Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, has been slower than some of its neighbors to embrace EVs, but things seem to be changing fast. In March, plug-in vehicles accounted for a record 9.2% of the total auto market (as reported by CleanTechnica). The balance between pure EVs and PHEVs was about even. For the first time,… Read more »
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Sion Power demonstrates EV performance requirements of its lithium-metal battery technology
Sion Power has demonstrated its new Licerion EV technology, which focuses on high energy density, increased cycle life, and fast charging ability. The company projects that its Licerion EV cells will offer 420 Wh/kg and 700 Wh/L when scaled to commercial design. Sion tested 1.8 Ah cells, which resulted in 800 full depth of discharge… Read more »
Tesla builds ventilators from Model 3 parts
Tesla, along with many other industrial firms, is working on multiple fronts to help alleviate a shortage of ventilators. The company has bought surplus ventilators from China, and distributed them to medical personnel around the US, and is also reportedly working with medical device manufacturer Medtronic to build ventilators at the New York Gigafactory. Now… Read more »
BMW reveals details of hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system
Different automakers have different visions of the low-emissions future, to say the least. Just a few days after the Volkswagen Group released an article explaining why it has abandoned hydrogen fuel cells in favor of battery-electric powertrains, BMW has “reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system technology.” Unlike VW, BMW is leaving… Read more »
New BYD sub-brand will produce components for clean energy vehicles
Chinese EV-maker BYD has launched a new sub-brand called FinDreams, which will produce core components for clean energy vehicles. FinDreams has five subsidiaries, which will specialize in different fields of auto manufacturing, including batteries and powertrains. Industry experts say BYD’s move is part of its global expansion strategy. “For the overseas market, the independent system… Read more »
MAHLE opens battery module testing and development facility
MAHLE Powertrain has opened a new facility for the extensive testing of EV battery modules. The facility, based at the company’s Northampton technical center, enables the strip-down and disassembly of modules and compact vehicle batteries for post-test assessment, and provides a climate-controlled environment to carry out real-world simulated testing with the aim of streamlining the… Read more »
How to enhance battery pack protection with dual-stage venting (Webinar)
Donaldson Filtration Solutions will hold a free webinar called “Why Vent? Learn How to Help Protect Your Battery Pack with Dual-Stage Venting.” The webinar will take place on April 22nd at 10:00 AM EDT. Presented by Donaldson experts Jake Sanders and Johan Begine, this webinar will discuss the importance of proper venting for battery packs… Read more »
Austin’s Park & Zoom buys more electric shuttle buses
Parking service company Park & Zoom, which services the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, has acquired three ZEUS 400 electric shuttle buses from Phoenix Motorcars. The recent purchase follows the acquisition of three ZEUS 400s in early 2019. The ZEUS 400 model has a range of up to 110 miles. Bill Kelley, General Manager of Park &… Read more »
St Petersburg, Florida transit authority deploys WAVE inductive charging station for e-buses
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which serves Florida’s St Petersburg/Clearwater metro area with 40 bus routes and a fleet of 210 vehicles, recently began construction on a new electric bus charging station at a transfer hub. The new wireless charging station, which PSTA claims will be the first on the US East Coast, uses… Read more »
Researchers track lithium ions in a fast-charging battery
A team of scientists led by the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has captured in real time how lithium ions move in lithium titanate (LTO), a fast-charging battery electrode material made of lithium, titanium and oxygen. They discovered that distorted arrangements of lithium and surrounding atoms in LTO “intermediates” (structures of… Read more »