DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx introduced a new federal strategy to help develop autonomous driving technology at the Detroit auto show, joined by execs from Tesla, Google, Ford, GM, Delphi and other automotive firms. “If the government doesn’t change its ways, drivers in the future will not be moving on the highways – they will be… Read more »
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The Bolt EV is on the way, but GM has no plans to invest in fast charging infrastructure
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is the hero of the hour – reviewers who checked out the production version at the recent Consumer Electronics Show were impressed, and pundits have been hailing it as the EV that could finally break into the mainstream. But one part of the picture seems to be missing. Many believe… Read more »
Chrysler’s new hybrid minivan has a plug (but don’t tell anyone)
Chrysler holds an enviable position atop the popular minivan segment, and the less respectable distinction of being the leading electrification skeptic among major automakers. So the company’s new plug-in hybrid minivan, which is scheduled to arrive in showrooms in late 2016, is something of a milestone. The Pacifica Hybrid, which Chrysler calls the industry’s first… Read more »
Q&A with Tesla’s lead motor engineer (Full Interview)
The principal motor engineer at Tesla describes why modeling and optimization is so vital to its design process. Creating a start-of-the-art electric vehicle requires a deep understanding of all the components. More importantly, it requires a continual process of analysis and optimization of the components to push the limits of driving range, efficiency, performance and… Read more »
Tesla Model X: The all-electric crossover hits the road
Tesla was founded on a single profound insight: If you want to sell EVs, you have to sell them the way all other cars are sold – not on practicality, but on style and glamor. A related idea is summed up in Elon Musk’s oft-stated promise to build “not just the best electric cars, but… Read more »
Can Tanktwo redefine the battery pack with big data?
A Finnish-American start-up with ambitious goals wants to change how we think about batteries. The concept of an EV that supports the quick removal and replacement of a discharged battery pack was all the rage about 5 years ago. Since then, however, various systems have been attempted and subsequently abandoned by companies like BetterPlace, Renault,… Read more »
Paraclete Energy says its low-cost silicon nanoparticles can at least double your current anode capacity
Silicon has a theoretical charge capacity ten times higher than typical graphite. That is why a mind-blowing number of researchers are working towards replacing more and more of the graphite used in today’s lithium-ion battery anodes with silicon. In the last issue of Charged, we discussed Tesla’s announcement that it had begun to use small… Read more »
EV marketing efforts continue to miss the mark, determining the reasons why is complicated
Most of us in the EV industry are probably tired of the mainstream media’s constant stream of “EVs aren’t selling” articles, which began around the time the Volt made its debut, and will probably continue until the day the last ICE vehicle rolls off the line. Well, for the near future, it’s only going to… Read more »
EV subsidies pit economists against environmentalists
Most of the world’s wealthy nations, as well as many state and local governments, offer some type of subsidy for buyers of plug-in vehicles, often in the form of a tax credit. At least a couple of studies have found that these subsidies are effective in terms of increasing EV sales and reducing emissions. But… Read more »
New electrolyte for solid-state batteries combines polymer and glass
Scientists at the DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a novel electrolyte that addresses many of the problems of solid electrolytes by combining the two primary types – polymer and glass. There are two kinds of solid electrolytes – polymer and glass or ceramic – and each has its own set of challenges. Polymer… Read more »