Tesla to supply batteries for Daimler E-Cell EV

Boosting its activity in electric vehicles, Daimler plans to start producing an all-electric sedan for Europe this fall that uses batteries from Tesla Motors.

Daimler is expected to launch an electric version of its entry-level line called the A-Class E-Cell at the Paris Auto Show next month, according to reports.

Daimler will start manufacturing 500 units of the A-Class E-Cell this fall in Germany for the European market, according to a company representative. The company has not yet decided whether it will be offered in the U.S., she said.

Daimler's planned EV line-up includes the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, A-Class E-Cell, and the F-Cell fuel cell vehicle.

(Credit: Daimler AG)

The car will have a range of over 124 miles. Tesla will supply the lithium-ion battery and charger for the car, according to Daimler.

Tesla engineers purchased an A-Class in Europe and built an electric-version prototype, which helped speed up introduction of the E-Class, Tesla told The New York Times last month. Daimler invested in Tesla in 2009 and is a corporate partner.

Tesla's batteries will also appear in an electric version of the RAV-4 which Toyota plans to debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, Toyota said on Monday. It plans to have an electric vehicle for the U.S. market in 2012.

Daimler's push into electric vehicles is being accelerated by European targets to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles. "We won't be able to meet the target of 95 grams CO2 in 2020 without electric vehicles with batteries and fuel cells," Daimler head of research Thomas Weber told Reuters.

In the U.S., Daimler plans to offer an electric version of its mini car, the ForTwo Electric Drive, for lease starting next month. Like other automakers, Daimler is primarily targeting its electric vehicles at fleet buyers because of the higher upfront cost.

Zeiss adapts lenses to video SLR era

Carl Zeiss, a venerable German maker of camera lenses, is showing new ambitions by trying to tap into the market of video SLRs and by expanding into the realm of accessories.

The company has announced two new lenses in its Compact Prime CP.2 line, a second generation of hybrid lenses designed for use either on cinema cameras or on newer SLRs that can shoot video.

The new CP.2 models are a 50mm f2.1 macro with 0.24-meter close-focus distance and a 100mm f2.1 with a 0.7-meter close-focus point. The new products debuted at the IBC Conference for the media and entertainment industry.

The CP.2 models are notable for an adapter ring that makes it possible to fit the lens to a variety of camera bodies--initially those using Canon's EF mount and the PL (positive lock) mount used in filmmaking circles. Now Zeiss has released an adapter that lets the lenses attach to the F mount of Nikon SLRs as well. That helps with photographers or videographers who might have a variety of cameras in use.

In addition, Zeiss "soon" plans to expand to the Micro Four Thirds lens mount used by new Panasonic and Olympus cameras and to the Sony Alpha mount. One point worth mentioning: it's easier to span all these camera body styles because because cinema users rely on manual focus; Zeiss's CP.2 lenses don't have the electronic links necessary for autofocus and other camera communications.

The CP.2 lenses use the same optical formulas as the company's other lenses, but are particularly suited to cinema purposes. For example, all the models except the new 100mm macro lens have the size lens barrel for easier interchangeability when mounted in a camera rig. And they have a higher-precision focusing ring that travels 300 degrees, a silently changing aperture setting, a 14-blade aperture for more pleasing bokeh in out-of-focus areas, and gearing for attachment of follow-focus equipment and other external apparatus.
The CP.2 line isn't cheap, with an average price of $3,900, but the lenses are less expensive than the other cine lenses of Zeiss' Ultra Prime and Master Prime lines.

Zeiss also has expanded beyond its core lens products to accessories. First up are polarizing and ultraviolet filters with diameters of 58mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 82mm. Second is a padded camera strap with quick-release buckles.

Also, earlier this month, Zeiss announced a new member of its more photography-oriented lenses, the Distagon T* 1,4/35 ZE, a 35mm f1.4 lens with a cost of about $1,700. It has a close-focus distance of 0.3 meters (11.8 inches), 11 lens elements, and a weight of 850g (1.9 pounds).(by:stephen Shankland)

Focus EV to Use Liquid thermal Battery control !

Focus Electric

(Credit: Ford Motor)

Owners of the new Ford Focus Electric won't have to worry about going out to warm up the car before driving on a winter's day, the car will warm up its battery pack automatically if left plugged in.

Ford announced Thursday its Focus Electric, due out next year in the U.S., will contain a lithium ion battery pack with a liquid-based thermal management system.

In addition to keeping the car's battery within a preferred temperature range while engaged, the system also kicks in to cool or warm the car's battery pack as needed while it's plugged in for a charge.

The closed loop system reacts to external temperatures and the battery pack's temperature, then heats or chills the car's battery coolant accordingly before circulating it through the battery pack. On a cold day, the system heats the liquid then pumps it through the battery pack's cooling channels to warm up the battery. On a hot day, the coolant is chilled then circulated through the same system, but in this instance absorbs battery heat and then disperses it through a radiator.

When plugged in to charge, the Focus Electric will always first check its battery pack's temperature, according to Ford. The company explained earlier this month that both the Focus Electric and Transit Connect Electric will have a sensor system using Internet and wireless technology to collect real-time performance data on the car and monitor its battery.

If on a winter's night a traveler, for example, plugs in the Focus Electric to charge and the battery pack is too cold to optimally accept a charge, the car will not engage in charging mode. It will instead have the liquid thermal system warm the battery up to an optimal temperature, then allow the charging to begin. It will then continue to maintain its battery pack's temperature as needed throughout the charging.

Ford calls this preconditioning the battery, a step it says is crucial in maximizing a battery's efficiency and range, as well as elongating the overall battery life.

"The lithium ion batteries for the Focus Electric will be made by Compact Power, a subsidiary of LG Chem, Ford announced in July."

While the technology is undoubtedly innovative, Ford is not alone in its choice to use a liquid thermal management system to maintain battery pack temperature. General Motors, which is using batteries supplied by LG Chem in South Korea for the Chevy Volt, also chose to use a liquid heating and cooling system for the battery pack. Tesla has also said it's using a liquid-based cooling system for its electric car battery packs.

Nissan, meanwhile, has said it uses an air-cooling system for the battery pack in its all-electric Nissan Leaf. The method of battery cooling was publicly criticized by Tesla's Elon Musk as "primitive," though some have questioned the validity of Musk's Nissan "trash talk."

The all-electric Focus Electric, which will be built in Ford's Wayne, Mich., assembly plant, will have a range of about 100 miles per charge. It is expected to be available to U.S. consumers in late 2011, and to European consumers in 2012.

is it car or fully featured of your gadget?: Mercedes-Benz F500 Concept Car

The F 500 Mind showcases the very latest technology

At the Tokyo Motor Show 2003, Mercedes-Benz presented the latest in a string of research vehicles which have attracted much interest and attention over the years and which provide fascinating insights into the automotive technology of tomorrow and beyond. Packaged as a modern four-door fastback saloon, the F 500 Mind mobile research lab showcases more than a dozen ideas for enhancing the safety, drive technology and comfort of future Mercedes passenger cars.

The DaimlerChrysler researchers will be using this vehicle to conduct the first practical tests of these innovative systems and pave the way for their commercialisation. The raft of innovations extends all the way from the night vision system with infrared laser headlamps to two-way doors and a programmable multivision display in the cockpit. Electronic accelerator and brake pedals, an interior pillar which provides structural rigidity and an ultrasound driver information system are further features being tested by Mercedes-Benz in the F 500 Mind.

For the powertrain, the DaimlerChrysler researchers have developed a high-performance diesel hybrid unit whose NEDC fuel consumption is up to 20 per cent lower than that of a comparable CDI engine. The state-of-the-art V8 diesel engine (184 kW/250 hp) from the S-Class has been combined with a powerful electric motor (50 kW) which is switched on and off by an electronic controller in response to traffic conditions and driving style. The electric motor can take over for example when moving off from rest, in stop-go conditions or in other situations where an internal combustion engine does not operate at optimal efficiency. When the driver demands more power, the V8 internal combustion engine cuts in to provide sharp acceleration. The 300 V battery for the electric motor is located under the passenger cell and is recharged during braking.

With a body length of 5092 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2965 mm, the F 500 Mind offers a significant gain in legroom in the rear compared with a conventional present-day saloon in this class. This was made possible by using innovative-design electronic accelerator and brake pedals which take the form of pressure-sensitive surfaces. Sensors in these “pedals” transmit the driver’s commands to the engine and SBCô brake system by means of electrical impulses. The technology takes up much less room than conventional mechanical pedals, increasing the length of the front footwell by 120 millimetres. The driver’s and front passenger’s seats can therefore be positioned further forward, so providing more space for the rear passengers. The steering, too, is controlled electronically.

Intelligent door-opening technology allows the doors to be opened in two different ways: either conventionally (both doors open forwards) or from the centre (centre-opening). In the latter mode, the B-pillar stump moves backwards with the rear door to provide a 1900 mm-wide opening for occupant entry and exit.

In the absence of full-size B-pillars, which would normally provide the all-important structural rigidity and side impact protection, the Stuttgart engineers came up with an innovative interior pillar which provides exemplary rigidity and typical Mercedes standards of occupant safety. The pillar is located in the middle of the vehicle towards the rear, and connects the reinforced floor pan to the roof structure. It also houses the air-conditioning ducts and interior lighting units.

The multivision display in the cockpit of the F 500 Mind forms the centrepiece of an innovative instrumentation and control system which offers the driver more flexible information delivery and at the same time reduces fatigue. The dials and displays in the instrument cluster are programmable and their images can be optically superposed or combined with the aid of a semitransparent mirror. In this way the driver can call up a wide range of information at the push of a button on the steering wheel. The information is always displayed directly in the driver’s field of vision where it can be seen easily and will not distract him. A further display, the central display unit, is situated above the centre console. It is linked to a touchpad whose surface is divided up in exactly the same way as the surface of the central display. By briefly touching it, the driver can control the navigation system, radio, air conditioning, telephone and other systems.

Further switches and keys in the vehicle are equipped with special sensors which can detect the driver’s approaching hand even at a distance of several centimetres. They then immediately call up the relevant function in the central display, for more convenient operation.

An advanced-design voice control system and an ultrasound-based driver information system take convenience even further. The ultrasound technology targets the sound at the driver so that only he or she can hear the information from the navigation system, the traffic news and other sound-based information sources, while the front passenger and rear passengers remain undisturbed.

In the dark or in poor visibility, the innovative night vision system projects its images onto the right-hand display. The night vision system consists of two infrared laser headlights on the front of the vehicle which “illuminate” the road with their invisible light over a range of up to 150 metres. The light reflected back from other vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians to a camera mounted on the front windscreen of the F 500 Mind is projected in black and white onto the multivision display. This allows the driver to spot hazards much earlier than in a vehicle operating on conventional dipped headlamps, which have a range of only about 40 metres. Thus Night Vision offers further opportunities for making night driving safer.

As a mobile research lab, the F 500 Mind is equipped with a special “laboratory bench” which folds out towards the rear. This allows a researcher sitting in the back of the vehicle to monitor and control the vehicle systems during testing on the proving grounds and to carry out measurements. For example the researchers are planning to use this fascinating vehicle for intensive user acceptance-testing of the innovative instrumentation and control system and for further practical testing of the diesel hybrid drive system and the Night Vision system.

man or robot:Cyberdyne is coming with the world latest technology of robot

A Japanese Company Cyberdyne 


is coming whit the world latest technology of robot. It is very interested to know that really it is very interesting device because it helps to disable people, we can know it the name of this device, HAL or Hybrid Assistive limb, it is a very unimaginative robotic suit for all robotic fans who are waiting for something special in this robotic field. This unimaginative robotic suit is very helpful for all disable and elderly people because it has the quality of reading brain signal and has far reaching benefits. This technology is the latest technology for the robotic field and it based on the computerized technology which has come with sensors device. In this robotic suit, reads brain signal and directs limb movement always comes through the skin which helps to disable and elderly people for moving around. It is very easy to use for them because it is worn as a belt around the waist and operated by a22 pound battery.

The Japanese company has come with this product of the cost of $1,500 for a monthly rental fee. Why we are saying so much about this interesting product because it really works so well how, first it has a sensor whish help for capture the brain signal and it goes thorough mechanical legs braces strapped to the thighs and knees. Which then provide robotic help to disable people where they want to move any where? Really this product are very useful and it will be very useful and helpful for medical line where a lot of disable people who can not do any thing whit out any help so Japanese are really such a god for them who are bringing this helpful robotic suit.

latest Technology and new feature :cycle like Mercedes ?

How cool is this new Mercedes Concept Car?

It sure looks like an old-fashioned carriage, but according to Mercedes-Benz this will be the car for the future. Built with large spoked wheels, Mercedes-Benz has decided to go with traditional design features and latest technology. Good combination?

say very cool car , is powered by a hybrid drive system using an emission-free fuel cell. With a top speed of 15.5 miles an hour (25 km/h) you won´t be late for work. 

Taking a look inside this amazing car we will find carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and a distinctively styled fiberglass front section that is inspired by Formula One racing cars. The car is controlled by a joystick instead of a regular steering wheel.