In China, Nio wants to lease battery packs for the EVs it sells

Nio batteryChinese automaker Nio plans to offer customers the option of leasing the battery packs in electric cars. Announced in a press release Thursday, this "battery as a service" model involves purchasing the car outright, but paying a monthly fee for use of the battery pack. Nio plans to charge the equivalent of about $140 a month (at current exchange...

To supply EV production, another European battery company rises: Verkor

Verkor battery factory renderingAs European automakers ramp up production of electric cars, a new company aims to supply them with batteries. French startup Verkor plans to open a battery factory in its home country in 2023, with an initial annual production capacity of 16 gigawatt-hours, before expanding to 50 gigawatt-hours at a later date, according to Automotive News Europe...

In some EVs, the cabin cooling system helps speed up fast-charging

Charging stations at Volkswagen Arizona Proving GroundsIn some electric cars, the hardware that keeps occupants cool does the same for the battery pack. The air-conditioning condensers for EVs are for more than just cabin comfort, in many cases, supplier Mahle noted in a recent press release. They help keep the battery cool during driving and are especially important during higher-power fast-charging...

Report: Panasonic cells for Tesla will get 20% energy boost

2020 Tesla Model XPanasonic plans to give battery cells for Tesla electric cars a 20% boost in energy density in five years, Reuters reported Thursday. That timeframe could potentially line both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y for a boost in range, performance, or both at that time. Tesla could at that time choose to make packs smaller and lighter with the same...

Tesla Model 3 battery change for China will free up cells for Semi

2020 Tesla Model 3Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai will make some Model 3 sedans with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries starting later this year. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the move, which had been reported by business press and insiders for months, during a Q2 financial update call Wednesday. And he clarified the motivation behind the move: to free up more...