The California Energy Commission and the US Navy have formed a partnership to modernize energy resources at Navy and Marine Corps bases. The agreement, which implements recommendations made by the Governor’s Military Council last year, includes initiatives to deploy both renewable energy and electric vehicles. The Navy and Marine Corps will lease 205 new EVs… Read more »
Massachusetts startup 24M has delivered an initial quantity of production-size battery cells to NEC Energy Solutions (NEC ES). 24M claims its semisolid lithium-ion cells, which have a mixture of solid and liquid phases, will be able to deliver up to a 50% cost reduction compared to current Li-ion designs. The 24M cells are designed to… Read more »
Some are surprised, others saw it coming. Tesla has a lot of doubters at the moment, and the only way to silence them was to show that the company can be profitable, at least temporarily. Back in September, Elon Musk said that this goal was within reach, and urged employees to maximize deliveries and minimize… Read more »
Startup automaker NextEV has Chinese financial backing, Tesla alumni on staff, a few years of experience on the Formula E racing circuit, and a 1 MW electric supercar in development. Electrek recently got a glimpse of the next EV going through its paces on the famous Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. The million-dollar supercar is expected… Read more »
Ultracapacitor specialist Maxwell Technologies has introduced a 51-volt module that’s specially designed for use in hybrid buses and other high-duty cycle applications. The latest addition to Maxwell’s lineup features a 2.85 V, 3,400-farad ultracapacitor cell that delivers the company’s highest available energy and power density. Maxwell’s 51 V module includes an active cooling system, which… Read more »
Power conversion specialist Ideal Power (NASDAQ: IPWR) has produced prototypes of a new product called a Bi-Directional Bi-Polar Junction TRANsistor (B-TRAN). Due to its anticipated low conduction and switching losses, Ideal Power believes the B-TRAN can improve the efficiency of a range of power control and conversion equipment, including EV drivetrains. The company expects the… Read more »
Automotive supplier Continental has been working with Renault since 2013 on a mild hybrid system that operates at 48 volts, instead of the 300-400 volts usually used in hybrid vehicles. The new Hybrid Assist system is slated to go into production in Renault’s new Scénic and Grand Scénic models. Instead of a conventional starter generator,… Read more »
Considering the high prices of most EVs, policymakers are keen to find ways to help lower-income consumers afford them. To this end, California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP), which has issued over $335 million in rebates for more than 157,300 vehicles since 2010, has revised its eligibility rules. For lower-income consumers, CVRP rebates are increasing… Read more »
The Saitama Industrial Technology Center (Saitec), in partnership with Honda, has developed a practical magnesium-ion rechargeable battery, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The two will officially announce their battery next month, and hope to commercialize it by 2018, at first in smartphones and other portable devices. Masashi Inamoto and colleagues describe the new battery in… Read more »
Australian charger manufacturer Tritium has added three new DC fast chargers to its Veefil line, which now includes four models. The new offerings were on display at the recent eCarTec show in Munich. All Veefil fast chargers support both CHAdeMO and SAE Combo standards. All are liquid-cooled, and are designed to function in temperatures from… Read more »
