A great i-MiEV Evolution test run in Japan
Monday, August 27, 2012
Vectrix or T-Max ?
I often hear people say that 8,000 EUR for the Vectrix is a very high price ! I am not that sure this is a good point because I see a lot of T-Max around and their price is even higher than this ....
I wanted to write a post about the Vectrix VX1 and the Yamaha T-Max few months ago, as my boss owns one, and we often discuss about our bikes ...
Here are pictures taken in the undergound parking at work as I was parked next to his for once
This morning as I was parking at work, another T-Max owner came to ask me questions: "Is it electric ? How much time to charge ? Range ?" : all the questions I get all the time
But what surprised me is that, later on, as we were in line for an orange juice and chocolate croissant, we talked a lot more and he was really taken by this all electric change -he was willing to convert to electric scooter !- told me that the price of the T-Max was more than the Vectrix (8,000 EUR here for the NiMH version & 10,000 EUR for the Li-ion one) -I already knew that and that is a point of comparison between the two machines- and that all his gas expenses are becoming crazy (1,5 to 1,70 EUR / liter here !)
We can compare the Vectrix with the T-Max because they are both very powerfull maxi scooters, high-end machines made with quality in mind and using top components, also in the same price range.
The thing is, once you paid your Vectrix, you do not have to spend anything else than electricity which is 10 times cheaper than gas; You do not have to go to a gas station anymore, to the a garage to have your oil & filter changed, etc; So in the end the Vectrix is a lot cheaper than the T-Max
But for me, the most important is that I do not rely on oil anymore, and I do no pollute, to me this is number one, and number two, I get a lot of pleasure riding this Vectrix, and I am always looking forward to use it ... it has been two years like this :-)
LiFePO4 ESS update - Charger XLR connectors heating up and melting
My ESS battery pack charge leads are connected to the new 10A LiFePO4 charger using XLR type connectors
They were heating up a bit with this new charger because - I thought - twice more amps were going through them...
But friday night, as I touched them, they were boiling hot and I immediatly stopped the charging process !
Disconnecting them I saw that the female side was starting to to melt :-( and it is a good thing I checked after a small hour of charge otherwise something bad could have happened
The cause is this cheap charger side male XLR connector, its pins are too small, not thigh enough, they don't stick out enough and as a result contact is really bad
Look at the bottom pin, the plastic was starting to melt because of the bad contact
This is the connector of the previous charger, the 48V one, much better quality XLR connector
When I connect this one, it is hard because the connections are tight (and contact is good)
As I decided to unweld the leads and connect them directly (no plug/unplug connector), the plastic of this cheap connetor started to melt and the pins were moving during the process...
Now they simply and safely connected and there is no more heat at that junction
Friday, August 24, 2012
Nobuhiro Tajima fails this year at Pikes Peak
Finishing my Pikes Peak Hill Climb series, Nobuhiro Tajima was very confidend and did great practice runs
But, after a few turns, white smoke started to come out of the car and the driver had to resign and stop the race
No need to say that he must have been very very disappointed, being last year's winner
What went wrong ??!
The team quickly packed up and left the race; they will of course have to find the cause of such a problem
Jack Rickard from EVTV, thinks it could come from the permanent magnet motors used in the car: The extra strong magnets used in these are made of Neodymium and are loosing their power with heat, and it is possible that after several fine practice runs, they lost their magnet power ...
I am sure they will solve this problem and will be back next year !
But, after a few turns, white smoke started to come out of the car and the driver had to resign and stop the race
No need to say that he must have been very very disappointed, being last year's winner
What went wrong ??!
The team quickly packed up and left the race; they will of course have to find the cause of such a problem
Jack Rickard from EVTV, thinks it could come from the permanent magnet motors used in the car: The extra strong magnets used in these are made of Neodymium and are loosing their power with heat, and it is possible that after several fine practice runs, they lost their magnet power ...
I am sure they will solve this problem and will be back next year !
Could 2013 Nissan Leaf Use Renault Zoe’s Heat Pump For Cold Weather?
If you drive a 2011-12 Nissan Leaf, you’ll know that keeping your car warm in winter can drop its range by as many as 30 miles, due to the inefficiency of the its coolant-to-air heater.
Starting with the 2013 Leaf, Nissan has already promised a much more efficient heater that will better the 2011/12 Leaf’s cold-weather performance by 20 to 25 miles.
So far, Nissan hasn’t said what the new heater will be, but partner company Renault has just detailed information about the ultra-efficient heating system in its Zoe Electric Car.
Since Renault-Nissan’s electric car projects are so interwoven, could the Leaf be getting the same ultra-efficient heater?
Starting with the 2013 Leaf, Nissan has already promised a much more efficient heater that will better the 2011/12 Leaf’s cold-weather performance by 20 to 25 miles.
So far, Nissan hasn’t said what the new heater will be, but partner company Renault has just detailed information about the ultra-efficient heating system in its Zoe Electric Car.
Since Renault-Nissan’s electric car projects are so interwoven, could the Leaf be getting the same ultra-efficient heater?
According to Renault’s own blog, the 2012 Zoe electric car features a reversible heat pump. Capable of producing 2 kilowatts of cooling or 3 kilowatts of heat from 1 kilowatt of electricity, it makes it possible to heat or cool the Zoe without dramatically reducing range.
2012 Nissan Leaf winter test
That’s because heat pumps use a small amount of energy to move heat from one location to another.
When it’s hot, the heat pump in the Renault Zoe works a little like a refrigerator, cooling the interior of the car and transferring excess heat from inside to the outside air.
When it’s cold, the heat pump is reversed, taking any heat energy from the outside air and transferring it into the car, warming the interior.
This is possible thanks to a compressed refrigerant gas inside the heat pump that stays at a very low temperature, meaning it is always colder than the air it is pulling into the system and therefore can always absorb heat energy.
2012 Nissan Leaf winter test
And because it is transferring heat rather than generating it, the heat pump is much quicker to warm the interior of the Renault Zoe than a traditional resistive heater.
Based on Renault’s efficiency calculations for the heat pump in the Renault Zoe and Nissan’s own statements regarding the efficiency of the 2013 Leaf’s heater, we think it’s likely that Nissan is using the same heat pump as the Zoe to heat and cool the 2013 Leaf.
Without any confirmation from Nissan however, we’ll have to wait a little while longer to find out for certain.
Source: Green Car Reports
2012 Nissan Leaf winter test
That’s because heat pumps use a small amount of energy to move heat from one location to another.
When it’s hot, the heat pump in the Renault Zoe works a little like a refrigerator, cooling the interior of the car and transferring excess heat from inside to the outside air.
When it’s cold, the heat pump is reversed, taking any heat energy from the outside air and transferring it into the car, warming the interior.
This is possible thanks to a compressed refrigerant gas inside the heat pump that stays at a very low temperature, meaning it is always colder than the air it is pulling into the system and therefore can always absorb heat energy.
2012 Nissan Leaf winter test
And because it is transferring heat rather than generating it, the heat pump is much quicker to warm the interior of the Renault Zoe than a traditional resistive heater.
Based on Renault’s efficiency calculations for the heat pump in the Renault Zoe and Nissan’s own statements regarding the efficiency of the 2013 Leaf’s heater, we think it’s likely that Nissan is using the same heat pump as the Zoe to heat and cool the 2013 Leaf.
Without any confirmation from Nissan however, we’ll have to wait a little while longer to find out for certain.
Source: Green Car Reports
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