Here's proof of EFL's stenchWhat a con job this was! Wasn't this the year that they came in dead last and high school students (Methacton High School?) won first place - yet they had the gall (and probaby a bag of cash, wink wink winkety wink) to boast about their consolation prizes. Note that as soon as a real comnpetitor showed up (Toyota Prius) EFL's interest in the tour de sol dropped faster that a dress on prom night. You think back then I could have convinced tannin is was all a con job? No, he swallowed it hook, line, and Sankar.
About that initial PO - was that a con?
Maya 100 EV to Sell in Norway
19 May 2005
Electrovaya, a Canadian firm specializing in portable power systems and Tablet PCs, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Miljobil Grenland AS of Norway to market its Maya 100 electric vehicle and to promote the business of zero-emission electric vehicle technologies in Norway and neighboring countries.
Miljobil also issued an initial purchase order to Electrovaya, to support activities needed to showcase Electrovaya’s technology in Norway.
The Maya 100 ran in the 2004 Tour de Sol and won awards for Best Battery Electric Vehicle and the Technology Award. (A video of the Maya 100 in the 2004 event is available here.)
The Maya 100 uses a 40 kWh, 144V Electrovaya lithium ion superpolymer battery system that delivers a driving range of up to 230 miles (360 km) with a top speed of 80 mph (140 km/h). The batteries in the Maya are 100 Amp-hour modules purpose-built for electric vehicles only, and are designed to offer a 7-year calendar life with a cycle-life equivalent to 150,000 kilometers (93,225 miles) of operation.
On a 220V charger charging time is approximately 6-8 hours (overnight, off-peak charging). There is a 110V capability for opportunity charging. A rapid-charge option could be retrofit.
Electrovaya’s Li-ion superpolymer batteries presently offer an energy density of approximately 225 Wh/kg and 475 Wh/liter. The company has a research program underway to increase the cell energy density to beyond 330 Wh/kg and 650Wh/liter.
The Li-ion superpolymer batteries use a phosphate-based compound for the cathode, and a graphite/polymer anode. (Electrovaya uses a cobalt-based cathode for its mobile computing applications.) The company is targeting a cost of $270-300/kWh for the battery at moderate levels of production.
Electrovaya has developed its own system to handle surge power requirements in acceleration and hill climbing and associated battery issues such as thermal management, cycle life degradation and over-discharge.
The company has also developed a proprietary regenerative DC axial brush system motor with permanent magnets. The compact motor has an efficiency of 90%–95%, turbofan cooling, and a voltage of 120-150 V. Continuous power is 25 kW, maximum power is 42 kW. The peak torque is 200 Nm (148 lb-ft).
Pricing in the Miljobil deal is still confidential, but the current early adopter price in North America is US$70,000 for the entire vehicle, batteries and onboard charger.
Miljobil Grenland AS, a professional fleet operator and marketer of Clean Zero Emission vehicles since 1997, is owned principally by Skagerak Energi, the regional utility company; Norsk Hydro, a $25 billion leading European oil, energy and light metal company with operations in 40 countries; and Bellona, a major environmental