The Department of Science and Technology's Innovation Fund has contributed R35 million of the R50 million needed to develop SA's first electric car that will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this week.
Called the “Joule” and pronounced “jewel”, the car is a six-seat mini-multipurpose vehicle. South African-born car designer Keith Helfet, who made his name by designing the Jaguar line of vehicles, is the creative force behind the Joule.
Also involved in the company, called Optimal Energy, are a group of engineers who were involved in the Southern African Large Telescope, who have now turned their expertise to developing an alternative energy solution for commuter vehicles.
“You have one chance in life to design and build a telescope and now we figured we have one chance at developing a car that can really help to reduce the cost of transportation and reduce pollution,” says Optimal Energy executive manager for development Jian Swiegers.
At a presentation to the media last month, science and technology minister Mosibudi Mangena said: “The launch of a South African-designed battery-operated electric vehicle marks a watershed moment in the development of our national system of innovation. On a practically shoestring budget, a small company of talented South Africans has developed a product that is now poised to enter a multibillion-rand industry.”
Battery power
Kobus Meiring, Optimal Energy CEO, says: “We have capitalised on the opportunity presented by the exponential increase in oil costs and the dramatic improvement in battery price, life and performance. Joule's value proposition is made more compelling when environmental influences, such as increasing pollution and the global warming phenomena caused by the rapid increase in urbanisation, are also considered.”
According to an Optimal Energy statement, Joule's chassis has been designed to accommodate two large-cell lithium ion battery packs, which employ chemistry similar to that used in mobile phones and laptop computers. This chemistry is inherently safe; lithium is found in many medicinal applications and the batteries do not contain any heavy metals.
Using a normal 220-Volt home outlet and Joule's onboard charger, it will take approximately seven hours to recharge Joule's battery for a 200km driving range, with two packs providing 400km in total. Joule's large battery bay is able to accommodate a number of different battery configurations from different suppliers, giving the customer the choice of performance and cost.
Enough capacity
“Studies show that 99% of urban users drive less than 150km a day; Optimal Energy recommends that only one battery pack is necessary to power Joule,” Meiring notes.
He adds that independent analysis of Eskom has confirmed the South African grid has enough capacity to supply electrical energy to millions of cars without affecting its customer base, or requiring any additional infrastructure.
According to Meiring, Eskom has vast amounts of excess energy between 11pm and 6am; this will be the recommended recharging time.
Gauteng is being evaluated for Joule's first assembly plant as it has the biggest cities and has expressed interest in placing the first fleet orders. Although supplier lists are not yet final, it is expected that the local content of Joule will be more than 50%.
Joule will be sold in all major South African centres; and will be available towards the end of 2010. It will also be on offer for export.
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