To realize the full benefits of renewable energy, some form of energy storage is critical – this is one reason why EVs and renewables are complementary technologies. So it’s no surprise that SolarCity (Nasdaq: SCTY) has unveiled a smart energy storage system that was developed with battery technology from Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA). SolarCity’s new DemandLogic… Read more »
ClipperCreek has added yet another product to its line of Level 2 EV charging stations. The HCS-40, a 30 Amp, 240 Volt charger, is indoor/outdoor rated and designed to be the most rugged station available. “The HCS-40 is truly ClipperCreek tough,” said Jason France, ClipperCreek’s CEO. “We have 16 years of field experience to know… Read more »
Honda has joined a demonstration project for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology aimed at providing energy storage to the electrical grid while providing a financial incentive to EV drivers. Partners in the ev2g project include: the University of Delaware; NRG Energy; BMW, which is providing 15 MINI Es; Milbank Manufacturing, which is providing charging stations based on… Read more »
Two high-profile groups have announced plans to field teams for Formula E, the all-electric racing series that will take place in 10 city centers around the world, beginning in Beijing in September 2014. The Virgin Racing and Venturi teams became the ninth and tenth to join, making the roster complete. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire… Read more »
Sekisui Chemical has developed a film-type lithium-ion battery that incorporates several promising innovations. It features a silicon anode, and uses the company’s original materials technology to enable the application of the gel-type electrolytes using a coating process instead of the standard vacuum infusion process. According to the company, the flexible film-type cells can be installed… Read more »
The Prius Plug-In is going wireless, and WiTricity will be providing its resonant power transfer technology. This week, the Massachusetts-based MIT spinout announced an intellectual property license agreement with Toyota, which has been an investor in WiTricity since 2011. Toyota announced plans to add wireless charging to the Prius line in August. “We have heard… Read more »
Mitsubishi has drastically dropped the price of its 2014 i-MiEV, and added several features as standard equipment. The new MSRP is $22,995 – a $6,130 price reduction from the previous 2012 model year vehicle (was there really no 2013 model?). After tax breaks, California residents could be driving electric for $12,995 – no more than… Read more »
We’ve got smart cars, a smart grid…and now a smart nail. Jeff Dahn and his colleagues at Dalhousie University have added some intelligence to the lowly steel nail in order to improve penetration testing on Li-ion batteries. The team described its project in the current issue of the Journal of Power Sources. An abstract: Nail… Read more »
Back in 2012, battery startup Envia was the toast of Silicon Valley. Its innovative battery technology had achieved the highest energy density ever recorded for a lithium-ion cell – a breakthrough that could halve the costs of EV batteries – and the company already had a deal to supply cells to GM. Today, the company… Read more »
Ohio was the site of the latest battle in the war between Tesla and the auto dealers, and the subversives from Silicon Valley seem to have won the day. The Ohio Dealers Association got an anti-Tesla amendment added to Ohio Senate Bill 137 – an unrelated bill that requires drivers to change lanes when highway… Read more »
