Korean giant LG Chem has agreed to supply batteries to Audi for hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and the companies will collaborate on various future plug-in projects, according to Reuters. “The batteries will be used in Audi’s next-generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Given that Audi shares many auto platforms with parent Volkswagen, we expect more such… Read more »
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New study: Most drivers are better off with an under-100-mile EV range
Conventional EV wisdom is that it’s all about range. Most of the mainstream press seems to assume that EVs won’t be taken seriously until they have ranges comparable to legacy vehicles. Automakers are in “a race” to produce a 200-mile EV. However, a new study suggests that, as long as battery costs remain above $100/kWh,… Read more »
Marine battery maker secures $5 million in funding, pursues aggressive growth
Marine battery systems maker Corvus Energy has finalized a $5-million financing deal with Green Marine Capital (GMC). The company plans to use the new funding to pursue a strategy of aggressive growth. According to Corvus, its lithium-ion Energy Store Systems (ESS) serve more than 90 percent of the marine market, including both hybrid and fully… Read more »
Next-generation Volt to debut in Detroit in January
The next-generation Chevrolet Volt will debut at next January’s Detroit Auto Show. GM has released a teaser image of the new model, which seems to have a slightly more rounded rear liftgate. Other than that, little has been revealed about the second-generation PHEV. In April, supplier sources hinted that the Volt would be offered in… Read more »
US automakers firmly on track to meet EPA fuel-economy goals
EV lovers may consider this good news or bad, but the US auto industry is making better progress than expected toward meeting the EPA’s long-term fuel-economy standards, as Ward’s Auto reported this week (via Green Car Reports). “Innovations are coming at us faster than originally anticipated,” says Michael Olechiw, Director of the EPA’s Light-Duty Vehicle… Read more »
July plug-in sales: LEAF sets 17th straight monthly record
July plug-in sales were lower than in May or June, but 2014 is still on track to handily beat 2013’s figure. Sales of the industry-leading LEAF surged to 3,019 in July, the 17th consecutive monthly record, and just a little shy of May’s all-time monthly best. The 2015 LEAFs are now available for adoption –… Read more »
Fisker needs to fix 250 “bugs” before production resumes
The Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang Group, Fisker’s new owner, is working to restart production of the Karma at a plant in Finland, and hopes to eventually assemble the luxury PHEV in the US. Two of the company’s top execs have been on a US tour, meeting with officials and politicians in Delaware, where Fisker… Read more »
Build an inverter the size of an iPad and win a million bucks
Google and the IEEE have launched the Littlebox Challenge – an open competition to design and build an inverter with the highest power density (at least 3.05 kW/L to enter) in a package of less than 0.66 L in volume. For comparison: The Bosch INVCON 2.3 inverter used in the Fiat 500e has a volume… Read more »
BMW’s new DC fast charger: smaller, lighter, cheaper
BMW of North America has launched its own DC fast charger. A joint development between BMW and Bosch, the BMW i DC Fast Charger can charge an i3 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. It’s about half the size of most DC chargers (31x19x12 inches), weighs around 100 pounds, and can be mounted on a… Read more »
BYD to build factory in Brazil for electric buses and battery packs
Chinese EV-maker BYD plans to build a factory in Campinas, in the São Paulo region of Brazil, where it will manufacture electric transit buses and their iron-phosphate battery packs. The factory is slated to open in 2015. “In the first year of operation, the plant will have a maximum production capacity of 1,000 electric buses… Read more »