The Electric Japan column no48 reports on the latest achievements in developing rare earth free motors for EVs, Nissan’s confident sales projections for 2016 and increasing production capacity worldwide, as well as the fast growing charging infrastructure in Japan.
Switched reluctance motor with axial gap structureJapanese Tohoku University announced a progress in development of a new switched reluctance (SR) motor (motor not using permanent magnets). Adapting an axial gap structure to a SR motor, the Japanese researchers were able to achieve the same level of torque as in conventional motors with permanent magnets.
The research group measured a performance of a trial-manufactured SR motor with parameter 266mm and length 130mm. The maximum torque for a motor with output 7 kW was measured at 300Nm.
Recent increase of rare earth prices on global markets represents a risk to a faster uptake of EVs and HEVs currently using permanent magnet based motors. Increasing effort is being invested in improving the performance of alternative solutions such as magnet-less SR motors.
Nissan sticks to “1.5 million EVs by 2016” plan
On 12 December 2012 in Yokohama, Nissan’s COO Shiga Toshiyuki presented sales data of Nissan’s first mass-produced all electric car Nissan Leaf. Two years after the introduction to market, a total of 46,000 Leaf EVs have been sold (25,000 in Japan, 18,000 in the USA and 7,000 in Europe). Nissan, in cooperation with Renault, holds on to a plan to sell 1.5 million EVs by 2016.
At the same time in Tennessee, Nissan’s lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant has switched on its production lines. With the opening of the new facility Nissan’s total battery production capacity increases to level that accommodates production of 350,000 Leaf EVs annually.
400 charging points for emergency safety net
By the end of 2012, a consortium led by Mitsubishi plans to equip close to 400 places across Japan with 200V electric outlets for emergency charging. This safety net of EV charging spots will add to the already existing infrastructure of 3,192 regular charging and 1,380 fast charging stations in Japan (latest data from cocoju.jp).
Solar and wind powered charging stations
Japanese machine tools manufacturer Mori Seiki installed at the premises of its factory an EV and PHEV charging station powered by solar and wind energy and equipped with energy storage system. Two 30 kW PV panels suncarrier 260, a 10 kW windcarrier and a cellcube FB1Q-100 energy storage provide free charging to employees who own a EV or PHEV as well as to the corporate electric fleet. The charging station is about 20% faster then regular charging points.
The original articles are listed below in the order of appearance in the column.
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