NEWS

What's Happening in the Australia
September 2011
eRider forms partnetship with PDT Plugin Drive technology in the USA to bring to the Australian Public the best Electric Scooter / Motorcycle on Australia.

September 2011
eRider gets final ADR approval for the Thunder Bolt TD8 8000watt Electric Scooter / Motorcycle which has a top speed on 100kph

August 2011
eRider and Plugin Drive Tech have been developing a final fleet version of Electric scooter which is has been modified for mass distribution
to Dominos Pizza Enterprise in Australia which currently have a total fleet of 4500 scooters throughout Australia and New Zealand.

May 2011
Erider Factory forms formal partnership with CHL battery manufacting and share the same building which gives all eRider subsiduaries assess to the best Lithium Batteries in the world.
Its one of the cleanest and most professional battery factories that I have seen.

June 2010
NSW. 2011
Petrol costs to rise as unleaded fuel axed
STEPHEN OTTLEY MOTORING WRITER www.smh.com.au
June 19, 2010
MILLIONS of motorists stand to pay more at the petrol pump thanks to the state government's decision to phase out regular unleaded fuel. It is mandating the use of E10, a blend of 90 per cent petrol and 10 per cent ethanol, as part of its commitment to promote renewable biofuels. This is despite E10 being proved to be less efficient than regular unleaded. Although ethanol has a higher octane rating, it holds less energy than petrol. That means anyone using E10 could use up to 3 per cent more fuel than normal premium unleaded petrol. Besides, all cars built before 1986 are incompatible with E10; owners of those cars will have to use premium unleaded fuel with a 95 or higher octane rating. That will affect about 100,000 motorists when unleaded petrol disappears. The government has defended the decision, saying it is a necessary response to shrinking oil supplies. "Acting now to develop our local biofuels industry will help to make sure that we have affordable fuel supplies available in the future for all motorists," a spokesman for the Minister for Lands and Infrastructure, Tony Kelly, said. The NRMA safety expert Jack Haley said the organisation wanted to see the same strategy implemented across Australia. "We support biofuels generally because they reduce our dependency on foreign oil," Mr Haley said. Octane ratings determine the grade of fuel and how efficiently it burns. But with 91, 95 and 98 octane fuel on the market besides E10, it is confusing for many motorists. Experts say the difference between 91, 95 and 98 octane-rated fuel is about a 1 per cent improvement in power and fuel efficiency per octane rating. E10 now has an unofficial octane rating of about 94 because fuel companies simply add ethanol to 91 unleaded. Mr Haley warned against using the higher-quality fuel if a car is not calibrated for it. "There are very few vehicles around that are designed for 98 octane," he said. The government said it was considering an awareness campaign before next year's fuel switch.


Late April 2010
Erider launches their new ADR approved 4000 watt & 5000 watt Electic Scooters

Australia plans electric vehicle network
Oct 23, 2008
MELBOURNE (AFP) -

A US firm Thursday unveiled plans to build a massive one-billion dollar (667 million US) charging network to power electric cars in Australia as it seeks cleaner and cheaper options to petrol. Better Place, which has built plug-in stations for electric vehicles in Israel and Denmark, has joined forces with Australian power company AGL and finance group Macquarie Capital to create an Australian network. Under the agreement, Macquarie will raise one billion dollars to build electric-vehicle networks in the country's largest cities -- Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane -- while AGL will power the system with renewable energy. "We call it a ubiquitous charging network across the cities," said Better Place chief executive and founder Shai Agassi in Melbourne. "We are investing in Australia's economy and adding jobs while helping the country take a generational leap forward toward oil independence," he said. Under the plan, the three cities will each have a network of between 200,000 and 250,000 charge stations by 2012 where drivers can plug in and power up their electric cars. The points would probably be at homes and businesses, car parks and shopping centres, he said. In addition, 150 switch stations will be built in each city and on major freeways, where electric batteries can be automatically replaced in drive-in stations similar to a car wash. Under the scheme, which is likely to strike a green chord in Australia where the price of petrol is also notoriously high, drivers will pay to recharge their cars through various power supply agreements similar to mobile phone contracts. Drivers can pick a plan and rate that best reflects their car use. Agassi stressed that the deal was crucial as people would only buy electric vehicles if they could recharge them easily. Franco-Japanese automaker Renault-Nissan and General Motors are both planning electric cars to debut in the next two years, but Agassi called on Australian manufacturers to develop their own versions. He said Australian federal and state governments must now work out how they could encourage drivers to turn to electric cars, by offering sweeteners such as tax incentives or free power for the first purchasers. "It's more a question for the government for how quickly they want the tipping point (towards electric cars) to happen," he said. "Every government decides what they want to do. We believe that Australia, looking at all the alternatives, will pick the right mix for Australia." John Brumby, premier of the southern state of Victoria of which Melbourne is the capital, said his government backed the plan. "We support any initiative that will have positive outcomes in reducing emissions in the transport sector and welcomes this innovative approach to help make broad adoption of EVs (electric vehicles) in Australia possible," he said.
 

What's Happening in the USA & Canada
26 JANUARY 2010
Obama Receives e-Bikes from China
WASHINGTON, US - China’s Science and Technology Minister, Wan Gang (right) has presented two e-Bikes as a state present to US President Barack Obama and his Minister Steven Chu (left) of the US Department of Energy. As a symbol of their competitive products, China has decided to present a lithium battery-powered e-Bike as state present to Barack Obama when he paid a visit to China, holding the Sino-American Clean Energy Technology Co-operation Committee. Both bikes are equipped with lithium batteries made by Suzhou Phylion. As one of the leading lithium battery suppliers Phylion’s sales volume has exceeded 400,000 units for e-Bikes only. In a statement Phylion says: “we enjoy a rapid growth and we are awarded by the Chinese government as one of 21 stars of the future.” “Being selected as part of the “State Present” is not only an honour for us, but also a recognition for the whole lithium-ion battery industry. It will surely give more momentum to the development of Phylion as well as the lithium-ion battery industry.” The e-Bike is one of China’s most competitive industries with a volume of nearly 20 million units. It has become an important means of transport and has made an important contribution to energy saving.

LAS VEGAS, USA
The similarities are striking between the biggest bike shows in Europe and the US. Las Vegas Interbike, which closed its doors last Friday, showed the same busy and brisk atmosphere as Eurobike. This despite the fact that the US bike market, like the one in Germany, showed an 8% drop in shipments to dealers in the first six months of the year.
That this year's Interbike International Bicycle Expo that kicked off Monday September 21 with the first of two Demo Days followed by a three-day tradeshow event would turn into a record breaking one was unlikely. However, after the first Demo Day with 200 more stores visiting than last year, indications were already there that the 2009 Interbike Show would beat the US economy doom and gloom.
Despite the fact that with over 22,500 visitors total attendance was slightly down on last years number due to fewer exhibitor personnel; the number of stores that visited the Las Vegas bike show was up. According to the show organizers the total number of stores increased to just over 4,000. They noted that more shops from outside the bike industry (i.e. outdoor, adventure travel, performance apparel and winter sports stores) visited Interbike looking for products outside their categories.
Further, the organizers tallied that the total number of buyers were up to just over 11,300 which was mainly caused by the increase in the number of attending shops. International buyers increased to more than 1,300 representing 64 countries. Top 10 countries represented were Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, China, Australia, Japan, Italy, UK, Germany and Columbia.
So, was all fine at 2009 Interbike? No, exhibitors complained on the increased costs for putting up their stands. Maybe the workers (all members of the almighty Unions) at the Sands Convention Center wanted to make up for their losses with Interbike as some other major trade shows in Las Vegas have been cancelled. It contributed to the fact that a number of exhibitors calculated that their costs for a stand at 2009 Interbike was 2.5 times as expensive as at Eurobike.
Business wise Interbike was hampered by the current situation on the US bike market where bad spring and early summer weather combined with the state of the US economy resulted in an 8.3% drop in bike shipments to dealers according to the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association in its report on the first six months of 2009. It results in high inventory levels and with that dealers had little reason to order for the 2010 collections presented at Interbike.


13 April 2009
Ford Targets Tradsmen with an Electric VAN
12April 2009
Chicago Installs Solar recharge Stations

14 March 2009
Scientists discover 9-second lithium Battery recharge time.
A newly found lithium-ion tunnel allows electrons to flow freely during battery recharge.
Scientists have developed a way to reduce battery charging time from hours to seconds, opening up doors for its use in electronics and electric vehicles.
Scientists Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found a tunnel shaped lithium compound that speeds up electron transfer within the battery.
The scientists' lithium-ion battery could mean quick charging for electronics such as laptops and iPods, as well as more efficient hybrid electric vehicles (EV). The faster an EV can recharge its batteries, the more ground it can cover in a given amount of time.
This breakthrough may extend to recharge capabilities of other battery materials. Just as nickel hydroxide achieved fast recharge rates before lithium, other materials may have the potential to follow suit.
Battery recharge speed depends on electron and ion movement. Lithium ions tend to slow down when moving from the battery's cathode to its electrolyte.
Kang and Ceder found a compound called lithium-iron phosphate, which has a crystal structure that creates a tunnel for lithium to quickly travel through. In order to get the ions to the tunnels, the scientists coated the cathode with lithium-phosphate glass, which allows electron flow. The result: Recharge in nine seconds.
The commercial world is also working on extending lithium-ion battery technology. Oxfordshire, U.K.-based Nexeon raised £10 million ($14.2 million) in February 2009 to continue battery development. Nexeon investors see growth potential in the lithium-ion battery market (see Nexeon raises £10M for lithium-ion batteries).
Westborough, Mass.-based lithium-ion battery maker Boston-Power raised $55 million in venture capital funds in January 2009. The company is focusing on batteries for notebook computers, but also plans to supply products for consumer electronics devices, e-bikes, hybrid and electric vehicles, and other forms of transportation. (see Boston-Power eyes vehicle market as it gets $55M funding).
Santa Rosa, Calif.-based electric car maker ZAP designs cars that fit different types of batteries, including lithium-ion. For now, ZAP has set aside more expensive ultracapacitors and nickel-metal hydride batteries and is focusing on lithium-ion as their battery of choice (see ZAP: Low price, not top speed, drives electric vehicle market).

14 February 2009
Ready for the Electric Car Era? With new technologies and Uncle Sam’s incentives, battery-powered autos are getting cheaper and easier to find in U.S. market.

14 February 2009
Electric cars: a boon for Canada?

10 February 2009

A battery-electric version of Proterra's 35-foot transit bus, the EcoRide BE35, is equipped with a UQM PowerPhase 150 propulsion system. The lightweight, composite-bodied people mover features the 10 minute recharge-capable TerraVolt™ Energy Storage System, said to be based around batteries from Altairnano, and motors from UQM Technologies. The BE35 is being showcased on a four-city California clean bus tour, which began in San Jose on 6 February.
The PowerPhase 150 electric propulsion system produces peak torque of 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) and peak power of 150 kW (201 hp). The system has a continuous torque rating of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) and a continuous power rating of 100 kW (134 hp). The system also features optimized four-quadrant performance, dynamic torque, speed and voltage control, regenerative braking and system energy efficiency of over 90% across substantially all of its performance regime.
BE35 Features:
* Regenerative braking system utilizing the UQM PowerPhase 150 that enables the
* EcoRide BE35 to recapture over 90% of the vehicle's kinetic energy available during braking
* Flexible ProDrive and vehicle control system that can operate in battery-electric mode or with any small auxiliary power unit (APU) to extend vehicle range when needed
* A TerraVolt Energy Storage System, incorporating a Li-ion pack from Altairnano, with battery management system
All-electric components optimized through vehicle management systems to reduce energy usage throughout the vehicle's operating cycle

3rd January 2009
Advanced Li-ion Battery Maker Applies for $480 Million in Federal Loan Funds to Accelerate Output for Next-Generation Auto Industry

The Washington Times; Green cars coming to market Evelyn Kanter MOTOR MATTERS Friday, January 2, 2009

9th JANUARY 2009
RTEV Applying for $15M Loan

Bill benefits 'medium-speed' electric cars

REVA announces lithium-ion electric car and fast charge station

12th JANUARY 2009
Chrysler (again) works to design itself a miracle

G.M. to Make Batteries for Volt in Michigan

U.S. Army to Lease 4,000 Electric Cars to Use on Military Bases

What's Happening in the Europe
NERTHLANDS
26 JANUARY 2010
E-Bike Elected as 2010 Dutch Bike of the Year
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - For the second consecutive year the jury awarded an e-Bike as the Dutch Bike of the Year. Yesterday, at the trade show FietsVak Wouter Jager (photo) MD of Koga-Miyata was handed over this prestigious award for the Koga Miyata E-Light.
The jury has not only chosen the Koga Miyata E-Light for its electrical support, but mainly as a proof of a fine combination between a sportive bike and electric support. The E-Light is equipped with high-end components only, while the relatively low weight of 23.5 kilograms presents extra comfort to the rider.
Next to the Koga E-Light, two other bikes got a Special Award, the Gazelle Ultimate Excellent and the Giant Techno RS1. In their overall report the jury noticed that product managers have been paying more and more attention to the safety of the bike and its rider. The bike lighting and brake systems in general have become more sophisticated. Almost all bikes participating in the election were equipped with LED front and rear lighting in combination with a hub dynamo. The traditional wheel dynamo has almost entirely disappeared from the Dutch market.
Published @ 26-01-2010

Author : Jan-Willem van Schaik

UK
17th April 2009
UK Government plans incentives for Electric vehicles.

14 February 2009
Volkswagen, Toshiba Forge Electric-Drive Alliance.

Lotus working on range-extending electric vehicle; 2nd January 2009

What's Happening in the ASIA
3rd August 2010
China News
China world EXPO
PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pObxCXhf9-E

27 January 2010
China's Bikes & Parts Production and Export Hit by Crisis
SHANGHAI, China - According to China’s National Statistics Bureau, by the end of October 2009, total bicycle production of up-scale enterprises reaches 44.45 million units, dropping by 17.9% compared with the same period of 2008, the sharpest drop since 1996. During the first three quarters of 2009, China’s total export value of bicycle parts dropped by 24.7% to 1 billion US dollars. From January to November 2009, China’s bicycle export (by up-scale enterprises as well as all other bike assemblers) dropped by 20% to 42.75 million units. The number of bicycles exported to Europe reached 2.46 million units, dropping by 49%. The number of bicycles exported to USA reached 13.63 million units, dropping 22%. The export of e-Bikes dropped by 33% to 0.37 million units. The number of e-Bikes exported to Europe stood at 190,000 units, dropping by 10%. The number of e-Bikes exported to USA was 25,000 units, dropping by 63%.

12 April 2009
CHINA outlines plans for making Electric Cars

Beijing Ban could fuel Electric Vehicle Demand
The Baltimore Examiner (USA) by Jeff Siegel 2nd January 2009

Chinese media reported on Thursday that Beijing officials will soon begin taking more than a quarter of a million cars off the road. In an effort to ease traffic congestion and heavy pollution, Beijing is banning high-polluting cars from the roads at least one day a week. Drivers of these particular vehicles, which are known as "yellow-label" vehicles, will be fined about $15 if they're caught driving within the city's Fifth Ring Road, which is just outside Beijing.  The plan is expected to take about ten percent of the city's cars off the highway.

In addition to the fining structure, Beijing officials have also offered drivers up to $3,600 to give up their cars during 2009, as well as dedicated loans for transport companies willing to upgrade their fleets to meet lower emission standards.This is certainly good news for BYD Company (HK:1211), which has officially launched its first mass-produced electric car in China. It's called the F3DM, and is available in 14 Chinese cities. The vehicle gets about 60 miles on one charge, and has a top speed of about 100 mph. This is also the company that picked up $230 million from Warren Buffett last September.
BYD expects to introduce the $22,000 vehicle in the U.S. in just two years.
This, my friends, is what Detroit is up against. Click here to read full story

9th JANUARY 2009
Beijing ban could fuel electric vehicle demand