Electric Vehicles

Researchers in India have simulated a 4 kW solar power-based hybrid electric vehicle (EV) charging station using a three-stage charging strategy and found that the station is capable of charging 10–12 EVs with 48 V 30 Ah lithium-ion batteries.

Battery research is advancing to address issues in the lithium-ion development process and concerns about safety and aging. Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) tech, meanwhile, is in the starting blocks, but interoperability is the key hurdle to achieving mass market penetration.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have analyzed lithium-ion battery thermal runaway off-gas and have found that nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries generate larger specific off-gas volumes, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are a greater flammability hazard and show greater toxicity, depending on relative state of charge (SOC).

While lithium ion battery prices are falling again, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. With a global ramp-up of cell manufacturing capacity under way, it remains unclear whether this promising technology can tip the scales on supply and demand.

Researchers in Japan have discovered a stable, highly conductive material that can be used as electrolyte for solid-state lithium-ion batteries. The material’s ionic conductivity is said to be higher than any previously reported oxide solid electrolytes, with a wide operating temperature range.

Wevo Energy becomes a subsidiary of SolarEdge, and together the companies plan to integrate the Wevo’s software solution into the SolarEdge ONE energy optimization system for the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment.

A new report from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) looks at success factors required to take vehicle integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) from niche to mainstream based on a survey of 110 experts in the topic of transport and PV.

Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) sales are plummeting, but its energy storage business is surging, with more than 4 GWh deployed in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

The municipality of Falconara Marittima, Italy, has installed a free off-grid photovoltaic shade for electric vehicle charging at no cost to users. The system has a capacity of 7 kW and includes a 10 kWh battery.

Europe’s leading battery maker, Northvolt, has started building a battery cell factory in Heide, Germany. The facility will employ roughly 3,000 people with a maximum annual production capacity of 60 GWh. It will begin operations in 2026.