Search Results Found For: "MIT "

New episode of Nova looks at the state of battery tech

As growing EV sales make the headlines, the general public is becoming more aware of the batteries they carry around in their pockets and laptop cases. A recent episode of PBS’s Nova, “Search for the Super Battery,” offers a digestible summary of some of the advances happening in the battery field. In an attempt to… Read more »

Visedo’s electric propulsion system powers hybrid ferry in Taiwan

The Taiwanese harbor city of Kaohsiung has launched a new hybrid ferry. Visedo OY, a Finnish manufacturer of electric drivetrains for marine vessels and other heavy-duty applications, worked alongside Taiwan’s Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC) to retrofit the 100-ton, 23-meter-long passenger ferry with a Visedo electric propulsion system, replacing the original 300 hp… Read more »

Tesla earnings report shows progress, but stock market is unconvinced

As expected, Tesla’s Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2016 Update depicts steady progress toward the company’s ambitious goals. Compared to Q4 2015, almost all the numbers are soaring. Vehicle deliveries are up 27%, gross margins are up 110 basis points, and revenue is up 88%. Of course, expenses are way up, but losses are down,… Read more »

Chinese battery-maker and Finnish manufacturer partner to supply battery packs to Europe

Chinese battery builder Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) and Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive have formed a strategic partnership to develop electric automotive solutions. As part of the deal, CATL has taken a 22% ownership position in Valmet. CATL currently offers NCM and LFP Li-ion chemistries in cells, modules and packs. The companies’ strategy is… Read more »

UL certifies WAVE’s 50 kW wireless charging system

Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE) makes a wireless charging system that provides in-route charging for transit buses, using a pad embedded directly into the roadway (see the March/April 2016 issue of Charged). Now the company has earned a Field Evaluation Certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for a 50 kW system that it has deployed for… Read more »

Hyundai announces pricing for Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq EV

Hyundai’s new Ioniq offers three ways to go electric – it’s available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric versions. The Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid both feature a 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine that delivers 104 hp and 109 ft-lb of torque, along with a six-speed double-clutch transmission. The Hybrid sports a 32 kW… Read more »

PG&E launches $500 rebate for EV-driving customers

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which serves some 16 million people in Northern and Central California, has launched an incentive program for residential electric customers who drive EVs. The Clean Fuel Rebate is a one-time rebate of $500 per vehicle. All PG&E residential customers who own or lease an EV or PHEV are eligible. Through… Read more »

Electric airplane with Siemens drive system sets ascent record

An electric-drive Extra 330LE aerobatics plane has set a world record in ascent in the category of “Electric aircraft weighing up to 1,000 kilograms.” Pilot Walter Extra climbed at 11.5 meters per second, reaching an altitude of 3,000 meters in four minutes and 22 seconds, to beat the previous record by one minute and 10… Read more »

Computational design strategy extends battery life

Batteries are wonderful inventions, but like so many things in life, they don’t last. With every charge and discharge cycle, a battery’s capacity is reduced, until eventually it becomes inadequate for its application. “Why does this degradation occur?” muses Northwestern University’s Christopher Wolverton. “In many cases, something probably happened to the cathode.” Wolverton has developed… Read more »

UQM and Meritor to develop new electric axle systems for commercial vehicles

Motor maker UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) and Michigan-based Meritor have signed a 30-month development agreement for E-axle technology. Meritor will develop integrated axle components, which will be combined with UQM’s motor and inverter technology and hardware to create a new product called the Meritor and UQM Electric Axle System for the medium- and heavy-duty… Read more »