The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a formal request for detailed information from Tesla for the agency’s investigation into the recent Model S fires. NHTSA is investigating “underbody deformation in the Model S resulting from impacts with road debris including, but not limited to, consequent intrusion into the battery compartment and associated… Read more »
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Utah bill would remove regulatory hurdles to public charger installation
The Utah Legislature has introduced a bill that would allow businesses or cities that provide public EV charging stations to recoup their costs without running afoul of the state’s utility regulator. Representative Patrice Arent (D-Millcreek), told the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee that her measure would provide assurances that collecting a fee for EV… Read more »
Graphene supercapacitor packs basketball court-size surface area into one gram
Supercapacitors (aka ultracapacitors or ultracaps) represent one of the most exciting technologies in the EV world today. Because of their superior charge/discharge rates and long cycle life, they could make great companions to lithium-ion batteries, which offer higher energy density. Some brave souls predict that they could someday replace batteries altogether in some applications. Now… Read more »
Nissan and British Gas launch UK’s largest commercial EV pilot
British Gas will be testing 28 Nissan e-NV200 vans through the coming Blighty winter to determine the future viability of EVs as part of its fleet. Also involved are Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Solutions, which manages BG’s fleet, and Gateshead College, which has trained the drivers in the proper care and feeding of the 100%… Read more »
Dow sells battery-making division Dow Kokam
Industrial giant Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) has sold its interest in battery manufacturer Dow Kokam to MBP Investors LLC, an affiliate of Townsend Ventures. Dow Kokam makes large-format nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion cells and systems for the fleet transportation, stationary storage and industrial markets. The company’s Midland Battery Park in Michigan includes one of… Read more »
BMW i3 bares it all in LA
As BMW prepares to bring its new i3 to market in 2014, expectations are running high. The upscale city car fills a vacant niche in the market, and it embodies all the advantages of a pure EV. Equally important, the company seems committed to making the i3 a success in the marketplace, rather than taking… Read more »
ChargePoint network grows to 50,000 users
This week, the ChargePoint network reached a milestone as driver number 50,000 joined up. Unsurprisingly, the 50,000th ChargePoint member resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Less than an hour after signing up, the new user plugged in a Tesla Model S to a ChargePoint station at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael…. Read more »
SAE announces agreement on wireless power transfer frequency and power classes
The SAE task force working on a standard for Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) has reached agreement on two important factors. These will be incorporated into a Technical Information Report, which is scheduled to be complete in early 2014. The TIR will be followed by publication of the official SAE J2954 Standard. “A common frequency of… Read more »
North Carolina research team demonstrates improved wireless power transmission
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technology for wireless power transmission that could bring the goal of dynamic wireless EV charging a step closer to reality. “We’ve made changes to both the receiver and the transmitter in order to make wireless energy transfer safer and more efficient,” says Dr. Srdjan Lukic,… Read more »
New York PSC removes regulatory obstacle to new investments in EVSE
As EV charging stations proliferate across the country, uncertain regulatory situations in some states may be holding back investment. This week, the New York State Public Service Commission removed one potential roadblock, declaring that it does not have jurisdiction over publicly available charging stations. “The Commission’s determination that it does not have jurisdiction ensures that… Read more »