Ford has taken a major step toward moving its electric vehicle (EV) battery production in-house, with the announcement of Ford Ion Park.
Ford Ion Park is the company’s facility dedicated to pioneering various methods of battery production. The project will bring together a cross-functional team of 150 experts to help address the entire scope of battery production, from mining to development to manufacturing to recycling.
Like most manufacturers, Ford is leaning heavily into hybrid and EV development, and taking a more hands-on approach to its battery development will give it a competitive advantage over some of its rivals.
“We’re already scaling production of all-electric vehicles around the world as more customers experience and crave the fun-to-drive benefits of electric vehicles with zero emissions,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer. “Investing in more battery R&D ultimately will help us speed the process to deliver more, even better, lower cost EVs for customers over time.”
“We are creating new tools and solutions we need for a carbon-free, affordable and better future,” Thai-Tang added. “We are modernizing Ford’s battery development and manufacturing capabilities so we can better control costs and production variables in-house and scale production around the world with speed and quality.”
The 200,000 square-foot lab is in Southeast Michigan, with the team already underway. An additional $185 million collaborative learning lab will also be build in the area, “dedicated to developing, testing and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays opens late next year.”
Goldman Sachs is warning that electric vehicle makers will face rising battery costs, thanks to increased popularity.
Automakers around the world are committing resources to the transition to electric vehicles. Governments are lending their support, committing to climate change and putting pressure on automakers to speed up the transition.
According to CNBC, however, Goldman Sachs is warning the increased demand for EVs will lead to significantly increased battery cost. In fact, Goldman’s analyst predicts a rise of 18%. Given that the batteries account for 20% to 40% of a vehicle’s cost, an 18% rise in battery cost could significantly impact the EV market.
“Prices for the three main natural resources have been rising since the start of 2021,” said Goldman’s report. “We believe that in order to promote sustainable EV industries, some countries may consider implementing policies to increase national stockpiles.”
Volkswagen has unveiled its plans for the future, and it’s clear the automaker plans on being an electric vehicle (EV) battery powerhouse.
Volkswagen recently announced it was upping its investment in future tech to 73 billion euros, up from the 60 billion it initially planned. Much of the additional investment was a result of the company’s focus on electric vehicles.
The company has laid out its roadmap, with plans to establish six gigafactories, with a total production capacity of 240 GWh, in Europe by the end of the decade. The announcement comes after European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic made it clear the EU plans to be self-sufficient in battery production by 2025.
“E-mobility has become core business for us. We are now systematically integrating additional stages in the value chain. We secure a long-term pole position in the race for the best battery and best customer experience in the age of zero emission mobility”, says Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group.
“We aim to reduce the cost and complexity of the battery and at the same time increase its range and performance”, says Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology. “This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.”
Investing so heavily in battery manufacturing could give Volkswagen a major advantage over competitors.
Apple has started offering free battery replacements for 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros with batteries that won’t charge past 1%.
According to Apple, “a very small number” of 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros won’t charge above 1%. When looking in Systems Preferences > Battery > Battery Health, the status will show “Service Recommended.” If the status reads “Normal,” the machine is not affected.
Users with impacted models should contact Apple to arrange for a free replacement.
In the meantime, Apple has issued an update to macOS Big Sur and Catalina to prevent the problem from occurring with unaffected 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros.
Tesla may have batteries with as much as 50% higher capacity in just a few years, if a tweet by Elon Musk is correct.
Tesla is widely considered to have significant lead in battery tech, as well as its electronics tech. This has given the automaker a roughly $50 per kilowatt hour (kWh) advantage over rivals. According to Elon Musk, however, that advantage may soon be even bigger.
Responding to a user asking about Tesla’s rumored electric airplane, Musk indicated volume production of 400 Wh/kg batteries is just a few years away.
400 Wh/kg *with* high cycle life, produced in volume (not just a lab) is not far. Probably 3 to 4 years.
If Tesla is able to achieve what Musk is describing, this would open the door to a number of possibilities, including that rumored plane. It would also put significant pressure on rivals, many of whom are already several years behind Tesla.
Brazilian courts have sided with Apple against accusations the company improperly throttled the performance of iPhones with weak batteries.
Apple has faced worldwide criticism for an iOS update that slowed down iPhone performance if the phone’s battery was below a certain health threshold. Owners around the world were in an uproar when the feature was discovered, claiming the company was trying to obsolete older iPhones. Apple, however, claimed the feature was designed to do the exact opposite.
Since batteries naturally degrade over time and lose their original capacity, older devices need to be recharged more frequently. If a battery has degraded enough, and the device is pushed hard enough, it can result in the device shutting down. Apple’s performance throttling was designed to prevent that scenario, by slowing the processor down if the battery couldn’t support the device running full tilt. Apple’s explanation lent weight to their claim they were trying to prolong the life of older devices, rather than obsolete them. That didn’t stop multiple courts around the world from slapping the company with fines.
AppleInsider is reporting that Brazilian courts are siding firmly with the iPhone maker. According to the report, at least one lawsuit brought by the Brazilian Institute of Computer Science and Law (IBDI) has been dismissed by a court—without even looking at the evidence.
Similarly, the Federal District Public Ministry’s (MPDFT) appeal was defeated, with Judge João Egmon saying “there was no obvious planned obsolescence on Apple’s part, adding that he believed Apple implemented performance throttling to mitigate random shutdowns and preserve usability.
“Egmon added that he believed Apple did enough to comply with local consumer protection laws by offering discounted battery replacements in Brazil, as it did in other countries.”
This situation represented a no-win scenario for Apple. Batteries degrade, that’s a fact of life. If Apple did nothing and iPhones kept randomly shutting down when their batteries had degraded to the point of being unable to maintain peak performance, Apple would have been sued for that. Instead, the company did what it could to mitigate the effects of naturally aging batteries and got sued for that.
At least one country’s courts see Apple’s efforts for what they were—an attempt to preserve iPhone usability.
Panasonic has announced it is winding down its involvement in Tesla’s solar factory in Buffalo, NY as there are increasing signs of a detonating partnership.
“Panasonic Corporation will begin to wind down U.S. production of photovoltaic cells and modules at Gigafactory New York in Buffalo, NY, in line with the global solar strategy led by its Life Solutions Company,” the company said in a statement. “By the end of May 2020, Panasonic will cease U.S. solar manufacturing operations and is scheduled to exit the facility by the end of September 2020.
“Panasonic is supporting Tesla in its efforts to identify and hire qualified applicants from Panasonic’s impacted workforce. Tesla plans to hire qualified applicants to new positions needed to support its solar and energy manufacturing operations in Buffalo.”
The move comes as Panasonic is working to divest itself of some of its less profitable businesses and streamline its operations. There seems to be indication the two companies’ partnership is fraying, as U.S. News & World Report points out that Tesla is looking to diversify its battery supplies to include batteries from South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.
In its own statement, Panasonic downplayed any issues with its partnership with Tesla, pointing out that the two companies are continuing to work together at Tesla’s Nevada facilities.
“This decision will have no impact on Panasonic and Tesla’s strong partnership in Nevada. The two companies will continue their industry-leading electric vehicle battery work taking place at Tesla’s Gigafactory outside of Reno, NV.”
Tesla may not have nearly the size or market penetration of its more established rivals, but the company is years ahead of them in electronics technology.
Nikkei Business Publication did a teardown of the Tesla Model 3, giving engineers from competitors the opportunity to examine the electronic components. In particular, the teardown looked at the integrated central control unit, the brains of the car. Tesla created the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Computer, or Hardware 3, after finding there were no existing solutions available.
According to Nikkei, “one stunned engineer from a major Japanese automaker examined the computer and declared, ‘We cannot do it.’”
As electric vehicles and self-driving cars become the standard, FSD-type hardware will be in high demand and be one of the single most critical components of such vehicles. As Nikkei highlights, however, industry experts don’t expect the technology to be widely used until 2025, giving Tesla a six-year head start.
Nikkei’s sources claim companies such as Toyota and VW have the technological ability to roll out similar hardware, but feel indebted to the supply chain they have spent decades building up. That supply chain will be devastated by FSD-style hardware that will greatly simplify the electronic design of vehicles, cutting down the number of components needed.
Tesla has already been credited with a significant advantage in its battery technology, allowing it to spend roughly $50 per kilowatt hour less than competitors. Now with it having an equally significant advantage in its electronics tech, competitors will have to play catchup on multiple fronts—whether for technical reasons or not.
Electrek is reporting that Elon Musk has said “it won’t be long before Model S has a 400-mile range.”
One of the biggest limitations of electric vehicles is range. While they are ideally suited for city and suburban travel, their range can often be a limitation for rural drivers or those wanting to take them on long road trips.
While the Model S currently has a maximum range of a 373 miles, battery technology is reaching the point where the company expects to cross the 400-mile threshold soon. Musk attributed the improvements to changes to the core chemistry in the vehicle’s batteries.
The end result, according to Musk, is “we’re rapidly approaching a 400-mile range for Model S, for example. So, it won’t be long before Model S has a 400-mile range.”
This is good news for Tesla customers, or those interested in making the jump to electric vehicles.
Battery life might be the Achilles heel of HoloLens following confirmation that the headset is limited to five and a half hours off a single charge.
Its runtime drops to just two and a half hours under heavy usage, Microsoft Technical Evangelist Bruce Harris said at an event in Tel Aviv.
The work depicts Jobs in his trademark black turtleneck jumper carrying an early model of his Apple computer and with a black bin bag slung over his shoulder.
With today’s announcement, SpaceIL is the first of the 16 Lunar X Prize teams to book a ride off the planet. If the mission succeeds, it will be the first Israeli mission — as well as the first private spaceflight mission — to soft-land a vehicle on the lunar surface. Eran Privman, CEO of SpaceIL, claimed the group isn’t focused on the competition, but they are confident they can win. “I promise you once we land on the Moon, we’ll look around and see we are the first,” he said.
Only three nations have ever landed a spacecraft intact on the Moon: the United States, Russia, and China. Many countries have slammed lunar orbiters or probes into the Moon to study its environment, but gently landing a spacecraft is trickier. The Moon is big enough to have a gravitational pull, but it doesn’t have an atmosphere to slow incoming objects. Spacecraft in lunar orbit must fire retro-rockets, very precisely, in the opposite direction of the Moon. That way they can slowly descend without slamming into the rock. It’s a delicate procedure that usually requires a lot of time and money, which is why only government agencies have been able to do it up until now.
A trait carried over from their debut, luckily for us listeners
Egyptian chest, and was moreover intensified by his delirium, that his mates were forced to lace him fast, even there, as he sailed, raving in his hammock. In a strait-jacket, he swung to the mad rockings of the gales. And, when running into more sufferable latitudes, the ship, with mild stun’sails spread, floated across the tranquil tropics, and, to all appearances.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during launch. (SpaceX)
That it was only then, on the homeward voyage, after the encounter, that the final monomania seized him, seems all but certain from the fact that, at intervals during the passage, he was a raving lunatic; and, though unlimbed of a leg, yet such vital strength yet lurked in his Egyptian chest, and was moreover intensified by his delirium, that his mates were forced to lace him fast, even there, as he sailed, raving in his hammock. In a strait-jacket, he swung to the mad rockings of the gales. And, when running into more sufferable latitudes, the ship, with mild stun’sails spread, floated across the tranquil tropics, and, to all appearances, the old man’s delirium seemed left behind him with the Cape Horn swells.
Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form. Ahab’s full lunacy subsided not, but deepeningly contracted; like the unabated Hudson, when that noble Northman flows narrowly, but unfathomably through the Highland gorge.
Lauren Mayberry’s lyrics touches on elements of heartbreak
God the direful madness was now gone; even then, Ahab, in his hidden self, raved on. Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form. Ahab’s full lunacy subsided not, but deepeningly contracted; like the unabated Hudson, when that noble Northman flows narrowly, but unfathomably through the Highland gorge.
But, as in his narrow-flowing monomania, not one jot of Ahab’s broad madness had been left behind; so in that broad madness, not one jot of his great natural intellect had perished. That before living agent, now became the living instrument. If such a furious trope may stand, his special lunacy stormed his general sanity, and carried it, and turned all its concentred cannon upon its own mad mark. I knew the Indians would soon discover that they were on the wrong trail and that the search for me would be renewed in the right direction as soon as they located my tracks. I had gone but a short distance further when what seemed to be an excellent trail opened up around the face of a high cliff. The trail was level and quite broad and led upward and in the general direction I wished to go. The cliff arose for several hundred feet on my right, and on my left was an equal and nearly perpendicular drop to the bottom of a rocky ravine.
Google made a pretty interesting and unexpected announcement about how Chrome will start working to save the battery life of your laptop. How will it do this? By pausing Flash.
Adobe Flash allows web pages to display rich content—but sometimes that can put a squeeze on your laptop’s battery. So we’ve been working with Adobe to ensure that your experience on the web can be power-efficient as well as rich and interactive—and today, we’re introducing an update to Chrome that does just that.
When you’re on a webpage that runs Flash, we’ll intelligently pause content (like Flash animations) that aren’t central to the webpage, while keeping central content (like a video) playing without interruption. If we accidentally pause something you were interested in, you can just click it to resume playback. This update significantly reduces power consumption, allowing you to surf the web longer before having to hunt for a power outlet.
The feature will be rolling out immediately on the Chrome desktop beta channel release, and to everyone else on desktop soon. It will be enabled by default, but you can adjust the settings on it in Chrome’s content settings by going to “Detect and run important plugin content.”
You’ll recall that Tesla has been working on a lithium-ion battery for home energy storage for some time, and at the company’s earnings call in February Musk set a “couple month” timeline on the big reveal.
“We’re going to unveil the Tesla home battery, or the sort of consumer battery that will be for use in people’s houses or businesses, fairly soon. We have the design done, and it should start going to production, probably in about six months, or so. We’re trying to figure out a date to have the product unveiling, but it’s probably in the next month or two months. And it’s really great; I’m really excited about it,” he said at the time.
Keyshia Cole, the Grammy-nominated R&B singer, was arrested on Friday, September 19 on suspicion of battery.
The altercation reportedly took place in the early morning hours in Los Angeles.
According to People, Nuria Vanegas, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, confirmed that Cole was “arrested around 5 a.m. after someone initiated a private person’s arrest.”
While no other information regarding the arrest has been released, TMZ reports that Cole allegedly assaulted a women for spending the night with Cole’s rumored boyfriend Birdman, the CEO of Cash Money.
The alleged victim was Sabrina Mercadel, a Cash Money employee for more than a decade, who had to go to the emergency room after Cole attacked her.
Earlier, Keyshia Cole was arrested after attacking a woman in boyfriend Birdman's condo: http://t.co/7tuepwBDpD
Sources told TMZ that Sabrina was not alone with Birdman in his condo, and four other people were present when Cole barged in on Friday morning. Cole reportedly saw Mercadel and instantly went into fighting mode yelling “What are you doing with my man?!”
Keyshia Cole Victim — I Wasn't Banging Birdman … Attack Was Unwarranted http://t.co/KyFkcilOFC
Emails to Cole’s publicist have not been returned and Cole has not commented on the situation. She was reportedly released from jail on Friday on a $46,000 bond.
On Monday, police confirmed that Kanye West has been named a suspect in an alleged assault case that occurred at Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.
“The named suspect was identified as Kanye West by the victim and several witnesses,” the Beverly Hills Police Department said in a statement. “Mr. West had left the location prior to officers’ arrival. As of this writing, BHPD detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation. No further information at this time.”
A rep for Kanye has not yet commented on the situation, but a source reveals that it wasn’t Kanye who started the altercation. Apparently, Kim Kardashian, Kanye’s fiancé, was trying to make it into a building, but was surrounded by paparazzi. An 18-year-old bystander decided to help Kim, but went about it the wrong way. He started yelling racial slurs at the paparazzi, and when Kim told him to stop, he began verbally attacking her. Kim immediately called Kanye, who came running to her defense.
“Kim was walking into a furniture meeting for their new home,” a source told PEOPLE. “Kanye was there ahead of her for the meeting. So Kim gets there and walks into the building with a million paparazzi trailing her. At this point Kim was seriously afraid for her life,” the source continued.
“He was going nuts. Kanye came down to help her but then the guy ran into a chiropractic office so Kim and Kanye walked in after him.” After entering the chiropractic office, the bystander continued yelling at Kanye, who then, in return, punched him.
West is already facing misdemeanor battery and attempted grand theft charges for an incident with the paparazzi at the Los Angeles International Airport in July 2013.
One of the biggest complaints that people have about smartphones is that they lose battery life like mad. And the newer phones are worse than ever. Just a few years ago, a device like a relatively cheap Blackberry Curve, which introduced a lot of lower-market consumers to the Blackberry devices, could hold a battery charge for two days. Add to that the fact that Blackberry has a basic USB charging port, and most people were pretty thrilled. They couldn’t figure out why iPhone owners were constantly plugging in and always griping about short battery life.
But here is the big secret: the Blackberry Curve had no GPS module. AT&T’s own website said that it did, and their sales teams passed that along. But it did not. It approximated location services by triangulating cell towers, but it was not accurate at all.
And that gives a clue into one of the reasons that iPhones and other devices have such horrible battery life. It’s not that the battery won’t hold a charge. It is that the battery is almost constantly in use by certain features of the device, including GPS.
The biggest battery-drain on a smartphone is data access, whether Edge, 3G or 4G. So while apps are great, and push notifications and email checking are convenient, they drain battery like mad.
Discerning users have begun to spread the word to turn off location services in settings (you will be prompted to turn them back on when you use something that needs to access the GPS module). And you can also disable as many push notifications as possible, including email checking. This may cramp your style with certain apps, but battery life should increase dramatically.
Now a new patent application from Apple shows that they are considering taking this same approach to help their users save battery life.
The idea is to have battery and usage monitored so that the device can automatically turn off certain things that are not in use or needed, such as GPS, W-Fi, and Bluetooth. It could also close running apps so as to preserve battery.
This approach by Apple would automate certain behaviors that users have had to keep tabs on themselves.
What’s the one thing standing in the way between ourselves and a future ruled by nanomachines? Well, actually a lot of things are standing in the way, but one of the most prominent is a lack of tiny batteries to power the devices.
Harvard researchers announced on Tuesday that they have finally overcome the tiny battery problem thanks to 3D printers. The team, led by Jennifer A. Lewis, said that it was able to create a battery the size of a grain of sand by printing “precisely interlaced stacks of tiny battery electrodes.”
Lewis captured in a statement the two ways in which this breakthrough is pretty amazing – “Not only did we demonstrate for the first time that we can 3D print a battery; we demonstrated it in the most rigorous way.” It’s the latter that’s most impressive as making batteries small enough to fit inside increasingly smaller, yet more powerful, machines has been a headache for a lot of researchers.
With the advent of these small batteries, researchers hope that they’ll be able to innovate in medical fields. There’s already work being done on tiny machines that could be used for invasive procedures, and these new batteries may provide them the power necessary to work for extended periods of time inside a person’s body.
Speaking of power, the researchers found that the tiny batteries are “comparable to commercial batteries in terms of charge and discharge rate, cycle life and energy densities.”
If you want to see how they did it, watch this video:
The 36-year-old Capriati has been hit with battery and stalking charges in Palm Beach County, Florida. The charges stem from an incident between the former tennis star and her ex-boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. She is alleged to have hit Ivan Brannan on that day, and is also charged with “willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly” stalking the man around Valentine’s Day in 2012.
The New York Post has reported that Brannan told police that Capriati accosted him at a gym on Valentines day and hit him in the chest four times. The report also recounts accusations that Capriati stalked Brannan at his workplace, pounding on the windows and calling him dozens of times a day.
Capriati has denied the allegations via Twitter, stating that Brennan is lying and that she is “outraged” about the allegations:
BMW and Toyota today announced that the car companies have teamed up to develop a new fuel-cell system and the future of lithium battery technology. The companies signed binding agreements to collaborate on several projects meant to usher in future vehicle technology.
“[Toyota] and the BMW Group share the same strategic vision of future sustainable mobility,” said Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board at BMW. “In light of the technological changes ahead, the entire automotive industry faces tremendous challenges, which we also regard as an opportunity. This collaboration is an important building block in keeping both companies on a successful course in the future.”
A new fuel-cell system will be jointly developed by the companies, which includes a hydrogen tank, motor, and battery. The project is slated to be completed in 2020, and codes and standards for the hydrogen infrastructure will also be developed.
BMW and Toyota will also jointly develop lightweight technologies for vehicle bodies. The research will include reinforced composites, which could be included in another joint venture: a mid-size sports car. A feasibility study on the jointly designed car is due by the end of 2013, and the companies will combine their technology and engineering know-how to “maximise customer satisfaction.
Perhaps the most far-reaching collaboration the companies will undertake is the development of lithium-air battery technology. Such batteries would have energy densities far greater than current lithium-ion batteries.
“It is just over a year since we signed our collaborative MoU [memorandum of understanding), and with each day as our relationship strengthens, we feel acutely that we are making steadfast progress,” said Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota. “Now, we are entering the phase that promises the fruit. While placing importance on what we learn from the joint development, we will work hard together in reaching our common goal of making ever-better cars.”
I honestly thought that we were done with the iPhone 5 rumors and leaks. There seems to be nothing else to divulge about Apple’s new wonder device. Everything has been leaked and nothing will be a surprise when the device is finally revealed. Well, it seems that I spoke too soon.
9to5Mac got a hold of some images that seem to be the new battery that will power the iPhone 5. It wouldn’t be that exciting if it weren’t for the fact that the new battery features some promising upgrades from previous models.
According to the source, the new battery is thinner and features a higher capacity of 1440 mAh. The iPhone 4S had a battery with a capacity of 1430 mAh. It has a voltage of 3.8, which is up from a voltage of 3.7 on the iPhone 4S. It also has a watts-per-hour measurement of 5.45, which is up from 5.3 on the iPhone 4S.
If none of that made sense to you, just know this: the new iPhone is going to last longer than previous models. There were some prior reports that indicated the iPhone 5 as having battery production problems. Today’s leak seems to indicate that the batteries being produced now are finally up to Apple’s standards.
As 9to5Mac points out, however, the increased battery may also be due to 4G LTE. It requires a larger battery and the new capacity featured in this battery would be enough to push a LTE connection without having to sacrifice general power use.
Like all rumors, nothing is absolutely confirmed until Apple shows off the iPhone 5 at its rumored September 12 reveal. That being said, there’s a good chance that the majority of these leaks and rumors are real. If the rumors do turn out to be true, we could be getting a pretty awesome phone from the guys at Cupertino.
A Setagaya-ku, Tokyo couple won roughly 600,000 yen (about $7,400) in damages from Apple Japan, after an iPod Nano caught fire and burned the woman. There have been complaints of Apple devices getting hot, and lately the new iPad has come under scrutiny for the heat it generates. Still, the Japan incident involved a first generation iPod Nano that was apparently spitting fire – the Google translation from Asahi Shimbun digital reads “fire come out from the product.”
Judge Takeo Sakae announced his verdict on Wednesday, stating, “It is recognized the battery has an overheating defect.” Because fire come out from the product, damages were awarded covering medical bills for the woman burned, along with the desk that the Nano was charging on when it caught fire. There was a mention of alimony, though there is no word on whether or not the plaintiffs divorced over the flaming device. Apple Japan had no comment on the matter, and stated that reporters should ask Apple U.S.
Interesting, Apple issued a recall for its first generation iPod Nano last year, citing a fire hazard. Strange that a company would recall a product that had been on the market for almost a decade, but exploding batteries are no joke. The Setagaya-ku couple must not have been aware of the replacement program.
But, as in his narrow-flowing monomania, not one jot of 
