Search Results Found For: "Second-life "

New EV battery recycling model quantifies cost and energy savings

What’s going to happen to all those lithium-ion batteries after they die? What’s the best way to recycle them? A new model developed at the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory allows industry insiders to assess the money and energy savings from recycling EV batteries. ReCell, a closed-loop battery recycling model, offers preliminary estimates of total costs… Read more »

BP invests in mobile charging company FreeWire

BP’s venture capital arm has invested $5 million in FreeWire Technologies, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of mobile rapid charging systems, and plans to roll out FreeWire’s Mobi Charger units at selected BP retail sites in the UK and Europe during 2018. “Mobility is changing, and BP is committed to remaining the fuel retailer of choice… Read more »

Proterra and LG Chem co-develop new battery cell

Electric bus builder Proterra and Korean battery giant LG Chem have partnered to develop a battery cell optimized for the heavy-duty vehicle market.  The cell chemistry has been optimized for maximum energy throughput, charge rate acceptance and energy density. Proterra claims its Catalyst E2 bus, introduced last year, offers the longest range of any electric… Read more »

PG&E, BMW release findings from V2G pilot

Pacific Gas & Electric and BMW worked together on a pilot vehicle-to-grid program from July 2015 to December 2016. The iChargeForward program was designed to test the ability of EVs to support the electric grid through smart charging and demand response. The companies have now released the results of the pilot, which they say successfully… 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 »

BMW demonstrates stationary storage system using i3 battery

Stationary storage provides the missing link between EVs and renewable energy. Tesla made it trendy, but other automakers, including Nissan, GM and Toyota, have been exploring the technology for some time. Now BMW has announced a stationary storage solution that integrates its i3 vehicle battery. BMW’s new system, announced at the recent Electric Vehicle Symposium… Read more »

Second life: Spiers New Technologies develops advanced battery classification techniques

Spiers New Technologies (SNT) is just over a year old, but its founder has been focused on developing the market and technology for secondary-use batteries as long as anyone in the business. Dirk Spiers is one of the more passionate figures in the EV industry. Like many entrepreneurs, he seems to have a clear view… Read more »

Renault and Connected Energy collaborate on E-STOR energy storage product

Every week brings another example of how EVs will fit in as an integral part of the distributed, smart energy system of the future. The latest news comes from Renault. Europe’s leading EV-seller has partnered with energy storage company Connected Energy to develop a modular storage product called E-STOR. E-STOR uses second-life EV batteries to… Read more »

EV Fleet CEO on building a highway-capable light-duty all-electric truck

There are a lot of great opportunities for companies building EVs for niche markets, but getting an independent automotive startup off the ground is anything but easy. EVs can be very practical from a financial point of view. So it’s a bit of a shame that for the world’s most practical vehicle buyer – the… Read more »