The electromobility revolution is still in its early days and, as was the case with the internet twenty years ago, it’s far from clear what the brave new economy is going to look like. One major unanswered question: will public charging ever be a profitable business in its own right, or will it make more… Read more »
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Polypore separates itself and sells two main elements for $3.2 billion
Polypore, the maker of battery separators and microporous membranes, is to be split in two and sold. The company announced that 3M will acquire the assets of Polypore’s Separations Media segment for about $1 billion, and Asahi Kasei will purchase the rest of the company for $60.50 per share. This represents an enterprise value for… Read more »
Nickel-metal hydride: the battery tech of the future?
Conventional wisdom has it that lithium-ion batteries are the state of the art, and that nickel-metal hydride chemistry, which is used in most conventional hybrids (some of the newer Prius models now use Li-ion), is pretty much obsolete. However, scientists at BASF believe that NiMH technology still has much to offer. According to MIT Technology Review, the… Read more »
Tesla’s next competitor might not need to build a single car
These days, the media insists on describing every future plug-in vehicle as a “Tesla competitor.” The latest putative challenger is not an automaker at all, but Apple, a company that has a lot in common with our favorite EV maker (including about 150 former employees). Reports that Apple has been bulking up on battery expertise… Read more »
Bolloré to build nationwide charging network in France
Groupe Bolloré, the French conglomerate that operates electric car-sharing services in Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Indianapolis, has won government backing for a charging network across France. Bolloré plans to invest 150 million euros ($172 million) to install 16,000 Level 2 chargers over the next four years. Subscribers will be able to reserve time slots at… Read more »
New book predicts the demise of the oil economy by 2030
Once in a while a book comes along that makes you see a familiar issue in a whole new light (call it a “paradigm shift” if you must). Such a book is Tony Seba’s Clean Disruption. Not only is it a well-researched and well-thought-out work, but it makes a gripping read, and is the most… Read more »
Model S fan builds database of battery degradation data
Batteries do degrade over time, and unfortunately most EV models haven’t been on the road long enough to provide a lot of data, so there is still much to be learned about how quickly capacity loss takes place. Plug In America has conducted battery longevity studies for the Nissan LEAF and Tesla Roadster, and is… Read more »
Energy Power Systems announces new Michigan battery manufacturing facility
Battery-maker Energy Power Systems plans to establish a high-volume manufacturing facility in Pontiac, Michigan. The new 150,000-square-foot facility will produce batteries for use in start/stop and micro-hybrid vehicles; utility-scale distributed energy storage; renewable energy integration; and fast-charging infrastructure for EVs. Full-scale production is expected to begin in early 2016. Initial annual capacity will be 500… Read more »
Porsche Pajun will be EV only?
Porsche has dropped plans to sell gasoline and diesel versions of its long-planned Pajun sedan, the German magazine auto motor und sport reported (via Automotive News Europe). Unnamed sources have indicated that Porsche execs think the sport sedan segment is too crowded for a new model with a legacy powertrain, so the Pajun will go on sale… Read more »
Happy days for the automotive semiconductor market
Driven by the triple trends of vehicle electrification, automation and connectivity, the automotive semiconductor market had a splendid 2014, and is on track for more growth, according to a new report from research firm IHS (NYSE: IHS). Automakers built more cars and used more semiconductors in 2014, bringing the market to $29 billion, a 10… Read more »