Motorola Solutions has invested an unspecified amount in Pellion Technologies, a startup that was founded by a team of MIT researchers. Pellion is focused on commercializing magnesium-ion battery technology. Because magnesium is divalent, it can displace double the charge per ion that lithium can, and the element is more abundant and more stable. Magnesium-ion batteries… Read more »
Lawmakers in Oregon are considering an energy initiative that sets some modest goals for phasing out coal-based generation and encouraging renewable energy sources. The plan also incentivizes the rollout of EV charging infrastructure by allowing charging station owners to sell clean-fuel credits. A recent editorial in The Oregonian lambasted the Oregon Clean Electricity & Coal… Read more »
The race is on to develop more efficient electric motors. One way to improve efficiency is to improve the method of bonding permanent magnets to rotors and stators. 3M has announced a new magnet bonding adhesive system that’s designed to virtually replace messy liquid adhesives, to simplify magnet positioning and to achieve high bond strength… Read more »
Since the public humiliation of the diesel debacle, Volkswagen’s execs have had much to say about producing more electrified vehicles. Speaking at the company’s New Year’s party in Brussels, CEO Matthias Müller promised that the Volkswagen Group would concentrate on sustainability “more than ever before,” and confirmed plans to introduce about 20 new plug-in models… Read more »
Chinese EV-maker BAIC EV has opened a new R&D center in Detroit. Working with BAIC’s other centers in Silicon Valley and Aachen, Germany, staff at the new facility will develop advanced technologies in motor drives, power electronics and intelligent control. BAIC plans to use its foothold in the Motor City to introduce advanced EV technology… Read more »
BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA), the joint venture that produces BMW vehicles in China, has opened a new engine plant with a light metal foundry in Shenyang. The new BBA plant, which has a capacity of 300,000 engines per year, will supply the company’s Dadong and Tiexi automotive plants in Northeastern China. BMW said that, in… Read more »
As automakers introduce a new generation of pure EVs, electrification is simultaneously creeping into legacy vehicles through the back door of start-stop systems, which often depend on lithium-ion batteries and/or supercapacitors, and are sometimes described (in hushed tones) as mild hybrid technology. Now Ford has announced that it will make start-stop capability standard across its… Read more »
One of the drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries is that they tend to suffer power loss in cold weather. At temperatures below freezing, charging is slower, regenerative braking is restricted and vehicle range can be reduced. Now researchers from Penn State and spin-off company EC Power have developed a battery that avoids these problems by self-heating… Read more »
The DOE has announced a Funding Opportunity Announcement that makes $58 million available for the development of various types of automotive technology advancements. The DOE will fund cost-shared projects with private industry, national laboratories, and university teams. “Our work refining cars that are efficient, affordable and can plug into the grid will help propel us… Read more »
Along with every other automaker, Tesla spends a lot of time thinking about China, where a rising middle class is buying more cars and the government is strongly promoting EVs. However, doing business in the Middle Kingdom is not always easy for Western firms. Although Tesla’s Q3 2015 Chinese sales figure of 3,025 vehicles was… Read more »
