ANN ARBOR - Plug Zen is a Detroit-based start-up that launched to develop EV charging solutions that charge electric vehicles both wired and wirelessly. Co-Founder Q Johnson joins MITech TV co-hosts Mike Brennan and Matt Roush to provide a deep dive into how these charging stations were developed and for what markets. Plug Zen is
DETROIT - Electric vehicles will take over the world, but before they do this, they need to convince a lot of people they are a viable alternative to ICE cars. One of the biggest issues is range anxiety and EV makers have offered several solutions to the problem. One of them is installing bigger batteries to improve the
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission approved tariff changes and the creation of an accounting process through which Upper Peninsula Power Co. (UPPCO) will accelerate installation of electric vehicle chargers. It’s the first such utility vehicle electrification effort approved by the Commission for the UP as UPPCO seeks to meet growing customer demand for
DETROIT - The DeLorean is an iconic vehicle — stainless steel body, gull-wing doors — and maybe the most famous movie car of all time. It’s also a brand name that many people have tried to resurrect over the years, with varying degrees of success. So you’d be remiss if you thought you were traveling
BERLIN, Germany - German battery startup Theion is promising a new sulfur battery technology that could help mainstream electric cars offer 900 miles of range on a single charge. The best part? Compared to the core ingredients of conventional NMC li-ion batteries, sulfur is cheap. Electric cars batteries are chock-full of rare earth minerals. That
DETROIT - General Motors CEO Mary Barra recently turned to the past to define the present. Barra crafted the company's statement of purpose, which GM introduced to all employees in January. When composing the statement, Barra said she struggled at first to find the right words, only to find inspiration from GM's 100-year-old articles of incorporation. Barra, who spoke on
DEARBORN - There are few pleasures in life that rival sitting on top of your car, miles from anyone in the middle of the wilderness, staring up at the vast inky-black sky painted with stars. Ford apparently understands this as much as I do and wants to patent a roof-rail-mounted chair for "camping and tailgating activities."
DETROIT - New vehicles sold in the United States will have to travel an average of at least 40 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2026, up from about 28 mpg, under new federal rules unveiled Friday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its fuel economy requirements will undo a rollback of standards enacted under President
BRISBANE, Australia - Engineers have discovered a way to more than double the lifespan of batteries used in smartphones and electric cars. The battery breakthrough was successfully demonstrated by researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia, who increased the lifespan of a lithium-ion (li-ion) battery from several hundred charge/ discharge cycles, to more than 1,000.
WASHINGTON DC - The Biden administration is drafting an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to alleviate shortages of key minerals needed for the technology to store clean energy, according to The Intercept. Using the DPA in this way would bolster the manufacturing capacity of electric vehicle producers. It also indicates the administration is open
