DIY solar power projects have always been fascinating to me. I kind of wrote the book on the subject. And since electric bikes have always been a huge part of my life, combining the two has always seemed inevitable. And so with a pair of solar panels and one afternoon to kill, I rigged up a simple solar-powered electric bicycle setup that is easy to build. If you’ve ever wanted to build your own…
Tesla’s former energy head launches startup to compete against Powerwall with key partners
August 25, 2022
Tesla’s former head of energy products has launched a new startup to compete against Powerwall with a new home battery pack, and it managed to secure significant funding from key partners.
Kunal Girotra, a chemical engineer, spent five years at Tesla. During his tenure…
Volvo completes California electric truck pilot with key findings to help the heavy-duty EV rollout
August 25, 2022
After a successful three-year project, Volvo Trucks is wrapping up its LIGHTS program. The pilot program ran from 2019 to 2022, studying class 8 Volvo VNR electric trucks traveling in California’s South Coast Air Basin, one of the United States’ largest cargo…
Scientists have increased the life of fuel cells – why that matters for solar and wind
August 25, 2022
In research that could jumpstart work on a range of technologies including fuel cells – key to storing solar and wind energy – MIT researchers have found a relatively simple way to increase the lifetimes of these devices: changing the “pH” of the system.
The US Department of Energy explains how fuel cells work:
Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run down or need recharging.
Quick Charge Podcast: August 24, 2022
August 25, 2022
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from Electrek. Quick Charge is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded Monday through Thursday and again on…
Current EV registrations in the US: How does your state stack up and who grew the most YOY?
August 24, 2022
As many legacy automakers join a slew of new and established EV manufacturers in committing to an all-electric future for passenger vehicles, the transition for consumers continues to rise. While we are still quite a ways away from a world of roads dominated by BEVs, the…
Chinese EV battery maker CATL continues its reign as the world’s largest battery manufacturer after posting robust growth in its Q2 earnings.
As the transition to electric vehicles in the auto industry gains momentum, the need to lock up critical EV battery materials is becoming evident.
Automakers are scrambling to lock up deals with EV battery makers to ensure they have the raw materials…
Elon Musk has told an early Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta tester not to complain about the new FSD Beta update. Isn’t that kind of their job? A job that not only they are not paid for, but that they are paying Tesla for the privilege of doing?
FSD Beta enables Tesla…
After selling only 8 units last month and 505 in total, the 2022 Mazda MX-30 is now officially sold out in the US. But will it even come back next year, or is that the last we’ll see of this EV? And if it is the end of the BEV model – will an upcoming PHEV model fare…
Are you a fan of American-made cars like Ford and Chevy? Then you will love the electric models these automakers plan on releasing in the next few years.
It doesn’t get much more American made than a Chevy or Ford. On July 23, 1903, Henry Ford sold the first Ford Model A, sparking the US auto industry. Chevy was founded shortly after in November 1911, with its first classic model cars rolling…
