The US Department of Energy is funding a total of twelve projects to develop better battery cells for electric vehicles with 42 million dollars as part of the ‘Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living’ (EVs4ALL) programme. The new cells should be able to be charged faster and be more efficient and resistant.
The US consortium Battery500 has been awarded $75 million for a second phase of research. The consortium has the task of developing next-generation batteries for electric vehicles can that outperform current lithium-ion batteries.
The US American battery startup Solid Power has been awarded up to $12.5 Million to develop nickel- and cobalt-free solid-state battery cells. Additionally, the company has unveiled cell safety and performance data.
Tesla has extended its battery research partnership with Canada’s Dalhousie University, which has been in place since 2016, until at least 2026. Jeff Dahn will now be supported by Chongyin Yang and the former Bosch researcher Michael Metzger.
Aussie bus powered by Germany: ZF is the driving force behind Australia’s first electric bus. Manufacturer Bustech uses ZF’s electric drive axle AVE 130. Initially developed for hybrid buses, the technology can also be used in all-electric buses. Bustech is also Malaysia’s partner of choice (we reported). electric-vehiclenews.com
GT-R technology might be road instead of race ready, and may find its way into a new Infiniti limousine by 2018, Motoring learned from inside sources. It will then be powered by a de-tuned version of the racers V6 hybrid system. motoring.com.au
On a quest for transparency: Researchers from Yale and MIT use Raman spectroscopy to get a better understanding of Li-air batteries. They believe the laser analysis method to be particularly well-suited as it allows for real-time observations to be made. yale.edu
Stability through separation: A team from the University of Maryland has developed a separator coated with boron-nitride nanosheets. It is said to improve the stability of Li-metal anodes. greencarcongress.com
British-Brazilian battery development: UK-based MIRA entered a collaborative agreement with Fundação Parque Tecnológico Itaipu (FPTI). The plan is to develop a new research centre for energy storage in Brazil. The first joint project will see the partners research and develop a new and flexible architecture lithium battery to be used in transportation as well as stationary power applications. greencarcongress.com, automotive-business-review.com
Hybrid Hypercar: PSC Motors from Las Vegas says it is working on a plug-in hybrid with a system output of 1,700 hp. The SP-200 SIN uses light-weight materials and is said to go from 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 280 mph. Its electric range is given at 30 miles. Production is set for 2016. electriccarsreport.com, hybridcars.com
3-D printed electric motorcycle: TE Connectivity has printed a fully functional electric motorcycle at the Rapid 2015 show in Long Beach, California. As the model serves as a demonstrator, the 750W electric motor only propels the bike at a speed of 15 mph with a battery that just lasts for a few minutes. Motor, tires and other components were added, not printed. gizmag.com
New material for solid-state battery: Researchers at the University of Maryland have created a solid-state Li-ion battery made from one material, which incorporates the properties of both electrodes and electrolyte. The new material consists of a mix of sulfur, germanium, phosphorus and lithium. greencarcongress.com
Mild-hybrid SUV: Schaeffler will show the second phase of its concept car based on an all-wheel-drive, midsize SUV at the North American International Auto Show in January. Including a 48-volt system and other innovations, the vehicle already meets 2025 CAFE requirements. greencarcongress.com
Electric donkey: Shown at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover earlier this year, the Kulan electric utility concept was created by a German consortium of 14 companies and research organisations and is designed for transporting loads around farms. With just about 4 kW from two electric motors – one in each rear-wheel hub – it is able to carry one tonne of cargo. greencarreports.com
Li-ion research: Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have improved the cycle life of silicon-carbon composite electrodes by 300 percent. This was achieved solely by the chemical tailoring of the interface between the silicon and the carbon with atomic oxygen. greencarcongress.com
Lithium-sulfur research: Researchers at the University of Texas have found that using phosphorus pentasulfide (P2S5) as an electrolyte additive enables the direct use of commercially available bulk Li2S particles as high-capacity cathode materials for Li−S batteries. According to the researchers, this could significantly decrease the manufacturing cost of Li−S batteries. greencarcongress.com, pubs.acs.org
Intelligent e-bike: The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) has developed an electric bike that is able to detect oncoming dangers and warn its rider by vibrating either the handlebars (danger from the front) or the saddle (danger from the back). The radar and camera-assisted safety bike could be available to customers within the next two years. telegraph.co.uk