A Finnish-American start-up with ambitious goals wants to change how we think about batteries. The concept of an EV that supports the quick removal and replacement of a discharged battery pack was all the rage about 5 years ago. Since then, however, various systems have been attempted and subsequently abandoned by companies like BetterPlace, Renault,… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Tesla"
Paraclete Energy says its low-cost silicon nanoparticles can at least double your current anode capacity
Silicon has a theoretical charge capacity ten times higher than typical graphite. That is why a mind-blowing number of researchers are working towards replacing more and more of the graphite used in today’s lithium-ion battery anodes with silicon. In the last issue of Charged, we discussed Tesla’s announcement that it had begun to use small… Read more »
EV marketing efforts continue to miss the mark, determining the reasons why is complicated
Most of us in the EV industry are probably tired of the mainstream media’s constant stream of “EVs aren’t selling” articles, which began around the time the Volt made its debut, and will probably continue until the day the last ICE vehicle rolls off the line. Well, for the near future, it’s only going to… Read more »
Audi to launch wireless charging in 2017
Audi’s e-tron quattro SUV, due out in 2018, is one of several planned EVs that will offer American car buyers more space and more range. Longer ranges mean bigger batteries, and that means either longer charge times or higher charging power levels, and there’s no question which of those consumers will prefer. “Progress in charging… Read more »
Model S burns up at Norwegian Supercharger station
The new year seems to have started out uncomfortably hot for Tesla, as a Model S caught fire while charging at a Supercharger site in Brokelandsheia, Norway. While a couple of Model S have burned after crashes, this is the first known fire to have started while Supercharging. Tesla tok fyr under hurtiglading. https://t.co/enzKpdWxae… Read more »
James Bond’s Jag may become production EV
No one expects Jaguar’s first EV to be a practical hatchback – on the contrary, it may be a futuristic super-sportscar to rival the likes of the Tesla Model S and BMW i8. The South Africa news outlet Independent Online reports that unnamed insiders are talking about putting the Jaguar C-X75 prototype featured in the… Read more »
The Electric Car Guide: Nissan LEAF (book review)
This new book (written in March 2015) offers an overview of the world’s best-selling EV. It’s a slim volume (90 pages) that’s aimed at prospective purchasers, not at engineering types. There’s little in the way of technical detail, but if you’re considering buying a LEAF, you’ll find the answers to most of your questions here…. Read more »
Elon Musk et al to CARB: Make VW sell EVs instead of fixing dirty diesels
Volkswagen is sincerely sorry that it got caught designing its diesels to cheat on emissions tests, and it has proposed to recall some 482,000 vehicles and modify them to bring them into compliance. VW has not yet revealed exactly how it will do this, and some automotive experts have pointed out that a technical fix… Read more »
Audi e-tron quattro SUV will use vehicle dynamics control system to enhance vehicle handling
Audi of America President Scott Keogh said that he hopes 25% of the brand’s US sales will consist of plug-in models by 2025. Given Americans’ love of SUVs, Audi’s e-tron quattro SUV, due out in 2018, is sure to be an important part of that equation. Audi has a number of innovative features planned for… Read more »
Researchers develop sodium-ion battery in 18650 format
Jules Verne recognized the potential of sodium batteries in 1869 – they powered the futuristic submarine of Captain Nemo, who found their “electro-motor strength” to be twice that of zinc batteries. Now scientists at the French research network RS2E have brought sodium batteries into the 21st century, producing the first sodium-ion battery in the industry-standard… Read more »