3噸柴油動(dòng)力貨車（轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和前懸架設(shè)計(jì)）,柴油,動(dòng)力,貨車,轉(zhuǎn)向,系統(tǒng),懸架,設(shè)計(jì) 目 錄 第一章 前言............ ............................1 第二章 轉(zhuǎn)向系設(shè)計(jì).....................................2 §2.1 轉(zhuǎn)向系概述.....................................2 §2.1.1 轉(zhuǎn)向系的設(shè)計(jì)要求............................2 §2.1.2 轉(zhuǎn)向系概論..................................3 §2.2 轉(zhuǎn)向系設(shè)計(jì).....................................5 §2.2.1 轉(zhuǎn)向性能與阿克曼幾何學(xué)..................10 §2.2.2 轉(zhuǎn)向系方案分析及確定.......................12 §2.2.3 轉(zhuǎn)向系主要性能參數(shù)的確定...................15 §2.2.4 轉(zhuǎn)向系的載荷驗(yàn)算...........................19 §2.2.5 轉(zhuǎn)向傳動(dòng)機(jī)構(gòu)及優(yōu)化設(shè)計(jì).....................20 §2.2.6 轉(zhuǎn)向橫拉桿設(shè)計(jì)與校核.......................23 §2.2.7 轉(zhuǎn)向節(jié)的設(shè)計(jì)...............................26 §2.2.8 轉(zhuǎn)向器及液壓助力裝置的設(shè)計(jì).. . ............27 第三章 懸架設(shè)計(jì).....................................41 §3.1懸架概述.....................................41 §3.1.1 懸架概論..................................41 §3.1.2 懸架的設(shè)計(jì)要求............................41 §3.2懸架的設(shè)計(jì)....................................41 §3.2.1 懸架的結(jié)構(gòu)形式與方案分析.................41 §3.2.2 懸架主要參數(shù)的確定......................45 §3.2.3 彈性元件的設(shè)計(jì)計(jì)算....................... 46 §3.2.4 減振器的選擇與設(shè)計(jì)........................49 §3.2.5 橫向穩(wěn)定桿的設(shè)計(jì)..........................51 第四章 結(jié)論................................. .........52 致 謝.....................................53 參考文獻(xiàn).....................................54 摘 要 隨著社會(huì)的不斷發(fā)展，人們對(duì)貨車的使用越來越頻繁，3噸小貨車的商用價(jià)值決定了它的市場(chǎng)定位和設(shè)計(jì)成本，所以設(shè)計(jì)時(shí)轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和懸架設(shè)計(jì)是汽車設(shè)計(jì)中的一個(gè)非常重要的環(huán)節(jié)。本次設(shè)計(jì)在參考同類車型的基礎(chǔ)上，按照汽車轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和懸架的設(shè)計(jì)方法，注重其實(shí)用功能，同時(shí)合理降低制造成本。先選擇了轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和懸架結(jié)構(gòu)形式，根據(jù)所給貨車的使用的具體情況， 結(jié)合設(shè)計(jì)要求，確定轉(zhuǎn)向角度﹑轉(zhuǎn)彎半徑﹑轉(zhuǎn)向的結(jié)構(gòu)形式及轉(zhuǎn)向裝置各部分的結(jié)構(gòu)和強(qiáng)度計(jì)算。懸架的結(jié)構(gòu)形式﹑主要參數(shù)﹑導(dǎo)向機(jī)構(gòu)﹑減振器和鋼板彈簧﹑橫向穩(wěn)定桿設(shè)計(jì)。使轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和懸架滿足貨車的使用性能。 本次使轉(zhuǎn)向系統(tǒng)和懸架的設(shè)計(jì)再兼顧動(dòng)力性和燃油經(jīng)濟(jì)性的基礎(chǔ)上合理地選擇了結(jié)構(gòu)形式，使尺寸合理，便于安裝布置。而且可以用于其它車型，具有很廣泛的應(yīng)用前景。 關(guān)鍵詞： 轉(zhuǎn)向系，懸架，循環(huán)球式，液壓 ABSTRACT Along with the continuously develop of the society, the people's usage to the truck is more and more multifarious, 3 ton the company of the small truck comes to a decision its market fixed position and design cost with the value Therefore, 3 ton truck design takes into account cross-country capability, but also pay more attention to comfort, safety and fuel consumption。 Suspension and steering system design of the automobile design, a very important component. The reference design similar models on the basis of the motor vehicles suspension and steering system design methods, Actually oriented functions, a reasonable lower manufacturing costs. First select a steering system and suspension structure, according to the 3 ton truck used in specific circumstances, with the design requirements, determining perspective shift﹑turning radius to form and the structure of devices to all parts of the structure and strength. Suspension structure﹑main parameters﹑oriented institutions﹑absorber and spring﹑horizontal stabilizer design. So that suspension and steering system meet the performance 3 ton truck. The steering system so that the suspension and re-balance between power and fuel economy on the basis of rational choice of the structure, make a reasonable size, the layout is easy to install. But can be used for other models, have a broad prospect。 KEY WORDS : steering system, suspension, recirculating ball , hydraulic 3 外文資料翻譯 “蝎子”運(yùn)動(dòng)汽車會(huì)燃燒汽油和氫 該150000美元的“蝎子”在行駛的過程中會(huì)產(chǎn)生氫氣。 得克薩斯州的公司提供了一個(gè)高端氫汽油跑車的照片希望在秋季上市。 不是使用燃料電池電源一個(gè)電動(dòng)馬達(dá)，羅恩汽車公司的“蝎子”將有一個(gè)內(nèi)部?jī)?nèi)燃機(jī)燃燒汽油和氫氣，實(shí)現(xiàn)40英里每加侖的燃料消耗量。 不像一個(gè)氫燃料電池車，“蝎子”的“氫需求”系統(tǒng)將不需要有高壓氫氣儲(chǔ)罐。也沒有一位司機(jī)需要尋找和填補(bǔ)氫氣加氣站。 相反，電力從“蝎子”的發(fā)電機(jī)發(fā)出了電荷通過水在一個(gè)儲(chǔ)罐，壓裂分子釋放氫氣，然后投入了汽車，羅恩解釋，麥克斯韋，總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官羅恩在馬蹄灣，德克薩斯州。 “這意味著，作為我們正在駕駛，我們正在制氫在實(shí)時(shí)性，以及混色等，它與汽油的比例為30 ％到40 ％ ， ”他說。 氫-汽油混合動(dòng)力技術(shù)來自hydrorunner公司 。 “我們?nèi)栽谑褂闷?，但我們希望使用低?0 ％ ， ”麥克斯韋說。 “氫清除所排放的廢氣，它實(shí)際上是消耗碳，它是不完美的車，不是電動(dòng)，但也可能是某種東西馬上要發(fā)揮作用了” 。 羅恩汽車展示了一個(gè)“蝎子”的工作原型， SAN的結(jié)構(gòu)，周二在市中心的奧斯汀。 氫內(nèi)燃機(jī)可以達(dá)到比30至50 ％更高的效率，超過一般的汽油車，麥克斯韋補(bǔ)充。引擎蓋下是一個(gè)09年阿庫(kù)拉3.5 ，偉易達(dá)電訊電機(jī)與280馬力的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，或450匹馬力與雙渦輪增壓。它有6速手動(dòng)變速器。 羅恩電機(jī)已采取多項(xiàng)訂單至今，并已計(jì)劃制造200輛“蝎子”，今年最終產(chǎn)量多達(dá)500個(gè)，麥克斯韋說。他認(rèn)為，他將成為第一家公司的市場(chǎng)一客車與一氫對(duì)點(diǎn)播系統(tǒng)，其中g(shù)earheads已經(jīng)修飾在私人車庫(kù)，并且是用于貨運(yùn)業(yè)的。 麥克斯韋只是針對(duì)lamborghinis ，法拉利，或電動(dòng)特斯拉這類汽車愛好者的，但表示，他希望創(chuàng)造一個(gè)轎車年。仍有待觀察是否羅恩汽車將接替在提供其跑車的客戶在10月按計(jì)劃進(jìn)行。 該公司的股票5月29日被列在紅榜。 同時(shí)，建立必要的加油基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施仍然只是的障礙之一，以便更廣泛地采用氫燃料電池車。有一些是著名而且是富裕的。 混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)汽車制造商準(zhǔn)備220哩'超級(jí)車' Hybrid Technologies公司正在擬定一項(xiàng)“綠色”跑車展示在汽車X獎(jiǎng)競(jìng)賽，根據(jù)一份報(bào)告，在《大眾機(jī)械師》。 這款車將來有兩個(gè)版本：一為“自動(dòng)X獎(jiǎng)”，將有一個(gè)汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)和電池，另一個(gè)全電式的版本。 煤氣-電池混合動(dòng)力將達(dá)到相當(dāng)于二百二英里每加侖汽油，而全電式，將獲得150哩到180哩。 一個(gè) drivable原型將在9月上市。 其構(gòu)想是使X獎(jiǎng)參賽者的東西這將導(dǎo)致在一個(gè)大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)的電動(dòng)汽車，該公司告訴《大眾機(jī)械師》。 “我們正在尋找此車，基本上結(jié)束了主流-不僅僅是建立一個(gè)合作，項(xiàng)目開發(fā)工程師羅恩c erven告訴該雜志： “ X獎(jiǎng)汽車將會(huì)成為很值得購(gòu)買的汽車-顯然是一個(gè)更高的高端轎車，我們將在X獎(jiǎng)可能會(huì)得到更多的東西” 。 Hybrid Technologies公司并沒有得到和特斯拉電動(dòng)機(jī)和菲斯科汽車一樣的重視，這都是準(zhǔn)備混合電動(dòng)跑車。 但混合動(dòng)力技術(shù)的雄心勃勃的計(jì)劃，作出了一系列的車輛上運(yùn)行的鋰電池為基礎(chǔ)的交通工具，包括滑板車，自行車，輕便摩托車，摩托車，汽車。 三洋，為大眾汽車做電池 三洋電機(jī)和大眾汽車公司宣布了一項(xiàng)協(xié)議，周三，使鋰離子電池為混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)汽車，談到了在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中的節(jié)能車。 根據(jù)彭博的報(bào)道：三洋打算打開一個(gè)工廠，使電池在2010年和大眾汽車公司計(jì)劃在同一年推出一種汽車。第一輛車，獲得電池的將是一個(gè)奧迪。路透社報(bào)道。 公約還要求這兩家公司開發(fā)軟件以支持氫化物電池。 三洋公司已經(jīng)向福特和本田汽車提供了鎳金屬氫化物電池。 鋰離子電池越來越受到汽車制造商的青睞。該特斯拉跑車使用的鋰離子電池，也將雪佛蘭伏也將采用，這將在發(fā)表之后兩年內(nèi)完成。 三洋廠將有能力一年內(nèi)為1700000和1800000混合動(dòng)力汽車提供電池，該公司告訴彭博。 一種混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)汽車運(yùn)行在一個(gè)電池和常規(guī)汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)之間。該電池將由制動(dòng)所產(chǎn)生的能量來充電。 電動(dòng)車： 汽車工業(yè)的IPHONE？ 憑借誰和你交談，電動(dòng)車包的破壞性力量，無論是戴爾公司個(gè)人電腦或蘋果擁有。 不論你的比喻如何選擇，汽車業(yè)正面臨著一種技術(shù)為基礎(chǔ)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，卻在前些年沒有看到。 并在這個(gè)游戲中，創(chuàng)業(yè)者聲稱有在其中占了上風(fēng)。 “這可能是一些沒有被提出以來，我們從馬匹的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，說”。總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官亨利克菲斯科菲斯科，汽車，這是設(shè)計(jì)一種奢侈混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)汽車，因果效應(yīng)。 “我們突然有一個(gè)目前的汽車制造商不知道的電池，或軟件，或設(shè)計(jì)這些車輛的開放的領(lǐng)域， ”他補(bǔ)充說，現(xiàn)任公司仍然是離大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)電動(dòng)汽車還有四到五年的距離。 可能聽起來像是來自設(shè)計(jì)師華而不實(shí)的虛張聲勢(shì)。但是，當(dāng)你看到電池驅(qū)動(dòng)汽車的電池傳遞時(shí)，這個(gè)領(lǐng)域開始回報(bào)新手。 最有名的也許是特斯拉汽車公司，剛剛開始生產(chǎn)的Roadster跑車與起始價(jià)約10萬美元。但有幾個(gè)其他人，提供了和內(nèi)燃機(jī)運(yùn)行不同的設(shè)計(jì)和商業(yè)模式。 上周，在一個(gè)小組里的三位年輕的汽車公司-底特律電動(dòng)，菲斯科汽車，和鳳凰汽車-在一個(gè)環(huán)保高新技術(shù)投資者會(huì)議上，行政奠定了一些有關(guān)的商業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，以及有關(guān)清潔能源汽車的技術(shù)障礙。 在一點(diǎn)上，他們同意：消費(fèi)者將會(huì)有更多的選擇，至少，減少使用氣體的習(xí)慣。但除此之外，他們的意見，有不同的技術(shù)-全電式，混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)-會(huì)取得成功。 “這是一個(gè)謬論，說大家都去跳轉(zhuǎn)小康石油上電池，然后我們將剛才有一個(gè)短缺的鋰和價(jià)格將上升，說： ”丹尼爾埃利奧特，總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官的鳳凰車。 “什么的真的就是一個(gè)壓裂燃料” 。 多樣性的方法，正好反映了挑戰(zhàn)目前的電池技術(shù)。 菲斯科的8萬美元的回應(yīng)，預(yù)期在明年透露出來，將有一個(gè)定制設(shè)計(jì)的鋰離子電池，可隨身攜帶至50英里。這是一個(gè)范圍涵蓋什么最廣大人民的驅(qū)動(dòng)器在某一天。以確保較長(zhǎng)的范圍內(nèi)，汽車將包括一個(gè)四汽缸內(nèi)部燃燒汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的收費(fèi)電池。 但是，有兩個(gè)電池和汽油發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)在一車引起的成本，例如主張所有電動(dòng)車。菲斯科和特斯拉經(jīng)歷后，豪華車市場(chǎng)第一，飲食，以面向環(huán)境的客戶愿意支付的最新技術(shù)。 鳳凰車，相比之下，正在全電式卡車和汽車，是另一個(gè)供應(yīng)商，電動(dòng)。要解決范圍的限制，鳳凰汽車正在設(shè)計(jì)其車輛的基礎(chǔ)上， altairnano鈦酸鋰電池，使用在艦隊(duì)所在的使用和范圍是眾所周知的。 在未來幾年，各種各樣的電池技術(shù)，將付諸表決，通過步伐，看看哪個(gè)化學(xué)會(huì)安全，有著悠久的生命，和可循環(huán)再用。 并行技術(shù)的發(fā)展，電池，新的汽車公司都在嘗試創(chuàng)新與新的商業(yè)模式。 項(xiàng)目更好的地方，開始由前SAP公司執(zhí)行篩阿加西規(guī)劃以測(cè)試一個(gè)電池交換計(jì)劃在以色列，丹麥，或許舊金山。它現(xiàn)在有一個(gè)原型汽車，將是建立在雷諾汽車公司。 除了所有的技術(shù)和業(yè)務(wù)的挑戰(zhàn)仍然是客戶的需求。 以艦隊(duì)的業(yè)主，取代卡車與電動(dòng)車輛的充電可以簡(jiǎn)單的問題，節(jié)省金錢，在面對(duì)不斷上升的礦物燃料的價(jià)格。他們也可以有潛在的利益由政府獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)清潔的運(yùn)輸，如加州的零排放車輛計(jì)劃。 但對(duì)于大多數(shù)消費(fèi)者，它的更多的一種生活方式，聲明，辯稱菲斯科。購(gòu)買奢侈品，混合動(dòng)力電動(dòng)汽車是想購(gòu)買蘋果電腦的擁有時(shí)，它首先生產(chǎn)出來。買家的一些第一次以消費(fèi)者為導(dǎo)向的電動(dòng)車將技術(shù)的早期采用者，他說。 這可以在最六五英里每小時(shí)走一百一十零英里一個(gè)單一的收費(fèi)。而非試圖競(jìng)爭(zhēng)一個(gè)典型的轎車，它的目標(biāo)是城市居民那些想要一個(gè)較小，燃料效率的汽車，也許用來作為第二車的人。它計(jì)劃把該想的城市，向美國(guó)和正在探討的商業(yè)模式，消費(fèi)者可以更換電池。 現(xiàn)任汽車制造商還沒有生產(chǎn)。日產(chǎn)在本星期說，它將提供所有電動(dòng)車在2010年。通用汽車公司的雪佛蘭伏說到2010年，而其他的現(xiàn)任追求不同的路徑，以更好地里程。 “我們正在把壓力就越大，他說： ”林志釗，總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官底特律電動(dòng)，計(jì)劃把電動(dòng)汽車和巴士在2009年。 “我們是' dells '的行業(yè)-小男孩有一個(gè)巨大的機(jī)會(huì)，以驗(yàn)證該行業(yè)，并成為下一個(gè)大的事” 。 林說，消費(fèi)者也越來越精明的關(guān)于環(huán)保的索償要求，汽車制造商。他說，混合與一個(gè)大6升引擎，像一凌志是決策，是“一個(gè)笑話，一個(gè)矛盾的” 。 菲斯科likens電池供電的汽車iphones ，一個(gè)產(chǎn)品的消費(fèi)者都愿意提供出額外的，即使這意味著同時(shí)對(duì)一些風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，作為一個(gè)早期采用者。 “我們看到一個(gè)運(yùn)動(dòng)的人所要求的產(chǎn)品，這是不存在，人們希望有一個(gè)綠色的汽車， ”他說。 “我認(rèn)為我們要看到的是人要采取這種危險(xiǎn)的行動(dòng)是因?yàn)橛袥]有其他的選擇” 。 奧迪是加入其他德國(guó)汽車制造商在努力消除尾氣排放以及承諾在未來十年內(nèi)制造出電動(dòng)汽車。 魯珀特塔德勒，奧迪的主席及行政總裁，在接受采訪時(shí)說，與德國(guó)世界報(bào)每周上午Sonntag ）刊登星期日表示：在未來5至10年以他預(yù)計(jì)的電池技術(shù)以主導(dǎo)。 “屆時(shí)我們將生產(chǎn)沒有尾氣排放的汽車， ”路透社引述塔德勒說。 “電動(dòng)車提供了巨大機(jī)遇，我們已經(jīng)抓住了” 。 減少車輛排放的廢氣是一個(gè)行政的關(guān)注，汽車制造商在德國(guó)。寶馬公司最近展示了氫氣動(dòng)力7系列轎車在2008年的SAE世界大會(huì)在底特律，其實(shí)少排放一氧化碳超過被發(fā)現(xiàn)在周圍的空氣。 在去年的法蘭克福車展，梅賽德斯展示了一批柴油-電力混合動(dòng)力的概念車是預(yù)定的生產(chǎn)在2010年以及其diesotto引擎，它使用的Turbo收費(fèi)，直接注射液體，和柴油一樣，最大限度發(fā)揮燃油經(jīng)濟(jì)性。 德國(guó)豪華汽車制造商很可能會(huì)之間的，由新成立的歐洲委員會(huì)的立法更嚴(yán)格的排放和燃油效率標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，因此一直在努力尋找更有效的版本，以其業(yè)績(jī)作為重點(diǎn)。 5 Scorpion sportscar would burn gasoline and hydrogen Posted by Elsa Wenzel 15 comments The $150,000 Scorpion would produce hydrogen as it drives. (Credit: Ronn Motor Company) A Texas company is offering a glimpse of a high-end hydrogen-gasoline sportscar it hopes to sell by the fall. Rather than using fuel cells to power an electric motor, the Scorpion from Ronn Motor Company would have an internal combustion engine burning both gasoline and hydrogen, achieving 40 highway miles per gallon. Unlike with a hydrogen fuel cell car, the Scorpion's "hydrogen on demand" system wouldn't require a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank. Nor would a driver need to find and fill up at a hydrogen fueling station. Instead, electricity from the Scorpion's alternator sends an electric charge through the water in a storage tank, fracturing molecules and releasing hydrogen, which is injected into the motor, explained Ronn Maxwell, CEO of Ronn Motor in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. "This means that as we're driving down the road, we're producing hydrogen in real time, and blending it with gasoline at a ratio of 30 to 40 percent," he said. The hydrogen-gasoline hybrid technology comes from Hydrorunner. "We are still using gasoline, but we're gonna be using 40 percent less," Maxwell said. "The hydrogen cleans up the emissions. It actually consumes carbon. It's not the perfect car, not electric, but it is something that'll work right now." Ronn Motor showed off a working prototype of the Scorpion, sans body, Tuesday in downtown Austin. The hydrogen internal combustion engine can achieve between 30 to 50 percent greater efficiency over standard gasoline cars, Maxwell added. Under the hood is a 2009 Acura 3.5 Vtech motor with 280-horsepower stock, or 450-horsepower with a twin turbo option. The car has a 6-speed manual transmission. Ronn Motor has taken several orders so far and has plans to build 200 Scorpions this year, eventually ramping up to 500, Maxwell said. He believes his will be the first company to market a passenger car with a hydrogen-on-demand system, which gearheads already tinker with in private garages and which are available for the trucking industry. Maxwell is targeting the sort of automotive aficionados who might collect Lamborghinis, Ferraris, or an electric Tesla, but said he wants to create a sedan next. It remains to be seen whether Ronn Motor will succeed in delivering its roadster to customers by October as planned. The company's stock was listed on the Pink Sheets May 29. Meanwhile, building the necessary fueling infrastructure remains just one of the barriers to wider adoption of hydrogen fuel cell cars, which primarily reside in the garages of a wealthy and famous few. Hybrid-electric carmaker readies 220 mpg 'super car' Posted by Martin LaMonica 23 comments Hybrid Technologies is preparing a '"green" sports car to submit in the Automotive X Prize contest, according to a report in Popular Mechanics. The car will come in two versions: one for the Auto X Prize that will have a gasoline engine and battery and another all-electric version. The gas-battery hybrid will get the equivalent of 220 miles per gallon while the all-electric will get 150 mpg to 180 mpg. A drivable prototype is set to hit the streets in September. The idea is to make the X Prize entrant something that will result in a mass-produced electric car, the company told Popular Mechanics. "We're looking for this car basically to end up mainstream--not just built for a one-and-done," project development engineer Ron Cerven told the magazine. "The X Prize car is going to be the purchasable--obviously a higher-end car, but there might be something else from us in the X Prize." Hybrid Technologies doesn't get nearly as much attention as Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive, which are both preparing hybrid-electric sports cars. But Hybrid Technologies has ambitious plans to make a range of vehicles that run on lithium-based batteries, including scooters, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, and cars. Sanyo to make batteries for Volkswagen cars Posted by Martin LaMonica Post a comment Sanyo and Volkswagen announced an agreement on Wednesday to make lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles, turning up the competition in the field for energy-efficient cars. Sanyo intends to open a factory to make the batteries in 2010 and Volkswagen plans to introduce a car with them the same year, according to a Bloomberg report. The first car to get the batteries will be an Audi AG, Reuters reported. The pact also calls for the two companies to make software to electronically control the batteries. Sanyo already provides nickel metal hydride batteries for Ford and Honda. Lithium-ion batteries are growing in favor with carmakers. The Tesla Roadster uses lithium-ion batteries, as will the Chevy Volt when it is released in two years. The Sanyo factory will have the capacity to supply batteries to power between 1.7 million and 1.8 million hybrid vehicles a year, the company told Bloomberg. A hybrid electric vehicle runs on a battery and a conventional gasoline engine. The batteries are charged by the engine and regenerated power from braking. Electric cars: iPhones of the auto industry? Posted by Martin LaMonica 18 comments Depending on who you talk to, electric cars pack the disruptive force of either Dell PCs or the Apple iPhone. Regardless of your choice of analogy, the auto industry is facing the kind of technology-based competition it hasn't seen in years. And in this game, start-ups claim to have the upper hand on the incumbents. Click on the photo to see a photo gallery of electric cars at the 2008 New York Auto Show. (Credit: CNET Networks) "This is probably something that has not been seen since we moved from the horse to the engine," said Henrik Fisker, the CEO of Fisker Automotive, which is designing a luxury hybrid electric car, the Karma. "We suddenly have an open field where current carmakers don't know about batteries, or software, or designing these vehicles," he said, adding that incumbent companies are still four or five years away from mass-producing plug-in electric cars. That may sound like bravado coming from a designer of flashy cars. But when you look at the race to deliver a breakthrough battery-driven car, the field is thick with newcomers. The best known is perhaps Tesla Motors, which just began producing the Roadster sports car with a starting price of about $100,000. But there are several others, offering up different designs and business models to give the internal combustion engine a run for the money. At a panel of three young car companies--Detroit Electric, Fisker Automotive, and Phoenix Motorcars--at a clean-tech investor conference last week, executives laid out some of the business opportunities and technical hurdles to cleaner cars. On one point, they agreed: consumers will have more options to kick, or at least cut down on, their gas habit. But beyond that, their views differed on which technology--all-electric, plug-in hybrids, or hybrid electric--would succeed. "It's a fallacy to say that everyone is going to jump off of oil onto batteries. Then we'll just have a shortage of lithium and the prices will go up," said Daniel Elliot, president and CEO of Phoenix Motorcars. "What's really going on is a fracturing of fuels." Pick a horse The diversity of approaches reflects the challenges that current battery technology pose. Fisker's $80,000 Karma, expected for release at the end of next year, will have a custom-designed lithium ion battery that can go 50 miles. That's a range that covers what most people drive in a day. To ensure a longer range, the car will include a four-cylinder internal combustion gasoline engine that charges the battery. Click on the photo to see a gallery of electric cars of all shapes under development. (Credit: Phoenix Motorcars) But, having both a battery and gasoline engine in one car raises costs, say advocates of all-electric cars. Fisker and Tesla have gone after the luxury market first, catering to environmentally oriented customers willing to pay for the latest technology. Phoenix Motorcars, by contrast, is making an all-electric truck and car, as is another supplier, Miles Electric. To get around the range limitation, Phoenix Motorcars is designing its vehicles, based on an Altairnano lithium titanate battery, for use in fleets where the use and range are known. "It's difficult to move to plug-in hybrids and make economic sense...You have to have a conventional drive train and a battery," said Elliot. "When you're talking about going down-market, you really have to pick a horse." In the next few years, a variety of battery technologies will be put through the paces to see which chemistry will be safe, have a long life, and can be recycled. Parallel to technical development in batteries, new companies are trying to innovate with new business models. Project Better Place, started by ex-SAP executive Shai Agassi, is planning to test a battery-swapping program in Israel, Denmark, and perhaps San Francisco. It now has a prototype of its car, which will be built by Renault. Premium green Apart from all the technical and business challenges remains the question of customer demand. To fleet owners, replacing trucks with rechargeable electric vehicles could simply be a question of saving money in the face of rising fossil fuel prices. They can also potentially benefit from government incentives for cleaner transportation, such as California's zero-emissions vehicle plan. But for many consumers at this point, it's more of a lifestyle statement, argued Fisker. Buying a luxury hybrid electric car is like buying Apple's iPhone when it first came out. Buyers of some of the first consumer-oriented electric cars will be technology early adopters, eager to be part of the future, he said. Meanwhile, Think Global is making an all-electric town car, called the Think City, which can top out at 65 mph and go 110 miles on a single charge. Rather than try to compete with a typical sedan, it's aimed at urbanites who want a smaller, fuel-efficient car, perhaps used as a second car. It plans to bring the Think City to the U.S. and is exploring business models where consumers can swap out batteries. The incumbent automakers are not sitting still, either. Nissan this week said that it will offer an all-electric car in 2010. GM's Chevy Volt is supposed to come out in 2010, while the other incumbents are pursuing different paths to better mileage. "We're putting the pressure on the bigger boys," said Albert Lam, CEO of Detroit Electric, which plans to make electric cars and buses in 2009. "We are the 'Dells' of the industry--the smaller boys that have a tremendous opportunity to validate the industry and to be the next big thing." Lam said consumers are also getting more savvy about green claims from automakers. He said a hybrid with a big 6-liter engine, like the one Lexus is making, is "a joke, an oxymoron." Fisker likens battery-powered cars to iPhones, a product consumers are willing to shell out extra for, even if it means taking on some risk of being an early adopter. "We're seeing a movement where people are demanding a product which is not there. People want a green car," he said. "I think what we are going to see are people are going to take that risk because there is no other alternative." Audi promises electric car within 10 years Posted by Steven Musil Post a comment Audi is joining other German automakers in the effort to eliminate exhaust emissions, promising to bring an electric model to market in the next 10 years. Rupert Stadler, Audi's chairman and chief executive, said in an interview with German weekly Welt am Sonntag published Sunday that he expects battery technology to dominate in the coming five to 10 years. "By then we will offer cars without exhaust emissions," Reuters quoted Stadler as saying. "Electric cars offer great opportunities, which we have already seized on." Reducing vehicle emissions is a chief concern for automakers in Germany. BMW recently showed off a hydrogen-powered 7-series sedan at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit that actually emits less carbon monoxide than are found in the air around it. At last year's Frankfurt auto show, Mercedes showed off a number of diesel-electric hybrid concept cars that are scheduled for production in 2010 as well as its Diesotto engine, which uses turbo charging, direct injection, and diesel-like compression to maximize power and fuel economy. Luxury German automakers are likely to be among the hardest hit by new European Commission legislation for stricter emissions and fuel efficiency standards, and consequently have been making efforts to find more efficient versions of their performance-focused lineups.