The vivaciousness of the meeting has been coordinated by Mr. Jacques Saint-Marc, General Secretary of the Interdepartmental Mobility and Electric Vehicle Group, with the coordination of the meeting, namely:

- Jean-Louis BERTHOU, Management of Transportation and the Electric Vehicles of the EDF (French electric company)
- Damien CRESPEL, Business Development Manager at DASSAULT/Society of Electric Vehicles (SVE)
- Patrick WILDLOECHER, Director of Sustainable Development at LA POSTE (French mail service)
- Guy NEGRE, PDG (president director-general) founder at Motor Development International (MDI)

The climate change and sustainable development causes us to question the future of mobility after « everything oil ».
The objectives and the challenges to be reinstated are the reduction of local emissions such as noise, traffic accidents and greenhouse gas emissions and better management of public spaces and garbage dumps. Thereby better managing the growing scarcity of raw materials with the development of emergent countries.

The consumption of energy by the road transport sector represents about one billion eight hundred million tons of the oil used on the planet.


The Compressed Air Vehicle

MDI (Motor Development International) is a small company established in 1991 with the aim to promote and develop clean vehicles. The development of an air compressed vehicle in 1996, the appearance of the first automobile (green taxi) in 1998, the development of the process « stop and go » in 2001 and since 2003, the careful planning of a new thermodynamic cycle with an active chamber.

Compressed air is not energy in itself, it is only a carrier. The motor is in reality, a 4 cycle 5 stroke motor. MDI (Motor Development International) has created a « stop and go » piston with a 5th cycle where the piston stops at Top Dead Center (TDC) at approximately 1/3 of the rotation with an increase in the motor’s capacity for expansion by 5%.
By the creation of the «active chamber » with the suppression of volume above the principal piston and the addition of a variable volume created by a small piston controlled by a conventional (connecting rod) bielle-crank system, we therefore reach an expansion capacity between 60 and 65% and a compression capacity between 60 and 75%.

The MDI (Motor Development International) motor only expels air and the cost is between 0,5 euros and 0,8 euros per 100km.

A bi-energy motor is developed equally with the fusion of an MDI (Motor Development International) motor and an external combustion chamber where the continuous combustion is not linked to the motor’s cycle, thus allowing better control of it.
At the level of consumption, the engine should consume approximately 2L/100km for an average speed of 90km/h thanks to the engine and the lightness of the vehicle.

For the future, MDI (Medical Development International) studies and develops accounts of aforementioned combustions « cold ».


Diverse Questions

Is it generally an outstanding product with a lack of reality?
The techniques have evolved and today they have the ability to go through to the end, thanks to our new partner TATA (Tata Motors Limited/Tata Group).

How many km can the motor do and what pressure, in bars (atmospheric) is used?
The vehicle contains approximately 300L (liter) and thus has autonomy of around 150km and does not surpass 300 bars (atmospheric) of pressure.


The Electric Automobile

According to DASSAULT/SVE (Society of Electric Vehicles), the price of oil is increasing and the peak of oil consumption has already been reached in some countries. Assured of new motors that are completely clean or hybrid, there is a general realization of the fact that solutions will coexist.
The first solution is the non rechargeable hybrid motor such as the one in the TOYOTA PRIUS with the integration of the aforementioned system « Stop & Start ». If we want to improve the autonomy, we must develop the rechargeable hybrid but its development is not yet successful.

On a worldwide scale, a certain number of regulations are put into place and are forcing the automobile chain to improve itself and to innovate.

The big problem with the (nickel) battery is its autonomy and the violation of the recharge cycles to greatly alter its performance. The new lithium-ion battery is adopted but problems persist. In order to test the motors, thirty prototypes are distributed within different fleets of automobiles (for example, La Poste «French mail service») with daily uses.

There is a strong development of the dominant electrical hybrid with the addition of a small thermal motor where most of the traction is made by the electric motor. Then, the creation of a second electric motor (at 14kW) in the beginning (to 37kW) in order to come to the aid of and to give back power to the first motor. A system of electricity regeneration while the vehicle is rolling is equally foreseen with a clutch on the wheels.

The average consumption in an urban cycle is around 2L/100km.

Notably, the expertise of DASSAULT/SVE (Society of Electric Vehicles) has been utilized regarding the preparation of the « electronic servo », the system (power control) which controls the motor and its use. In addition, the lithium-ion battery must be controlled electronically so that it does not exceed a certain temperature at the risk of destroying itself.

These new vehicles should represent approximately 17% of the market share in a few years.


Diverse Questions

What is the global environment analysis of the life of the battery? What works on the fuel cell?
These batteries are designed to last at least 10 years and they could still be used beyond this point because they will not be completely dead.
There is no specific work. DASSAUT/SVE (Society of Electric Vehicles) targets the market and the current demand therefore we are not experimenting and we only utilize the products in the final phase of development.

At the EDF (French electric company), we develop electric transportation such as the train, the tram and the bus and light vehicles like the bicycle or the scooter.
Transportation represents 26% of worldwide energy consumption and 60% of the world consumption of oil. Turning to electricity is also an answer to the rising prices of conventional fuels with a reduced cost between 1 and 2 euros per 100km.



Local Impact    CO2 Emissions
Energy Mix                                                                      Tank Wells    +     Wheel Reservoir   =   Total Emissions
Diesel/gas                                                                         20 to 35                      120 to 180               140 to 210
Electricity                                                                            15 to 20                              0                          15 to 20
95%N+EnR (Nitrogen+ Renewable Energy) 
       
    
Previously the lead battery was a means of standard storage with autonomy of 50km for a price of 150 euros/kWh. The Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) replaced it with autonomy of 80km for a price higher than 700 euros/kWh, and then there was the NIMH (Nickel-metal hybrid battery) with autonomy of 100km for a higher price of 1000 euros/kWh and the lithium battery with autonomy of 200km for a higher price of 800 euros/kWh. From now on we work on nanostructure materials (long term) with an autonomy potentially superior to 200km.

Today we know how to charge batteries in less than half an hour and therefore the use in automobiles is greatly conceivable.

Diverse Questions

What are other chemical pairs? Is the lithium-ion an inexhaustible resource? What is the future of these batteries?
The other chemical pairs are not really adapted for a mobile embarkation.
We will not run out of nickel on this planet, nor will we run out of lithium; however we must take into account the geopolitical situations of exporters such as China and South America.
 
La Poste (French mail service) has used electric vehicles since 1901! Appointed « mister clean vehicles » in 1996 and participated in project EVD (Electric Vehicle Delivery) with other European mail services in 1997. Between 1997 and 2000, La Poste (French mail service) has purchased 600 commercial electric vehicles furnished with SAFT (French enterprise specializing in the conception and fabrication of electrical accumulators “storage cells”) nickel-cadmium batteries.

Since 2003, La Poste (French mail service) measures the volume of CO2 emissions from its fleet of vehicles and this represents around 200,000 tons. The first objective was to reduce these emissions by 5% between 2003 and 2007; the objective was surpassed with a 6% reduction. The new objectives are to reduce the emissions by 15% between 2008 and 2012, and then reduce the fuel bill which increases by 10% each year.

In order to achieve these objectives, La Poste (French mail service) makes its employees take the eco-conduct (Green Defensive Driving Course) and visualizes having 10,000 electric commercial vehicles in 2012 (for a total of 44,000 vehicles) together with 12,000 bicycles.

La Poste (French mail service) makes the wager that in 2012 an electric vehicle will have a global economic cost lower than a thermal vehicle. This forecast is explained by reason of the purchase price, almost no maintenance, the lower cost of fuel, the fact that fill ups are done on the spot, the residual value, tax relief (ecological bonuses, at least the TVS « French automobile tax »…), to the drop in accident research and the improvement of working conditions (less exhaustion).

At the level of the Environment Grenelle, the principal measures suggested by La Poste (French mail service) are:
- Electrical recharge in underground parking, CO2 labeling on vehicles and tires.
- The extension of an ecological bonus of 5,000 euros to commercial electric vehicles, exemption of the trade tax on batteries, a VAT (value added tax) to 5.5% on electric vehicles, no longer taking into account the weight of batteries in the PTAC (Total Authorized Weight Charge) of trucks, no taxation of electricity as fuel until 2030.
- The creation of a venture capital society in order to participate in the « battery risk » and the development of the eco-conduct (Green Defensive Driving Course).

The wager is at the same time environmental and social per the projected economic gain.


Diverse Questions

Where does the decline of accidents come from?
The driver’s attention is better because there is no noise and no speed to go. The individual’s relationship with the electric vehicle is totally different, with a real impact on behavior.

Is it difficult to access these electric vehicles?
Less and less, the recently launched invitations to tender have stirred things up with the creation of a certain general emulation.