Renault is testing a new Electric Truck for deliveries in Paris

Paris got a new EV, a big one, as an experimental all-electric Renault Truck D hit the street.

This vehicle will be operated by Speed Distribution Logistique for delivering supplies from Guerlain's distribution center to Maison de Parfums & Cosmétiques boutiques, as part of research into goods transport based on sustainable development.

The project is scheduled for two years on regular, demanding delivery rounds of over 200 km (124 miles), with payloads up to around 12,000 lbs.

However, the truck itself, despite its 170 kWh battery pack, is unable to cover such distance, so besides a full recharge between 7 PM and 2 AM, two other partial recharges during the day are needed.

Christophe Vacquier, Renault Trucks' project manager stated:

"The initial tests we've carried out using this technology under real operating conditions with our customers have been very satisfying. We are now going further with Guerlain and Speed Distribution Logistique, using the vehicle on 200 km rounds which gives us confidence in the future of this technology."

Marc Bachini, Speed Distribution Logistique's founder explains why his company has become involved in this project:

"Based on my own convictions, I defined an economic model that respects people and their environment. After having invested in all-electric Renault Maxity delivery vehicles in 2013, this civically-responsible approach naturally led me to pursue this path and incorporate an experimental 16 t all-electric vehicle to be used for warehouse collection. This enabled me to offer Guerlain, a pace-setting company in sustainable development, a totally emission-free delivery cycle."

The truck is equipped with a relatively low power motor of just 103 kW, asynchronous like in Tesla. Charging is similar to the Renault ZOE, from 3-phase; but we believe that the Renault Truck is still using an industrial socket instead of automotive Type 2 in ZOE.


The Renault Trucks D all electric: technical characteristics
-GVW: 16.3 tonnes
-Payload: approx.6 tonnes
-Wheelbase: 4,700 mm
-Motor: 103 kW / 400 V LQ 160P asynchronous electric
-Gearbox: ZF 6S800 TSO, manual automated by air activators
-Batteries: 2 Lithium-ion battery packs with a total charge of 170 kWh (battery weight: 2 tonnes)
-Battery recharge: Mains 380 V/64A outlet and braking energy recovery
-Full charging time: approx. 7h
-Operating range: 120 km (75 miles) - without partial recharge

Source: Inside EVs

LEAF Battery Modules First Discharge through a Grid Tie Inverter

After Charging these 3 AESC or Nissan LEAF BAttery Modules up to 4V per half module, I now discharge them down to 3.6V

No BMS, just a good Bottom Balancing ....

DIY ESS - Still testing & Evening Usage Covered

This is the Energy graph from last night using my DIY ESS in automatic mode: I am covering almost all the energy used during the evening and shut off the system when I went to sleep with still half in the LiFePO4 battery bank

Wattson Anywhere Energy Graph

Wattson Anywhere Energy Analysis Pie Chart

EVTV Friday Show - January 4, 2013 - Preview

- Electric Austin FX-1 London Taxi
- CALB CA180FI LiPo4 cell test to 2200 amps into a bucket of water
- New 530 BMW E39 Conversion project




Brandon Hollinger is taking his Austin FX London Taxi to have the motor installed at a specialiazed shop

More on his website: ampREVOLT.com

Time for some news

RechargeCar Macchina : An Arduino based EV control board

Irish kamikaze Damien Maguire tests once again a CALB CA180FI cell to its limits by short circuiting it, this time in water, to make tea probably ...

He will get more than 2000 Amps from it, this is crazy ! Don't try this at home

Here it shows 1529 x 2.68 = more than 4 kW of power form a single cell !!

Amazingly, after all this crazy work, the cell is back to 3.2V ....

His next project: Convert an early 2000 Series 5 BMW to Electric Drive and starts analyzing the information on the CANbus ... 

to be continued ...

Nissan’s Open Letter To The LEAF Community, Starts Independent Advisory Board On Battery Capacity Loss

At this point most readers are aware that many Nissan LEAFs in very hot southern climates, like that of Phoenix, Arizona, have experienced some battery capacity loss, which has been translate by Nissan’s on board instrumention as “bars lost.” The debate has been how much loss has there been, is Nissan’s instrumentation over exaggerating that loss, and what is an acceptable amount to lose?

Understandably, Nissan has been more than a little guarded on the subject, and several theories have been floated(instrument failure, heat, mileage, driving style of those with loss) by the company ahead of results from actual testing of consumers cars done by Nissan at their testing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Just recently Mark Perry, Nissan’s Director of Product Planning and Advanced Tech, said that LEAFs, on the average, are still on a “glide path” to 76% capacity after 5 years/60,000 miles, very close to the expected national average of 80% .

Nissan has also decided to convene an independent global advisory board, which is to headed up by Chelsea Sexton, noted EV advocate. This board will also examine the issues and recommend a course of action for the company to follow, as well as aid Nissan in communicating better with their customers.

Nissan Exec Carla Bailo has issued an official letter to the LEAF community via Facebook and MyNissanLEAF.com announcing the test results and the formation of this advisory committee:

Carla Bailo, Senior Vice President, 

Research & Development – Nissan Americas

Happy eve of National Plug In Day. We’re excited that Nissan LEAF owners are gathering nationally tomorrow to celebrate zero-emission motoring, and appreciate that so many of you are sharing your enthusiasm with others. You are truly our best ambassadors to the next generation of passionate EV drivers.

We also want to update you, the LEAF community, on our findings regarding battery capacity loss concerns expressed by a number of owners in the Phoenix market. Nissan takes customer concerns seriously, and we know many of you have been interested to hear what we’ve learned in our thorough investigation, and what it all means.

We identified seven LEAF owners in the Phoenix area who had reported concerns with their vehicles. With their agreement we brought the cars to Nissan’s Arizona test facility, where we removed the batteries for evaluation, measured capacity, and conducted voltage testing on individual battery cells. These tests were diagnostic only; no modifications were performed to the battery packs themselves.

After returning cars to their owners, we analyzed the results of our tests, with specific emphasis on the rate of actual capacity loss for each vehicle. Our goals were simple: to determine 1) if there were any defects in materials or workmanship in the individual batteries or vehicle systems; 2) if the batteries were performing to specification; and 3)their performance relative to the global LEAF population.

This week, we will meet with these LEAF owners to share our findings on their individual vehicles. In the mean time, we can report the following overall findings:
The Nissan LEAFs inspected in Arizona are operating to specification and their battery capacity loss over time is consistent with their usage and operating environment. No battery defects were found.
A small number of Nissan LEAF owners in Arizona are experiencing a greater than average battery capacity loss due to their unique usage cycle, which includes operating mileages that are higher than average in a high-temperature environment over a short period of time.

While we understand that some LEAF owners are concerned about battery capacity loss, we want all owners to remember that all battery-electric vehicles – and all lithium-ion batteries – demonstrate capacity loss over time. So while your LEAF may have been able to travel a certain distance or more on a charge when new, its range will decrease as the battery ages, miles accumulate and gradual capacity loss occurs. This loss in capacity will occur most rapidly in the early part of your battery’s life, but the rate should decrease over time. Information on gradual battery capacity loss is available in the paperwork that was delivered with your vehicle, in the owner’s manual and on the many vehicle resources available athttp://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/.

It is also important to put the scope of these concerns in perspective. Globally, there are more than 38,000 Nissan LEAFs on the road that have travelled more than 100 million zero-emission miles, and we expect these vehicles, in normal operating conditions, to retain 80 percent of battery capacity after five years. As each user’s operating characteristics are unique and many factors impact battery capacity, we can expect some vehicles to have greater than 80 percent capacity at five years, and some vehicles to have less. In Arizona, we have approximately 450 LEAFs on the road. Based on actual vehicle data, we project the average vehicle in that market to have battery capacity of 76 percent after five years – or a few percentage points lower than the global estimate. Some vehicles in Arizona will be above this average, and some below. Factors that may account for this differential include extreme heat, high speed, high annual mileage and charging method and frequency of the Nissan LEAFs in the Phoenix market.

We at Nissan stand by our product, and we also stand by our customers. Recently, we’ve asked Chelsea Sexton, a passionate advanced technology advocate, to convene an independent global advisory board. Members would be selected by Chelsea, not Nissan, and they would recommend their own mandate, but our hope is that they would hold up a mirror to us and help us to be more open and approachable in our communication and to advise us on our strategy. We should have more information on the advisory board in a few weeks.

As we work with individual owners to ensure their satisfaction, we are appreciative of your continued support of both the Nissan LEAF and the electric vehicle movement, overall. We look forward to continuing our dialogue here in the MyNissanLEAF forum and within the Nissan LEAF community.

Best Regards,
Carla Bailo
Senior Vice President, Research & Development – Nissan Americas

Source: InsideEVs & Nissan

LEAF Battery Problem in Arizona - Follow up with Tony Williams

There’s nothing better than a scientific test to prove or disprove a theory.

So when Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer described the recent reports of battery capacity loss in its Leaf electric car as nothing more than a ‘faulty battery level display’ earlier this month, a group of Leaf owners in Phoenix, Arizona decided to put his claims to the test.

Organized by electric car advocate and Leaf owner Tony Williams, a mass range test of a dozen Nissan Leafs will be carried out this coming weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, to find out if a loss of capacity bars on the dash equals a loss in range.

Following a set route, Williams and his team of volunteer Leaf owners will test real-world ranges of 12 Nissan Leafs with two or more missing capacity bars, to see if those with fewer capacity bars lit travel as far as those without any indicated capacity loss.

Using GPS data logging, and the popular third-party ‘Gidmeter’, Williams and his team will compare how each of the 12 Leafs taking part perform, logging essential battery information to figure out if Palmer’s insistance that “We don’t have a battery problem” is true or not.

“I truly hope that the results of this range demonstration will result in Nissan addressing the core battery degradation issue, but I fear that it will only be used by attorneys defending affected owners,” Williams told us earlier today. “Publicly, Nissan appears to be in complete denial at the highest levels.”

Despite Nissan investigating the issue itself,taking several Leafs with apparent premature battery capacity loss for extensive testing in Casa Grande, Arizona, Williams and his fellow Leaf owners remain unimpressed.

“At least one of the affected Leafs that was sent by Nissan to their Case Grande, Arizona testing facility in July was returned with a reset battery capacity gauge, as if to indicate that they had replaced the battery with a new one,” Williams said. “However, it appears on the surface that an outright fraud may have been committed, since it doesn’t appear that the vehicle’s range has improved; only the gauge's now improper reading.”

In order to make the range test as scientific as possible, Williams has devised a set of rules that each driver must follow in order to keep test conditions as consistent as possible.

These include ensuring the front windows remain less than 2 inches open, with rear windows closed, climate control off, uniform tire pressure and no additional weight.

In keeping with good scientific practice, Williams has even come up with some predictions about how each Leaf will perform, based on his past observations and Nissan’s own range charts.

At an average speed of 62 mph, Williams predicts cars with no lost bars will be able to travel 84 miles. With two bars lost, he predicts 66 miles of range per charge.

For the one car with four missing bars, Williams predicts a range of 56 miles before it runs out of charge.

With Nissan remaining tight-lipped on the subject of battery capacity loss, Williams and his team of volunteers hope Saturday’s range test gives them better insight into what is really happening.

“We will know very early Saturday morning, one way or the other,” Williams told us.

Just like the many hundred Leaf owners watching this test, we await the results with interest.

Source: GreenCarReports

EVTV Friday Show - August 3, 2012

Another Episode of EVTV:

- Speedster Duh Delivery

- JLD404 AH counter daughter mode

- Sprucing up the THING and Jeff Southern's Acapulco Thing

- John Hardy Headway battery testing 

- Richard Rodriguez Electric 914

- Elescalade Soliton Recall 

- New Marinco 120vac charge port jewelry




Another good bottle to share

EVTV Friday Show - July 13, 2012

This week Brian is out of Cape Girardeau, but Jack has a visitor: Royce Wood, and they are troubleshooting the Escalade together  

- Royce Wood tackles the Cadillac Elescalade EXT
- Elescalade MAF and MAP woes
- CALB CA100FI

- John Hardy battery testing



Royce Wood came to help :-)

Hands on the Escalade

Soem news too with this strange small Japanese DIY EV called Pius

Jack received some CALB CA100FI, the 100Ah version of the battery reviewed last week