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Tag: Electric Vehicles
Metal-loving microbes could replace chemical processing of rare earths
Cornell University scientists have characterized the genome of a metal-loving bacteria with an affinity for rare earth elements. The research paves the way towards replacing the harsh chemical processing of these elements with a benign practice called biosorption.
The potential of solar cars in the world
A new study, modeling the potential of solar-powered vehicles in the urban context in 100 cities across the world, shows that solar energy provides a range between 11 and 29 km per day, reducing charging needs by half.
The SolarEV City Concept: A Sustainable Option for the City of Lights?
The iconic city of Paris is synonymous with climate change, thanks in part to it being where the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change agreement was adopted.
How a ‘just’ EV transition hinges on a looming labor strike
The United Auto Workers is threatening to strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, if contract agreements aren’t reached with the automakers by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. Among the union’s demands is that it represents workers at 10 electric vehicle…
Advances in technology are driving popularity of EVs
New research by Gillingham, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that recent adoption of EVs is driven overwhelmingly by technological advances, while general consumer preferences for EVs has changed little.
To avoid a battery crisis, more of us should share small, lightweight EVs
Most global scenarios and governmental targets for decarbonizing the transport sector consider battery-powered electric vehicles as a main part of the solution. Enormous amounts of raw materials are needed to build enough batteries and ensure a transition to low-emission vehicles.
Emissions reductions of Chinese EVs
Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) drive larger emissions reductions over time, due to increased operating efficiency and a greener electricity mix, according to a study.
Electric Vehicle Batteries Could Get Big Boost With New Polymer Coating
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a polymer coating that could enable longer lasting, more powerful lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The advance opens up a new approach to developing EV batteries that are more affordable and yet easy to manufacture.
Have no fear: Electric vehicles will get you where you need to go
“Range anxiety” has been shot down by new research led by the University of Delaware that found electric vehicles with smaller batteries, combined with community charging, can meet all driving trip needs.
On the Road to Better Solid-State Batteries
A team from Berkeley Lab and Florida State University has designed a new blueprint for solid-state batteries that are less dependent on specific chemical elements. Their work could advance efficient, affordable solid-state batteries for electric cars.
Helping transit agencies visualize the transition to electric bus fleets
The transit industry is rapidly moving toward battery electric bus fleets because of the environmental and financial benefits they offer.
How a test drive may lead to an electric vehicle purchase
Test driving an electric vehicle boosts some potential buyers’ personal identity as being early adopters of the latest technologies, and that strengthened self-perception was linked to a higher likelihood that the test-driver would show interest in buying the car, a new study suggests.
Electric car sales drive toward cleaner air, less mortality
Electric cars – and their continued sales growth – are expected to have a greener, cleaner influence on air pollution and reduce human mortality in most, if not all, U.S. metropolitan areas, according to Cornell University research published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
X-rays Reveal Elusive Chemistry for Better EV Batteries
A team of scientists led by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has unraveled the complex chemical mechanisms of a battery component that is crucial for boosting energy density: the interphase.
Taking Freight Trucks Electric Would Have Big Economic and Environmental Benefits for India
Diesel-fueled freight trucks play an outsized role in producing India’s total greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions. While the country has promoted policies to transition to electric vehicles for public transportation buses and cars, batteries that can power such large trucks have been too heavy and expensive to make their electrification possible. A new study shows that advances in battery technology and dramatically decreased battery costs in recent years have changed that. With the right policies and incentives, battery electric trucks would be more affordable to operate than diesel, and India could become a world leader in producing electric vehicles.
Electric buses can be ‘mobile batteries’, keeping lights on when power cuts
The Biden administration is awarding grants to school districts around the country, totaling about $1 billion, to purchase about 2500 electric school buses. The administration touts electrifying school buses as an important step for reducing emissions and pollution, but the…
The Race is On: Nevada is in the Driver’s Seat for Burgeoning Lithium Industry. UNLV economic geologist talks lithium battery supply chain, green energy, and self-sustainability
The ‘Lithium-Ion Battery State’ may not have the same ring to it as ‘Battle-Born’ or ‘Silver State,’ but the reality is that Nevada could soon be a leader in the lithium battery supply chain – potentially giving the U.S. an edge in the arms race for the in-demand metal that’s the key to powering everything from your cell phone to electric vehicles.
Super-fast electric car charging, with a tailor-made touch
Speeding up electrical vehicle charging can damage the battery. Now, scientists report that they’ve designed superfast charging methods tailored to power different electric vehicle batteries in 10 minutes or less without harm. The researchers will present their results today at ACS Fall 2022.
Variability in Total Cost of Vehicle Ownership Across Vehicle and User Profiles
The widespread penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) has emerged as the leading technological pathway for cutting levels of carbon emissions from road transport activity.
Lithium-ion batteries that last longer in extreme cold
To improve lithium-ion batteries’ performance in extreme cold, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science replaced the traditional graphite anode with a bumpy carbon-based material, which maintains its rechargeable storage capacity down to -31 F.
How a cognitive bias is blocking the rise of electric cars
What are the barriers to the adoption of electric cars? Although the main financial and technological obstacles have been removed, their market share still needs to increase.
Seven ORNL technologies win R&D 100 research awards
Research teams from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and their technologies have received seven 2021 R&D 100 Awards, plus special recognition for a COVID-19-related project.
Tulane scientist leads study on faster charging energy storage
A Tulane University researcher has led a team in discoveries that could result in significantly faster charging electric vehicles and portable devices such as cell phones and laptops.
Transport in 2050: Safer, cleaner and cost efficient?
A Cornell University-led team has calculated that by the year 2050, vehicle electrification, driverless cars and ride sharing could slash U.S. petroleum consumption by 50% and carbon dioxide emissions by 75% while simultaneously preventing 5,500 premature deaths and saving $58 billion annually.
Story tips: Powered by nature, get on the bus, accelerating methane, helping JET soar, charged up planning and building a better thermostat
ORNL story tips: Powered by nature, get on the bus, accelerating methane, helping JET soar, charged up planning and building a better thermostat
Longer-lived lithium-metal battery marks step forward for electric vehicles
Researchers have increased the lifetime of a promising electric vehicle battery to a record level.
Scientists Discover New Approach to Stabilize Cathode Materials
UPTON, NY—A team of researchers led by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has studied an elusive property in cathode materials, called a valence gradient, to understand its effect on battery performance. The findings, published in Nature Communications, demonstrated that the valence gradient can serve as a new approach for stabilizing the structure of high-nickel-content cathodes against degradation and safety issues.
Hands-free: Wireless charging system advances electric vehicle convenience
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have for several years now steadily advanced a wireless charging technology that can make powering an electric vehicle just as easy, or easier, than filling up a car with gas. The researchers are now nearing the completion of a new system to charge EVs while they’re in motion.
Electric vehicles no environmental savior, could cause power grid problems
As Ford unveils its electric F150, West Virginia University experts note the shift from gasoline-powered engines is not an environmental panacea in the short term, but instead will mean significant and costly upgrades to the nation’s infrastructure. Citing recent events,…
Biden’s EV pitch gives auto industry a vital boost to all-electric goal
President Biden is pitching a $174 billion investment in electric vehicles on Tuesday during a visit to a Ford EV plant in Michigan. The administration aims to incentivize sales of EVs through consumer rebates, while sparking new battery production facilities…
Research paves way for wireless charging of electric vehicles
Researchers at Cornell University are pioneering a new way to wirelessly charge electric vehicles, autonomous forklifts and other mobile machines, while they remain in motion.
Mapping Performance Variations to See How Lithium-Metal Batteries Fail
Scientists have identified the primary cause of failure in a state-of-the-art lithium-metal battery, of interest for long-range electric vehicles: electrolyte depletion.
Commercial Truck Electrification is Within Reach
Researchers from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Los Angeles published a new study that makes the case for prioritizing public policy to help move long-haul trucking from diesel to electric. Doing so will mean huge gains in addressing the climate crisis and avoiding premature deaths due to local vehicular pollution, which disproportionately affects communities of color.
In a leap for battery research, machine learning gets scientific smarts
Researchers combined machine learning with knowledge gained from experiments and equations guided by physics to discover and explain a process that shortens the lifetimes of fast-charging lithium-ion batteries.
As EVs take off, semiconductor demand to rise amidst chip shortage
President Biden is meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday to discuss a critical global shortage of semiconductors — computer chips used in cars, consumer electronics and weapons systems. The administration is also expected to order a 100-day review of U.S. supply…
Chemists Settle Battery Debate, Propel Research Forward
UPTON, NY—A team of researchers led by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has identified new details of the reaction mechanism that takes place in batteries with lithium metal anodes. The findings, published today in Nature Nanotechnology, are a major step towards developing smaller, lighter, and less expensive batteries for electric vehicles.
2035 gas cars ban ‘aspirational,’ infrastructure requires legislation
This week, the Governor of California announced the state will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in 2035 — a move that is putting pressure on auto companies to boost their efforts to develop electric vehicles.…
New composite material revs up pursuit of advanced electric vehicles
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used new techniques to create a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a new material that can be scaled for use in ultra-efficient, power-dense electric vehicle traction motors.
The Road to Cheaper Electric Vehicles
A next-generation battery that will power our electric devices longer and, potentially, make them more affordable and accessible. That’s the focus of Koffi Pierre Yao’s research which has earned a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research program.
Environmentally friendly audio systems for Electric Vehicles to be made by Warwick Acoustics and University of Warwick
Warwick Acoustics Ltd, a spin-out company from the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering, is a manufacturer of next generation audio systems for the automotive sector and personal use, and thanks to a grant from Innovate UK, will support development of a lower cost version of its patented ElectroAcoustics Audio Panels for next generation vehicles.
Aug. 2020 Science Snapshots
*Subtropical weather phenomenon likely to bring greater rainfall – and drought – by 2100
*A Q&A with scientist Bin Wang on how Berkeley Lab is helping cities prepare for a major shift in our transportation and grid sectors
*Berkeley Lab founder, cyclotron inventor, and Nobel laureate Ernest Lawrence, honored with a Memorial Highway in his home state.
Safer, longer-lasting energy storage requires focus on interface of advanced materials
More studies at the interface of battery materials, along with increased knowledge of the processes at work, are unleashing a surge of knowledge needed to more quickly address the demand for longer-lasting portable electronics, electric vehicles and stationary energy storage for the electric grid.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Air Quality During COVID-19
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Monica Mazurek is available for interviews on air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are experiencing unusually low levels of gas-phase and particulate air pollutants compared with last year,…
Cobalt supply can meet demand for electric vehicle and electronics batteries
Supplies of the cobalt are adequate in the short term, but shortages could develop down the road if refining and recycling aren’t ramped up or made more efficient, according to research published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology.
Britain’s ambitious shift to electric vehicles poised to have dramatic health, environmental impacts
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week that Britain will ban the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars beginning in 2035 — five years earlier than their initial commitment. Oliver Gao, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is the…
Energy storage startup SPARKZ licenses ORNL cobalt-free battery tech
Energy storage startup SPARKZ Inc. has exclusively licensed five battery technologies from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed to eliminate cobalt metal in lithium-ion batteries. The advancement is aimed at accelerating the production of electric vehicles and energy storage solutions for the power grid.
LLNL computer scientists explore deep learning to improve efficiency of ride-hailing and autonomous electric vehicles
Computer scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are preparing the future of commuter traffic by applying Deep Reinforcement Learning — the same kind of goal-driven algorithms that have defeated video game experts and world champions in the strategy game Go — to determine the most efficient strategy for charging and driving electric vehicles used for ride-sharing services.
Second act: Used electric vehicle batteries charge up the grid
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an innovative control system for repurposed electric vehicle battery packs to store electricity for home use and are scaling up the technology to a large, power grid-level project.
Cornell research drives NYSEG electric car charging pilot
NYSEG, in collaboration with Eilyan Bitar, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell University, is piloting a new approach to coordinate electric vehicle power use by encouraging owners to delay charging times in exchange for lower prices.