The US and European auto markets differ in several significant ways, so it’s not surprising that the sales figures for the various plug-in models available look quite different across the water. One of the biggest differences is size. We Americans love our pickups and SUVs, while Europeans love cute little cars that would be laughed… Read more »
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Daimler/BYD’s DENZA EV enters production
DENZA, the “made in China, for China” EV from Daimler’s joint venture with Chinese automaker BYD, has started rolling off the production line in Shenzhen. The joint-venture company, BYD Daimler New Technology (BDNT), was established in 2010 with a 600-million-yuan ($98 million) initial investment. The DENZA is a four-door, five-passenger sedan with an 86 kW… Read more »
Harley-Davidson’s Chief Engineer on the development of Project LiveWire
As Harley-Davidson tours America testing the waters for its prototype electric motorcycle, LiveWire, early riders like what they see and hear. For decades, few names have been as synonymous with traversing the American landscape as Harley-Davidson. After 111 years, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Harley-Davidson Motor Company has survived many ups and downs, including outlasting the Great Depression,… Read more »
New book excerpt: The early days of Tesla
This article is an excerpt from Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution by Charged Senior Editor Charles Morris. This 270-page book is a comprehensive history of Tesla, told by the entrepreneurs who made it happen, as well as an assessment of the company’s lasting influence… Read more »
VIDEO: New California startup builds $529,000 electric super-coupe
Updated 8/18/2014 11:45 AM EST to include pricing details. It seems Tesla’s not the only company building EVs in Silicon Valley these days. Campbell-based Renovo Motors, which has operated in “stealth mode” for four years, has just taken the wraps off its new electric supercar. The Renovo Coupe is an electrified version of the classic… Read more »
New report: Wide bandgap technology can make power conversion 90% more efficient
Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies are attracting a lot of attention, and research funding. In January, the Obama administration selected a consortium of businesses and universities to lead an innovation institute focused on WBG materials. Japan and the UK are also funding R&D in the field. A new report from Lux Research, Silicon vs. WBG:… Read more »
CD-adapco’s new set of battery simulation tools
CD-adapco has developed a set of Li-ion battery simulation tools designed to enable faster design and development of EV power systems. The new technology is available within CD-adapco’s flagship software package STAR-CCM+ and the application-specific Battery Design Studio. The new software tools were developed as part of the DOE’s Computer Aided Engineering of Electric Drive Batteries… Read more »
Brookhaven scientists gain new insight into why fast charging reduces battery capacity
Using a new method to track the electrochemical reactions in a battery, scientists at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have gained new insight into why fast charging inhibits performance. The results, published in Nature Communications, could help battery makers to optimize materials for faster-charging batteries. “Our work was focused on developing a method to track… Read more »
It’s official: Panasonic will make major investment in Tesla’s Gigafactory (Updated)
Originally posted 7/29/2014 Panasonic has reached a basic agreement to participate in Tesla’s Gigafactory. The battery-maker will likely invest 20-30 billion yen ($194-291 million) initially, according to Nikkei. Tesla plans to start construction this fiscal year, and to begin producing battery cells in 2017. The Californians will foot the bill for the land and buildings, and… Read more »
New model predicts carbon components’ performance as electrodes
Researchers at Rice University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new theoretical model that predicts how carbon components will perform as electrodes. The research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, examined the electronic characteristics of anode materials, including quantum capacitance (the ability of a material to absorb charge) and absolute Fermi level… Read more »