How We Got to Now, by Steven Johnson, is a companion book to a TV series that was recently broadcast on PBS and BBC. It’s an excellent book that should be of interest not only to tech fans, but to anyone interested in history and social trends. The author examines five key technologies, and traces… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "NIO"
Cambridge scientists claim promising lithium-oxygen battery advancements
Cambridge scientists have developed a working demonstrator of a lithium-oxygen battery that is more than 90% efficient, and can be recharged more than 2,000 times. Lithium-oxygen, or lithium-air, has been touted as the ultimate battery technology, because its theoretical energy density is ten times that of lithium-ion solutions. In “Cycling Li-O2 Batteries via LiOH Formation… Read more »
California’s new emissions law pits oil companies against electric utilities
As California lawmakers continue to promote the transition to a modern energy and transportation ecosystem, oil companies and electric utilities are furiously maneuvering to protect their existing business models. Senate Bill 350, which Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law, originally included a mandate to cut the state’s petroleum consumption 50 percent by 2030. However,… Read more »
Bob Lutz thinks Tesla’s in trouble
Since Tesla’s 2003 founding, there’s been a steady stream of articles explaining why it would soon go belly-up. The latest comes from a seemingly unlikely source: Bob Lutz, the “father of the Chevrolet Volt.” Back in the day, Lutz and Musk seemed like fellow travelers – the former GM exec said he would always be… Read more »
Volvo to produce an EV by 2019
Volvo has announced a major expansion of its electrification plans. The company says it will introduce PHEVs across its entire range, and bring a pure EV to market by 2019. In the first phase of the new strategy, Volvo will introduce plug-in hybrid versions of its 90 series and 60 series larger cars, based on… Read more »
PG&E exportable power truck saves the day in California wildfire evacuation
The latest spate of California wildfires has driven thousands from their homes. In September, several hundred Calaveras County residents had taken shelter in a local church when the only generator went down, leaving the evacuees with no power to refrigerate their food or charge their phones. Electric vehicles to the rescue! Pacific Gas and Electric… Read more »
How much of a change is VW’s promised pivot to plug-ins?
Demoralized by its diesel deception, will Volkswagen now get serious about EVs? “Arguably, no major OEM is better positioned than VW to decisively accelerate the push towards plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles,” Lux Research recently noted, “[However], they will most likely carry on as usual after some apologies.” This week, VW’s board of directors released… Read more »
Georgia Power installs 11 public chargers at company facilities
The EV charging scene is in its infancy, and industry observers offer a wide range of opinions as to the best locations and pricing models for public chargers. Georgia Power is betting that EV drivers will travel to its company offices to pay for charging. The utility has opened 11 new public charging stations, the… Read more »
Yet another study: EVs emit less carbon than legacy vehicles, including electricity generation
EV skeptics have long speculated that EVs powered by grid electricity may be no cleaner in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than ICE vehicles. Well, according to studies by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the University of Minnesota, and Carnegie Mellon University, the opposite is true. On average, EVs produce less well-to-wheels emissions than… Read more »
The Apple EV: It’s a long way off, but it’s coming
The idea of Apple building a car is media catnip – it sends ordinarily sober journalists (yes, there are a few) into flights of wild speculation. In the wake of a Wall Street Journal article that seems to confirm that the Cowboys of Cupertino are indeed dabbling in the automotive realm, one writer gushed that… Read more »