cars assesses that plug-in hybrids will be commercially viable for certain customer categories in 2012, gradually widening in appeal as battery price and performance continuously improve.

Skipping stages in technological development

For the time being, Volvo Cars is postponing its plans to produce what is known as a full-hybrid based on a diesel engine.

The strategy that Volvo is adopting to start series-producing plug-in cars as early as 2012 is to exploit already existing, tried and tested platform architecture for major components such as the body and engine. Instead of waiting for an entirely new generation of car models, the company is saving time by using innovative solutions to install the battery and electric motor beside a conventional driveline. In this way, the new technology will get out to car buyers that much sooner.

Plug-in hybrids the result of industrial cooperation

In January 2007, Volvo Cars and energy supplier Vattenfall launched a joint project with the aim of testing and developing plug-in technology. A new company was founded, V2 Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicle Partnership, as a result of this cross-border initiative.

The formation of the joint company with Vattenfall creates entirely new preconditions for developing next-generation green technology in a highly efficient way. Working in partnership is something that the company regards as an absolute necessity in the drive towards a sustainable future.

A123 smash-hit IPO could herald more green debuts

A 50 percent leap in the shares of lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc on their first day of trading looks likely to jumpstart the market for clean-tech share offerings.

The Watertown, Mass.-based A123 Systems is now worth over $1.9 billion, a striking valuation for a company that has yet to make a profit and still needs large-scale commercialization.

Industry executives and experts said A123's success shows investors have an appetite for green technology companies that lose money, but have tremendous potential.

So the stock's first day jump, which is the second-best performance for a debut stock in 2009, should encourage more venture capital-backed clean technology companies to go public, they added.

"This is an interesting time for the market because there are several (clean-tech) companies that have been growing very nicely," said Faysal Sohail, managing director of venture fund CMEA Capital, which is an investor in A123.

Sohail declined to comment specifically on A123, but said the whole environment is creating opportunities for clean-tech companies and expects 2010 to be a busy year for green IPOs.

"They are real companies with substantial revenue and growing at a very fast clip," he said.

CMEA Capital also backs companies such as Silicon Valley solar manufacturer Solyndra and biofuel company Codexis, which many see as likely candidates for the IPO market.

Other green companies deemed ripe for an IPO include smart grid network company Silver Spring Networks, electric carmaker Tesla Motors and solar thermal company BrightSource Energy.

Rival lithium-ion battery maker Ener1 Inc also cheered A123's stock performance, which shows how much value there is in the emerging sector.

"It's great for the space. They have done a good job of getting the market excited," Ener1 Chief Executive Charles Gassenheimer told Reuters.

Ener1 went public in 2003, but used a reverse merger with a public shell corporation to do so.

Gassenheimer said the warm reception of the IPO would encourage other clean-tech companies to tap the public markets.

"Any time you have an IPO trade up as much as 50 percent, that means investor receptivity has returned," he said. "I think you will see a lot more IPOs on the back of this."

HIGH GROWTH SECTORS

A123, founded by scientists linked to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), develops batteries for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and works with carmakers such as BMW , Chrysler and General Motors Co.

Electric vehicles and batteries are considered markets that have immense potential for growth.

The automotive market for lithium-ion batteries, mostly found in mobile phones and computer laptops, is projected to be $32 million in 2009, but is expected to skyrocket to $22 billion in 2015, according to A123's prospectus.

"That's compelling," said Matt Therian, an analyst with Renaissance Capital, referring to the market potential. "We have seen a lot of large profitable companies go public. But a smaller one with a little more risky profile ... I think it bodes well for the health of the IPO market."

Looking forward, Therian expected plenty of the larger, cash-generating, private equity portfolio companies would go public in 2010.

"But on their heels, we could also see another wave of your more traditional growth companies," he added.

For now, A123 co-founder Yet-Ming Chiang, a professor of ceramics at MIT's department of materials science and engineering, is happy but understands the company still needs to deliver.

"It's a scientist's and engineer's dream to see something from the lab make it to commercial technology that has an impact," Chiang said. "Even though this is a significant event, there is still a lot of work to be done and tomorrow we all get back to work."

Honda PCX 125cc Cruiser Scooter

Honda PCX 125cc Cruiser Scooter

Honda will be introducing a new scooter archetypal for the ASEAN and all-around bazaar soon, alpha with Thailand area it will be produced. The new Honda PCX is powered by a 4-stroke water-cooled 125cc distinct butt agent that can do 50km per liter on the ECE 40 MODE cycle. It’s not activity to be cheap, as the PCX will be positioned as a high-end but high-value model. The Honda PCX appearance an “idling stop system” area the agent can shut off automatically back the scooter comes to a complete stop. This can advice save ammunition burning while you delay for a cartage ablaze or for whatever acumen you’re chock-full – cartage jams don’t assume to affectation that abundant of a botheration for these bikes.

HONDA BEAT LOW RIDER MODIFICATION 2009

MODIFICATION OF HONDA BEAT BACK WHEELS LOW RIDER

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A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through architectonics and either a belvedere for the operator's anxiety or footrests basic with the bodywork. Elements of scooter architectonics accept been acclaimed in some of the ancient motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters accept been fabricated from 1914 or earlier. Regional developments were fabricated in Europe and the United States amid the Apple Wars. The all-around acceptance of scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and the Lambretta. Economic and political factors, including antagonism from added vehicles, accept shaped the change of scooters and accept acquired the development of altered variations of scooter.

Underbones are generally awash in the the West as scooters. Underbones accept step-through architectonics but affection footpegs agnate to those acclimated on accepted motorcycles. The underbone architectonics is based on the 1958 Honda Super Cub, the acknowledged motor agent in the world. The Super Cub had semi-automatic manual afore any anatomy of automated or semi-automatic manual was acclimated by Vespa or Lambrettas.

Scooters were originally advised for low-power claimed busline with engines amid 50 and 250 cc. It is still actual broadly acclimated for this application. However, maxi-scooters, with engines from 250 to 800 cc, accept been developed for Western markets.

The acceptance of scooters as a anatomy of claimed motor carriage is partly based on their low amount of acquirement and operation and their accessibility in parking and storage. Licensing, registration, and allowance requirements for scooters accept been fabricated easier and beneath big-ticket than those for cars in abounding genitalia of the world.

New Honda MegaPro To Be Launched

When viewing from the ranks of Honda motorcycles sold in Indonesia, will appear 'reform movement' in the body of PT Astra Honda Motor (AHM) who becomes the holder of Honda brand in Indonesia.

Because since the end of last year, almost all line up on the Honda motorcycle sold in Indonesia have been hit by a touch of change, ranging from New Tiger and Blade at the end of 2008 until the Absolute Revo and the automatic line of Honda motorcycles in 2009.

However, there was a left motor and not the update by AHM of Mega Pro. Motor sport mengendong Honda 160 cc engine capacity was now the only Honda that has not been refreshed by AHM.

So when viewing the 'reform movement' Honda, little can be sure that the motor sport this stylish cruiser will be the next variant that will be addressed by Honda.

And if you look and prediction, most likely the latest variant of Mega Pro is certainly not going to be out soon. Only question is, when the latest Pro Mega will be issued by Honda.