Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new type of inverter that offers superior efficiency in a smaller and lighter package than current models. Conventional inverters rely on components made of silicon. The NC State team has developed an inverter using off-the-shelf components made of the wide-bandgap semiconductor material silicon carbide (SiC). “Our… Read more »
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TDK and Toshiba establish joint venture for automotive inverters
Japanese conglomerates TDK and Toshiba have agreed to establish a joint venture to manufacture automotive inverters for hybrids, PHEVs and EVs. With an eye on the global trend toward stricter emissions regulations, TDK is strengthening its energy unit business, which centers on power conversion hardware, and the controlling software, for electrified vehicles. TDK’s line-up includes… Read more »
Albemarle to acquire lithium salt production assets in China
Specialty chemical firm Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) has signed an agreement to acquire the lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate conversion assets of Jiangxi Jiangli New Materials Science and Technology. The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of Q1 2017, includes manufacturing assets located in Jiangxi and Sichuan, China, focused on the production of… Read more »
Researchers increase energy density of cathode by controlling oxygen activity
An international team of researchers has demonstrated a new way to improve the performance of lithium-rich cathode materials by creating oxygen vacancies at the material’s surface. In “Gas-solid interfacial modification of oxygen activity in layered oxide cathodes for lithium-ion batteries,” published in Nature Communications, Minghao Zhang and colleagues explain the importance of oxygen atoms in… Read more »
Silicon-carbide power electronics enable new ZapCharger Portable charger
Norwegian power electronics firm Zaptec has developed a new portable charger in partnership with Renault. The ZapCharger Portable is designed to be compact (3 kg, 45x10x10 cm), rugged and smart – it’s waterproof, operates at temperatures from -40° to 55° C, and continuously monitors the grid to shut down immediately if it detects a fault…. Read more »
Model 3 mania has increased demand for other Tesla products
The tidal wave of reservations for Model 3 carries both good and bad news for Tesla – it’s cool to have all those future sales in the pipeline (over $14 billion worth, the company figures), but it’s a bummer to have to wait two years to get the cash. However, all the publicity comes with… Read more »
Argonne: EVs may be almost as energy-dense as gasoline vehicles by 2045
Hydrocarbon fuels have energy densities that are at least 100 times greater than that of current lithium-ion batteries. Even with projected improvements in battery technology as far out as 2045, batteries are still expected to be significantly less energy-dense than gasoline. However, the energy density of the actual storage medium may not be the best… Read more »
Electric Ferrari smokes its gas-powered parent
An electric Ferrari? CEO Sergio Marchionne, a reliable EV skeptic, says no – a Ferrari with no engine noise would be “almost an obscene concept,” he said at this year’s Geneva Auto Salon. Eric Hutchison, of San Diego-based EV conversion company Electric GT, has other ideas. Hutchison rescued a burned-out 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS from… Read more »
Kreisel Electric builds new battery factory in Austria
Battery manufacturer Kreisel Electric has started construction on a new factory in Rainbach, Austria, which it calls 3K One. When the 67,000-square-foot plant comes online in March 2017, it will have the capacity to produce 800,000 kWh worth of batteries per year. The new facility will feature a fully automated production line, and will also… Read more »
ORNL seeks US manufacturers to license new carbon fiber process
Researchers at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a production method that they estimate will reduce the cost of carbon fiber by as much as 50% and the energy used in its production by more than 60%. After analysis and prototyping by industrial partners, ORNL is making the new process available for licensing…. Read more »