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DOE study: Battery second use offsets EV expenses, improves grid stability

A recent analysis from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has confirmed the value of something that several automakers are already investigating: repurposing used EV batteries for stationary storage applications. The NREL found that battery second use (B2U) strategies are capable of offsetting the costs of recycling vehicles at the end of their lives,… Read more »

South Korean plan turns ordinary 220V outlets into charging stations

Ironically, South Korea, home to some of the world’s leading producers of Li-ion batteries including LG Chem and Samsung, still has a comparatively tiny EV market. Total plug-in sales in 2014 were 850, far below a tenth of 1% of total vehicle sales. Neighboring Japan has around 110,000 plug-in vehicles on the road, compared to around 1,800… Read more »

DOE report examines opportunities for US battery manufacturers

Asia currently dominates automotive lithium-ion cell production – it controls around 79% of the market. However, a recent report by the DOE’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) found that the US has a growing opportunity in the industry, which is expected to swell from the current $9 billion to $14.3 billion by 2020. The… Read more »

Volkswagen to install 12,000 charging points in its German parking lots

Volkswagen has announced what must be one of the world’s largest workplace charging programs – it plans to install 12,000 charging points at its company parking lots in Germany over the next few years – 10% of the company’s 120,000 employee parking spaces. CEO Martin Winterkorn made the announcement at the recent National Conference on… Read more »

Tesla Superchargers may be too popular for their own good

Giving away free stuff can be a winning business strategy, but it can backfire if customers start gaming the system. At Tesla’s recent shareholders’ meeting, Elon Musk complained that some Model S owners living near the company’s free Superchargers are using them to charge up for everyday driving, rather than for road trips as Tesla… Read more »

Sumitomo Chemical increases production capacity for battery separators

Sumitomo Chemical is ramping up production capacity for its Pervio lithium-ion secondary battery separators. Production at the company’s Ohe Works in Niihama, Japan will be raised to approximately 1.3 times the current capacity by next spring. The company also plans to build a new plant for Pervio at its subsidiary in South Korea, to start… Read more »

Apple and A123 settle engineer-poaching lawsuit

The iCar is still just a rumor, but Apple surely has been showing a lot of interest in EV-related technology, including large-format batteries. This week, the Cupertino computer-maker agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that it had been showing a little too much interest in engineers working for Massachusetts battery-maker A123. In February, A123 filed… Read more »

EDI delivers extended-range EV drivetrains for some of the biggest vehicles on the road

Powerful plug-ins: Q&A with Efficient Drivetrains Inc. CEO Joerg Ferchau. In November 2014, US officials and electric utility executives stood in front of the White House to announce a new EV commitment from power companies. More than 70 investor-owned electric utilities have pledged to spend an estimated $50 million per year – $250 million over five… Read more »

MOEV Inc. develops distributed power smart-charging systems

An educated EVSE: Part of the academia-to-enterprise pipeline, MOEV Inc.’s distributed power smart-charging systems may be the economical answer to California utilities’ grand infrastructure plans. The usually pejorative term “ivory tower” refers most often to an intellectually cut-off academia, which sits separated from the practical world, musing away on obscure research or useless pursuits. However, it’s… Read more »