Regenerative braking (usually called regen for short) is simply the act of turning a motor into a generator, so that it slows down the load it was previously driving. Instead of converting momentum into heat with friction brakes, regen puts some of that energy back into the traction pack, not only saving wear on the… Read more »
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Proceed with caution: charging for EV charging
ChargePoint President and CEO Pat Romano on the danger that high fees for public charging could pose to the industry. ChargePoint (formally known as Coulomb Technologies) does not install, own, or set rates for EV charging stations – although it often gets confused with companies that do. ChargePoint provides a broad-based, open network for EV… Read more »
The promise of the Prius Plug-in
On the march toward widespread adoption of 100+ MPGe plug-in vehicles, the Prius Plug-in could take the most significant step. “When you think of hybrids, you think of Prius.” So says Geri Yoza, National Manager for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Product Planning Department at Toyota. Of course, that would be the standard company line at Toyota,… Read more »
Fiat to launch electric 500E at Los Angeles Auto Show
Rumor has it that it will have a 75 kW, 100 hp electric motor powering the front wheels, and will be sold only in limited quantities.
CalBattery’s new Si-graphene anode triples Li-ion battery capacity
California Lithium Battery, a finalist in the DOE’s 2012 Start Up America’s Next Top Energy Innovator challenge, has announced the record-setting performance of its new “GEN3” silicon graphene composite anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Independent test results in full cell LIBs reveal an energy density of 525 Wh/kg and specific anode capacity 1,250 mAh/g. In… Read more »
A123 finally runs out of juice and files for bankruptcy
Battery maker A123 Systems announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and agreed to sell its automotive business assets to Johnson Controls. Once considered a promising startup with innovative technology, the company took a huge hit in March, when it was forced to recall a batch of defective batteries destined for Fisker’s Karma… Read more »
Nissan and Ecotricity install fast chargers at UK motorway service areas
When one is on a long car trip in the UK, and is ready for a cup of tea and a bun, one stops at a motorway service area. These are the equivalent of what US Interstate drivers call rest areas, except that they also have restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations – and now… Read more »
Porsche presents Panamera PHEV in Paris
The concept car’s drivetrain represents a more advanced version of the parallel hybrid system that Porsche is already using in the Panamera S Hybrid and the Cayenne S Hybrid.
Swiss firm introduces 22 kW on-board EV fast charger
BRUSA Elektronik AG, a Swiss maker of power electronics and motors for EVs, has announced a new on-board charging system that operates on three-phase current of up to 22 kW. BRUSA says its NLG6 system will be able to charge a typical EV in only an hour, with no need for an external DC charger…. Read more »
Researchers use world’s thinnest material to create quick-charging Li-ion anode
Yet another exciting advance in battery technology was announced this week. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, led by nanomaterials expert Nikhil Koratkar, made a sheet of paper from the world’s thinnest material, graphene, then zapped the paper with a laser or camera flash to blemish it with countless cracks, pores, and other imperfections. The result… Read more »