Chinese automaker BYD aims to be a major player in the battery business, adding 6 gigawatt-hours of global production in each of the next three years, company spokesman Matthew Jurjevich told Reuters recently. If it continues at that pace, BYD’s capacity will be some 34 GWh of batteries by the beginning of 2020, putting it about… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Lion Electric"
Battery giants square off for court battle over lithium-ion patents
Two of the world’s biggest industrial companies are preparing for a high-stakes court battle over an arcane battery chemistry, and the outcome could have important implications for next-gen EVs, according to Quartz. Chemical colossus BASF and the Argonne National Laboratory have filed a lawsuit against Belgian battery-maker Umicore, accusing it of selling a battery component to… Read more »
VW may use solid-state battery in its next-generation EV
Volkswagen has acquired a 5% stake in US battery startup QuantumScape, with an option to buy more, and it is evaluating the company’s solid-state battery tech with an eye to using it in VW’s next generation of EVs. Last November, Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn said he saw “great potential” in solid-state batteries, which potentially… Read more »
British Columbia renews Clean Energy Vehicle incentive program
British Columbia has announced the renewal of its Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) incentive program, effective April 1 (via Green Car Reports). The CEV program, which expired in the spring of 2014 after exhausting its original $12-million budget, offers point-of-purchase rebates of up to $5,000 Canadian ($4,000 US) for battery EVs and $6,000 Canadian ($4,800 US)… Read more »
Consumer group challenges PG&E plan for vast EV charging network
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) made headlines in February when it asked California regulators for permission to build 25,000 public charging stations, which would be the largest charging network in the country. However, not everyone is thrilled with this plan. Consumer Watchdog has petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission to reject the PG&E proposal, saying… Read more »
Illinois suspends its $4,000 rebate program for plug-in vehicles
Illinois consumers who purchased a new plug-in vehicle in 2014, or later, will not receive a $4,000 rebate from the state. That is the message from the Illinois Green Fleet rebate program, which announced the suspension of the rebate last week. The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program started in 1998 and over $14 million in rebates have been… Read more »
UK study: EVs could cut oil imports 40% by 2030
Policymakers in many countries remain skeptical about the benefits of EVs, but a new study has added weight to the pro-EV argument, at least in the UK. According to a paper that was written by Cambridge Econometrics and commissioned by the European Climate Foundation, large-scale deployment of EVs could cut the UK’s oil imports by… Read more »
2015 Kia Soul EV: A strong contender in the growing EV market
Charged faithfully reports on every new plug-in vehicle that comes out, and while there are reasons to be excited about pretty much all of them, there’s always a question lingering in the background: Does this manufacturer plan to actively market its new EV, or is this just another compliance car, to be produced in limited… Read more »
Ionic liquid electrolytes may open the door for higher-voltage batteries
The curious case of ionic liquids: Boulder Ionics/CoorsTek Specialty Chemicals Iolyte electrolytes When you think of liquids under the brand name Coors, you think of the Silver Bullet, the Banquet Beer. You certainly don’t think of high technology, unless you’re really easily impressed by cold-activated cans. However, not everyone knows that there’s another huge conglomerate under… Read more »
FleetCarma digs deep into cold-weather EV data
Matt Stevens is the CEO of FleetCarma. The company created an EV monitoring solution and has compiled a large database of real-world EV performance. Is this normal?That is the question many first-time EV owners ask when the mercury drops below the freezing point. While cold weather affects all vehicles, the impact on plug-in vehicles can feel particularly intense. A… Read more »