China is steadily positioning itself at the forefront of Li-on battery production. One sign of this is a massive ramp-up of the production of wet-process separators (separators are a critical component of Li-on batteries – they keep the anode and cathode from touching, while allowing ions to pass through). Shanghai Energy has announced that it… Read more »
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BP invests $20 million in battery developer StoreDot
At least a couple of the oil giants see the handwriting on the garage wall, and are taking some baby steps toward the electric future. BP has installed over 70 EV charging stations at retail sites in several countries. It has also invested $5 million in FreeWire, a manufacturer of mobile EV charging systems, and… Read more »
DOE awards $19 million for extreme fast charging research
The DOE is awarding $19 million in funding to 12 cost-shared research projects focused on “extreme fast charging,” which is defined as a system with power levels up to 400 kW and typical charging times of 15 minutes or less. Nine of the selected projects focus on advanced anodes, electrolytes, and battery cell designs: UC… Read more »
$4.2-million expansion of charging stations along New York State Thruway
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced a $4.2-million plan to install more EV charging stations along the New York State Thruway. When the network is complete, EV owners will be able to drive the length of the state without having to exit to recharge. The new installations are an expansion of a trial… Read more »
A closer look at contactors
Contactors may not be the sexiest component in an EV, but they are critical both for safety and general functioning. Basically a heavier-duty version of the relay, a contactor is used to switch power to any of the loads supplied by the traction battery in an EV. The motor drive, the heating and cooling systems,… Read more »
Florida could spend $166 million from VW Dirty Diesel settlement on more diesel buses
Volkswagen has agreed to hand over a pot of money to atone for its dastardly diesel deeds. One part of that pot – almost $3 billion – will be divided among US states, for them to spend as they choose, presumably on projects that will reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. Florida’s share of the… Read more »
A look at Lucid Motors: Q&A with CTO Peter Rawlinson
The legacy automakers are slowly and methodically developing new EVs, with various levels of enthusiasm, but the most ambitious plans for new vehicles are coming from a handful of EV startups. Most of these pioneers of the new auto industry share a formula: deep-pocketed investors (many from China), former Tesla employees on staff, and plans… Read more »
KULR Technology to manufacture NREL-developed battery safety testing device
KULR Technology has reached an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to be the exclusive manufacturing and distribution partner for the patented Internal Short Circuit (ISC) device. The device, which was developed in 2015 by NREL and NASA researchers, creates cell failures in predictable conditions, allowing for improved research into safer battery technologies…. Read more »
PNNL research finds that optimal salt concentration increases battery life
Researchers at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered that the “special sauce” of batteries is all about the salt concentration. By getting the right amount of salt right where they want it, they’ve demonstrated that a lithium-metal battery can undergo about seven times more charge/discharge cycles than batteries with conventional electrolytes. Finding an electrolyte solution… Read more »
Trump administration prepares to roll back vehicle emissions and efficiency standards
This week, the Trump administration is expected to officially announce that it will re-examine the vehicle emissions and efficiency goals that automakers agreed to in 2010, with an eye to weakening the standards. In public statements and advertising, automakers tout their commitments to expanding electrification, improving fuel efficiency and fighting climate change but, as previously… Read more »