Why the car of the future only weighs 500 kg

January 2012

Nicolas Meilhan

Senior Consultant, Frost & Sullivan

January 2013

2

Weight and engine power of the average French car in the last 50 years 10 kg increase per year, 500 kg in 50 years!

Engine power multiplied by more than 2,5

- Evolution of power, weight and price ( in month of minimum salary) of a passenger car -

Source : L’Argus

Power

Average Weight

Price in month of

minimum salary

3

What is the transport mode of the future?

Source : David MacKay

Amount of scrap metal displaced to

transport 1 person:

Renault Zoé – 1,4t – 1,4 person

1000 kg per person

Renault Twizy – 500 kg – 1 person

500 kg per person

Bus - 20t – 60 persons

330 kg per person

Scooter 125 – 150 kg – 1 person

150 kg per person

Electric bike – 20 kg – 1 person

20 kg per person

Bike - 10 kg – 1 person

10 kg par person

4

Space occupied in a city street by three common modes of transport—cars,

bicycles and a bus - to transport 60 persons 69 volunteers, 69 bikes, 60 cars and one bus

The electric tank might not be the most suited transport mode in a city

Of the 3 major problems city faces – pollution, traffic and parking, it only

addresses the pollution!

5

Energy consumption of different transport modes The most efficient transport mode is the good old bicycle.

To match the energy efficiency of a bike, one has to fill a car with 80 people!

- Energy consumption (kWh pour 100 person - km) -

Source . David MacKay

6

Reducing CO2 emissions is a good thing… … but it does not mean we will still be able to afford driving our cars in the short term while

oil supply is decreasing... and oil prices are surging!

Source: Colin Campbell & ASPO, 2008,, Hiroshi Komiyama (Roadmap for a Sustainable Earth), 2008

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- Evolution of Oil & Gas production 1930-2030 -

• Future belongs to fuel efficient vehicles as well as low-cost cars (such as Logan)

• In Japan, 40% of passenger cars sold in 2012- 2 millions in total - were kei-cars – small cars

with length limited to 3,5 m and engine power limited to 660 cc

Legislators should regulate vehicles weight, engine power or energy consumption

like in Japan to make those light weight cars attractive with regard to heavy and

energy inefficient cars – a 7-series BMW weights as high as 2t!

- Fuel consumption of vehicles in L/km as a

function of their mass -

7

Our economy is very sensitive to oil availability Any bottleneck on oil supply in the last 40 years ended in an economic recession It is high time

to reduce transportation oil dependency – 97% - by developing light and energy efficient cars

- Evolution of car production, GDP incremental growth and oil prices -

Incremental growth in value of worldwide

Oil prices (constant dollars)

Worldwide car production

Global

recessions

?

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

8

What consumes energy when we drive? At lower speeds– in cities– mechanical losses, which are correlated to vehicle weight, have

the biggest impact on the energy consumption of vehicles

- Power required to compensate mechanic & aerodynamic friction forces -

Source : Gregory Launay www.gnesg.com

•Accelerations, which is increasing the speed of a given mass, is what requires the most

energy when driving in a urban environment

•A 500 kg car such as Renault Twizy at a speed of 35 km/h carries a kinetic energy 20

times as less as a 1,4t electric tank1,4t such as Renault Zoé at a speed of 90 km/h

It is logical that such lightweight cars – 500 kg – do not have to comply with the

same safety norms than car that are 2 to 3 times heavier as they have less kinetic

energy to dissipate in case of a crash

Po

we

r

Speed

Power to compensate mechanical losses

Power to compensate aerodynamic losses

9

How to reduce cars fuel consumption? 2 ways – reducing losses or reducing weight

Fuel consumption of vehicles depends on the amount of energy required to move the vehicle as

well as the powertrain energy efficiency. To decrease the fuel consumption, one can either:

Reduce losses (increase the energy efficiency with an hybrid power train for example)

Reduce the amount of energy required (with a lighter car for example).

The red arrow represents the path that car markers have followed up to now which in most of

the time increased the energy consumption of the car although it reduced its CO2 emissions

An energy efficient approach would make a lot of sense in the future

Source : Gregory Launay www.gnesg.com CO2 emissions

En

erg

y

10

1 L /100km – Impossible? Fuel consumption of a 600 kg electric car with a small range extender is as low as 1 L/100 km

Fuel consumption of a car vs. Weight and energy efficiency -

Source : Gregory Launay

Peugeot

BB1 Rex

- Energy efficiency of vehicles-

Gasoline Diesel Gasoline

hybrid Diesel hybrid

Range extended

electric vehicle*

Electric

vehicle

Tank to wheel energy

efficiency

18% 23% 30% 35% 60% 70%

1 1,3 1.7 2 3.3 4

* 80% of trips in electric mode,20% of trips with ICE range extender

Weig

ht

Tank t o wheel energy efficiency

11

Peugeot BB1, the urban car of the future?

• Length = 2,500 mm

• Width = 1,600 mm

• Turning circle = 3.5 m

Dimensions

• Range – 120 km

• Top speed– 90 km/h

• 0-60 km/h – 6.8 s

Range, speed & acceleration

• 600 Kg including 150 kg batteries

• 4 seats

• 3 doors

• 160 litres à 855 litres

Vehicle Weight, Seating &

Luggage Capacity

• Lithium-ion battery 12 kWh

• 15 kW electric motor

• 320 N.m wheel torque

Electric powertrain

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Peugeot BB1

Peugeot VLV

(1941) Peugeot VELV

12

An electric Peugeot BB1 fitted with a small range extender is probably the

urban car of the future with a fuel consumption as low as 1 L/100 km and a total

range of 300 km, in line with customer expectations

Technical Specification Peugeot BB1

EV

Peugeot BB1

Rex EV Lotus city car Audi A1 E-tron Opel Ampera

Length 2,5 m 3,4 m 4 m 4,4 m

Width 1,6 m 1,7 m 1,7 m 1,8 m

Weight 650 kg 601 kg 1,400 kg 1,200 kg 1,700 kg

Engine Power & Torque 15 kW

320 N.m

162 kW peak

240 N.m

75 kW peak

270 N.m

111 kW peak

370 N.m

Battery size 12 kWh 3 kWh 14,8 kWh 12 kWh 16 kWh

Battery weight 150 kg 36 kg * 185 kg

(12.5 kg/kWh)

150 kg

(12.5kg/kWh)

198 kg

(12,4 kg/kWh)

Battery price € 4,800 € 1,200 **

Electric range 120 km 30 km 60 km 50 km 60 km

Electric consumption 10 kWh/100km 25 kWh/100km 24 kWh/100 km 26,5 kWh/100 km

Total range 120 km 300 km 500 km 250 km 560 km

Range extender : type, size, power - 2 cylinders, 0.25 L

15 kW

3 cylinders, 1.2 L

35 kW

Rotary, 0,25 L

15 kW

4 cylinders, 1,4 L

63 kW

Fuel tank (L) - 10 L 12 L 35 L

Range extender weight - 65 kg 56 kg (engine) 65 kg *** 91 kg (engine)

Range extender price - 3,000 € 2,000 € 1,500 € 4,500 €

Price 14,800 € 14,200 € 25,000 € (2013) 42,900 € (2011)

*** complete package of rotary, generator, power electronics and cooling * Battery weight= 12 kg/kWh ** Battery price = 400€/kWh

13

The Mathis Andreau 333 (1946) is a very good example of a light energy

efficient car that we should follow! 3 wheels, 3 persons, 385 kg, 3 meter 40, 3.5 Litres / 100 km, developed 2 x 33ans ago

Source : Matthieu BARREAU & Laurent BOUTIN , Réflexions sur l’énergétique Routier

14

How the car of the future looks like in an energy constrained world? A weight of 500 kg, a drag surface of 0,3 m2,, an hybrid powertrain

Some examples to follow

Source : Matthieu BARREAU & Laurent BOUTIN , Réflexions sur l’énergétique des véhicules routiers

For a 4-seats vehicle

•Weight of 490 kg (122 kg /

person)

•Drag surface of 0,3 m²

(= aerodynamical coefficient Cx

times front surface in use Sf)

•Hybrid powertrain (Csp = 185

g/cv.h at nominal operating

point)

Fuel consumption of 1,5 L/100

km at 90 km/h

Fuel consumption <1 L/100 km

at 50 km/h in urban environment