Ample unveils next-generation battery-swapping station

Yes, battery swapping is alive, and it’s in commercial use in San Francisco, where a company called Ample provides swapping services to fleet partners such as Uber and Sally.  Ample made its public debut in 2021 after 7 years in stealth mode, and has tested its technology with fleet drivers to understand the suitability of battery swapping for their use cases.

Now the company has demonstrated a new generation of its swapping technology, the product of “years of R&D, thousands of swaps, and more than a million electric miles driven behind the scenes.” As an EV approaches an Ample station, the station recognizes the vehicle and automatically raises its door. Once perfectly parked inside, the driver initiates the swap from the Ample app on her phone.

Ample’s new station design has allowed it to decrease swap time from 10 to 5 minutes. Its technology can support both small passenger cars and large delivery trucks. The company says new stations can be deployed in just 3 days, with no digging required. Ample says its “shoebox-sized modular batteries” can be integrated into any modern EV. Stations and components can be remotely monitored and controlled.

Also still alive: automaker Fisker, which now says it will partner with Ample to equip its vehicles with swappable batteries. Joint development is already underway, and the companies aim to deliver battery-swappable Fisker Ocean vehicles by Q1 2024.

The initial target customer for Fisker’s Ample-powered EVs will be fleet operators. The companies will share revenue related to the battery swapping mechanism.

“Our partnership with Ample will enable us to broaden the vehicle use case for our customers,” said Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker.

“We’re looking forward to assisting with making the Fisker Ocean available to a wide segment of customers as a part of our goal to bring more EVs on the road,” said Khaled Hassounah, co-founder and CEO of Ample.

Colorado’s revamped credit incentivizes smaller, cheaper EVs

2023 Nissan LeafColorado has revamped its EV tax credit, with a new approach that incentivizes cheaper EVs. HB 1272, which was passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by governor Jared Polis in May, re-ups a tax credit for light-duty electric vehicles that was originally $5,000. As originally enacted, it dropped to $4,000 in 2020, $3,500 in 2021, and $2,000…
Source: Hybrid and Electric Car News and Reviews

WAE Technologies debuts scalable structural battery pack

Fortescue’s WAE Technologies has introduced a structural EV battery pack for low-volume vehicle applications.

Designed for niche markets, the Cell2Pack design aims to improve EV structural stiffness, reduce weight and increase the overall range at low production volumes.  

WAE Technologies debuts structural battery pack from Charged EVs on Vimeo.

WAE has also introduced a battery intelligence software product called Elysia.

Craig Wilson, WAE Technologies CEO, said: “Cell2Pack is an advanced new structural battery design that has huge positive implications for the low-volume automotive sector, while Elysia battery intelligence offering is bringing game-changing battery software to the mass market.”

Tesla and Ford partnership on charging standard angers CCS coalition, but they are wrong

CharIn, the association behind the CCS EV charging standard, has issued a response to the Tesla and Ford partnership on the NACS charging standard.

They are unhappy about it, but here’s what they get wrong.

more…

The post Tesla and Ford partnership on charging standard angers CCS coalition, but they are wrong appeared first on Electrek.


Source: Charge Forward

Why pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes offer a better solution for electrical insulation in EV battery packs

The electric vehicle (EV) marketplace is expected to grow rapidly this decade. This latest Avery Dennison Performance Tapes white paper explores the use of films integrated with pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes in EV battery packs. The white paper sets the demand expectations with key research forecasts, including:

  • Avicenne Energy forecasts the EV marketplace to grow from 2.3 million global sales in 2020 to 25.5 million sales by 2030, a CAGR of 27%

  • Hybrids and plug-in hybrids are expected to account for another 21 million vehicles sold. This growth is driven by changing consumer tastes, regulation and legislative action such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act

  • By 2030, EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs will require 2 million MWh of battery power. Global battery production will grow to 2,800 GWH.

These insights bode well for manufacturers of battery packs used in EVs and other eMobility applications. Yet, significant engineering challenges remain, including the need for high-performance dielectric protection solutions that are cost-effective and highly compatible with modern, compact battery pack designs.

Due to this marketplace growth, there’s an increasing demand for EV battery packs that are reliable, safe and efficient. One of the critical design challenges facing manufacturers during this time is the prevention of electrical arcing. Traditional electrical insulation solutions often force EV battery manufacturers to make trade-offs involving cost, performance and mechanical properties. This white paper demonstrates how high-performance tapes offer not only the electrical insulation batteries need but can provide additional properties that make them a superior choice to traditional electrical insulation materials.

Durakool announces HVDC switching contactors

Durakool, a UK-based provider of switching solutions, has introduced a new series of ceramic high-voltage direct current (HVDC) switching contactors to provide battery isolation in EVs.

Durakool’s CHV line of ceramic contactors can switch high-voltage DC up to 1,500 VDC for EV, battery storage and solar panel applications, and can also be integrated into agricultural equipment. The contactors’ non-polarized power terminals can break current in either direction. A sealed ceramic arc chamber isolates better than epoxy-sealed DC contactors, enabling greater DC voltage switching, according to the company. 

The standard twin-coil economizers minimize coil operating currents and heat, requiring less battery power to keep the contactors in the active state, which can improve reliability and EV driving range. The mechanically connected auxiliary contact mirrors the main power contacts and can be used in a safety monitoring circuit to show the power contact’s status and allow appropriate action in the case of a breakdown.

“The CHV contactors’ non-polarized terminals make it possible for EVs to provide stand-by power back to the charger. They also enable the contactor in an EV to break high DC currents whilst using regenerative braking, resulting in longer service life and higher ‘in-application’ reliability,” said Ricardo Esquinazi, Brand Manager for Durakool. “Our HVDC contactors protect vehicles, their occupants and emergency service personnel by providing isolation of the high-voltage battery from the electronic drive system upon vehicle impact and when vehicles are not in use.”

SEE ALSO: A closer look at contactors