Search Results Found For: "DOE "

Here’s why Tesla transitioned to a semi-custom power module design in Model 3 inverter

A closer look at semiconductor packaging considerations in EVs One of the most critical decisions to be made at the earliest stage of designing a new power converter concerns the packages used for the semiconductors, as pretty much every other aspect of the design hinges on their physical form. This is especially true for the main… Read more »

Enevate says its silicon-dominant anode technology is ready for EV production

Q&A with Enevate’s Founder and CTO Dr. Benjamin Park Introducing silicon into automotive-grade lithium-ion cells has been a major topic in the EV industry in the past decade. Silicon is widely considered to be the next big thing in anode technology, because it has a theoretical charge capacity ten times higher than that of typical graphite anodes…. Read more »

Tesla now scheduling Model Y deliveries

Tesla started low-volume production of the new Model Y in January, months ahead of schedule, and is now beginning to confirm Model Y deliveries to customers. Buyers from around the country have reported receiving emails from Tesla offering delivery on or after March 15: “Congratulations! Your Model Y is ready for delivery in March 2020.”… Read more »

Q&A with Electrify America’s Chief Operating Officer

It would be understandable to be a bit skeptical about Electrify America—after all, it was founded by decree of a court, as atonement for VW’s diesel-related dirty deeds. However, by all accounts the company is taking its mission to increase EV adoption by building a first-class charging network quite seriously, and is setting a fine… Read more »

A look at BMS validation testing

The battery pack is not only one of the most expensive components in an EV—it’s also incredibly complex, in some cases comprising thousands of individual cells. The tasks of preserving a battery’s efficiency, lifespan, thermal stability and safety rest upon the battery management system (BMS), an embedded controller that regulates the flow and distribution of… Read more »

Audi to invest $109 million in charging infrastructure at German plants

Audi will invest around €100 million ($109 million) to electrify one in ten parking spaces at its German plants by mid-2022.  The German carmaker will install 4,500 charging points in Germany, including 3,500 at its main plant in Ingolstadt and 1,000 at its plant in Neckarsulm, and almost 100 each at plants in Brussels, Belgium… Read more »

Tesla to buy batteries from CATL for China market

Recently, Tesla has indicated that it plans to diversify its battery supply for the Asian market, moving away from its near-total reliance on Panasonic. Now Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), China’s largest EV battery-maker, has confirmed the signing of a two-year supplier agreement with Tesla. The agreement does not specify the volume of cells to be… Read more »

Accell’s new AxFAST 3202 portable Level 2 charger

Accell is an electronics manufacturer that’s based in Silicon Valley, and also has facilities in Mexico, Malaysia, and China. The company’s new AxFAST 3202 32-amp Level 2 charger is a higher-current version of its 16-amp AxFAST Level 2 charger. The new AxFAST 3202 offers a maximum charging level of 7.68 kW at 32 amps. It… Read more »

Tesla on a roll, shorts in the hole as record earnings and Model Y news send stock soaring

Should we pity the poor short sellers, who just lost a cool billion bucks in one day, and over 5 billion so far this year, according to S3 Analytics (via CNBC)? Nah – they should have heeded the old adage about repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting different results. Tesla announced a second straight… Read more »

Rice researchers find inserting detours within a battery cathode improves charge/discharge rate

We have all heard the comforting bromide about our imperfections being our greatest strengths. Rice University researchers have recently proven this platitude in the context of battery charging cycles with the discovery that defects purposely inserted into the crystalline lattice of a lithium iron phosphate cathode actually cause the battery to work more, not less,… Read more »