The first electric vehicles expected to benefit from the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) new industry standard for DC fast charging are the Chevrolet Spark EV and the BMW i3.

This industry-coordinated early confirmation of DC Fast Charge hardware and software was done in order to accelerate efforts to roll out SAE Combo DC Fast Charge infrastructure in the coming months.

Among the suppliers participating in the testing were ABB, Aker Wade, Eaton and IES.

“This unprecedented cooperation among OEMs and equipment suppliers demonstrates the maturity of this important technology that will help speed the adoption of electric vehicles around the world,” said Britta Gross, GM director, advanced vehicle commercialization policy.

Just as most major automakers adopted the SAE’s 120V/240V AC connector standard to assure plug-in vehicles could access all charging infrastructure, eight automakers – GM   Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche – have committed to adopting the SAE combo fast charge connector, assuring standardization of the DC Fast Charge connectors.

“Our goal with this cooperation was to ensure that DC fast charging stations be available to provide BMW i3 customers the premium fast charging experience in time for the arrival of the BMW i3,” said Cliff Fietzek, manager connected e-Mobility at BMW of North America LLC. “We are pleased that we will meet our goal.”

The companies involved said that this new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector provides added ease of use for DC Fast Charging, including a single charge port on the vehicle, and allows electricity to flow at a faster rate, making EVs more convenient and reliable to use for consumers who may not  have  access to overnight charging at home.

DC Fast Charging allows EV owners to recharge their batteries up to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes.

“This successful testing is an important milestone that underscores our commitment to enable the next generation of electric vehicles,” said Cal Lankton, director of ABB’s EV Charging Infrastructure for North America. “By offering a broad charging portfolio, we can fully support the needs of all EV drivers and infrastructure providers.”

The DC Fast Charge option is expected to be available a few months after the Spark EV launches in California and Oregon this summer.

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The 15 universities competing in EcoCAR 2 gathered in Yuma, Ariz. last week for six days of rigorous vehicle testing and evaluation on drive quality and environmental impact at the General Motors (GM) Desert Proving Ground. From there, the competition moved to San Diego for a second round of judging by automotive industry experts.

EcoCAR 2 is described as a three-year competition managed by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, GM and 30 other government and industry leaders giving students the opportunity to gain real-world automotive engineering experience while striving to improve the environmental impact and energy efficiency of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

“The students competing in EcoCAR 2 are leading the way in designing and building the next generation of American-made automobiles that will reduce our dependence on oil and save families and businesses money at the pump,” said Assistant Secretary for the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson. “I look forward to seeing these teams’ creative, super efficient vehicle designs in the final round of the competition next year in Washington, D.C.”

After a year creating and testing their eco-vehicle designs using technologies such as Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulation, teams spent the second year of EcoCAR 2 utilizing automotive engineering processes to redesign their Malibu vehicles.

Argonne National Laboratory and GM engineers subjected these vehicles to extensive safety inspections and on-road evaluations, similar to those conducted on new GM vehicles. Each car was evaluated on reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as performance, utility and safety.

“Engineering advanced technologies that help reduce dependency on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions is the key to developing sustainable transportation,” said John Haraf, GM’s director of hybrid vehicle integration and controls and one of GM’s EcoCAR leads. “These students are the next generation of engineers who will help make that vision a reality, and their hard work and dedication throughout the first two years shows they can rise to the challenge.”

GM said Pennsylvania State University was named this year’s winner after impressing inspectors and other judges representing various EcoCAR 2 sponsors with its ethanol (E85) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

The team was the first to pass safety and technical inspections, on-road safety evaluation as well as run all the competition dynamic events.

While Penn State won the top prize, it wasn’t the only accomplished team at the Year Two Finals.

The second place team, Cal State Los Angles excelled with its ethanol-fueled vehicle and was the first team to complete all the dynamic events.

The Ohio State University took third place overall after demonstrating its series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle.

The 15 university teams will now spend Year Three of EcoCAR 2 perfecting their designs before the competition finals in Washington, D.C., in May 2014.

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This new diesel car will be rated at 46 mpg in highway driving.

As revealed at the Chicago Auto Show, the Cruze Diesel will become the manufacturer’s first clean-diesel passenger car effort since the Chevette came in a diesel option in 1985. Honeywell turbochargers will allow the 2.0-liter diesel powerplant to make 148 horsepower and accelerate from 0 – 60 mph in less than nine seconds, while still providing highway fuel mileage that, according to Honeywell, is the best of any non-hybrid car on the market.

“At Honeywell, we never stop working with manufacturers to optimize our turbocharging solutions no matter what the application,” said Tony Schultz , Honeywell Turbo Technologies vice president of the Americas. “In this case we worked with Chevrolet even after the unveiling, and continued to find ways to increase fuel mileage and performance from initial estimates.”

The Cruze Diesel was anticipated to get slightly more than 40 mpg in highway driving at its launch in Chicago, but Honeywell said its participation with the manufacturer helped discover improvements that boosted the final estimate to 46 mpg.

In addition, the Honeywell turbocharger in the Cruze Diesel will provide an overboost feature that will give drivers added acceleration when conditions demand a quick response in traffic.

The addition of the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel expands a blossoming market of small, ultra-efficient turbocharged engines in passenger cars.

Honeywell is providing turbocharged solutions for a U.S. market that anticipates sales of passenger cars with turbocharged diesel engines surpassing 1,000,000 per year by 2017. According to data compiled by the Diesel Technology Forum, diesel car and SUV registrations have already increased by more than 24 percent from 2010 through the end of 2012.

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GM will procure the vehicle from Nissan and distribute it through the Chevrolet dealer network.

The 2015 City Express, based on the Nissan NV200, is Chevrolet’s first entry into the small van segment in the U.S. and Canada.

It will join the full-size Express van as part of the Chevrolet lineup in the fall of 2014.

Nissan currently sells a version of the vehicle as the NV200 in numerous markets globally, including the United States and Canada.

An electric version of the NV200 is available, but no word yet as to the inclusion of an electric version of the City Express under this agreement.

“Our fleet customers have asked us for a small cargo van, so this addition to the Chevrolet portfolio will strengthen our position as the partner of choice for all of our customers,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet and Commercial Sales. “It’s quite common in many parts of the world to leverage available manufacturing resources to bring transportation solutions to market for our customer’s benefit. It’s just smart business!”

Chevrolet said its entry into this segment will allow business customers to purchase all of their vehicles from one manufacturer, and service them through the largest dealer network offering even more convenience for their business.

Designed for small businesses to large fleets looking for a small, fuel-efficient, cargo carrying vehicle, the City Express will be available in LS and LT trim levels.

Contrary to the NV200, which is also available as a passenger version, the City Express will be – for now – solely a cargo vehicle.

The City Express is powered by a 2.0 liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine rated at 131 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque. The engine is preliminarily matched with a CVT transmission.

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The campaign is organized by sustainable business advocacy group Ceres and its Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy, or BICEP, coalition.

GM’s participation was announced today at the Ceres Conference in San Francisco.

Signers of the declaration are calling for policymakers to address climate change by promoting clean energy, boosting efficiency and limiting carbon emissions – strategies GM said it is employing within its operations as it seeks to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing.

“We want to be a change agent in the auto industry,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs. “As our world faces issues like congestion and climate change, we are at the forefront in transforming the way we move, from building more efficient vehicles to partnering with car-sharing startup Relay Rides.”

According to Gallup and Yale University polls, respectively, a majority of Americans believe climate change is happening and that corporations, as well as government officials, should be doing more to address the issue.

In March, GM CEO Dan Akerson called on President Obama to appoint a Blue Ribbon Commission to develop a 30-year policy framework for energy security.

GM said it has worked with Ceres for more than two decades to refine its sustainability strategies and performance.

Worldwide, the American automotive manufacturer said it is dedicated to energy efficiency and is working toward a goal of reducing energy intensity from its facilities by 20 percent between now and 2020.

GM currently has 54 facilities that meet the voluntary ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, which requires facilities to reduce energy intensity by 10 percent within five years.

Said GM facilities cut energy intensity by an average of 26 percent within just two to three years, saving the company $90 million in energy costs.

GM also declared it is the No. 1 automotive user of solar power in the United States and hosts two of the five largest rooftop solar arrays in the world. GM’s goal is to promote the use of 125 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020.

Beyond offering fuel-efficient vehicles in its brand’s lineups, GM said it is investing up to $40 million in the Chevrolet Carbon Reduction Initiative, in which Chevy helps financially in community-based carbon-reduction projects throughout the United States with a goal of reducing up to 8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.

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Chevrolet said this is better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America.

The diesel version of the Cruze sedan will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall.

Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel, based on the EPA highway estimate and the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity.

That represents about 10 hours of highway driving.

“We harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said Gary Altman, chief engineer, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. “The Cruze Diesel is the best diesel passenger car out there. Chevrolet is redefining the meaning of great fuel economy with this car.”

With a starting price of $25,695, including an $810 destination charge, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel has been priced and packaged, according to Chevrolet, to be a better value than a similarly equipped VW Jetta TDI automatic.

Compared with the Jetta, the Cruze Diesel includes as standard the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, larger 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-appointed seating, a longer five-year 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and a two-year maintenance plan.

Chevrolet also said the Cruze Diesel also beats its rivals in performance with a segment-leading estimated 148 horsepower (110 kilowatt) and an estimated 258 pound-feet of torque. This will allow the diesel-powered Cruze to do the 0-60 in about 8.6 seconds.

The Cruze’s 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine has an overboost feature capable of increasing torque to an estimated 280 pound-feet for short bursts of stronger acceleration when needed, such as entering freeway traffic.

The Cruze Diesel is powered by the cleanest diesel passenger car engine produced by General Motors. The vehicle generates 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions when compared to previous-generation diesels.

Chevrolet has sold more than 2 million Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010; more than 33,000 of those were diesel powered.

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Electric motors for the new Chevrolet Spark EV are now manufactured at its Baltimore Operations plant in White Marsh, Md.

“The era of using electricity to help improve performance and fuel economy is already here and the trend is only going to grow,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability. “Today is further proof GM is leading in the development of electric vehicles that will improve America’s energy security.”

GM engineers designed and developed the Spark EV’s motor and drive unit to provide maximum efficiency and power with world-class reliability. They said the permanent magnet motor features a unique design to provide precise delivery of power.

The Spark EV electric motor will produce 130 horsepower (100 kilowatts) and 400 pound-feet of torque.  This will result in an acceleration of less than 8 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

The Spark EV will be sold in California and Oregon this summer and sales will later expand to Canada, Europe and South Korea.

“Electric motor development and manufacturing is a critical area of expertise GM has mastered as we grow our portfolio of electric vehicles to address the needs of our global customers.” said Larry Nitz, GM executive director of Vehicle Electrification Engineering.

After refining its expertise in electric motors at a pilot facility in Wixom, Mich., production of electric motors began at White Marsh. Workers at the Baltimore plant completed extensive training on the operation of the machines used to configure portions of the electric motor and drive units.

“The motor design was created by American engineers and it’s being manufactured and assembled by American workers,” said plant manager Bill Tiger. “By designing electric motors in Michigan and manufacturing them at Baltimore Operations, GM controls the design, materials and production processes, as well as reducing costs and improving performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability.”

GM said the Baltimore facility is highly green and environmentally friendly. It is GM’s exclusive manufacturer of A1000 transmissions for heavy duty pickup trucks and electric motors and drivetrains for the Chevrolet Spark EV.

The facility has been landfill free since 2007, recycling 100 percent of its waste. Baltimore’s facility has had a 1.2 megawatt roof mounted solar array installed in May 2011 and received certification for their Wildlife Habitat in June 2011.

A new facility has been built on the campus to house manufacturing for eMotor production.

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These new transmissions will be used in cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks.

This news follows the recent launch of the ZF nine-speed transmission in the Land Rover Evoque.

The new joint Ford/GM transmissions, to be built in both front- and rear-wheel drive variants, are expected to contribute to improving vehicle performance and increase fuel economy.

The collaboration enables both automakers to design, develop, engineer, test, validate and deliver these new transmissions for their vehicles faster and at lower cost than if each company worked independently.

“Engineering teams from GM and Ford have already started initial design work on these new transmissions,” said Jim Lanzon, GM vice president of global transmission engineering. “We expect these new transmissions to raise the standard of technology, performance and quality for our customers while helping drive fuel economy improvements into both companies’ future product portfolios.”

This is the third time in the past decade that GM and Ford have collaborated on transmissions.

These efforts have enabled both companies together to deliver more than 8 million 6-speed front-wheel drive transmissions (GM version pictured).

Ford installs these 6-speed transmissions in vehicles, such as the Ford Fusion family sedan, the Edge crossover and the Escape and Explorer SUVs, while GM installs them into products like the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Cruze.

Both companies said these original collaborations served as a template for the new one. As before, each company will manufacture its own transmissions in its own plants with many common components.

“The goal is to keep hardware identical in the Ford and GM transmissions. This will maximize parts commonality and give both companies economy of scale,” said Craig Renneker, Ford’s Chief Engineer, Transmission & Driveline Component & Pre-Program Engineering. “However, we will each use our own control software to ensure that each transmission is carefully matched to the individual brand-specific vehicle DNA for each company.”

Further technical details and vehicle applications for these transmissions will be released by each company at the appropriate time before launch.

“With the jointly developed six-speed automatics we have in production today, we’ve already proven that Ford and GM transmission engineers work extremely well together,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain engineering. “Our 6F family of transmissions has exceeded expectations and there is every reason to believe we will have the same success with these all new transmissions.”

The post Ford And GM To Work On Shared 9 And 10 Speed Transmissions appeared first on HybridCars.com.

As many of you know, the follow-up to the Volt will be released early in 2014.

General Motors said that paddle shifters take on new meaning in the ELR. Unlike traditional performance vehicles where the steering wheel-mounted paddles allow drivers to upshift and downshift the mechanical transmission, Cadillac ELR’s paddle shifters enable the driver to temporarily regenerate energy and store it as electricity in the battery pack for later use.

ELR’s Regen on Demand feature is, according to GM, unique to the compact luxury coupe and builds on Cadillac’s performance-bred heritage.

“Regen on Demand enables ELR drivers to actively re-capture energy when slowing down, such as when  approaching slower traffic or setting up for a tight turn,” said Chris Thomason, ELR chief engineer. “This allows the driver to take more active role in the electric vehicle driving experience.”

To engage Regen on Demand, the driver simply takes his or her foot off the accelerator and pulls back on either the left or right steering-wheel paddle to begin regenerating electricity.

When engaged, GM said Regen on Demand provides vehicle deceleration that is more than what a typical vehicle experiences while coasting, providing control and dynamic performance characteristics similar to downshifting in a manual-transmission vehicle. The feature does not bring the vehicle to a full stop.

Releasing the paddle disengages Regen on Demand, allowing the vehicle to coast normally. The driver can engage and disengage Regen on Demand as desired and as traffic conditions allow.

“Pulling back on the paddle to slow down allows the ELR driver to keep their foot close to the throttle, ready to accelerate,” Thomason said. “It provides a more engaged, satisfying driving experience, and when you consider the added benefit of re-capturing energy, it’s also a smart thing to do.”

During regenerative braking, the system converts the vehicle’s momentum to electrical power and stores the energy in the T-shaped battery pack located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels for optimal weight distribution.

The pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit capable of 295 pound-feet of torque. Using only the energy stored in the battery, the ELR will deliver an estimated range of about 35 miles of pure electric driving, depending on terrain, driving techniques and temperature.

Cadillac also revealed that the ELR includes a blended regenerative braking system that will recapture a majority of the energy in a vehicle’s momentum rather than losing it as heat in the brakes, which is common with conventional vehicles.

When the brakes are applied, energy is recaptured, as the vehicle slows. If more brake force is applied, ELR automatically blends in friction brakes to apply greater stopping power for more urgent stops.

The system has a standard 4-channel anti-lock braking system and includes electronic Brake Force Distribution, which uses independent rear control for improved stability and braking during cornering, as well as more effective use of the rear brakes as vehicle loading occurs.

Also, the disc brake system features vented front and solid rear Duralife rotors with Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing (FNC) finishing technology to reduce corrosion and deliver longer life.

Charging the ELR’s battery can be done with a 120V electrical outlet or a dedicated 240V charging station. The vehicle can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet, depending on the outside temperature.

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Tenneco is a global supplier to General Motors on the new midsize vehicle platform, supporting Chevy Malibu production in North America, China and Korea, as well as the Buick Regal and LaCrosse models in North America and China, and the Opel Insignia model in Europe.

Tenneco said is supplies both hot- and cold-end emission control systems for the 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder engine, 2.5L Ecotec four-cylinder engine and the new Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged engine.

Tenneco collaborated with GM engineers to provide lightweight solutions in the Malibu’s exhaust system including designs that reduce precious metal content and incorporate single wall muffler shells and hollow rods to lower cost and weight.

The company is also supplying front strut modules, rear shock absorbers and exhaust isolators.

“We’re proud of our partnership with GM and the global collaboration we provide to support the company with this important vehicle launch,” said Gregg Sherrill, Tenneco chairman and chief executive officer. “The Malibu launch requires engineering and manufacturing resources in key regions of the world, and Tenneco has the capabilities in place to accommodate these needs.”

For North America production, Tenneco manufactures the Malibu’s hot-end exhaust systems at its Smithville, Tennessee and Seward, Nebraska facilities, and supplies converters from Litchfield, Mich.

Cold-end exhaust systems are produced at the company’s Cambridge, Ontario and Seward, Nebraska plants. Ride control components are manufactured in Hartwell, Georgia and Kettering, Ohio, and exhaust isolators are supplied from the company’s Suzhou, China facility.

Tenneco’s emission control technical centers in Edenkoben, Germany, Grass Lake, Michigan and Shanghai, China provided engineering and system integration support.

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