Search Results Found For: "Performance Team "

The Goldilocks zone: Calienté explains that battery pack heating is just as important as cooling

In the eyes of an EV driver, the success of the battery is measured in a completely binary way: does the battery last the life of the vehicle, or not? In fact, the best praise you can give any battery – whether in your laptop, phone, or EV – is not to have to think… Read more »

Lithium-ion battery inspired by safety glass could reduce fire risk

Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a way to mitigate the risk of battery failure during automobile accidents by including slits along the electrodes. In “Limiting Internal Short-Circuit Damage by Electrode Partition for Impact-Tolerant Li-Ion Batteries,” published in the journal Joule, the research team explains how this technology could allow manufacturers… Read more »

Predicting the properties of lightweight carbon fiber composites

Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics represent a promising lightweight replacement for heavy steel. However, for carbon fiber to be widely adopted, new, more economical composites need to be developed. Unfortunately, carbon fiber properties are difficult to model, as they depend on complex features such as fiber loading, length distribution and orientation. Now researchers at the DOE’s Pacific… Read more »

BMW partners with Solid Power to develop solid-state batteries

Solid Power has grown rapidly since it was established in 2012 as a spin-out company from the University of Colorado. The battery developer recently moved into a new facility in Louisville, Colorado that will triple its footprint. Now the company has announced a partnership with the BMW Group to develop its solid-state batteries for EV… Read more »

Motor Trend compares Bolt, LEAF and Model 3 head-to-head

This is a milestone review – the first head-to-head comparison of three EVs that “really could be your affordable, every-day, one-and-only car” – and Motor Trend assigned it to a star team of electro-journalists. Reviewers Kim Reynolds, Patrick Hong and Alec Brooks have been working with EVs since the days of the EV1 and the… Read more »

The new LightningElectric conversion package for the Ford Transit

Loveland, Colorado-based Lightning Systems is accepting pre-orders for its new LightningElectric conversion package for the Ford Transit. Deliveries will begin in early 2018. The product will be available first on heavy-duty Transits with a 10,360-pound gross vehicle weight rating. Conversions and service are performed by Ford QVM-certified upfitters and dealers. Installation can be completed in… Read more »

Former Tesla production head offers insourcing insights

For years, automakers have been steadily outsourcing more and more of their manufacturing. Modern vehicles are assembled from parts made by suppliers all over the world, and in some cases, even the final assembly is done under contract by companies such as Magna and Valmet. Tesla has reversed this trend to a certain extent –… Read more »

Tesla Model 3: Will this machine kill the Oil Age?

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the Tesla Model 3 (although the media has been doing its best). There’s no question that it’s a momentous motorcar on (at least) three levels. First, Model 3’s success is widely assumed to be an existential issue for the company – if it fails to deliver on its… Read more »

LORD Corporation debuts CoolTherm thermal management materials and services

LORD Corporation introduced CoolTherm, a new brand within the company’s leading portfolio of thermal management solutions and technical services. CoolTherm products deliver customized materials that can help electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers worldwide manage heat issues and increase power density. “The evolution of LORD Thermal Management Materials to the CoolTherm brand will better define the… Read more »