Tesla may have made it trendy, but the California company is far from the only automaker exploring the commercial energy storage market, which is expected to grow from $200 million in 2012 to $19 billion in 2017, according to research firm IHS CERA. Nissan has joined forces with Green Charge Networks to deploy second-life EV… Read more »
EVSE manufacturer eMotorWerks has partnered with Slingshot Power to offer a bundled solar power/EV charging solution. Customers who buy a solar installation from Slingshot Power will receive a free JuiceBox Pro 40 home charging station. The 40 A/10 kW JuiceBox Pro 40 is small and lightweight (15 lbs), and is designed to be quickly removed… Read more »
There’s currently a lot of talk about a trend that Tesla co-founder Ian Wright discussed in our pages a year ago: even as software becomes a more and more critical part of the automobile, the user interfaces built by the (non-Tesla) automakers are clunky and old-fashioned, especially when it comes to integrating with our other… Read more »
Still looking for a replacement for lithium? How about magnesium? It’s divalent, so it can displace double the charge per ion (i.e., Mg2+ rather than Li+). It’s much more abundant than lithium, and more stable. However, researchers investigating Mg-ion batteries have run into several limitations, including anode/electrolyte incompatibility. Now a team at the Toyota Research… Read more »
Once again, Tesla has come up with an innovation that could be far more significant than is apparent at first glance. Speaking at the latest shareholders’ meeting, Elon Musk said that Tesla has “just introduced” a liquid-cooled cable to the Supercharger system (around 24 minutes into the video below). Liquid cooling allows the cable to… Read more »
Bangalore-based startup Ather Energy has received $12 million in funding from the private equity fund Tiger Global. The company will use the new capital for development, testing, production and launch of the Ather S340, an electric two-wheeler. “Ather Energy aims to build smart, connected electric vehicles of the future,” said CEO Tarun Mehta. “We want… Read more »
Canadian manufacturer Electrovaya has announced a major order for its Separion ceramic composite separators from an unnamed Chinese battery company. Electrovaya acquired the Separion intellectual property from a company called Evonik in April. According to Electrovaya, most cells made with a graphite anode and a Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cathode have cycle life between 3,000… Read more »
Trolleybuses, which run on rubber tires on city streets and draw power from overhead lines, are a common sight in European cities. Now Swedish truck-maker Scania and German electronics giant Siemens plan to experiment with applying this technology to heavy freight trucks. Beginning in February 2016, Scania will operate electric trucks on the Gävle Electric… Read more »
A consortium of companies and organizations from 9 European countries is working to develop an energy-efficient climate control system, with the goal of reducing the energy used for heating and cooling in EVs by at least 50%. Heating and cooling consume large amounts of energy, so improved efficiency can translate to increased range. The name… Read more »
Charging network operator Volta Industries has closed a $4.5 million Series A capital round and a $3 million project financing facility, giving it the means to expand its current network of 100 public charging stations in California, Arizona and Hawaii. Volta has introduced what it calls a “community engagement model,” in which socially responsible brands… Read more »
