As far as we know, all EVs in production by major automakers use a conventional lead-acid battery for the 12 V system (surprising, but true – more on why in a bit) and this battery needs charging, just as it does in an ICE vehicle. While you could hang an alternator off the traction motor… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "our next energy"
2019 Jaguar I-PACE: An apex brand pounces on the electric crossover scene
Believe it or not, we may have a BEV SUV turf war on our hands. Many of the major automakers have announced plans to produce all-electric crossovers, including Mercedes, Volvo, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen – not to mention the onslaught startups like SF Motors, Faraday Future, Byton and Rivian. The all-electric Audi e-tron SUV is… Read more »
FreeWire deploys battery systems to increase the scalability of EV infrastructure
Rolling out the charging stations necessary to enable wide-scale adoption of EVs is a challenging task. Though valiant efforts are being made, there are still a lot of problematic applications that could benefit from innovative solutions. One young company, FreeWire Technologies, believes it has an answer to help with scalability: batteries on wheels. Business school… Read more »
Ecovolta to build automated 200 MWh battery assembly plant in Switzerland
Swiss battery system and production specialist ecovolta (don’t kill us yet folks, the lowercase isn’t a typo) will build a 200 MWh battery pack assembly plant this September in the Swiss canton of Schwyz. The plant will use fully-automated processes to produce both prismatic and cylindrical batteries. The battery packs will have voltage levels ranging… Read more »
Southern California Edison proposes to install 48,000 more charging points
The Charge Ready network, launched two years ago as a pilot program by Southern California Edison (SCE), recently installed its 1,000th charging station. Now SCE has filed a plan with the California Public Utilities Commission to invest $760 million to expand the program to 48,000 (!) more charging points. Most of the charging stations added… Read more »
BP to acquire UK charging network Chargemaster
BP has agreed to purchase Chargemaster, which builds charging stations and operates a network of over 6,500 public charging points across the UK. Unlike some oil giants, BP is taking a proactive approach to the coming transition to electric transport. The company estimates that there will be 12 million EVs on UK roads by 2040,… Read more »
Fastned opens its first DC fast charging station in Germany
European fast charging network operator Fastned has opened its first station in Germany. The new station is located along the A3 highway at Limburg an der Lahn, and features several 350 kW DC chargers. The roof of the station is equipped with solar panels. According to Fastned, all the energy delivered by its network comes… Read more »
Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Panasonic partner to develop solid-state batteries
Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has launched a public-private project to develop solid-state battery technology. Some 23 companies, including Panasonic, Toyota, Nissan and Honda, are involved. The group has set 2022 as the target date to develop core solid-state technologies, and ultimately aims to lower battery pack cost to $90 per… Read more »
Tesla Autopilot adds “full self-driving features,” Roadster gets rockets
Tesla seems to be back into the pattern its investors love to see: Elon tweets out a slow drip of good news items, and the stock ratchets higher (as the media makes an about-face and the short sellers gnash their teeth). The latest tidbit is that the eagerly awaited Autopilot version 9 software upgrade, scheduled… Read more »
Geely to incorporate Maxwell ultracapacitors in 2020 vehicles
Ultracapacitor specialist Maxwell Technologies (Nasdaq: MXWL) has formed a technology partnership with Zhejiang Geely, the Chinese parent company of Volvo and Geely Auto to integrate ultracaps and power conversion electronics into Geely’s global vehicle lineup. Geely will include Maxwell’s ultracapacitor-based peak power subsystem in five mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles for the North American… Read more »