Friday, March 30, 2012

No. 474: The travel distance per charge of an electric vehicle grows longer (March 31, 2012)

Technology
SIM-Drive, a venture company specializing in electric vehicles, revealed the SIM-Wil II prototype EV that succeeds the SIM-Wil I launched last year. The company successfully increased the travel distance per change of the new model 30% to 351 km and secured indoor space comparable to that of a full-size car. The new model adopted a lithium-ion battery from Panasonic that has a capacity of 35 kWh, 30% higher than the battery of the former model. The new model weighs 49 kg less than the former model.

The new model has a body size almost the same as a small car with an engine replacement of 1,300-1,500 cc, but it improved the ride quality considerably because the indoor space is comparable to that of a luxury car. Because it employs the in-wheel motor system that incorporates motors in wheels, it has fewer parts of drive-train than the conventional vehicle. It can reach 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. The company plans to mass produce the new model toward 2014. As this case shows, technology of battery and lighter autobody is growing more critical.   

SIM-Wil II from SIM-Drive

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