China-based Hybrid Kinetic Group (HKG), together with its design and engineering partner Pininfarina, unveiled a plug-in sedan concept that uses a microturbine at the recent Geneva Auto Salon. The H600 concept features an aluminum chassis, all-wheel torque vectoring and vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid capabilities. It offers combined power of over 600 kW, and accelerates from 0-60… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "second life"
Is the new Aptis an electric bus or a tram?
Alstom and NTL have presented a new electric public transport vehicle with a unique design. The layout of the new Aptis is based on that of a tram, incorporating low-floor accessibility and 360° views. Two or three large double doors enable easy on-and-off passenger flows and smooth access for wheelchairs and strollers. Aptis has four… Read more »
Southwest Research Institute consortium conducts independent battery benchmarking
Comparing the spec sheets from different parts manufacturers is tricky business for engineers in any industry. However, the advanced battery market seems to be uniquely challenged in this regard. As Tesla CEO Elon Musk often points out, when it comes to batteries, the BS factor is outrageous. Even if you assume that every vendor provides… Read more »
Huawei develops graphene-assisted high-temperature Li-ion batteries
Researchers at Huawei’s Watt Laboratory have unveiled a graphene-assisted Li-ion battery that can withstand high temperatures and offers a long lifespan. According to the researchers, their new technology allows Li-ion batteries to function at temperatures up to 60˚ C (140˚ F), 10˚ C higher than the current upper limit. The lifespan of the graphene-assisted batteries… Read more »
German Environment Minister prefers a Model S
It’s not unusual for government officials to drive EVs. Elected officials in Norway, Switzerland, the US and several other countries proudly drive on electrons. Even the USA’s Climate Change Denier-in-Chief reportedly owns a Model S. However, when the Environment Minister for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia bought a Tesla Model S as his official… Read more »
Dynexus licenses embedded battery diagnostic technology
The DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory has teamed with Colorado-based Dynexus Technology to develop a new battery diagnostic technology for the energy storage industry. Under an exclusive licensing agreement, Dynexus will commercialize INL’s embedded wideband impedance technology for analyzing and forecasting the health, aging and safety characteristics of batteries. The wideband impedance technique delivers in-depth diagnostic… Read more »
Chroma Systems Solutions invests in the next generation of EV testing products
One major challenge that the EV industry has had to overcome is figuring out how to test its new products. No matter how great and innovative you think your new design is, if you can’t adequately test it, how do you know it’s truly great? Until recently, there were no standard operating procedures for testing… Read more »
2017 Prius Prime: Toyota launches an all new PHEV that some call “the best Prius ever”
The Toyota Prius is a historic vehicle by any measure. It was the first hybrid to be mass-produced, and it remains the only one to achieve truly mass-market popularity – since it first went on sale in Japan in 1997, it has sold nearly six million units in over 90 worldwide markets. Toyota introduced the… Read more »
Lux Research: Recycling is preferable to reuse for retired EV batteries
Companies around the world, including Nissan, Renault, Daimler, BMW and Siemens, are investigating ways to reuse EV batteries after they retire from the road. Bloomberg analysts recently predicted that by 2025, there will be 29 GWh of used EV batteries available, and that a third of these will enjoy second lives in the stationary storage… Read more »
Next phase of BMW’s ChargeForward program pays drivers to use smart charging
In the first phase of BMW’s ChargeForward program, 100 Bay Area i3 owners received incentives to reduce charging usage during periods of high peak demand, in order to optimize the impact on the electrical grid. The next phase will explore the ability to optimize charging events both at home and at public chargers. BMW will… Read more »