Volvo Car Corporation's focus on connectivity technology also includes smart features for charging of electric vehicles. The company is one of the partners in the research project Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure (ELVIIS) that develops a smart on-board concept for controlling, measuring and paying for electricity when charging via any outlet.
ELVIIS is a consortium involving Volvo Car Corporation, Ericsson, the utility company Göteborg Energi and the Viktoria Institute. The innovative research project across several industries aims to bring mobile connectivity to electric cars - and to identify and remove barriers for using electrical vehicles in daily life. The concept works like this:
• The driver can choose to charge the battery pack via any ordinary power outlet.
• The outlet is identified via GPS.
• The driver pre-sets timing and charging amount on the touch screen or remotely via a smart phone or tablet.
• Using the mobile network, the car communicates with the grid and sets the charging scheme in order to support optimal utilization of the grid and most favorable energy price.
• Any unintended interruption of charging process is directly reported to the driver's mobile phone.
• The system directs the cost for each charge to the car owner's personal utility bill.
Electric drive without compromises
The Volvo C30 Electric has been used as a test car in the project. Equipped with an integrated 7-inch color touch screen, it makes the smooth charging concept available at the driver's fingertip. Five C30 Electric cars will now be used for testing and evaluating the technology during a year.
"Our basic view is that the owner of an electric vehicle shouldn't have to sacrifice any of the properties he or she expects from a luxury car," says Lennart Stegland, Vice President Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Corporation. "This smart technology for charging in any outlet, and paying automatically via your own electricity bill, is an excellent example of how we do everything to make the daily use easier for the customer." The concept is developed on a generic communication platform to make the technology globally applicable.
Totally in control, totally connected
The ELVIIS technology is fully in line with Volvo Car Corporation's development of Sensus technology, which makes the driver feel totally in control and totally connected.
"Sensus is the interface that promotes intuitive communication with the car, connecting it to the driver's digital world. We will continue to extend the offer of intelligent content that provides easy access to support, information and entertainment," says Lennart Stegland.
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Bosch remains confident on gradual transition to electromobility
Manila - Robert Bosch Inc. (Philippines), local subsidiary of Germany’s Bosch Group and the largest automotive technology parts supplier in the domestic aftermarket, showcased its local line of Gasoline Direct Injection and Diesel Common Rail Injection components at the second Philippine Energy Efficiency Forum. The Bosch Group is engaged in the development and production of fuel components and systems as well as alternative drives that enable vehicles to operate more efficiently and emit significantly lower CO2. Bosch aims to reduce the fuel consumption of internal-combustion engines by another third - considering that some 95 percent of all new vehicles in 2020 will still be powered by diesel and gasoline engines.
“While continuing to increase the efficiency of today’s internal combustion engines Bosch also researches new technologies to reduce the cost of electromobility in the future,” said Joseph Hong, Managing Director of Robert Bosch Inc. (Philippines). “The future of mobility belongs to the electric drive. The only question is when,” Hong further explained to a selected group of media during the forum.
Investing on e-mobility
On the global front, Bosch invests 400 million euros each year in projects related to powertrain electrification while some 800 engineers are working to make the vision of e-mobility a reality. Development work, however, only shows one side of the coin. Convincing drivers of the benefits of electric cars poses another major challenge, which requires presenting customers with market-ready solutions today.
The e-bike, which is already available today, shows the benefits of electromobility to the mass market. 18 brands of e-bikes are already equipped with Bosch drive systems. While traction batteries for long ranges remain expensive, it makes sense to think about how and where the battery technology can be applied in the meantime. On the road to e-mobility, small steps are equally important for future success.
The plug-in hybrid vehicle, which is powered by a relatively compact and affordable battery for short ranges, can be plugged in and the battery recharged from the electricity main. Combined with a gasoline or diesel engine for longer trips, the plug-in hybrid could soon be a realistic option. It could be the solution for a family that runs errands in the city using the electric drive, and then visits relatives a few hundred kilometers away using the internal-combustion engine.
Technically speaking, a combined system such as this calls for broad systems expertise in all types of drive systems – the very kind of networked knowledge that a global supplier like Bosch brings to the table. This broad-ranging know-how has enabled the company to think beyond choosing between conventional and electric drives to come up with technologies that combine both.
A broad range of drive systems
Even in 2020, a lithium-ion battery with a range of 200 kilometers will cost more than PHP300 thousand (5,000 euros). The further development of lithium-ion batteries will play a decisive role here. Together with its partner Samsung SDI, Bosch manufactures such batteries. In the long term, the energy density of such batteries will have to at least double.
The Bosch product portfolio includes electric motors and power electronics as well. With an investment of 600 million euros, the automotive supplier is building a new wafer fab in Reutlingen, Germany to produce its own power semiconductors. This illustrates that Bosch corporate strategy comes not only from broad-based expertise, but also from in-depth technical know-how. By 2013, Bosch will be supplying 12 automakers with components and systems required for some 20 electromobility-related projects.
Full-cycle approach to harnessing clean energy
There are many arguments to support the assertion that the transition to electromobility will be gradual and will see a number of specific solutions for specific markets. Until the full realization of electromobility, companies will need to pool production and standardize components, in addition to reducing costs. Small examples like standardizing plug-in connections show a lot of cost-saving potential. Economies of scale, on the other hand, can be achieved through cooperation between carmakers, and also between carmakers and suppliers. This is why Daimler and Bosch have decided to join forces to develop and manufacture electric motors for electric vehicles.
“The full transition to electromobility in the future will only make sense if energy is harnessed from renewable sources,” said Hong. “It will not make sense if the consumption of fossil fuel is only passed on to power producers.” Bosch is also active in the development of core components for multi-megawatt wind turbines and solar photovoltaics which are locally categorized as “new” renewable energy sources.
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