BMW has released details of its 2018 i3, as well as a new version, the i3s, which features a more powerful motor and a sportier suspension. Both will be shown at the upcoming International Motor Show in Frankfurt. BMW will announce pricing closer to the market launch date. BMW describes the new i3s as a… Read more »
Like most of the legacy auto brands, Mercedes has given conflicting signals about its interest in electrification. Its only EV to date, the B-Class Electric, was a compliance car that it sold in limited volume, and recently discontinued. However, the company says it plans to introduce a line of purpose-built EVs under the new EQ… Read more »
Germany-based TerraE Holding has organized 17 companies and research institutions into a consortium to plan for large-scale lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing in Germany. The goal is to gradually build up production capacities to 34 GWh/year by the year 2028. The consortium includes companies from throughout the supply chain: infrastructure manufacturing planners, material producers, machine engineering… Read more »
As rare-earth magnets are used in an increasing number of modern technologies, the ability to produce them domestically could be important for national security. Now the Critical Materials Institute, a DOE Innovation Hub, has fabricated a batch of magnets entirely from domestically sourced and refined rare-earth metals. The Idaho National Laboratory sourced the raw materials… Read more »
As PHEVs equipped with diesel engines begin to come on the market, a new potential problem has come to light: diesel fuel/biodiesel blends show a tendency to form precipitates, which can cause the fuel to become unstable. To make the problem more complex, different countries have different quotas for biodiesel blend ratios. Substances such as… Read more »
Royal Mail has begun a trial of 9 commercial EVs in partnership with Oxfordshire-based Arrival (formerly Charge Auto). The postal operator is testing the 3.5-, 6- and 7.5-ton trucks at its Mount Pleasant depot in central London. They will be used to transport packages between mail distribution centers in the city and surrounding area. The… Read more »
Muncie, Indiana-based Dannar has signed a supply agreement with BMW i to provide i3 batteries for the Dannar Mobile Power Station (MPS), a heavy-duty EV designed for infrastructure maintenance and disaster response. Dannar and BMW have been working to develop the MPS for more than a year. Dannar also has partnerships with other Tier 1… Read more »
The historic city of York has become the first UK city outside London to test a fully electric double-decker bus. Local bus manufacturer Optare delivered the first Metrodecker EV, which will join several e-buses already operating in the city, in a ceremony attended by members of the City of York Council. Optare’s Metrodecker EV, unveiled… Read more »
The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Brown University researchers have teamed up to study the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer that forms on the anodes of lithium-ion batteries, with particular emphasis on experimental silicon anodes. The Army is working to replace its alkaline and nickel-metal hydride field batteries with Li-ion batteries. “The Army is… Read more »
The 2017 Honda Clarity Electric sedan arrived at the beginning of August at select dealerships in California and Oregon. The Clarity Electric features a 120 kW electric motor that produces 221 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 25.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It offers DC fast charging using the SAE CCS standard (is this the… Read more »