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BYD Unveils Zero-Emissions, Electric Forklift Series for Europe with Unique ‘Battery-for-Life’

May 21, 2014 in BYD, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV charging, EV News

Advanced battery technology integrated in the newest series of electric forklifts from BYD slashes operating costs for forklift operators with a life-time battery.

BYD Forklift at CeMAT 2014 Photo courtesy of BYD

BYD Forklift at CeMAT 2014
Photo courtesy of BYD

Ask any forklift fleet manager what the biggest headache is with traditional electric forklift trucks and the answer is invariably the same the time, trouble and cost involved in constantly having to recharge them as well as the risk of damage to the battery due to improper maintenance, which leads to expensive battery replacement. But now a new concept in battery technology is completely redefining the performance users will come to expect from their electric materials handling equipment, removing many of these problems and substantially reducing the operating costs involved.

BYD’s Iron-Phosphate (or “Fe”) battery, being unveiled at CeMAT 2014 in a new series of forklift trucks at the BYD Europe booth (Hall 25, Stand C21), requires significantly less time to charge than traditional lead-acid batteries and offers dramatically extended battery life. For the first time ever, the truck battery needs never be replaced over the life of the forklift. Typical charging time for a BYD Iron-Phosphate battery is just one to two hours less than a quarter of the time required by lead-acid alternatives. Gone are the days when the only way to extend shift life was to have a second battery and some heavyweight battery changing equipment on hand, because the working hours of a BYD battery can be significantly extended at any time with a quick ‘top-off’ session just 10 minutes’ charging while the lift truck operator takes a coffee break, in fact, is all that is needed to extend working time up to 45 minutes. This quick full charging time and the ability to top up the charge in short bursts without damaging overall battery life makes the BYD Iron-Phosphate battery hugely flexible for end users.

But charging isn’t just extremely quick and flexible it’s also highly cost-effective, since the BYD Fe battery consumes around 40% less electricity during charging/discharging than a standard lead-acid one. That means much lower energy bills for users of the technology as well as making a serious contribution to reducing carbon emissions. Talking of emissions, charging the BYD Iron-Phosphate battery is also much cleaner than alternative battery technologies, venting no hydrogen gases normal seen when lead-acid batteries are charging (and restricted to vented areas). That allows users to position their charging stations right next to the drivers’ rest areas without problems, making it quick and easy for drivers to park and plug in reducing employee downtime walking from remote charging stations. It also helps to keep any risk of collision between pedestrians and other vehicles to a minimum. The Fe battery contributes to safety in other ways, too: unlike some lithium-ion batteries, BYD’s Iron-Phosphate batteries do not present risks, even when dropped, crushed or subjected to overcharging. They do not contain heavy metals or acid, either, and so cannot contaminate ground or water supplies as a lead-acid battery might, and they don’t heat up during charging the way that traditional lead-acid batteries do.

BYD’s revolutionary Fe battery technology also does completely away with the need for daily and weekly battery maintenance, saving on the time and labour otherwise involved in frequent battery inspections and top-ups and, of course, on the expensive distilled water normally required. The upshot of all this is a very dramatic savings in operating costs: BYD has calculated that the annual operating and battery amortization cost savings when using an Iron-Phosphate battery in a single-shift, five-day-aweek lift truck operation could exceed €1,500 a year. The astonishing lifespan of a BYD Iron-Phosphate battery creates a further layer of savings, because even after 4,000 charging cycles, these amazing power cells retain over 75% of their original capacity. That means that after 8 years of dual-shift operation five days a week, the remaining capacity in the battery will exceed 75%. The life span of the BYD battery is much longer than that of a typical (four to six year) lifespan of an ordinary lead-acid battery.

That means a single BYD Iron-Phosphate battery could replace up to four traditional lead acid ones over 8-10 years in operations where daily battery changes were required for the latter a savings in battery purchase costs over the period of over €10,000 for every lithium iron phosphate battery-equipped forklift in use. Littlewonder, perhaps, that Javier Contijoch, Forklifts Director at BYD Europe, saidhe was expecting a massive level of interest in the new technology, both atCeMAT 2014 and in coming months, “Companies running lift trucks will becompelled to take a closer look at this technology,” he predicted. “No fleet manager these days can afford to ignore the massive savings, in both purchase and operating costs, of the BYD ‘battery-for-life’ approach – or to pass up the opportunity of using such a clean, safe and sustainable source of power.”

“It’s obvious that Iron-Phosphate battery technology is a breakthrough in the forklift sector, and BYD, as the world’s biggest battery manufacturer, has now made future a modern-day reality with the new range of trucks being launched here today,” added Contijoch.

About BYD

BYD Company Ltd. is one of China’s largest companies and has successfully expanded globally. Specializing in battery technologies, their green mission to “solve the whole problem” has made them industry pioneers and leaders in several High-tech sectors including High-efficiency Automobiles, Electrified Public Transportation, Environmentally-Friendly Energy Storage, Affordable Solar Power and Information Technology and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) services.

As the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, their mission to create safer and more environmentally friendly battery technologies has led to the development of the BYD Iron Phosphate (or “Fe”) Battery. This fire-safe, completely recyclable and incredibly long-cycle technology has become the core of their clean energy platform that has expanded into automobiles, buses, trucks, utility vehicles and energy storage facilities. BYD and all of their shareholders, including the great American Investor Warren Buffett, see these environmentally and economically forward products as the way of the future.

BYD has made a strong entrance to the North, Central and South American markets with their battery electric buses, and lineup of automobiles. Their mission lies not just in sales growth, but also in sociological integration and local job creation as they have poured incredible investments into developing offices, dealerships and manufacturing facilities in the local communities they now call home, truly a first for Chinese companies. For more information, please visit www.byd.com

This article is a repost, credit: BYD.

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Terra Motors announces the procurement of a $10 million round of financing for further expansion into the Asian EV Market.

May 15, 2014 in Electric Scooter, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News

Tokyo Motor Show 2013 Photo courtesy of Terra Motors

Tokyo Motor Show 2013
Photo courtesy of Terra Motors

Terra Motors Corporation, Japan’s top electric two & three wheeler developer, manufacturer, and retailer announced the completion of a $10 million round of financing for the expansion of its business into the Asian electric vehicle (EV) market. This round of financing was led by major Japanese venture capital firm Mizuho Capital Co., Ltd.

Toru Tokushige, CEO and founder of Terra Motors said, “Through this funding, we hope to obtain the cooperation of Asian business groups.” He also said, “Generally speaking, electric vehicles tend to be thought of as a means of mobility in Europe and in America. But with regards to electric two & three wheelers, their main market is Asia. More than 30 million units of electric two wheelers were sold in China in 2013, and hundreds of thousands of electric three wheelers have already been sold in India and in Bangladesh because of the high price of gasoline. Therefore, we need to focus on Asian markets.”

This fund will be utilized to expand its business in Asian countries, and to enhance production in Vietnam and in the Philippines.

Terra Motors has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and it has overseas affiliated firms in Vietnam and in the Philippines. This year, the company plans to expand to India, Bangladesh, and in few years, to Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and other Asian countries. It will enhance the production of “A4000i,” the world’s first electric scooter with smartphone connection capability in Vietnam, and electric three wheelers in the Philippines. Through these endeavors, it plans to achieve 100,000 unit sales in Asian markets by 2015.

Mr. Tokushige added, “In the electric automotive industry, Tesla Motors has a big presence. But if you look at the electric two & three wheeler industry, no company has a similar presence. So our short-term goal is to take the lead in the Asian market just as Tesla has positioned itself as a leader in the electric automotive industry. In addition, our long-term goal is to create a company with rapid growth, beyond the growth of Samsung and Apple.”

Terra Motors’ New Investors

Fenox Venture Capital is a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit http://fenoxvc.com/

Mizuho Capital Co., Ltd is a venture capital firm based in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. For more information, please visit http://www.mizuho-vc.co.jp/english_info/index.html

Shinsei Bank, Limited is a Japanese bank based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. For more information, please visit http://www.shinseibank.com/english/

SMBC Venture Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm based in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. For more information, please visit http://www.smbc-vc.co.jp/

AIZAWA SECURITIES CO., LTD. is a financial instruments firm in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. For more information, please visit https://www.aizawa.co.jp/company/english/

Product Information

A4000i, the world’s first electric scooter with smartphone connection capability will be released worldwide this year. We plan to present the A4000i at the International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan in 2014, and we hope to obtain the cooperation of distributors all over the world.

Electric Three Wheeler

We participated in an electric three wheeler bidding project by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Philippine government which will introduce 100,000 electric three wheelers in the Philippines by 2017.

About Terra Motors Corporation

Terra Motors Corporation is an electric two & three wheeler developer, manufacturer and retailer in Japan. Its mission is to devise leading innovations in electric vehicles (EV) in order to create a clean and sustainable society.

The company was established in 2010 and occupies the number one market share in Japan. It is headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, and it has overseas affiliate firms in Vietnam and in the Philippines.

Investors include Mr. Nobuyuki Idei (former President of Sony Corporation), Mr. Koichiro Tsujino (former President of Google Japan) and Mr. Kenji Yamamoto (former President of Apple Japan and former Vice-President of Sales at Apple Inc. in the USA).

For more information, please visit http://www.terra-motors.com/

This article is a repost, credit: Terra Motors.

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PG&E Joins with EVI to Unveil Utility Industry’s First Electric Hybrid Bucket Trucks

September 19, 2013 in Electric Truck, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News

Extended-range electric utility trucks capable of providing power to homes and businesses during outages

Photo courtesy of PG&E

Photo courtesy of PG&E

STOCKTON, Calif.—Electric Vehicles International (EVI), joined by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), unveiled the utility industry’s first electric hybrid drivetrain Class 5 trucks today at an event at the manufacturer’s facility in Stockton.

The Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) utility trucks, developed by EVI in partnership with PG&E and the California Energy Commission (CEC), were designed, built and tested in the heart of California at EVI’s manufacturing plant in Stockton. The REEV features an all-electric range of 45 miles and fuel savings of up to 30 percent when the units are operating in hybrid mode. PG&E accepted delivery of the first two REEV units this summer, and purchased two additional units after a successful initial demonstration of the vehicles.

“California’s Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology program is putting more of the cleanest vehicles into service today,” said Janae Scott, member of the California Energy Commission. “The investments that the Energy Commission is making covers initial costs of these trucks, gets innovative technologies to market sooner, and furthers California’s lead on clean transportation.”

EVI, formerly headquartered in Toluca, Mexico, moved its operations to Stockton in 2009 to take advantage of various statewide and regional incentives designed to assist alternative-fuel truck and bus manufacturers in reducing prices for its customers. Beyond statewide incentives such as the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) offered by the California Air Resources Board, EVI has partnered with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to reduce the costs of clean vehicles even further based on the district’s pledge to match other government incentives.

Photo courtesy of PG&E

Photo courtesy of PG&E

“Our decision to relocate to Stockton was the best choice we could have made and we are proud to bring new jobs to the San Joaquin Valley and to help reduce air pollution in this highly affected region,” said Ricky Hanna, president and CEO of EVI. “In addition, being able to work more closely with innovative, forward looking companies like PG&E on developing new ‘green fleet’ technologies will help us to expand our capabilities and presence to create even more new local jobs.”

PG&E plans to eventually replace all 942 of its conventional fuel Class 5 vehicles, including bucket trucks, flat beds, and other service trucks, with plug-in electric hybrid models, which would save the utility nearly $3.5 million in fuel costs and reduce GHG emissions by over 9,000 metric tons annually. In addition to the fuel savings and environmental benefits that PG&E anticipates as it deploys these trucks in increasing numbers, the trucks also offer up to 75 kW of exportable power that could be used to provide power to the grid during planned or unplanned outages, and the utility is working closely with EVI to move that number even higher.

“These cutting-edge trucks not only will help us reduce our fuel costs as well as our carbon footprint, but in the event of an outage, we would be able use their exportable power capacity to supply electricity to homes and businesses,” said Dave Meisel, senior director of transportation and aviation services for PG&E. “Imagine having a fleet of these to deploy in response to a natural disaster or unplanned outage. For us, as a utility, that is a game-changer for the future, and we are proud to partner with EVI and the CEC to develop and integrate these vehicles into our green fleet.”

EVI is a leading manufacturer of alternative energy vehicles specializing in battery electric vehicles (BEV) and range extended electric vehicles (REEV) for multiple applications covering a diverse range of transportation options. For more information, visit: http://www.evi-usa.com/

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit: http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ and www.pgecurrents.com

This article is a repost, credit: PG&E.

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Electric Vehicles International and PG&E to Unveil Utility Industry’s First Electric Hybrid Bucket Trucks in Stockton

September 18, 2013 in Electric Truck, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News

Image courtesy of PG&E

Image courtesy of PG&E

WHAT

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Electric Vehicles International (EVI) will host a ceremony at EVI’s plant in Stockton, CA to unveil the utility industry’s first plug-in electric hybrid drivetrain Class 5 work trucks.

PG&E partnered with EVI and the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop the Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) utility truck which was designed, built and tested in the heart of California at EVI’s plant in Stockton. The REEV features an all-electric range of 45 miles and anticipated fuel savings of 30 percent when the units are operating in hybrid mode.

PG&E accepted delivery of the first two REEV units this summer, and purchased two additional units after a successful initial demonstration of the vehicles. PG&E estimates that each REEV truck will save the utility over 850 gallons of fuel per year. In addition, the vehicles are able to produce up to 75 kW of exportable power, which could be used to supply power to homes and businesses during power outages or in emergency response scenarios.

WHO

  • Commissioner Janea A. Scott, California Energy Commission
  • Ricky Hanna, President and CEO, EVI
  • Dave Meisel, Senior Director of Transportation & Aviation Services, PG&E
  • Doug Wilhoit, CEO, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce

WHEN

  • Thursday, September 19, 2013
  • 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Pre-event media availability, interviews, plant tours
  • 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.: News Conference
  • 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.: Plant tours & product demonstrations
Image courtesy of EVI

Image courtesy of EVI

WHERE

  • EVI Plant, 1627 Army Court, Suite 1, Stockton, CA 95206

VISUALS

  • EVI/PG&E utility trucks on display and available for demonstrations
  • Plant tours
  • Speakers from the CEC, PG&E and EVI and the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce

WHY

The REEV vehicles manufactured by EVI for PG&E are the first electric hybrid drivetrain trouble trucks in the utility industry. By replacing all class five vehicles in its fleet with the REEV model, PG&E would save over $3 million annually in fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions by over 19 million pounds.

PG&E operates one of the greenest utility fleets in the nation, with nearly 3,500 alternative fuel vehicles. EVI is a leading manufacturer of alternative energy vehicles specializing in battery electric vehicles (BEV) and range extended electric vehicles (REEV) for multiple applications covering a diverse range of transportation options.

CONTACT

  • PG&E: Jason King (415) 725-4658
  • EVI: Shaina Nanavati (209) 938-7970

This article is a repost, credit: PG&E.

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Anatomy of the Largest Electric Vehicle Business: Industrial and Commercial

September 2, 2013 in Electric Truck, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News, Research

By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx

For the next decade, the largest electric vehicle sector will be industrial and commercial electric vehicles on land. In great contrast to the hybrid and pure electric cars that come next in market size, industrial and commercial electric vehicles are almost never bought by private individuals. That means that they are almost never bought on up-front price, the criteria being cost-over-life, reliability and performance with any extra life over conventional versions much appreciated. Component suppliers can enjoy improved margins provided they supply what is needed. This means that innovation is more likely to be funded for such vehicles and loss-making sub-sectors are seldom encountered unlike the situation with hybrid and pure electric cars or pure electric bicycles and scooters.

The total market analysis is available in the unique IDTechEx research report, Hybrid & Pure Electric Vehicles for Land, Water & Air 2013-2023: Forecasts, Technologies, Players with the industrial and commercial sector covered thoroughly in Industrial & Commercial Hybrid & Pure Electric Vehicles 2013-2023: Forecasts, Opportunities, Players.

The industrial and commercial sector, that now drives the electric vehicle business, consists of heavy industrial vehicles which are mainly forklifts but with other sectors coming up fast – earthmoving, mining, agricultural and outdoor self-propelled electric cranes. Add to that buses and light electric vehicles including trucks and custom made taxis. Industrial companies buy the heavy electric vehicles (meaning heavy lifting or pushing) but government, including local government, tends to bankroll light electric vehicles. Buses are boosted by the plan of the Chinese government to use and export them in huge numbers. The marine electric vehicle sector, which IDTechEx reports separately, is vibrant not least because of industrial applications such as tugboats, both pure electric and particularly hybrid. To take one instance, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems with Aspin Kemp & Associates has recently developed a Powered Marine Hybrid System that provides fuel savings of up to 25% and emissions reductions. A recent Californian Air Resources Board study found a 73% reduction in particulate matter, 50% reduction in NOx and 26% reduction in CO2 . Significant improvements are also seen in performance, control and noise levels.

How are the markets moving?

There is a great disparity between the growth rates of the different sectors within the industrial and commercial vehicle business. Pure electric forklifts suffered a double digit annual percentage collapse in sales in the global recession 2008/9 then double digit recovery which ended in 2012 with only 3% annual numbers growth. IDTechEx therefore projects a 4% annual growth in numbers in this largely indoor category. There will be little change in average unit price as more sophisticated versions are adopted such as those with the more expensive Li-ion batteries offsetting cost reductions. By contrast, a rapidly increasing percentage of Class 4/5 forklifts will become hybrid. This is essentially an outdoor category. Even the vehicles for mining are mainly used outdoors in open cast mining and as surface runabouts. We saw the first models of all of these outdoor heavy industrial electric vehicles appear on the market in the last five years, initially constituting a very small part of the ranges on offer.

For example, John Deere launched its first large loaders with hybrid powertrains two years ago. It spent years talking with quarry and other large loader customers about what they wanted in a nine-yard production loader. That collaboration between customer and engineer resulted in the new 944K wheel loader with a hybrid-electric drivetrain.

“In addition to fewer emissions, customers asked for durability, fuel efficiency and reduced tire wear,” said John Chesterman, product marketing manager for 4WD loaders with John Deere. “We’ve responded with a loader that incorporates four modular, independent wheel drives with electronic traction control.”

John Deere’s hybrid-electric drivetrain manages with a smaller diesel engine which drives a generator to create electricity that is used by electric motors to drive the wheels. The hybrid-electric drivetrain provides significantly increased fuel efficiency – up to 25% saving – reduced tire wear, and increased durability and reliability through fewer moving parts. A larger version was launched in 2013.

Market size

An indication of market size is given by the IDTechEx number projections for 2020. There will be 706,000 pure electric forklifts sold in that year, almost all for indoor use where internal combustion is usually illegal. There will be 750,000 other heavy industrial vehicles sold, mainly Class 4/5 hybrid forklifts used outdoors and self-propelled cranes for outdoors followed by agricultural, mining and earthmoving electric vehicles. The average ex-factory price of heavy industrial EVs will more than double over the coming decade as larger vehicles in this category become electric in large numbers.

Electric buses will sell at the 110,000 level in 2020, most of them pure electric versions for China and made in China, despite their up-front price often being 60-100% higher than conventional versions. Thanks to over 200 suppliers, 377,000 light industrial and commercial electric vehicles will be sold in the form of on-road versions, notably delivery vehicles which are a robustly growing market, and off-road versions such as airport ground support equipment (GSE) which enjoys more modest growth, on IDTechEx analysis. There are about 300,000 GSE vehicles in the world’s airports today, including non-passenger airports such as military, freight and oil industry. Over $2 billion is spent yearly on GSE in normal years. About 100,000 GSE in use are now electric, up from 60,000 in 2000. These are replaced every seven to ten years. Therefore, with growth in base numbers and adding terminal (non GSE) applications such as airport shuttle buses and golf car types for the disabled in the terminal buildings, the sale of EVs to airport applications is 30-39,000 units yearly in 2013, most being for the USA followed by Asia, in contrast to electric forklifts where Europe is by far the dominant purchasing area.

Fig 1. Industrial and commercial EVs market value breakdown by sector in 2020.
Source: IDTechEx report Industrial & Commercial Hybrid & Pure Electric Vehicles 2013-2023: Forecasts, Opportunities, Players  Courtesy of IDTechEx

Source: IDTechEx report Industrial & Commercial Hybrid & Pure Electric Vehicles 2013-2023: Forecasts, Opportunities, Players
Courtesy of IDTechEx

Manufacturers add sectors

The more savvy manufacturers leverage their electric technologies across more and more sectors of the industrial and commercial electric vehicle business, MAN of Germany makes electric buses and large trash-collecting trucks. Caterpillar is in electric earthmoving land vehicles and marine workboats and Nissan and Toyota make electric forklifts, electric delivery vehicles and so on, with Toyota strong in e-buses as well.

A key IDTechEx report for land-based vehicles is, Industrial & Commercial Hybrid & Pure Electric Vehicles 2013-2023: Forecasts, Opportunities, Players. It is very frequently updated to reflect the rapid progress of this, the heart of the electric vehicle industry. For the marine aspect, see the IDTechEx report, Electric Boats, Small Submarines and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) 2013-2023.

Industrial and commercial electric vehicles are not as glamorous or familiar as electric cars but, as they used to say in England, “Where there’s muck there’s brass,” meaning money. Those seeking the biggest unit numbers or the prestige will go elsewhere.

IDTechEx Research Subscriptions

IDTechEx has the largest portfolio of reports on electric vehicles (www.IDTechEx.com/research/ev) and around 70 in total across a range of new technologies (www.IDTechEx.com/research).

Subscribing to IDTechEx research services allows you to access a wide range of our technology and market research on a given topic or across topics, providing you with unlimited access to new related content throughout the subscription period at tremendous value.

This service should be of interest to clients seeking to remain constantly updated with all the key information on a topic over a period of time, accessing our research and data sources within their organization. Prices for our annual subscriptions start at the price of just a few individual research reports. See www.IDTechEx.com/subscriptions for details of the subscriptions available.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx (www.IDTechEx.com) guides your strategic business decisions through its Research and Events services, helping you profit from emerging technologies. We provide independent research, business intelligence and advice to companies across the value chain based on our core research activities and methodologies providing data sought by business leaders, strategists and emerging technology scouts to aid their business decisions.

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NTU to trial Singapore’s first driverless vehicle on the roads

August 16, 2013 in Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News

Driverless electric shuttle Photo courtesy of Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Driverless electric shuttle
Photo courtesy of Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Singapore’s first clean and green driverless shuttle transportation system will soon see passengers shuttling between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and JTC Corporation’s (JTC) CleanTech Park. In a partnership between NTU, JTC and Induct Technologies, and supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), an autonomous electric shuttle manufactured by Induct is expected to ply the two kilometre route providing a safe, reliable and environmentally-friendly alternative mode of transportation.

The two-year collaboration will see the Energy Research Institute @ NTU ([email protected]) test and optimise Induct’s electric shuttle named NAVIA and enable it to intermingle safely with traffic in Singapore. [email protected] and Induct will also work to improve and enhance electric vehicle battery reliability and charging speeds, maximizing the efficiency of NAVIA which can carry eight passengers and has a maximum speed of 20.1 km/h.

As part of NTU’s drive to be at the forefront of electromobility research, the partnership will also see the development and testing of various new charging technologies such as wireless induction and new super capacitors for electric vehicles. Software and intelligence systems will also be programmed for planned operation within pre-defined route operating between JTC’s CleanTech One building and the NTU Yunnan Garden campus.

This test-bed is the first of its kind in the region and could pave the way for the integration of autonomous vehicles in Singapore’s transport system to alleviate the “first mile, last mile” transport problem (the first and final legs of a journey, the typical potential bottlenecks in a transportation system) faced by urban cities.

Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director of [email protected], said the NAVIA platform brings together two state-of-the-art concepts critical for future transportation in urban cities. “Both concepts of a driverless transport and an efficient electric transport are at the forefront of research for personal transportation, last-mile transportation, and for logistics applications in leading automotive companies around the world,” said Prof Mhaisalkar. “Leveraging on NTU’s expertise in engineering and clean energy, we are confident that our partnership with Induct will see us explore breakthroughs in autonomous driving, wireless fast charging, and advanced battery technologies for sustainable transportation solutions.”

Pierre Lefevre, Induct’s CEO, said: “The synergies between industry in JTC’s CleanTech Park and academia in NTU present a unique opportunity for Induct, both from a test bedding and power management expertise perspective. The planned route between JTC’s CleanTech One and the NTU campus represents a real world scenario of shuttling passengers within a short range, with varying topography and pre-defined routes. Induct is proud to be given the opportunity to set up its Asian office in JTC’s newly opened CleanTech One. The company strongly believes that Singapore is the ideal location for its technological and economic development.”

Mr Heah Soon Poh, JTC’s Assistant Chief Executive Officer, said, “CleanTech One has seeded a vibrant ecosystem focused on cleantech R&D in CleanTech Park, which is being developed to position Singapore as an epicentre for research, innovation and commercialisation in clean technology. JTC has been actively partnering industry players in the development of sustainable urban solutions and providing the platform to test-bed new clean technology, and Induct is one such partner. We welcome more creative minds to partner JTC in the CleanTech Park community to broaden the exciting venture into cleantech research.”

Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, Mr Julian Ho, said, “We are pleased that Induct and NTU are embarking on an electric autonomous vehicle testbed in Singapore. Autonomous vehicles, alongside electric vehicles, represent new growth opportunities that will allow Singapore to build systems-level capabilities such as intelligent sensors and charging solutions. This testbed is also aligned with Singapore’s position as a ‘Living Lab’ where companies can develop, test and commercialise innovative urban solutions for global markets.”

About Nanyang Technological University

A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, and Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. It has a new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.

NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU ([email protected]) and the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).

A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia. Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore‟s science and tech hub, one-north, and a third campus in Novena, Singapore’s medical district.

This article is a repost, credit: Nanyang Technological University (NTU), http://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/index.aspx.

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BYD 3.5T Electric Forklift Rolls off Assembly Line Broaden the Scope of Large-Tonnage Electric Forklift Industry

August 6, 2013 in BYD, Electric Utility Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, EV News

Photo courtesy of BYD

Photo courtesy of BYD

On August 2, BYD Shaoguan Industrial Park held a grand opening event, displaying its assembly line of the world’s first iron battery-powered BYD new energy 3.5T electric forklift. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shaoguan Municipal Party Secretary Zheng Zhentao, Mayor Yi Xuefeng, BYD president Wang Chuanfu, senior vice president Wang Nianqiang and various representatives from government and professional media were present at the event. Wang pointed out that the new energy forklift truck industry will be the future of forklift development. He stressed that the BYD forklift will not only be an innovation as a technology and as a product but will also pave the way for an innovative market.

The New Energy forklift truck will lead the future development of the forklift industry.

Currently, the petrochemical resources that humans depend on are depleting. As well, its extensive use towards urban development causes mass pollution in densely-populated cities. An example was when Beijing and Tianjin experienced severe smog earlier this spring. These problems indicate that environmental protection is unable to be delayed any longer. As the environmental factors become more severe, people’s awareness of protecting the environment becomes more and more prevalent. A product, especially a forklift, which advocates low-carbon and the saving of energy, is attractive to clients. BYD’s iron battery-powered forklift is the world’s first of its kind, producing zero emissions. It has a long life, a high change/discharge rate and is virtually maintenance-free. Compared to the conventional internal combustion forklifts and lead acid battery forklift, the BYD iron battery production process releases no heavy metal pollution or emissions. The charging process does not product acid fog. After the one life cycle, the battery can be recovered for energy storage, making it a true green product that effectively overcomes the manufacturing of lead-acid batteries. BYD’s iron battery is perfect for usage in pharmaceuticals, cold chain, food, and settings such as airports where eco-friendly approaches are necessary.

BYD 3.5T electric forklift broaden the scope of electric forklift industry.

It is reported that the 3.5T forklift truck accounted for approximately a full share of more than 50% in domestic market, while internal combustion forklifts had a full share of close to 80% in 3.5T category. Traditional lead-acid batteries are mainly manufactured for smaller 2.0T forklifts since lead-acid batteries cannot be used for heavy-duty, high-efficiency products. The 3.5T electric forklift market holds a “there is a demand but no product” dilemma. Having quickly achieved the global market with its own technology and industrial advantages, BYD utilizes vertical integration on the basis of integrated innovation. BYD successfully developed its “iron battery” technology applicable to the large-tonnage electric forklift field, being the first to break the large-tonnage electric forklift development bottle neck. The launch of the BYD 3.5T electric forklift greatly broadened the scope of the application of electric forklifts and will provide the logistics of the large-tonnage electric forklift industry with effective solutions.

About BYD

BYD Co., Ltd is a leading-edge provider of green energy technologies that specializes in the IT, automotive, and new energy industries. Being the world’s biggest rechargeable battery manufacturer, BYD also has the largest global market share for cell-phone chargers and keypads. BYD branched out into the auto business in 2003, and has kept a robust yearly growth rate successively. In 2008, Warren Buffett invested $232 million to take a 9.89% stake in BYD. Today, BYD is the fastest-growing Chinese auto company and a global pioneer in the field of new energy vehicles including Dual Mode Electric Models and Pure Electric Models.

Based on its core Fe Battery technology, BYD has worked out a Green City Solution, which aims to electrify urban public transportation systems by transitioning from gasoline and diesel buses and taxis to pure electric ones. In March 2012, BYD and Daimler AG officially announced the entirely new EV brand Denza in China.

In addition, BYD has also focused on the Research & Development and manufacturing of a wide range of new energy products, including energy storage system, solar energy products and LED lighting . For more information, please visit www.byd.com, www.bydeurope.com, www.facebook.com/bydcompany, or [email protected].

This article is a repost, credit: BYD, http://www.byd.com/na/news/news-170.html.