Batteries are wonderful inventions, but like so many things in life, they don’t last. With every charge and discharge cycle, a battery’s capacity is reduced, until eventually it becomes inadequate for its application. “Why does this degradation occur?” muses Northwestern University’s Christopher Wolverton. “In many cases, something probably happened to the cathode.” Wolverton has developed… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "DOE "
Blue Bird awarded $4.4 million to develop electric school bus
Blue Bird buses are familiar to every American who has kids, or who ever attended school. The Georgia-based manufacturer (Nasdaq: BLBD) has built over 550,000 buses since its formation in 1927, and approximately 180,000 of its classic yellow buses are in operation today. Now the company has won a grant of $4.4 million from the… Read more »
Many of the best-selling EV charging stations on Amazon are not safety-tested and certified
Most major retailers require that electrical products sold in their stores undergo third-party independent safety testing and certification, Amazon does not. After Charged encouraged the company to change its policy for EV charging stations, an Amazon spokesperson provided this official comment, “We monitor the products sold on our website for product safety concerns, and when appropriate, we… Read more »
McKinsey survey finds EV awareness increasing, suggests strategies for OEMs to electrify
As the EV scene heats up, we’re starting to see a steady stream of studies and surveys analyzing the growing market. Assessments of consumers’ EV awareness vary considerably, and predictions for the future are all over the map. A recent report by investment analyst Goldman Sachs sees big changes ahead for the auto industry, but… Read more »
California fleets can buy new electric trucks for less than Tier 4 diesels
Heavy-duty electric truck builder Orange EV has announced that all of its on-road truck configurations are now eligible for the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), which means that fleet buyers in California can purchase a new pure electric terminal truck for less than the cost of a new Tier 4… Read more »
NHTSA finds Tesla not at fault in fatal Autopilot crash
It was a tragic milestone: last May, Joshua Brown, “a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community,” became the first person to die in a crash that occurred while his Model S was in Autopilot mode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) made a full investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and… Read more »
Dynexus licenses embedded battery diagnostic technology
The DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory has teamed with Colorado-based Dynexus Technology to develop a new battery diagnostic technology for the energy storage industry. Under an exclusive licensing agreement, Dynexus will commercialize INL’s embedded wideband impedance technology for analyzing and forecasting the health, aging and safety characteristics of batteries. The wideband impedance technique delivers in-depth diagnostic… Read more »
Faraday Future reveals production-ready FF 91, announces over 64,000 reservations
Faraday Future (FF), the intriguing EV startup that employs several alumni of Tesla and other automotive and tech giants, revealed its first production vehicle, called FF 91, at a press event prior to the recent CES trade show. FF 91 features a monocoque vehicle structure that integrates the chassis and body, and a multi-motor setup… Read more »
Plug-in sales through the roof in 2016 as multiple models set records
December plug-in sales blew away last year’s figure, a cheery finale to a year that saw a huge increase. 159,139 EVs and PHEVs changed hands in 2016, a 37% increase over 2015’s 116,099. A new breeze seems to be blowing through boardrooms around the industry, from Toyota to Chrysler to Ford. As usual, Tesla heads… Read more »
Funding available for Battery500 Seedling Projects
The DOE is issuing a funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001629) for the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) of up to $19.7 million to support research and development of advanced vehicle technologies. The funding opportunity seeks projects in four areas, including Battery500 Seedling Projects. The VTO Battery500 Consortium has set a goal of doubling the specific energy of lithium… Read more »