The assets of bankrupt automaker Fisker Automotive are scheduled to be transferred to Hybrid Technology LLC, which bought the automaker’s outstanding $168 million DOE loan for $25 million in October. However, just days before a hearing in which a judge will decide whether to give final approval to the deal, Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang… Read more »
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New microscopy technique gives researchers a better look inside batteries
Electricity may seem invisible, but storing it in batteries has some very physical effects. As a battery is charged and discharged, electrons and ions rush around from place to place, sometimes causing electrodes to change their shapes over time. As researchers experiment with improved electrode materials, it’s critical to get a microscopic view of what… Read more »
Berkeley Lab researchers get to the root of the lithium anode problem
In the quest for higher energy density, the use of lithium metal anodes would seem to be a promising approach, if it weren’t for those doggone dendrites. Dendrites are microscopic fibers of lithium, which sprout, tree-like, from the surface of the lithium electrode and spread through the electrolyte until they reach the other electrode, possibly… Read more »
Mitsubishi slashes price of 2014 i-MiEV
Mitsubishi has drastically dropped the price of its 2014 i-MiEV, and added several features as standard equipment. The new MSRP is $22,995 – a $6,130 price reduction from the previous 2012 model year vehicle (was there really no 2013 model?). After tax breaks, California residents could be driving electric for $12,995 – no more than… Read more »
Envia bungles battery breakthrough as former CEO sues and GM jumps ship
Back in 2012, battery startup Envia was the toast of Silicon Valley. Its innovative battery technology had achieved the highest energy density ever recorded for a lithium-ion cell – a breakthrough that could halve the costs of EV batteries – and the company already had a deal to supply cells to GM. Today, the company… Read more »
Tesla wins Buckeye state battle as dealership war spreads
Ohio was the site of the latest battle in the war between Tesla and the auto dealers, and the subversives from Silicon Valley seem to have won the day. The Ohio Dealers Association got an anti-Tesla amendment added to Ohio Senate Bill 137 – an unrelated bill that requires drivers to change lanes when highway… Read more »
November sales: LEAF edges into lead, Prius falls back
It’s a nail-biting battle for the lead in the plug-in sales race. The Nissan LEAF barely edged into the lead for November, selling 2,003 units – one more than in October. Sales of the world’s most popular pure EV have already more than doubled 2012’s figure. The 2014 LEAF is in production now and should… Read more »
Prototype Mazda EV features rotary range-extending engine
Mazda doesn’t often make the EV news, but the Japanese brand does have an electric program – it has leased some 100 units of the Demio EV (the Demio is known outside of Japan as the Mazda 2), which has a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 200 km range, to local government bodies and… Read more »
Tesla vs auto dealers: Model S test drive trumps campaign cash
In its battle with auto dealers across the nation, Tesla has begun deploying its own lobbyists to take on the dealer groups’ well-financed troops. At the same time, another tactic may be even more effective – letting lawmakers drive a Model S themselves. Letting the car speak for itself seems to have done the trick… Read more »
European safety agency gives BMW i3 four stars
The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) has published the results of its crash test of the 2014 BMW i3, in which the new EV Bimmer scored four out of five possible stars. While that might not sound so bad, it does compare unfavorably with other popular plug-ins such as the Volt, LEAF and Model… Read more »