Honda is working on an EV that incorporates autonomous parking and wireless charging. The experimental vehicle, which is undergoing testing at a demonstration house outside Tokyo, can drive itself into a carport and position itself over a wireless charging pad. The human driver uses a smartphone to tell the car to park and initiate charging…. Read more »
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Electric bus maker Proterra raises $40 million in additional funding
Electric bus manufacturer Proterra has raised more than $30 million in additional funding, and expects to close on another $10 million within the coming weeks. Kleiner Perkins and GM Ventures led the financing, with another ten or so venture capital firms participating. Proterra electric vehicles have logged over 400,000 zero-emission miles in 11 US cities…. Read more »
Volt drivers log half a billion electric miles
Since its 2010 launch, the Chevy Volt has driven more than half a billion all-electric miles, according to the latest figures from GM. The company made a study of 300 California Volt drivers for over 30 months, and found that many are exceeding the EPA-rated electric range of 35 miles. About 15 percent of the… Read more »
A123 acquires start/stop battery technology from Leyden Energy
A123 Systems is back in the news. The battery-maker, now a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s Wanxiang Group, has acquired Leyden Energy’s intellectual property in battery materials covering lithium titanate (LTO) and non-flammable electrolyte (Li-imide) technology. As part of the deal, some of Leyden’s key technical staff will be joining A123’s R&D organization. … Read more »
New simulation software provides a powerful tool for battery developers
In the holy quest for a better battery, engineering simulation software is a key tool, helping battery developers to shorten the time-consuming cycle of prototyping and manufacturing. Software developer ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS) has now incorporated battery models in the latest release of its Fluent software, thanks to the efforts of a team that also includes GM… Read more »
Echo Automotive aims for the plug-in fleet sweet spot
The commercial fleet market is one of the most exciting frontiers in the electromobility revolution, not only because of the enormous potential for fuel savings, but because it offers opportunities for a smaller company, which can hope to carve out a lucrative niche developing a powertrain solution, without the need to build the sort of… Read more »
May plug-in sales: LEAF, Prius and Fusion Energi surge, BMW i3 makes strong debut
Cars were burning rubber off dealers’ lots all over the US in May, as five sunny weekends gave the typically strong month an extra boost. Overall auto sales were up 11% compared to May 2013, a nine-year high. Plug-ins rode the trend, setting an all-time monthly record – 12,053 Americans charged up new cars in… Read more »
The Buckeye Bullet: A student-built EV that’s racing towards 400 mph
As it stands today, Ohio State’s Buckeye Bullet 1 holds the US record speed for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at 314.958 mph, its Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2 holds the world record for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles at 302.877 mph, and the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 2.5 holds the world record for BEVs at 307.666 mph. … Read more »
Lux Research: market for 48-Volt micro-hybrids poised for major growth
According to a new forecast by Lux Research, automakers will begin producing 48-Volt micro-hybrids in 2015, and the market is likely to exceed 7 million vehicles by 2024. Lux believes that 48 V power systems represent an unfilled niche between 12 V start-stop micro-hybrids and larger mild hybrid systems. As the number of production models… Read more »
VIA Motors acquires Prodigy Engineering
VIA Motors, the maker of VTRUX plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles, has acquired Prodigy Engineering, an EV design, engineering and prototyping company that has been under contract with VIA to prototype new vehicle models. Prodigy founders Mark and Mike Patey will stay on under a four-year retainer and non-compete agreement with VIA. “This acquisition expands VIA’s… Read more »