Volvo has acquired Polestar, a Swedish company with which it has been working in motor sports since 1996. Polestar will now be used as the model name for special high-performance Volvos. In 2015, Volvo expects to sell 750 Polestar versions of the V60 wagon and S60 sedan, and hopes to increase that to between 1,000… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Performance Team "
Stanford team improves potential of solid-state electrolytes by enhancing ionic conductivity
Solid-state electrolytes’ potential advantages in energy density and safety compared with conventional liquid electrolytes have made them the hottest topic in the battery world. However, there are several challenges to be overcome, including the low mobility of lithium ions in solid electrolytes. Now, a team of Stanford researchers have used ceramic nanowire fillers to enhance… Read more »
Researchers discover new high-performance cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries are one of the hottest topics in the battery field today, as they could theoretically offer energy density up to four times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries. However, one of several challenges to be overcome is finding cathode materials that demonstrate long-term stability. An international team of researchers from Drexel University and… Read more »
Researchers announce significant improvement in Li-S battery performance and cycle life
A team from the University of Waterloo in Canada and BASF has developed a way to stabilize cathodes in lithium-sulfur batteries, significantly improving performance and cycle life. Li-S batteries offer high theoretical energy density and low cost, due to the high natural abundance of sulfur. However, the insulating nature of sulfur and lithium sulfides requires… Read more »
PG&E and BMW team up to test V2G services
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and BMW are working together to test the ability of EV batteries to provide services to the electrical grid. PG&E selected BMW after a competitive solicitation to manage a minimum of 100 kilowatts of electric demand on PG&E’s system, as other large industrial and commercial customers do today as… Read more »
Graphene wrapper enhances performance of lithium-sulfur batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries are of great interest, as they could offer specific energy densities far greater than those of current lithium-ion chemistries. However, current designs are plagued by low efficiency and capacity degradation. A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Beijing Institute of Technology has devised a three-dimensional sandwich-type graphene sheet-sulfur/carbon composite… Read more »
Research team uses MRI to examine the inner workings of supercapacitors
A team of chemists from New York University and the University of Cambridge has developed a method for examining the inner workings of supercapacitors. Their technique, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offers a way to monitor and possibly enhance the performance of such devices. The work, which appears in the latest issue of the… Read more »
South Korean team develops coated LMO cathode that lasts longer at high temperatures
The quest for the better battery involves ongoing research on improving and optimizing materials used for lithium-ion cells. One such material is LiMn2O4 (LMO), which offers high power and low cost, but cell life at high temperatures can be problematic. In a paper in Nano Letters, a team from the Ulsan National Institute of Science… Read more »
Virgin and Venturi racing teams round out Formula E roster
Two high-profile groups have announced plans to field teams for Formula E, the all-electric racing series that will take place in 10 city centers around the world, beginning in Beijing in September 2014. The Virgin Racing and Venturi teams became the ninth and tenth to join, making the roster complete. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire… Read more »
MIT team uses virus to make a better lithium-oxygen battery
Researchers around the world have taken up the quest for a better battery, and lithium-air is one of the many promising routes to the Grail. This week, a team from MIT described an improved way to make nanowires for a lithium-air battery electrode using – of all things – viruses. “Biologically enhanced cathode design for… Read more »
