LiNa Energy has closed a £3.5-million ($4.78-million) late seed funding round. LiNa is commercializing a cobalt- and lithium-free solid-state sodium battery. The company claims its design has the potential to exceed the performance of both lithium-ion and sodium-ion technologies at a cost of less than $50/kWh. The funding, along with recently obtained grant money, enables… Read more »
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Why is Hertz deploying a huge fleet of Teslas? Hint: it has little to do with emissions.
Are rental car customers ready for EVs? We’re going to find out. Rental giant Hertz theoretically began introducing EVs to its fleet in 2011, and competitors soon followed. However, they were offered only in select markets, sometimes at super-premium prices. Meanwhile, Teslas became popular on the peer-to-peer rental network Turo. Now Florida-based Hertz, which rents… Read more »
Solid Power says safety tests show its solid-state battery tech is safer than current chemistries
Colorado-based Solid Power, a solid-state battery specialist that has backing from Ford and BMW, says recent third-party safety tests demonstrate that its battery cells, which use a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, are safer than current lithium-ion cells, which use a liquid or gel electrolyte. The tests aimed to simulate abuse and damage to Solid Power’s prototype… Read more »
Tesla lobbies to increase penalties for automakers who don’t meet fuel economy standards
In the arcane world of federal fuel economy standards, automakers that fail to comply with the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements can buy emissions credits from an automaker that has excess credits to sell. This has turned into a lucrative side business for Tesla, the only company that has sold substantial amounts of… Read more »
GM teases electric Chevy Equinox and Blazer
GM has promised to launch 30 new EV models by 2025, and the automaker teased a couple of these at the recent From Automaker to Platform Innovator event for investors. GM President Mark Reuss said that Chevrolet will launch an electrified version of the Equinox. “The Chevrolet crossover you see up here is an Equinox… Read more »
Toyota to invest $3.4 billion in US battery production
For the last decade, the policy of most legacy automakers has been to talk big about EVs, while doing little or nothing to sell any. Now, ironically, Toyota may be turning this time-honored formula backwards. The company broadcasts anti-EV misinformation in TV ads and executive speeches, and lobbies governments to water down support for EV… Read more »
Stellantis and LG Energy Solution to build battery factory for North American EV market
Stellantis and LG Energy Solution have agreed to form a joint venture that will produce battery cells and modules for North America at a new production facility. The companies are obviously fans of EV journalist John Voelcker, who praised Ford and GM for announcing new battery facilities in a recent Car and Driver article, and… Read more »
GM expands its battery tech development at new Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center
General Motors has announced plans to build a new battery development facility on the grounds of its Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center will “significantly expand the company’s battery technology operations and accelerate development and commercialization of longer-range, more affordable electric vehicle batteries.” The facility is named after the… Read more »
Chevrolet’s electric Silverado pickup to debut at CES 2022
Electric pickups are expected to be the next big thing, and newcomer Rivian stole a march on everyone—Ford’s F-150 Lightning is in pre-production, but deliveries aren’t to start until spring of 2022. Tesla’s Cybertruck is delayed until who-knows-when. GM may be struggling to catch up, but it’s moving forward. The latest news is that Chevrolet’s… Read more »
Volkswagen’s ID.4 electric crossover has it all—practical and fun
The Volkswagen ID.4, which went on sale in the US earlier this year, could turn out to be a very important vehicle for a couple of reasons. It’s the first of VW’s new-generation EVs to reach the US. That is, it’s the first to be built by the post-scandal, reformed and repentant VW, and the… Read more »