Content about ev

New fuel cell could enable electric aviation (mit.edu)

In a series of experiments with a prototype device, the researchers demonstrated that this cell could carry more than three times as much energy per unit of weight as the lithium-ion batteries used in virtually all electric vehicles today.

This is interesting – a fuel cell instead of a battery. Widespread adoption would require a paradigm shift in thinking, but sometimes that's exactly what is needed. As the MIT professor said: "if people don’t think something is totally crazy at first, it probably isn’t going to be that revolutionary."

And the research was supported by the National Science Foundation, by the way. Oh, and they've already formed a company to further develop the technology. Basic research wins again.

Here's the paper in Joule for reference.

tags: science aviation ev research mit

posted by matt in Thursday, May 29, 2025

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Oh, yes, and I have to charge the car. I love our Teslas, but sometimes the need to plan for charging is a bit of a hassle, particularly when I forget to plan for it.

tags: tesla ev

photo posted by matt in Sunday, June 30, 2024

Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production (newatlas.com)

Sodium-ion tech has received heightened interest in recent years as a more reliable, potentially cheaper energy storage medium. While its energy density lags behind lithium-ion, advantages such as faster cycling, longer lifespan and safer, non-flammable end use have made sodium-ion an attractive alternative, especially for stationary uses like data center and EV charger backup storage.

This is going to be interesting to watch over the next few years and decades. Battery technology is having a moment, for obvious reasons, and the Midwest stands to benefit if interest in sodium-ion technology continues to grow. There's a giant salt mine in Cleveland that extends beneath Lake Erie and another under Detroit.

tags: science ev ohio michigan midwest

posted by matt in Saturday, May 4, 2024

Gas leaf blowers and lawn mowers are shockingly bad for the planet. Bans are beginning to spread. (usatoday.com)

“For the majority of residents who own single family homes, it’s going to be all electric, all day long," said Daniel Mabe, founder and president of the American Green Zone Alliance.

Electric vehicles are the obvious elephant in the room when it comes to gas-powered engines. But, once you think of all the lawnmowers, blowers, trimmers, edgers, snowblowers, and other small equipment out there, it's easy to see that, collectively, they could be a bigger deal.

And the shift to electric for the lawn is well underway—a visit to an big box store this spring revealed that. All are stacked to the ceiling with electric mowers and trimmers.

We bought our first electric mower this year. I mostly love it. The battery claims are bullshit, of course. It doesn't even come close to the range listed on the box. My thick lawn and the wet conditions we've had so far are probably not the conditions they used to test the battery to support those claims, but I don't think my lawn is much different than most. But, it's no big deal. I just break the job up a bit, and will likely buy a second battery someday.

tags: ev tech home lawn environment

posted by matt in Sunday, April 30, 2023

GM says it will stop building electric Chevy Bolt by end of 2023 (wtol.com)

CEO Mary Barra also announced that GM will stop building the electric Chevrolet Bolt hatchback and small SUV by the end of this year. The Bolt is now GM's top selling EV, but the plant north of Detroit that builds it is being converted to make electric trucks.

Transitioning to electric vehicles is weird. GM is killing the Bolt, its current best-selling EV. Why? Trucks, of course. It makes sense...it's just weird.

tags: ev gm

posted by matt in Tuesday, April 25, 2023

GM is ditching CarPlay in all future EVs and teaming up with Google instead (9to5mac.com)

"This change, the report explains, will help GM 'capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.'"

Future GM owners just became the product.

Our next vehicle will have CarPlay, which means it won't be a GM.

tags: tech apple ev

posted by matt in Friday, March 31, 2023

Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup begins crucial product launch | CNN Business (cnn.com)

This is huge. Now we wait to see if it lives up to the Ford name and if people will accept it as a Ford.

tags: ev ford

posted by matt in Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Hertz orders 100,000 Teslas in deal reportedly worth $4.2 billion (theverge.com)

"Bloomberg says that the first of the Tesla Model 3s will be available to rent from Hertz in major US and European markets from early November. Renters will be able to use Tesla’s network of superchargers...."

This will be a force multiplier for Tesla and EV's in general. I've driven a Model 3 for three years now, and have learned that people have a combination of hesitancy and curiosity about EV's in general. But, once they actually drive that car — with its pep and the self driving features — they're generally sold on the idea. Renting a Model 3 on a vacation (or even on a staycation) may be the best test drive Tesla could give potential customers.

tags: ev tesla

posted by matt in Monday, October 25, 2021

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For the last couple years, I've been saying that I think the tipping point for electric vehicles is when Ford can sell an electric pickup truck to an existing customer.

I think I found the worst case test customer for this theory.

tags: licenseplate truck ev

photo posted by matt in Tuesday, March 23, 2021