South Korea’s SK Innovation Company, China’s state-owned Beijing Automotive Industries Holding Co. and LCD maker Beijing Electronics Holding Co. have agreed to form a joint venture to produce battery packs for EVs, Asian Power reports. The new JV will invest $166.4 million to build a battery plant that will have an annual production capacity of… Read more »
A fascinating new video from WIRED takes us on a guided tour of the Tesla production line, as rolls of raw aluminum sheeting are transformed into the world’s most advanced automobile. All auto plants are very high-tech these days, but Tesla is at the forefront of this trend. Human employees (3,000) outnumber robots (160) for… Read more »
With the LEAF selling over 2,000 units a month – quadruple its year-ago sales – Nissan’s factory in Smyrna, Tennessee is ramping up production. But it’s not fast enough to meet the demand from dealers, Erik Gottfried, Nissan’s director of electric vehicle sales and marketing, told Automotive News. “We’re going to be short on inventory… Read more »
Plug In America (PIA) has released a study by its Chief Science Officer (and Charged contributor), Tom Saxton, designed to predict the longevity of Tesla Roadster battery packs, based on user data. The advocacy organization used data voluntarily submitted by Roadster owners, as well as data collected anonymously through the Open Vehicle Monitoring System. 126 vehicles contributed… Read more »
Bosch and PSA Peugeot Citroën presented two prototype vehicles that use the Optimal Energy Consumption and Recovery (OpEneR) system at the International Environmentally Responsible Car Show (RIVE) in Alès, France. OpEneR is a European research project designed to increase the range of future hybrid and electric vehicles by optimizing energy management. Launched in 2011, OpEneR… Read more »
Tesla Motors is steadily increasing the rate of production of its Model S electric sedans, CEO Elon Musk said this week. “We’re above 400 a week at the current manpower, and not trivially above it,” Musk told Bloomberg in an interview. By late 2014, production is “going to 800 a week. I’m very confident we’ll… Read more »
The Swiss firm BRUSA is now offering its electric-drive components, including motors, controllers, power electronics, battery packs and chargers, in 750-volt versions, which are designed for commercial vehicles and applications demanding high output. Increasing the voltage allows the current to be reduced with no loss of performance. This means that cables can be thinner and… Read more »
Many cities around the world are experimenting with electric buses. A system for quickly recharging along the route is a highly desirable feature, as it allows batteries to be smaller. Systems currently being tested in Geneva and Sweden use an automated arm on top of the bus that connects to an overhead flash charger. In… Read more »
The EV Press has eagerly awaited the Chevrolet Spark EV, which recently went on sale at selected dealerships in California and Oregon. The big question, of course, was: will GM be actively marketing the new model, in hopes of selling some? The news looks good so far, as GM has launched a TV campaign. Better… Read more »
3M has agreed to license several of its patents for nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) cathode technology to China-based Hunan Reshine New Material Company. 3M’s NMC cathode technology uses proprietary layered mixed metal oxide formulations of nickel, manganese and cobalt. By changing the composition and morphology, the balance of power, energy, and safety characteristics can… Read more »
