A new study has found that fast charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries may not be as damaging as most researchers believe. The results of the study, Current-induced Transition from Particle-by-particle to Concurrent Intercalation in Phase-separating Battery Electrodes, published in Nature Materials, challenge the conventional wisdom that fast charging necessarily shortens battery life. The authors… Read more »
Mercedes has released some more details on its S 500 Plug-in Hybrid, which is scheduled to begin deliveries in Germany this month. The plug-in Benz sports a V6 biturbo engine, an 85 kW electric motor, an 8.7 kWh water-cooled lithium-iron phosphate battery, and a 3.6 kW on-board charger. The high-voltage battery and plug-in components are covered… Read more »
The City of Chicago has placed a purchase order with Motiv Power Systems for up to $13.4 million to supply 20 electric garbage trucks. The ERV is a Class 8 truck with a Loadmaster Excel-S rear loader body and a Crane Carrier chassis. It has a gross weight of 60,000 lbs and a capacity of… Read more »
French firms Renault and Bolloré have agreed to join forces to promote EVs through three separate agreements: The Bolloré Group has commissioned Renault to take over assembly of the Bluecar, which was formerly built in Italy. The vehicles will be assembled at the Renault plant in Dieppe beginning in the second half of 2015. The… Read more »
The commercial fleet market promises great opportunities for startups, but also great dangers. A number of companies are trying to electrify this segment, and several have already fallen by the wayside. The latest to run out of juice is Echo Automotive, which was profiled in our April issue. The Arizona-based company has been forced to… Read more »
A new report offers a detailed look at Tesla’s battery technology and how it fits into the overall EV industry. Titled simply The Tesla Battery Report, the slide-show-style presentation examines the following topics: Tesla’s success and the direction of the EV market EV battery technology: Tesla vs. conventional Tesla battery intellectual property EV battery cost… Read more »
Midtronics has released detailed information about its newest battery diagnostic platform. The DSS-7000 Battery Service Diagnostic System features full battery service management with VIN-driven testing and integration with the Midtronics Battery Management Information System (BMIS). Features include: Complete Battery Management – Enterprise-wide battery management reporting and analysis is enabled with database-driven testing, VIN-based vehicle service… Read more »
US plug-in vehicle sales have surpassed the quarter-million mark, just in time for National Drive Electric Week, September 15-21. Sales have increased by a healthy percentage every year since the Volt and LEAF went on the market at the end of 2010. 2014 sales total 76,799 so far, on track to handily beat 2013’s figure… Read more »
Proterra has selected Toshiba as the battery supplier for its next-generation electric bus. Toshiba’s SCiB batteries feature a lithium titanate oxide chemistry, making them resistant to thermal runaway and lithium metal plating. The 20 Ah prismatic cells have nominal voltage of 2.3 V, gravimetric energy density of 90 Wh/kg and volumetric density of 177 Wh/L…. Read more »
Kia Motors America (KMA) has announced pricing for the Kia Soul EV, which will go on sale this fall in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. The new EV will be offered in two trims: MSRP for the Base model is $33,700; the Plus model, which adds leather-trimmed heated and ventilated seats, fog… Read more »
