Five years ago this week, the DOE finalized its Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan to Tesla Motors, which paid back the $465-million loan nine years early. So it seems like a propitious date to announce a new program that will make over $55 million in loans available for “cutting-edge vehicle technologies that strengthen the clean… Read more »
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DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Incubator offers $14 million for innovative projects
The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has released a new funding opportunity (FOA) to support innovative transportation technologies. This Vehicle Technologies Incubator FOA (not to be confused with ARPA-E’s OPEN 2015 FOA, which was also recently announced) will award a total of $14 million, and is open to “proposals that aim… Read more »
DOE and electric utilities produce report on EV charging impact
A new report from the DOE describes the findings from six Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) projects, in which electric utilities around the country evaluated operations and customer charging behaviors for home and public EV charging stations. The report, Evaluating Electric Vehicle Charging Impacts and Customer Charging Behaviors, is intended to help utilities determine how… Read more »
Does Tesla’s Gigafactory have water worries?
Tesla’s Gigafactory, now under construction in northern Nevada, is expected to offer some 6,000 manufacturing jobs, which will be welcome in a state whose economy is dependent on gambling and tourism. Most are enthusiastic about the new development, but there are questions about whether local resources and infrastructure will be adequate. As always in this… Read more »
DOE offers funding for research into fuel cells, batteries, Schottky diodes
The DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for fiscal year 2015, which spans the range of energy technologies, includes a few EV-related topics. Phase I grants of up to $225,000 will be made to small businesses to evaluate the feasibility of ideas that have commercial potential. Topics of interest include: Fuel Cell-Battery Electric Hybrid for Utility… Read more »
New study: Rapid charging doesn’t damage lithium-ion batteries as much as thought
A new study has found that fast charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries may not be as damaging as most researchers believe. The results of the study, Current-induced Transition from Particle-by-particle to Concurrent Intercalation in Phase-separating Battery Electrodes, published in Nature Materials, challenge the conventional wisdom that fast charging necessarily shortens battery life. The authors… Read more »
DOE seeks input on fuel cell range extenders for BEVs
The DOE has issued a Request for Information to solicit feedback about the feasibility of fuel cell range extenders for battery-electric vehicles. The DOE’s office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) is specifically interested in the idea of an after-market modification to extend vehicle range using a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system…. Read more »
DOE-supported research projects seek to commercialize silicon-based anodes
The DOE is supporting six applied battery research projects, with the objective of developing cells that provide energy density of more than 200 Wh/kg, along with long cycle life and excellent abuse tolerance. All six projects are using some form of silicon-based material for the anode. A team led by the Argonne National Laboratory is… Read more »
Does Tesla plan to share its battery technology with other automakers?
Admirers of Elon Musk know that he isn’t in the game for money or personal glory – he wants to see EVs displace dinosaur-burners, whether Tesla is the one building them or not. Speaking at the company’s first-quarter shareholders’ meeting, Musk expressed frustration with the other automakers for moving so slowly, and hinted that he’s… Read more »
Alcoa applies for DOE loan to expand aluminum plant
The DOE has proposed lending money to aluminum giant Alcoa to increase production at a Tennessee factory, the first loan to a supplier under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, which was created by Congress in 2007 but hasn’t approved a loan since 2011. Alcoa spokeswoman Lori Lecker told Automotive News the company has applied… Read more »