Korean automaker Kia has announced plans to develop “a greatly increased range of environmentally friendly vehicles.” The brand’s “green car road map” is a five-year plan that calls for increased R&D into fuel-efficient technologies and new products. New investment by Hyundai Motor Group, Kia’s parent company, totals 11.3 trillion won ($10.2 billion). The first of… Read more »
Tanktwo’s smart cells represent much more than another concept for battery swapping. The system is based on a tank full of “string cells,” which contain lithium-ion battery materials as well as electronics for sensing, routing, and communications. Understanding Tanktwo’s system requires throwing out any preconceptions of how battery packs are supposed to work. Tanktwo CEO… Read more »
As the Volkswagen Group works to control the damage from its emissions cheating scam, it plans to cut planned investments in property, plant and equipment for next year by about €1 billion. One area, however, will see an increase. VW plans to boost spending on electrification technologies by €100 million, continuing its development of electric… Read more »
Hyundai has selected AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) as its preferred provider for charging system installation at its North American dealerships. Hyundai dealers will soon be plugging in the 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, which goes on sale at selected dealerships this month. The AeroVironment 240-volt TurboCord and the EVSE-RS charging station can charge the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid in… Read more »
It comes as no surprise that Tesla, the EV trailblazer, spends a considerable amount of resources on internal R&D to develop better parts for EVs, and that its testing facilities and engineering talent are at the forefront of the industry. Charged recently chatted with Tesla’s Principal Motor Designer, Konstantinos Laskaris, to learn more about the… Read more »
Renault, in partnership with electric utility EDF and others, is installing 90 new EV charge spots in and around Paris for the upcoming COP21 global summit on climate change. The charging stations, several of which will be donated by Schneider Electric, will be used to charge 200 EVs serving as VIP shuttles for conference attendees…. Read more »
The BMW i3 celebrated its second birthday in November, and its proud parents are touting its successes. According to BMW, the i3 is the third best-selling EV worldwide, with 10 percent of the global market and 25 percent at home in Germany. In Norway, the i3 is now BMW’s best-selling model. The i3 is now… Read more »
A team of researchers from the University of Maryland (UMD) and the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have devised what they call a “water-in-salt” electrolyte that could offer power, efficiency and longevity comparable to Li-ion batteries, but without the toxic chemicals and fire risk. In “Water-in-salt electrolyte enables high-voltage aqueous lithium-ion chemistries,” published in the… Read more »
Silence is often noted as a nifty feature of EVs. But the danger to pedestrians has led government regulators to discuss requiring the vehicles to make an artificial noise when traveling at low speeds. The federal Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act was signed into law in 2011, but there is still no requirement for EVs to… Read more »
Ford has partnered with charging network operator NRG EVgo in a program called EV 1-2-3 Charge, which offers three years of complimentary charging to California and Maryland customers who purchase or lease a 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi. EV 1-2-3 Charge provides unlimited charging sessions of four hours each at EVgo and partner public stations across… Read more »
