Germany to Take on Tesla With Gigafactory Rival By Brian Parkin
German executives are preparing to announce a new home for a lithium-ion battery plant designed to rival the output at Tesla Inc.’s Gigafactory. Terra E Holding GmbH will choose one of five candidate sites in Germany or a neighboring country next month to build its 34 gigawatt-hour battery factory, Frankfurt-based Chief Executive Officer Holger Gritzka said in an interview. The former ThyssenKrupp AG manager has helped to assemble a consortium of 17 German companies and won g
JCI sees big role for lead-acid batteries
Lithium ion batteries may be the technology of choice for electrified cars, but lead-acid batteries still have a big role to play. Johnson Controls is betting that automakers will pair its absorbent glass mat batteries, which are more durable than conventional lead-acid batteries, with stop-start systems. Many automakers plan to introduce 48-volt systems to optimize their stop-start systems, regenerative brakes and other fuel efficient technologies. Tom Watson, JCI's vice pre
Elon Musk’s Solar Power Math
Elon Musk managed to get off a lot of really pithy comments in his recent appearance at the National Governors Association meeting — he spoke of a future in which gas-burning cars will be like horses, and explained how China has taken environmental leadership away from the US. He also discussed the personal sacrifices required of a superhero, and his failed efforts to exert a positive influence on America’s Climate-Change-Denier-in-Chief. Well, let’s squeeze just one more jui
