Specialty chemicals firm Strem Chemicals plans to manufacture and distribute nine battery solvents and additives based on intellectual property for next-generation battery materials that it has licensed from Argonne National Laboratory. The materials were invented at Argonne’s Electrochemical Energy Storage Center and scaled at Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF). The DOE established MERF to… Read more »
The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in a crash that occurred while the vehicle was in Autopilot mode, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA), which has opened an investigation. The accident occurred on May 7 in Williston, Florida. The victim, Ohio resident Joshua Brown, is the first known fatality… Read more »
Stationary storage provides the missing link between EVs and renewable energy. Tesla made it trendy, but other automakers, including Nissan, GM and Toyota, have been exploring the technology for some time. Now BMW has announced a stationary storage solution that integrates its i3 vehicle battery. BMW’s new system, announced at the recent Electric Vehicle Symposium… Read more »
One solution to the problem of long-range over-the-road electric trucks could be electrifying sections of roadway with a system similar to that used by railroads. The Swedish Transport Administration recently inaugurated a two-kilometer stretch of “electric road” on the E16 highway in Sandviken. The test area is equipped with electric catenary lines over one of… Read more »
The DOE has announced nearly $16 million in funding from its Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF), which has a mission to help businesses move promising energy technologies from the DOE’s national laboratories to the marketplace. This round of funding will support 54 projects at 12 national labs, involving 52 private-sector partners. EV-related TCF awards include: Manufacturing… Read more »
The EV of the future will be just one component of an integrated transportation/energy ecosystem that includes private cars, public transport, renewable energy sources and stationary storage. Could trains and cars, both powered by electricity, share not only passengers, but also energy? The idea may not be as outlandish as it seems. Hybrid and electric… Read more »
Volkswagen has agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to settle claims resulting from its emissions rigging fraud, the US Department of Justice announced. Volkswagen’s deeds were “the most flagrant violations of our consumer and environmental laws in our country’s history,” said US Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. “We cannot undo the damage that’s… Read more »
The Canadian province of Québec is systematically building a chain of fast charging stations along Highway 20, one of the region’s busiest corridors. Premier Philippe Couillard, Hydro-Québec CEO Éric Martel and other dignitaries celebrated the completion of a new phase of the project at the recent EVS29 Electric Vehicle Symposium. Public charging network The Electric… Read more »
The state of New Jersey has launched a $725,000 grant program to encourage installation of workplace EV charging stations. The It Pay$ to Plug In program offers grants for workplace chargers on a first-come basis: up to $250 for a Level 1 charging station, and up to $5,000 for a Level 2 station. DC fast… Read more »
Power management and analog solution provider Intersil has introduced a 12-cell battery pack monitor that provides cell balancing and voltage and temperature monitoring to safeguard Li-ion battery packs in electrified vehicles. The new ISL78610 monitors and balances up to 12 cells with accurate voltage readings and diagnostics, enabling system designers to make informed decisions based… Read more »
