Help Support EV News Report
EV News Report is not a non-profit

You are browsing the archive for electric cars Archives – EV News Report.

Avatar of EV News

by EV News

NTU and German scientists invent award winning 2-in-1 motor for electric cars

September 30, 2014 in Electric Vehicles, EV News

New Motor Design for Electric Cars Photo courtesy of NTU

New Motor Design for Electric Cars
Photo courtesy of NTU

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have invented a 2-in-1 electric motor which increases the range of electric vehicles.

This innovative engine integrates the traditional electric motor with the air-con compressor, typically two separate units. This novel, space-saving design allows the use of bigger batteries, which can increase the range of electric vehicles by an additional 15 to 20 per cent.

Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N), said: “The biggest challenge with electric cars in tropical megacities is the range that they can travel on a full-charge, because their batteries are needed to power both the engine and the air-conditioning. In tropical countries like Singapore, up to half the battery’s capacity is used to power the air-conditioning system.”

The new 2-in-1 design allows the electric motor to be more efficient in powering the car’s wheels, while its integrated air-con compressor uses less power due to synergy between the engine and the compressor, which can also tap on energy regenerated directly from the car’s brakes.

With the potential boost in range through the efficient use of energy, the joint invention recently won the Best Originality Award in the TECO Green Tech International Contest held in Taiwan.

The competition saw 19 entries from top universities including Boston University, University of California (UCLA), Waseda University, and universities from China and Russia.

NTU’s partner, DLR, the German aerospace and space agency will conduct further tests and improvements to the new engine with the aim of eventual commercialisation. The team is applying for a Proof-Of-Concept (POC) grant in Singapore. After the development of the prototype, test bedding and refinements will be done at DLR’s facilities in Germany.

Prof Mhaisalkar, said this innovation will pave the way for extending the range of electric cars, as the integrated design combines the two of the most important parts of an electric car, thus reducing its complexity into one highly efficient solution.

“With the global population of electric vehicles set to grow rapidly to 20 million in 2020, a more efficient electric motor and air-con compressor will enable cars to travel further on a single charge,” added Prof Mhaisalkar. “This energy efficiency will in turn reduce overall greenhouse emissions and promote sustainable transportation solutions.”

“This integrated design solution for air conditioning will go a long way in reducing the range anxiety of drivers, reduce maintenance costs, and will save time and money for the driver.”

For the automobile manufacturers, the new electric motor will also cost less to produce, as it requires less material than its counterparts. Both the weight and size of the electric motor are reduced, creating more space for other components such as an auxiliary battery source.

Dr Michael Schier, from DLR’s Institute of Vehicle Concepts, said: “For electric vehicles, the air conditioning uses a lot of electrical energy, thereby cutting down the range of electric cars by up to 50 per cent. To increase the energy efficiency and therefore the range of electric cars, the thermal management and the integration of additional functions into existing powertrain components play a major role.”

“By integrating the refrigerant compressor directly into the electric motor, we save components, weight and cost. Simultaneously, the more regenerative braking part of the kinetic energy is passed directly to the refrigerant compressor and thus the efficiency is further increased,” added Dr Schier.

Research scholar Mr Satheesh Kumar from the Energy Research Institute @ NTU said his award-winning, integrated electric motor challenges conventional design that goes way back to the 1960s when air-conditioning first became popular.

“Back then, air-conditioning was something new that was an add-on feature to a car’s combustion engine,” said the 29-year-old Singaporean.

“Since we are now designing electric vehicles from scratch, I see no reason why we should keep both units separate. As we have proven, combining the two gives us synergy – a more efficient use of electricity and it also improves engine braking, which stops the car faster with lesser wear on the brake pads.”​

This research is part of NTU’s focus on sustainability research. Sustainable Earth and Innovation are two of NTU’s Five Peaks of Excellence, which are areas of research that the university hopes to make its global mark in. The other three peaks are Future Healthcare, New Media, and the Best of East and West.

This article is an EV News Report repost, credit: NTU.

Avatar of EV News

by EV News

Engineers develop algorithms to switch out and recharge battery modules in electric cars

September 29, 2014 in Battery Energy Storage, Electric Vehicles, EV charging, EV News

Imagine being able to switch out the batteries in electric cars just like you switch out batteries in a photo camera or flashlight. A team of engineers at the University of California, San Diego, are trying to accomplish just that, in partnership with a local San Diego engineering company.

Rather than swapping out the whole battery, which is cumbersome and requires large, heavy equipment, engineers plan to swap out and recharge smaller units within the battery, known as modules. They named the project Modular Battery Exchange and Active Management, or M-BEAM for short (http://www.modularexchange.com).

Engineers have already purchased and converted a car, a 2002 four-door Volkswagen Golf. They also built all the modules for one of the two battery packs they plan to use and are now looking for sponsors for their project, including companies or individuals that appreciate the benefits of having small exchangeable battery modules in an electric vehicle.

“This is a game-changing technology,” said Lou Shrinkle, an electrical engineer who is one of the major sponsors of the project. “This idea may seem straightforward, but there were some tough technical challenges that we had to solve to make this system robust and practical.”

Swapping battery modules could also have far-reaching implications for mobile and decentralized electrical energy storage systems such as solar backup and portable generators. The technology can make energy storage more configurable, promote safety, simplify maintenance and eventually eliminate the use of fossil fuels for these applications, Shrinkle pointed out

Engineers not only believe that their approach is viable, but also plan to prove it. They will embark on a cross-country trip with a car powered by the removable, rechargeable M-BEAM battery modules. They plan to drive from coast to coast only taking breaks that are a few minutes long to swap out the modules that will be recharged in a chase vehicle. They believe they can drive from San Diego to the coast of South Carolina less than 60 hours—without going over the speed limit.

“This requires a completely different way of thinking on battery management,” said Raymond de Callafon, a mechanical engineering professor at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. “Electric storage capacity is increased when modules are connected in parallel, but this requires a careful control of stray currents between modules.”

Algorithms for charge estimation and current control

A team led by de Callafon is designing the algorithms for charge estimation and current control, implemented in an embedded system that is part of the battery management system for each module. The algorithms will be able to handle battery modules with different charge levels, chemistry, age and condition and keep the modules working together uniformly. The team has published their findings in a recent paper titled “Current Scheduling for Parallel Buck Regulated Battery Modules” in the IFAC World Congress held in Cape Town, South Africa in August, 2014.

Xin Zhao, the graduate student that is part of the team, explains in the paper that rechargeable, removable battery modules in electric cars would solve numerous problems. Being able to simply swap and combine battery modules would eliminate range anxiety and extend the range that cars are able to travel indefinitely — the average range of most affordable electric vehicles is about 70 to 100 miles per charge. Batteries themselves take 4 to 12 hours to charge with conventional power sources. Newer, fast-charge technology still takes about 30 minutes and involves running very high power through batteries, shortening their lifetime and reducing safety.

What would change

The team says there are many advantages in their approach of recharging and swapping out smaller modules within a large battery. The approach allows for a separation between the purchase of an electric vehicle and its battery pack. The price of electric vehicles would drop by about $10,000 if removable battery modules are leased rather than built into an electric vehicle.

Also, as of today, more than 40 percent of people living in cities don’t have access to wall outlets to charge their electrical vehicles at the curb or in a garage. Exchangeable modules could be taken out of the car and recharged at home. Exchangeable modules would also allow an expanded mix of chemistries and energy densities lowering costs and improving range. Removable batteries could even be brought into the home to be charged and be part of an electricity back-up system.

Challenges and future work

But there are challenges. At 20 to 30 lbs. each, the modules are not exactly light-weight. Researchers believe that as battery technology matures, module size will shrink to about the size of a tissue box, weighing less than 10 lbs. The ability to swap battery modules from an electric vehicle allows easy adaptation of such new battery technology.

A battery system based on exchangeable modules would also need an infrastructure that allows users to lease or purchase the rechargeable modules. Businesses that either charge the modules or rent out pre-charged modules would also need to be available throughout the country. But engineers point out that electric vehicle charging stations, especially fast-charge stations, are not widely available either. Exchange stations could easily be gradually deployed. Imagine simply exchanging your modules at the local gas station that charges them for you, much like you can fill up propane tanks today.

Electric shock can also be a risk during removal and replacement of high voltage modules. The battery management system developed by the research team ensures that the output voltage of the battery is equal to zero unless the battery is in the vehicle and enabled by a key switch. Modules are configured to exhibit only safe low voltages even when fully compromised during and after a crash and have built-in solid-state switches to handle a short circuit condition.

Professor de Callafon is excited about the design and testing of the battery modules using a cross-country trip with an electric vehicle. “The cross-country trip will generate a wealth of scientific data on the performance of the battery modules we have designed.” The team hopes that the cross-country trip will change the way we think about mobile energy storage for electric transportation.

This article (9-16-14) is an EV News Report repost, credit: UC San Diego.

Avatar of EV News

by EV News

Mine Tailings and Forgotten Rocks Key to New Technology? Source: USGS

July 30, 2013 in Environment, EV News, Greentech

This sample is one of several hundred rocks being analyzed by USGS scientists in Denver. The rock consists of quartz, microscopic-size pyrite, galena and sphalerite. The USGS is looking at samples from previously mined ore that may contain critical minerals including rare earth elements that are nor readily identified without specialized analytical techniques. Photo taken by Alan Koenig, USGS. Courtesy of USGS

This sample is one of several hundred rocks being analyzed by USGS scientists in Denver. The rock consists of quartz, microscopic-size pyrite, galena and sphalerite. The USGS is looking at samples from previously mined ore that may contain critical minerals including rare earth elements that are nor readily identified without specialized analytical techniques. Photo taken by Alan Koenig, USGS.
Courtesy of USGS

Cell phones, electric cars and lasers require a few essential, but rare, elements that have been produced and marketed mostly by China. Now, new USGS research on timeworn samples from the U.S. western mining era show potential new sources of the fundamental ingredients used in 21stcentury technologies.

USGS scientists are reanalyzing rocks, minerals and associated mine tailing samples – some collected 120 years ago – to assess their rare and critical elements, which could become potential for economic development.

Rare earth elements (or metals) are a set of 17 chemically-related elements, and are specifically made up of the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. Scandium and yttrium are considered rare earth elements since they tend to occur with the lanthanides in nature and exhibit similar chemical properties.

Despite their name, rare earth elements (with the exception of the radioactive promethium) are relatively plentiful in the Earth’s crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element at 68 parts per million (similar to copper). However, because of their geochemical properties, rare earth elements are typically dispersed and not often found concentrated in economically exploitable ore deposits.

In addition to studying the nature and occurrence of rare earth elements, the USGS is conducting research on the distribution, occurrence and understanding of a range of new technology critical (strategic) minerals such as indium, tellurium, gallium and all others. These rare metals are of increasing interest due to their usage in many new materials such as LCD screen, solar cells and medical imaging devices.

“Without rare earths we’d be back to having black-and-white cellphones again,” said Ian Ridley, director of the USGS Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center in Denver, Colo.

Laser Ablation Technology Helps Tap into Old Samples

USGS Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Lab in Denver, Colo. Photo taken by Alan Koenig, USGS. Courtesy of USGS

USGS Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) Lab in Denver, Colo. Photo taken by Alan Koenig, USGS.
Courtesy of USGS

Laser ablation is one method USGS scientists are using to discover pockets of unearthed and untapped critical mineral and rare earth resources.

“I get to shoot rocks with lasers to discover new (or old) information about rare metals contained within the rock,” said Alan Koenig, the USGS scientist in charge of the tailings project. “We can tease out from the rock not only what it’s made of, but we can discover a story about how it formed.”

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is the technique that is allowing USGS scientists to quickly analyze old (and new) rocks for the wide range of chemistry of interest to many aspects of USGS projects and society. The technique utilizes a high energy laser to “zap” a small hole in the sample and introduce it into the mass spectrometer (the ICP-MS part of the system). In doing so, the sample in virtually any form (mineral, powder, or even frozen liquids) is directly analyzed without the need for complicated, time-consuming or dangerous acid dissolving of the material. While the systems are still expensive to acquire, and commonly require highly-trained staff to develop and operate, LA-ICP-MS is becoming a common tool in geology, forensic and materials facilities.

Laser Ablation Lab

The USGS has been a world leader in the development of methods related to the analyses of geologic and earth related materials. Laser ablation ICP-MS is no exception. The USGS LA-ICP-MS Facility located in Denver, Colo., is one of the premier facilities for a wide range of applications and methods development. The USGS LA-ICP-MS facility is one lab where scientists are working on discovering and comprehending untapped resources, and new contributions to natural resources in the United States.

Links to USGS programs/publications that feature Rare Earths

This article is a repost, credit: United States Geological Survey, http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/mine-tailings-and-forgotten-rocks-key-to-new-technology/?from=textlink.

Avatar of EV News

by EV News

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: General Motors, Ford Motor, Nissan Motor, Tesla Motors and CBOE Holdings

May 28, 2013 in Electric Vehicles, EV News, Research, Tesla

CHICAGO, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F), Nissan Motor Co. (OTC:NSANY), Tesla Motors Inc. (Nasdaq:TSLA) and CBOE Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:CBOE).

Can Taxpayers Finally Gain from Auto Bailout?

When it comes to the auto bailout, should repayment be the only matter of concern or the loss expected to be borne by the taxpayers? Will it finally replicate the success of bank bailout?

The government did not bother about the repayment really, as saving the jobs was much greater an issue than considering the bailout fund as an investment and profiting out of it. But what is the deal with taxpayers? Let us see where they stand at present.

What Constitutes Taxpayers’ Money in Auto Bailout?

More than four years have passed since the Senate passed the $700 billion bailout bill on Oct 3, 2008 and the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) was initiated. Although the TARP program was mainly aimed at saving large financial institutions after the downfall of Lehman Brothers, saving millions of jobs in the highly interconnected automotive industry also became an imperative.

Two of the three Detroit’s then-problem children, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler, received $62 billion under the TARP program. The U.S. Treasury also injected $18.7 billion into their lending affiliates – including $17.2 billion for 74% stake in GMAC, currently known as Ally Financial Inc., and the remaining $1.5 billion to Chrysler Financial – in order to make auto loans available for car buyers.

As far as the TARP debt is concerned, a significant amount has been repaid by General Motors (about 61%) out of its $49.5 billion loan and by Chrysler (nearly 90%) out of its $12.5 billion loan. This should definitely trigger optimism among the taxpayers but unfortunately the TARP funding alone doesn’t account for all the taxpayers’ money during the crisis, even if we leave the mostly irrecoverable funding to the auto lending affiliates.

In 2009, the Obama administration set a goal of putting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. In order to achieve that goal, again the taxpayer’s money has been used by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for lending more than $8.5 billion to a few automakers in the name of reducing dependence on oil, curbing greenhouse gas emissions and creating new jobs.

The beneficiaries of DOE loans included Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) – $5.9 billion, Nissan Motor Co. (OTC:NSANY) – $1.6 billion, Tesla Motors Inc. (Nasdaq:TSLA) – $465 million, Fisker Automotive – $529 million, and the Vehicle Production Group – $50 million.

Although the DOE loan was disbursed for producing energy efficient vehicles, it echoed the same purpose served by the TARP funding at a time when the automakers desperately needed funds to stay afloat.

The Big Picture

Going back to the original idea of the auto bailout, dodging the risk of massive job loss was the primary intention. This is because the automotive industry is dependent on too many diversified ancillary industries, which build thousands of parts for manufacturing automobiles. As a result, suspending auto production would mean downfall of all those ancillary sectors, triggering a widespread job loss.

The auto industry lost 400,000 jobs with the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler. According to a report by Mich.-based think tank, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the industry would have lost more than 1 million jobs in the first year itself if GM and Chrysler were not bailed out. However, the bailout helped recovering about 1.5 million jobs till 2012 in the U.S.

Further, CAR estimated that if GM and Chrysler were allowed to collapse without the bailout fund, the U.S. government would have lost about $28.6 billion in tax revenues. Also, it would have been difficult for the government to address the unemployment created in the first two years of their bankruptcies.

If we look at the effectiveness and utilization of taxpayers’ money, things would look not that bad. Both GM and Chrysler returned to profitability and started gaining market share by producing more meaningful vehicles.

GM is also making investments across the globe that looks like a fruitful reinvestment of taxpayers’ money. The company has committed to invest $1.5 billion in its North American plants in 2013 as part of $8 billion annual investment plan for its global operations for new vehicle development.

On the repayment front and from an investment perspective, GM stands at a much favorable position given its surging stock price. Shares of the company hit new 52-week high of $34.01 on May 20, which is above the Initial Public Offering (IPO) price of $33.00 (held in November 2010) for the first time since May 4, 2011. The rising stock price would definitely help the government recover its pending $19.1 billion bailout fund as much as possible.

Chrysler was the fastest growing automaker among the Detroit Big Three in 2012. Although the automaker could not repay the remaining $1.3 billion of its bailout fund, its parent company Fiat has undoubtedly succeeded in pulling out the automaker from low point.

Among the DOE loan recipients, Ford and Tesla are the two bright examples. Ford utilized the DOE loan for retooling two plants for small-car production and developing fuel-efficient vehicles like the Ford Focus EV and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The automaker revealed that $577 million of the loan is due in 2013, and the full amount will be repaid by Jun 15, 2022.

Ford plans to build new plants by raising its capital spending to about $6 billion annually by mid-decade from $4.3 billion in 2011. In order to keep pace with the expansion, Ford also plans to double its workforce by hiring 1,200 employees by 2015.

Tesla became the first government loan recipient to repay the full amount and that too [sic] much earlier than expected. The electric vehicle maker paid off the remaining $451.8 million loan using the near-$1 billion proceeds from the common stock and convertible senior note offering made last week. The company reported its first-ever quarterly profit of $15.4 million or 12 cents per share (on an adjusted basis) in the first quarter of 2013.

To these, add the recovering auto market in the U.S. Auto sales in the U.S. grew 13.4% to the five-year high of 14.5 million vehicles in 2012. Strong pent-up demand due to aging vehicles on the U.S. roads along with falling unemployment rate and easier car loans continued to be the key factors in driving the auto sales in the U.S. From here, tax payers should definitely expect a journey on the winding road to prosperity.

CBOE Holdings: Strong Buy

Zacks Investment Research upgraded CBOE Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:CBOE) to a Zacks
Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Why the Upgrade?

CBOE’s earnings estimates have been gaining traction on the back of improved first-quarter 2013 results. Moreover, the company’s strong operating cash and enhanced liquidity pave the way for investments aimed at long-term growth as well as for effective capital deployment. Additionally, this options exchange delivered positive earnings surprises in all of the last 4 quarters with an average beat of 7.4%.

On May 3, CBOE reported first-quarter 2013 operating earnings per share of 50 cents, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 47 cents and the year-ago quarter number of 37 cents.

The year-over-year upside was primarily attributable to 18% growth in operating revenues, driven by higher index and future volumes along with escalated transaction fee and rate per contract. This was partially offset by a 10% hike in adjusted operating expenses. Subsequently, adjusted operating margin improved to 50.9% from 47.5% in the year-ago quarter. As well, operating cash flow surged 50.6% year over year to $95.3 million.

The steady performance supported the reaffirmation of the company’s guidance for 2013. CBOE’s innovative initiatives in the options and futures spheres are gaining traction. Going ahead,a high earnings visibility, strong product portfolio, consistent cash generation, disciplined investment and limited balance-sheet risk should enable CBOE to be one of the most dynamic companies in the industry, once the economic volatility stabilizes.

Based on CBOE’s fundamental strength, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2013 rose 3.1% to $1.97 per share in the last 30 days. The estimate for 2014 is pegged at $2.22, up 3.3% in the last 30 days. Meanwhile, no downward revision in estimates was witnessed for both the years.

Moreover, the Most Accurate Estimate for Markel’s 2013 earnings stands at $2.00 a share, resulting in a positive Earnings ESP (Read: Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method) of 1.5%.

Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5515.

About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks “Profit from the Pros” e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leon Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it’s your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

This article is a repost, credit: Zacks, http://www.zacks.com/.  All the opinions in this article are Zacks, www.zacks.com.

Avatar of EV News

by EV News

Uruguay Launches First “ZERO EMISSIONS” Pure-Electric Buses

May 26, 2013 in BYD, Electric Bus, Electric Vehicles, EV News

BUQUEBUS and CTS AUTO announce the first 100% BYD electric bus in the Market

BYD electric bus  Image courtesy of BYD

BYD electric bus
Image courtesy of BYD

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (5-22-13, BUSINESS WIRE)-BUQUEBUS and CTS Auto S.A. in partnership with Chinese automaker, BYD Ltd unveiled the first 12 meter rapid transit bus powered 100% by electricity in Uruguay and the region today. The ceremony was the culmination of an Electric Bus contract announced last year and was attended by President Mujica, Roberto Kreimerman Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Mrs. Liliam Kechichian, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr. Lopez Mena from BUQUEBUS, and Mr. Sasson Attie from CTS AUTO S.A., representing BYD Ltd. The BYD Electric Bus integrates several cutting-edge technologies including two in-wheel, electric motors capable of a cruising speed over 88 km/h (or > 55mph), and a first of its kind environmentally-friendly Iron-Phosphate Battery. This drive system provides a range of over 250 km (155 miles) – nearly 24 hours of service daily for most transit applications. The BYD battery technology also allows for a full charge in less than 5 hours. The bus can be charged overnight, while the electricity pricing is lower.

The rechargeable battery system and electric motors developed by BYD engineers together offer a significant savings in both energy consumption and environmental pollution. Because of the in-wheel-hub motors, the BYD Electric Bus has the lowest floor of any bus. There is only one step onto the bus, allowing quick and easy access for people with reduced mobility, wheelchairs and baby strollers. The units unveiled today are designed to fulfill the tourist bus routes in the city of Colonia, but soon, several long-distance BYD-options will join the BUQUEBUS as urban transport buses.

By 2015 it is expected that more than 500 BYD electric buses will be running on the streets and roads of Uruguay, generating significant environmental impact. The CO2 savings (vs. traditional diesel bus) is equal to 20,000 hectares of Forest per 500 buses in circulation – this is the same area covered by the entire city of Montevideo. The Green Footprint concept has important benefits to the environment. The BYD Electric Bus produces no gaseous emissions and engine noise is almost imperceptible (see video link). For more information, please visit www.byd.com, www.facebook.com/bydcompany or email [email protected].

About BYD

BYD is ranked #1 at the top of Bloomberg’s and Business Week’s 2009 Tech 100 List and is the leading manufacturer of advanced, environmentally-friendly battery technologies like the Iron Phosphate battery used in BYD electric vehicles and electric buses. BYD’s solar panels and LED Lighting systems have CEC, TUV/CE and UL listings, and the company enjoys rapid growth in the consumer electronics space and electrified transportation sector, manufacturing under its BYD brand. BYD is the fastest-growing Chinese automotive and green energy technology enterprise. The company trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) under the ticker numbers HK.0285 – BYD Electronics and HK.1211 – BYD Company Ltd., as well as on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under the ticker number 002594 – BYD Company Ltd. BYD’s warranty and service for these electric vehicles are guaranteed by its local distributor CTS AUTO SA who has over 30 years experience in the automotive market.

About BUQUEBUS

Buquebus is the largest tourism transportation company in Uruguay connecting more than 2 million passengers in Argentina and Uruguay a year by boat and by bus. Buquebus was created over 30 years ago by CEO, Mr. Juan Carlos Lopez Mena starting with a 40-year-old vessel and a market only one hundred thousand passengers. Buquebus is also the largest Tourist Agent in South America, selling over 300,000 hotel beds and 400,000 city tours per year.

This article is a repost, credit: BYD Auto, http://www.byd-auto.net/.