REN21 – Global Status Report and Energy4All Global Tracking Framework Report

June 2013

In This Issue - News: REN21 Secretariat - News: EN21 Network - Upcoming Events Add the REN21 Renewables Interactive Map widget to your website to incorporate its renewable energy data search Keep Up with Us Subscribe: Newsletter Facebook Twitter Dear reader, REN21’s June newsletter 2013 reaches you at a moment of exciting and yet challenging times: the upcoming REN21 Global Status Report will again showcase an impressive increase in global capacity across all renewable energy sectors, with supporting policies spreading simultaneously; investment in renewable energy significantly increased in developing countries in 2012 while globally it decreased due to reduced technology costs and policy instability in some industrialised countries. New renewable energy markets emerged in many parts of the world such as in the MENA region as impressively highlighted in the recently launched MENA Regional Status Report. Concurrently, the international financial crisis and on-going tensions in international trade have challenged some renewable energy industries, particularly solar PV and wind turbine manufacturers. The emergence of shale gas in the US brings a new dynamic to the energy market. May saw the launch of the SE4All Global Tracking Framework Report, produced by a consortium of international agencies, including REN21. This framework will be used to measure progress on all three SE4All objectives: universal access to modern energy services; doubling of both the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. Given that the current share of renewable energy in final energy consumption contains a large proportion of traditional biomass (often used unsustainably) reaching the SE4All renewables objective will require a tripling of all forms of modern sustainable renewables. Several studies clearly show that the SE4All objectives are achievable however, not by continuing a business-as-usual approach but rather by a fundamental shift of the world’s energy system that addresses both demand and supply as exemplified by Germany’s “Energiewende” (energy transition) which just celebrated its first anniversary. This shift is vital given recent news that the world has world recently passed 400 ppm of atmospheric CO2—potentially enough to trigger a warming of 2 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels. Phasing-out of fossil-fuel subsidies is a key enabling factor of this shift, as stressed at UNIDO’s Vienna Energy Forum 2013 where leading decision-makers convened from around the world. The renewable energy industry is ready to deliver as recently demonstrated at REN21’s session on complementarities of different renewable energy sources at the IHA’s World Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower. Stay tuned to REN21 for the latest developments on renewable energy and featured specifically in this year’s Renewables Global Status Report to be launched on June 12th! Christine Lins Executive Secretary of REN21 News from the REN21 Secretariat GSR Sneak Peaks! It’s that time of year again: time for the Renewables 2013 Global Status Report. In anticipation, here is a sneak peak: 2012 saw a shift in investment patterns that led to a global decrease in clean energy investment while installed capacity continued to grow due to significant technology cost reductions and simultaneously an increase in investment in developing countries. Renewables progressively supplemented established electricity systems, demonstrating that the implementation of suitable policies can enable the successful integration of higher shares of variable renewables than was originally thought possible. 2012 also saw the emergence of integrated policy approaches that link energy efficiency measures with the implementation of renewable energy technologies. Read about these developments and much, much more.The full report will be released June 12th. Mark your calendars! An Emerging Renewable Energy Champion  The  MENA Renewables Status Report was released June 4th, 2013 conjointly by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), REN21, and the United Arab Emirates as an outcome of  ADIREC 2013.  The report provides unparalleled insights into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, an emerging renewable energy champion. It reveals massive growth in the MENA renewable energy markets: regional investment topped US2.9 billion in 2012, up 40% from 2011 and 650% from 2004.  There are currently over 100 projects under development with an anticipated 450% increase of non-hydro renewable energy generating capacity over the next few years. The report also provides an overview of the region’s renewable energy markets, industry, policy and investment trends, drawing on the most recent data provided by over 50 regional contributors and researchers.  SE4ALL The Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL)  “Global Tracking Framework Report” was released May 28th, 2013.  The report, written by a multi-agency team led by the World Bank, the International Energy Agency with contributions from REN21, will serve as a baseline to monitor progress in reaching all three SE4ALL objectives (universal access to modern energy services, doubling of both the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix) and identifies countries with the most potential to make “high impact” progress on sustainable energy.  Furthermore the report specifies policy measures to scale-up action. It also calls on countries, international organisations, private sector investors and civil society to increase energy investments focused on the three objectives by at least $600 billion a year until 2030, more than doubling the current estimated $409 billion.  Global Discussions about Renewable Energy Futures Our thinking about the future of renewable energy is out of date. It’s not 1990 anymore,” says Dr. Eric Martinot when introducing the REN21 Renewables Global Futures Report(GFR). Since its release in January 2013 the report’s findings have been presented  at over 50 speaking events in the US, Europe and Japan. The report dispels myths that persist about renewable energy, and underscores that given current trends and future projections and shows a future that is at odds with conventional thinking. The events have inspired lively exchanges with discussions about the evolution of future policies, particularly those needed to integrate large shares of renewables. Report findings have been presented at a wide variety of events, including an event hosted at the UN headquarters in New York, a seminar at the Worldbank/GEF, student audiences at MIT and the University of Colordo and as part of a keynote address at the 2013 “Pathways to 100% Renewable Energy” conference.  A talk at TEDx Tokyo focused on how reform of Japan’s power sector can lead to increased penetration of renewables. Click here for the full report and videos of selected events. New REN21 Team Member  Laura E. Williamson recently joined the REN21 Secretariat where she will reinforce the team in the field of communication and outreach. Laura joins us from HELIO International where she was responsible for developing and managing the organisation’s work on energy and climate as well as coordinating HELIO’s network of energy experts. Prior to HELIO, she was with United Nations Environment Programme where she worked on industry and sustainable development issues. You can contact Laura directly at:laura.williamson@ren21.net. News from the REN21 Network Launch of Energy Storage Campaign The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) is organising anEnergy Storage Workshop, June 20th.  The workshop is part of ARE’s Energy Storage Campaign which facilitates the transition of developing countries and emerging markets to a technology that ensures the provision of reliable electricity services.  The Energy Storage workshop, an official Intersolar Europe Conference Side Event, will be held in collaboration with ARE members and industry experts and will look at energy storage and rural electrification issues. At its traditional Networking Reception, off-grid stakeholders will have the opportunity to network, exchange information, ideas and experiences in an informal atmosphere. For further information on the agenda and registration, please visit this link. Monitoring Renewable Policy Effectiveness  Close to 80% of the world’s energy supply could be generated from renewables by mid-century. For this to happen the right enabling public policies must be in place. But how do we measure and monitor their effectiveness? What can we learn from Brazil’s experience as one of the first emerging countries to refocus its national energy strategies toward renewable energy? And from South Africa’s commitment to developing 42% of additional capacity in renewable by 2030? These are some of the questions posed in UNEP DTIE’s: “Assessing the effectiveness of policies to support renewable energy“. The report uses a Policy Effectiveness Indicator (PEI). Results from this indicator demonstrate the importance of monitoring policy effectiveness. While there is no “one-size-fits all” approach, a number of policy-design principles exist, which can dramatically increase the effectiveness and efficiency of renewable energy policies. Click here to download a copy of the report or here for more information on UNEP’s Energy work. Global Wind Report Released The Global Wind Energy Council’s  Global Wind Report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the global wind industry as well as a five-year forecast (2013-2017). The report includes 20, country-specific chapters, including a first-ever focus on the Ukraine and Pakistan as well as a special chapter on local content requirements, which continue to be a problem in a growing number of markets. Although policy uncertainty in the main OECD markets is a cause for concern, strong markets in China, India and Brazil, as well as the emergence of new markets in Latin America, Africa and throughout Asia will drive global growth over the next five years. Get your digital copy of the report here. More information on GWEC can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,  GWEC website and at Global Wind Day, to be held June 15th! Wind for Power Generation WWEA recently presented its 2012 World Wind Energy Report. In 2012 Iceland became the 100th country to use wind power and sees wind  as the third pillar of its electricity generation system, which is already based 100 % on renewable energy (currently geothermal and hydropower).  The report also notes that 2012 saw the addition of 44,609 MW, making it the largest amount ever and bringing worldwide wind capacity to 282,275 MW. The capacity of wind turbines installed in 2012 can collectively provide 580 Terawatthours per annum, more than 3 % of the global electricity demand. Despite only 19.2 % growth in the power sector (the lowest rate in more than a decade) the sector had a turnover of 60 billion Euro (75 billion USD equivalent). WWEA expects a global capacity of more than 500,000 MW by 2016 with 1,000,000 MW possible by 2020. For more details consult the full report. European Solar Prize Now Open for Entries EUROSOLAR, in collaboration with KfW-Bankengruppe, recognises important and innovative achievements in promoting widespread use of renewable energy through the annual European Solar Prize.  Now in its 20th year, the Solar Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious renewable energy awards. Applications and proposals are accepted until June 30th, 2013. The recipients will be celebrated at a festive gathering at the end of the year. Both those applications received by EUROSOLAR directly, and those proposals selected from submissions at the national levels will be submitted to the judges. The winners of the European Solar Prize will be chosen from the combined applicant pool. Click here  for information on how to enter, to find the online entry form or to know more about the previous winners. Best Practices in Geothermal Exploration  “Geothermal Exploration Best Practices: A Guide to Resource Data Collection, Analysis, and Presentation for Geothermal Projects” is aimed at potential developers.  The Guide outlines various methodologies and strategies used in geothermal exploration power generation. A typical geothermal development process from preliminary surveying through to power plant development is outlined. The guide was launched March 27th, 2013 by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the Word Bank Group, together with the International Geothermal Association in Istanbul, Turkey. Give the guide a read! Fact Sheet on Biofuels for Transport “Biofuels for Transport” is the latest fact sheet published by the World Bioenergy Association (WBA). This informational sheet highlights the complexity of biofuels as well as interlinked issues such as the production of biofuels and increased protein production. WBA’s fact sheets provide objective and up-to-date information to decision-makers on bioenergy opportunities. A compilation of these fact sheets will be available in a special edition of the WBA magazine ‘Bioenergy’ due out October 2013 . Two new fact sheets—‘Biogas’ and on ‘Road to 100% renewables’— will also be included in this publication. Click here for the biofuel factsheet. The Biofuels for Transport press release is available here. Australia’s Clean Energy Week 2013 & Clean Energy Australia Report 2012 The Australian clean energy industry is facing a year full of exciting opportunities as well as the challenges that come with rapid growth. The move to cleaner energy is now part of a strengthening global trend. Against this backdrop, the Clean Energy Council is proud to host Australia’s premier annual event for the industry, and by the industry. The Clean Energy Weekconference provides a vital opportunity for key industry players, policy-makers, executives and businesses to meet and share information. This year Clean Energy Week will be held in Brisbane, Queensland, July 24-26th.   Visit their website for more information. The Clean Energy Council has also just released The Clean Energy Australia Report 2012, which contains a comprehensive overview of the Australian renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors from 2012, as well as key figures and statistics on the energy market. Some of the highlights from the report include the generation of 13.14% of Australia’s electricity from renewable sources in 2012–a new record. There was also $4.2 billion in investment generated over the year and 24,300 people employed in the clean energy industry. The report can be downloaded here. EU Sustainable Energy Week 2013 The next edition of the European Union Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) will take place June 24-28th, 2013. The EUSEW is a European Commission initiative that was first held in 2006.  Hundreds of organisations and individuals participate annually. Through bottom-up efforts, organisers of EUSEW Energy Days—which includes events and activities—connect directly with citizens and energy stakeholders at local, regional and national levels. The combined results of EUSEW efforts are helping Europe reach its energy goals.  REN21, in cooperation with the European Commission will host an outreach event on its Global Statue Report afternoon of June 26th. For more information about the event,  contact us. For more information about the EUSEW clickhere. Renewable Energy Finance Forum Starting Soon! REFF Wall Street is the premier renewable energy financing event in the U.S.  It will take place in New York June 25-26th, 2013. This annual event attracts over 600 senior decision makers, financiers and professionals in the renewable energy finance field. REFF-Wall Street 2013 will address the rapidly changing state of renewable energy finance, and give insights about the path ahead. You can register for the event here. Upcoming Events – 2013  June European Geothermal Energy Congress 2013 Pisa, Italy,June 3-7 2013 |Event details Asia Clean Energy Forum (ADB) Manila, Philippines, 24-28 June 2013 |Event details EU Sutainable Energy Week Brussels, Belgium, 24-28 June 2013| Event details REFF-Wall Street 2013 New York, USA, 25-26 June 2013 |Event details July Australia Clean Energy Week 2013 Brisbane, Australia, 24-26 July 2013 |Event details September Brazil Wind Power 2013 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-5 September 2013 |Event details Windaba Cape Town, South Africa, 25-27 September 2013 |Event details October  28th EU PVSEC 2013 Paris, France, 28 September – 4 October 2013 |Event details China Wind Power 2013 Beijing, China, 16-18 October 2013 |Event details Local Renewables 2013 Conference Freiburg, Germany, 24-25 October 2013 |Event details November ISES Conference (ISES) Cancun, Mexico, 3-8 November 2013 |Event details 8th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition (IRES 2013) Berlin, Germany 18-20 November 2013 |Event details

Waiting lists lengthen for Fit EV as Honda includes Leviton home charging station with lease

Supercharger announcement from Tesla motors

Tesla announces a significant expansion of the Supercharger network. Supercharging enables Tesla Model S drivers to travel long distances, for free, indefinitely.

In addition to the expansion of the Supercharger network itself, Tesla has improved the technology behind the Superchargers to significantly speed up the amount of time it takes to charge Model S, in some cases cutting charging time in half.

Supercharger Announcement from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.

Autolib to launch US’ largest EV sharing fleet in Indianapolis

Autolib, the electric car replica of Paris’ popular bike sharing scheme Vélib, will be introduced in the US for the first time, and no, not in the EV-enthusiastic state of California, but in Indiana. As early as next year, French conglomerate and owner-operator of the Autolib scheme in France, Bolloré Group, will invest USD35m to launch the initiative in Indianapolis, capital city of Indiana.

Autolib is currently operational only in Paris but there are plans to begin the service in Lyon and Bordeaux (both in France) this year. According to a press release, the scheme to be launched in Indianapolis will feature 500 electric vehicles and 1,200 charging stations at 200 car-share locations.

Indiana is not widely known for its electric car movement, though Think, one of the first mainstream electric cars to hit the US market back in 2009, was manufactured at a plant here in Elkhart. The company has since gone bankrupt and restructured and the plant presumably shut operations in mid 2012 after finishing assembling the last few City EVs. That’s another story, however.

The new electric sharing scheme is supposed to be the largest such initiative to be launched in the US, compared to counterparts such as Daimler’s Car2Go electric drive (including electric Smart fortwos), which has so far been launched in select US cities such as San Diego (California) and Austin (Texas). According to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, the program will provide a great opportunity for downtown workers, residents and visitors to get around town in a car without owning one. And not owning a car also means not paying for fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking charges.

That should be an attractive economic incentive to many, not to forget the ecological impact of embracing car sharing, which drives such choices for a few. And that has to do with not just sharing an electric car, but a traditional vehicle as well. Nevertheless, how has Americans responded to the existing car sharing schemes? According to The New York Times, in 2012, about 800,000 people were signed up for car-sharing services in the US, a 44% increase from 2011, citing Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. There are about two dozen car sharing schemes functional in the US at present, including traditional players such as Hertz and newer companies such as Zipcar and Car2Go. The latter started operation five years back in Germany and now operates over 1,800 vehicles in six American countries, including EVs. World-over, Car2Go has some 275,000 members worldwide and according to Daimler, the only automaker which operates such a car sharing fleet, has reached break-even point in three cities.

Car sharing is certainly becoming increasingly popular in the west and by introducing electric cars in such schemes, automakers view it as an opportunity to make EVs more accessible to consumers, so that they can experience these vehicles and eventually and hopefully become potential car buyers. In India, however, no such scheme exists though there are several car rental companies operational here. Electric car movement in the country is still in its infancy and MREV’s e2o, a promising new electric car launched a couple of months back, is suffering a few setbacks in the form of high purchase price and lack of accessible charging facilities. Introduction of a car sharing facility can however make such electric cars visible on roads, boosting their popularity. The financial benefit also comes in play, and if the service can eventually become ubiquitous, it can also contribute to curbing congestion on roads.

Note: Exclusive Research Article of EVHUB India. 

About Author:

Priyanka Shekhawat is a freelance automotive journalist with a penchant for electric and hybrid vehicles. Having tracked the HEV space for years during her experience with Hybrid-EV, she strongly believes in the strength of plug-in hybrid vehicles and thinks the time for electric cars too will arrive.

Currently Priyanka is working as Research Editor at EVHUB.IN. She can be contacted at priyanka (at) evhub (dot) biz

For reading her articles Click here

Plug-In Electric Vehicles Will Reach 3 Million in Annual Sales by 2020, Forecasts Navigant Research

BOULDER, COLO. — While hybrid electric vehicles have largely been accepted as a part of the general automotive market in many regions, plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) remain a new technology facing the challenges inherent in all new markets. Nevertheless, according to a new report from Navigant Research, the combination of rising fuel prices, falling PEV prices, and increasing availability of PEV models will drive rapid growth in this segment over the next several years. Worldwide sales of light duty PEVs, including both plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), will reach 3 million units annually in 2020, representing 3 percent of the total light duty vehicle market, the study concludes.

“In its earliest days, the market for PEVs experienced both a great deal of hype and intense skepticism,” says Dave Hurst, principal research analyst with Navigant Research. “Neither scenario has proven true, as the PEV market continues to grow rapidly – about 150 percent between 2011 and 2012 – but remains a very small part of the overall global automotive market, with 0.2 percent market share in 2012.”

All of a Sudden, There Aren’t Enough Electric Cars to Keep Up with Demand

Electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and Honda Fit EV used to languish on dealership lots for months. A pricing war with aggressive incentives and cheap lease deals has changed all that.

Last year, Nissan sold about half the number of Leafs it had anticipated, marking two years in a row of disappointing sales for the electric car pioneer. One of the factors holding the Leaf back from appealing to the masses has been the upfront price premium drivers have had to pay for the cars, when compared with similar vehicles that run on plain old gas.
Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/06/18/all-of-a-sudden-there-arent-enough-electric-cars-to-keep-up-with-demand/#ixzz2WaPjRuxO

Green Fleet Roundup: Smith Electric Vehicles, Volvo, Linde, ChargePoint

Smith Electric Vehicles has produced more than 700 all-electric Edison and Newton trucks (pictured), which have cumulatively generated more than 5 million miles on the road, offsetting an estimated 700,000 gallons of fuel and eliminating more than 10,000 short tons of greenhouse gases, the company says. Smith Electric fleet customers can save about 70 percent annually on fuel and maintenance during the life of the vehicle, the company says.

Volvo Group has launched an electric bus-serviceinitiative, called ElectriCity, in Gothenburg, Sweden. Beginning in 2015, the electric buses will run between Johanneberg Science Park adjacent to Chalmers and Lindholmen Science Park in Hisingen.

Linde North America is purchasing 20 liquefied natural gas-fueled trucks. The trucks, expected to be deployed later this year, will be integrated into Linde’s fleet of more than 700 trucks carrying cryogenic gases to customers throughout North America.

ChargePoint has completed its ChargePoint America Program with more than 4,600 shipments and installations of its home, public and commercial charging ports for electric vehicles. The program provides data to the US Energy Department through Idaho National Laboratory. The data, in turn, are publicly reported to help researchers, municipal planners, and other stakeholders learn more about where EVs are charged, when and how much energy is used.

Read Complete article @ environmentalleader

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Tesla looking to make electric vehicles mainstream

While other federally backed “green technology” companies like Waltham’s A123 Systems have flopped, electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. posted a profit in the first quarter of 2013. The California company has repaid its federal loans and earned rave reviews for its latest car. But Tesla is fighting for the right to sell its cars directly to consumers, instead of through dealers. Globe reporter Hiawatha Bray recently chatted with Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s vice president of business development.

Other electric cars are rather plain. Your Model S is dazzling.

It competes in the category of Mercedes, BMW-class vehicles, has performance, acceleration that is as good or better than all those models. But most important for an electric vehicle, it achieves 265 miles of range on a single charge.

How long does it take to charge?

It really depends. If you’re using your household circuit it takes several hours. If you use one of our superchargers, which we’re installing on major interstates and arteries — we’ll be doing one here on I-90 in Sturbridge — you can recover 150 miles in 30 minutes or less.

Other than being electric, what’s so great about this car?

This car was not to be a great electric car. It was designed to be a great car. The car won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award late last year. It was just rated by Consumer Reports as the best vehicle they’ve ever tested.

But this Model S with all the options costs about $100,000. Few people could afford it.

The base price of our first car was $109,000. The base price of this car, $64,000. The whole purpose is to get to a mass-market $30,000 EV [electric vehicle], and we think we can get there within three or four years. Like so many technology companies, you start with a high-price, low-volume offering. Think about the $3,000 cellphone of 1984.

Read Complete article @ BOSTONGLOBE

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Renault May Make Electric Cars in China

CHENNAI, India—French auto maker Renault SA RNO.FR +1.17% said it is considering making electric vehicles in China as part of a proposed $1.2 billion joint venture that would give it greater access to the world’s biggest car market by volume.

Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares said Renault received approval from China’s environment ministry to set up the joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co.0489.HK -0.35% The proposal includes a green-vehicle component.

The approval is one of several needed from government departments before the venture can move ahead.

The planned 7.2 billion yuan joint venture will have annual production capacity of 150,000 passenger vehicles, including sport-utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles, China’s Hubei Environmental Protection Bureau said in January. According to the bureau, the joint venture will have a factory at Wuhan, the capital of central Hubei province.

Mr. Tavares didn’t say how much of the proposed plant’s output would be electric cars.

Read Complete article @ WSJ.COM

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Taking Charge: Electric cars hailed as cost-effective, increasingly convenient vehicles

WESTPORT — When Bruce Becker leaves his barn-style home each morning, he starts what some consider the commute of the future.

He unhooks his BMW ActiveE from the charger wired to solar panels on his roof. Settling into the driver’s seat, he taps a button that makes his car purr about as loud as a tiny kitten. Finally, he steers the quick-to-accelerate, easy-to-handle sedan 10 miles to his architecture firm in Fairfield — where he plugs it back in to a public charger.

“It’s as much fun to drive as any car I’ve ever had,” he said.

It’s also as cheap to drive a car as he’s ever had. That became more apparent last week, when the U.S. Department of Energy unveiled its “eGallon” calculator, an online tool that compares the price of powering electric cars to fueling similar models that are gasoline powered.

Read Complete article @ CTPOST

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(Exclusive research article) Germany’s new tax incentive to corporate EV users: too little, too late

In what might come across as slight relief to the nascent electric car movement in Germany, legislators in the country have voted in favor of new tax incentives for drivers of zero emission corporate cars. Earlier this month, the new legislation took effect which private users can enjoy discounts in the list price with EUR500 per unit of the battery size in their electric vehicles. The incentive goes to a maximum of EUR10,000 and would be applicable on a vehicle with a 20 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery.

The new law can help raise popularity of electric cars in corporate fleets. Private use of corporate vehicles in the country amounts to taxable income at a monthly rate of 1% of the vehicle’s gross price. EVs, because of their high purchase price, have therefore been subject to higher taxes, affecting users’ preferences.  According to a Reuters report citing Head of the German International Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK) Volker Lange, this represents a long overdue step to make the use of electric cars more attractive for commercial customers.

The new incentive will apply to both pure electric cars such as Nissan LEAF and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) such as Chevrolet Volt – better known in Europe as Opel Ampera. According to Reuters, for a person paying a 30% income tax rate and driving a corporate car with a 20kWh or more battery, the new incentive will create annual savings of EUR360.

In a separate initiative, an electric car sharing research project was launched by the Fraunhofer institute and eight other partners this week. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the project targets some 100,000 companies which operate corporate fleets, to become part of the electric car sharing program, which would help these enterprises not only cut vehicle acquisition and maintenance costs, but also use a cost effective and eco-friendly way of operating shared electric car fleets. The scheme is set to get implemented in early 2014.

Even with the new incentive and little ad-hoc projects from supporting agencies, Germany is far behind its European counterparts in terms of initiatives to make electric cars more affordable and accessible to buyers. Countries such as Estonia, Norway and France are marching ahead with very attractive incentives on EVs, even when the countries do not particularly boast of any strong automotive market. Germany, on the other hand, is Europe’s largest automotive market but with little in the name of any subsidies for EV buyers. The UK and France, the second and third largest auto markets both have subsidies in place for years now, which are gradually but steadily helping improve sales of zero emission vehicles in the region. The UK offers GBP5,000 in plug-in car grants while discounts up to EUR5,000 are available in France.

What makes it further complicated is that Germany harbors an ambition to have one million electric cars on the road by 2020. In 2012, only about 3,000 units were sold, according to Reuters. At a time when the European auto industry is reeling under immense pressure from the economic crisis, leading to abating new car sales for over eighteen months in a row, one can’t expect much from the government in terms of directing any sizable funding to boost electric car sales. In Germany, new car sales dipped 13% during the first three months of 2013. At the same time, can it not be seen as an opportunity to push the niche sector? Electric cars are known to be low on operational costs and therefore potentially attractive to customers looking to regulate their household expenses. Only if the upfront prices of such vehicles could get some relief with discounts or tax incentives, it could eventually lead to improved new car purchases, boosting the overall market, even though the contribution would be tiny at this stage. This could however be an ideal starting point for the country to take some pro-active measures to boost EV market.

German automakers’ increasing involvement in electric car space could also prove to be a catalyst for the movement. Recently, Chairman of the BMW Group, Norbert Reithofer, condemned German consumers to be too skeptical on adopting EVs. “Whenever fundamental changes are in the offing in this country, people get fearful and start discussing things the whole time” he said. BMW is quite optimistic on the prospects of its flagship electric car i3, which is set to be launched later this year, with deliveries in the US to begin in early 2014. The vehicle shows ample promise though estimated at a price tag of USD40,000, somewhat dampening its prospects for average car buyers. Incentives could be of help, especially in BMW’s home ground, especially if the automaker is to see i3 become a money-spinner, as it projects. Renault Zoe is another promising model nearing its launch in the European market.

Note: Exclusive Research Article of EVHUB India. 

About Author:

Priyanka Shekhawat is a freelance automotive journalist with a penchant for electric and hybrid vehicles. Having tracked the HEV space for years during her experience with Hybrid-EV, she strongly believes in the strength of plug-in hybrid vehicles and thinks the time for electric cars too will arrive.

Currently Priyanka is working as Research Editor at EVHUB.IN. She can be contacted at priyanka (at) evhub (dot) biz

For reading her articles Click here

Industrial revolution or just a renovation? 3D printing looks set to pack a $4B punch by 2025.

10th June 2013

Industrial revolution or just a renovation? 3D printing looks set to pack a $4B punch by 2025.

IDTechEx, Cambridge, UK

www.IDTechEx.com 

Rapid growth

3D printing has come of age, surpassing $1B in revenues during 2012 and with growth expected to continue across all target markets to 2025. Across the board printer manufacturers are reporting a surge in sales, some cannot meet demand, as awareness of the technologies and what they offer grows.

Highest growth will be seen in the medical and dental fields, as well as the jewellery, designer products, and architectural areas, although this will not be monotonic as 3D printing locks into the capital investment cycles of the aerospace and automotive industries, as discussed in the new report from IDTechEx “3D Printing 2013-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players” 

Figure 1: Market size by applicational sector in US$ million

Source: IDTechEx report “3D Printing 2013-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players” (www.IDTechEx.com/3D  )

Growth will also be relatively strong in the aerospace sector, especially towards the end of the period considered (2025), by which point aerospace companies expect to be employing 3D printing with a vengeance as qualification hurdles are jumped.

Several capex cycles in manufacturing industries are now turning over which will drive a relatively modest fall in the market in coming years with an expected compound annual growth rate of about 7.5% for the period 2012-2016.

A (nearly) unique selling point

3D printing opens up the opportunity for the introduction of cheap complexity into manufacturing. Unitized, albeit currently relatively small, structures can be printed which either could not be manufactured via alternative means, or would have been prohibitively expensive to do so.

Avenues for cost effective mass customisation now exist, a fact that has not been missed in the medical fields who are increasingly adopting 3D printing for the manufacture of prosthetics and orthopaedic implants which are optimized to a particular patient through CT or MRI scan data.

Swedish Arcam AB claim that more than 20,000 implants have been generated via its electron beam melting technology which now has both CE-certification and, more recently, has been FDA-cleared.

The generation of customised implants derived from CT or MRI scans is not a novel concept however and a number of medical device companies worldwide have for many years been using CNC machines (see below) to do exactly that. Whilst 3D printers are certainly capable of generating more complex structures, CNC machines are compatible with a wider range of materials and do not suffer from some of the weaknesses which can be associated to 3D printed parts. Many orthopaedic implants are also relatively simple in structure.

Figure 2: High speed CNC milling of a knee joint

Source: Siemens

3D printer manufacturers must place themselves clearly in this market against an incumbent technology in order to ensure that the medical sector clearly understand the benefits offered.

Potential for low volume high value manufacturing also exists in the aerospace industry, and ducts within the F-18 military aircraft for example are already 3D printed in engineered plastic. Qualification of processes and materials remains an issue in this field, as does the limited size of unitized components that can currently be printed.

Geographic breakdown

The market for 3D printers is strong in the USA with activity also picking up in Europe, although Asia remains relatively weak for now (see figure 3).

Figure 3: Revenue breakdown by region, 2012

Source: IDTechEx

China has not yet seen much commercial activity in 3D printing, although academic centres have been rigorously publishing in the academic journals on the subject. Revenues for exports of Chinese printer manufacturers remain in excess of their domestic sales.

Report

The report 3D Printing 2013-2025: Technologies, Markets, Players  will give the reader a broad and yet detailed overview of 3D printing and knowledge of the key organisations engaged in relevant industrial R&D or academic research. Insights into end-user requirements and perspectives will also be gained together with the challenges ahead for 3D printing. Detailed market data and forecast are provided from 2012 through to 2025.

A 3rd industrial revolution is unlikely, but an industrial renovation is certainly on the cards.

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IDTechEx have published over 70 reports on Printed Electronics, Photovoltaics, Energy Harvesting, Energy Storage, Electric Vehicles, RFID and New Electronic Materials and Devices. Visit www.IDTechEx.com/research  for more information or contact us on research@IDTechEx.com

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Santa Clara, CA

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November 20-21

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Hyundai begins commercial endeavor on fuel cell cars, delivers first assembly built ix35s in Europe

Copenhagen

10 June 2013

Vehicle can travel almost 600km on single refueling

South Korean automaker Hyundai began deliveries of its first assembly-line produced fuel cell cars, dubbed ix35, in Copenhagen, Denmark, earlier last week. According to a news release, the ix35s are the first ones to be produced on an assembly line. Hyundai had so far produced prototype and test variants of the model, and had recently announced to put the vehicle into mass production.

The fuel cell car is equipped with a 100 kilowatt (kW) electric motor, and can top a maximum speed of 160km per hour. The vehicle features two hydrogen storage tanks located between the vehicle’s rear axle which can power the vehicle for a total of 594km on a single fuelling, which takes a few minutes.

The 15 hydrogen vehicles delivered in Denmark are part of the European HyTEC project, which aims to create two hydrogen vehicle deployment centers, in Copenhagen and London each. Under the same project last year, five hydrogen fuel cell black cabs were deployed in London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Hyundai is not alone in its endeavor to push hydrogen vehicles on a commercial scale, aiming to bring hydrogen cars to the market by 2015. Automakers including Toyota, Daimler, Nissan and other major OEMs have set 2015-timelines for market introduction of fuel cell cars. In an discussion last year, renowned fuel cell expert John Trocciola told me that 2015 deadline was achievable, considering the technical hurdles in way of fuel cell car development were mostly solved. Various prototype vehicles from automakers under use demonstrate that observation, though price would remain a barrier to their mass scale adoption.

Toyota recently estimated that their first fuel cell car, to be out sometime in 2015,  could cost between USD50,000 and USD100,000. The vehicle is intended to be launched initially in the US market, though considering the not so bright response to electric vehicles in general, it would be hard to assume that a vehicle as expensive as that can find many takers to begin with. However, the focus needs to remain on market introduction as that would help build confidence in the new technology, paving way for further adoption.

In a recent research report published by Navigant Research, fuel cell cars are estimated to reach the 1,000 mark in 2015, eventually surpassing 2 million vehicles annually by 2030. In 2011-2012, there were some 500 new fuel cell cars put on road, presumably for testing purposes.

About Author:

Priyanka Shekhawat is a freelance automotive journalist with a penchant for electric and hybrid vehicles. Having tracked the HEV space for years during her experience with Hybrid-EV, she strongly believes in the strength of plug-in hybrid vehicles and thinks the time for electric cars too will arrive.

Currently Priyanka is working as Research Editor at EVHUB.IN. She can be contacted at priyanka (at) evhub (dot) biz

For reading her articles Click here

Survey to understand perception of electric cars, and expectations

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