Rise of the Electric Vehicles - the IDTechEx electric vehicle event in San Jose, California

The inaugural IDTechEx electric vehicle event in San Jose, California was a great success and it will now be repeated annually in three continents. The range of different electric vehicles on display was fascinating such as a Hawkes Ocean Technologies submarine, a 200 mph silent Formula One Racing car from Kleenspeed, etc.

BMW, Nissan and Fiat provided fascinating views and announcements as well. Detailed market statistics for all types of electric vehicle were shared at the event.

Professor Pietro Perlo of Fiat Central Research insisted that, for maximum benefits, vehicles must be "born electric". He is developing small pure electric cars because they have the clearest business case, being lower cost, not just non-polluting at point of use. However, he is cautious about the first generation in-wheel motors. Others are using them confidently.

On-road vehicle makers shun third generation traction batteries such as lithium sulfur, fearing for safety, but they are already used in electric aircraft and military off road vehicles. 1kWh/kg is achieved with lithium air and lithium water, where carbonate based electrolytes have proved a dead end. Presenter PolyPlus Battery Company claimed to have cracked this problem, having moved on from lithium sulfur focus. Indeed, with its compliant seal, its batteries are pressure tolerant for EVs at great depths under the ocean and rival the energy density of gasoline. 1 kWh/liter and 600 wh/kg are being targeted under a recent ARPA-E grant. This work and that of Sion Energy on lithium sulfur target 300 miles affordable range for pure electric land and air vehicles. Toyota and IBM recognise that here is the future. Meanwhile, 1.3 kWh/kg and 700 Wh/liter has been achieved with a damage tolerant lithium water battery for marine use that has no self-discharge. A pilot line is planned next.

Future of Electric Vehicles Europe will take place in June 2011 in Munich, Germany. Visit www.idtechex.com/evEurope for more info

UK Insurance tips

Talking about my driving experience in Malaysia to some friends. I was relating how much fun it is to drive in Malaysia even though I could only afford a Proton, the national car as imported cars had a tax of up to 300%. At that time petrol cost me less than RM1per litre (approx 20p), though I heard that it has now increased to around RM2 (approx 40p). Compare that with £1.20/ litre in the UK now.

Furthermore, the car insurance was pretty cheap  and if you didn't have any accidents, it becomes cheaper every year. Here in the UK, I have no idea why, but the insurance we pay seems to increase very year. It has gone up from around £300 to £700 now. We have had no accidents in the past 4 years and there is no logic but everyone I talked to told me the same thing and the amazing thing is that people grumble but just pay up in the end as they have no choice..

I recall that the insurance companies once increased the car insurance of everyone here in the UK across the board due to the fact that there had been floods the past year and a large number of cars had been damaged. In other words, they just transfer the costs to the customers.

I used to think that privatisation and lack of governmental control would lead to better customer services and a customer friendly industry but apparently this has not happened and probably the Government needs to come in with some customer friendly legislation and regulations.

Anyway, there are still some great insurance deals out there on the net. You just have to look for it. However, this is easier said than done. Click here for the cheapest auto insurance tips . These might help you lower your premium a bit. For example, it might be a good idea to look at the cars targeted the most by the thieves.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible will be arriving in the UK on 26 March 2011.

BMW apparently considers the Mercedes SL350 as the competitor for the 640i SE and has put up a side-by-side comparison of the two cars. While the 650i is compared with the Jaguar XK
Convertible and the Mercedes SL500.

The 640i SE has a power output of 320hp and goes from 0-62mph in 5.7 secs while the 650i SE has a power output of 407 hp and goes from 0 to 62mph in just 5 seconds.

Prices (on the road) for the 640i SE is £65,680 while for the 650i SE is £73,430.

Old Spice cars

Noticed these cars at the 10K Mo run at Greenwich, London last weekend.

Can you identify them?

Medical professionals are the most accident prone in the UK

A recent press release by the online price comparison site, Confused.com, totally changed my perception of the motorist profiles I have had all my life. Apparently those in the medical profession appeared most frequently in the top ten (50%) car insurance claims in the past 12 months (18th October 2009 and 18th October 2010).

This is surprising because they are supposed to be most aware of all professions when it comes to accidents and injuries.

The results of the research showed that GPs are the most hazardous drivers in the UK with 33% of claims made by them. They were followed by psychologists (30%), district nurses (30%), hospital doctors (29%) and dentists (27%)making a claim.

In what seems to be bizarre findings, 20-20 vision doesn't help as well with opticians making up 27% of those claiming for an incident in the last 12 months. They were closely followed by law abiding policeman who made up 26% of the claimants.

It was not surprising that high earners such as solicitors and accountants are also the most likely to make a claim, contributing to 65% of the top 20.

The safest drivers were actually the low income earners with car valeters being the least likely to make a claim with only 8% putting in the paperwork in the last 12 months.

Here is the full list of the Top 20 occupations that have claimed in an accident:

1. Doctor GP
2. Psychologist
3. District Nurse
4. Hospital Doctor
5. Solicitor
6. Chartered Accountant
7. Head Teacher
8. Dentist
9. Personnel Officer
10. Chartered Surveyor
11. Quantity Surveyor
12. Optician
13. Systems Manager
14. Police Officer
15. Financial Advisor
16. Computer Services Manager
17. Accountant Chartered
18. Pharmacist
19. Probation Officer
20. Local Government Officer

Top 20 occupations least likely to be involved in an accident

1. Car Valeter
2. Labourer
3. Van / Lorry / Fork Lift Truck Driver
4. Farm Worker
5. Scaffolder / Roofer
6. Construction Worker
7. Decorator / Painter / Plasterer
8. Road Worker
9. Coach Driver
10. Security Guard
11. Builder
12. Groundsmen
13. Mechanic
14. Carpet Fitter
15. Warehouse Employee
16. Bar Staff
17. Cleaner
18. Bakery Worker
19. Double Glazing Fitter
20. Factory Worker

Malaysia to become regional hub for Peugeot

French carmaker Peugeot has chosen the Malaysian Naza group to spearhead its expansion in the region following the success of the marque in the country. The Naza Group was appointed official distributor for the Peugeot brand in January 2008. 3,766 units of Peugeot vehicles were sold in 2009 which accounted for 86% of Peugeot sales in the Asean region.

Former Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir launched the Peugeot 207 yesterday. Codenamed as the T33 Project, the car is different from the 207 sold here in the UK and is actually a modified version of the 206. The only difference from the 206 is that it has a slightly elongated boot at the back making it a sedan. The car will be assembled at the Naza plant in Gurun, Kedah.

The car is powered by a 1.6L engine and price on the road with insurance starts from RM72,888 (approx. £14647).

Click link for information on Car rental France.

A little green van called ELVIN

Electric cars do not have an internal combustion engine - which is great for the environment. However, this means that they are amazingly silent. This brings up some unique safety issues. People can't hear the cars coming up behind them.

To find a solution to this problem, a research project in the University of Warwick is using a green van called ELVIN (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise) which emits different sounds to see how people perceive the sounds.