News

December 26, 2014

Graphene Wrapper Enhances Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries are of great interest, as they could offer specific energy densities far greater than those of current lithium-ion chemistries. However, current designs are plagued by low efficiency and capacity degradation. A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Beijing Institute of Technology has devised a […]
December 24, 2014

Ioxus Announces New Line of High-Temperature Ultracapacitors

New York-based ultracapacitor manufacturer Ioxus has introduced a new line of high-temperature 1250-Farad cells. According to the company, its proprietary Titan technology meets the requirement of automotive customers for ultracaps with a wider operating range that meets both cold and high temperature standards. Ioxus’ newest line of cells functions at […]
December 21, 2014

EV Battery Experts Discuss Battery Costs & More

Today is clearly a video catchup day for me. This last one of the day is a super interestingdiscussion about electric vehicle (EV) batteries. It includes the CEO of LG Chem (which providesEV batteries to GM for the Chevy Volt and Renault for its electric vehicles, as well as others), […]
December 17, 2014

IATA Publishes Guidelines For Safe Transport of Lithium Batteries

Like any energy storage medium, lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous if mishandled, so it’s necessary to establish guidelines for their safe transport and storage. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published a guide for the safe handling of lithium batteries on aircraft. The IATA estimates that each year, over […]
December 10, 2014

Volkswagen Buys Piece of Solid-state Battery Startup

Volkswagen has bought a five-percent stake in battery startup QuantumScape. Confidential sources told Bloomberg that the Volkswagen Group plans to complete tests of QuantumScape’s technology by mid-2015, and is considering using it in VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles. Closely-held QuantumScape, founded in 2010 by former Stanford University researchers, is working […]
December 8, 2014

50 Big Ideas Shaping The Future of Electric Mobility

Some good people at Urban Foresight, the International Energy Agency, the Electric Vehicles Initiative, and Clean Energy Ministerial have put together an “EV City Casebook” that I highly recommend checking out (it’s free). The focus of the casebook is a summary of “50 big ideas shaping the future of electric mobility.” We’ll be […]
December 5, 2014

Researchers Develop Dendrite-Free Lithium Films, an Important Step Toward Lithium Metal Anodes

There’s a lot of interest in using lithium metal as an anode material, because of its theoretical high capacity of 3,860 mAh g−1 (around ten times that of the graphite anodes used in typical Li-ion batteries). However, it doesn’t measure up in terms of cycle life and safety requirements, and one […]
December 3, 2014

Daimler Invests €100 Million to Expand Lithium-ion Battery Production

Daimler plans to invest around €100 million ($125 million) to expand production capacity for lithium-ion batteries at its Deutsche ACCUmotive subsidiary. A new building is under construction in Kamenz, Germany, and when it is completed in mid-2015, Deutsche ACCUmotive will have nearly 20,000 square meters of production and logistics space. […]
December 1, 2014

Fuel Cell Economics vs Batteries

We’ve been hearing a lot about fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) lately, thanks in large part to Toyota and its Mirai. But how does a FCEV really compare to a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) like the Tesla or a LEAF?  I wanted to look at the economics between FCEVs and BEVs, and then […]
November 26, 2014

USABC Awards Funding for Stop-start Applications, Improved Electrolyte

The US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has awarded $2.68 million to San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies for the development of a hybrid energy storage system for automotive stop-start applications. The competitively bid contract award is co-funded by the DOE. The 19-month program will focus on the technological and economic feasibility of adapting […]
November 26, 2014

EaglePicher Awarded Funding to Produce Li-ion Batteries for Military Applications

The US Department of Defense has awarded EaglePicher, a company with a long history in the defense industry, $22 million in funding for Phase II of the Lithium-Ion Battery for Military Applications (LIMA) project. The program’s goal is to assure the affordable production of items deemed essential for national defense. […]
November 26, 2014

Why Aren’t Rural Electric Cooperatives Champions of Local Clean Power?

When it comes to ownership, there are few better structures for keeping a community’s wealth local than a cooperative. So why is it that America’s rural electric cooperatives are tethered to dirty, old coal-fired power plants instead of local-wealth generating renewable power? There are a lot of answers to this […]