Toward Solving the Dreamliner's Battery Problem

THE CHEVY VOLT PUNCH LIST

A punch list is a list of things to finish on a construction site. The Volt punch list is a list of things to improve upon.
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RUNNING A CODING MARATHON

Exactly 15 years to the day since launching EV World in 1998, I discovered EV World.com had been hacked, setting off a month-long marathon of programming, often accompanied by enough profanity to sink a battleship.
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Carrying a bicycle aboard a crowded commuter train or bus usually is frowned upon, unless you're in Stuttgart or Munich, Germany and the bike can fold in half.

MOVEO Debuts Folding Electric Scooter Prototype
After five years of development in Hungary, Moveo working prototype weighs 25 kilograms (55 lbs), has a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph), and a battery range of 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) per charge.

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Former Volvo Chef Remains Skeptical of EV Viability
Stefan Jakoby, who resigned from Volvo in 2012 after a mild stroke, reaffirms that he doesn't see electric cars going mainstream in the 'foreseeable future.'

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Ford Focus EV Earns NHTSA Five-Star Rating
The added weight of the batteries in electric cars like the Focus EV helps in a crash with a similar sized car with a gasoline drive.

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The eREV In Your Future
Frost & Sullivan predicts the market segment for extended range electric vehicles (eREV) like the Volt and Cadillac ELR will see rapid acceleration in coming years.

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The More Renewable Power, The Cleaner the Electric Car
The more hydroelectric power, solar, wind and similar renewable forms of energy powering the national grid, the cleaner electric cars become, with Iceland and Paraquay being the greenest in terms of CO2 emssions per kilometer

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Elon Musk Offers Battery Advice to Boeing
While Boeing says it has the situation with its 787 Dreamliner lithium batteries 'under control', Musk willing to share Tesla team's experience with Panasonic nickel-cobalt-aluminum lithium-ion batteries.

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California Holds Firm on Zero Emission Vehicle Sales Rules
State's zero emission vehicle mandate requires carmakers to sell just 7,500 zero-emission vehicles between 2012 and 2014, increasing to one-in-seven new vehicles sold by 2025.

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Poll Finds Americans Favor Carbon Tax to Spending Cuts
Commissioned by Friends of the Earth and conducted by the Mellman Group, December 2012 survey finds voters 'overwhelmingly prefer it to cutting spending.'

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Toyota Recycles Hybrid Batteries Into Energy Management Systems
The first systems will go on sale this April and will tip the scales at 2,160 pounds – almost as much as a 2012 Prius.

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Training Dealers to Sell More Electric Cars
Ford is working to increase electric vehicle sales through training and certification of dealers.

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UPS Adding 100 Electric Delivery Vans
According to UPS, the vans have a single-charge range of up to 75 miles and used to deliver packages to customers in Sacramento, San Bernardino, Ceres, Fresno and Bakersfield.

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Better Place Closes US, Australia Operations
Financially-pressed electric car network company said to be focusing on operations in Israel and Denmark.

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Shift to Fuel Cells Still A Bad Idea, Says Bob Lutz
Bob Lutz predicts that 'unless something close to magic happens,' fuel-cells vehicles will forever be expensive 'wall flowers.'

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China Consortium to Develop E-Bus Network in Poland
Consortium led by the Beijing Institute of Technology will utilize six electric bues with battery swapping system in two-year trial in Poland.

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Renault ZOE Struggling to Market
According to blogger Rude Baguette, launch of flagship electric car delayed until Spring 2013.

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Plug-In Car Owners Charged Up By Blocked Charging Stations
Los Gatos charging stations are not exclusive, allowing ICE-age cars to park in sports, blocking them for electric car owners who need to recharge.

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Range-extended Hybrids to Hit 300K+ Units By 2018
Frost & Sullivan also forecasts there will be 14 models with both ICE and fuel cell and micro-turbine range-extending engines

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Electric Car Batteries Safer Than Used in Boeing Dreamliner
Melissa Pistilli explains the differences in various lithium ion battery chemistries used in electric vehicles from that used in Boeing's grounded 787 Dreamliner.

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Toyota Pragmatically Pursing Hybrids Today, Fuel Cells Tomorrow
Toyota Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada sees fuel cells as the future rather than the battery electric car approach being pursued by Nissan.

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Aussie EV Drivers Remain Upbeat Despite Better Place Setbacks
Local electric car association in Canberra contend there are other options available for drivers interested in EVs in the wake of delay in rolling out Better Place network.

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Geely Partners with Kandi, While BAIC Allies with Daimler
China-watcher Doug Young analyzes recent moves by two of China's largest carmakers.

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Cycling Overtakes Driving in London Borough
Sixty-five per cent of households in suburb of Hackney are now car-free, up from 56% in 2001, but in 2010, 119 cyclists were involved in hit-and-run accidents.

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Translogic Gets Hands-On Experience with Tesla Supercharger Network
By comparison, the GE charger at the author's residence can recharge up to 16 miles of range per hour, while the Tesla unit can replenish 50 miles of range per hour.

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Dr. Harvey's Electric Car Manifesto
St. Louis physician Steve Harvey gives five reasons he drives a Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric hybrid

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Tesla Now Producing 400 Model S Electric Sedans Per Week
400 unit per week production is more than Mercedes-Benz or BMW sells of their flagship S Class and 7 Series cars respectively in the United States.

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CSM's Guide to Reading Electric Hybrid Specs
Christian Science Monitor looks at the fine print in manufacturer specification sheets.

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Tennessee Charging Stations Outnumber Electric Cars?
Does the fact that people see few electric cars using public chargers prove there are more of them than there are electric cars in the state?

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Charging Network Visibility Improves Consumer Confidence, Study Finds
Global Information studies look at role of range-extended electric hybrids and role of charging stations in helping drive sales of e-drive vehicles.

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Electric-Drive Car Sales Off to Slower Start In January
Sales of plug-in vehicles, including Chevy Volts, Nissan LEAFs and Toyota Prius PHV were all off their December 2012 highs.

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Why Should I Buy An Electric Car and Do They Save Money?
Chicago Tribune answers both questions on eve of Chicago Auto Show

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Graphene-based Lithium Battery Can Reduce Recharge Time to Minutes
Battelle and Vorbeck Materials Corp. pen commercial licensing agreement to utilize Vor-X graphene technology to market for use in consumer portable electronic and medical devices, tools and electric vehicles.

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Electric Vehicle Registrations Soar in Hawaii
At the end of 2012, there were 1,136 EVs registered in the state, compared to 162 when the 'Hawaii EV Ready' program began.

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European Commission Adopts Mennekes Type 2 Connector
With European Commission proposing to mandate tens of thousands of public chargers across Europe, move to adopt the German design seen adding impetus to initiative to put more EVs on Europe's roads.

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