Rolls-Royce has released SAVe Energy, a Li-ion battery system designed for ships. Rolls-Royce has provided energy storage systems since 2010, but it previously depended on third parties for the battery packs. The new system is liquid-cooled and modular to accommodate different vessel classes and requirements. Along with The Norwegian Research Council of Norway’s ENERGIX funding,… Read more »
Kia plans to pursue a “pick your powertrain” policy with the Niro. The hybrid version is now available in the US, and the PHEV version is available in select markets (a Florida dealer told us that it could be special-ordered). The EV version recently went on sale in Korea, and is to arrive in Europe… Read more »
Volkswagen plans to launch an electric car sharing service in several major cities under its We Share brand. The first fleet of vehicles will be rolled out in Berlin, and will include 1,500 e-Golf when the service begins operating in the second quarter of 2019, with an additional 500 e-up! to follow later. VW says… Read more »
Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a solid-state electrolyte which they claim is non-combustible (which is good, because it’s heated to over 1,800° F during manufacturing!) and not vulnerable to dendrite formation due to a stabilizing ceramic layer. The electrolyte has special properties that allow for increased capacities and faster charging rates as well. Current… Read more »
Singapore-based Grab, which operates rideshare services in seven Southeast Asian nations (and acquired Uber’s Southeast Asian operations in March), has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore electric utility SP Group. Grab plans to add 200 new EVs to its Singapore fleet, beginning in early 2019. The new EVs will use SP’s fast-charging network, and Grab’s… Read more »
Contactor specialist YM Tech presented three new additions to its line of DC high-voltage EV relays at Shanghai’s International Lithium Battery Industry Fair. The new EVH400 DC contactor is rated for 400 A and 1,000 VDC. The EVH600 DC contactor is rated for 600 A and 750 VDC. And the EVH1000 is rated for 100 A… Read more »
The Nissan Sylphy Zero Emission, Nissan’s first EV made for the Chinese market, has begun rolling off the production line in Huadu, where joint venture partners Dongfeng and Nissan operate a major manufacturing facility. Nissan developed the new model based on the platform of the LEAF and the Sylphy, Nissan’s best-selling sedan in China. “Growth… Read more »
Montréal and the nearby suburb of Laval intend to electrify their bus fleets – the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) and the Société de Transport de Laval (STL) have committed to buy only electric buses after 2025. The two transit agencies have awarded New Flyer Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of NFI Group, a contract… Read more »
California aims to have 5 million EVs on its roads by 2030 and to install 250,000 charging stations to support those vehicles. The latest installment in this ongoing story is the Southern California Incentive Project (SCIP), which will make $29 million in rebates available DC fast charging stations in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San… Read more »
Nickel-zinc (NiZn) specialist ZAF Energy Systems has received $300,000, the first installment of a $600,000 investment from Missouri’s Department of Economic Development. With the new funding, ZAF will increase production capacity to meet the increasing demand for its NiZn batteries. The company claims that the batteries have double the storage capacity and triple the power… Read more »
