Groupe PSA and several partners have launched a new project to evaluate smart charging technology. The idea is to reduce an EV driver’s electricity bill by shifting charging times to periods of lower electricity prices. Further savings could be achieved by providing grid balancing services through a Vehicle to Grid (V2G) system. The two-year GridMotion… Read more »
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland and the Université Grenoble Alpes in France have developed a simple method that they say can improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries by 25-30%. In “Direct observation of lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries using operando X-ray diffraction,” published in Nature Energy, Joanna Conder and colleagues reported… Read more »
Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) has begun construction of a large industrial park for electric and intelligent vehicles. Located in Guangzhou’s Panyu district, the park has a planned area of 5 square km. More than 45 billion yuan ($6.5 billion) is expected to be invested in the project, by both GAC and other enterprises… Read more »
Innogy Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of Germany electric and gas utility RWE, has launched hundreds of charging stations all over Germany, connected to Ethereum’s public blockchain. As Trustnodes explains, “By using a computer chip in the charging station, a smartphone app to communicate with the interface, and a blockchain to manage and record all of… Read more »
Materials technology specialist Umicore plans to invest €300 million ($328 million) between 2017 and 2019 to further increase its production of nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode materials. NMC is one of the most popular cathode materials for EV batteries, and global demand is increasing fast. The increased capacity will enable Umicore to respond to a surge in… Read more »
Hydro-Québec subsidiary TM4 has joined with motor-maker Cummins to develop a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Class 7/8 transit buses. TM4 equipped 5,000 buses in China with its electric powertrain last year. The new system consists of a genset (Cummins’ Euro 2019 B4.5 engine coupled with TM4’s LSG130 electric generator), a TM4 SUMO electric motor, a… Read more »
The Volkswagen Group has invested some €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in “alternative” drive technologies over the past five years, and plans to triple this amount over the next five years, said CEO Matthias Müller at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Hanover. “The future is electric. We intend to be the number one in e-mobility… Read more »
Visedo, a Finnish manufacturer of electric drivetrains for heavy vehicles, has signed a production agreement with Asian motor producer TECO Electric & Machinery. Visedo hopes to benefit from TECO’s production capacity, particularly in Asia. Visedo recently opened a new office in Hong Kong, and signed a letter of intent with the VC firm Beijing Capital… Read more »
The California Energy Commission has awarded more than $36 million in grants for various clean energy transportation projects. The South Coast Air Quality Management District and Long Beach Harbor Department received $10 million each and the Los Angeles Harbor Department received $4.5 million to conduct field demonstrations of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and cargo handling… Read more »
Energica, maker of the Eva and Ego electric superbikes, has unveiled its first branded fast charging station at Selva di Val Gardena, in the Dolomites region of Italy. The 50 kW Combo CCS fast charger is the first in a network that will cover roads loved by motorcyclists. Automakers and governments are installing chargers around… Read more »
