IDTechEx

While you're up, print me a solar cell

New MIT-developed materials make it possible to produce photovoltaic cells on paper or fabric, nearly as simply as printing a document.

Impressions from Plug In 2011 USA

We attended the Plug In 2011 event in Raleigh North Carolina last week. In contrast to the successful IDTechEx event }}Electric Vehicles Land Sea Air | http://www.idtechex.com/electric-vehicles-europe-11/}} event in Stuttgart Germany, this had the more typical focus of cars. Organised by the Electric Power Research Institute and with many prestigious sponsors, it was a great success with over 600 attending on a given day excluding the public openings.

Interview with Leyden Energy

IDTechEx Technology Analyst Harry Zervos interviewed Leyden Energy's Aakar Patel, discussing the company's battery technology, the attributes that make it a technology that's attracting the interest of consumer electronic, smart grid and EV developers as well as the company's prospects and aims for the future.

Energy Dynamics Laboratory achieves historic milestone for EVs

Based on the same theory that currently enables consumers to wirelessly charge toothbrushes and cell phones, EDL has expanded the technology to levels and efficiencies that are unprecedented.

Fuel cells rescued by batteries

Fuel cells were originally considered to be replacements for internal combustion engines used in traditional vehicles and replacements for traction batteries used in pure electric vehicles. Unfortunately, they have proved woefully incapable of efficiently and economically supporting the frequent load changes of vehicle traction. Many of them had a troublesome start up time and problems of life and reliability as well. Thus building ever larger fuel cells was pursued from about 1991 to 2001 but it ended in tears.

Rotary IC Generator for EVs

Clarian Laboratories in Seattle USA is developing an internal combustion range extender that generates electricity despite having no drive shaft. It has other potential uses as a reliable small source of electricity running on a choice of fuels. In EV terms, this is something of a crossover product from piston engines used in second generation range extenders and gas turbines and fuel cells in third generation range extenders.

Printable solar cells

Almost as cheaply and easily as printing a photo on your inkjet, an inexpensive, simple solar cell has been created on that flimsy sheet, formed from special "inks" deposited on the paper. You can even fold it up to slip into a pocket, then unfold it and watch it generating electricity again in the sunlight.

Energy Harvesting Technology Analyst Opportunity at IDTechEx

IDTechEx is recruiting and seeks a Technology Analyst.

EV/Smart Grid Technology Analyst Opportunity at IDTechEx

IDTechEx is recruiting, and seeks a Technology Analyst, preferably with knowledge of the electric vehicle and/or smart grid sector. We welcome candidates to approach us.

Electric vehicle range extenders - a large new market

This article shares some of the research in the new IDTechEx report, {{Range Extenders for Electric Vehicles | http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/range-extenders-for-electric-vehicles-2011-2021-000276.asp}}. We are in the age of the hybrid electric vehicle which is strongly outselling the pure electric vehicle in market value though not in numbers over the next decade.

Remy Awarded Electric Motor Contract by ALTe

Remy announced it has been awarded a three-year contract for electric motors by ALTe Powertrain Technologies. Under the agreement, Remy HVH 250 electric motors will act as an onboard generator to recharge batteries and deliver electric drivetrain traction power for ALTe's hybrid vehicle powertrain conversions.

Dust Networks demonstrate self-powered IPV6 wireless sensor network

Dust Networks® demonstrated a SmartMesh® IP 6LoWPAN wireless network running on harvested energy at the IDTechEx Wireless Sensor Network & RTLS Summit in Munich, Germany, June 21 - 22.

Keynote Presentations at IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and WSN Europe

Keynote Presentations at IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and WSN Europe, Munich, 21 June 2011.

Winners of the IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and WSN Awards

At the Energy Harvesting & Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) awards dinner on June 21 in Munich, Germany, companies were recognized for making significant technical or commercial progress with these technologies.

Airliners become electric vehicles

Aircraft are becoming more electric even to the extent of having electric traction just like an electric car. Curiously this is starting at the light and heavy end, with medium sized feeder aircraft adopting electrification later.

Much Bigger e-mobility picture revealed

Electric vehicle parts are not evolving: they are changing completely. Sometimes, the traction battery will be replaced by a supercapacitor or supercabattery and the dumb skin of the vehicle by smart skin. Energy harvesting and range extenders are new key enabling technologies and AC motors are often replacing DC motors. This is an industry in ferment.