Newswire

Report: Transportation and stationary storage battery demand will surpass consumer electronics by next year

Consumer electronics have traditionally driven the demand for energy storage devices, but transportation and stationary applications will soon become the largest storage markets, according to Lux Research. By 2025 the energy storage market will top $100 billion, with applications in transportation alone reaching $69 billion, Lux forecasts. The highest growth rate will be in stationary… Read more »

Startup with former Tesla execs to introduce a commercial electric truck this fall

A new player has popped up to join the growing ranks of commercial EV makers. California-based Chanje has assembled a team of execs with impressive experience in the EV industry. President Ian Gardner is an alumnus of the Boston Consulting Group, Duke Energy and the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator. COO Joerg Sommer has been… Read more »

Brink’s buys electric trucks from Workhorse

Security company Brink’s, famous for its armored trucks, operates a fleet of 7,800 vehicles in 150 countries. The company recently purchased two plug-in trucks from Workhorse Group (profiled in the May/June 2017 issue of Charged). Brink’s bought one Workhorse Class 5 E-GEN and one E-100 chassis, both paired with a custom Brink’s body. The two… Read more »

Littelfuse’s new switching thyristor is optimized for on-board EV charge applications

Circuit protection specialist Littelfuse has introduced a series of 16 A silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) switching thyristors developed especially for EV on-board charge (EVOBC) applications. Littelfuse’s S8016xA Series thyristors are designed to offer excellent AC handling capability and surge robustness, allowing them to handle Level 1 charging up to 16 ARMS at 120 V, and Level… Read more »

Continental introduces innovative wheel and braking concept for EVs

Automotive supply giant Continental has developing a new type of wheel and braking system to meet the specific requirements of electrified vehicles. The New Wheel Concept is based on a new division between the wheel and the axle. The wheel consists of two parts, the aluminum carrier star, which remains permanently bolted to the wheel… Read more »

Automakers want to keep existing CAFE standards (but extend the deadline)

Automakers have expended much time and treasure lobbying for government fuel efficiency standards to be watered down. Now it appears that they aren’t interested in scrapping the current standards altogether, but only in extending the deadlines for them to be applied. The US administration has announced that the EPA will reopen the midterm evaluation of… Read more »

DOE awards $6 million to first crop of Battery500 Seedlings

The Battery500 consortium, led by the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), intends to build a battery pack with a specific energy of 500 Wh/kg, which would more than double the 170-200 Wh/kg per kilogram in today’s typical EV battery. Part of the initiative is the “Seedling” program, which identifies new and risky battery research… Read more »

SAIC-GM-Wuling launches its first EV; Buick Regal hybrid available in China

SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM’s Chinese joint venture, has launched the brand’s first EV, the Baojun E100. Available in two variants, it is priced at RMB 35,800 ($5,290) after national and local subsidies. Sales will initially be limited to the Guangxi region, but demand is strong – the company received more than 5,000 pre-orders. The E100 is powered… Read more »