A sharp increase in sales of electric vehicles has uncovered a foggy phenomenon during the Northern Hemisphere winter that caused enough ‘no smoke without fire’ concern to result in reports of fires to emergency services. However, the clouds emitted by Teslas while rapid charging have been identified as condensation from the thermal management system rather … Continue reading Tesla fog mystery solved
Tesla is set to introduce a new large “tabless” battery cell that is said to offer significant improvements in efficiency, capacity and ease of production. Its new cell technology, which was previewed at the Tesla Battery Day event in September, will enable a greater vehicle range, easier production and reduced costs – all factors that … Continue reading Tesla’s innovative ‘tabless’ cell design reduces complexity and increases performance
Brisbane-based Century Batteries is investing $7 million its Australian manufacturing facility, which is expected to boost production to more than 1.3 million batteries per year with almost all materials and components also sourced locally. Century, which recently gave Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk a tour of its Carole Park facility, employs around 600 people across Australia and New Zealand. It … Continue reading VASA member Century Batteries boosts Australian manufacturing
Fresh funding for Aussie lithium battery startup could help create up to 1300 jobs Energy Renaissance, an Australian lithium-ion battery startup, has been awarded a government grant that could help pave the way for development and expansion. The co-funded grant from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) awarded Energy Renaissance $A246,625, an amount that was … Continue reading Federal boost for planned gigafactory
Cutting-edge energy storage paving the way for wider EV adoption Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have devised an innovative new mechanical storage device. Their proposal details a carbon nanostructure made from bundles of diamond nanothreads (DNTs). These ultra-thin one-dimensional carbon threads can be twisted or stretched, allowing them to store energy in … Continue reading High-density battery tech innovations
We may never see an EV battery pack capable of providing a million-mile (1.6 million km) range, but one capable of enough discharge and recharge cycles to carry a vehicle this huge distance could become available as soon as next year, according to Tesla. The main benefit of this battery technology could be to help … Continue reading Mooted million-mile battery pack could be electric truck game-changer
TOYOTA is forecasting substantial growth in the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) market and, as a result, is set to expand its hydrogen hardware production facilities. Currently, Toyota sells 3000 FCEVs a year but, by 2020, it expects that figure to have climbed to in excess of 30,000 – because, in part, it plans to … Continue reading Toyota doubles down on fuel cells
Panasonic is reportedly developing lithium batteries that require half the current quantity of cobalt. The new battery designs are motivated by the increasing cost of cobalt, and the potential threat of shortages, which have come about as a result of surging demand for lithium-ion batteries. The battery production industry, which reportedly consumed 51 per cent … Continue reading Panasonic tackles soaring cobalt costs
Within five years the batteries used to power electric cars will hold twice as much energy, at half the cost compared with today, according to Bosch chairman Volkmar Denner. Exponential advances in battery technology will make electric cars more affordable and viable for everyday use, accelerating their uptake, while hybrids and plug-in hybrids will become … Continue reading EV battery capacity to double for half the cost by 2020
