Scientists at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Lab have uncovered a “root” cause of the growth of needle-like structures – known as dendrites and whiskers – that plague lithium batteries and can cause short circuit, failure, and even fire. Dendrites are tiny, rigid tree-like structures that can grow inside a lithium battery. Their needle-like projections… Read more »
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Eaton launches transmission for heavy-duty EVs
The e-mobility business of power management company Eaton has launched a four-speed transmission for heavy-duty commercial EVs. Designed for Class 7 and 8 vehicles, the new transmission features fine-pitch helical gears and low-noise operation. Eaton said its new gearbox does not have a clutch and is synchronized via the traction motor. The transmission is scheduled… Read more »
Zero Automotive launches e-truck based on Toyota Landcruiser
Australian startup Zero Automotive has launched an electric pickup truck for commercial use, based on the Landcruiser 79 series. “It’s available in 20 to 120 kWh battery packs, with modular battery packs and a 700 Nm electric motor,” said Zero Automotive co-founder Tim Possingham. “That has more torque than the factory turbo-diesel V8 that’s normally… Read more »
GM, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler side with Trump in fight to gut fuel economy standards
GM, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler have announced that they will side with the Trump administration in its war with California over fuel economy standards, in direct opposition to competitors Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW, which struck a compromise with the California Air Resources Board in July. CARB’s deal with the four automakers calls for fleet… Read more »
Wildcat Discovery Technologies raises $20 million in Series C funding
Wildcat Discovery Technologies, a company that uses high-throughput methods to develop next-generation battery materials, has raised more than $20 million in a Series C financing round. Led by Flint Hills Resources and IPM Group in consortium with InoBat, the financing will be used to improve and expand Wildcat’s high-throughput research platform, hardware, modeling, and artificial… Read more »
Argonne develops electrolyte for next-gen lithium battery with silicon anodes
Researchers at the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new electrolyte mixture and a simple additive that could have a place in the next generation of lithium-ion batteries that feature silicon anodes. The report findings were published in July in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Scientists have long seen the silicon anode… Read more »
Volkswagen CEO: electrification won’t hurt profit margins
Volkswagen, which has unveiled the most ambitious electrification plans of any of the legacy automakers, does not believe the transition to EVs will hurt its profit margins, CEO Herbert Diess said in an interview with la Repubblica (via Reuters). “We do not expect a deterioration in margins. Our advantage is that all our brands have… Read more »
Plug In America releases Used EV Buyers Guide
Although new EVs still cost considerably more to buy than comparable legacy vehicles, we’re seeing more and more articles arguing that the total cost of ownership, considering savings on fuel and maintenance, is actually lower. However, such arguments are moot for car buyers whose budget won’t cover any new car. For these folks (who probably… Read more »
Is the honeymoon over for Tesla and Panasonic?
The relationship between Tesla and Panasonic has been a rocky one from the start. When Gigafactory 1 was in the planning stages, the Japanese giant waffled about how much it planned to invest, causing TSLA stock to gyrate. Panasonic doesn’t seem to have prospered from the partnership – the conglomerate’s battery unit is reported to… Read more »
Cable sizing and selection for EV systems
Why Champlain Cable backs irradiation cross-linking for high-voltage EV cable insulation When you think of what makes up an EV, cables and wires probably aren’t the first components that come to mind. But these conduits comprise the electrical cardiovascular system that makes a vehicle function – from the battery to the motor and all the… Read more »