Trexa Electric Vehicle Platform Enables Ready-to-Go EVs

Before World War II, when most cars used body-on-frame rather than unit body construction, upscale automakers like Rolls-Royce, Packard, Cadillac, and Duesenberg offered rolling chassis upon which specialty coachbuilders would add custom bodies. This idea could be coming back, now aimed at engineers and specialty vehicle builders for test beds, prototyping mules, and even marketable low volume electric vehicles.

Trexa, a start-up company, plans to start delivering its versatile EV platform in 2011 at a cost of $15,999. This all-wheel-drive platform uses welded and bonded aluminum and carbon steel tubing covered by a fiber-reinforced thermoplastics shell. Electric vehicle components like batteries, electric motors, and power electronics lend themselves well to a low profile platform like this, which allows ready placement of a variety of bodies that can be permanently or interchangeable mounted. While the basic 1,250 pound platform has an 80 inch wheelbase, shorter 64 inch and longer 96 inch wheelbase variants will be optional.

The modular and scalable Trexa EV platform is powered by a recyclable lithium iron phosphate battery pack with an advanced battery management system. Distances between charges range from 25 miles with a 7 kilowatt-hour battery configuration to 125 miles with a 28 kilowatt pack. A four hour recharge time from a 240 volt source is claimed with overnight charging from 120 volt household power. Regenerative braking helps keep the batteries charged.

Featuring a programmable, gearless two-speed transmission, a Trexa-based EV should be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in the eight second range with a top speed of 100 mph. The Trexa platform offers fully adjustable suspension. A dual-motor drive system and variable torque distribution between front and rear axles would be optional.

The Trexa vehicle development kit will contain CAD (computer aided design) models for design and validation directly on the platform. Human-machine interface components can be used to program and operate hardware. Open source and user programmable electronics aids individual development. For example, developers could add range extenders, off-board chargers, portable power, smart grid plug-in capability, and other emerging technologies.

The idea of a versatile platform for many applications was proposed previously by General Motors with its AUTOnomy concept. Here, rather than the lithium ion battery championed by the Trexa, the idea was that a variety of bodies could all be fitted to one standard fuel cell propelled chassis.

Honda’s Solar Hydrogen Fueling Station Supports Daily Fuel Cell Vehicle Use

A new next-generation solar hydrogen station is now fueling Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicles at the company’s Los Angeles-based Honda R&D Americas campus. While in fleet use at present, the station is designed to ultimately be used as a garage-mounted home refueling appliance, producing 0.5 kg of hydrogen during an eight hour overnight fill to support daily commuting in a fuel cell vehicle.

The system’s many other advantages include refilling without the requirement for on-site hydrogen storage and the ability to work with the so-called ‘Smart Grid’ that’s said to be coming in future years. During the day when energy demands are at their peak, the solar hydrogen station can export renewable electricity to the grid, contributing to energy diversity and providing an economic advantage to a homeowner as well.

Honda’s FCX Clarity offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 240 miles. It’s fast-fill capable, which means that five minute hydrogen refills are possible to enable longer trips, but only at appropriate public fast-fill stations in the future. Honda is quick to point out that convenient overnight refueling at home via a solar slow-fill system and Smart Grid integration will cover most driving needs.

The ultimate aim of all this? Combining a fuel cell electric vehicle with a solar hydrogen station can work toward establishing a hydrogen society based on renewable energy, which Honda points out will reduce CO2 emissions and lead to energy sustainability

BMW to Introduce Carbon Fiber Electric Car to Market in 2013

If you’ve been wondering where BMW’s ‘Project i’ field study program is headed, the wait is over. BMW has now announced its intention to produce a radically different urban electric car in 2013, a departure from the more conventional MINI E and 1-Series ActiveE battery electrics this automaker has focused on in recent years. BMW’s four-passenger premium city car is dubbed the ‘Megacity Vehicle.’

Megacity is a term used to describe the largest population centers on earth. In these busy, crowded environments, many traditional vehicles are too large or simply too inefficient. The Megacity Vehicle is a purpose-built urban transport that’s designed and engineered from the pavement up for its intended mission. A pure EV, the Megacity Vehicle is actually the latest in a long history of electric drive vehicles from BMW. Forty years ago, BMW produced a small fleet of bright orange electric 1602 sedans to serve as marathon support cars for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Electric drive development continued over the next four decades with several notable concepts, then shifted into high gear with the current Project i program that launched in 2007.

The Megacity vehicle will break new ground on several fronts, not the least of which is body structure. While most lightweight cars tend to use unibody construction, the futuristic BMW will be body-on-frame. But this body-on-frame design is very unique, featuring an all-aluminum frame to carry the suspension, battery, and electric motor that will be mated to a carbon fiber body structure.

BMW’s design places the large lithium-ion battery pack mid-ship between the frame rails to maintain a low center of gravity. This location also protects the pack of 96 4-volt cells, which are wired in series and encased in an aluminum housing. Battery cells are from German supplier SB LiMotive. The rear frame section is a large cast aluminum structure that serves as a mount for the Megacity Vehicle’s 134 hp (100-kW) brushless electric traction motor. The rear-drive layout was in part chosen to maintain BMW’s legendary driving dynamics.

At half the weight of a steel body and 30 percent lighter than aluminum, the carbon fiber body is truly space-age construction. BMW has developed proprietary manufacturing techniques to make all the pieces come together and will produce the carbon fiber material through a joint venture with SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers at a new facility in Moses Lake, Washington. Besides being lighter, carbon fiber is also corrosion resistant and five times stronger than steel. We witnessed the results of initial crash tests of the body and frame structure while in Germany, and came away thinking it’s no wonder they make Formula 1 race cars out of carbon fiber. Simply, impact absorption and damping are impressive.

We will bring you more details on BMW’s ‘premium, clever, and clean’ Megacity Vehicle as this program progresses.

Peugeot EX1 Electric Concept: Wild Styling, Hot Performance

France's Peugeot is celebrating its 200th birthday. A company that started by building coffee mills and, a bit later, bicycles, Peugeot built it first car in 1882. With its 1995-2006 Peugeot 106, this automaker holds the distinction of having sold the most zero-emissions cars in the world. Peugeot soon will be offering a new production EV, the iOn, basically a badge-engineered Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It has now also developed a high-performance electric sports car, at least in concept form.

The EX1's radical styling borrows cues from two previous Peugeot concept cars, the 1996 Asphalte and 2005 20Cup. The EX1's carbon/honeycomb composite monocoque body is shaped like a ‘water droplet’ with the rear section built around two closely set rear wheels. The high tech material was chosen for it superb weight and rigidity characteristics and incorporates all of the mounting points for the mechanical components. The EX1 is a mere 70 inches wide and 35.2 inches tall for both a low center of gravity and great aerodynamics.

Powering the EX1 are two electric motors, one attached to each of the axles. A gearbox is not required. They provide a maximum output of 340 hp for spectacular performance, at least by EV standards. Peugeot claims it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.58 seconds and can reach its maximum speed of 162 mph from a standing start in a mere 6.6 seconds. The EX1 has already broken several International Automobile Federation approved standing start world records for electric-powered vehicles.

According to Peugeot, the 30 kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides a range of up to 280 miles, if driven sensibly. The EX1 can be recharged from a standard electrical outlet or by parking inside a custom-built building that includes solar panels on the roof. Electric power, stored in a separate battery, can charge the EX1 when docked in the building.

Entry for driver and passenger to the two, nearly horizontal sport bucket seats is via a reverse-opening door. The driver, who is seated at floor level, controls the EX1 with two control handles, like controlling a fighter aircraft or video game.

Occupants are protected by safety harnesses as well as by the height of the carbon passenger cell, which has sufficient overhead clearance to include a roll-over protection bar. Similarly, its wind deflector allows the car to be driven on a daily basis without a helmet.

The front suspension consists of a drop link double wishbone arrangement. Rear suspension is comprised of a single swing arm linked to a centrally mounted shock absorber, which is connected via a rocker arm to provide a variable damping rate.

The best video games for this Christmas

From shoot 'em ups to dance sims, there's an ideal present for everyone

Disney Epic Mickey; Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Professor Layton and the Lost Future. Photograph: The Guardian

Classics

Gaming families

For familes who already own an Xbox console the Kinect (£129) will be the obvious extension – with fitness games such as Your Shape (£32.69) and kids' games such as Kinectimals (£32.99), it extends the Xbox's appeal. Beware, though: if you've got less than 9ft in front of your TV, the motion controller doesn't work properly.

Traditional gamers

For the more traditional gamer, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (£36.99) has the stunning visuals and gameplay expected of the series. It does have a 15 certificate, but if you're a parent buying it for a teenager you can console yourself that they'll learn a little bit of history – or at least historical architecture – along the way.

Gamers who have everything

However serious you are about games, there are always one or two you've missed. Some careful inquiries should establish whether the gamer in your life owns brilliant compilation The Orange Box (£10-13), Batman: Arkham Asylum (£10-13 Platinum edition), Grand Theft Auto IV (£13-21 Platinum edition) or Uncharted 2 (£21.19 Platinum edition), a great one to play before the release of the third game in the series next year.

Reluctant gamers

If there's still a working PlayStation 2 in the house, there are a slew of classic titles they might have missed, chief among them the astonishing, Ico (around £25 used) and Shadow of the Colossus (around £18 used). A digital remaster of both games for the PlayStation 3 is coming in spring 2011, though: it's never too early to get ideas for next Christmas.

Naomi Alderman

New releases

Older teenagers Call of Duty: Black Ops

PC, PS3, Xbox 360, £55

This year's must-have shooter: exhilarating non-stop action and a decent cold war plot.

Younger teenagers

Dance Central

Xbox 360, £40

Brilliant dance simulator, which tests Microsoft's new Kinect controller to the limit.

Little brother or sister

Disney Epic Mickey

Wii, £40

An unexpectedly well-crafted action adventure, buzzing with Disney magic.

Mother

Professor Layton and the Lost Future

Nintendo DS, £40

Another fiendish adventure puzzler, perfect for fans of classic crime fiction.

Father

Football Manager 2011

PC, Mac, £40

An incredibly in-depth management sim – no armchair Alex Ferguson should be without it.

Keith Stuart

Samsung Galaxy S GT-19000

After Samsung's disappointing Bada-powered Wave, this high-spec Android smartphone pushes all the right buttons

Samsung Galaxy S GT-19000: up with the best smartphones

What is it? Samsung Galaxy S GT-19000, running Android 2.1 operating system

Category: Hardware Hardware and software

You'd use it in the... Home and office

First impressions: what is it like to look at, to hold, to use? OK, so it's visually 7mm away from being an Apple iPhone 3GS, but don't let that distract from the Galaxy S's sleek exterior. At 118g, the Galaxy S is slightly lighter than the iPhone 4 but not noticeably so. It's also thinner but slightly taller than the iPhone.

Thankfully Samsung opted for Google's Android (2.1) operating system for the touchscreen Galaxy S, making the phone much more flexible and intuitive than the Wave, Samsung's first Bada-powered device. With a 1GHz processor and a fair bit of memory available (8GB or 16GB, with capacity for an additional 32GB MicroSD card), completing tasks is zippy for the most part.

What does it really do well? Some nice additional features (vintage layers, for example) complement the device's 5MP camera, which also allows quick and easy sharing by MMS, email or social networks. YouTube video playback is sharp, thanks to the Super AMOLED screen, but the app can be sluggish to load, even on a strong Wi-Fi connection.

Most of all, it's a quick-response phone – allowing you to switch between apps and functions relatively painlessly. Web browsing suits the not-insubstantial screen well, despite the lack of Flash support – though the Bada-inspired font used on the Wave is easier on the eye than the Galaxy S choice.

What's the cost? Available for free on a £35 per month 24-month contract or around £400 sim-free. Not hugely expensive for an iPhone-rivalling smartphone.

What's it up against? The price and device specifications put the Galaxy S right among the best smartphones currently on the market. It's less expensive than the iPhone 4; you're getting a fair amount of bang for your buck.

Blind us with the tech specs, then: A Super AMOLED screen (embeds touch sensors into display rather than layering over the top); Weight: 118g; Dimension: 64.2 x 122.4 x 9.9mm; 5MP camera; front-facing VGA camera for video calling; 720p video recording; on-board FM radio; 8GB or 16GB memory, with potential for 32GB MicroSD card upload; 1GHz processor; Android 2.1 operating system.

What's it good for? Very nice for taking and sharing decent-quality photos quickly. With the Android operating system, the Galaxy S has all the potential – as opposed to the Wave which is mostly inhibited by running Bada. Of course, all this depends on how often Google updates the firmware and how quickly (or not, as seems to be the case) the various operators can push them out.

One in 10 contract devices sold in the UK is now reportedly running Android, a software that suits Samsung's well-made hardware.

What are its failings? I'd advise away from the Android Aldiko ebook reader, which was infuriating to use: slow to load, slow to respond to interaction and only able to fit 17 lines on the 4-inch screen. A weird stilted zooming inhibits an otherwise good browsing experience. And the browser address bar is unjustifiably big.

Annoyingly, even when the cursor is blinking in text boxes the touchscreen keyboard requires another (needless) selection before allowing any text input.

How big a pocket will I need (portable devices only)? Only 7mm taller than the iPhone 4, a normal pocket will suffice for the Galaxy S.

How long is the battery life? On paper: talk time stands at 803 minutes (2G), 393 minutes (3G), standby mode at 750 hours (2G), 576 hours (3G).

What's its USP? The big all-encompassing screen and its speed. The feature-rich relatively high quality camera also sets the Galaxy S apart as an excellent device, up there with the best of currently-available smartphones.

Rating out of 10: 8

Finally, is it worth it – yes or no? Yes.

Que e-reader killed before launch

British firm Plastic Logic abandons first-generation of its Que proReader device before shipping a single unit

The success of products such as Amazon's Kindle 3 reader made the Que e-reader unviable. Photograph: AP

The British technology firm Plastic Logic has abandoned the Que proReader, its pioneering e-reader device based on plastic electronics, without having shipped a single unit to customers.

Plastic Logic announced tonight that it was "moving on" to a second-generation e-reader, and would not sell its original product. The decision is a major blow to the company, which has spent years developing electronic ink technology that allows semiconductors to be printed on plastic rather than being based on silicon.

The Que had been under development for several years and was one of the stars of the CES electronics show in January, but it appears that the success of rival products – such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple's iPadtablet computer – means the original Que is no longer commercially viable.

"We recognise the market has changed dramatically, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product," said Richard Archuleta, chief executive of Plastic Logic. "This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers."

Last year the Financial Times and USA Today signed deals to offer their newspapers on Plastic Logic's devices. But the future of the Que was looking shaky after the firm refunded pre-orders in June.

Plastic Logic did not reveal any details about its plans for its second-generation e-reader, with Archuleta saying only that the company would "take the necessary time needed to re-enter the market".

The Que proReader was marketed as a product for business users that would allow books and newspapers to be read in an electronic format. There were two versions, both with touch-sensitive monochrome plastic screens. A 4GB unit that supported Wi-Fi and Bluetooth was expected to cost £400, and an 8GB version which included 3G was priced at £495.

In comparison, Apple's cheapest iPad costs £429, while Amazon will soon starting shipping a Wi-Fi enabled Kindle for £109. Competition from other e-reader makers such as Sony and Barnes & Noble have also helped to push prices down.

Plastic Logic was founded a decade ago by two Cambridge scientists, Sir Richard Friend and Henning Sirringhaus. They raised hundreds of millions of pounds to develop plastic electronics, a technology where semiconducting polymers are deposited onto a plastic surface. Advocates say plastic electronics will ultimately be cheaper than silicon-based circuits.

Critics, though, have warned that the technology is not yet mature. Because the polymers are effectively "printed" onto the substrate material, it can be hard to guarantee that they stick in a way that guarantees good connectivity.

"We are fortunate to have investors who are confident and committed to our company's long-term success in commercialising plastic electronics," Archuleta said. "We thank them, along with our partners and suppliers, and most especially our first customers, for standing with us to pioneer the plastic electronics revolution."

Plastic Logic declined to comment on reports that it is in negotiations with Rusnano, a Russian nanotechnology corporation, about an injection of capital that could effectively see Rusnano take control of the firm.

How mobile phone companies profit from handset loss

If your handset is stolen and thieves run up the bill you are liable for every penny. In no other area of life are consumers exposed in this way

It's time for mobile phone companies to pick up on unusual calling patterns early on.

When are mobile phone companies going to address the problem of handset theft and the absurd liability that customers face? Steve Jensen, who was chased for a debt of £7,000 for the last year by Vodafone, would certainly like to know, as would many of other victims of this issue featured in Guardian Money over the past few years.

Currently, when you take out a mobile phone contract, you sign up for all calls from the handset ... until you report it stolen. But if, unknown to you, a thief has got his hands on your phone and makes endless calls, you will also have to pick up the bill – however large.

Thieves, we understand, sell the phones on to backstreet call bureaus who then rent them out to users making international calls. That's why the bills can reach astonishing levels. You may have never called Pakistan, but that will cut no ice with the phone companies if hundreds of calls to Karachi appear on your account in a matter of days: you are liable until the phone is reported missing.

In no other area of life are consumers exposed in this way. If your credit card is stolen you have a maximum liability of £50.

Why have the banks developed sophisticated systems that detect unusual spending patterns? Because they have to pick up the bill. If the regulator, Ofcom, told the phone companies that an individual's liability is capped at, say, £100, they would soon institute bank-like controls. Vodafone declined to detail the systems it has in place to monitor airtime abuse and other phone companies have been similarly tight-lipped.

In Jensen's case it emerged that a text questioning whether he was making these calls was sent to his handset. Unsurprisingly, the thief failed to respond and the account remained open with the bill mounting up and up.

The phone companies have the technology to stamp out this problem but are oddly resistant to using it. It beggars belief that their systems cannot detect unusual calling patterns early on. Of course, consumers need to bear responsibility for looking after their phone – but a bill of £7,000? One can only conclude that the phone companies are profiting from crime.

• Guardian Money has highlighted the absurd cost of calling 118 directory inquiries, and the fact that so-called 0800 free-phone numbers are charged at 40p a minute from a mobile. After years of complaints from consumers, this week Ofcom finally announced it is prepared to tackle this issue. But don't hold your breath. It says it wants 0800 calls from mobiles to be free. It has also called for clearer charging structures to directory inquiries, and other chargeable numbers such as 0845.

A consultation has been announced, which is expected to conclude in the summer. As it is fairly straightforward, you would expect changes to come fairly soon. But this is the telecoms market and nothing happens quickly at Ofcom. We've been told not to expect concrete changes for 18 months. In the meantime, phone users will overpay millions of pounds for these services.

TikTok+LunaTik

The iPod nano watch kit TikTok+LunaTik is now officially the most successful Kickstarter project of all time.

The all-or-nothing funding site has had its fair share of successes in the past, but the TikTok and LunaTik multi-touch watch kits are on another level. The project reached its conclusion late Thursday evening, bringing in a staggering $941,648 from 13,511 backers in just 30 days. That figure is all the more impressive when you consider that TikTok+LunaTik’s original goal was only $15,000.

The project itself was born after Scott Wilson, the founder of the Chicago-based design studio MINIMAL, first saw the new iPod nano. When we spoke to Wilson last month, he explained it was clear that the device could be a great wrist watch, after seeing the size and shape of the new nano. Wilson wasn’t alone. To date, scores of companies have brought their own iPod nano watch straps or kits to market.

When the success of TikTok and LunaTik became clear, Wilson took measures to ramp up production at the factories in China. Through the course of the project, Wilson has offered up additional updates on the status of the kits, created a website for interested users who missed out on the Kickstarter pledge bonanza atLunatik.com and promoted other worthy Kickstarter projects.

When speaking with Wilson, it was evident to us that he recognized that actually manufacturing and distributing LunaTik and TikTok would be a massive undertaking. Coordinating with the factories, preparing packaging and handling shipping are not trivial tasks, especially when talking about an order of this size.

Earlier this week, just ahead of the project’s closing date, Wilson uploaded a video compilation of his trip to China, showing off his hands-on time with the manufacturing process.

These updates and this “inside look” at how something moves from concept, to prototype, to finished project, is part of what we thinks makes Kickstarter so special. Beyond just acting as a great way to raise funds, the ability to share updates and include backers in the journey is unique. Aspiring entrepreneurs are encouraged to take notes on Wilson’s approach to making the most out of Kickstarter.