Tesla says its new 4680 battery cell, unveiled at the 2020 Battery Day event, represents a “massive breakthrough” that could enable a new generation of cheaper EVs. However, some industry experts have predicted that mass-producing the new cells will not be easy. Concurrently with developing the new cells, Tesla has been broadening its battery supply… Read more »
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Tesla to upgrade Supercharger network to 300 kW of power
Tesla was way ahead of the charging curve with its Supercharger network, and by most accounts, the proprietary network remains the best option for long-distance EV travel. In terms of power levels however, the state of the art has passed Tesla by—new DC fast chargers from Electrify America and others can deliver up to 350… Read more »
An EV laggard reverses course—Australian’s New South Wales announces promising pro-EV policy package
Australia is one of the least charged of the world’s wealthy countries. During the 2019 elections, Prime Minister Scott Morrison characterized EVs as a threat to Australians’ way of life, and that seems to have set the tone for Australia’s EV policy, or lack thereof, ever since. Until now, there has been little or no… Read more »
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV: Chevy’s lowest-priced electric car gets a big brother
US drivers see the Bolt EUV as a larger, better-equipped version of Chevy’s first modern electric car. But the EUV first went into production last year in China—as a Buick. If it were a person, you might almost feel sorry for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, which was launched in February. It’s a brand-new vehicle,… Read more »
Infineon introduces SiC six-pack power module for EV traction inverters
Infineon Technologies has introduced a new automotive power module with CoolSiC MOSFET technology. At this year’s virtual PCIM trade show, Infineon will present the new HybridPACK Drive CoolSiC, a full-bridge module with a 1,200-volt blocking voltage optimized for EV traction inverters. The power module is based on the automotive CoolSiC trench MOSFET technology for high-power… Read more »
VW to enable bidirectional charging on all EVs on its MEB platform starting next year
Bidirectional charging is the technology of the hour. It enables vehicle-to-grid—or should we say, vehicle-to-anything (V2X)—applications, which promise to greatly facilitate the integration of EVs and renewable energy into the grid, to offer opportunities for fleets to offset their electrification costs, and to allow other handy capabilities, such as backup power. Now Volkswagen has given… Read more »
Lightyear closes $48-million funding round, aims to deliver solar-powered EV this year
Solar-powered cars, like flying cars, have long been a sci-fi staple, but thanks to ever-more-efficient PV panels, they could soon enter the realm of reality. Aptera says its upcoming EV will be able to incrementally charge from solar panels, and Hyundai/Kia has announced plans to add panels to certain models. Now the Dutch startup Lightyear,… Read more »
Heavy-duty electric trucks start to appear in fleets
Charged has been reporting on electric trucks for a decade, but the electrification of real-world fleets has been frustratingly slow, and several would-be e-truck builders have gone bust waiting for fleet operators to conduct years-long pilots. Now we’re finally starting to see some large orders. Will 2021 be the year of the electric truck? A… Read more »
High-voltage EV battery packs: benefits and challenges. More voltage, more better?
In 2020, Porsche delivered just over 20,000 units of its luxury Taycan EV—the first vehicle from a major automaker to sport an 800 V (nominal) battery, which is more than double the voltage of its competitors (and firmly into light-rail and switchyard locomotive territory, actually). It appears that many other EVs will soon follow in… Read more »
Refreshed Tesla Models S and X to ditch lead-acid for Li-ion 12 V battery
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro covered a lot of ground in their recent video chat, discussing a great number of advances and improvements to Tesla’s vehicles and manufacturing processes. Here’s just one tidbit that many may have overlooked: beginning with the upcoming Model S/X refresh, Tesla plans to abandon the century-old lead-acid battery technology in… Read more »