Redwood Materials, founded by ex-Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has announced an expansion beyond pure battery recycling. Starting from next year, Redwood itself wants to produce battery materials on a large scale from recycled materials.
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The battery recycling start-up Redwood Materials, founded by ex-Tesla CTO JB Straubel, has raised more than 700 million US dollars from a group of strategic investors. The money is to be used to finance expansion.
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Recycling start-up Redwood Materials, founded by ex-Tesla CTO JB Straubel, is partnering with Envision AESC, the battery business sold by Nissan to Envision Group. Specifically, Redwood Materials will recycle cells from Envision AESC’s US production facility in Smyrna.
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The solid-state battery specialist and Volkswagen partner QuantumScape went public on the US stock exchange. The company has agreed on a merger with the investment company Kensington Capital Acquisition. The shares will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “QS”.
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So far there has been much speculation, but little official information about Redwood Materials, the recycling start-up founded by ex-Tesla CTO JB Straubel. Now Straubel has given more details about the plans of Redwood Materials in an interview.
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Elon Musk announced in the context of the latest quarterly figure announcement that Tesla co-founder JB Straubel will withdraw from the operational business as Chief Technology Officer and will in future only work in an advisory capacity for Tesla. The new Tesla CTO will be Drew Baglino.
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In the second financial quarter of 2019, Tesla has produced 87,048 cars and delivered 95,356, surpassing all previous quarterly figures and enabling a similarly record-breaking cash flow. CTO, JB Straubel is stepping down after 15 years with the company.
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Redwood Materials, the recycling startup founded by Tesla CTO JB Straubel, is expanding to Nevada. Possible connections to Tesla are rumoured once again, however no official statement has been released.
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“Elon Musk’s success is considerable – from zero to hero. I have great respect for such an achievement. And in general, we can learn a lot from the Silicon Valley companies.”
Volkswagen-Chef Matthias Müller pays his respect to the Tesla CEO and hopes to copy some of the methods of the Californian disruptors.
derstandard.at (in German)
“I own Tesla. I’m a huge fan of Elon Musk. I think he’s got the most incredibly forward thinking ideas about where we can go technologically.”
A strong testimony given by no one else than actor Morgan Freeman. He not only drives a Signature Series Model S but also owns shares of the company, which have lost 12 percent value in the last month.
electrek.co
“We expect 10 maybe 15 year life at a minimum from these batteries.”
Tesla CTO JB Straubel refers to battery life of Tesla power packs. It is not entirely clear however if he speaks of cycling or ageing or both.
cleantechnica.com
Graphene ultracapacitors ready to launch: Skeleton Technologies has collected 13m euros in a new funding round, which it will use to bring its graphene ultracapacitors to the mass market. It is also looking to find a new client base, namely in Asia, as well as set up a production facility near the German city of Dresden from 2017.
eu-startups.com
Exxon goes new ways: Oil company ExxonMobil will invest 15m dollars in a joint research initiative with the University of Texas Austin. It will i.e. study integrating renewable energy sources in the energy mix, as well as battery technologies and grid modelling.
greencarcongress.com
Tesla CTO stray: Co-founder and CTO JB Straubel has invested in start-up Axiom Energy, which makes energy storage for cooling systems. He says, he “likes batteries more than he likes cars” anyways. Or is this an indication about what the Masterplan, Part Trois will look like? Ok, probably not.
electrek.co, yahoo.com
Stable aluminium-air batteries: A research team from Russia and Israel says it was able to improve the performance of aluminium-air batteries significantly by adding flax straw extract to the alkaline solution. It is said to inhibit the corrosion of the aluminium anodes.
greencarcongress.com
“The factory itself is considered to be a product. It’s the machine that builds the machine and actually deserves more attention from creative problem-solving engineers than the part that it makes.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Gigafactory is much more than a production site. It’s being set up production line by production line, to tweak the process based on what Tesla and Panasonic have learned from lines already up and running.
engadget.com
Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel says that to meet demand of the Model 3 and to stay on production schedule, the Gigafactory’s schedule had be moved up two years.
insideevs.com
“We will produce a solar drone based on the experience we have. We hope to have something of our own flying in the stratosphere in less than three years.”
Bertrand Piccard, pilot of the Solar Impulse 2, says that their globe circumvention has proven that solar-power can make an airplane fly indefinitely. Only pilots need breaks, neither of which a drone would require.
wired.co.uk
“The thing about Tesla’s Ludicrous mode is that it’s a façade. Two launches saps the whole battery. That won’t be the case with the Mission E. You’ll be able to run it hard, over and over; the battery will not overheat, the power control module will not overheat, and the seats will not suck.”
An unnamed Porsche engineer told Automobile that the upcoming Mission E is “something special,” citing the car’s practicality as a defining victory over Tesla. Details about when the Porsche Mission E will reach production, however, have not yet been shared.
automobilemag.com
Tesla’s JK Straubel assuaged fears that the manufacturer will not be able to acquire enough lithium hydroxide at a low cost for Tesla’s projects. The CTO suggested lithium extraction and processing is just like any other car element, it only requires a “little bit longer lead time.”
chargedevs.com
Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen Group, spoke about the company’s plans to develop over thirty new BEVs in the next decade. Though VW is looking extensively into promoting better battery technology, Müller insists they will continue their work in the fuel cell sector.
greencarcongress.com
“There’s a competitor from Munich that can just about reach that … only theirs weighs 300 kg less.”
Thomas Lieber, VW brand’s head of complete vehicle development for electrified cars, is quite proud of the new e-Golf’s estimated range of 300 km and teases BMW and its i3.
autonews.com
Tesla CTO JB Straubel comments on the number of Model 3 reservations. And true, who has ever complained about being too successful? Let’s just hope the California EV maker can keep up and not become a victim of its own popularity.
cleantechnica.com
“The percentage of diesel will decline. It’s already happening. The first to be affected will be small cars.”
VW Group UK boss Paul Willis says that especially people with smaller vehicles will look at greener alternatives to diesel-powered cars, and that the market share of the latter will drop to as low as 30 percent on the Iles.
autocar.co.uk
Tesla’s Chief Technology Officer, JB Straubel, talks about the Gigafactory. Though most of the interior is still under construction, production lines will be up and running to support the increased demand for batteries once the Model 3 goes into production.
bloomberg.com
“We’re not trying to be a niche company. Our products for the larger consumer market will be mainstream products with a premium feel, and we’ll have something towards the end of 2017.”
Martin Leach, co-president of NextEV, gives us a glimpse of what is still to come. The EV start-up planning to launch a mainstream vehicle that could get further than a Tesla on a single charge.
spectrum.ieee.org
“This could be a ‘now or never’ situation for FCEVs in mass market mobility.”
Ben Scott, senior analyst at IHS Automotive, suggests that if fuel cells don’t move past the early adopter phase in the next 20 to 25 years, they will likely never become mainstream.
forbes.com
“I see electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids as a way of bridging the gap between the internal combustion engine and pure fuel cell technology.”
Tony Whitehorn, president and CEO of Hyundai UK, believes the automobile market will change completely over the next five years. Whether the EV “bridge” will have to hold that or a little longer remains to be seen. Whitehorn says projections show that by 2030, some 300,000 FCVs will be sold in the UK annually.
autocar.co.uk
“I think we have to give Tesla credit where it’s deserved.”
Audi of America president Scott Keogh is open to a different sales concept for electric vehicles. While there was no confirmation that Audi will open up EV stores, he acknowledges that Tesla’s methods seem to work, while traditional dealerships have trouble selling electric cars.
autoblog.com
Tesla CTO JB Straubel explains how Tesla is not only helping climate change by pushing electric cars, but also battery development by offering energy storage solutions for homes, which enable owners to store renewable energy and use it when needed.
usnews.com
Audi of America president Scott Keogh has high hopes for the production car that will come out of the e-tron quattro concept. He believes it to become not only the “most reasonably priced” but also a “hot” electric SUV.
cnbc.com
“We understand that we need to meet that regulation, and we are doing some research and working on the electrification of our vehicles. For the Japanese market, we have produced an electric vehicle. For hybrid systems, we have a license from Toyota and are continuing research in that area.”
Mazda President and CEO Masamichi Kogai goes so far as to say that the company is considering more electric and hybrid solutions. He also mentions a rotary engine that can “switch” between hydrogen and gasoline.
latimes.com
Tesla-CTO JB Straubel here comments on the manufacturer’s possible expansion into Korea. While the Californian EV maker sees it as an important market in the future, a date for the move has not been set yet.
koreaobserver.com
“In my opinion, we need battery manufacturing in Germany. It is the core technology of electric mobility.”
VW brand CEO Herbert Diess would like to see cell production in Germany to be build up as a concerted effort of the German car industry. Apparently, the sector is already discussing the idea on a political level as well.
faz.net (in German)
“We are very anxious to find out if there are any other programs out there.”
Says Christopher Grundler of the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA intends to increase its on-road emission testing of diesel cars significantly and without giving carmakers any details, as it hopes to catch other cheats still out there.
nytimes.com
Tesla CTO JB Straubel here talks about the Gigafactory, which is planned to emit zero emissions. All of a sudden, the desert location in Nevada makes total sense. Solar power is only one of many environmental measures. Others i.e. include a heat pump.
cleantechnica.com
“It will be around $30,000, but I think it’s going to be below that when you get the tax break on it.”
GM’s Product Development Chief, Mark Reuss, on how affordable the Chevy Bolt EV, expected to arrive by 2016, will actually be. He is counting on State support.
insideevs.com
Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel announces that the first employees will begin work at the Gigafactory in the Nevada desert in just a few weeks.
kunr.org
Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel points out how fast the EV maker moves. With the Model X only been introduced, all resources are now poured into the making of the Model 3. The project not only requires new technology and platform but will also see Tesla scale up production massively.
fool.com
“This year we are launching a hybrid model, and the next Soul electric-vehicle version.”
Tae Hyun (Thomas) Oh, exective vice president and COO of Kia Motors, announces the next step of the Korean carmaker’s electrification. The hybrid Kia and updated Soul EV will be joined by a fuel cell vehicle by 2020, he added.
uk.news.yahoo.com
This is an unnamed VW manager announcing a new strategy that will see Volkswagen design electric cars from the bottom up, similar to the BMW i-series. A dedicated VW “e-series” would be market ready by 2019, the source expects.
welt.de (in German)
Tesla CTO JB Straubel has written a noteworthy blog post in which he explains how Tesla measured its performance data for the Model S P85D.
evobsession.com, teslamotors.com (blog post)
“Customers will never actively be managing their demand. That’s where the technology comes into play – understanding a building’s load profile, and charging and discharging storage at the right times to actively manage that building’s demand. That’s an active algorithmic challenge.”
EPRI’s Senior Vice President of Research and Development Arshad Mansoor talks about peak load and the challenges smart grid technology faces.
chargedevs.com
“This kind of event is certainly a catalyst for change.”
Mark Preston, Aguri Formula E team principle and former McLaren Formula 1 designer hopes that the VW diesel scandal will lead to a quick transformation of transport to being electric. He says, it is for regulators and politicians to (re)act.
ibtimes.co.uk
“For us the new players on the market are attractive new customers, who we take very seriously. This is true for Tesla, for Google and many others as well. Players from these industries have a new spirit, a new tempo. That inspires and drives us.”
Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner is keen on new technology and the competition it provides. While being convinced that electric mobility is already competitive today, especially for pedelecs, in terms of battery technology, there is still room for improvement.
tagesspiegel.de (in German)
Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel carries the environmental banner before projecting that the tipping point of when green technology will make sense economically will be reached within the next 10 years.
hybridcars.com
“I often say that the infrastructure is a generation behind the vehicle. And that’s something that’s going to have to be resolved and reconciled pretty quickly [over] these next two years as we ramp up sales and as other manufacturers come online.”
Craig Scott, national alternative fuel vehicle manager at Toyota, comments on the lack of hydrogen infrastructure. While Japan is getting there, the U.S. has not “Mirai-friendly” policies in place.
forbes.com
J.B. Straubel, Tesla’s chief technology officer, is confident that battery costs will plummet saying that the Model 3 will need cheap energy storage to sell for 35,000 dollars and offer 200-mile-plus range.
hybridcars.com
“We want to kind of compress the calendar, so we will start in October. And we want to give a little bit more time to the manufacturers who are tweaking their motors.”
Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag announced that the next ePrix season will kick off one month later than the 2014/15 season. The first race will take place on October 17th in Beijing.
autosport.com
“I find it distressing that 18 years after major oil companies such as Shell and BP acknowledged the threat of climate change and the need for precautionary action, and indeed began to put into place many of the steps needed, the world has made very modest progress in addressing this challenge.”
This is former Shell chairman Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, who seems to have some second thoughts here and calls for cooperation rather than sheer confrontation. Rest assured, we find that pretty distressing, too.
hybridcars.com
Tesla CTO J.B. Straubel sees a big market for the company’s energy storage solution in Africa’s southernmost republic where they could not only serve as backup but also help to expand the infrastructure.
bloomberg.com
“Of course we need more power for the next-generation of cars, but electrification does not mean we have to use an electric drivetrain. They have to be faster and e-turbos are an option. We use them in motorsport, but the technology has to be payable for the customer.”
Mercedes-AMG compact car boss Steffen Jastrow is looking at e-turbos for somewhat electrifying small cars. Audi too is eyeing that option but from the luxury and performance perspective of the A8.
autoexpress.co.uk
CTO for Tesla, J. B. Straubel, on the advantages of in-house development and production of most parts of the Model S.
technologyreview.com
Event tip: The ‘World Advanced Vehicle Expedition’ or WAVE Rally 2014 is said to be even bigger than last year’s event. With 305 electric cars rolling through Zurich and setting an official Guinness record last year, we wonder how big it will get this time.
youtube.com (Video of WAVE 2013) via green.autoblog.com
Video tip: Almost two weeks ago Tesla’s Elon Musk and JT Straubel were travelling Europe (we reported) to talk directly to customers and reveal more details of Model S leasing and supercharging. Follow the link to watch a recording of their ‘gig’ in Oslo, Europe’s unofficial EV capital.
youtube.com (Video) via cleantechnica.com
