The latest advance in lithium-sulfur technology comes courtesy of a research team from Samsung and the University of Rome, who have built a solid-state Li-S battery with a capacity (∼1600 mAhg−1) approaching the theoretical value and Coulombic efficiency approaching 99%. In a paper published in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, the team concludes that… Read more »
Tesla is hoping for great things in China, but sales seem to be materializing more slowly than expected. TSLA stock took a dive in January, after Musk said that Chinese sales were down in Q4 2014. It may have nothing to do with the sales slowdown, but the head of Tesla’s Chinese operations, Veronica Wu,… Read more »
EVs and the smart grid are a powerhouse combination that enables a host of useful capabilities. However, being connected also entails security risks. EVs present unique cybersecurity challenges, because they can be attacked both electronically and physically. In a paper published in the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Jianying Zhou and Aldar Chan… Read more »
Disruptive technology in an elegantly designed package that sells itself – that’s the formula that’s been working wonders for two American companies. The parallels between Tesla and Apple, and the fact that quite a few employees have made a move from the computermaker to the carmaker, isn’t news, but a recent Bloomberg article puts some… Read more »
In the latest Bolt news, a couple of supplier sources have told Reuters that GM plans to begin building its new EV in October 2016 at an underused small-car plant north of Detroit. The production target is said to be 25,000-30,000 cars a year (the Volt sold 18,800 last year, and 23,000 in 2013). The… Read more »
January has always been a slow month for EV sales, and this month didn’t fail to disappoint. Monthly sales of 5,924 barely bested last January’s figure. A new generation of vastly-improved plug-ins is in sight, so a lot of buyers may be opting to wait a bit, and those rock-bottom gas prices probably aren’t helping…. Read more »
Ioxus has launched its iMOD X-Series, a family of 22 ultracapacitor modules that are designed to simplify system design and installation for end users by offering a wide array of possible mounting configurations. The new modules use off-the-shelf T-slots to mount from any side in any configuration. They feature internally integrated wire management and integrated… Read more »
UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has achieved Chinese certification for its PowerPhase HD 250 electric propulsion system. After three months of testing, including system performance analysis for power and torque, vibration, salt spray and sealing performance and electrical testing, the Chinese authorities have approved the PowerPhase HD 250 for sale to vehicle manufacturers throughout China…. Read more »
Xcel Energy, Minnesota’s largest power company, has asked state regulators to approve an off-peak EV charging rate of of 3.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, a 43 percent discount to the usual residential rate. “We are trying to provide more options for customers,” said Xcel exec Chris Clark. “This is really how we’re seeing the future. We… Read more »
How much the latest plunge in oil prices will affect plug-in sales is anybody’s guess. Consumers have shown themselves to be pretty oblivious to history – when prices go down, the SUVs start flying off the lots. Will EVs be watching sadly from the sidelines? Lux Research is taking the long view. In “Just a… Read more »
