Motor Authority - blog Tag: Denmark

Shai Agassi's ambitious Better Place project has been rolling out plans for test-market EVs around the world for over a year now, and today the project took a huge leap forward with the demonstration of its first automated battery swapping station. The proof-of-concept facility was demonstrated in Yokohama, Japan.

Using a modified Nissan Dualis (Qashqai) to demonstrate the battery swap, Better Place showed how electric car owners can quickly and easily fill up with a full charge - without ever leaving their cars. It takes about a minute in all, shuttling a new battery up into the vehicle and returning the depleted one for charging and... Shai Agassi's ambitious Better Place project has been rolling out plans for test-market EVs around the world for over a year now, and today the project took a huge leap forward with the demonstration of its first automated battery swapping station. The proof-of-concept facility was demonstrated in Yokohama, Japan. Using a modified Nissan Dualis (Qashqai) to demonstrate the battery swap, Better Place showed how electric car owners can quickly and easily fill up with a full charge - without ever leaving their cars. It takes about a minute in all, shuttling a new battery up into the vehicle and returning the depleted one for charging and reuse. “Today marks a major milestone for the automotive industry as well as for Better Place,” said Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place. “For nearly a century, the automotive industry has been inextricably tied to oil. Today, we’re demonstrating a new path forward where the future of transportation and energy is driven by our desire for a clean planet and a robust economic recovery fueled by investments in clean technology, and one in which the well-being of the automotive industry is intrinsically coupled with the well-being of the environment.” Looking past the rhetoric, Agassi's words do highlight the importance of the battery switch station: bringing the possibility of EVs to a much wider audience. Currently only urban dwellers that can afford a second car are really potential EV owners due to their limited range. But with the possibility of a network of battery swap stations, the electric car's range becomes effectively limitless. And that marks the next step in the project's development, building that network of stations. That will entail developing the Yokohama station's technology into a full production solution. The first places to get the swap stations will be Better Place's existing test markets, including Israel, Denmark, Hawaii and Melbourne. Don't expect to see the stations until 2011 or 2012, however, as that's when Better Place is planning its roll-out in its select markets.Shai Agassi's Better Place automated EV battery switch station Read More

The Danes are better known for their stunning architectural and cutting-edge product design, but now a Danish firm has turned its hand to the task of designing a supercar, and the result is the Zenvo ST1. As the first purely Danish supercar, the ST1 sets its aspirations high.

Powered by a turbo/supercharged V8 engine rated at 1,104hp (823kW) and a massive 1,056lb-ft (1,430nm), the car's designers claim 0-62mph (100km/h) acceleration in just 3.0 seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 232mph (375km/h) and a power-to-weight ratio of 802hp/tonne. The impressive performance comes despite RWD-only drive and a six-speed manual... The Danes are better known for their stunning architectural and cutting-edge product design, but now a Danish firm has turned its hand to the task of designing a supercar, and the result is the Zenvo ST1. As the first purely Danish supercar, the ST1 sets its aspirations high. Powered by a turbo/supercharged V8 engine rated at 1,104hp (823kW) and a massive 1,056lb-ft (1,430nm), the car's designers claim 0-62mph (100km/h) acceleration in just 3.0 seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 232mph (375km/h) and a power-to-weight ratio of 802hp/tonne. The impressive performance comes despite RWD-only drive and a six-speed manual transmission as the only option. Fuel consumption and emissions figures haven't yet been released, but don't expect it to be a green overachiever. At the front 19x9.5in wheels are wrapped with 255/35 Michelin rubber, while the rears get 20x12.5in wheels and 335/30 shoes to help put all that power to the ground. Despite the huge power and big alloy wheels, the car is surprisingly small, at just 15.3ft (4.66m) long, 6.7ft (2.04m) wide, and 3.9ft (1.19m) tall and weighs just over 3,020lb (1,376kg) thanks to carbon fiber body panels. Unlike some small-firm supercars, the Zenvo ST1 takes luxurious accommodation as seriously as performance, offering everything from keyless entry to satellite navigation and power telescoping steering wheel as standard equipment. Even the leather-and-alcantara racing seats are electrically adjustable. No word has yet been released on pricing of the car, but Zenvo has clear series production plans, set to start in 2009. Only 15 of the cars will be built, each assembled by hand, but given the car's dramatic styling and impressive power figures, it's likely to find a niche among the small crowd of supercar buyers.Zenvo ST1 Danish supercar Read More