University of Michigan

Charging emphasis turns more to contactless

It always was strange that nearly all of the focus for charging on-road and off-road vehicles has been on the awkward concept of a plug when we all have contactless electric toothbrushes and widespread contactless charging of laptops and mobile phones is being planned under global standards.

BAE Systems delivers hydrogen fuel cell bus for Sunline Transit

BAE Systems has delivered a zero-emissions bus for SunLine Transit, a Southern California regional transit agency, this week.

Plug Power announces JV to meet growing fuel cell demand

Plug Power Inc. recently announced its intent to join forces with Axane, an Air Liquide subsidiary, to create a joint venture in order to meet growing demand for GenDrive® fuel cell products across the European material handling market.

A*STAR's experimental power grid centre

The Experimental Power Grid Centre (EPGC), one of the largest experimental power grid facilities in the world was officially opened in Singapore last month, by Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry.

Nanoparticle electrode for batteries

Stanford researchers have used nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high-power battery electrode.

Elaphe seek partners for in-wheel motors

Elaphe is a startup in Slovenia that has just demonstrated axial flux, permanent magnet synchronous traction motors of unusually high power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratio.

Giant piezoelectric effect to improve energy harvesting devices

Researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute at Penn State are part of a multidisciplinary team of researchers from universities and national laboratories across the U.S. who have fabricated piezoelectric thin films with record-setting properties.

Energy harvesting for vehicles

Energy harvesting comes to the fore with electric vehicles because the price they pay for being environmental and exhibiting many performance advantages is that they have limited energy available.

Transportable, autonomous EV charging stations

There are many reasons for creating an electric vehicle charging station based on a large battery. For example, Green Charge Networks in the USA (Prosser and ConEdison) finds that a remarkable 7-12% of installations there need local grid upgrade so they have developed a transportable, dedicated substation for this purpose which contains a 26 kWh lithium-ion battery roughly equivalent to that in a Nissan Leaf, and appropriate contacted outlets, including for Level 3 fastest charging.

Chevy Volt battery under investigation after fire

The Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors is under investigation due to battery concerns in recent tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Low-cost charging in under 30 minutes

Nissan North America will bring an innovative, low-cost DC quick charger for electric cars to the U.S. market. The DC quick charger is being launched as part of a global collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation, with the first installations planned for early 2012.

Insect cyborgs use energy harvesting

Professor Khalil Najafi, the chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and doctoral student Erkan Aktakka are finding ways to harvest energy from insects, and take the utility of the miniature cyborgs to the next level.

Polymer lithium sulphur EV battery

The world's 1st commercial pure electric vehicle battery system powered by OXIS's Polymer Lithium Sulphur chemistry and technology.

Microfabrication breakthrough for piezoelectric material

Integrating a complex, single-crystal material with "giant" piezoelectric properties onto silicon, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers and physicists can fabricate low-voltage, near-nanoscale electromechanical devices that could lead to improvements in high-resolution 3-D imaging, signal processing, communications, energy harvesting, sensing, and actuators for nanopositioning devices, among others.

Smith Electric to build Newton Truck in New York State

Smith Electric Vehicles will expand its U.S. operations by adding a manufacturing facility in New York State, creating up to 100 new direct local jobs.

FDK, Asahi Kasei join in li-ion capacitor JV

FDK and Asahi Kasei today concluded a basic agreement to establish a joint-venture company for the combined operation of a lithium ion capacitor (LIC) business.

Would you buy a retro EV?

This year has seen a new phenomenon in on-road electric vehicles - many models of retro scooter.

Company selection for consumer-focused smart grid offering

Pecan Street Inc. recently announced the companies that will join it in creating a consumer-focused smart grid built around home applications and consumer electronics.

Aircraft e-Genius from IFB wins two highly endowed awards

The electric aircraft e-Genius, which was developed at Institut für Flugzeugbau (IFB) of University of Stuttgart, won no fewer than two awards at the Green Flight Challenge 2011.

Solar hybrid supertanker saves $60 million per year on fuel

Sauter Carbon Offset Design presents Deliverance, a DynaWing solar hybrid supertanker that qualifies as the largest and by far the greenest post panamax vessel to be built and as such the most economical form of crude oil transport to and from any part of the globe.