By Nancy Gioia •
September 9, 2009
Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Nancy Gioia, Ford’s Director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs.
It’s clear electric vehicles (EVs) will be part of the transportation mix of the future.
President Obama has set ambitious goals for wide-scale adoption of EV technology. Advances in battery technology will help bring more electrified vehicles to market for consumers and the desire to reduce CO2 emissions has increased attention on transportation alternatives like electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
Pawcatuck, CT - Connecticut based Yardney Technical Products, Inc. - who supplied NASA with batteries for the Mars Exploration Rovers (an all-electric vehicle, operating under the most challenging conditions imaginable) - and California-based Coda Automotive announced on Monday, June 8 that the two companies have entered into a joint venture (Coda Battery Systems LLC). Coda Battery Systems LLC will design, manufacture and sell automotive grade lithium-ion battery power systems in the United States.
On May 19, Coda Battery Systems LLC submitted a proposal for funding to the Department of Energy under the stimulus grant program. The funding would be used to build a manufacturing facility in Enfield, CT, which expects to employ 600 U.S. workers in manufacturing positions.
At noon today, nascent auto-maker CODA announced a new electric car available in California in fall 2010. The fully electric sedan will have a range of 90-100 miles on a fully-charged battery.
Speaking during a webinar, the company also formally announced a global joint venture between CODA and battery manufacturer Lishen Battery Co., located in Tianjin, China. Lishen is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of lithium-ion cells for companies like Apple, Motorola, Samsung, and Vodafone. CODA will maintain a 40% stake in the partnership.
By Mark Seall •
March 5, 2009
“Racing is one of the few things that can foster innovation faster than war”, said GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz during a bloggers round-table discussion on the eve of this year’s Geneva motor show.
Describing some of the future challenges that will be faced by global manufacturers such as General Motors, Bob lamented the fact that auto racing – a sport with the potential to inspire significant innovation through competition – has become so tightly regulated in order to prevent teams from gaining significant advantages, that from a manufacturer’s perspective it provides little benefit beyond pure marketing.
