Recycled Plastic Dutch EV Wins Econcern Award

Cradle-to-cradle featherweight Dutch EV van gets 90 miles per charge and goes to 75 MPH

Here's another European EV we should be watching, now that GM's chairman has tipped us off on the inside dope (I'm hoping) on government plans to tear down the NHTSA wall that prevents us from having access to all the carbon neutral driving options popping up under ECE rules.

The QUICC! DiVa (which started life as the much easier to remember InnoVan) makes its debut at the Paris show in October.

This featherweight utility van EV meets cradle-to-cradle sustainability requirements, and being made of lightweight recycled plastic, weighs in at under 1,900 pounds, including its batteries. It has a range of 90 miles on a charge and is able to reach 75 mph. It can carry 1,300 lbs in addition to two passengers.

So its no wonder that the sustainable InnoVan (sorry: the Quicc! DiVa) just won the "Most Promising Technology" award with millions of euros in investment capital from Econcern. There are already customers lined up for the limited edition next Spring, and it has attracted the attention of Johann Tomforde, the designer who made the Smart so clever, who will help sharpen up the design a bit before it goes into mass production in 2010. I'm hoping he'll take care of those dorky looking lights.

DuraCar's Guido Boosten says that they want to test even lighterweight cradle-to-cradle plastic options and different batteries in this test run including the safer and more durable LiFePO4, saying that the most important thing right now was to get the vehicles on the road and experience what happens in real life, rather than just do lab testing.

LiFePo4 batteries provide full power until they are completely discharged. The batteries recharge in less time and the chemistry is also more environmentally friendly. In electric vehicles and plug-in electric cars, they will typically last for 6 to 7 years, will not catch fire or explode with overcharging, and can safely be fully recharged in 15 minutes.

A123 Systems has teamed up with GM to develop these batteries for the Chevy Volt, and Lithium Technology Corporation has been working with GM, Toyota and U. C. Davis to develop them for all-electric and hybrid vehicles.

Via AutoblogGreen and MetaEfficient
For Matternetwork