Farasis and Group14 say their silicon-carbon anode delivers 330 Wh/kg

Farasis Energy and Group14 Technologies have developed a new silicon-based anode for an EV-scale battery. In cells built and tested by Farasis using Group14’s silicon-carbon anode material SCC55, the company says it can reach a specific energy of 330 Wh/kg (750 Wh/L energy density) in typical automotive cells, and deliver more than 1,000 charge-discharge cycles.

“Traditional batteries using graphite for anode materials typically can approach 260 Wh/kg [specific energy], so this performance boost over traditional batteries represents a breakthrough for EV applications,” said Dr. Keith Kepler, CTO of Farasis.

Dr. Rick Costantino, CTO of Group14, said, “This is a significant milestone in our goal to enable EVs to achieve true cost parity with internal combustion engines, and Group14 is ready to deliver our lithium-silicon battery technology manufactured in our commercial-scale factory in Washington state.”

Electrify America uses Tesla Powerpacks to provide 30 MW of energy storage at 140 fast charging stations

Electrify America has installed on-site, behind-the-meter battery energy storage systems at over 140 DC fast charging stations around the country, representing a total energy storage capacity of more than 30 megawatts. Electrek reports that these storage systems are Tesla Powerpacks. In 2019, the two companies announced a deal to deploy Powerpacks at over 100 EA sites.

The Powerpacks store power when electricity costs are low, and supplement power during times of peak consumption, minimizing impact on the electrical grid and mitigating demand surges to help EA maintain consistent pricing.

If there’s anything that charging providers hate, its demand charges—surcharges that utilities impose on peak power usage. For high-power charging stations, which may go unused for hours, then suddenly experience a sudden spike in usage, demand charges are a major, and unpredictable, cost burden. When he announced the deal with Tesla, Electrify America CEO Giovanni Palazzo told Electrek that demand charges from some utilities can be as high as $30 to $40 per kWh.

Replacing energy from the grid with energy drawn from the Powerpacks, even if only for short periods, can greatly reduce electricity costs. Electrify America says its investment in energy storage helps to facilitate the rollout of ultra-fast DC charging in locations where it might otherwise be cost-prohibitive.

Electrify America is also promoting vehicle-grid integration through a partnership with infrastructure specialist Olivine. Behind-the-meter services such as demand response help support vehicle-grid integration by reducing the need for polluting peaking power plants. To date, Electrify America’s behind-the-meter energy storage has already participated in over 190 demand response market events in the California Independent System Operator’s wholesale energy market, CAISO—shifting over 125 MWh of on-peak energy to lower-carbon off-peak hours.

In the future, as utility regulations and energy markets evolve, Electrify America aspires to provide power back to the grid from its energy storage assets.

“We are constantly striving to introduce innovations that will drive the EV industry forward,” said Electrify America CEO Giovanni Palazzo. “With this significant deployment of battery energy storage, Electrify America will be able to help ensure a more efficient customer experience, especially as EV adoption increases and infrastructure demands continue to grow.”

Renault acquires 21% stake in electric motor company Whylot

Renault has acquired a 21% minority stake in electric motor company Whylot. Renault previously signed a partnership with Whylot to develop a large-scale axial-flow e-motor. This technology will be applied to electrified powertrains with the objective of reducing costs and emissions. 

“We are delighted to take a further step in our relationship with Whylot, a promising start-up specializing in the design and development of high-tech electric motors. This partnership, coupled with an equity investment in the company, is a further demonstration of our commitment to our French roots and to the Renault Group’s industrial anchorage in France, with the aim of producing popular, affordable and profitable electric and electrified cars,” said Philippe Brunet, Alliance EV Director.

10,000 North American school buses will be converted to fully electric

SEA Electric, an Australian company with US headquarters in Torrance, California, that makes battery electric power systems for commercial vehicles, and Illinois-headquartered Midwest Transit Equipment (MTE), one of the largest school bus dealers in the US, have partnered to update 10,000 school buses in the US Midwest with battery-electric power systems over the next five years.

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Source: Charge Forward

Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 top 300 miles of EPA range, beat all rivals but Model Y in efficiency

Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6  -  Hyundai E-Pit fast-chargingThe Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are the first two models to be built on Hyundai’s global E-GMP platform dedicated to electric vehicles. At least in theory, that means these new models aren’t bound to some of the drawbacks that can hinder design, packaging, and sometimes efficiency for models adapted from internal combustion platforms…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

Ford says it now has nearly 200,000 reservations for F-150 Lightning, or 3 years of backlog

Ford confirmed that it now has nearly 200,000 reservations for its upcoming F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. At this point, it represents roughly a three-year backlog. It might make it hard to get access to the vehicle.

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Source: Charge Forward