The EV world has been looking forward to the launch of the next-generation Volt at next week’s Detroit auto show, but the latest news promises to make the Volt a sideshow. According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal and Detroit News, GM plans to launch a new EV called the Chevrolet Bolt, with… Read more »
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The EV Show: a roundup of the month’s EV conversion news
The electrical gurus at EV West have started a monthly youtube show about EVs. On The EV Show, Hosts Michael Bream and Eric Hutchison (with Ono the shop dog in the background adding an occasional “woof”) cover a wide variety of news from the EV world, with an emphasis on conversions. This is no mere… Read more »
EVs, renewables & energy storage: The unstoppable trio of energy’s future
The ripples of disruption: Q&A with Mike Calise The concept of disruption is often discussed in the fields of semiconductors, the internet, data, computers and software. But what about the energy industry? The world has been largely generating and consuming energy the same way for over a century. Charged talked to Mike Calise, Head of Electric… Read more »
Utah State University builds a dynamic wireless charging test track
Wireless charging is gradually making its way to the market. We’ve seen countless demonstration projects over the past few years, and a couple of OEMs have announced that they have wireless charging systems in the pipeline. Convenience is the most obvious reason to cut the cable, but wireless can deliver several other benefits as well… Read more »
Gallium nitride and silicon carbide expected to displace silicon in power electronics
Emerging materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) will eventually displace silicon in power electronic applications, according to a new report from Lux Research, which forecasts that the market for GaN power electronics will reach $1.1 billion, about 5% of the total market, by 2024. While silicon and SiC (SiC-on-SiC) each come… Read more »
2016 Chevrolet Volt adds driver-controllable regen feature
As the 2016 Chevrolet Volt’s official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January draws closer, GM is revealing more and more details of its second-generation PHEV. In a video released this week, GM Executive VP Mark Reuss and Volt Chief Engineer Andrew Farah demonstrate the new driver-controllable regen. Like the 2014 Cadillac ELR, the… Read more »
Are multispeed transmissions the future of EVs?
One of the many ways in which current EVs differ from legacy vehicles is that they don’t shift gears. While modern ICE vehicles sport 8- and 9-speed automatics, 7-speed manuals and continuously variable transmissions, which help to improve fuel efficiency, most EVs get by with a simple single-speed gearbox. Conventional wisdom is that, because electric… Read more »
France to build nationwide EV charging network, phase out diesel cars
French industrial giant Bolloré plans to invest 150 million euros over the next four years to build a network of 16,000 public charging points across the country. Economy and Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron said that Bolloré may be granted tax relief for installing the charging stations on public highways. “Through a private initiative with public… Read more »
Nissan launches major new ad campaigns for LEAF
When EV detractors point out that many of the 22 plug-in models now on sale in the US are selling in minuscule numbers, EVangelists retort that the makers of these unloved vehicles have done little or no advertising to promote them. It’s probably no coincidence that Nissan, the builder of the best-selling LEAF, is one… Read more »
Volkswagen buys piece of solid-state battery startup
Volkswagen has bought a five-percent stake in battery startup QuantumScape. Confidential sources told Bloomberg that the Volkswagen Group plans to complete tests of QuantumScape’s technology by mid-2015, and is considering using it in VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles. Closely-held QuantumScape, founded in 2010 by former Stanford University researchers, is working on solid-state batteries, which it… Read more »