EVs
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Renault's 'smart island' runs on wind power and recycled batteries
Renault has launched a "smart island" in Portugal that uses its Zoe electric vehicle, home batteries, smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2E) energy storage to run without fossil fuels. The idea is to make the Madeira island of Porto Santo energy independent and stimulate renewable energy production. "[We want] to build a model that can be carried over to other islands and cities," Renault Electric Vehicle Director Eric Feunteun told Engadget.
Existing EV batteries could be recharged five times faster
Lithium-ion batteries have massively improved in the last half-decade, but there are still issues. The biggest, especially for EVs, is that charging takes too long to make them as useful as regular cars for highway driving. Researchers from the University of Warwick (WMG) have discovered that we may not need to be so patient, though. They developed a new type of sensor that measures internal battery temperatures and discovered that we can probably recharge them up to five times quicker without overheating problems.
Dyson's debut EV might not showcase its next-gen battery tech
Though it had been rumored for some time prior, it was still somewhat surprising when Dyson formally revealed it was getting into the EV game. Even for a company that takes research and development to an excessive level to make some of the best vacuum cleaners (and more recently, hairdryers) around, a car is a different league of machine. The Financial Times has learned a little more about Dyson's progress from several anonymous sources -- namely that the current roadmap consists of not one, but three cars. Crucially, little birdies also said the company was considering using a lithium-ion battery to power its first EV, the same tech every automaker uses in their electric cars now. In other words, not particularly innovative for an EV set to hit the road several years from now.
Renault-Nissan and Didi plan self-driving ride service in China
Didi, the company that purchased the rights to Uber in China, plans to build an electric, autonomous ride-sharing service with Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and other automakers. The two companies are currently in the exploration stages, but Renault said it will launch "robo-vehicle ride-hailing services" with Didi as part of its Alliance 2022 strategic plan.
All-Tesla EV racing series could hit the track this year
Tesla's electric race car series has been in the planning stages for awhile, and now it has been approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the organization that oversees Formula One. Eventually, the plan is to put together an all-electric series of racing events around the world. But because others' electric racing vehicles aren't ready yet, the Electric Car Production Series is starting with the Tesla Model S P100D. It was previously called the Electric GT Wold Series.
LG will build Europe's biggest EV battery factory next year
As the auto industry fatefully moves into electric vehicles, Europe's major car-makers need high capacity batteries. Until now, companies like VW, Volvo and BMW have had to import batteries from Asia. LG's forthcoming car battery factory in Poland, the first in Europe, hopes to fulfil that growing demand. "The company has chosen Poland as the most competitive location for production to satisfy the needs of European and global car producers," said Chang-Beom Kang, vice president at LG Chem. The facility will cost $1.63 million, based in the city of Wroclaw which is close to the country's border with Germany. (In case you didn't know, Germany is a major car manufacturing country.)
Mazda and Toyota will work together to design EVs
Six months ago, Toyota showed off a customized electric, self-driving Lexus. Just yesterday, the auto maker revealed an update to the vehicle line with new Lidar and deep learning AI that can better see objects around the car and predict safer paths on the road. Today, the company is announcing a new joint development agreement between Toyota, Mazda and auto component supplier Denso for the production of electric vehicles. The three companies are also forming a new company, EV C.A. Spirit Co., Ltd., to manage the collaboration.
Daimler eyes super-fast electric vehicle charging
Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz (and others) is pushing to get the majority of its vehicles to run on electricity. But there's still the issue of slow battery charging times that needs to be overcome if users are going to abandon gas. Which is why Daimler is throwing some of its cash towards Israeli startup StoreDot, which is working on a way to fully charge an EV in just five minutes.
Tesla plans to add more Superchargers in big cities
If you own a Tesla and plan on driving it reasonable distances, then you probably know exactly where your nearest superchargers are. After all, these devices charge up your car in less than an hour. But if you look at a map of an urban area -- let's say, Philadelphia, which is about 20 minutes from where I live -- you'll notice something frustrating. The city, along with many other urban areas, is somewhat of a Supercharging desert. Tesla acknowledges that this is a problem and is expanding their Supercharging network into urban areas, starting with Chicago and Boston.
Mercedes-Benz plans electric versions of all its models by 2022
We've seen quite a few car companies commit (and recommit) to electic vehicles recently, and now Mercedes-Benz has joined them. At Daimler's investor day today, the company's chief executive Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes will offer electric versions of every single car it makes by 2022. Mercedes-Benz is also planning on turning its popular city SmartCar into a fully electric line by 2020.
Williams redesigns the chassis for lighter and stronger EVs
There is frequently a trickle-down from the world of high-end motor racing through to the cars on sale at your local dealership (and refrigerators). Which is why the latest project to emerge from Williams Advanced Engineering is so exciting for the future of EVs. The F1 company is showing off its lightweight electric car chassis that's designed to make electric rides lighter, safer and greener.
LG will build electric car parts in Detroit
LG Electronics is building a 250,000 square foot EV parts plant in Detroit suburb Hazel Park, it said in a press release. LG might not build its own cars, but its vehicle components division supplies many key pieces for GM's critically acclaimed Chevy Bolt, to name one manufacturer. That's an understatement: It builds the battery cells and pack, electric motor, power inverter, on-board charger, climate control, instrument cluster and infotainment system.
Lucid Motors is struggling to produce its luxury EV
While EVs might be making headlines left and right, producing them is not as easy -- or as much of a slam dunk -- as it might seem. Take the case of Lucid Motors, a struggling electric car startup. It faces a stark choice for its future: Build an expensive assembly plant for its $60,000 EV, the Lucid Air, or sell to one of many interested buyers.
EVs are greener than ever thanks to renewable energy
Some wags will always try to claim that EVs are just as dirty as regular cars, because electricity is generated in coal-fired power stations. Except, that's not really true anymore, which is why the Union of Concerned Scientists has updated its data on how environmentally friendly electric cars are. The results won't shock you, but an EV is now about as efficient as a gas-powered car that can make 73 miles per gallon.
Qualcomm can charge EVs while they're moving
Forget about better batteries, what if you could just drive your EV forever? Qualcomm just showed off technology called dynamic electric vehicle charging (DEVC) that juices an EV via road-embedded wireless charging hardware while you're driving. During the demonstration, two Renault Kangoo vehicles equipped with Qualcomm's "Halo" DEVC receivers were charged simultaneously while moving down a 100 meter test track.
People are really starting to embrace electric cars
As with any new transportation technology, it's not as simple as building your first vehicle and expecting the whole world to change. And yet, it appears as if the world is finally cottoning on to this whole electric cars are better and cheaper to run thing.
Tesla plans larger Supercharger sites, more travel refueling spots
Tesla is working hard to make it easier for its customers to charge their electric cars on the go. Back in February, the company revealed that it'll be doubling its Supercharger network in 2017. It doubled down on that claim this morning, with the announcement that it'll have 10,000 Superchargers available by the end of 2017. Additionally, Tesla is planning to build larger Supercharger sites to fit "several dozen" cars, and it's increasing the amount of Destination Charging locations (for slower refueling) to 15,000 globally, up from 9,000 last year.
Ford to build a 300-mile electric SUV and hybrid Mustang
Ford just made a big electric vehicle announcement, saying it will build a hybrid Mustang and F-150 truck, along with a fully electric SUV with 300 miles of range, all by 2020. The $4.5 billion investment will make it the latest automaker to fully commit to a heavily electric and hybrid road map, joining Mercedes, Volkswagen and others. "Our investments and expanding lineup reflect our view that global offerings of electrified vehicles will exceed gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years," said President and CEO Mark Fields in a statement.
New battery tech lasts for days, charges in seconds
Scientists from the University of Central Florida (UCF) have created a supercapacitor battery prototype that works like new even after being recharged 30,000 times. The research could yield high-capacity, ultra-fast-charging batteries that last over 20 times longer than a conventional lithium-ion cell. "You could charge your mobile phone in a few seconds and you wouldn't need to charge it again for over a week," says UCF postdoctoral associate Nitin Choudhary.
Volkswagen will build EVs in North America starting in 2021
Volkswagen introduced its new e-Golf at the LA Auto Show last week and today the automaker announced more plans for its electric vehicles in North America. As part of its plan for the next decade, the company wants to "evolve from a niche supplier into a relevant and profitable volume producer." Part of that strategy includes building EVs in North America beginning in 2021.
