Consumer Reports’ recent finding that the Model S’s reliability is only mediocre was a black eye for Tesla, but Elon Musk says that, while early drive units had a range of problems, most of these have now been fixed. During a recent conference call, Musk assured stock analysts that the powertrains now rolling off the… Read more »
In May, Tesla acquired Riviera Tool & Die, a Michigan-based firm that makes large stamping die systems used to produce automotive sheet metal parts. The Californians have now taken over the company’s Grand Rapids facility and rebranded it as Tesla Michigan. Reporter Rick Albin from local TV station WOOD recently took a factory tour and… Read more »
Researchers from the University of Waterloo and GM’s Global Research and Development Center have developed a new silicon-based anode material that they say could enable batteries with almost 10 times more energy density than today’s state of the art. In “Evidence of covalent synergy in silicon–sulfur–graphene yielding highly efficient and long-life lithium-ion batteries,” published in… Read more »
How We Got to Now, by Steven Johnson, is a companion book to a TV series that was recently broadcast on PBS and BBC. It’s an excellent book that should be of interest not only to tech fans, but to anyone interested in history and social trends. The author examines five key technologies, and traces… Read more »
California-based Enevate Corporation has announced an “ultrafast charging” feature for its batteries, which has been demonstrated to provide a 90% charge in 15 minutes while increasing capacity compared to current Li-ion batteries. Enevate’s HD-Energy Technology uses silicon-dominant composite anodes, and the company claims an 25-50% increase in energy density over conventional graphite anode cells. The… Read more »
Colorado-based UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has signed a 10-year supply agreement with ITL Efficiency Corporation in China to provide electric propulsion systems. UQM will provide its PowerPhase Pro 135 system for 6-8 meter shuttle buses and, beginning in early 2017, its PowerPhase HD 250 system for transit buses and light- to medium-duty delivery trucks…. Read more »
ChargePoint, the operator of North America’s largest public EV charging network with nearly 25,000 “charging spots”, has developed a new residential charging product called ChargePoint Home. I was given the opportunity to test and review this over the last month, and overall, I’m very impressed. The home-based charger I was provided included a 25 charging foot cord… Read more »
Tesla’s latest earnings report delivered no unpleasant surprises, and that was enough to bring TSLA stock back to rude health, up almost 10% in Wednesday’s trading. The company reported a net loss of $230 million, or $1.78 per share, on revenues of $937 million in GAAP terms: $75 million, or $0.58 per share, on revenues… Read more »
Vancouver-based Delta-Q Technologies has announced two new battery charging solutions for use in electric sports products, including motorcycles and scooters. The new IC900 and IC1200 Industrial Battery Chargers join the company’s IC650 Charger to form a common charging platform for use across manufacturer’s product lines. Delta-Q chargers can be used with lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries…. Read more »
Cambridge scientists have developed a working demonstrator of a lithium-oxygen battery that is more than 90% efficient, and can be recharged more than 2,000 times. Lithium-oxygen, or lithium-air, has been touted as the ultimate battery technology, because its theoretical energy density is ten times that of lithium-ion solutions. In “Cycling Li-O2 Batteries via LiOH Formation… Read more »
