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batteries

InoBat Auto secures funding from Slovakian government to build €1 billion ‘Gigafactory’

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InoBat Auto, a battery production company providing new energy solutions for electric vehicles, has secured funding to build a research and development centre to support the construction of a 10 GWh Gigafactory in Slovakia – the world’s biggest car producer per capita.

The investment from the Slovakian Government has contributed to the €100 million first-phase fund raising to deliver the Gigafactory, which will deploy state-of-the-art battery technology with the potential to provide an estimated 240,000 electric vehicles with cutting edge batteries by 2024.

InoBat Auto says its planned Gigafactory will catapult Europe to become a leading global force in the electric vehicle battery industry. [Read more…] about InoBat Auto secures funding from Slovakian government to build €1 billion ‘Gigafactory’

Seine Alliance takes ‘first’ fully-electric passenger boat to Paris

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Seine Alliance, a partnersip between Groupe Renault and Green Vision, has launched what it is the “first 100 per cent electric passenger boat with second life batteries” to Paris, France.

The “Black Swan”, as the boat is called, is specifically designed for private or business cruises on the Seine, the main river is Paris.

The aim of Seine Alliance and its partners is to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of a model based on the principle of the circular economy, in order to reproduce it and create synergies between the various mobility players. [Read more…] about Seine Alliance takes ‘first’ fully-electric passenger boat to Paris

BMW’s Spartanburg plant doubles battery production capacity

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BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US state of South Carolina has doubled its capacity for production of high-voltage batteries.

The plant’s own battery facility now produces the new fourth-generation batteries.

These are intended for the plug-in hybrid models of the new BMW X5 and the future BMW X3, also produced in Spartanburg. [Read more…] about BMW’s Spartanburg plant doubles battery production capacity

Nagel tests Mercedes-Benz eActros electric truck in Hamburg

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The fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros will now take to the roads for the food logistics specialist Nagel-Group in Hamburg.

The vehicle will round off the Mercedes-Benz Trucks eActros “Innovation Fleet” for testing the heavy-duty electric truck.

The first eActros has been taking part in customer testing since September 2018 and the eActros in use by Nagel-Group is the tenth vehicle in the fleet.

[Read more…] about Nagel tests Mercedes-Benz eActros electric truck in Hamburg

Rigterink Logistikgruppe tests the all-electric eActros truck

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Mercedes-Benz Trucks has sent another fully-electric eActros onto the streets: the heavy-duty truck will now be put through its paces by Rigterink Logistikgruppe in regular operations transporting foodstuffs around Frankfurt am Main and other towns in the Rhine-Main area of Germany.

The daily distance from the Rigterink logistics premises in Flörsheim am Main to supermarket branches and various central logistics centres of supermarket chains is around 200 km.

The route will be driven once a day by the 25-tonne truck, making full use of its range of around 200 km with a single charge. The batteries will be charged overnight.

[Read more…] about Rigterink Logistikgruppe tests the all-electric eActros truck

Waypoint Robotics launches MAV3K omnidirectional autonomous mobile robot

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Waypoint Robotics has launched the MAV3K (pronounced May-vick) industrial grade autonomous mobile robot (AMR). It has a 3000lb carrying capacity and omnidirectional mobility.

MAV3K comes equipped with Waypoint’s Dispatcher software, allowing it to be set up and autonomously operating in under 15 minutes.

MAV3K’s batteries keep it moving through the longest workday and Waypoint’s EnZone wireless charging system enables MAV3K to charge itself.

Electric vehicles: Mercedes-Benz starts construction of battery factory

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Mercedes-Benz Cars has held a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the start of the construction of a new battery factory. The factory will be built near the vehicle production site in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, providing batteries for future electric SUV under the product and technology brand EQ.

Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Production and Supply Chain, attended the ceremony: “We aim to play a pioneering role in the development of e-mobility and are well prepared to accomplish this mission.

“One year ago, we announced $1 billion investment in Tuscaloosa mostly for the production of electric SUVs and a battery plant. We are bringing electric mobility for Mercedes-Benz to the United States. Around the globe, we are preparing six sites for production of EQ models and our battery network will consist of eight factories.”

[Read more…] about Electric vehicles: Mercedes-Benz starts construction of battery factory

Growth in electric vehicle sales will not strain the power grid, says McKinsey

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The growing popularity and sales of electric vehicle will not strain the power grid, according to an analysis by McKinsey, one of the world’s leading management consultancies. 

McKinsey says its analysis suggests “the projected growth in e-mobility will not drive substantial increases in total electrical-grid power demand in the near- to mid-term, limiting the need for new electricity-generation capacity during that period”.

The authors of the report used Germany as an example and found that electric vehicle sales may grow to the extent that five extra gigawatts of power will be required, but that is only 1 percent of total supply.  [Read more…] about Growth in electric vehicle sales will not strain the power grid, says McKinsey

Electric vehicles a practical reality for everyone?

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BASF argues that ‘it is all about the chemistry’ and that the materials inside car batteries will have a major impact on vehicle electrification

With the holiday season and sunnier days approaching in the northern hemisphere, traffic inevitably increases on highways, in cities and around sightseeing spots.

Additionally, a rising number of commuters contribute to growing nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions with adverse impacts on air quality and climate. By 2025, there will be approximately 1.5 billion cars on the roads worldwide.

[Read more…] about Electric vehicles a practical reality for everyone?

Power brokers: An update on the electric vehicle market

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Less than a decade ago, electric cars were generally seen – at best – as average vehicles which neither had the power nor the range to be considered seriously as a viable, mass-market alternative to petrol-driven cars. 

But now, with ongoing and accelerating technological advances in battery power, combined with big investments in the pipeline to construct charging networks, attitudes are changing. 

Public perceptions have also been influenced by the battery-powered supercars that have been on the roads for many years now, alongside the ordinary-looking electric vehicles.  [Read more…] about Power brokers: An update on the electric vehicle market