Tesla has selected raw materials company BHP to supply nickel from Western Australia. And: Tesla has sold the ultracapacitor business of Maxwell Technologies, which it acquired in 2019, to UCAP Power.
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Tesla has now integrated the business of the acquired energy storage specialist Maxwell Technologies into its corporate structure. Meanwhile, the cooperation between Tesla and Panasonic is becoming increasingly difficult.
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With technology gained through acquiring Maxwell Technologies, in future, Tesla could produce its own battery cells instead of relying on Panasonic. This can be gleaned from comments from Elon Musk, JB Straubel and Drew Baglino at Tesla’s recent general meeting.
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Tesla has formally completed the acquisition of energy storage specialist Maxwell Technologies announced in February. In order to take control of the company, which specializes in supercapacitors and batteries, Tesla is transferring shares worth around $235 million.
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A few days ago Tesla announced the acquisition of Maxwell Technologies. What the electric car manufacturer is trying to achieve is now clear from new reports and a document published by Maxwell in 2018 on its patented dry electrode technology.
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For an investment price of 200 million dollars, Tesla aims to take over the California-based battery manufacturer Maxwell Technologies. The purchase still is subject to official government approval but is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2019.
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The Chinese car manufacturer Geely has set up a technology partnership with Maxwell Technologies focusing on the integration of ultracapacitors and advanced power conversion electronics into Geely’s global electrified vehicle lineup.
Read moreInductive standards: 13 international partners are now working on project STILLE to produce recommendations for the interoperability of inductive charging systems for EVs. The undertaking is supported by the German government and includes i.e. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Toyota, Continental, Bosch, Qualcomm, TÜV Süd and Witricity.
p3-group.com (in German)
New airport project: Stuttgart Airport has started a new project ‘Scale-up!,’ putting electric airport service vehicles into service. The goal is to determine whether the EVs can be used comprehensively – first in Stuttgart and later at other airports. The project will take three years and is supported by the German Federal Environment Ministry with 2 Mio. euros.
airliners.de, flughafen-stuttgart.de (articles in German)
Cool cables for hot chargers: Leoni will present a cooled charging cable for EVs at the IZB in Wolfsburg next week. It is said to carry currents of up to 400 amperes, and could therefore pave the way for the high-speed chargers of the future.
automotiveworld.com
New ultracap module: Maxwell presented a new 51-volt ultracapacitor module. The manufacture says the self-cooling system is especially fit to optimise performance of i.e. hybrid buses and other high-duty cycle applications.
greencarcongress.com, maxwell.com
Tesla Model 3 in the making? Panasonic is Tesla’s know go-to partner for its battery production facility. Now, Panasonic’s supplier Sumitono Metal Mining is cranking up output of nickel-based material used in positive electrodes from 1,850 to 2,550 tons per month. Is it getting ready to fuel the Model 3?
greencarcongress.com, nikkei.com
Deactivated: Nissan deactivated a climate control function of the NissanConnect app, after it a security glitch was reported that would have allowed hackers to slowly drain the battery. An updated version will follow shortly.
wired.co.uk, bbc.com
Replacing platinum in fuel cells: The U.S. Department of Energy earmarked 40m dollars in funds for the Energy Materials Network (EMN) to research and develop new materials for clean energy technologies. One of four branches, the Electrocatalysis Consortium (ElectroCat), focuses on replacing costly platinum in fuel cells.
greencarcongress.com
Ultracapacitor cell: Maxwell presented its newest addition to the K2 family – a high voltage ultracapacitor cell. While size remains conform with the 60 mm industry-standard, the cell is said to be 31 percent more efficient.
chargedevs.com, greencarcongress.com
VW takes charge: In order to achieve global leadership, the German auto company will invest 106 billion dollars in new models and technological advances over the next five years. Most of money will be used to develop more efficient vehicles, as well as expanding and optimizing production processes. At the same time, Volkswagen wants to cut its costs by more than 12 billion dollars worldwide.
reuters.com, derstandard.at (in German)
Mitsubishi XR-PHEV: The concept was unveiled at the LA Auto Show and features an inline 3-cylinder turbo, as well as a 121 kW electric engine. The model has been fitted with several 100 volt AC onboard electrical outlets that are capable of delivering an external power supply of up to 1500 watts of power.
automotive-business-review.com, hybridcars.com, greencarcongress.com
Under shock: Maxwell Technologies’ 48V ultracapacitor module has met the industry’s shock and vibration ratings and has been validated for hybrid buses in China. The module combines Maxwell’s dry electrode formation and manufacturing process with a patent-pending cell structure design.
greencarcongress.com
Understanding sodium-air cells: Researchers at the Canadian Light Source have run tests to better understand metal-air batteries, in order to increase energy storage and recharging capabilities. They specifically looked at different “discharge products” produced by the cell using x-ray technology.
phys.org
Halogen-free Li-ion batteries: Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University have identified a series of halogen-free electrolytes but with comparable performance characteristics. Halogen is toxic and with this research, scientists hope for the development of safer Li-ion batteries.
greencarcongress.com
Ultracapacitor development: Maxwell and Corning will work together to increase the capacity of energy storage systems by addressing issues with ultracapacitors, such as cost, energy density, lifetime, etc. Unlike batteries, ultracapacitors store energy in an electric field.
greencarcongress.com
Funds for low-carbon technology: The Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) by the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre will fund successful applicants developing innovative low-carbon technologies that can be used by the automotive sector. Existing technologies from other sectors may also apply. The deadline is October 31st.
smmt.co.uk, apcuk.co.uk (application)
Hybrid racer from Holland: Team InMotion from the Eindhoven University of Technology is building a futuristic-looking hybrid racecar. Each wheel will be powered by its own electric motor, while a rotary engine will serve as range extender. Two years from now, the team hopes to break the lap record with its “IM01” at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as well as compete at Le Mans in 2017 0r 2018.
sportscar365.com
LG Chem goes east: The battery manufacturer will build a new plant for electric car batteries in China, which set to open its doors at the end of next year. The factory will have an annual capacity of 100,000 units. This follows LG Chem’s latest purchase agreement with SAIC Motors and Qoros (we reported).
english.yonhapnews.co.kr
New battery on board: Maxwell Technologies says it is developing new ultracaps that could be used in mass transit applications, such as hybrid buses. The 2.85-volt, 3400-farad cells are said to have three times the shock and vibration tolerance as competing products.
chargedevs.com
The most clicked link on Wednesday was our exclusive report from the Formula E kick-off event in London.
electrive.com
