It’s one of the dilemmas of EV design: It’s imperative to keep a vehicle’s weight as low as possible, but the most critical component – the battery – is necessarily quite heavy (and bulky). A little outside-the-box thinking yields an elegant solution – make the box the battery. In other words, design a battery material… Read more »
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Ford and Samsung research lithium-ion/lead-acid dual-battery system
Electric powertrain technology is gradually creeping into legacy gas-powered vehicles. Ford and Samsung have announced that they are researching a dual-battery system that combines a lithium-ion battery with a 12-volt lead-acid battery in order to enable regenerative braking technology in non-hybrid vehicles. “We are currently expanding our Auto Start-Stop technology across 70 percent of our… Read more »
Tesla shares all of its patented technology
Last week, while speaking at the company’s first-quarter shareholders’ meeting, Elon Musk expressed frustration with the other automakers for moving so slowly into EVs, and hinted that he’s thinking about offering them a helping hand. “I’m contemplating doing something fairly significant on that front, which would be kind of controversial with respect to Tesla’s patents.” Today,… Read more »
The Buckeye Bullet: A student-built EV that’s racing towards 400 mph
As it stands today, Ohio State’s Buckeye Bullet 1 holds the US record speed for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at 314.958 mph, its Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2 holds the world record for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles at 302.877 mph, and the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 holds the world record for BEVs at 307.666 mph. … Read more »
Charge Ahead California Initiative passes state Senate
The California Senate has passed the Charge Ahead California Initiative (SB 1275) by a bipartisan vote of 27-9. The bill increases the state’s already respectable consumer incentives with the goal of putting one million EVs on the road over the next decade, as well as making it easier for low- and moderate-income motorists to access… Read more »
BC Hydro pushes for a timely fast charger rollout
BC Hydro is the electricity supplier for about 95 percent of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It’s government-owned and vertically integrated, meaning that the company owns and operates everything from production and transmission to distribution to customers. The company’s 30 hydroelectric facilities meet 78 percent of its electricity requirements, with the balance coming from… Read more »
California to reduce EV rebates, but drops plan for $60k price cap
Since its launch in 2010, California’s Zero Emission Vehicle rebate program has provided cash incentives to thousands of EV buyers in the Golden State. In fact, it’s proven so popular that the California Air Resources Board seems to be looking for ways to make the available funding go farther. CARB is now working on its… Read more »
Toyota makes it official: Battery EVs stink, fuel cells rule
A top Toyota executive has confirmed what was already apparent to EV industry insiders: the Japanese automaker is placing all its chips on hydrogen fuel cell technology, and abandoning efforts to develop battery-electric vehicles. In an interview with Automotive News at Fortune magazine’s Brainstorm Green conference, Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, said that Toyota believes battery-electric vehicles are viable only… Read more »
Tesla first-quarter results: good news, but not enough to impress Wall Street
There was a lot to like in Tesla’s first-quarter results, announced after the stock market close on Wednesday. Revenue and earnings both beat analysts’ projections, and the company reported steady progress on all fronts, from China to Model X to the Gigafactory. So, did TSLA stock soar in response to the good news? It did… Read more »
April plug-in sales: LEAF leads, Prius pushes ahead, smart strengthens
Monthly plug-in sales dropped a bit in April after the March surge, a typical pattern for this time of year. 8,605 car buyers saw the light last month. The LEAF easily held onto its lead with 2,088 units, a little less than its March sales but an incremental increase over last April. Nissan has already… Read more »