Back in 2012, when Tesla introduced Model S, public chargers were almost nonexistent. Electric road trips were impractical, and the paucity of infrastructure was a major consumer objection to buying an EV (it still is). Frustrated with the slow pace of development of an EV fast charging standard, Tesla rolled out its own, and the… Read more »
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An EV laggard reverses course—Australian’s New South Wales announces promising pro-EV policy package
Australia is one of the least charged of the world’s wealthy countries. During the 2019 elections, Prime Minister Scott Morrison characterized EVs as a threat to Australians’ way of life, and that seems to have set the tone for Australia’s EV policy, or lack thereof, ever since. Until now, there has been little or no… Read more »
GM reveals more technical details of its Ultium battery packs
GM has big plans to release as many as 30 new EV models by 2025—the company claims that, by 2035, its only ICE vehicles will be heavy-duty trucks. The new Ultium battery system is at the heart of GM’s electrification strategy. GM says the Ultium system delivers a pack-level cost close to the magic number… Read more »
BMW CEO touts next-gen EVs, but wants to “keep the combustion engine alive”
When BMW launched the i3 in 2013, the company earned a place in history as an early EV innovator. Since then, the company’s interest in EVs seems to have waned—the once-cutting-edge i3 is now woefully dated, and plans for new electric models seem to be proceeding slowly. However, CEO Oliver Zipse recently told Reuters that… Read more »
Bipartisan infrastructure deal includes $15 billion in EV charging and electric bus funding
After weeks of back-and-forth on the infrastructure bill, President Joe Biden announced, “We have a deal,” standing with a group of Republicans and Democrats after a meeting in the Oval Office. “I think it’s really important we’ve all agreed that none of us got all that we wanted.” EV advocates certainly aren’t going to get… Read more »
Brookhaven researchers discover new approach to stabilizing high-nickel cathodes
High-nickel-content cathodes have captured the imagination of scientists, as they could enable much higher energy density. However, the high nickel content causes these cathode materials to degrade more quickly, creating cracks and stability issues as the battery cycles. A team of researchers at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory investigated the valence gradient of cathode materials… Read more »
GM and Ford dealers warily prepare for the EV transition
As the world’s automakers prepare for an electric future, what do the world’s auto dealers have to say about what’s going on? As regular readers of Charged know, dealers have long been considered a major roadblock for EV adoption. (Advocacy group Plug in America, believing that the problem is one of education rather than will,… Read more »
Bipartisan infrastructure proposal includes a new federal tax on EVs (updated)
EV experts have waxed ecstatic about President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, which would include up to $174 billion in funding to boost EV adoption. However, given the political situation in the US Senate, it’s becoming apparent that this proposal is unlikely to become law. Now the talk in Washington is of a “bipartisan compromise,” which… Read more »
Study: Four of five new-car buyers can charge EVs at home
A recent survey of new-car buyers suggests 4 of 5 will be able to charge an EV at home—making it even more critical that they understand how charging is actually done. If projections from major carmakers are to be believed, the bulk of electric cars that will travel on US roads in 2026 haven’t been… Read more »
Magnetic nanoparticles pull valuable elements from water sources
Using magnetic nanoparticles to capture valuable materials from brines could help make the US a producer of minerals used in electronics and energy production. Today, most of these minerals are obtained from international sources, many of which are located in high-conflict regions. The patent-pending technology, developed at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has… Read more »