LPG Vans and Hybrid Vehicles

Ashwoods Automotive is launching a complete range of high performance, low cost EV and hybrid technologies; building on its successful hybrid commercial vehicles. Offering a unique combination of products and expertise, Ashwoods is now an ideal OEM partner for low carbon vehicle development.

• Radial & Axial Flux Motors
• Battery Management System & Battery Pack
• FWD Hybrid System
• Simulation software
• HEV & EV drive system development

ASHWOODS Automotive is building on the success of its hybrid commercial vehicles with the launch of a complete range of high performance, low cost electric and hybrid vehicle technologies and system development.

The new products include radial and axial flux electric motors, a battery management system (BMS), battery pack, unique simulation software and a ‘plug-and-play’ hybrid system for front wheel drive vehicles. Ashwoods initially began developing the products to solve technical challenges encountered while creating the Ashwoods Hybrid Transit. Based on the Ford Transit, this van is now the UK’s best-selling hybrid light commercial vehicle.

Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods, said: “During our own vehicle development, we realised there was a total lack of components that combined realistic performance with durability and value for money. Eventually, we decided to do it ourselves.

“With 1.4 million miles of real-world hybrid and electric vehicle data, we were extremely well placed to develop more efficient, robust supply chain components. This experience, allied to our proprietary systems, also makes Ashwoods a practical, cost-effective platform development partner for major vehicle manufacturers.”

Ashwoods developed the new product portfolio through a programme part-funded by the Technology Strategy Board, in which it also collaborated with leading universities. The company unveils its new range at LCV 2011, the UK’s leading conference and exhibition for low carbon vehicle technologies. LCV 2011 takes place at Rockingham race circuit, near Northampton, on Wednesday and Thursday September 7^th & 8^th. Ashwoods will be displaying the new components on its own stand and the TSB stand. Visitors can also experience the Ashwoods Hybrid and EcoDrive+Transit vans on the race track.

Ashwoods’ guiding principles are to engineer systems that are robust, practical, designed for volume production and deliver excellent performance and value for money.

 Ashwoods Energy

Unable to find a BMS capable of meeting the demanding duty cycle on its Ashwoods Hybrid Transit, the company developed its own. Ideal for  hybrids or pure EVs, Ashwoods Energy supports a range of cell chemistries including LiFePO4 (lithium-ion iron phosphate), LiPO (lithium polymer) and NMC (Nickel Metal Chloride). The company has already sold more than 3,000 units into power generation, automotive and military applications and recently won a Shell Springboard Award for this innovative technology. Ashwoods Energy also offers a complete battery pack solution for automotive applications such as EVs and HEVs that are also exploitable for the marine, industrial and energy generation sectors.                               

Ashwoods Motors offers two products with a highly competitive price-per-kilowatt ratio, making them among the best value motors on the market. This is largely due to a unique modular design, which means they can be assembled within one hour. The motors are ideal for a range of applications including small EV, mild hybrid, motorcycle/scooter that are also exploitable for the marine, industrial and energy generation sectors.

The Radial Flux Permanent Magnet Outrunner Motor is compact, lightweight and powerful, with an innovative cooling system that allows for greater heat dissipation. 

The Ashwoods Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Motor is highly adaptable and can be easily configured for different mounting options.

Ashwoods Front Wheel Drive Hybrid System designed for low cost, high volume manufacture, has been developed for a wide range of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. It builds on the success of Ashwoods Hybrid Drive, developed for the rear wheel drive Ford Transit. The simple, robust system is designed for low cost, high volume manufacture. It is air-cooled, meaning it does not require a complex liquid cooling solution like other hybrids. The entire system can be installed in a few hours without cutting any wires or drilling any holes on the host vehicle – meaning warranties and residual values remain intact. Ashwoods is currently developing the system for various platforms with five major automotive manufacturers.

 Ashwoods Development – complete hybrid and electric drive system development and integration

Ashwoods Development services encompass Ashwoods hybrid and electric vehicle development projects focused on simple vehicle integration strategies that are driven to achieve maximum market acceptability and scalability. The company’s in-house capabilities and services to OEMs include advanced BMS design and integration, CAD design, motor design and manufacture, PCB design, productionising, programming, prototyping, simulation and testing. Drawing on 1.4 million miles of real-world data from Ashwoods’ own vehicles, there practical approach and attitude can help OEMs speed up vehicle development and prototyping. The key advantages are reduced development costs and shorter project duration.

City businesses have come together under the leadership of Exeter Chamber of Commerce and Industry to form the Exeter Initiative of Science and Technology (ExIST). Supported by the University of Exeter and Exeter City Council, the focus of the group is on industry and a wide range of businesses from across the City have already stepped forward as leading members of the Initiative, including Flybe, South West Communications, Graphic Plc, South West Metal Finishing, Landmark, TCL Global, the Met Office, Select Statistics, Sands Engineering and Ashwoods Automotive.

Robert McIlwraith, Chair of ExIST said ‘Exeter has a wide range of businesses that are working at the forefront of innovation: the ExIST group will not only heighten awareness that these companies already exist in this area, but will push this to the next level by encouraging high business growth in this industry and incoming investment to Exeter’

The major aims of the Initiative are to optimise interaction between businesses, identifying supply chain opportunities and to raise awareness of the profile of Exeter as a centre for Science and Technology.

Ashwoods Automotive, recent winners of the Echo’s Innovation of the Year business award and ranked the fastest growing Cleantech company in Europe were one of the first companies to sign up to the Initiative. Martin Kadhim, director of Ashwoods Automotive said ‘As a business we have invested heavily to support the research and development of our products. This has been an essential part of our success. While we have joined the Initiative in order to gain increased knowledge of other businesses operating in the region and work together, a second objective is to share best practice and engage in a skills transfer with other businesses.’

The Initiative will work to increase opportunities for young people by working with education providers to ensure that their students are equipped with the skills needed by business.

Around 100 members of the business community witnessed the launch of the Initiative today at a lunch event organised by Exeter Chamber of Commerce at the city’s Southgate Hotel.

Derek Phillips the Vice President of Exeter Chamber of Commerce said “Chamber believes this Initiative is essential to ensure that local businesses benefit from the fantastic opportunities arising from the Science Park and Skypark developments to the east of the City. We are asking any businesses with science and technology at the core, or specialise in the support of this sector to get involved in the group.”

Photo left to right: Sara Randall Johnson, Flybe, Martin Kadhim, Ashwoods Automotive, Ben Bradshaw, MP for Exeter, Robin Jackson, Innovation Centre, Derek Phillips, Exeter Chamber, Sean Fielding, University of Exeter.

The 11th Michelin Challenge Bibendum, which took place in Berlin, has proved the most popular to date with a record breaking 16,000 plus people attending the five-day event.

Organised by Michelin, this global ‘rally for sustainable mobility’ saw Berlin’s Templehof airport transformed into an exhibition centre, round-table conference rooms and test tracks to highlight the latest sustainable transport innovations and technologies. UK companies leading the way in innovative engine development and vehicle design were to the fore at Challenge Bibendum, with five Shell Springboard Award winning firms forming a UK Eco-Innovation Zone in the exhibition hall. Among them was Exeter-based Ashwoods, a hybrid and low carbon vehicle company whose hybrid van helped them claim a Challenge Bibendum Design Recognition Award – the only UK company to receive such an accolade at this year’s event.
Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods Automotive, said: “We are extremely proud to be the only British company honoured in these awards. This further underlines the financial and environmental benefits that our fuel-saving technology is delivering across the UK today.”

On the first day, a parade of all the participating vehicles in front of the Brandenburg Gate was one of the highlights of this year’s event. This was in addition to the traditional series of rallies – the Intercity Passenger Car Rally, the Urban Vehicle Rally and the Battery Electric Rally – which are designed to test vehicles on various performance criteria including energy consumption, manoeuvrability and noise levels.

Indoors, 72 exhibitors displayed cutting-edge products and innovations in the Technological Exhibition Centre and conference rooms hosted 50 events including forums, round-tables and workshops, and first-time features such as the Leaders’ Forum. There was also a UK Eco-Innovation Zone, which showcased some of the best in British vehicle and engine design and manufacturing.

During the five days of Challenge Bibendum, over 16,000 people visited the event with 10,000 members of the public attending the first ever open day on the Sunday. One thousand students from all across Europe attended the Student Day – another first at this year’s event.

Eric Le Corre, Michelin UK’s Managing Director, said: “It gave me great pleasure to see such a strong UK presence at this year’s Challenge Bibendum, the biggest and best attended event to date. We had UK representatives from industry, public affairs, the press and universities; all of whom were extremely impressed with the exhibitions, debates, vehicles and the many new innovations on show.”

Innovation and technological advancement are key themes for every Challenge Bibendum event and 2011 was no exception as Michelin showcased some of its latest developments. These included a puncture-proof concept tyre which uses an inner material that distorts and stretches around the penetrating object preventing air-loss – an innovation which could make punctures a thing of the past.

Other concepts were small tyres for electric urban vehicles, large narrow tyres for improved aerodynamics and rolling resistance, and a high capacity truck tyre making twin-axle trailers a possibility in place of the three-axles currently used.

Michelin’s Active Wheel technology was also on display. Integrating all of an electric vehicle’s drive, suspension and braking components into the wheel itself, the Active Wheel offers the prospect of excellent handling, driving comfort and efficiency.
Out on the test tracks, 280 vehicles – including everything from a fuel-cell powered London black cab to the latest electric Formula One-style car – took to the tarmac, providing visitors with a first-hand vision of the green, clean motoring opportunities of the future.

North Ayrshire Council has continued to show its commitment to the environment by purchasing a fleet of seven Ashwoods Hybrid Transit Vans, making it the proud owner of the largest hybrid van fleet in Scotland.
The Council has purchased the award-winning Hybrid Transit vans from Ashwoods Automotive. The vans are standard Ford Transits with all the normal features, but are fitted with an innovative hybrid drive system. They will replace a fleet of diesel-powered vehicles used by the Council’s Building Services.

At a time of increasing awareness of environmental issues – and fuel costs – the hybrid vans deliver fuel consumption reductions of up to 20 percent, saving around £700 a year per vehicle and reducing carbon emissions.
Councillor Tom Barr, portfolio holder for the environment, said: “The purchase of this fleet of hybrid vans once again shows the Council’s commitment to energy efficiency.

“It is important to remember that the benefits of energy efficiency are twofold. Not only do we ensure that we are doing our best to save the environment from the effects of carbon emissions – we are saving money while doing so. This is especially important at a time when finances are tight.

“Should the new eco vans prove a success, they could be extended across the Council’s transport fleet.”

The Ashwoods Hybrid Drive system recovers energy normally lost during braking and deceleration. A battery stores the energy before an electric motor redirects it to the rear wheels – making the vans extremely efficient. Because the hybrid system is entirely self-powered, the vans never need to be plugged in for a battery charge. And unlike pure electric vehicles, hybrids are not restricted to low mileage duties.

North Ayrshire’s seven hybrids are part funded by Transport Scotland’s Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme (LCVPSS), which enables public sector bodies to purchase electric and hybrid vehicles for extensive operational trials.

Ashwoods Hybrid Transits are also used by the Royal Mail, Transport for London and the Environment Agency.

Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods Automotive, said: “Forward-thinking councils like North Ayrshire are demonstrating that low carbon vehicles don’t have to cost the earth. Working with Ashwoods, it is possible to reduce emissions from road transport and cut fuel bills at the same time.”

Ashwoods won the 2011 Express and Echo Award for Innovation in their April Awards ceremony. Mark Roberts, Managing Director of Ashwoods said “We are very happy to be recongnised for our Innovation, especially by a local publication likethe Express & Echo, all of our staff read the paper!”

On a cold morning in late April Ashwoods travelled to London to meet Boris Johnson and become one of the partners of the Low Emission Zone Vehicle Replacement Scheme. Over 70,000 London van and mini bus drivers will be effected by the new LEZ rules coming into effect in January 2012. These rules mean that vehicle that are 10 years old or more are charged £100 a day to enter the zone unless they upgrade to a new vehicle.

Ashwoods is on hand to aid these drivers with a trade in offer that gives them: £500 off their old van; A new discounted Ashwoods EcoDrive Transit with fuel saving technology that saves between 5-15% on fuel use and the peace of mind that they can order now and take delivery of their van anytime between now and the changes. Ashwoods Head of Sales David Balchin ssaid “The Interest we are getting from the LEV rule change is great. We are getting drivers trading in old vans for new ones. Some of them are a little grumpy that they have to do this, however once we explain that they will be saving up to 15% on their fuel bills, they seem a lot happier!

Furthermore April also saw the debut of Ashwoods at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Ashwoods had a prominent stand and were showcasing some of their latest technologies including the Ashwoods EcoDrive and the Ashwoods Hybrid Transit. David Balchin, Head of Sales said “The show provided us with a terrific platform to show the CV market our products and how we can help save them money and reduce their emissions. We were busy on the stand and look forward to dealing with the new customers that we met through the show.

Last night, Ashwoods Automotive pitched alongside other top business ideas in a Dragons Den style environment in a bid to receive Shell Springboard funding for its new spin off business. Ashwoods Energy (a dedicated company focusing on Battery Management Solutions) was successful and received £30,000 in funding and a place in the overall final in London on the 22nd February. Mark Roberts; CEO of Ashwoods Automotive and Ashwoods Energy said “We believe that Battery Management is one of the biggest barriers holding back the widespread HEV/EV take up. AE will help lower this barrier with advanced Battery Management that provides improved battery performance, longer range, faster charging, smaller battery packs with lower costs and longer life cycles.”

The Shell Springboard funding will provide the finance to launch Ashwoods Energy as a stand alone business developing battery management solutions for battery manufacturers, HEV/EV vehicle manufacturers and bespoke development projects. More information can be found at www.ashwoodsenergy.org

Ashwoods has made it into the Top 25 of the fastest growing Cleantech Companies in Europe. Ashwoods was ranked No. 1 in this prestigious green technology growth chart. Ashwoods is the UK’s largest supplier of Hybrid Commercial Vehicles and Low Emission Technology

Mark Roberts, Ashwoods MD said ” We are thrilled to have made the Cleantech Connect Top 25 and then to go on and be ranked No. 1. , Ashwoods inclusion in this well respected list of European Greentech businesses is down to the rapid growth the business has experienced over the past 2 years from our sale of our low emission products”.

You can read more about Cleantech Connect and Ashwoods Automotive being ranked No. 1 by clicking here.

The Ashwoods Automotive development of HEV/EV Battery Managment Systems (BMS) looks to be nearing its dream of being spun off into its own business (Ashwoods Energy) if it is successful at the Shell Springboard competition in Birmingham on the 1st Feb 2011. Ashwoods Automotive has developed its own Battery Managment Technology for its award winning Ashwoods Hybrid Drive system. With over 700,000 miles of vehicle and system data Ashwoods have further developed and improved upon their BMS to allow them to get more performance and stability from their 72v Lithium-ion battery. Mark Roberts MD of Ashwoods Automotive said “The interest we have received in our in BMS solutions strongly suggests that it should be a stand alone product. We were forced into developing our own BMS, for our Hybrid Technology, since there was no commercially available BMS that could balance and managed the cells during the demanding hybrid drive cycle. The Shell Springboard funding will provide the finance to launch Ashwoods Energy, a dedicated company focusing on BMS Solutions. Ashwoods will find out on the 1st February in Birmingham after a pitch if it has been successful in winning one of the £40,000 prizes.

Ends

Article from boston.com

The black Lincoln Town Car that Tod Hynes has been driving around Boston looks exactly like the sort of sedan that would ferry a well-paid executive to Logan. But under the hood and stashed in the trunk is a system that has turned the gas-guzzler into a hybrid, nudging down its gas consumption.
Hynes, the president of Somerville-based XL Hybrids Inc., says the company is focused on retrofitting vehicles for customers who “drive a lot of miles in low mile-per-gallon vehicles”; He says that the company’s pilot vehicles have been demonstrating a 10 to 15 percent savings in fuel costs, and that the first commercially-retrofitted cars – they will mainly be Lincoln Town Cars – will save owners 20 to 30 percent a year.
XL (the name stands for “extra large vehicles”) is announcing this week that it has raised $2 million in new funding, and signed a licensing agreement with Ashwoods Automotive Ltd. in Britain, the company that makes the retrofit kit that XL will adapt for use in the States. Ashwoods has been retrofitting Ford vans in Europe with its kit (about 150 are now on the road), and XL has adapted the Ashwoods kit for use in sedans, with light-duty vans to follow soon. XL had previously raised $1.8 million in convertible debt from angel investors; one of its backers is the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund, which has invested $300,000 in the company.
“Some of these livery companies that own Town Cars have $20,000 fuel bills per vehicle, per year; Hynes says.”But the economics of doing the conversion can give them a two-year payback, even just assuming they’re doing 60,000 miles a year in a car
The kit adds an array of lithium ion batteries to capture energy that would ordinarily be lost in braking; an electric motor to return that energy to the wheels during acceleration; and an anti-idling system that allows certain accessories (like heat or air conditioning) to run for extended periods without leaving the engine on. “You don’t need high-tech tools to install it, or much training; Hynes says. “The retrofit can be done in a standard garage; While Hynes doesn’t want to talk prices, co-founder Justin Ashton told the Globe last year that the kit will cost less than $10,000.
Initially, XL will be doing the conversions at its Union Square garage and headquarters, though Hynes says the eventual goal is to develop a network of partners around the country that can install the retrofit kits. In Britain, he says, Ashwoods can perform the conversion in less than four hours.
Hynes says that XL is focused on converting vehicles that get fewer than 20 miles per gallon (a Town Car travelling city streets may get about thirteen), and is interested in selling mainly to companies that operate large fleets, as opposed to individuals. While Hynes acknowledges that as more and more hybrids and electric vehicles are sold, there may be decreased demand for conversion, he believes conversion is “a fifteen year opportunity.” He also suggests that the company has future plans related to connecting electric vehicles and hybrids to the electrical grid.
Founded in 2009, XL has 11 full-time employees, with plans to hire another five auto technicians and engineers this year.

Ashwoods Automotive this afternoon was shortlisted for the Energy Saving Trust Fleet Hero Awards 2010 for Innovation in Car & Van Manufacture. The UK’s largest supplier and manufacturer of low emission technology for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) has already been announced as the Fastest Growing Cleantech Company in Europe this year. Mark Roberts, CEO of Ashwoods has said “It is great to be nominated in such a competitive catergory with Citroen and Volkswagen, we look forward to the winners being announced in February”.