Auto industry newcomer Shai Agassi of Better Place traveled to Yokahoma, Japan last week to demonstrate the world’s first “battery switch technology” for electric cars. Agassi’s goal is to extend the limited range of electric cars by creating stations where the cars’ depleted battery packs could be swapped for fully-charged packs in a matter of minutes. Better Place demonstrated the technology on a modified Nissan electric crossover SUV for Japan’s Ministry of Environment.
Agassi’s company is committed to the concept of “zero-emission mobility,” which it would achieve through the use of the switching stations and charge stations backed by wind and solar power. It’s an incredibly ambitious goal, and Better Place has justifiably been the beneficiary of mountains of press coverage from NPR, Time, Newsweek, Scientific American, and countless other news outlets. The question is whether Better Place can convince the world to revolutionize its roadside infrastructure and convince the auto industry to modify its vehicle designs in order to accommodate the concept. For those who haven’t seen Better Place’s website, it’s worthwhile to take a peek at the video showing their switching concept.
In the wake of the Chevy Volt fire investigations, sales are down, and General Motors' (GM) CEO Dan Akerson is blaming the downturn on a spate of bad publicity.
Smith Electric Vehicles teamed with Trans Tech Bus to roll out a 42-passenger, 26,000-lb electric bus called the Newton eTrans, which it hopes will change the way children get to school every morning.
If you're a prospective Volt owner who wants to load your lithium-ion battery with renewable energy electrons, Chevrolet says it has found a way to help you.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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