Search Results Found For: "Rice University"

New study says commercial truck electrification is within reach

It’s been a long haul for electric trucks—pilots have been going on for over a decade, but fleet operators are just beginning to put in serious orders. Battery costs are often cited as a barrier to faster adoption, but a new analysis concludes that a lack of appropriate policies around adoption incentives, charging infrastructure, and… Read more »

MIT study details plunge in lithium-ion battery costs

MIT researchers analyzed three decades of studies that examined the decline in lithium-ion battery prices, and found that costs have dropped by 97 percent since they were first commercially introduced in 1991. This rate of improvement is much faster than many analysts had claimed, and is comparable to that of photovoltaic panels, which some had… Read more »

Green Tesla embraces carbon-intensive bitcoin

Elon Musk is by nature an iconoclast, a disrupter, an upsetter of applecarts and a slayer of sacred cows, so his long-standing interest in bitcoin, which has been described as “a techno-anarchist project” and “a way to separate money from the state,” is not at all surprising. Now Tesla has purchased $1.5 billion worth of… Read more »

Scale up micro-solid-state batteries to large EV cells? It’s not so simple.

Q&A with Ilika Technologies Every other scientist in the battery world seems to be working on commercializing large-scale solid-state batteries for use in EVs. The potential for technical and safety benefits is substantial, so there will be a big pot of gold for those who first make real advancements on the automotive level.  Using solid… Read more »

Trump administration guts air pollution standards

As expected, the Trump administration has announced a rollback of federal fuel economy regulations, a move that some estimate will increase annual US carbon emissions by as much as 25 percent, as well as increasing fuel costs for consumers and putting the US auto industry at a competitive disadvantage. The administration says weakening the standards… Read more »

Trump’s effort to weaken auto emissions standards is foiled on two fronts

One of the Trump administration’s top priorities has been rolling back environmental regulations, and this is one area in which it has been ruthlessly efficient. The New York Times estimates that, to date, this administration has killed or watered down some 100 environmental protections. However, one big prize continues to elude the administration’s wrecking crew:… Read more »

V2G value propositions: Fermata Energy is focused on building financially viable solutions for vehicle-to-grid

David Slutzky, an accomplished entrepreneur, has an eclectic background. In addition to having founded several successful companies, he’s served as a local elected official as well as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Clinton White House and the EPA. He’s been teaching at the University of Virginia for some time, on the Commerce, Architecture and… Read more »

Go electric on the water with the Taiga Orca electric watercraft

Montreal-based startup Taiga Motors began life in 2015 as a spin-out from the racing team at McGill University, where co-founders Paul Achard, Gabriel Bernatchez and Sam Bruneau worked on electric powertrains. The company has developed a line of electric snowmobiles, and has now announced an electric watercraft (as reported by Electrek). The Taiga Orca features… Read more »

Battery testing start-up Novonix has spun off PUREgraphite to manufacture anode material in the US

Batteries are ubiquitous in our modern lives. Take a look around you and count how many items need be plugged in and recharged. If you’re at your desk, the answer might be four or five. If you’re out for a run, perhaps two or three. If you’re in a garage, there may only be one,… Read more »