Tesla to open power train facility in Palo Alto
The City of Palo Alto and Tesla Motors announced today that Tesla will develop and manufacture electric vehicle components in a renovated building in the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto. Tesla, the only automaker that is already producing and selling highway-capable electric vehicles, will lease an approximately 350,000-square-foot building on a 23-acre parcel at 3500 Deer Creek Road. The...
Read MoreVoltec / E-REV explained
What is “Voltec”? “Voltec” is the brand name for GM’s revolutionary extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology that uses electricity as its primary power source and gasoline as its secondary power source to generate electricity. The main components of the Voltec electric propulsion system include a T-shaped battery pack, an 111 kW electric drive unit, and an...
Read MoreGoing for a ride in a pre-production Chevy Volt with chief engineer Frank Weber
Autobloggreen went for a brief ride in a pre-production Volt at the GM Proving Ground with chief engineer Frank Weber. GM started building these integration prototypes in late May and is currently finishing them at the rate of 10 per week. By the time the whole fleet is done later this summer, 80 Volts will be running through a battery of tests to evaluate all aspects of the car. There are...
Read MoreToyota, University of Tohoku improve lithium-ion batteries ten-fold
Toyota and the University of Tohoku have announced the development of a new technology that is able to boost the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. What’s this new improvement all about? Current lithium-ion batteries are usually made from a polycrystalline form of lithium cobalt oxide that are connected with grains of graphite. The newly-developed batteries use a less graphite, just a...
Read MoreNissan and Showa Shell Start studies on joint development of a quick charging system n
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Showa Shell Sekiyu K. K. today announced they will start studies on joint development of a quick charging system for electric vehicles (EV) using Showa Shell’s next-generation CIS solar panels and Nissan’s advanced lithium ion batteries for automotive use. This joint development will take place as part of a commissioned project for EV diffusion launched by...
Read MoreNew Tesla S pictures revealed
Just one day after releasing new images of the Tesla Roadster Sport, Tesla has released some new images of its new Model S sedan hanging out in the rear world. The images show Tesla’s chief designer Franz Von Holzhausen whipping the electric-sedan around the track. Tesla says that so far, it has received more than 1,000 orders for the Tesla Model S sedan. The Tesla Model S can be recharged from...
Read MoreSmart Fortwo electric drive
From mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo electric drive will roll off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in a space-saving position between the axles, which means that space is not compromised in any...
Read MoreGermany agrees plan to lead electric car market
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday agreed a plan to get a million electric cars on Germany’s roads by 2020 and transform the country into the world’s top electric car market. The plan includes 500 million euros ($705.1 million) of funding for the construction of electric charging stations and programs to boost battery technology in Europe’s biggest auto...
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