Chemicals giant BASF and metal oxide specialist Toda Kogyo have agreed to form a joint venture for Li-ion cathode active materials (CAM). The firms will combine their respective CAM businesses, intellectual property and production assets in Japan. The new venture, BASF Toda Battery Materials, will produce a broad range of cathode materials, including Nickel Cobalt… Read more »
OXIS has developed its largest lithium-sulfur cell to date, achieving specific energy in excess of 300 Wh/kg. The company has also increased cell capacity to 25 Ah, a twelve-fold improvement in 18 months. OXIS predicts that it will achieve a cell capacity of 33 Ah by mid-2015. The OXIS scientific team expects to achieve its… Read more »
San Diego-based Andromeda Interfaces has introduced its Electric Vehicle Interface Controller (EVIC), an integrated display device to monitor the operation and safety of an EV’s major subsystems. EVIC consolidates data from battery management and charger systems and motor controllers into one display device. CEO Brian L Gallagher said, “With the increasing adoption rate of EV… Read more »
Even voracious EV news junkies should be sated by a recent episode of the Transport Evolved Panel Talk Show, as electromobility experts Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, Chelsea Sexton and John Voelcker hold forth for 90 minutes on the latest developments on the plug-in scene, including Michigan’s new anti-Tesla law, the UK’s sudden surge in plug-in sales, and the… Read more »
Toyota has begun a five-month test of public EV chargers in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. In addition to targeting commercial, tourist, and accommodation facilities as in past tests, this year’s tests will also involve cultural and social service facilities. The aim is to ascertain the optimal number and location of charging stations and their ease of… Read more »
XL Hybrids, a Boston-based developer of hybrid powertrain technology for commercial and municipal fleets, has announced that its customers have logged a cumulative total of four million on-road miles. The company’s XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive for passenger and cargo vans requires less than a $10,000 investment, and is designed to be installed in about five… Read more »
Following up on its earlier review of national EV incentive programs, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has released a new study showing that state incentives are playing a significant early role in driving EV sales. As described in their white paper, Evaluation of State-level US Electric Vehicle Incentives, the researchers found that some… Read more »
Toyota researchers are collaborating with the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to probe molecular structures and track chemical reactions in magnesium batteries. “Issues related to cost, power, energy density, and durability of Li-ion batteries have slowed their implementation in large-scale applications, such as electric and hybrid vehicles,” said Toyota… Read more »
Tesla’s third-quarter shareholder letter was a mixed bag: profits are up, but mainly due to sales of California ZEV credits; Model S deliveries are right on track; and the Model X will be delayed once again. Tesla reported a small third-quarter profit of $3 million, using non-GAAP figures, which include healthy sales of Zero Emission… Read more »
Contrary to popular belief, the small, practical city car is not necessarily the best candidate for electrification. Battery costs will keep EVs more expensive than legacy vehicles for some time to come, and many drivers won’t recoup the higher purchase price in fuel savings in a reasonable number of years. In a new article, John… Read more »
