Traditional 12-volt automotive batteries are grounded to the metal chassis of vehicles for a few different reasons, mainly driven by cost. Using the metal frame as a common ground essentially reduces the number of wires needed for all of the 12-volt systems by half – saving money and reducing weight. For example, to power a… Read more »
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WattZilla designs its high-power charging stations to be the first and last EVSE you buy
One size serves all. When interviewing the founders of technology startups, we often hear a common narrative as they recount the inception of the company. They go shopping for a product, find the available options lacking and then ask themselves, “Why doesn’t a better solution exist?” That’s Frank Gangi’s story. He bought a Tesla Model… Read more »
Thai oil company partners with six automakers to develop EVs
Thailand’s state-controlled oil company PTT has signed contracts with local units of six automakers (BMW, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche and Volvo) to cooperate in developing EVs, and to build a network of 20 charging stations. Thailand is a regional auto industry production and export hub, and the sector accounts for 10 percent of GDP. The… Read more »
Water-in-salt electrolyte boosts energy density
Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) and the US Army Research Lab (ARL) are collaborating on a new type of lithium-ion battery that uses a high concentration of salt in an aqueous electrolyte. They hope to develop a battery that offers greater energy density and better safety than current designs. “Lithium-ion batteries raise safety,… Read more »
Electric motors as shock absorbers: New Audi system saves fuel and improves comfort
Regenerative braking is a familiar way to recover kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted. A vehicle’s suspension offers a similar opportunity. Audi is working on a system called eROT, which replaces the typical hydraulic dampers with electromechanical rotary dampers to save energy and give a more comfortable ride. “Every pothole, every bump, every curve… Read more »
New venture aims to redefine the EV buying experience
Auto dealerships have emerged as a major roadblock on the way to widespread EV adoption. Most (but not all) dealers have little knowledge of or interest in EVs, and some actively discourage customers from buying. Tesla’s direct-sales model seems to work well enough, but even the Prophets of Palo Alto can’t save the world alone…. Read more »
Porsche foresees 800-volt DC charging
If there’s one thing everyone can agree on about EVs, it’s that ranges need to become longer. That means battery capacities need to grow, and therefore charging levels will have to increase as well, if charging times are to stay the same (or, preferably, become shorter). One company that’s been working on higher charging levels… Read more »
The inevitability of electric buses
Electric transit buses enter the fast-follower market stage as the leaders work to remove the last barriers to adoption. Q&A with Proterra’s Ryan Popple and ABB’s Daan Nap on the state of the market and charging standards in North America and Europe. With each passing year, more decision makers are realizing that city buses are an… Read more »
Rimac Automobili invents the Croatian auto industry
Detroit is gradually losing its position as the epicenter of the auto industry. Nowadays, news of cutting-edge developments is more likely to come from Silicon Valley, Europe or China. The Eastern European nation of Croatia is pretty far from the centers of automotive power, but it’s here that a highly innovative firm called Rimac Automobili… Read more »
Researchers make a major advance in silicon anodes
Current electrode materials such as graphite are able to stably adsorb only a limited number of lithium ions, an inconvenient truth that restricts capacity. That’s why researchers around the world are investigating semiconductor materials such as silicon as alternative electrodes. Bulk silicon is able to accommodate enormous quantities of lithium, but the migration of the… Read more »