Search Results Found For: "demand charge"

Charging pains in Europe’s EV capital

Norway has quickly become the world’s EV trendsetter. In April, the LEAF was the second-best selling model in the country, and had sold over 4,500 units. In September, Tesla’s Model S became the top-selling car. In fact, EVs have long been popular in the Scandinavian country – the current total of 15,000 EVs also includes… Read more »

Maxwell and SK to jointly develop ultracap/battery combo

Ultracapacitors (aka ultracaps or supercapacitors) are the toast of the town, thanks to their rapid charge and discharge capabilities, tolerance of extreme temperature conditions and long operational life. However, their killer application may be as partners with lithium-ion batteries, which offer higher energy density. Maxwell Technologies (Nasdaq: MXWL), a manufacturer of ultracapacitor-based energy storage products,… Read more »

Honda joins V2G demo project

Honda has joined a demonstration project for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology aimed at providing energy storage to the electrical grid while providing a financial incentive to EV drivers. Partners in the ev2g project include: the University of Delaware; NRG Energy; BMW, which is providing 15 MINI Es; Milbank Manufacturing, which is providing charging stations based on… Read more »

Nissan carries out vehicle-to-building field test

Nissan has completed a successful early field test of a system designed to allow companies to use employee EVs to regulate and reduce their electricity bills. Vehicle-To-Building technology allows up to six LEAFs to be connected to a building’s power supply. At peak hours, the building draws power from the cars, then, during off-peak hours… Read more »

BMW announces 360º Electric package for BMW i drivers

Upgrading from a legacy vehicle to an EV involves a few lifestyle changes. BMW’s 360º Electric is a portfolio of consumer-oriented products and services designed to smooth the transition and overcome some of the perceived barriers to going electric. BMW’s MINI E and ActiveE field trials have given it a wealth of data about EV… Read more »

Plenty to like in Tesla quarterly report, but red ink causes stock to slide

Tesla’s earnings report for the third quarter of 2013, released Tuesday, told a tale of steady, if modest, progress on almost all fronts. The company delivered a record number of vehicles, increased its gross margins, increased its cash balance – and either earned or lost money, depending on how you’re counting. Just over 5,500 Model… Read more »

IXYS introduces new IGBT module

IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ: IXYS) has announced a new high-power phase-leg in the SimBus-F outline with a total current/voltage capability of 600 Amps and 650 Volts. The discrete 650 Volt XPT Trench IGBT products are now available in module outlines, up to 600 Amperes with the IXYS fast Sonic diodes. The XPT IGBT and Sonic diode… Read more »

VW CEO: Germany’s 1 million EV goal achievable, if…

The German government has set a goal to have one million electric cars on the country’s roads by 2020. “We will make our contribution toward this goal,” Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn told reporters this week. However, according to Bloomberg, Winterkorn said that the goal was feasible only if plug-in hybrids are included in that million-vehicle… Read more »

The new A123 looks a lot like the old A123: Q&A with Jeff Kessen

Start-ups are tough. The majority of them do not succeed, particularly those built around new technologies in burgeoning industries. Nowhere is this more evident than in the EV industry. Even with political support and government grants, many companies have miscalculated the market and the capital required to make it into the black.  In October 2012,… Read more »

EVSE: the low-hanging fruit of smart city buildout

How installing a few charging stations is more of a long-term solution than meets the eye. We often hear about the need for smart cities, smart grids, and sustainability in general, but what does it really mean? How can we ever hope to build a smart and sustainable global ecosystem, considering the energy-consuming path that… Read more »