We’re used to extremely ambitious (not to say unrealistic) timelines from Tesla—a new Terafactory in a few months, a fleet of Robotaxis before the end of the year—so Elon Musk’s measured, conservative predictions at the long-awaited Battery Day event caught the mainstream press on the wrong foot. “In three years…we can do a $25,000 car… Read more »
Kentucky-based Virtual Peaker and Fermata Energy have announced a partnership to integrate Fermata’s vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology with Virtual Peaker’s residential demand response platform, which is currently in use by several US utilities. Virtual Peaker’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) application is a cloud-based energy management platform that can connect to any in-home smart device… Read more »
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) was once seen as an ideal body material for EVs, because of its high strength and light weight. It was used in the Tesla Roadster and the BMW i3, but fell out of favor because of its high cost. Now Nissan has developed a new production process that speeds up… Read more »
Scania, a major Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, has announced a pair of new plug-in trucks: a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric model. Both versions are offered with L- and P-series cabs, and can be configured for general cargo, temperature-controlled transport, or for specialty applications such as hooklifts, tippers, concrete mixers, refuse collectors and… Read more »
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has announced that it will fund the installation of up to 38 additional fast charging stations in Greater Minnesota, extending the existing EV highway corridor network by more than 2,500 miles. Chargers are to be placed 30 to 70 miles apart along 7 proposed corridors. The new $2.6-million grant… Read more »
Sponsored by Dymax Corporation By Dr. Aysegul Kascatan Nebioglu and Chris Morrissey Components on printed circuit boards or electronic modules in electric vehicles are often required to be covered with polymeric encapsulants to protect them against environmental conditions such as moisture, chemicals, and rapid and extreme temperature changes, while providing mechanical support and electrical insulation…. Read more »
German engineering firm AZL is joining with an international consortium of automotive suppliers to develop a multi-material battery casing. The 8-month product development will start with an international market analysis and a concept study in which different multi-material component concepts and production scenarios will be developed and evaluated with regard to their costs. Finally, a… Read more »
Many believe the tipping point for EVs in the US will occur when a selection of electric pickup trucks hits the market. Now Ford, the prime purveyor of pickups, has announced that it is moving ahead with its plans to produce an electric version of the F-150, the nation’s bestselling vehicle. The Detroit Free Press… Read more »
The historic city of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is located on the River Rhine, which provides not only a picturesque setting, but a reliable source of hydroelectric power—an ideal source of green energy for the city’s new electric buses. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport (the equivalent of our Federal Transit Administration) has tested and certified the electric… Read more »
A new EPIC project coordinated by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is aimed at accelerating the drying of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries, increasing the energy efficiency of this process and reducing production cost. KIT says innovative electrode drying management can reduce the cost of battery production and improve environmental performance. The quality of Li-ion battery… Read more »
