Green Vehicles Inc.

Last updated

Green Vehicles Inc. was a manufacturer of electric cars that operated in California from 2008 to 2011. Their best-known product was the Triac, a three-wheeled car that never entered production.

Electric car automobile propelled by an electric motor

An electric car is a plug-in electric automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using energy typically stored in rechargeable batteries.

California State of the United States of America

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 9.7 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

Triac, by Green Vehicles Inc., is a two-seat three-wheeled car. The Triac freeway commuter Early Adopter program closed as of June 15, 2010; they announced in July 2011 that they will be shutting down all operations. Previously they had been accepting pre-orders for the Triac2.0 requiring a $500 reservation fee and an anticipated delivery in 2011.

Contents

History

Green Vehicles was co-founded by Ehab Youssef and Mike Ryan in the wake of a failed ZAP! dealership originally in Los Gatos, California. Disappointment in the state of the battery electric vehicle industry at the time led the small company to take on the ambitious goal of making the world's most sustainably made, energy efficient freeway commuter.

Los Gatos, California Town in California, United States

Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 30,391 according to the 2013 United States Census Bureau. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Los Gatos is ranked the 33rd wealthiest city in the United States. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with a population of 41,544 as of 2017. Los Gatos is part of Silicon Valley, with several high technology companies maintaining a presence there. Most notably, streaming and content creator Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos and has developed a large presence in the area.

Electric vehicle vehicle propelled by one or more electric motors

An electric vehicle, also called an EV, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a collector system by electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with a battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.

Efficient energy use Energy efficiency

Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature. Installing LED lighting, fluorescent lighting, or natural skylight windows reduces the amount of energy required to attain the same level of illumination compared to using traditional incandescent light bulbs. Improvements in energy efficiency are generally achieved by adopting a more efficient technology or production process or by application of commonly accepted methods to reduce energy losses.

In 2008, the company changed course, abandoning its manufacturing base in China for an 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) facility in Salinas, California in order to make changes to manufacturing operations more consistent with the principles on which the company was founded. Green Vehicles recently applied to the state of California and received supplemental funds to implement Design for Manufacturability and Design for Environment changes before increasing commercial production volumes of the Triac 2.0. [1]

China Country in East Asia

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area. Governed by the Communist Party of China, the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Salinas, California City in California, United States

Salinas is the county seat and largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is an urban area located just outside the southern portion of the Greater Bay Area and 10 miles (16 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River. The population was 157,218 as of 2016. The city is located at the mouth of the Salinas Valley roughly eight miles from the Pacific Ocean and has a climate more influenced by the ocean than the hot-summer interior. The majority of residents live in single-unit detached homes, built between 1950 and 2000, while one third of the housing stock has three or more units per structure. Salinas serves as the main business, governmental and industrial center of the region. The marine climate is ideal for the floral industry, grape vineyards, and vegetable growers. Salinas is known for its vibrant and large agriculture industry and being "The Salad Bowl of the World" as the hometown of writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate John Steinbeck, who based several of his novels there.

Technology

VEDA (Vehicle, Efficiency & Data Assistant)- an advanced IT system incorporating a proprietary BMS, data logging, motor controller access and navigation that has been introduced by the company. The company has held details close to its chest, but has said that the system will be part of the commercial Triac2.0. [2]

Navigation The process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another

Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, marine navigation, aeronautic navigation, and space navigation.

Motor

The Triac freeway commuter uses a three phase 30 kW Permanent Magnet motor, and has a top speed of 80 MPH and a range of 100 Miles.

Battery

The Triac uses a 144V lithium-ion battery pack

Models

Current

The Triac is a lithium-ion powered three-wheeled street legal car. Under most state laws, three-wheeled cars are classified as motorcycles. The first commercial deliveries started in November, 2009 as part of an Early Adopters program.

Motorcycle two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle

A motorcycle, often called a bike, motorbike, or cycle, is a two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long distance travel, commuting, cruising, sport including racing, and off-road riding. Motorcycling is riding a motorcycle and related social activity such as joining a motorcycle club and attending motorcycle rallies.

The company claims that the freeway commuter's design for reducing energy consumption, superior battery solution, and higher efficiency drivetrain offer commuters the most environmentally friendly means for meeting their daily transportation needs. Although Green Vehicles has not publicly released the name of their battery supplier, they have confirmed that they are headquartered in California.

Powertrain system that powers a vehicle; main components that generate power, deliver it to the road surface, water, air;includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive

In a motor vehicle, the powertrain or powerplant comprises the main components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive. More recently in hybrid powertrains the battery, the electric motor and the control algorithm are also seen as elements of the powertrain.

On July 30, 2010, Green Vehicles was awarded a grant for over $2,050,000 by the California Energy Commission to assist the company's efforts to scale up manufacturing operations in Salinas, California. [3]

On July 18, 2011, Green Vehicles announced it had ceased operations, citing a lack of capital. Virtually all of its funding had come from state and local government grants. [4]

Related Research Articles

Hybrid vehicle vehicle whose powertrain uses many power sources

A hybrid vehicle uses two or more distinct types of power, such as internal combustion engine to drive an electric generator that powers an electric motor, e.g. in diesel-electric trains using diesel engines to drive an electric generator that powers an electric motor, and submarines that use diesels when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids.

Zero-emissions vehicle vehicle that emits no tailpipe pollutants from the onboard source of power

A zero-emissions vehicle, or ZEV, is a vehicle that emits no exhaust gas from the onboard source of power. Harmful pollutants to the health and the environment include particulates (soot), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and various oxides of nitrogen. Although not considered emission pollutants by the original California Air Resources Board (CARB) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) definitions, the most recent common use of the term also includes volatile organic compounds, several air toxics, and global pollutants such as carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Nissan Rnessa car model

The Nissan R'nessa is a station wagon manufactured by Nissan from 1997 to 2001. According to Nissan, the name derives from "packaging renaissance for versatile, spacious comfort on wheels."

A123 Systems company

A123 Systems, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the chinese Wanxiang Group, is a developer and manufacturer of lithium iron phosphate batteries and energy storage systems.

Altairnano company

Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. is a company specializing in the development and manufacturing of energy storage systems for efficient power and energy management. Altair Nantechnologies designs advanced lithium-ion energy systems and batteries.

Valence Technology

Valence Technology, Inc. develops and manufactures lithium iron phosphate cathode material as well as lithium ion battery modules and packs. The modules come in 12 V, 18 V, 24 V, and 36 V configurations. Valence's products are used in electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) such as cars, scooters, motorbikes, and commercial vehicles such as buses, delivery vans and trucks. Valence batteries are also used in wheelchairs, medical carts, robotics, marine, rail, as well as stationary applications such as remote power, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), energy storage systems, frequency regulation and switching gear.

Electric vehicle battery

An electric-vehicle battery (EVB) or traction battery is a battery used to power the propulsion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Vehicle batteries are usually a secondary (rechargeable) battery. Traction batteries are used in forklifts, electric golf carts, riding floor scrubbers, electric motorcycles, electric cars, trucks, vans, and other electric vehicles.

Mahindra Electric

Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, formerly known as the Reva Electric Car Company, is an Indian company based in Bangalore, involved in designing and manufacturing of compact electric vehicles. The company's first vehicle was the REVAi electric car, available in 26 countries with more than 4,000 of its different versions sold worldwide by mid March 2011. Reva was acquired by Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra in May 2010. After the acquisition, the company launched the electric hatchback e2o in 2013. Today, the company sells electric vehicles in different segments – the electric CitySmart hatchback e2oPlus, the electric sedan eVerito and electric commercial vehicle eSupro.

Battery electric vehicle type of electric vehicle

A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. BEVs include - but are not limited to - motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, rail cars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars.

SB LiMotive was a 50:50 joint company of Bosch and Samsung SDI founded in June 2008. The joint venture developed and manufactured lithium-ion batteries for use in hybrid-, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. It was officially ended in September 2012 with both companies focusing on automotive batteries alone.

Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program

Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program is a $25 billion direct loan program funded by Congress in fall 2008 to provide debt capital to the U.S. automotive industry for the purpose of funding projects that help vehicles manufactured in the U.S. meet higher mileage requirements and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Of the 108 requests made, 5 were approved to receive $8.4 billion, with the majority of that amount under repayment.

Patent encumbrance of large automotive NiMH batteries

The patent encumbrance of large automotive NiMH batteries refers to allegations that corporate interests have used the patent system to prevent the commercialization of nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery technology. Nickel metal hydride battery technology is potentially important to the development of battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Others hold that the commercial development of nickel metal hydride batteries is the result of the inability of the technology to compete with lighter weight lithium batteries.

Coda Automotive

CODA Automotive Inc. is a privately held American company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that designs, semi manufactures lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery systems built for automotive and power storage utility applications. The company initially sold electric cars. Miles Automotive partnered with Hafei and Qingyuan Electric Vehicle to establish Coda Automotive as an affiliate company. The name CODA comes from the musical term for the concluding passage of a piece of music. CODA Automotive has said that it chose the name because its electric vehicle technology represents an end for combustion engine vehicles, and the start of the electric vehicle era.

Electric vehicle industry in China

The electric vehicle industry has been rapidly developing internationally due to a confluence of factors such as government support, industry shifts, and private consumer demand. The automobile industry in China has also begun to develop a large and reputable electrical vehicle sector, supported by both the private and public sector.

Wheego Technologies

Wheego Technologies is an American company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Wheego develops emerging vehicle technologies including: software, systems and tools for self-driving cars or autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and IoT connected devices for the home, business and roadway. The company is led by CEO Mike McQuary.

ElectraMeccanica

Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corporation is a Canadian manufacturer of an electrically-powered microcar. The company was established in 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Henry Reisner of Intermeccanica and Jerry Kroll, a former race-car champion and the former CEO of CRAiLAR Technologies. Kroll was also an MLA candidate in 2017 for the Green Party. He has previously developed electric drive systems in race cars for five years at the NASA Research Park in Mountain View, California.

Fisker Inc.

Fisker Inc. is an American electric vehicle automaker founded by Henrik Fisker, launched in 2016 and based in California. Fisker Inc. is a relaunch of the Fisker brand, which previously made the Fisker Karma under Fisker Automotive. Fisker Inc. is developing the EMotion, an all-electric sedan that will have a 400-mile electric range, as well as an autonomous, all-electric shuttle called the Orbit.

References

  1. http://earth2tech.com/2010/08/04/will-easy-recycling-be-a-selling-point-for-an-electric-car/
  2. http://www.4wheelsnews.com/2010-detroit-auto-show-green-vehicles-triac-all-electric-vehicle/
  3. http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/contracts/PON-09-605_NOPA.pdf
  4. Electric Car Maker Folds, Salinas Loses $500,000. KSBW. Retrieved July 18, 2011.