Search Results Found For: "range energy"

Could Sakti3 build GM’s 200-mile battery?

After years of operating in secrecy, battery startup Sakti3 has been much in the news lately, the subject of feature articles in Scientific American and Fortune (via Green Car Reports). The Ann Arbor company, founded in 2008 by Ann Marie Sastry, has developed a solid-state electrolyte, which could eliminate some of the drawbacks of liquid electrolytes, including… Read more »

Ultracapacitors supercharge stop/start systems

Electrification is quietly sneaking into “conventional” vehicles, as more models incorporate stop/start technology. Navigant Research predicts that 54% of new vehicles worldwide will have stop/start capability by 2022. Different automakers are applying stop/start in very different ways. For energy storage, a stop/start system may use Li-ion batteries, advanced-glass-mat (AGM) lead-acid batteries, ultracapacitors (UCs), or some… Read more »

A better way to battery-swap?

The idea of battery swapping for EVs has been around for some time, but the reality has not been auspicious. Better Place bet on the concept and went bankrupt. Tesla successfully demonstrated a battery swap in 2013, but so far has not gotten around to opening any swap stations to the public. A team of… Read more »

Mercedes reveals details of S 500 Plug-in Hybrid as deliveries begin

Mercedes has released some more details on its S 500 Plug-in Hybrid, which is scheduled to begin deliveries in Germany this month. The plug-in Benz sports a V6 biturbo engine, an 85 kW electric motor, an 8.7 kWh water-cooled lithium-iron phosphate battery, and a 3.6 kW on-board charger. The high-voltage battery and plug-in components are covered… Read more »

New report examines Tesla battery technology and costs

A new report offers a detailed look at Tesla’s battery technology and how it fits into the overall EV industry. Titled simply The Tesla Battery Report, the slide-show-style presentation examines the following topics: Tesla’s success and the direction of the EV market EV battery technology: Tesla vs. conventional Tesla battery intellectual property EV battery cost… Read more »

US plug-in sales break 250,000 as National Drive Electric Week kicks off

US plug-in vehicle sales have surpassed the quarter-million mark, just in time for National Drive Electric Week, September 15-21. Sales have increased by a healthy percentage every year since the Volt and LEAF went on the market at the end of 2010. 2014 sales total 76,799 so far, on track to handily beat 2013’s figure… Read more »

Are auto dealers the EV’s worst enemy?

It’s safe to say that car dealers aren’t a particularly beloved bunch. Shopping for a car may not be as bad as going to the dentist, but for many people, it’s right up there. Technically-minded buyers find it frustrating to try to glean some factual information from the typical rambling sales pitch, while more gentle… Read more »

Studies indicate that EVSE and shade structures could attract prime customers

Public charging and parking have a symbiotic relationship, for obvious reasons. A number of companies in the charging field are forging business relationships with parking providers, which may be large employers, owners of commercial, residential or government properties or third-party operators of paid parking facilities. Most of us devote surprisingly little thought to parking, considering… Read more »

Q&A with Qualcomm’s Joe Barrett, Appealing to the wireless generation

In January 2014, the Alliance for Wireless Power announced Qualcomm Technologies Inc. as one of the first companies to earn Rezence certification, a technology and set of specifications endorsed by the world’s leading mobile chipmakers, mobile phone manufacturers and other key industry partners. With Qualcomm and other companies now certified, it is expected that Rezence-based… Read more »