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Porsche to rival Tesla with EV model

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Porsche is to develop an electric vehicle to compete with Tesla’s model S, according to German media outlet Manager Magazin.

Details of the German car marker's first-ever series production electric car remain undisclosed. The model will likely feature a lithium-ion battery developed jointly with Audi. The all-electric driving range is aimed to be about 250 miles. The model will be available with a choice of rear- and all-wheel drive.

Albemarle to buy lithium producer Rockwood for $6.2 billion

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Chemical maker Albemarle is to pay $6.2 billion in stock and shares for lithium producer Rockwood to tap into the increasing demand for lithium.

Rockwood is one of the four big lithium producers that control about 90% of the lithium production market. The purchase of Rockwood will give Albemarle access to the company’s assets in the Atacama desert in Chile, providing a low-cost base for lithium production. Rockwood also has a site in Nevada, US.

Panasonic to build lead-acid battery plant in India

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Japanese electronics maker Panasonic is to set up a lead-acid battery plant in India and plans to make the country a regional hub.

The batteries shall be used mainly in the automotive industry and data centres. The costs for the plant are estimated at Rs200 crores ($36m). Panasonic is currently deciding on a location, which offers either tax concessions or is closer to the company’s automotive customers. The target is to start production by 2016.

Research forecasts “disruptive” technological changes in EV industry

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IDTechEx

EV

supercapacitor

Supercapacitor and fuel cell technology will "disruptively change" hybrid and pure EVs in the coming years, according to a report by IDTechEX.

The research, 'Hybrid and Pure Electric Cars 2014-2024', foresees a trend to higher voltage for efficiency and lower cost. Pure electrics are going to need less energy storage due to inductive pick up and better energy harvesting.

Tesla to open world’s largest cell manufacturing plant

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Elon Musk looks to the stars with Giga-factory plans

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Rumours are flying about Tesla Motors opening a ‘Giga-factory’ to manufacture batteries in partnership with Panasonic who is Tesla's current cell supplier.

Tesla has said it wants to manufacture its own batteries to lower costs by achieving greater economies of scale and minimising costs via reduced overheads, guarantee of supply, reducing the supply chain and co-locating processes.

Highpower enters EV market

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Highpower batteries will be incorporated by Huizhou Yipeng into Chinese hybrid buses

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Battery and charging technology development company Highpower International, based in Shenzhen, China, has secured a deal to supply large format lithium-ion batteries to Huizhou Yipeng Energy Technology for use in buses in China.

In a deal worth up to $5m for the 2014 financial year, Highpower will supply 16 and 20 Ah lithium-nickel cobalt manganese batteries to Huizhou Yipen for use in hybrid and plug-in hybrid buses. Huizhou Yipen will integrate the batteries with BMSs into the buses for multiple Chinese bus manufacturers.

Celgard receives EV certification

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Celgard's Concord facility in North Carolina

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BEST

separators

EV

Separator manufacturer Celgard’s Concord, North Carolina manufacturing plant has received certification for its products to be used in the electric drive vehicle market.

The ISO/TS 16949 Quality Management System certification is an international standard with specific requirements for the automotive industry. All major vehicle manufacturers subscribe to this standard, which means separators from the Concord plant can be used in lithium-ion batteries in electric cars.