Toyota has been vocal in its belief that hydrogen-powered vehicles like the Mirai will eventually replace gas and diesels. But this insistence makes the company's recent decision to launch a long-range EV similar to the Tesla such a surprise. Reuters (via Nikkei) is reporting that the carmaker will quietly reverse its longstanding resistance to pure all-electric vehicles in the very near future. It's believed that Toyota will launch a new EV with a range of around 186 miles on a charge by 2020 as it looks to make all of its products emissions-free by 2050.
Toyota could abandon hydrogen in favor of EVs
Toyota Motor Corp is setting up a new in-house unit to develop electric cars, offering its strongest endorsement yet of a technology it has not embraced wholly, as take up of a rival technology it pioneered remains slow. Japan's biggest automaker said on Thursday it will launch next month a unit that will start with four persons and be responsible for planning a strategy for developing and marketing electric cars to keep pace with tightening global emissions regulations.
Toyota sharpens focus on electric cars through new in-house unit | Reuters
Lithium-ion battery costs have declined by 65 percent since 2010, which have helped automakers close the gap on sale prices with convention vehicles. Also, the range of EVs have extended, as the figures mentioned above associated with new models indicate. More EV models will satisfy a range of consumer needs. Moreover, refueling infrastructure, one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle, continues to improve as well. The number of EV refueling stations have surged by 89 percent over the last three years.
Can Trump Derail The EV Revolution? | OilPrice.com
Lithium is poised to be the longest-running mining bull market of the century, and independent, junior minors like Millennial Lithium Corp. are having their stocks pushed higher and higher as this market gets ready to explode under a soaring demand and tight supply situation.
All Eyes On Argentina As Lithium Boom Takes Shape | OilPrice.com
A Norwegian technology company has launched a fuel cell system to provide megawatts of power in the electricity grid. IMS ECUBES has launched a combined heat and power (CHP) system based around a fuel cell from US supplier Ballard Power Systems and power technology from Arcola Energy in the UK.
Fuel cell combined heat and power system launched | Electronics EETimes
A new engine that generates electricity from waste hot water could reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions for thousands of different businesses, from cargo shipping to data centres. So says Exergyn, a firm based in Dublin, Ireland, which plans to run the first industrial trials of its technology next year. Globally, Exergyn estimates that the heat lost in waste hot water from industrial processes amounts to around twice the energy in Saudi Arabia’s annual oil and gas output.
Energy-efficient engine turns waste hot water into electricity | New Scientist