A new report from the DOE describes the findings from six Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) projects, in which electric utilities around the country evaluated operations and customer charging behaviors for home and public EV charging stations. The report, Evaluating Electric Vehicle Charging Impacts and Customer Charging Behaviors, is intended to help utilities determine how… Read more »
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Does Tesla’s Gigafactory have water worries?
Tesla’s Gigafactory, now under construction in northern Nevada, is expected to offer some 6,000 manufacturing jobs, which will be welcome in a state whose economy is dependent on gambling and tourism. Most are enthusiastic about the new development, but there are questions about whether local resources and infrastructure will be adequate. As always in this… Read more »
DOE offers funding for research into fuel cells, batteries, Schottky diodes
The DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for fiscal year 2015, which spans the range of energy technologies, includes a few EV-related topics. Phase I grants of up to $225,000 will be made to small businesses to evaluate the feasibility of ideas that have commercial potential. Topics of interest include: Fuel Cell-Battery Electric Hybrid for Utility… Read more »
New study: Rapid charging doesn’t damage lithium-ion batteries as much as thought
A new study has found that fast charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries may not be as damaging as most researchers believe. The results of the study, Current-induced Transition from Particle-by-particle to Concurrent Intercalation in Phase-separating Battery Electrodes, published in Nature Materials, challenge the conventional wisdom that fast charging necessarily shortens battery life. The authors… Read more »
DOE seeks input on fuel cell range extenders for BEVs
The DOE has issued a Request for Information to solicit feedback about the feasibility of fuel cell range extenders for battery-electric vehicles. The DOE’s office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) is specifically interested in the idea of an after-market modification to extend vehicle range using a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system…. Read more »
DOE-supported research projects seek to commercialize silicon-based anodes
The DOE is supporting six applied battery research projects, with the objective of developing cells that provide energy density of more than 200 Wh/kg, along with long cycle life and excellent abuse tolerance. All six projects are using some form of silicon-based material for the anode. A team led by the Argonne National Laboratory is… Read more »
Does Tesla plan to share its battery technology with other automakers?
Admirers of Elon Musk know that he isn’t in the game for money or personal glory – he wants to see EVs displace dinosaur-burners, whether Tesla is the one building them or not. Speaking at the company’s first-quarter shareholders’ meeting, Musk expressed frustration with the other automakers for moving so slowly, and hinted that he’s… Read more »
Alcoa applies for DOE loan to expand aluminum plant
The DOE has proposed lending money to aluminum giant Alcoa to increase production at a Tennessee factory, the first loan to a supplier under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, which was created by Congress in 2007 but hasn’t approved a loan since 2011. Alcoa spokeswoman Lori Lecker told Automotive News the company has applied… Read more »
DOE to award up to $10 million for Zero Emission Cargo Transport projects
The DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has issued a funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0001106) to award up to $10 million for projects to accelerate electrification of the cargo transport sector, a worthy mission that has been dubbed Zero Emission Cargo Transport (ZECT). ZECT technologies are defined as those that produce zero emissions from a cargo-carrying… Read more »
$16 billion in DOE loans still available for auto suppliers
The DOE is encouraging auto suppliers to step forward for a share of $16 billion in low-interest financing that’s still available under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. Congress created the ATVM program in 2007, and it famously lent about $8.4 billion to Ford, Nissan, Tesla and Fisker. Although the program hasn’t approved… Read more »