A research team from South Korean research university KAIST has developed stable, high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) by using hierarchically porous titanium nitride (h-TiN) as a sulfur host. In a paper in the journal Advanced Materials, the researchers report that h-TiN/S shows a reversible capacity of 557 mAh g-1 even after 1,000 cycles at 5 C rate with only… Read more »
Boeing has completed the first test flight of its autonomous passenger air vehicle (PAV) prototype in Manassas, Virginia. The PAV prototype completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the flight, which tested the vehicle’s autonomous functions and ground control systems. Future flights will test forward, wing-borne flight as well as the transition phase between vertical… Read more »
Volkswagen is investing $10 million in Colorado-based startup Forge Nano, which is researching a material coating technology that could improve the performance of battery materials. Volkswagen will provide support for industrial trials of this technology. Forge Nano is headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, and is researching processes for scaling atomic layer deposition (ALD) to create new… Read more »
The DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory has invented a new magnet technology, called HyMag, which could lead to greater efficiency and lighter weight in EV and hybrid motors. HyMag increases a permanent magnet’s usable magnetic flux density, a property of permanent magnets that can be harnessed for power generation. “The higher the flux density you use… Read more »
French aerospace technology company Safran has acquired an equity interest in OXIS Energy, a manufacturer of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) cell technology for battery systems. Safran is participating in a £7-million round of fresh funding alongside Aerotec and new investors, including French materials company Arkema. The investments made by these companies, which include Samsung in a previous… Read more »
Tesla developed its proprietary Supercharger system because it wasn’t willing to wait for other automakers to agree on a fast charging standard. Since then, CCS has become the most popular standard in the US and Europe, and sprawling new networks based on CCS are being rolled out as we speak. Last November, Tesla announced that… Read more »
Tesla’s battery research group in Halifax, which is led by battery superstar Jeff Dahn, has applied for a patent on a new battery cell chemistry that promises to deliver faster charging, longer life and lower cost. In the application, entitled “Novel battery systems based on two-additive electrolyte systems,” Dahn and his team explain that adding… Read more »
Automotive supplier Dana has announced the acquisition of SME Group, an Italy-based manufacturer of motors, inverters and controls for off-highway electrified vehicle applications. SME’s low-voltage motors and inverters target the electrification of off-highway equipment for applications including agriculture, automated guided vehicles, construction, and material handling. The acquisition will expand Dana’s portfolio of electrified products. “Dana’s… Read more »
Greenlots, a provider charging and energy management software and solutions that was recently acquired by Shell, has partnered with charging interoperability expert Hubject to deploy ISO 15118 Plug&Charge technology in North America. Customers with new Plug&Charge-enabled vehicles will no longer need an app or card to pay for charging. With Hubject’s Plug&Charge ecosystem and public… Read more »
Belying their party’s professed anti-tax leanings, Republican senators have introduced a bill to kill the federal tax credit for EV purchases, and impose a new annual tax on EV owners. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), have introduced a second bill to kill the tax credit (Senator Barrasso introduced a… Read more »