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 »
Search Results Found For: "GM"
LG Chem will supply batteries for 200-mile EV in 2016
LG Chem CFO Cho Suk-jeh told Reuters this week that the South Korean company plans to supply batteries for an EV with more than 200 miles of range in 2016. Cho Suk-jeh did not say which automaker(s) would be using the new cells, but GM seems to be a likely candidate. It currently has a… Read more »
Phinergy CEO on aluminum-air batteries and 1,000-mile range-extended EVs
Along with its industry giant partner Alcoa, Israeli startup Phinergy says it has aluminum-air batteries for EVs in the can. More than 550 feet over the National Mall in Washington, DC, the single most significant piece of American aluminum triangulates a point between the White House, the US Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial. It is… Read more »
June plug-in sales: Fusion Energi powers into second place
The US auto industry had another stellar month in June, as sales rose at the fastest pace since 2006. At 11,893 units, plug-in sales saw a slight drop compared to May (12,053), but a healthy increase over last June (8,292). The Nissan LEAF held onto its lead with monthly sales of 2,347 units, although that… Read more »
Efficient Drivetrains and Greenkraft to develop natural gas/PHEV medium-duty truck
Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) is partnering with Greenkraft to develop a Class-4 truck that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) and incorporates a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The project will fit EDI’s multi-mode PHEV powertrain (EDI-Drive) to Greenkraft’s CNG-powered, 14,500-pound, Class-4 medium-duty truck, which is equipped with a 6.0 L GM engine. The new beast is… Read more »
Honda EV parks and charges by itself
Honda is working on an EV that incorporates autonomous parking and wireless charging. The experimental vehicle, which is undergoing testing at a demonstration house outside Tokyo, can drive itself into a carport and position itself over a wireless charging pad. The human driver uses a smartphone to tell the car to park and initiate charging…. Read more »
Electric bus maker Proterra raises $40 million in additional funding
Electric bus manufacturer Proterra has raised more than $30 million in additional funding, and expects to close on another $10 million within the coming weeks. Kleiner Perkins and GM Ventures led the financing, with another ten or so venture capital firms participating. Proterra electric vehicles have logged over 400,000 zero-emission miles in 11 US cities…. Read more »
Volt drivers log half a billion electric miles
Since its 2010 launch, the Chevy Volt has driven more than half a billion all-electric miles, according to the latest figures from GM. The company made a study of 300 California Volt drivers for over 30 months, and found that many are exceeding the EPA-rated electric range of 35 miles. About 15 percent of the… Read more »
A123 acquires start/stop battery technology from Leyden Energy
A123 Systems is back in the news. The battery-maker, now a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s Wanxiang Group, has acquired Leyden Energy’s intellectual property in battery materials covering lithium titanate (LTO) and non-flammable electrolyte (Li-imide) technology. As part of the deal, some of Leyden’s key technical staff will be joining A123’s R&D organization. … Read more »
New simulation software provides a powerful tool for battery developers
In the holy quest for a better battery, engineering simulation software is a key tool, helping battery developers to shorten the time-consuming cycle of prototyping and manufacturing. Software developer ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS) has now incorporated battery models in the latest release of its Fluent software, thanks to the efforts of a team that also includes GM… Read more »