US-based EV charging software developer WeaveGrid has raised $28 million in financing led by Toyota’s growth fund, Woven Capital, to help automakers integrate their EVs with the electric grid while optimizing the charging experience for drivers. WeaveGrid’s EV Management System (EVMS) enables grid-integrated EV charging and offers vehicle-to-grid capabilities and power distribution optimization. The strategic… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Toyota"
WeaveGrid secures $28-million investment for EV grid integration software
San Francisco-headquartered WeaveGrid, a developer of charging management software for integrating EVs into power grids, has raised $28 million in a funding round led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth fund. The investment will be used to broaden collaborations with automakers and electric utilities. WeaveGrid’s EV management system is designed to enable grid-integrated EV charging, and… Read more »
Centennial College adds mandatory EV and hybrid coursework to its 2-year auto tech program
Centennial College’s School of Transportation, which claims to be Canada’s largest on-site transportation training facility, will require students entering the Automotive-Motive Power Technician program to complete EV and hybrid vehicle training, as of the fall 2024 semester. The Motive Power Technician two-year degree program covers a variety of topics necessary for students seeking a career… Read more »
DOE offers $671-million loan to Aspen Aerogels to produce thermal barriers for EV battery safety
The Loan Programs Office at the US Department of Energy (DOE) has made a conditional commitment for a direct loan of up to $670.6 million to Aspen Aerogels Georgia to help finance the construction of an aerogel blanket manufacturing facility in Register, Georgia. Aspen’s PyroThin aerogel thermal barriers are used as a protective layer within… Read more »
2024 Honda Prologue: Japan’s most American brand gets serious about EVs
As it did in previous decades, Honda has used another maker’s car to enter a new US segment. Honda is often known as the world’s largest maker of internal combustion engines—more than 14 million of them a year. It sells those engines in a variety of containers, from home generators and lawn mowers to ATVs… Read more »
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz: electric Microbus finally arrives
It’s instantly recognizable as a VW Bus, but what does it compete against? And will its allure last? The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, an electric reinvention of VW’s 1960s Microbus, is finally here. After a seven-year wait, the high-style 3-row box on wheels will hit dealerships in November and December—with priority going to those dealers who… Read more »
New study: initial charging at high currents increases battery lifespan
Charging lithium-ion batteries at high currents just before they leave the factory is 30 times faster and increases battery lifespans by 50%, according to a study at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center in California. Researchers at the center report in a study published in energy research journal Joule that giving batteries their first charge at unusually… Read more »
Honda to invest $65 billion in EVs over 7 years
Honda, like its larger compatriot Toyota, is a former environmental leader turned laggard. However, in both cases, we’ve been seeing indications that a new, slightly more EV-friendly strategy may be in the offing. Honda recently announced new investment of 10 trillion yen ($65 billion) in electrification, saying that it expects demand for battery EVs to… Read more »
Hexagon Purus teams with Hino to launch Tern electric truck
Norway-based EV systems supplier Hexagon Purus and Japanese vehicle manufacturer Hino Trucks, a Toyota subsidiary, have launched their electric truck brand, Tern, and its first model, the RC8 Class 8 tractor tailored for the US market. A product of a long-term agreement between the two companies valued at up to $2 billion, the Tern will… Read more »
Three perspectives on China’s EV industry (spoiler alert: legacy brands are toast)
Jeremiads lamenting China’s takeover of the global auto industry are everywhere these days. Three recent accounts stand out from the pack. These articles cover three different aspects of the tragic tale, but all are authoritative, fact-filled pieces written by journalists with first-hand knowledge of what’s going on in the Middle Kingdom, and I recommend that… Read more »