Litarion, a subsidiary of Electrovaya Inc, has introduced a new, thinner flexible ceramic separator for utility-scale and EV applications. Among all cell components, the separator, is responsible of preventing the contact between the electrodes while permitting a free transport of ions in the cell. Its properties are also closely related to cycle life and cell… Read more »
Nemaska Lithium has signed a memorandum of understanding with Johnson Matthey Battery Materials, under which Nemaska will build a commercial lithium plant in Shawinigan, Québec with a capacity of about 500 tons per year of lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate, and will supply the lithium salts to Johnson Matthey for its battery material products. “We… Read more »
There’s plenty of electrifying news emanating from Nissan these days. The 2016 LEAF features substantially improved range, and a completely new generation is rumored to be coming in 2018. Now Yoshi Shimoida, Nissan’s Deputy General Manager, EV and HEV Engineering Division, said the company will unveil an EV with a range extending engine in 2016…. Read more »
Audi of America President Scott Keogh said that he hopes 25% of the brand’s US sales will consist of plug-in models by 2025. Given Americans’ love of SUVs, Audi’s e-tron quattro SUV, due out in 2018, is sure to be an important part of that equation. Audi has a number of innovative features planned for… Read more »
Navitas Systems, a provider of energy storage products and power electronics, has won a $7.2 million contract to develop next-generation lithium-ion batteries for military vehicles. As new power-hungry electronics proliferate, the US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) has been working with Navitas to develop prototype 24 V lithium-ion batteries in the… Read more »
The global vehicle fleet is failing to reach fuel economy targets aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and cutting oil consumption, according to a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) released at the Paris COP21 Climate Summit. While fuel economy is improving in OECD countries, progress is still below the rate needed to… Read more »
Nissan and Eaton have announced a partnership that will use their respective expertise in lithium-ion batteries and power electronics to create commercially viable energy storage and control centers that offer a productive second life for Nissan’s EV batteries after their days on the road. The two companies will deploy a module that combines retired LEAF… Read more »
The DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded $125 million to 41 energy-related R&D projects under its 2015 OPEN funding program. Two of these have to do with ceramic electrolytes for solid-state EV batteries. A consortium led by the University of Michigan won $3.5 million for a project called “Transitioning Advanced Ceramic… Read more »
Volvo will unveil its new S90 premium sedan at the Detroit auto show (NAIAS) in January. One of the powertrain options will be a T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid. Thus, the S90 will be the second Volvo to offer a plug-in powertrain using the SPA modular chassis system (the XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV went… Read more »
For the past several months, we EV newshounds have suspected that Ford had plans for a new generation of plug-ins up its sleeve. Now the #2 US automaker is beginning to reveal its answer to electric rivals GM, Nissan, VW et al. Ford announced plans to invest a record $4.5 billion in electric tech over… Read more »
