When one thinks of Nikola Tesla and electric vehicles, the obvious connection points to Elon Musk’s favorite part-time project. However, we also have to give the Serbian inventor proper credit for pioneering technology that eventually may become even more important to EVs than battery breakthroughs. Tesla’s obsession with wireless power transmission defined much of his… Read more »
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Exhaustive infrastructure testing: Converging industries present challenges for automakers
In the past few decades, the automotive industry has seen a shift from traditional mechanical systems to a world dominated by electronics, chips and software. If you go to a car show and look in the engine compartment of an older vehicle, you’ll see only a handful of connections from the cockpit. Modern vehicles, however,… Read more »
The battery industry insiders: Q&A with the Bitrode Corporation
In many ways, the Bitrode Corporation has the ultimate inside scoop on the battery industry. Along with its parent company, Sovema, and sister division, Solith, the group has its hands all over battery development, manufacturing and testing. The companies supply equipment and support to many of the biggest names in automotive-grade battery manufacturing. Acquired by… Read more »
Report: The effects of fuel economy and emissions regulations on the automotive sector
By Jeffrey Wishart, a Senior Project Engineer at Intertek, conducts research and development on products and services in the areas of energy, the environment, and advanced transportation. In addition to his supervisory position at Intertek, Dr. Wishart worked for several years at ETEC LABS (the research and consulting division of ECOtality) and at a utility company… Read more »
Volvo to show gas PHEV in Beijing
Underscoring the growing importance of China as a market for “new energy” vehicles, Volvo has announced that it will reveal its S60L PPHEV concept car at the 2014 Beijing International Auto Show. The gas/electric plug-in hybrid will be launched in China in early 2015, and will be produced at Volvo’s Chengdu plant. There’s no word… Read more »
Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes into production
The first Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive has rolled off the assembly line in Rastatt, Germany, and is scheduled to go on sale in the US this summer. With an MSRP expected to be in the low 40s, the electric Benz may prove a worthy competitor to the BMW i3, and could really shake up the… Read more »
Silicon rally: EnerG2’s new silicon battery anode material
It seems that every time the hottest new smartphone or tablet comes out, one of the biggest points of contention among users is its battery life. The demands put on the batteries run them down faster than users would like, and the OEMs can’t simply increase the batteries’ size while still hitting their targets for… Read more »
Plug-in vehicle legislation update: New rebates and waiting lists in California, Utah expands EV credit
New $2,500 California rebate program for public agencies located in Bay Area Air Quality Management District The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) announced a new rebate program, on April 3, for public agencies that purchase or lease electric vehicles. Highlights of the program include: Approved public agencies can receive $2,500 vouchers for purchasing or… Read more »
Quantifying battery risks and thermal safety
Exponent engineers on battery risks and thermal safety: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Any type of energy storage technology has some risk associated with the unanticipated release of stored energy. Failure of a pumped-hydro storage system, for example, can lead to flooding. Hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline, diesel or methane can ignite into flames…. Read more »
Tom Gage on ZEV mandates, Tesla’s early days, BMW’s EV commitment and V2G tech
Q&A with the EV trailblazer Tom Gage Tom Gage is one of America’s true EV pioneers. He’s perhaps best known as one of the designers of the tzero electric sports car that provided the inspiration for the Tesla Roadster. However, that is far from his only contribution to the electric mobility field. Charged recently caught up… Read more »