Imagine an EV that could add 300 miles of range with a 5-minute charge – roughly the same amount of time it takes to refuel an ICE vehicle. Many companies are working on technologies to enable faster charging, which would be a huge win for EV adoption. ZapGo, based in Oxford, UK and Charlotte, North… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "solid state batteries"
BP sees big opportunities for EVs and has recently been investing in EV-related companies
The oil and gas giant’s EV investment rationale is outlined in its new report, BP Technology Outlook. Demand for travel is central to modern society. Currently, transport accounts for 20% of global primary energy use. The global light-duty fleet of cars, vans, and light trucks is here to stay for the foreseeable future. In fact,… Read more »
German automakers struggle to find a profitable road to electrification
It has gradually become apparent that Big Auto’s reluctance to embrace EVs is not due to mere Luddism or fear of the future. There are several reasons to believe that electrification will take a major bite out of industry profits, as Daimler execs acknowledged in March. Now Volkswagen has warned that its stated plan to… Read more »
University of Michigan researchers develop non-combustible, non-degrading ceramic electrolyte
Scientists at the University of Michigan have developed a solid-state electrolyte which they claim is non-combustible (which is good, because it’s heated to over 1,800° F during manufacturing!) and not vulnerable to dendrite formation due to a stabilizing ceramic layer. The electrolyte has special properties that allow for increased capacities and faster charging rates as well. Current… Read more »
Prius Prime Advanced: the prince of PHEVs
Looking for an objective review of the Toyota Prius Prime Advanced? Sorry, you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’m one of “the pious” – annoying Prius drivers who sing the praises of our favorite hybrid vehicle to anyone who will listen. I’ve owned three Prii (and yes, replaced batteries on two), and this is a completely… Read more »
A closer look at DC-DC converters
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 »
Paris pulls the plug on Bolloré’s Autolib electric car-sharing service
French conglomerate Bolloré launched its Autolib electric car-sharing service in Paris in 2011, and later expanded to other French cities, as well as London, Indianapolis and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the Paris operation has died. After a very public dispute, the syndicate that brought together the 103 partner municipalities, including Paris, in Île-de-France, terminated its contract… Read more »
Wildcat sorts through the avalanche of new battery materials to find the best
As automakers and cell manufacturers begin to realize the complexity of benchmarking new battery materials, Wildcat Discovery Technology is using its high-speed R&D technology to help find clarity If you follow battery technology news on a regular basis as we do, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the volume of new announcements. There are… Read more »
Garnet ceramic electrolyte helps block dendrite formation
Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a new template that they hope will enable a safer alternative to liquid electrolytes, which have several drawbacks, including flammability, leakage and dendrite formation in the electrodes. In “Lithium-ion conductive ceramic textile: A new architecture for flexible solid-state lithium metal batteries,” published in Materials Today, UMD researchers… Read more »
UK’s Faraday Institution awards £42 million to four battery research consortia
The Faraday Institution, the UK’s independent national battery research institute, has announced up to £42 million ($58 million) in new government funding to four UK-based consortia to conduct research aimed at overcoming battery challenges. The topics for the four projects were chosen in consultation with industry, to ensure that the research is producing solutions that… Read more »
