Electric charging and battery strategy

Major developments are in hand with regard to providing charging solutions for electric vehicles.
February 29, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Major developments are in hand with regard to providing charging solutions for electric vehicles. This has been seen as a barrier to the introduction of electric vehicles on a widespread basis but various manufacturers are now developing systems to deal with the issue.

Siemens and 1233 BMW are working on an easy-to-use fast charging plug for electric cars. This system will allow sufficient charging for a 100km range in less than 30 minutes.

Meanwhile 2454 Nissan/2453 Renault have decided, together with major utilities and charging infrastructure suppliers, to develop and install thousands of fast charging stations in Europe by 2012.

Meanwhile other developments for electric vehicles focus on making batteries more affordable as well as efficient. The latest developments include batteries using organic polymer instead of cobalt and battery packs with improved thermal management that takes advantage of copper's heat conductive characteristics.

Researchers from 3434 Osaka University have developed a new lithium-ion battery using a cathode conductive organic polymer. Using an organic polymer instead of cobalt could have great benefits for the automotive sector, as cobalt is a costly raw material with limited production in just five countries. The polymer consists of molecules derived from an organic open-shell molecule. This technology could prove successful in the automotive sector as it offers high discharge capacity of more than 300Ah/kg compared to existing lithium ion batteries, up to twice the electricity storage and an increased performance cycle.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • China plans to boost use of electric vehicles
    December 6, 2012
    The authorities in China are keen for increased use of electric vehicles as part of a plan to reduce pollution in major cities, and as part of a wider programme aimed at lowering the environmental impact from mobility. Fuel costs are comparatively high in China, further encouraging drivers to switch to electric vehicles, at least for urban trips. And electric-assist bicycles as well as scooters are already popular in Chinese cities, highlighting the strong potential market for electric cars in the country.
    Read More
  • Advances in electric vehicle technology becoming increasingly competitive with internal combustion engine-powered competition
    April 11, 2012
    According to a new report from consultant Frost & Sullivan, extended-range electric vehicles (EVs) could be cost-competitive with comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as soon as 2015. The report claims that electric vehicles could offer a payback period of less than four years for customers with an oil price of €2.50/litre, without any government subsidies.
    Read More
  • VW to offer fuel sipping city car
    March 5, 2012
    The Volkswagen group has now committed itself to putting its innovative XL1 vehicle into series production.
    Read More
  • New battery technology further advances the case of electric vehicles
    April 13, 2012
    French firm Bolloré has developed an innovative lithium metal polymer (LMP) battery. This is the result of a 15 year research and development process. Low levels of interest by OEMs in the new system encouraged Bolloré to launch its own electric vehicle featuring this battery. Called the Bluecar, the vehicle is now available in Paris through the autolib scheme. The aim of the project is to have 1,100 rental stations, 3,000 Bluecars and 6,600 charging stations in 47 areas in the great Paris area.
    Read More

Highlighted Content