EVPlus - December 2013 News
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MAXWELL
AND SK TO JOINTLY DEVELOP ULTRACAP/BATTERY COMBO
Added by admin 16/12/13
Ultracapacitors (aka ultracaps or supercapacitors) are the toast
of the town, thanks to their rapid charge and discharge
capabilities, tolerance of extreme temperature conditions and
long operational life. However, their killer application may be
as partners with lithium-ion batteries, which offer higher energy
density.
Maxwell Technologies (Nasdaq: MXWL), a manufacturer of
ultracapacitor-based energy storage products, has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with Korean energy provider SK
Innovation to develop energy storage solutions leveraging the
complementary characteristics of SK’s lithium-ion batteries and
Maxwell’s ultracaps.
“As our name implies, we are seeking to move beyond the
limitations of existing technologies to develop and deliver
products that better meet the requirements of the most demanding
energy storage and power delivery applications,” said Stephen J.
Kim of SK Innovation’s battery division. “Our goal is to develop
truly differentiated products that will create large new
opportunities for both companies.”...
Story, photo and lots more courtesy:
ChargedEV
Aussie
On Holiday in Hawaii with the Nissan Leaf
Added by admin 05/12/13
During a recent holiday in Waikiki, a beach front neighbourhood
of Honolulu in Hawaii, EV News took the opportunity to rent a
Nissan Leaf for the day. Having scanned the available cars on the
Enterprise Rent-A-Car web-site and noticing they had Nissan Leaf
available and for approx the same price as others in the same
bracket I couldn't resist test driving one.
We picked up our Silver 2013 Leaf with 544 miles on the odometer
with a full charge and only a vague idea where we were going.
Earlier in the week we'd hired a 3rd generation Toyota Prius to
lap the Island of Oahu a couple of times. (I've driven a Holden
Volt and a Mitsubishi iMiEV, but not a Prius so I had to tick
that box)
Having just hopped out of a Prius the controls in the Leaf were
immediately familiar. It wouldn't be a wild guess to say the
mouse-shaped gear selector in both could be from the same
supplier. The start procedure in both is almost identical too,
put the wireless key in the centre console, foot on the brake
pedal, push button to start, select 'D' on the 'mouse', foot
parking brake off, push the throttle and start moving forward -
silently...
Story, photo and lots more courtesy:
Electric Vehicle News
Base
hybrid arrival heralds broader Lexus GS update
Added by admin 04/12/13
By TIM NICHOLSON (GoAutoNews #707 - page 20)
LEXUS has given its mid-size GS range a shot in the arm with the
addition of the entry-level GS300h hybrid, giving the premium
marque some much-needed firepower against its European diesel
rivals.
The GS300h is available in three specification levels, kicking
off with the Luxury from $79,000, F Sport from $87,000 and Sports
Luxury that starts at $102,000, excluding on-road costs.
This marks a $2000 premium over the base GS250 petrol variant in
F Sport and Luxury guises.
The addition of the new hybrid variant gives Lexus a competitor
for its German rivals’ base diesel offerings including the Audi
A6 TDI priced from $79,500 and the BMW 520d and Mercedes- Benz
E220 CDI (both $82,400).
Powering the GS300h is a 164kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
engine paired with an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride
battery, matched with a continuously variable transmission...
Story, photo and more courtesy: John
Mellor's GoAutoNews
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