Hang around the energy storage crowd long enough, and you’ll hear chatter about ultracapacitors. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has said he believes capacitors will even “supercede” batteries. What is it that makes ultracapacitors such a promising technology? And where do they fall short?…
Read MoreJosie Garthwaite
Why lithium-ion batteries die so young
The death of a battery: We’ve all seen it happen. In phones, laptops, cameras and now electric cars, the process is painful and — if you’re lucky — slow. But why does this happen?…
Read MoreCell phones: the mother of invention for electric vehicles
Turns out cell phones and electric cars have more in common than you might think and technology developed for phones could help pave the way for more powerful electric cars.…
Read MoreWhat’s Next for Next Autoworks (Formerly V-Vehicle)?
The road hasn't been easy for Next Autoworks (formerly V-Vehicle), which is backed by Google Ventures, T. Boone Pickens, and Kleiner Perkins. But the way forward has grown even rockier as legislators consider a proposal to shuffle around funds set aside for Next Autoworks’ project.…
Read MoreGTherm: Cutting Cost and Quakes From Geothermal Power
Three-year-old startup GTherm has a new approach to tapping the Earth’s heat for power generation at sites where conventional geothermal technologies fall short. The company says it can do it for less cost, and through a safer method, than competing systems.…
Read MoreAquion Energy’s Cheap (& Edible) Grid Battery
Aquion Energy has one overriding goal: to change the way the world uses energy. The idea is to build modular, sodium- and water-based energy storage devices that can provide a slew of services for a cleaner power grid at relatively low cost.…
Read MoreFord’s Top 25 Cities Paving the Way for Electric Cars
One of the most basic requirements for adoption of electric vehicles is having a place to plug in. According to Ford, which released its list of top 25 cities for EVs, paving the way for an influx of EVs means going far beyond charge point installations.…
Read MoreFreescale, Fuji Join Forces for Green Car Tech
Freescale Semiconductor and Fuji Electric Systems are forming a new partnership focused on hybrid and electric vehicle tech. The two companies announced plans to collaborate on a type of power semiconductor for electronic powertrains, as well as other products for green cars down the road.…
Read MoreIEA: Energy Innovation Needs More Public Support
Global investments in renewable energy have risen dramatically over the last decade, but governments need to step up support for clean energy innovation. That's one of the findings in a report out this morning from the International Energy Agency.…
Read MoreZero Motorcycles Seeks Reinvention as CEO, Founder Exit
For electric motorcycle maker Zero Motorcycles, springtime is shaping up to be a season of change. The company announced today that CEO Gene Banman is retiring. This comes just about a month after co-founder Neal Saiki stepped down from his role as chief technology officer.…
Read MoreLithium Ion Batteries Faulted for Jet Crash
A new report on the crash of a UPS jet carrying rechargeable lithium batteries outlines the hazards of transporting these devices. It's the latest fuel for concern about the safety of lithium ion batteries, which store energy not only for gadgets but also plug-in vehicles.…
Read MoreWhy A Company Would Ditch A DOE Loan Guarantee
What would lead a company to walk away from negotiations for a coveted federal loan guarantee, as solar company Suniva did recently? It has to do with the terms of the government deals, the time it takes to obtain one, and the recovery of private markets.…
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