Electric Car and Bus

choi

(1) Keith Bradsher, Power in a Nascent Industry: China Marshals utilities in pressing for electric cars. New York Times, Dec 27, 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/2 ... r%20grid&st=cse

Excerpt in the window of press: Paying more attention to hybrids that combine gas engines with electric motors.

Quote:

Some of the obstacles that have slowed deployment of all-electric cars in China also exist in other markets. The cars’ range, less than 200 miles even under ideal conditions, falls steeply in cold weather, if the air-conditioner is turned on or if the car was not fully charged overnight.

"Some executives say that China has fallen behind its schedule for hybrid and all-electric cars because it has put heavy pressure on multinationals to transfer technology to their Chinese partners to be eligible for generous subsidies for the sale of alternative-energy vehicles in China. Some foreign manufacturers have responded by withholding some of their latest models from the Chinese market — as Nissan has with the electric Leaf.

(2) Mike Ramsey, Forget the Prius. The Future of Electric is the School Bus: Operating costs are lower, but upfront costs are 60% greater than diesel. Wall Street Journal, Dec 28, 2011.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 18471878074352.html

Quote:

"school buses are almost ideally suited to be electric vehicles. For one thing, they cover fairly short distances on their daily runs, rarely leaving city limits on the way to and from school. And they follow set, predictable routes. That reduces the chances of a bus accidentally running out of battery power before it finishes its route and returns to the lot.

"What's more, school buses make frequent stops. While that's bad for fuel-efficiency on a conventional gasoline or diesel vehicle, electric vehicles can capture some of the energy used in applying the brakes to recharge their batteries, extending their range.

"One big plus: School buses are off the streets sitting in a depot for much of the day, giving them plenty of time to recharge their batteries.

"They have fixed routes and downtime in the day," says Bryan Hansel, CEO of Smith Electric Vehicles, a Kansas City, Mo., manufacturer of the electric motors, batteries and underbody of the eTrans bus. 'It really does allow you to maximize the use of that battery and make the money work.'

My comment: There is no need to read the rest. The report has nothing to do with China on its face, but it may explains, in my view, why BYD has made a dash in commercial production of electric bus but not electric car.