Cambridge research has shed light on the potential of a previously ignored class of electrode material: niobium tungsten oxides. These compounds display several promising properties, including a lack of the dendrite formation which plagues graphite-based designs. They have a relatively large particle size and a structure that allows lithium ions to travel freely. This high transport rate can… Read more »
NASA is building an experimental airplane in order to demonstrate that electric propulsion can make planes quieter, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The X-57, nicknamed “Maxwell,” has 14 electric motors turning 14 propellers, integrated into a specially-designed wing. NASA Aeronautics researchers hope to use Maxwell to validate the idea that distributing electric power across… Read more »
Honda and Panasonic plan to conduct an experiment with battery swapping in Indonesia, using the Honda Mobile Power Pack with electric motorcycles. The project is to begin in December. As the third-largest motorcycle market in the world, Indonesia is dealing with massive air pollution as traffic increases. To address this issue, the Indonesian government has… Read more »
UPS (NYSE:UPS) has announced a collaboration with Los Angeles-based Thor Trucks to develop an electric Class 6 delivery truck. The truck is expected to be ready for testing later this year. Thor’s truck will have a driving range of approximately 100 miles, and will be powered by a Thor-designed and built battery. UPS plans to… Read more »
Miami Beach-based Blink Charging (NASDAQ: BLNK) has earned Energy Star certification for its 80-amp network-connected charging stations. Business owners deploying these chargers will be eligible for Energy Star-related government grants and tax incentives. The Energy Star certification, which so far only a handful of the hundreds of charging stations on the market have earned, is… Read more »
Momentum Dynamics has installed a 200-kilowatt wireless charging system to support electric transit buses in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The new charging system, which became operational in June, is inside the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) Shuttle Park and automatically charges electric buses as they load and unload passengers. The system is Momentum Dynamics’ second in… Read more »
Battery specialist BYD has opened a140 football field-size battery factory in China’s lithium-abundant Qinghai province. The plant is BYD’s third Chinese battery factory, and is part of the company’s plan to increase total production capacity to 60 GWh by 2020. Scheduled for completion in 2019, the plant will be heavily automated, using driverless guided vehicles,… Read more »
Wheee! What fun it must be to set the financial markets and the media ablaze with a single tweet, and incinerate $1.3 billion of your enemies’ wealth with a few keystrokes. Tesla has been through some roller coaster rides before, but this year has been unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and things just got even… Read more »
New research from the University of California San Diego has found one of the causes of voltage fade in lithium-rich layered oxides (LRLO). LRLO is a promising candidate as a cathode material as it can provide 50% more capacity than current alternatives. However, voltage fade reduces the energy capacity of this material over time. UC… Read more »
The EV version of the Kia Niro crossover has gone on sale in Korea, joining the Niro’s existing Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants. The Korean carmaker says it has received more than 5,000 pre-orders for the new EV, which is to go on sale in Europe at the end of 2018, and in North America… Read more »