Eaton Corporation recently announced its plan to install 45 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along I- 376, a 85 mile interstate highway through Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. This development was Energy 376 Corridor and the expense will be covered by a $238,467 Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) grant received from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and a private investment of approximately $400,000, for the development of EV infrastructure in the state.

“The Energy 376 Corridor project will create one of the most extensive public EV charging station networks in America and will help set the stage for widespread regional adoption of EVs,” said John Wirtz, business unit manager, Eaton’s Electrical Transportation Infrastructure. “The initiative can also serve as a model of sustainable transportation for other regions across the nation and it would not have been possible without PRCC and strong regional collaboration.”

Energy 376 Corridor, a collaboration of 19 regional public and private entities working to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in the region, is expected to displace an estimated 79,463 gallons of fuel per year and provide annual emissions reductions of 916,046 pounds of greenhouse gases, 1,306 pounds of volatile organic compounds, 10,363 pounds of carbon monoxide, 1,571 pounds of nitrous oxide and 1,026 pounds of particulate matter

”Eaton Corporation should be applauded for creating the vision of an electric vehicle corridor along I-376 and for their leadership in bringing together a broad group of public and private stakeholders to help implement it. This project represents a great step forward for the region in deployment of electric vehicle technology,” said Jan Lauer, president of PRCC.

Clean Cities is the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) flagship alternative transportation deployment initiative, sponsored by the Vehicle Technologies Program. Its mission is to advance the energy, economic, and environmental security of the United States by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum use in transportation.

[Read More From Source: Eaton]

Engineers at Northwestern University in the US have changed the materials in lithium-ion batteries to boost their abilities. One change involves poking millions of minuscule holes in the battery.
Batteries built using the novel technique could be in the shops within five years, estimate the scientists.

A mobile phone battery built using the Northwestern techniques would charge from flat in 15 minutes and last a week before needing a recharge. The density and movement of lithium ions are key to the process. They have found a way to cram more of the ions in and to speed up their movement by altering the materials used to manufacture a battery. The maximum charge has been boosted by replacing sheets of silicon with tiny clusters of the substance to increase the amount of lithium ions a battery can hold on to.
The recharging speed has been accelerated using a chemical oxidation process that helps lithium ions move and find a place to be stored much faster. The downside is that the recharging and power gains fall off sharply after a battery has been charged about 150 times.

[Read More From Source: BBC ]

A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, discovered a breakthrough anode technology that could enable batteries recharged up to half of their original capacity in less than 30 seconds.
The group led by nanoscientist Tijana Rajh and battery expert Christopher Johnson, discovered that nanotubes composed of titanium dioxide can switch their phase as a battery is cycled, that dramatically improved the battery’s performance.
“We did not expect this to happen when we first started working with the material, but the anode spontaneously adopted the best structure,” Rajh said. “There’s an internal kind of plasticity to the system that allows it to change as the battery gets cycled.”

“This is highly unusual material behavior,” added Jeff Chamberlain, an Argonne chemist who leads the laboratory’s energy storage major initiative. “We’re seeing some nanoscale phase transitions that are very interesting from a scientific standpoint, and it is the deeper understanding of these materials’ behaviors that will unlock mysteries of materials that are used in electrical energy storage systems.”

Tests have also showed that titanium dioxide is a more reliable and safer material alternative to graphite currently used in battery anodes.”Every type of test we’ve conducted on titanium anodes has shown them to be exceptionally safe,” Chamberlain said.

The research was a collaborative venture of two Argonne facilities, the Center for Nanoscale Materials and the Advanced Photon Source.

[Read More From Source: Physorg ]

Taiwan’s electric vehicle (EV) industry is moving from parts manufacturing to marketing Taiwan’s own brands. Taiwan is also working vigorously to develop its own EV technology, placing it among countries like Brazil.
“ICT (information and communication technology) products from Taiwan are very competitive in the world,” said Denise Hung, a specialist from Taiwan’s Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC). “We use this advantage to integrate them with the auto industry in order to create our own innovative technology for electric vehicles. This advantage allows Taiwan to join the global electric vehicle market and also take Taiwan’s auto industry to a new generation.”

The Yulon Group is leading the revolution by bringing in their LUXGEN car brand. The first model LUXGEN7 MPV was released in 2009, equipped with a Taiwan made 150kW, 220N-m torque electric motor, similar to the Tesla Roadster.
Another model is the LUXGEN EV+. “The LUXGEN EV+ can be seen as the only option that generates no carbon emissions and delivers eco-friendly clean power when compared with other energy technologies, such as hybrid power,” said Leo Chang, manager of LUXGEN’s Electric Vehicle Department.

Another Taiwanese company, Pihsiang Machinery Manufacturing Co. (PMMC), recently showcased its Venus full-electric mini-car and patented DOSBAS safe battery system at the 2011 Motorcycle Taiwan show in Taipei. The Venus will be sold domestically by the end of 2011, though it has already passed stringent road tests in Europe.

Meanwhile, E-Ton, another Taiwanese manufacturer has developed its EV6A, or “e-go” e-scooter. The 87 kg light weight electric vehicle (LEV) has an electric range of about 50 kilometers, at 45 km/h, and can climb 11.3-degree hills.

Universal Well Industry Co., Ltd is also brought its Uray LEVs to market. The company recently introduced the Pioneer 1.5, an electric motorcycle that has 45 km/h maximum speed and 13-degree hill-climbing capacity.

Other major Taiwan EV manufacturers include Amita (battery modules), Chroma (motor and power control), and Garmin, the world’s largest supplier of telematics.

[Read More From Source: Prnewswire ]