(This article originally appeared in Charged Issue 7 – MAR/APR 2013) Q&A with Erik Spek: The Chief Engineer at TÜV SÜD Canada on battery abuse testing, improving safety, and developing standards. When analyzing the current state of lithium-ion technology, it helps to look back at the development of the nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH). Some argued that hybrid automotive… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Our Next Energy"
President Obama proposes innovation institutes to target high-tech manufacturing
As it becomes clearer that the economy of the future is not so much a post-industrial economy as a high-tech manufacturing economy, US manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three years. In order to “build on this momentum with a comprehensive agenda to invest in American manufacturing,” the Obama Administration has announced… Read more »
Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S is the best car since 2007 (VIDEO)
Tired of hearing about a certain California carmaker? Well, sorry. Tesla’s name is all over the press this week, from gushers about stock market success to sour-grapes hit pieces about ZEV credits to tantalizing hints of next-gen batteries and self-driving sedans. However, this is the most important news of all for a prospective Model S buyer: Consumer… Read more »
PARC’s new process deposits entire battery cell in one pass for big cost savings
PARC, a Xerox company, has launched a project with the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to demonstrate a new Li-ion battery manufacturing process that could dramatically reduce battery costs and improve performance. The conventional manufacturing process requires that the two halves of a battery be made in two separate steps, and then combined in… Read more »
BYD buys plant in California to build electric buses
Chinese EV maker BYD has purchased a facility in Lancaster, California, to house its electric bus manufacturing operations. The plant was formerly operated by Rexhall Industries, a maker of RVs. Several Rexhall employees, including company CEO William Rex, will stay on as the plant makes the transition to BYD ownership. According to BYD, the manufacturing… Read more »
Mitsubishi finds cause of battery fires
Mitsubishi Motors announced the findings of its investigation into the recent fires involving its lithium-ion batteries.
Leviton scores a million in funding to install public and workplace chargers in New York
EV drivers in the Empire State will soon have plenty of places to charge, thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “Charge NY” initiative. Equipment manufacturer Leviton has announced that it has been awarded a $1 million grant to install its Evr-Green Dual Port Level 2 charging stations at various workplaces throughout Upstate New York, New York… Read more »
Downtown Project orders 100 Teslas for Las Vegas transport network
The Downtown Project is launching Project 100, which aims to be “a complete transportation system designed to let you get rid of your car and be more connected to your neighborhood…"
China to resume EV subsidies
China will reinstate subsidies for electric car buyers as early as next month, Wang Chuanfu, the CEO of automaker BYD, told Reuters.
New report: Solid-state batteries will rule by 2030, driven by consumer electronics
A report from technology advisory firm Lux Research predicts that new battery technologies will become strong competitors with existing lithium-ion technology by 2020, and that solid-state batteries will surpass Li-ion by 2030. However, consumer electronics, not electric vehicles, will be the market driving the advances. “While much of the motivation for next-generation batteries – whether… Read more »