It’s not just cars that are getting electrified – guns may be going high-tech as well. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has ordered a battery system from K2 Energy Solutions to be used in an electromagnetic rail gun, part of an $81,400,000 contract. Rail gun technology uses electromagnetic energy instead of chemical propellants. A… Read more »
2014 was another year of steady growth for EV sales. Some 12,874 plug-ins were sold in the US in December, a healthy gain compared to December 2013. For the full year, sales are up 23%. The Tesla Model S passed the LEAF and Volt to slide into the lead (doubtless thanks to the new P85D’s… Read more »
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and BMW are working together to test the ability of EV batteries to provide services to the electrical grid. PG&E selected BMW after a competitive solicitation to manage a minimum of 100 kilowatts of electric demand on PG&E’s system, as other large industrial and commercial customers do today as… Read more »
Car Charging Group, the Florida-based provider of EV charging services, has closed an offering of convertible preferred securities and warrants, and raised net proceeds of up to $6 million from current institutional shareholders. Two million of the funds were delivered at closing, with the remainder to be disbursed upon achievement of operating milestones over the… Read more »
ChargePoint, which operates a vast public charging network, is now targeting the residential market with the launch of its new home EV charging station. ChargePoint Home is a small and sleek unit – with a footprint about the size of the average tablet – that plugs into a standard 240 V outlet and can be… Read more »
Formula E is expecting six to eight new manufacturers to come on board for its second season, bringing a variety of powertrains to the electric racing series. Formula E is three races into its first season, in which all the cars are using identical powertrains built by McLaren, with batteries from Williams. Season two, however,… Read more »
Estimating the exact range of an EV can be complex, and it’s even more so when a model comes in several different variants. Tesla has released a detailed explanation of how range is calculated, and how various vehicle configuration choices affect it. In a blog post titled Driving Range for the Model S Family, Chief… Read more »
The Canadian Transport Ministry has officially banned the transport of lithium metal batteries as cargo on passenger flights, bringing its regulations into line with a ban adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2014 (the US has already instituted a ban). The new rule does not apply to lithium-ion batteries, or to lithium metal… Read more »
It’s classic Elon Musk: a tantalizing hint of a nifty (and picturesque) new feature straight out of a sci-fi novel. The Prophet of Palo Alto tweeted on New Year’s Eve: “We are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake. For realz. This can… Read more »
Germany seems to be coming around to the wisdom of getting charged. Europe’s largest economy hopes to spur EV demand by expanding its network of EV charging stations, Reuters reported this week (via Green Car Reports). The news organization cited a paper published by the German Transport Ministry, which said that motorway services operator Tank & Rast… Read more »
