ChargePoint President and CEO Pat Romano on the danger that high fees for public charging could pose to the industry. ChargePoint (formally known as Coulomb Technologies) does not install, own, or set rates for EV charging stations – although it often gets confused with companies that do. ChargePoint provides a broad-based, open network for EV… Read more »
On the march toward widespread adoption of 100+ MPGe plug-in vehicles, the Prius Plug-in could take the most significant step. “When you think of hybrids, you think of Prius.” So says Geri Yoza, National Manager for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Product Planning Department at Toyota. Of course, that would be the standard company line at Toyota,… Read more »
Microvast is the largest battery company you’ve probably never heard of. That’s because they are their own best customer. Instead of pitching their proprietary lithium–titanate technology to vehicle builders, the company identified a well-suited niche for their batteries and set out to demonstrate a sustainable model. Primarily a research and development focused chemical company, Microvast… Read more »
Electric vehicles (EVs) have their partisans and detractors. Supporters see the be-all and end-all transportation solution, while opponents argue the technology is too young. Somewhere between the two extremes lies the truth: today’s commercially available EVs have strengths and weaknesses compared to internal combustion engine (ICEs). The strong points include lower operating costs and lack… Read more »
Ford’s recent launch of the Focus Electric, and the upcoming launches of the Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids, are major milestones for the American EV industry. The Focus Electric claims the title of the only pure EV currently available from the Big Three US automakers, and the Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi will… Read more »
A new public-private consortium, seeks to leverage the academic foundation and fertile entrepreneurial ground of the Bay Area to streamline new battery technology development.
Topping the list of EV inhibitors are cost and consumer perception of long-term reliability of the vehicle. After batteries, power electronics contribute the greatest cost to EVs, when compared to a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Additionally, inverters and converters are among the most stressed powertrain components. Increasing inverter performance, reliability, and lifetime –… Read more »
Industry Opinion: Larry Butkovich is the General Manager of EV Systems at Fuji Electric Corp. of America – a manufacturer of 25 kW DC Quick Chargers. Retail store owners, fleet managers, and government officials are currently faced with the dilemma of selecting charging stations for their sites, and are often overwhelmed by all of the… Read more »
Industry Opinion: Robert Bruninga is a Professional Engineer in the Aerospace Department of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Bob is a member of the IEEE National Committee on Transportation and Aerospace Policy and a 30-year EV owner, since the original CitiCar. Why are we ignoring Level 1 charging opportunities? Nothing in this discussion is… Read more »
In June, Cathy and I took our Tesla Roadster on an 11-day, 1,823-mile road trip. It was by far our longest trip in an electric car, and it worked well because the 240-mile range of the Roadster fit pretty well with our goal of a leisurely trip of about 200 miles of driving per day…. Read more »