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"Voltage, nominal 31.2 V"
What am I missing? Is this really a 12 volt battery and that's just a typo?
A123 Systems introduces Gen3 Li-ion 12V starter battery; 25% greater cold-cranking power (voltage corrected)
12V Li-Start battery. Click to enlarge. Li-ion battery developer and manufacturer A123 Systems has introduced the third generation of its 12 Volt Starter Battery in its Li-Start product line. Every component of this third-generation battery system has been optimized for low voltage automo...
Herman, the cabin heater in the Leaf (at least the early model I am renting) is quite inefficient. The Think City EV originally came with a similar bottle heater and conventional heater core with antifreeze, but a recall upgraded that to a direct heater element (positive temperature coefficient) which is insanely fast and hot while using much less power.
Of course a heat pump is the real deal, and I have heard that many newer EV models are using a heat pump. Toyota even had a heat pump in the old Rav4 back in 1999 or so, if I can believe what I am told.
But you are right, winter is a big hit to EV range unless you wear long wool underwear and keep a hot water bottle in your lap.
CMU team finds regional temperature differences have significant impact on EV efficiency, range and emissions
Energy consumption per mile averaged across the LEAF fleet over a full year (Wh/mi). Credit: ACS, Yuksel and Michalek. Click to enlarge. An adage about batteries is that they are like humans in performing best at moderate (e.g., room) temperatures; extremes in either direction impact perform...
I am not aware of anyone left in the on-road space with this technology except possibly Parker-Hannifin. Perhaps it will succeeded in the off-road market. The safety issues in case of a high speed crash is maybe less of a concern in off-road? I am curious why it has not caught on. It seems roughly equivalent to a super-capacitor based electric hybrid.
Dana offering Spicer PowerBoost hydraulic-hybrid system for off-highway field testing; demonstrated fuel savings of 20-25%
Dana Holding Corporation is now offering its Spicer PowerBoost hydraulic-hybrid system for field testing by off-highway original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Dana engineers have conducted extensive field tests of the Spicer PowerBoost system integrated with a dual-motor hydrostatic transmissi...
My Think City EV weighs 1.066 metric tonnes. But when it is power by nuclear fusion via PV solar panels, what difference does it make?
Vaclav Smil: Cars weigh too much
In an opinion piece in the January 2015 issue of IEEE Spectrum, Vaclav Smil, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy), and the Member of the Order of Canada, writes that modern cars—even with the tremendous gains in e...
This is old news, no? Euro VI performs much better, particularly in urban driving cycles compared to Euro V and earlier. And what is the difference between a Euro III engine with SCR and DPF added, and a Euro VI engine? Not much. Same as US10 after treatment, which happened in North America long before Euro VI when into effect in Europe. US10 NOx limits are still more strict than Euro VI.
Ricardo study finds retrofitted Euro III bus can emit less NOx than newer Euro V hybrid
Measurements by Ricardo found that an older Euro III bus retrofitted with a selective catalytic reduction and continuously regenerating particulate trap system can be cleaner in terms of lower NOxemissions than newer Euro V hybrid buses. The measurements of the retrofitted Euro III bus were a...
OK, so this is really about improving superCAPACITORS, despite the headline which mentions superCONDUCTORS? That makes more sense, but you might want to fix the headline.
Lawrence Livermore graphene aerogels could improve performance of carbon-based superconductors by more than 100%
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are developing modified graphene aerogels for application in supercapacitor electrodes. LLNL’s graphene aerogel material could potentially improve on the performance of commercial carbon-based supercapacitors by more than 100%, said L...
Patrick, several US standards such as SAE J2847, J2931, etc. fully specify communication between the vehicle and the grid. The mobile phone network is not the only option for the communications medium.
These US standards are coordinated with the European IEC standards on a regular basis, the same way SAE J1772 is fully compatible and interchangeable with IEC 62196 Type 2.
I do not see any mention of reverse power flow in this article. Apparently this demonstration is only about so called "down regulation", so there is no issue with increased wear on your battery here, only increased time to a full charge. But the driver is in full control of whether they want to participate, the only trade off being cost to charge.
Reverse power flow is coming, giving the driver the opportunity for far greater savings (if not the occasional opportunity to actually get paid to charge) at the risk of slightly increased battery wear. But I don't see them talking about that here. There are significant issues to overcome in the regulatory area before mobile reverse power flow will be allowed to interconnect widely.
EPRI and partners to stage public demo of Open Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Platform software
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), along with several auto manufacturers, utilities, and regional transmission organizations, will demonstrate the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Platform software system, developed by EPRI and Sumitomo Electric Industries. The software is an adva...
I remember many years ago watching the television industry fretting over how long it took to roll out high definition and flat screens. It took far longer than anyone imagined, and the view was that maybe no one cared about better picture quality.
Well it came and it got cheap and who even remembers a CRT anymore? OK, plasma screens are dying, other technologies never made it, LCDs just kept getting better.
What difference does it make if the 18650 cells end up being the long term solution the way LCDs ended up? I think 18650 is improbable, but who cares? Electrification is coming. One way or another. I know my wife will never drive another gas car, it is like smoking cigarettes. No thanks. Can't afford it. On many levels.
U. Alberta team developing new high power and energy lithium-carbon battery system using induced fluorination; dual storage mechanism
Ragone plot, comparing Li-CNT-F batteries with other batteries in terms of weight of cathode materials. The highest energy density for Li-CNT-F batteries, 4,113 Wh kgcarbon−1 is presented as a red star. Cui et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the University of Alberta are developing, and...
I don't think that is the biggest solar car port going in at an automotive facility, but it is impressive.
Ford, DTE Energy to build Michigan’s largest solar array; second largest solar carport in the Midwest
Ford Motor Company is teaming with DTE Energy to build Michigan’s largest solar array at Ford World Headquarters. The project, funded by DTE Energy, will provide employees with 360 covered parking spaces and 30 charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles such as the company’s Ford Fusion En...
BYD is certainly interesting to watch but it must be an extremely heavy bus, are they selling well in hilly locations? Or only where it is flat?
Lithium iron phosphate? I am not sure that is forefront anymore but it does have some advantages. Not specific energy nor volumetric density perhaps. But some things are easier.
Report: BYD to begin production of lithium manganese iron phosphate batteries for EVs in 2015
Shanghai Metals Market. BYD Auto will begin production of a new high-energy density battery in 2015 and apply them in its vehicles, according to board secretary Wu Jing-sheng, as cited by China’s Securities Times. BYD reportedly plans to add manganese to its lithium iron phosphate cathode materi...
And the most daunting trade-off is serviceability, that would be my guess. What happens if you need to replace a cell and there are no screws? Didn't poor battery serviceability give the BAE hybrids with early lithium batteries a bad reputation?
Still, it sounds good if the reliability is high. Very good indeed.
EV-Lite project closes with new EV battery design; lower weight, lower cost
Click to enlarge. Cenex, the UK-based not-for-profit consultancy focused on low carbon vehicles and associated energy infrastructure, announced the successful completion of the two-year project Sustainable Lightweight Low Cost Battery Systems for Extended Life Cycles (EV-Lite). (Earlier pos...
OK, worst joke ever, but I can't resist:
"Who would have thought you could get high like this on tobacco?"
Seriously, how do these yields compare to classical biodiesel crops?
Boeing partners with South African Airways to convert Solaris energy tobacco into jet fuel
Solaris energy tobacco is optimized for seed production for energy applications, not leaf production. Click to enlarge. Boeing, South African Airways (SAA) and SkyNRG are collaborating to make sustainable aviation biofuel from Solaris, a new hybrid tobacco plant optimized for seed production...
Biocides have been often needed in 100% petroleum diesel for a long time if I recall, you can buy the stuff at WalMart. Biocides have been around in hydraulic fluid for many decades, even metal working fluids have the stuff. Why is this a surprise that biocides might be needed in gas storage tanks too?
Even with a biocide added, E85 is probably still far less toxic to you the customer than 100% gasoline. Are pipes more important than you are?
NIST study suggests severe corrosion in underground gasoline storage tanks may require component replacement sooner than expected; 500K USTs in US
Optical micrographs of severe corrosion on steel alloy samples exposed to ethanol and acetic acid vapors—conditions typical of underground gasoline storage tanks—after 355 hours, 643 hours, and 932 hours. Source: NIST. Click to enlarge. In recent years, field inspectors in nine states have ...
1.2 MJ is about a third of a kWh, less than a standard Prius battery's energy but much higher power.
Full power for ten seconds by my calculations, and 120 kW is 161 horsepower.
5.5 wH/kg is more than an order of magnitude below battery standards, but this is a power solution, not an energy solution. Still compares poorly to super capacitors.
2 kW per kg is nearly an order of magnitude better than batteries, but still not good compared to super capacitors.
Durability might be an interesting comparison. So far I don't see the value proposition.
GKN to supply 500 electric flywheel hybrid drive systems to Go-Ahead Group for buses
UK transport operator Go-Ahead Group has ordered 500 electric flywheel Gyrodrive systems from GKN Hybrid Power for use in buses. The Gyrodrive Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) system (featured in Audi’s LeMans-winning R18 e-tron quattro) harvests braking energy normally lost as heat. When...
750 VDC is very important for heavy EVs (class 8 in the US) and I expect it will go much higher when the technology can support it in a cost effective way.
There are many other projects using silicon carbide semiconductors though, this is far from unique. Nice that someone is bothering to publicize it for once.
Consortium successfully runs silicon carbide multiport DC-DC converter in EV
Silicon Carbide multiport DC-DC converter fitted to the Tata Vista EV. Click to enlarge. A consortium led by motorsport and technology company Prodrive has successfully run a silicon carbide-based multiport DC-DC converter in an electric car. The converter controls power flow between multip...
And what voltage does the starter (and presumably the air conditioning) operate at?
Stop/start to be standard with V-6 in Jeep Cherokee and I-4 in 2015 Chrysler 200; up to 3% better fuel economy
Chrysler Group is offering fuel-saving Engine Stop-Start (ESS) technology as standard equipment on certain models of the award-winning 2015 Jeep Cherokee mid-size SUV and 2015 Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan. Chrysler 200 customers who opt for the 2.4-liter Tigershark I-4, and Jeep Cherokee custo...
I do not usually see such misleading and ambiguous headlines here. To anyone in the heavy diesel industry, that headline suggests that Scania figured out how to meet Euro VI particulate emission limits without a DPF. Oh, they just dumped the EGR? Presumably they still retain the DPF? Back to Euro V technology for NOx there, but how do they manage to meet NOx limits in urban drive cycles? Euro V was notoriously worse than Euro IV in urban drive cycles due to lack of EGR as I understand it.
Scania introduces new Euro 6 450 hp engine with SCR only; lower fuel consumption
Scania has broadened its range of Euro 6-certified truck engines with a 450 hp 13-liter engine that uses only SCR aftertreatment technology to meet Euro 6. This solution offers reduced complexity and lower diesel consumption for most driving situations, whether for long-haulage or other applica...
0.12% fade per cycle is "very low"? As in 74% capacity loss after 100 cycles?
New hybrid carbon/sulfur cathode material enables high-energy, high-power Li-sulfur battery; “matching the level of engine-driven systems”
Researchers at Tsinghua University have combined two types of carbon materials to create a new composite sulfur cathode material for a high-energy and high-power lithium-sulfur battery. In a paper in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, they report the composite cathode (a hierarchical all...
This sounds like it is aimed at the Euro V engine fleet, where it was recently discovered that urban drive cycles produced more NOx than the older Euro IV engines.
As I understand it this problem was solved in Euro VI engines (the same way it was prevented from ever happening in the US) by a combination of EGR which works well enough in urban drive cycles and urea based SCR which works very well in highway driving. SCR works so well on the highway that it actually improves fuel economy significantly.
So this is a retrofit attempt. Ugh.
Amminex City-SCR upgrade delivers gaseous ammonia for improved SCR conversion of NOx; avoiding high off-cycle emissions
Amminex has introduced City-SCR—an aftertreatment upgrade system that replaces original equipment urea dosing systems, and instead provides gaseous ammonia for existing SCR systems in heavy-duty vehicles. The Amminex Ammonia Storage and Delivery System, in combination with the SCR-catalyst, del...
Production volumes in amp hours is meaningless. How about kWh please? Or perhaps giga-joules, since no one can keep kW and kWh straight?
Does the name "Sinopoly" imply they produce lithium polymer batteries?
Smith Electric Vehicles secures new strategic investor and battery supplier; production to resume in Kansas City in mid-2014
Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) has secured a $42-million commitment from Li-ion battery developer and manufacturer Sinopoly Battery Limited for a conditional subscription of Series AA convertible promissory notes, Series E preferred stock and common stock of post-listing of SEV in the amounts of ...
Yes, the AC Propulsion drive train produced 150 kW peak, continuous was less than half of course. But I never felt a need for more power with that thing.
Tesla delivers 6,457 Model S cars worldwide in Q1; GAAP net loss of $50M, non-GAAP net of $17M
During the first quarter of 2014, Tesla Motors produced a record 7,535 Model S vehicles for global delivery; the company also delivered 6,457 cars worldwide—slightly exceeding guidance—while also filling the pipeline of deliveries into Europe and Asia. North American net orders grew sequentiall...
Selective Catalytic Reduction was added by most on-road truck OEMs selling in North America in 2010, yielding a significant fuel economy improvement and reduced (or eliminated) regeneration of the particulate filter. However, EGR was not abandoned as it was in Euro V, there is a mix of SCR (with urea injection to generate ammonia) and EGR in US10 spec diesel engines. This gives much lower emissions in stop and go driving than the SCR only solution of Euro V, which was actually worse than Euro IV in most urban drive cycles for NOx emissions. (Euro VI fixes this, and is very similar to US10 regulations.)
Today, all North American diesel trucks use SCR, as International gave up on its Massive-EGR strategy, which had problems with heat rejection and never did meet US10 targets for NOx.
Some agricultural diesels use higher urea injection rates than on-road trucks and get even more dramatic fuel economy improvements, which is a good trade-off since urea is cheaper than diesel. But regulations still require the urea tank to last twice the distance as the diesel tank, even though urea (called DEF in the US) is now ubiquitous. Perhaps this will change soon, and give another bump in MPG.
Testing shows Volvo Trucks’ 2014 engines delivering up to 3% fuel efficiency improvement over 2013 models
Volvo Trucks’ 2014 heavy-duty engines are providing greater fuel efficiency than anticipated, delivering up to a 3% fuel efficiency improvement compared with their 2013 counterparts, according to the company. A combination of in-lab and on-road testing showed that the initially announced fuel e...
I work with CARB regulations often and from the industrial side. I find CARB to not only be reasonable, but also largely a benefit to industry.
All the players know we need to advance our game, and CARB plays the role of an arbitrator. Industry proposes new goals, making clear what is and is not feasible as the technology progresses, and then CARB boils all the comments down and makes a level playing field in form of regulations.
Everyone in the automotive field has benefited from the OBD regulations as they get customers back on the road faster after repairs. It is indisputable that cars are more reliable than they used to be, and a large part of this is OBD. And the exhaust after-treatment systems (EATS) allow engines to operate over a much wider range of conditions, because the EATS gets the exhaust back into a very narrow range.
Some people complain at being forced to clean up their act, others rejoice at the results.
Industry in the US can be very proud of the progress we have made over the recent decades. If you want a look at what life would be like without CARB, travel to a major city in China and breathe deeply.
Calif. ARB releases GHG scoping plan update; more ZEVs, “LEV IV”, MD and HD regulations; ZEV for trucks; more LCFS
The California Air Resources Board released the draft proposed first update to the AB 32 Scoping Plan, which guides development and implementation of California’s greenhouse gas emission reduction programs. The Air Resources Board is required to update the Scoping Plan every five years. Among...
A thermal fuse is cheaper than a sensor and interface, but it does pose a mission stop risk. Better than burning down the house but not as good as just slowing down the charge rate.
Then again, you really should use a hard wired EVSE at home, and save the plug-in NEMA 14-50 for travel. I keep telling myself that but I still plug into an outlet...
Back to Tesla, doing something fast is priceless. No one but Tesla would respond this fast, that's my guess.
Tesla provides customers with upgraded charging software and adapter to reduce potential risk of garage fires
Following up on a December 2013 over-the-air software upgrade to the Model S to enable safer charging under certain conditions, Tesla Motors announced that it has also designed an improved wall adapter with a thermal fuse. Tesla will provide this upgraded adapter to existing and new customers fr...
"more than 99% storage capacity retention per cycle".
If that means 99.5%, then after 100 cycles you have lost 40% of the capacity?
It is not clear what degrades, hopefully the fluid, not the rest of the system?
Harvard team demonstrates new metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery; potential breakthrough for low-cost grid-scale storage
Cell schematic. Discharge mode is shown; the arrows are reversed for electrolytic/charge mode. AQDSH2 refers to the reduced form of AQDS. Huskinson et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at Harvard have demonstrated a metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery—a quinone–bromide flow ba...
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