Wanxiang Group, the Chinese owner of Karma Automotive, has confirmed plans to build a $375-million plant in China to produce plug-in vehicles. The plant, which will be built in Wanxiang’s headquarters city of Hangzhou, will be able to produce 50,000 extended-range electric cars a year, according to the company. A spokesman said Wanxiang has yet… Read more »
The aluminum-air battery, which uses a catalytic air cathode and an aluminum anode, has intrigued researchers for some time, because of its high theoretical specific energy. However, the problem is overcoming parasitic hydrogen evolution caused by the corrosion of the aluminum anode during discharge. In “Improvement of Aluminum-Air Battery Performances by the Application of Flax… Read more »
One of the Obama Administration’s recently announced initiatives to promote EV adoption is the Battery500 consortium, which will be led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and includes several other national laboratories and universities. The group will receive up to $10 million a year over five years from the DOE. The goal of Battery500 is… Read more »
As EV adoption accelerates, some parts of the world already have more charging facilities than gas stations, including Japan and Manhattan. Now Nissan is predicting that the UK will follow suit by 2020. The maker of the LEAF (and a tireless promoter and financer of public charging stations) forecasts that in 2020 there will be… Read more »
European ultracapacitor manufacturer Skeleton Technologies has raised €13 million ($14.5 million) in new Series C investment, bringing the company’s total financing to €26.7 million ($30 million). Skeleton plans to use the new funding to accelerate its plans to bring graphene ultracapacitors from high-end sectors to the mass market. “We believe Skeleton Technologies has great potential… Read more »
The Transit Authority of River City (TARC), which serves the Greater Louisville area, has begun deploying six new Proterra electric buses on a route that serves popular destinations including Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum and the University of Louisville. With the new buses, TARC will have a total of 15 Proterra e-buses on the… Read more »
By no means all EVSE manufacturers are located in California. NovaCharge, founded in 2008, makes its home in Florida’s Tampa Bay region. The company’s new NC-5000 line of chargers features a compact design with a customizable front panel that’s designed to enable businesses to showcase their brands to customers and employees. This Level 2 charger… Read more »
Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, has agreed to license Qualcomm’s Halo Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) technology. Lear will include Halo in its product portfolio to commercialize WEVC systems for plug-in vehicle manufacturers, as well as wireless charging infrastructure companies. “Lear is a leading global Tier 1… Read more »
US plug-in sales continued their steady growth last month, and even the mainstream press is now beginning to understand that rock and roll is here to stay. 13,432 EVs and PHEVs changed hands in July, an incredible increase over July 2015’s 8,951. The Chevy Volt regained its accustomed first place, as accolades accumulate for the… Read more »
As expected, Tesla posted a larger-than-expected loss for the second quarter of 2016. The company’s plans to revolutionize several more industries are proceeding nicely, even as it stays resolutely focused on achieving the fastest production ramp-up in the history of the auto industry. If that sounds a little crazy, well, these are crazy times. Stock… Read more »
