electric vehicles

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd

2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00

Last month, the lithium battery industry lost another giant: Ralph J. Brodd.  Ralph had not been active in the battery industry for several years.  As a result his name may not be familiar to many who entered the industry during that time.  But Ralph may be one of the most consequential figures in the history of advanced battery technology in the United States. Ralph’s resume reads like a laundry list of positions and accomplishments.  He was a past President of the Electrochemical Society. He was an advisor to most of the national laboratories working on advanced battery technology.  He published more [...]

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00

The Importance of Consumer Incentives for Electric Vehicles

2021-08-06T12:43:55-04:00

On August 5, 2021, the White House announced that President Biden will sign an Executive Order that sets an ambitious new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.  President Biden was joined in the announcement by executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, which have separately announced that 40%-50% of their vehicle sales will be electric by the end of this decade. The elephant in the room, of course, is how do you make that happen?  The even bigger elephant is how do you [...]

The Importance of Consumer Incentives for Electric Vehicles2021-08-06T12:43:55-04:00

Battery Day and the North American Lithium-ion Supply Chain

2020-09-25T16:36:57-04:00

Tesla’s Battery Day on September 22 did not disappoint.  Whether you came away encouraged (as did many EV enthusiasts) or disappointed (as did the stock market), Elon and the gang provided ample content for the advanced battery community to dissect and debate for the next six months. For me, the most noteworthy content was not the technical detail of where Tesla is going with its battery technology.  The move to tabless 4860 cells, more silicon, less cobalt, away from solid state technology (apparently), and the road map to a 56% reduction in battery costs were all very interesting topics, if not [...]

Battery Day and the North American Lithium-ion Supply Chain2020-09-25T16:36:57-04:00

Time for a Grand Bargain?

2020-04-10T20:25:43-04:00

As the Covid-19 crisis grabs headlines in most of the United States, it is important to appreciate that for a good part of the U.S. oil patch, COVID-19 is second page news.  First page news is the collapse of worldwide oil prices.  The price of West Texas Intermediate Crude closed this week at $22.76 per barrel.  This is nothing short of a disaster for the U.S. petroleum industry and for a significant portion of the U.S. workforce that depends on its health. There are many reasons for the oil price collapse.  The petroleum market is nothing if not complex.  This [...]

Time for a Grand Bargain?2020-04-10T20:25:43-04:00
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