Forge Nano, formerly PneumatiCoat Technologies, is a Colorado-based startup that has developed a technology to enable precision nano-coatings at scale for manufacturing of Li-ion battery materials. The company recently closed a Series A investment of $20 million to expand its manufacturing capacity and fuel its growth. A nano-coating is an ultra-thin layer that improves how… Read more »
The UK government has announced an investment of an additional £4 million ($4.9 million) to the Plug-In Van grant scheme, extending eligibility to larger electric vehicles. Electric trucks above 3.5 tons will now be eligible for grants of up to £20,000 ($24,300). The grant amount is automatically deducted from the price of the vehicle by… Read more »
Daimler has been exploring various energy storage applications in Europe since 2015, and now plans to expand its stationary storage business to the US market. The new Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas will source batteries from Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE, and will bring initial product offerings to the US early in 2017. Daimler’s scalable energy storage concept… Read more »
In the quest to increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries, Yuan Yang, an Assistant Professor at Columbia Engineering, has developed a novel approach: reducing or eliminating capacity loss that occurs when a battery is first manufactured. In a paper recently published in Nano Letters, Yang and colleagues explain how this new method could improve… Read more »
Several countries and US states have established, or are considering, renewable portfolio standards, which require a certain percentage of the electricity supply to come from renewable sources. A new study from the University of California Irvine investigates the connection between a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and intelligent EV charging. In “Charging a renewable future: The… Read more »
ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON) has introduced what it calls the industry’s most compact 650 volt, 50 ampere intelligent power module for controlling vehicle AC compressors and other high-voltage auxiliary motor applications in hybrid and electric vehicles. The FAM65V05DF1 integrates IGBTs, freewheeling diodes and gate drivers in an automotive-qualified package with a footprint of 12 square… Read more »
The BMW Group has delivered more than 100,000 EVs and PHEVs worldwide since the launch of the i sub-brand in November 2013. The i3 has sold over 60,000 units, and the i8 has sold 10,000, which makes it the top seller among electrified sports cars, BMW says (for comparison, Tesla sold about 2,400 units of… Read more »
Linear Technology, a maker of battery stack monitoring ICs for EVs and hybrids, demonstrated a concept car featuring a wireless battery management system (BMS) at the recent Electronica Show in Munich. The concept vehicle, developed by design partner LION Smart, combines Linear’s battery stack monitors with its SmartMesh wireless mesh networking products in a BMW… Read more »
Quebec has become the first Canadian province to adopt a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate similar to the one in effect in California. Quebec’s National Assembly passed the regulation by a unanimous vote of 112 to 0. Starting with the 2018 model year, automakers will be required to generate ZEV credits equivalent to 3.5 percent of… Read more »
California refuse collection company the Ratto Group will roll out 15 refuse trucks retrofitted with Wrightspeed’s Route range-extended electric powertrain over the next 12 months. The Wrightspeed Route powertrain is optimized for heavy-duty frequent-stop drive cycles, like those of refuse trucks. It replaces a vehicle’s engine, transmission and differential systems with a fuel-agnostic microturbine generator… Read more »
