Lithium batteries, with their exceptional ability to store power per a given weight, have been a major focus of research to enable use in everything from portable electronics to electric cars. Now researchers at MIT and Brookhaven National Laboratory have found a whole new avenue for such research: the use of disordered materials, which had […]
Automotive/Transportation
Battery development may extend range of electric cars
New anode quadruples life of lithium-sulfur battery, could also help store renewable energy more cheaply RICHLAND, Wash. – It’s known that electric vehicles could travel longer distances before needing to charge and more renewable energy could be saved for a rainy day if lithium-sulfur batteries can just overcome a few technical hurdles. Now, a novel […]
Lit Motors Reboots the Scooter
Aiming to reconceptualize the minibike, the team at Lit Motors has developed kubo, a new electric scooter with enough room to carry your cargo. With a goal to raise $300,000 the company turned to Kickstarter for the funds to purchase tooling and an expanded production space. Although the campaign was unsuccessful, Lit Motors plans to […]
Photos of the Day: A Self-Righting, All-Electric Motorcycle at CES 2014
The C-1 from Lit Motors was presented at CES 2014 as an all-electric, self-righting motorcycle, even though the enclosure makes it look more like a smart car. Read: Lit Motors Reboots the Scooter Using two gyroscopes, the vehicle is able to keep itself upright at a stand-still, and also provides greater stability during riding and […]
Shipwrecked Concordia to be Removed in June
The Costa Concordia cruise ship wreck will be removed in June from its watery graveyard off Tuscany and taken to a port to be dismantled, the final phase of an unprecedented 600 million-euro ($817 million) salvage effort. At a news conference Friday, Italy’s civil protection chief and Costa Crociere officials gave the timetable and the […]
Battery Development May Extend Range of Electric Cars
It’s known that electric vehicles could travel longer distances before needing to charge and more renewable energy could be saved for a rainy day if lithium-sulfur batteries can just overcome a few technical hurdles. Now, a novel design for a critical part of the battery has been shown to significantly extend the technology’s lifespan, bringing […]
Aging Pipeline Leads to Deadly Oil Blast
A November pipeline explosion in northern China that killed 62 people was caused by sparks from a jackhammer igniting oil that had leaked into the sewage system, revealing major vulnerabilities in China’s aging pipeline network, government safety officials said Thursday. The massive explosion Nov. 22 devastated a suburb of the port of Qingdao, leaving another […]
December 15 2013: Special Issue
We decided to do something a little bit different with our December 15 issue this year, so with that in mind: Welcome you to a very special edition of ECN. While you’ll see a few of your favorites including Everything E (page 10) and Leading Off (page 8), you might notice a few sections are […]
VW to Show Off Passat Concept with 42 mpg Highway
Would you buy a midsize car that can haul a small family and still get 42 miles per gallon of gas on the highway? That car doesn’t exist now, but Volkswagen is working on one. On Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the German automaker plans to unveil the Passat BlueMotion […]
Ford Fiesta Back in Japan Despite Past Failure
The Ford Motor Co. Fiesta compact is back in Japan despite failing a decade ago in a market dominated by Toyota and other powerful local brands that specialize in small cars. Japan Ford unveiled the 2.29 million yen ($22,900) Fiesta Thursday. It is one of the best-selling Ford models globally with more than 720,000 Fiesta […]