By Tom Saxton, Chief Science Officer, Plug In America Many current and prospective electric vehicle owners are curious to better understand battery pack longevity. There’s plenty of technical data on how batteries lose capacity with use, but a lot of that testing subjects the batteries to extreme and rapid charge/discharge cycles, very unlike the much gentler use… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "range energy"
GE and Berkeley researchers hint at new water-based battery
It sounds like an intriguing idea: a new type of battery that uses water-based solutions of inorganic chemicals that can supply high energy density by ferrying more than one electron at a time. Scientists at GE Global Research and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are working on such a system, which they call the a “flow”… Read more »
Electric car sharing takes off in Paris, stalls in Berlin
Some see car sharing as a killer app for EVs – users make short journeys, return the cars to central locations, and pay per trip, so they don’t have to worry about high up-front costs. Others are more skeptical, pointing out that some customers are non-car owners who want to use shared cars to get… Read more »
Continental supplies first air suspension system for an EV
Auto parts supplier Continental has developed its first air suspension system for an EV, the company announced this week. “The air suspension system we developed had to meet strict electric driving requirements but without neglecting aspects like comfort, range and driving pleasure,” said Continental’s Christian Hilgers. In order to deliver low weight and low energy… Read more »
Mercedes releases details of its upcoming S 500 plug-in hybrid
Mercedes-Benz has dropped a few tantalizing details about its S 500 plug-in hybrid luxury sedan, which will make its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, and go on sale some time next year. The third hybrid model of the new S-Class, the S 500 combines an 80 kW electric motor with a 3.0-liter… Read more »
Land Rover’s Electric Defender begins real-world trials at the Eden Project in Cornwall
The first Electric Defender has started real-world trials at the Eden Project, a sort of environmental theme park near St Austell in Cornwall, UK. Land Rover calls the Electric Defender “a rolling laboratory to develop new ideas and investigate electrification in a real-world environment.” A fleet of six vehicles will be placed with various organizations… Read more »
Peugeot evaluates Nickel-Zinc batteries for stop-start vehicles
PowerGenix, a developer of Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) batteries, announced that it has entered into an innovation contract with PSA Peugeot Citroen Automobiles. Peugeot will conduct an evaluation of NiZn batteries as a replacement for lead-acid in stop-start vehicles. Stop-start technology is one of the most cost-effective and efficient means of optimizing fuel economy. Current estimates put… Read more »
New Panamera PHEV provides progress over its predecessor
Porsche’s new Panamera S E-Hybrid PHEV incorporates dramatic improvements over the hybrid model that it’s replacing, and the company expects that to drive dramatically better sales. Porsche is forecasting about 10,000 sales over the E-Hybrid’s life cycle, which represents double the figure for the company’s first-generation hybrid, and about 10 percent of all Panamera sales…. Read more »
Juicy details about the BMW i3
BMW has released a vast wealth of details about its upcoming i3 EV, and there’s plenty here for auto pundits to discuss before the official unveiling, which is scheduled for July 29. The i3 embodies several milestones – it’s the first EV to offer an optional range extender engine, it features a unique carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic… Read more »
A reluctant gem: The FIAT 500e EV
The cute, cuddly FIAT 500e EV may have been born only out of regulatory necessity. So what happens if it becomes the best-reviewed new EV in its class? The bar is raised; the game changes. Maybe Chrysler will even concede that it should sell it outside of the Golden State. Summertime in Sonoma County… Read more »