OpEneR, a European consortium of OEMs, parts suppliers and research institutes, has developed a system that combines driving strategies and driver assistance systems to vastly improve the efficiency and range of EVs by optimizing energy management. Engineers worked to improve the electrical powertrain, regenerative braking system, navigation system and surround sensors, and tested the system… Read more »
The Washington DC Circulator bus service will soon be replacing its fleet of 49 diesel buses, which dates from 2003, and local transit authorities are organizing one-day showcases so that decision-makers and riders can check out new bus models that will be vying for the contract. South Carolina-based Proterra brought its 40-foot, 77-passenger electric bus… Read more »
Tesla has halted production at its Fremont, California assembly plant as it prepares to begin cranking out the Model X, and accelerate production of the Model S. A $100-million upgrade will add 25 robots and boost production by 25 percent. “This represents the single biggest investment in the plant since we really started operations and… Read more »
The US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), a collaboration among the Big Three US automakers, has awarded a $7.7-million battery technology development contract to Envia Systems of Newark, California. The competitively bid contract, which is co-funded by the DOE and includes a 50 percent Envia Systems cost-share, is for a 36-month program that will focus on… Read more »
CALEB Technology and California Lithium Battery (CalBattery) have agreed to establish a joint venture to produce a new line of high-performance lithium-ion batteries, which will be manufactured in the Los Angeles area starting in 2016. The first generation of batteries will be aimed at the consumer electronics market, but the second generation will also be… Read more »
The hyperconnected automobile presents all sorts of opportunities for criminal mischief, and it’s no hypothetical danger – last year, DARPA researchers were able to remotely hack into Toyota and Ford vehicles and disable the brakes. At this month’s Symposium on Security for Asia Network (SyScan360), a security conference in Beijing, security buffs were invited to… Read more »
Chinese EV-maker BYD plans to build a factory in Campinas, in the São Paulo region of Brazil, where it will manufacture electric transit buses and their iron-phosphate battery packs. The factory is slated to open in 2015. “In the first year of operation, the plant will have a maximum production capacity of 1,000 electric buses… Read more »
LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh told Reuters this week that the South Korean company plans to supply batteries for an EV with more than 200 miles of range in 2016. Cho Suk-jeh did not say which automaker(s) would be using the new cells, but GM seems to be a likely candidate. It currently has a… Read more »
Electric utilities are a key part of the e-mobility revolution, and a growing number of them are getting on board. According to a new study by the Northeast Group, 25 utilities in 14 states currently offer rate structures tailored for EV owners – typically discounts for charging during off-peak hours. The enlightened energy providers include… Read more »
Proterra has announced the first sale of its second-generation battery-electric bus to Foothill Transit of West Covina, California. Foothill Transit, which became Proterra’s first customer in 2010, has agreed to purchase two more buses from the company, to be delivered in December. The new model has a 220 kW peak permanent magnet motor, a Proterra… Read more »
