Archive for June, 2016
Nissan’s New Bio-Ethanol Fuel Cell Technology
It’s the usual problem with new sustainable fuels*. On the one hand, the inventors have come up with a great new technology that’s renewable but still produces lots of lovely energy that we can use to get our cars whizzing around the road. What’s more, it would be a piece of cake to install this in the typical production car (well, in some cases, anyway!). On the other hand, using this technique requires a fair bit of infrastructure to be in place. You need to have bowsers that pump out the biodiesel or the ethanol, you need charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (and you thought finding a charging point for your smartphone was bad enough), and you need hydrogen refuelling stations for fuel cells. It’s a real Catch-22 situation: the powers would be would install more of the infrastructure if there was more demand for these sustainable energy sources created by people like you and me buying vehicles than need the charging stations, etc. However, I, for one, am not going to buy a vehicle, no matter how eco-friendly it is, if I can’t give it the juice it needs to get moving because the infrastructure is lacking.
Things are slowly changing in the electric car and plug-in hybrid department. We’ve already got an electrical grid that works pretty well most of the time and at least a chunk of the power is generated from renewables. Charging stations are popping up all over the show, which makes buying a hybrid or electric vehicle more attractive. We’ve also got a fairly good history of using ethanol blends in our fuel thanks to our sugarcane industry, so it won’t take that much to increase the amount of ethanol or biodiesel we use.
The renewable clean technology that’s been a bit slower to get off the ground has been hydrogen fuel cell technology. This is super-clean burning, producing only water vapour as “exhaust” but powering our cars on hydrogen has some drawbacks. Putting in the fuel cell into production cars at the factory is easy. Fitting in a hydrogen tank is a bit harder, as these things have to be large and as tough as gnarly old ironbark tree or tougher. Then you’ve got the infrastructure problems, as hydrogen sources can’t be pumped from your regular bowser, as it’s a gas, not a liquid.
However, just last week, Nissan announced a possible way to sidestep the infrastructure problem. They’re in the process of researching and developing a new sort of fuel cell: one that uses hydrogen derived from bio-ethanol within the fuel cell itself to generate electricity to power a car. This is known as a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell or what Nissan has called its “e-Bio Fuel Cell”. This technology looks set to be released in countries where they already have a good source of ethanol handy as a byproduct of sugar or corn-growing industries. In other words, countries like Australia!
The process works more or less like this: first, the ethanol or ethanol and water mix gets pumped from a regular bowser into a regular fuel tank. The ethanol goes through the reformer part of the system to become H2 (chemically, ethanol is CH3CH2OH, so there’s lots of handy hydrogen). At the same time, air comes in through the intakes, and the hydrogen and oxygen head for the fuel cell stack. This generates electrical energy, which gets stored in the battery, which, in turn, powers the electric motor.
The aim is to have a vehicle that’s a nice, quiet electric car with no or very low emissions and diddly-squat of a carbon footprint (although the official Nissan press release didn’t say what happens to the excess carbon and oxygen left over after converting the ethanol). With this sort of fuel cell, it’s likely that Nissan will have a 100% electric vehicle that has better range than what’s currently possible with the typical EV, such as Nissan’s very own LEAF . On top of this, there’s no need for new infrastructure to supply the fuel and it won’t take ages to fill up, unlike the situation with plug-in hybrids and EVs today, which take a fair bit of time to charge, so you have to plan your plug-in time to fit your schedule.
It sounds like a real win-win situation: a low-emissions vehicle that uses sustainable fuel, is quiet, has decent range and is fairly quick to fuel up. It’s not sure at this stage when Nissan will be putting these fuel cells into its vehicles, but it shouldn’t be too far away, so watch this space!
* This was written before I spotted my fellow Private Fleet blogger’s post on the sustainable fuel issue. Great minds think alike!
Are Alternative Fuel Technologies Well Positioned to Take Over?
There’s been no shortage of news coverage lately with regards to the next generation of technology that will power our cars. Between automotive companies, governments, community groups, and independent bodies, it appears the days of petrol and diesel powered cars could be numbered. But just how well equipped are the alternatives?
Among the manufacturers: Mercedes-Benz have recently announced plans to release a 500km, five minute recharge electric vehicle within the next five years; Volvo plan 1,000,000 electric vehicles before 2025; Volkswagen envisage 30 of their own electric vehicle variants on the roads across the next decade; and Toyota are targeting hydrogen power (consistent with the Australian government). Crucially however, manufacturers are not alone – as well as an increasing uptake among motorists, European countries like the Netherlands and Norway have led the way in committing to banish the future sale of petrol and diesel cars.
Source: Forbes.com
In theory, the premise of hydrogen cars sound fantastic – a combination of resources that are readily available, with less degradation to the environment; a fuel that lasts as long as current offerings; and delivered in a way (by pump) that is familiar to every motorist on the road. However, to produce such copious amounts of hydrogen, it would be remiss to think that the process (be it, electrolysis or steam methane reforming) does not also create a burden on the wider environment – for instance, heavy infrastructure and transport needs, or the creation of carbon dioxide (respectively). Even the portable solutions being touted are limited in their ability to generate sufficient fuel for required purposes.
Similarly, electric vehicles are also a simple permutation – charging a car’s battery by way of infrastructure that offers a renewable source of energy. To date, the technology has been inhibited by a shortage of public infrastructure (on a private level, it is accessible), as well as inherent limits with the batteries of such vehicles – which often restrict drivers to a lower driving distance, and only after a lengthy period of time charging. Also, it goes without saying that such batteries require inputs, namely lithium, which involves a refining and manufacturing process.
What you’ll note among the plans from Mercedes-Benz mentioned earlier, as well as the latest electric vehicles from Tesla, is that there is a solution in the works to address the major shortcoming regarding vehicle range. But as with any technological development, it’s likely this will take time to bed down, and even then, we’ll continue to see incremental developments as we have with current fuel technologies.
The US has been one market experiencing phenomenal growth in the sales, and infrastructure development, for electric vehicles – particularly as Tesla offers affordable vehicle prices and charging costs continue to decrease. Similarly, European markets are among those with the highest uptake of electric vehicles, alongside China and Japan. With this in mind, what becomes evident is that the countries with either the financial resources (e.g. Nordic countries), or those with sheer population (to leverage economies of scale), are the frontrunners in introducing such initiatives.
While the Australian government might have plans for alternative fuel technology to head in one direction with hydrogen, it would seem most of the world sees things a little differently. And in much the way we’ve become accustom to charging our phones daily, it might not be too long before we’re doing the same with our vehicles.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Kia Optima GT
Kia’s Optima nameplate has been with Australian drivers for well over a decade, being launched under that nomenclature in 2001. Based on Hyundai’s Sonata, it’s been a quiet seller yet has a high level of loyalty. When the third generation was released to the Aussie market in 2010, it quickly gained recognition for its slinky, sexy, good looks. The latest version with a mild reskin, now comes with the standard 2.4L in Si trim or a turbocharged four cylinder 2.0L engine. Called the Optima GT, it’s this that A Wheel Thing spent an enjoyable week with.
Torque is the now seemingly standard 350 Nm for 2.0L turbo engines, available between an immensely usable 1400 through to 4000 revs. Peak power is 180 kW, at 6000 revs. The engine itself is a square bore design, with bore and stroke at 86mm x 86 mm. Drive is put to the ground via the front wheels, through a slick six speed auto, complete with paddle shifts.
One of the more subtle yet noticeable things (once you give it some thought) about the GT’s driveability is the lack of torque steer. For a front wheel drive car, with a good dose of twist across such a rev range, Kia have performed some magic on the drive train. Under all forms of acceleration, there’s no noticeable pull, no is there any lack of traction from the 235/45/18 Michelin Sport rubber. Bluntly, it’s a superb piece of engineering and greatly aids the driving experience.
As a result, it goes like a hungry dog after a thrown bone. Sink the slipper and expect to see the rev counter’s needle zing around the dial. Expect the speedo to change numbers rapidly as well and potentially see Kia’s quoted fuel figure of 12.5L of 91 RON being slurped from the 70 litre tank. Even if you match that figure it’s still good for 560 kilometres. A Wheel Thing saw around 9.0L/100 in a predominantly urban drive. Hit the other extreme of 6.3L/100 km and that’s somewhere in the order of 1100 kilometres. That’s Perth to Kalgoorlie. And back. Overtaking? Simple. Safe. Belying the 1605 kg kerb weight, it’s a matter of correctly picking the moment and then it’s done.
Consider the dimensions of the Optima and you’ll quickly see why that although it slots into the medium segment because of the engine size, it’s a big car otherwise. It’s 4855 mm in length, 1860 mm wide yet sits close to the ground at just 1465 mm in height. Lob in a wheelbase of 2805 mm and what you’ll get is plenty of interior room, with rear seat passengers getting loads of head space and there’s oodles of shoulder room all round. Boot space? A mafia pleasing 510 litres.
It’s a long, low, slinky and very much an aero shape, the Optima, with swept back headlights, LED driving lights (and LED interior lights, by the way), a high belt line and an almost coupe swoop for the rear window line. The “tiger grille” is bracketed in the lower front bar by sporty looking intakes inserts, looking as if they’ll divert cooling air to the front brakes.
The tail lights have been modified slightly, as has the point where the rear door roof section meets the rear window, compared to the previous model. A minimum ground clearance of 135 mm has the Optima GT looking as if it’s a low riding European sports car, which isn’t far from the truth.
The chassis work that goes into a Korean designed, engineered and built car to have it suitable for Aussie roads is astounding. Get into one and you’ll be driving possibly the best handling and riding car in its class. A Wheel Thing has lauded the updated Subaru Liberty and Outback range for the on road abilities they have, however the Optima GT takes them on and wins.
It’s beyond precise in its handling; point it at any curve or turn and feel the nose tuck in exactly where you expect it to go. Come down to a tightening radius corner and there’s no need for brakes as the nose follows the line in, communicating back to the driver’s seat the subtle and not so subtle variances in tarmac conditions. Undulations in the road have the GT barely move in the suspension as it rolls untroubled across them whilst unsettled surfaces genuinely seem to be reduced in impact to the quiet cabin. Even with the low profile rubber (which certainly helps in handling) the ride is just simply superb.
All of this can be enjoyed from the sumptuous cabin. Leather look stitching in the plastic on the dash, a sweet looking dash, spot on ergonomics, heating and cooling for the electric front seats (the driver gets eight way adjustable and four settings for the lumbar support), an updated look to the touchscreen (finally showing station info with RDS but no DAB, lacking that factor against its Euro and some Japanese competitors), 
the firm yet comfortable seats and the almost suede look and feel to the buttons. It’s fair to say the overall presence is better than its sibling, the Sonata. There’s the panoramic glass roof, dual zone climate control and a somewhat flat sounding Harman Kardon sound system.
The dash stays with mechanical needles for the dials; perhaps a move to LED screens would imbue the GT with a higher level of tech-look and ambience. What is techy is the wireless charging pad ahead of the gear selector, but currently only suitable for LG and Samsung phones. no surprises given the Korean origins. 
There’s also a heated steering wheel, surprisingly useful during the the cold snap Sydney experienced during the test. Yes, it might seem a bit wanky but cold leather look materials do benefit from heating on a cold day and this was a welcome addition.
Backing up the ride and handling is the comprehensive safety package: ABS, stability control, Hill Start assist, Emergency Stop Signal (flashing brake lights under emergency stopping), Blind Spot Detection and Lane Change Assist, an intrusive (but thankfully switch off-able) vocal speed alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, reverse camera, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning System, auto leveling and swiveling head lights, plus the usual curtain and front airbags (no driver’s knee bag?) and that seven year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
What should you expect to pay for the Optima GT? Kia says $43990 as the recommended retail price plus ORCs. That’s getting up there in price, thanks to the government charges, but there really is a fair amount of car for the money. Servicing costs aren’t bad either, with the first service due at six months or 7500 kilometres, oddly, not a gratis item, at $191.00. It’s $408.00 at two years/30000, about the same at three years/45000 but a hefty $769.00 at four years/60000…
At The End Of The Drive.
In simple terms, A Wheel Thing believes the Kia Optima GT is one of the best cars in its class currently available in the Australian market. It’s a gorgeous thing in the flesh, a superb handler, a great ride and except for those fuel figures, unacceptable in today’s environment, a cracker package overall.
There’s a wagon, a “shooting brake” in the works and potentially a slightly larger, more upmarket, REAR wheel driver version also.
The Kia Optima GT‘s details can be found here: Kia Optima GT details
Australian Aftermarket Association For Cars Seeks Better Protection
The aftermarket industry for the automotive field is a multi-billion dollar industry. It covers items such as oil, filters, light globes, seats and seat covers, wheels, tyres, roll bars, roo bars, lights and more. And there’s a push to make sure that you, the buying motorist, gets looked after. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) submission to the Australian Consumer Law Review demands better protection for Australia’s 17 million vehicle owners.
The AAAA wants a special focus on protection of vehicle owners’ consumer rights because of the high value of the initial purchase and ongoing maintenance, and the vital contribution vehicles make to consumers’ working and family lives and to the Australian economy.
Executive Director Stuart Charity said this Consumer Law Review is required because there is a significant power imbalance between consumers and the large global vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks.
“AAAA is uniquely positioned as a technically astute observer of the consumer protection regime for new vehicle sales and their ongoing servicing and repair. The 21st century is bringing significant change to the way we buy and maintain vehicles,” he said.
“The AAAA observes that Australian Consumer Law, while successfully delivering improvements in consumer protection, does not currently adequately protect consumer rights in respect to car purchase and ownership.
“Recent examples include the behaviour of VW in their emissions scam, the slow and imperfect responses by Toyota to their poor pedal design and by General Motors to its ignition switch fault. These cases affected millions of vehicle owners.
“There are sections of Australian consumer law that are subject to ‘creative compliance’ rather than actual compliance with the letter and the spirit of the law,” said Mr Charity.
Lemon Law
Another key issue raised by AAAA in its Australian Consumer Law Review is the lack of a clear definition for what constitutes a “major failure” for motor vehicles. “We need what is commonly referred to as a “Lemon Law”. 
The absence of an Australian Lemon Law leads to significant consumer disadvantage. Under current regulations, car owners are forced to return to the point of sale repeatedly for ‘repairs’ and often do not achieve a satisfactory outcome over an unreasonably long period.
“The AAAA supports the clear definition of ‘motor vehicle major failure’ used to protect consumers in the USA,” he said.
Unsafe products.
From the perspective of road safety, AAAA is concerned that there is no rigorous consumer protection to ensure owners learn about vehicle recalls and technical service bulletins in a timely manner. Mr Charity said: “At present, there is a voluntary industry code in place, which requires car manufacturers to advise vehicle owners in the event of a safety recall.”
“However, the manufacturer is not obligated to maintain contact with vehicle owners should they change address, or to advise the new owner when a vehicle is sold.
“Technical service bulletins include information on known vehicle faults and fixes that are not deemed by the car manufacturer to warrant a full safety recall. These important bulletins are not shared with the owners or independent repairers working outside the authorised dealership networks.
“The AAAA calls for a mandatory process to ensure car manufacturers notify vehicle owners and the entire service and repair industry of all safety recalls and technical service bulletins. Only a robust advisory process will ensure that Australians owning new and second hand vehicles are travelling in safe vehicles.”
Promote competition to empower consumers.
AAAA strongly advocates the principle that car manufacturers must provide consumers with access to data related to the service and repair of their vehicles and control over the data generated by their vehicles. “Currently there is no legal protection for consumer access to data stored in electronic log books or data exchanged via telematics,” said Stuart Charity.
“For example, AAAA believes that the owner should be able to assign permission to access and update their cars electronic log book to their repairer of choice, be that a dealer or an independent (non-dealership) workshop.
“Since 2009, AAAA also has advocated for a mandatory industry code that ensures manufacturers make service and repair information available to independent workshops for a fair price.
“A mandatory code will create a level playing field with both dealerships and independent workshops able to operate using the latest technical data. Consumers will then benefit greatly because they will have genuine choice of repairer opportunities.
“Current Australian consumer law is not sufficiently protecting vehicle owners’ rights. In many comparable international jurisdictions, the issue of vehicle data ownership is recognised and is protected through special provisions to ensure competition is maintained in this important market.
“Australia has made great progress in protecting markets and consumers, but in respect of vehicle ownership, we must do better.”
With thanks to AAAA Communications Adviser Barry Oosthuizen
Level 2, 9 Help Street