Utility vehicle manufacturer Polaris (NYSE: PII) has launched a new electric 4-wheeler that it calls “the hardest-working, smoothest-riding UTV ever built.” The RANGER XP Kinetic features a new electric powertrain that Polaris developed in partnership with Zero Motorcycles. Polaris points out that an electric powertrain offers many advantages for off-road utility vehicles. “It delivers smooth,… Read more »
Farasis Energy and Group14 Technologies have developed a new silicon-based anode for an EV-scale battery. In cells built and tested by Farasis using Group14’s silicon-carbon anode material SCC55, the company says it can reach a specific energy of 330 Wh/kg (750 Wh/L energy density) in typical automotive cells, and deliver more than 1,000 charge-discharge cycles…. Read more »
Electrify America has installed on-site, behind-the-meter battery energy storage systems at over 140 DC fast charging stations around the country, representing a total energy storage capacity of more than 30 megawatts. Electrek reports that these storage systems are Tesla Powerpacks. In 2019, the two companies announced a deal to deploy Powerpacks at over 100 EA… Read more »
Renault has acquired a 21% minority stake in electric motor company Whylot. Renault previously signed a partnership with Whylot to develop a large-scale axial-flow e-motor. This technology will be applied to electrified powertrains with the objective of reducing costs and emissions. “We are delighted to take a further step in our relationship with Whylot, a… Read more »
EV technology developer Voltempo has launched a new charging system called HyperCharging, which it claims can deliver 1,000 kW of power, and can charge up to 24 vehicles at the same time. HyperCharging technology is designed to serve the needs of service stations and fleets. According to the company, its modular system enables it to… Read more »
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed and tested a new concept for simultaneous coating and drying of two-layered electrodes. Drying times can be reduced to less than 20 seconds—one half to one third of the usual production time—without capacity losses. The institute continues to focus its research on coating and subsequent… Read more »
BMW was an early EV leader with the innovative i3, but later seemed to lose interest. The i3 remains on the market, posting decent but unremarkable sales in Europe and getting an occasional upgrade. Now, after eight years, the next electric Beemer has arrived. BMW delivered the first units of its new i4 EV at… Read more »
Factorial Energy and Hyundai are partnering to test Factorial’s solid-state battery technology and its implementation in Hyundai EVs. The companies will integrate Factorial’s technology at the cell, module and system levels, perform vehicle-level integration, and co-develop specifications for manufacturing Factorial’s batteries. Factorial’s FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) platform leverages a proprietary solid electrolyte material that… Read more »
A new report from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) provides an overview of major developments in the managed charging field, and offers recommendations for designing utility managed charging programs, based on interviews with utility execs and case studies. “The State of Managed Charging in 2021,” which was produced in partnership with several charging industry… Read more »
Tesla’s megacasting technique—using giant casting machines to make car bodies with just a few massive cast parts—greatly reduces the complexity of the body assembly process, saving costs and improving efficiency. Tesla is producing Model Y at Gigafactory Texas using an enormous Giga Press to cast a single rear body piece, which replaced 70 different parts…. Read more »
