Mitsubishi iMiev
“IF [OIL] is less than $70, we’re going to have a problem. If oil’s at $200 the economic equation’s very easy.” That’s the risk for Renault’s €4 billion electric car strategy, according to its chief executive Carlos Ghosn.
The company plans to have plug-in electric models on the road by early next year. If analysts are right and oil works its way closer to $80 this year, Ghosn may be lauded, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that prices might dip again.
Nevertheless the motor industry is eager to remove itself from the carbon debate. Shackled to the oil industry by the internal combustion engine for a century, various opportunities have been explored, but invariably the infrastructural spend and overhaul of the entire global fleet hasn’t made it a feasible proposition.
When oil was relatively cheap, it didn’t make economic sense to change. Now, with costs rising and the limitations of supply becoming more apparent, a switch is starting to make sense once more.
The long-term options open to the motor industry come down to electric power or hydrogen fuel-cell generation. In the next two years, electric power will make the first serious foray onto our streets. Major developments in battery technology give electric cars greater range.
Match these with a small petrol or diesel motor – known as a range extender – used to recharge the battery and you have a vehicle that can match the 500km distances of most cars with a combustion engine these days.
Cars that don’t include a range extender will be terribly dependent on the network of recharging points on offer, a situation that is likely to make their owners reticent about exploring the byways or unknown routes.
So what’s to come? Well, 2010 will see the arrival of the first of several electric vehicles from major manufacturers with Mitsubishi Motors set to be first out of the blocks with the arrival of trial versions of their iMiev (pictured) electric vehicles before consumer versions arrive in October 2010, with a price tag of around €30,000. The iMiev is a four-seater supermini car, with a range of about 160km from a full charge.
One of the most anticipated cars from a European manufacturer will be Renault’s Fluence EV, due for release at the end of 2010. The Fluence family car is likely to take over from the likes of the Laguna in regular format, but by the end of the year there will be an electric plug-in version as well.
Renault will also offer a fully electric version of their Kangoo van, a little electric city car and a people carrier.
Leading the way for the range-extending models will be the Opel Ampera, the European version of the Chevy Volt with “sales in Ireland starting at the very start of 2012", according to Opel Ireland.
Toyota will introduce their plug-in hybrid Prius to market in 2011. The Prius Plug-in travels about 20km on a full charge and has all the usual low-emission traits of the existing Prius Hybrid. Expect this in Ireland the year after next.
The successful future of all will depend on oil prices, but few are betting for cheap oil in the near future. Ghosn has made a smart bet for the future of the motor industry.
source: irishtimes
