The public/private CALSTART consortium achieved an important milestone with the public debut of its showcase electric vehicle at the 1993 Los Angeles Auto Show. The California-based group aimed to capitalize on the aerospace industry's long history of developing lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient components for aircraft and satellites. The idea was that California companies were in an excellent position to meet the advanced technology needs of the growing EV market. Many of these companies applied their technology expertise in the $1 million CALSTART Showcase Electric Vehicle (SEV) that was used in an attempt to attract the attention, and the dollars, of major automakers. This report, reprinted just as it appeared in Green Car's January 1993 issue, shares news of the SEV's debut.

CALSTART SHOWCASE ELECTRIC VEHICLE

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 1993 The CALSTART consortium is emerging as one of the electric car industry's most notable proponents. What began as an idea to nurture the neophyte electric vehicle field and bolster the troubled defense industry in California has materialized as a recognized leading edge in the development of electric car componentry.

Now the public/private consortium has achieved an important milestone with the public debut of its showcase electric vehicle at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show this month. The $1 million vehicle, assembled by International Automotive Design, is designed to showcase the high-tech EV-specific componentry of California manufacturers that could become available to the world's automakers. It will continue on to international auto shows, including those in Geneva and Tokyo, after its display in Los Angeles.

Due to the considerable differences between electric and conventional cars, CALSTART officials point out that up to 70% of the vehicle components now in use will need to change. "This creates an incredible opportunity for innovation," cites Dr. Lon Bell, showcase vehicle program manager and president of Amerigon, Inc. (Burbank, Calif.). "Given the aerospace industry's long history of developing lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient components for aircraft and satellites, California companies are in an excellent position to meet the similar needs of the growing EV market." This aerospace expertise of California companies is also viewed by CALSTART as giving the U.S. "a competitive advantage over Germany and Japan, since these countries do not have mature aerospace businesses."

The significance of CALSTART's one-of-a-kind showcase vehicle can't be overstated. Its overall design is so well attuned to the market it could be mistaken for a current offering by a major automaker. That's no surprise to Green Car editors since its design team was led by a graduate of Southern California's Art Center School of Design, a breeding ground for many of the talented designers recruited by the world's car companies. The car's lines are contemporary and aerodynamic, with just enough forward thinking to keep things fresh without taking the all-too-common concept vehicle plunge into the weird world of swoopy futurestyle.

This car is packed with the kind of high-technology that's expected to become an integral part of future electric vehicles. Its lightweight plastic bodyshell is finished with Avloy, a formable, paint-layered thermoplastic sheet which creates an exceptional exterior finish on injection-molded plastic parts. An ABS plastic underbody assembly is used to reduce drag by surrounding the car's lightweight aluminum space frame.

Motivation is supplied by a multi-phase bi-polar brushless DC motor, excited width modulation motor controller, and bi-polar lead-acid batteries. An energy management system monitors voltage, current, temperature, and speed to efficiently manage electrical needs and predict remaining driving range. In addition to conventional DC motor regeneration, an electro-hydro-mechanical braking system provides braking function while maximizing energy recovery. Onboard collision warning and voice-recognition navigation systems are also integrated.

Of particular interest is the innovative use of battery mass movement as an integral part of the car's occupant safety system. As inertial forces cause the battery mass to move forward during a crash, a system of cables and levers taps this force to move the steering column closer to the driver. This diminishes impact velocity and decreases the size of the air bag needed. Seat belts are automatically tightened to help secure occupants in place while compressed air is released through the steering column to inflate the air bag.

source: www.greencar.com