In a speech at Stanford University last week, Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen, said that he sees great potential in solid-state batteries, which could boost EV range to as much as 435 miles, representing a volumetric energy density of about 1,000 Wh/l. Replacing the traditional liquid electrolyte with a nonflammable inorganic… Read more »
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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 »
A better way to battery-swap?
The idea of battery swapping for EVs has been around for some time, but the reality has not been auspicious. Better Place bet on the concept and went bankrupt. Tesla successfully demonstrated a battery swap in 2013, but so far has not gotten around to opening any swap stations to the public. A team of… Read more »
US automakers firmly on track to meet EPA fuel-economy goals
EV lovers may consider this good news or bad, but the US auto industry is making better progress than expected toward meeting the EPA’s long-term fuel-economy standards, as Ward’s Auto reported this week (via Green Car Reports). “Innovations are coming at us faster than originally anticipated,” says Michael Olechiw, Director of the EPA’s Light-Duty Vehicle… Read more »
Phinergy CEO on aluminum-air batteries and 1,000-mile range-extended EVs
Along with its industry giant partner Alcoa, Israeli startup Phinergy says it has aluminum-air batteries for EVs in the can. More than 550 feet over the National Mall in Washington, DC, the single most significant piece of American aluminum triangulates a point between the White House, the US Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial. It is… Read more »
Silicon rally: EnerG2’s new silicon battery anode material
It seems that every time the hottest new smartphone or tablet comes out, one of the biggest points of contention among users is its battery life. The demands put on the batteries run them down faster than users would like, and the OEMs can’t simply increase the batteries’ size while still hitting their targets for… Read more »
Tesla Gigafactory location: Tucson throws its hat in the ring, California out of the running
The city of Tucson, Arizona has made a formal proposal to become the home of the Tesla Gigafactory. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said that the city has identified a potential site with access to the railroad mainline and interstates, and that the city could add tax incentives to those offered by the state. “I look forward… Read more »
German micro smart grid project supplies an EV fleet with renewable electricity
As Germany and Switzerland work to phase out their nuclear power plants, the countries are becoming vast laboratories for renewable energy research, and EVs are an important part of the equation. A team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, together with Daimler and the University of Stuttgart, has announced a project called charge@work, whose… Read more »
Pomegranate-style anode could lead to next generation of batteries
The big buzz on the EV tech scene these days is about silicon anodes, which could offer ten times more storage capacity than carbon anodes. Scientists around the world are looking for ways to overcome the remaining obstacles to using silicon for a new generation of lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at Stanford University and the DOE’s… Read more »
New study: controlled charging helps manage grid fluctuations and reduces costs
As electric vehicles proliferate, more attention needs to be paid to their interaction with the electrical grid. Some fear that abundant EVs might drive up electricity prices if they are charged during times of peak demand. In a new study published in the journal Applied Energy, Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that controlled charging of… Read more »