Piaggio launches Ape Calessino EV in Europe
Piaggio has launched a lithium-ion battery-powered version of its three-wheeler, the Ape Calessino, which is manufactured in India and sold in various European countries. While the standard Ape Calessino is fitted with a 422cc DI diesel engine, the battery-powered version is a limited edition model, only 100 units of which will be built.
Fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack, the electric three-wheeler has a range of 75km, a top speed of around 50km/h and a charging time of less than four hours. Piaggio claims the Calessino EV's batteries are good for up to 800 recharge cycles and 60,000km. The Ape Calessino Electric Lithium is priced at €19,900 (US$28,300) plus VAT, which is almost twice the standard version's price.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
Lithium-ion battery tech breakthrough
One of the things that's hampering the development of new electric cars - and the public adoption of existing ones - is the time it takes for EV batteries to recharge. With existing EVs, their batteries usually need a few hours to charge fully, while some EVs are fitted with a small IC engine that can charge the car's batteries on the run.
Now, Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder - researchers at MIT - have developed a new Lithium-ion battery technology that could allow electric car batteries to get fully charged in just five minutes. While explaining that technology is beyond the scope of this article, two companies are said to have licensed the technology already.
However, the MIT researchers' technology will involve a new approach to manufacturing lithium-ion battery materials, and production-ready Li-ion batteries made using the new technology are expected to be ready only by 2011-12.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
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