Elon Musk spoke at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit this week, and as usual, he had plenty to say – in an hour-long interview and a Q&A with reporters, he covered a wide range of topics. The gadfly of the automotive industry reiterated his long-standing challenge to other automakers to move faster on… Read more »
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Johnson Control introduces 12-volt lithium titanate battery for start-stop systems
Johnson Controls is adding a lithium titanate battery to its line of automotive battery offerings. The new 12-volt technology, the product of a collaboration with Toshiba, is designed to power Advanced Start-Stop vehicles. “Johnson Controls is pursuing opportunities to develop evolutionary low-voltage energy storage systems that will help our customers meet increasing fuel regulations at… Read more »
2015 VW e-Golf ushers in an era of interchangeable drivetrains for every Volkswagen model
Rising above the waters of the Mittelland Canal in Wolfsburg, Germany, four iconic smokestacks cut through an otherwise sparse skyline. These are the most recognizable – and among the last – vestiges of the original Volkswagen factory from 1938. Symbolically, however, the smokestacks represent much more than the symbols of a power plant that –… Read more »
AutoLion Li-ion battery simulation software claims a unique modeling technology
Super modeling: EC Power’s AutoLion claims unique technology, reliable results and extraordinary savings in development time and cost With battery technology being one of the key bottlenecks slowing down the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, Pennsylvania’s growing startup EC Power proposes a tantalizing offer to battery developers: cut your product development cycle by around 20 percent, and… Read more »
ZeroTruck: Electric fleet vehicles offer compelling cost savings
Medium-duty trucks make perfect candidates for electrification, and the market would seem to be full of opportunities for small companies that build powertrains and components. It’s treacherous territory, however – several startups targeting this space have foundered. ZeroTruck founder Tedd Abramson told Charged about his company’s strategy to hang on for the long haul. Abramson… Read more »
Tesla’s batteries – past, present and future
This article is an excerpt from Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution by Charged Senior Editor Charles Morris. Tesla seems to make a point of doing things differently than other automakers, and its battery pack – the most critical component of any EV –… Read more »
Toyota opens up its fuel cell patents; BMW will also research FCVs
Taking a page from Tesla’s book, Toyota plans to make some 5,680 patents on fuel cell technologies available royalty-free. The motivation appears to be much the same – just as Tesla hopes to encourage other automakers to produce battery EVs, Toyota wants to “open the door to the hydrogen future” and “spur development and introduction… 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 »
Navy develops electric gun powered by K2’s Li-ion batteries
It’s not just cars that are getting electrified – guns may be going high-tech as well. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has ordered a battery system from K2 Energy Solutions to be used in an electromagnetic rail gun, part of an $81,400,000 contract. Rail gun technology uses electromagnetic energy instead of chemical propellants. A… Read more »
Tesla releases details of coming Roadster upgrade
So, it turns out that the much-anticipated Roadster news is not just a better battery, but a package of range-enhancing improvements dubbed Roadster 3.0. Tesla announced the day after Christmas that it will apply several lessons learned from producing Model S to the Roadster. Noting that cell technology has improved substantially since the Roadster battery went… Read more »