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Lithium-ion
Build your own electric car with Trexa
By Paul Ridden
02:55 January 30, 2010 PST
Trexa has revealed details of a lithium-powered, all-wheel vehicle development platform that will enable engineers and developers to create custom "vehicle apps", doing for builders of electric vehicles what the iPhone did for application developers. Modular and scalable, the standard Trexa platform will feature an aluminum, carbon steel tubing and thermoplastic shell containing open source and user programmable electronics and advanced battery technology. Read More
Tesla to use Panasonic's Nickel-based lithium-ion batteries
By Ben Coxworth
20:26 January 24, 2010 PST
Electric carmaker Tesla Motors and electronics giant Panasonic have announced that they will be collaborating on development of next-generation battery cells for electric vehicles. Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel says “Combining Tesla’s rigorous cell testing and understanding of EV requirements with Panasonic’s cutting-edge battery technology will result in custom cells optimized for use in EVs.” Panasonic’s nickel-based lithium-ion battery cells will be included in Tesla’s newest battery packs, due to their high capacity, light weight, durability and long life. According to Panasonic, they are the highest energy density battery cells currently in production. Read More
BMW ActiveE Concept – fully electric 1 Series Coupe
By Gizmag Team
03:12 December 17, 2009 PST
BMW will finally deliver the electric car everyone knew was coming at the NAIAS in January. The BMW ActiveE Concept is essentially an electric BMW 1 Series Coupe built using the knowledge gained from year-long MINI E fleet trials, and the resultant vehicle is bristling with ideas and well worth a look. The 125 kW motor is located in the rear axle, the lithium ion batteries recharge in three hours, offer a range of 160 km (100 miles) and an interesting variation on regenerative braking can add as much as 20% to the range. With an electronically limited top speed of … Read More
Fast charging i-Miev for the UK
By Paul Ridden
16:53 December 13, 2009 PST
As Mitsubishi's iMiev electric cars become available to the public next year, the UK will be the first to benefit from technology that will see the Lithium-ion batteries recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes. Mitsubishi UK will be the first company in Europe to showcase the city car's fast charging capabilities. Read More
Zemno’s DeskBook Pro portable docking station
By Darren Quick
19:27 November 25, 2009 PST
The biggest advantage of laptop computers over their desktop cousins is their portability, but the flipside is that they are significantly harder than desktop PCs to upgrade. Bumping up the hard drive capacity, upping the screen size, or adding better speakers can be achieved with the addition of multiple peripherals, but continuously plugging in and unplugging these extra devices can get to be a real hassle. Zemno’s DeskBook Pro portable docking station eases the pain considerably, and its ModBay Technology enables the DeskBook Pro to support internal connection of hard drives, batteries and peripherals. Read More
GRACE e-bike boasts F1 technology
By Paul Ridden
15:41 November 19, 2009 PST
Combining jet fighter technology with Formula 1 grade parts and German build quality, the GRACE street legal electric two-wheeler will start to be shipped in limited numbers next year. As well as offering a couple of city travel options, GRACE is also available in an off-road version too. The company has even manufactured a demonstration-only racy model capable of speeds up to 70kmh (44mph). Read More
Citroen C-ZERO - no local emissions, no fuel consumption, no engine noise
By Jeff Salton
19:41 November 15, 2009 PST
After building more than 5,500 electric vehicles, Citroen is calling on its experience in the field to deliver a “triple zero” car - zero fuel consumption, zero CO2 emission at the tailpipe and zero engine noise. The C-ZERO (what else could they call it) is a full electric city car powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 47kW or 64bhp EEC from 3,000 to 6,000rpm. Citroen says the automatic vehicle will have a top speed of 130kph (80mph), acceleration from 0-100kph (0-62mph) in 15 seconds and 60-90kph (37-56mph) in six seconds. Between charges, the vehicles is expected to achieve a range of around 130km (80 miles). Read More
Ultra Motor dumps pedals for new A2B Excel electric scooter
By Jeff Salton
10:04 October 16, 2009 PDT
Ultra Motor, known for its A2B electric assist bicycles has thrown out the pedals and replaced them with footrest platforms in its latest offering - the A2B Excel electric scooter. Weighing in at 90lb (41kg), the Excel uses an 800W hub motor at the rear wheel to achieve a range of around 28 miles (45km) and a top speed of 28mph (45kmh). Read More
Nissan to show half-width 'Land Glider' tilting electric vehicle at Tokyo Motor Show
By Mike Hanlon
16:25 October 7, 2009 PDT
The term convergence normally refers to the merging of consumer electronics, entertainment and media, but if recent trends are anything to go by, it could equally apply to the melding of the car and the motorcycle. BMW’s enclosed C3 motorcycle is now emerging as a road safety pin-up vehicle and at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month both Volkswagen and Renault exhibited tandem half-width cars that looked for all the world like four-wheeled motorcycles. Now comes news that Nissan is to unveil an electric tandem four-wheeled “Land Glider” concept at Tokyo Motor Show, and the wording of the press statements looks like Nissan is very confident the vehicle will reach showrooms. Read More
Silicon nanotubes could increase li-ion battery capacity 10X
By Darren Quick
00:21 September 25, 2009 PDT
In news that could greatly extend the range of electric cars, researchers have shown that replacing the conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanotubes can produce a battery that can store ten times more charge. The researchers developed a silicon anode that, aside from extending the range of electric cars, could also make gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles more efficient by allowing them to run in electric mode for longer periods. Read More
Adding graphene could mean cheaper Lithium-ion batteries
By Darren Quick
01:01 September 23, 2009 PDT
It’s not only integrated circuits that look set to benefit from the use of graphene, the one-atom thick wonder material made up of a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms. Researchers have discovered that adding graphene to titanium dioxide for use as electrodes in batteries improves performance over standard titanium oxide by a factor of three. This could pave the way for inexpensive titanium dioxide to replace the expensive, rare-earth metals or fire-prone carbon-based materials used in today's lithium-ion batteries. Read More
EDAG ‘Light Car – Open Source’ updates to be presented at IAA in Frankfurt
By Jeff Salton
00:26 September 15, 2009 PDT
At Gizmag we’ve given EDAG some well-warranted attention over the years and, if you take a look at the company’s latest offering, you’ll understand why. The EDAG Light Car – Open Source is a collaboration of talented companies brought together by EDAG, all contributing to the one project in much the same way that Open Source works in the IT realm. The EDAG vehicle concept vision was first presented at this year’s 79th Geneva Motor Show in March and the company says further development of the project will be unveiled at the Frankfurt IAA show in a couple of days. A test vehicle is hoped to be ready for next year's Geneva Motor Show. Read More
Algae used to create a quick-charge, lightweight battery
16:21 September 13, 2009 PDT
Algae blooms are unpleasant and unpredictable phenomena that arise quickly and strike seas and oceans, often causing serious problems to local ecosystems. But, in an effort to try and find a use for such algae, a research team from Uppsala University, Sweden, has recently managed to design a record-breaking "green" lightweight battery that is incredibly easy to produce and might just even out the environmental consequences of these blooms. Read More
Mercedes announces three Concept BlueZERO electric vehicles
By Gizmag Team
15:05 September 3, 2009 PDT
Mercedes-Benz reckons it won’t be just one technology that paves the way to sustainable mobility. After showing the 200 km range all-electric BlueZERO E‑CELL at the NAIAS in January, the German giant is to create a family of modularly-constructed, liquid-cooled Lithium-ion electric cars by adding two more derivatives of the close-to-production vehicle in Frankfurt next week. The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS extends the range to 600 km using a turbocharged petrol engine as a range extender generator, while the BlueZERO F-CELL is fuel-cell-powered with a range of about 400 km. Read More
Chevy Volt to go the distance with 230 mpg expected in city driving
By Darren Quick
00:30 August 20, 2009 PDT
We’ve been following the Chevrolet Volt since it was a gleam in GM’s eye and, with the anticipated production date of 2010 rapidly approaching, GM has announced that its extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon. Read More
(UPDATED - VIDEO) Nissan LEAF: 100 mile range, mid-size production EV revealed
By Gizmag Team
20:05 August 2, 2009 PDT
Last month we looked at the Nissan's latest prototype EV and the infrastructure it hopes to put in place to support the "electric future". Now production plans have been revealed with the company taking the wraps off a fully-electric mid-size vehicle which it intends to launch in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010. With a name to compliment its green credentials, the LEAF is a five-seat hatchback powered by lithium-ion batteries which deliver a range of 160km (100 miles) on one full charge. The electric motor delivers 80kW (107bhp) and 280Nm of torque with top speed slated at 140kmh (around 90mph). Read More
Zero releases dual purpose electric motorcyle
By Jeff Salton
01:09 July 30, 2009 PDT
Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero has followed up the success of its X and S ranges with the Zero DS – a combination dirt/street machine the company says can “handle any surface you can throw at it.” This new option for those looking to ditch their noise-polluting, emission-spewing internal combustion bikes looks very similar to the S model, but has a bigger front wheel (17 inch), chunkier tread on the back tire and a nobby on the front, specially-designed wheels and suspension and a distinctive naked round headlamp without the windshield found on the S. Read More
Nissan’s 2010 EV in detail
By Jeff Salton
07:34 July 29, 2009 PDT
Nissan has showcased its electric vehicle (EV) platform on a Tiida-based hatchback model. The Nissan EV-11 prototype seats four-five adults, has a top speed of around 87mph (140kmh), a cruising range of 100 miles (160km) between charges and, being a full EV, produces zero local CO2 emissions. The in-house developed electric motor delivers 80kW (107hp) for “high response and powerful acceleration”. Nissan has also plans some clever IT for its EV platform, like remote ON/OFF charging via a cell phone or the Internet, useful mapping features including automatic updates on the nearest charging stations, a global data center providing 24/7 support and a scheme that could even see non-contact charging introduced in carparks. Read More
Mercedes-Benz AMG previews a 500 bhp Gull Wing Electric Sports Car
By Gizmag Team
04:37 July 16, 2009 PDT
July 16, 2009 Mercedes and its performance arm AMG gave us a tantalising glimpse of the electric sports car of the maybe-not-so-distant future today with a cryptic outline of a new SLS AMG with electric drive. The Gull-winged electric SLS AMG uses four in-wheel electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. By comparison, the current 6.3-litre V8-engined SLS AMG develops 420 kW, so performance will not be lacking. Read More
Car share program launched with new Maya 300 electric vehicle
20:15 June 30, 2009 PDT
Baltimore has taken the environmental benefits of car-sharing programs a step further by launching one that features the all-electric, zero local emissions Maya 300. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the Maya 300 seats five, can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge, has a top speed of 35mph and can be charged via a standard 110V household electrical outlet. Read More
Electric smart ready for small series production
By Mike Hanlon
15:43 June 22, 2009 PDT
Following a four-year U.K. trial of 100 electric smart fortwo electric drive cars which began late 2007, Daimler has decided to produce a limited run of the fully electric eco vehicle which will become available in 2010. The 30kW smart ed (electric drive) uses lithium-ion battery technology to power itself to an electronically limited top speed of 60 mph and is as simple to drive as a dodgem car. With no gear changes required, the diminutive smart can reach 30 mph in a respectable 6.5 seconds, making it ideal as a city car with short stints on the freeway. Read More
Lithium-sulfur batteries could store triple the power of lithium-ion
06:11 June 10, 2009 PDT
A Canadian research team led by Dr. Linda Nazar has synthesized a prototype of a lithium-sulphur rechargeable battery that, thanks to its peculiar nanoscale structure, can store three times the power of a conventional lithium-ion battery in the same volume while being significantly lighter and potentially cheaper to manufacture. Read More
Air-fueled battery boosts capacity tenfold
By Darren Quick
22:52 May 20, 2009 PDT
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the preferred power storage technology for the vast majority of portable devices, such as cell phones, laptop computers and MP3 players. They have also made their way into electric cars, but even with recent developments making them more effective, storage capacity continues to remain a problem. Now researchers at the University of St Andrews, with associates at Strathclyde and Newcastle, have developed a new type of air-fueled battery that could provide up to 10 times the energy storage of existing designs, paving the way for a new generation of electric cars and portable devices. Read More
New virus-built battery could power cars, electronic devices
By Darren Quick
22:22 April 22, 2009 PDT
Be they biological or computer, viruses generally get a pretty bad rap - what with their reputation for infection, reproduction and disease it’s not surprising that their name is actually Latin for toxin or poison. But it's not all bad press - for example geneticists harness viruses to further the study of cell biology and they also hold much potential in the emerging field of nanotechnology where their size, shape and well-defined chemical structure has led to them being used as templates for organizing materials on the nanoscale. Now MIT researchers have turned viruses to the task of building a battery – and they’ve succeeded. Read More
New Nanoscale supercapacitor can store 100 times more energy
By Paul Evans
16:52 March 22, 2009 PDT
It has been a big week for news on advances in energy storage technology. We recently reported on new research that makes a Lithium Ion battery perform more like a supercapacitor, now we can report on research on a supercapacitor that performs more like a battery. Researchers at the University of Maryland and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a supercapacitor with 10 billion nanoscale capacitors per square centimeter, giving it 250 times greater surface area than that of a conventional capacitor of comparable size. The Nano Supercapacitor is being developed primarily as part of a hybrid battery-capacitor system for electric cars. Read More
dariusvons
- February 10, 2010 @ 00:56 UTC
