Researchers around the world are working on supercapacitors (aka ultracaps), whose high power density makes them a perfect complement for lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, a couple of visionaries at Volvo have been thinking about ways to get around the high space requirements of batteries by storing energy in a car’s body panels. Image Courtesy of Volvo… Read more »
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Toyota researchers work with Brookhaven National Lab to investigate magnesium batteries
Toyota researchers are collaborating with the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to probe molecular structures and track chemical reactions in magnesium batteries. “Issues related to cost, power, energy density, and durability of Li-ion batteries have slowed their implementation in large-scale applications, such as electric and hybrid vehicles,” said Toyota… Read more »
Voltabox begins building Li-ion battery packs in Texas
Three Li-ion battery chemistries, the speed of its software and hardware systems configuration and the automotive legacy of Voltabox make this newly-landed American spin-off company a player in the realm of rechargeable batteries for public transit and heavy industrial vehicles. Austin, Texas is known for many things: music festivals, barbequed ribs, the Texas Longhorns, filmmaker… Read more »
Elon Musk: Cooling, not power-to-weight ratio, is the challenge with AC induction motors
Elon Musk’s recent interview at the MIT AeroAstro Centennial Symposium made headlines for his warning against the careless development of artificial intelligence, which he likened to “summoning the demon.” However, while he didn’t say a lot about Tesla, he did make an interesting comment about the challenges of designing electric motors. A questioner asked (around… Read more »
Simulation of battery pack cooling systems: measure twice, cut once
The experts at Mentor Graphics walk us through the simulation and analysis of a battery pack cooling system. In the business of battery pack design, one of the main considerations is cooling. The pack must have a uniform and stable temperature for the batteries to perform adequately during worst-case conditions. Even within a single cell,… Read more »
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
After a gradual build-up, Daimler’s automotive brands are now showing their stuff in the EV arenas of three continents. Stateside, the spotlight lands on the new, competitively priced Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), hasn’t been the most visible mover or shaker in electric mobility up to this… Read more »
Freudenberg Group’s new line of Li-ion battery separators
The separator is a critical component of a battery. It provides a barrier between the anode and the cathode while enabling the exchange of ionic charge carriers from one side to the other. For over 40 years, the Freudenberg Group has been producing separators for nickel-based batteries, such as the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) cells widely… Read more »
ORNL team demonstrates high-voltage solid-state battery with impressive cycle life
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a solid-state high-voltage (5 V) lithium battery with an extremely long cycle life (10,000 cycles) and high Coulombic efficiency (99.98%). The solid electrolyte enables the use of high-voltage cathodes and lithium anodes with minimal side reactions. The energy stored in a battery of a given size… Read more »
Daimler sells stake in Tesla for $780 million in cash
Daimler has reorganized its financial relationship with Tesla, selling its 4% stake in the California carmaker. The cooperation between the partners on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is unaffected. “We are extremely satisfied with the development of our investment in Tesla, but it is not necessary for our partnership and cooperation,” said Daimler Board Member… Read more »
Elon Musk: Tesla and Toyota may form a new partnership in a couple of years
Tesla and Toyota might just patch up their differences and form a new partnership some day, Elon Musk told reporters at an event for the start of deliveries in Japan (with a cool backdrop of three Model S in a showroom high above Tokyo). “If you look out maybe two or three years from now,… Read more »