Tesla’s recently announced production and delivery figures for the second quarter of 2016 point to a battery that’s either half-full or half-empty, depending on your outlook. On one hand, Q2 production and deliveries both fell slightly short of projections. On the other hand, production continues to ramp up quickly. While Q2 production of 18,345 units… Read more »
Retro drive-in restaurant chain Sonic (NYSE: SONC) has become the latest retailer to jump on the EV charging bandwagon, installing stations at locations in Boerne, Texas and Westminster, Colorado. Charging is free for customers. Sonic VP of Facilities Wayne Brayton told the San Antonio Business Journal that the chargers are part of a pilot to… Read more »
Powin Energy, a maker of stationary storage systems, has been awarded a patent for its Battery Pack Operating System (bp-OS). The bp-OS uses an algorithm to actively and passively balance batteries down to the cell level, and also offers a picture of battery health through real-time monitoring, state-of-charge management and diagnostics. According to Powin, it… Read more »
Torotrak Group has made several improvements to its continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology, providing a wider ratio spread and seamless power delivery. Torotrak’s main drive CVTs combine its full toroidal traction drive variator with other conventional transmission components. The variator is suitable for both front- and rear-wheel-drive platforms. It’s designed to be highly scalable, and… Read more »
Clean tech consultant Julian Cox made some interesting points about the coming disruption of the auto industry in a presentation at CleanTechnica’s recent Cleantech Revolution Tour in Berlin. Cox begins his talk with a recap of some past technological disruptions, which he says have usually played out within 20-30 years (good news for us older… Read more »
Proterra’s electric buses use a proprietary en route fast-charging system that allows them to be charged at brief stops, extending their effective range. Now the company has taken a page from Tesla’s book, offering its charging technology to the transit industry on a royalty-free basis. Proterra has announced that it will grant anyone royalty-free access… Read more »
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a flexible, solid-state, ion-conducting membrane based on a 3D Li-ion conducting ceramic nanofiber network. In “Flexible, solid-state, ion-conducting membrane with 3D garnet nanofiber networks for lithium batteries,” published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists describe a hybrid solid-state composite electrolyte in which… Read more »
At this very early stage of vehicle electrification, no one can be certain of what an optimal public charging network will look like. Conventional wisdom at this point calls for DC fast chargers along highways, and Level 2 chargers at destination locations such as tourist attractions, shopping malls, etc. There is also a school of… Read more »
US plug-in sales resumed their steady growth in June, after a slow May ended a six-month streak of consecutive monthly records. Over 15,000 EVs and PHEVs changed hands, a sharp increase from June 2015’s 10,364, according to InsideEVs. Tesla opened up a wide lead over the other plug-in purveyors: Model S moved 3,700 units, and Model… Read more »
The DOE has selected University of Colorado spin-out SiiLion to receive a $1-million Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Phase II award. The company is developing Li-ion batteries featuring pure silicon anodes and high-voltage cathodes, enabled using a non-flammable ionic liquid electrolyte. SiiLion will use the grant to refine and scale up its battery technology…. Read more »
