China’s CATL, Honda plan to co-operate on EV battery development

TOKYO (Reuters) – Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd and Honda Motor have signed an agreement to co-operate on jointly developing lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles, as China’s top EV battery maker expands its tie-ups with Japanese automakers. CATL said on Tuesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Honda under which it would guarantee… Continue reading China’s CATL, Honda plan to co-operate on EV battery development

Marshall acquires Sandicliffe Skoda franchises in Nottingham and Leicester

Marshall Motor Group has acquired Sandicliffe Motor Group’s Skoda franchises in Nottingham and Leicester to its portfolio of UK dealership sites. The AM100’s seventh-placed retail group took its representation of the Czech brand to seven sites across the UK with the move, which was announced by chief executive, Daksh Gupta, via Twitter over the weekend.… Continue reading Marshall acquires Sandicliffe Skoda franchises in Nottingham and Leicester

American Honda Reports Sales Increases for Both Honda and Acura Brands Despite Winter Chill

American Honda today reported January sales increases for both Honda and Acura brands. The Acura RDX led gains for the company, with sales rising 41 percent to help push the Acura brand up 9.6 percent for the month. Related Documents Honda Logo. (PRNewsFoto/American Honda Motor Co., Inc.) (PRNewsfoto/American Honda Motor Co., Inc.) TORRANCE, Calif., Feb.… Continue reading American Honda Reports Sales Increases for Both Honda and Acura Brands Despite Winter Chill

Honda plans to front-load UK production ahead of Brexit

TOKYO (Reuters) – Braced for a possible logistical nightmare when Britain leaves the European Union in March, Honda Motor Co Ltd said on Friday it was preparing to front-load some production at its plant in the country to ship overseas or build up inventories. The Honda logo is seen on a Honda car displayed at… Continue reading Honda plans to front-load UK production ahead of Brexit

Japan’s Honda Motor third-quarter profit drops 40 percent on discounting, quality costs

TOKYO (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co Ltd on Friday reported a 40.2 percent drop in third-quarter operating profit, missing market expectations due to higher discounting and quality-related costs. The Honda logo is seen on a Honda car displayed at the New York Auto Show in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S.,… Continue reading Japan’s Honda Motor third-quarter profit drops 40 percent on discounting, quality costs

Argo AI can now test self-driving cars in California – CNET

Argo AI is set to expand its fleet of autonomous development vehicles to a fifth location. Argo AI has received a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test autonomous cars within state borders, Automotive News reports, citing the DMV’s records. The vehicles will hit the roads around Argo AI’s headquarters in Palo… Continue reading Argo AI can now test self-driving cars in California – CNET

Honda Global | January 30, 2019 Honda Sets All-Time Calendar Year Production Records for Automobile Production, Worldwide, Overseas, in Asia and China

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the calendar year 2018 as well as for the month of December 2018. Worldwide Production   Calendar Year 2018 December 2018 Units vs.’17 Units vs.’17 Japan 891,248   +9.0% 81,821 +6.6% Outside of Japan 4,465,765* +1.1% 339,892… Continue reading Honda Global | January 30, 2019 Honda Sets All-Time Calendar Year Production Records for Automobile Production, Worldwide, Overseas, in Asia and China

Tesla is responsible for half of Toyota’s owner defection rate

Toyota recently admitted that the Tesla Model 3 is affecting Prius sales, but we are now learning by just how much: Toyota says that it has a 9% owner defection rate in North America and it attributes about half of it to Tesla. Last year, Tesla revealed the top 5 cars Tesla Model 3 buyers are trading… Continue reading Tesla is responsible for half of Toyota’s owner defection rate

Zipcar and Honda Expand Strategic Partnership for Mobility Solutions

BOSTON, Jan. 28, 2019 – Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing network, and Honda today announced an expansion of their strategic mobility partnership. The agreement will add hundreds of new Honda vehicles to Zipcar’s diverse fleet, while focusing on supporting Zipcar’s university program in California and the expansion of Zipcar’s successful service in Columbus, Ohio. In… Continue reading Zipcar and Honda Expand Strategic Partnership for Mobility Solutions

Company claims to harness AI for quicker electric-car DC fast charging

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2015 Nissan Leaf with CHAdeMO fast-charging cable plugged in [photo John Briggs]
At CES earlier this month, GBatteries demonstrated that it could charge a 60-kwh battery pack, made up of off-the-shelf lithium-ion automotive cells, to half capacity in just 5 minutes, or to a full charge in 10 minutes.

Further, the company is aiming, with a technology that employs AI elements, to boost charging speeds without accelerating degradation and rendering electric-vehicle battery packs useless.

Such a technology could help lessen the effects of fast-charging battery packs in vehicles. The more often you fast-charge an electric-car battery pack—and the higher the charge rate—the higher the chances are that you’ll do irreversible damage to the cells within, and decrease the cycle life of the battery and its effective capacity.

DON’T MISS: Toyota and Panasonic to jointly make electric-car batteries, explore solid-state tech (Updated)

The company’s hardware and software solution together smartly speeds up or slows down charging momentarily, depending on conditions inside the battery.

GBatteries hopes to license the technology to automakers and suppliers. Most automakers already monitor voltage at the cell level, and fast charging already uses DC fast-charging parameters communicated from the vehicle, so it may not be a complicated or expensive upgrade.

CHECK OUT: Honda presents new battery chemistry that could succeed lithium-ion

The project, according to TechCrunch, was born out of what the founders saw as a very short cycle life, and a high level of degradation, for phone batteries.

GBatteries’ funders include Airbus Ventures, Plug and Play, Initialized Capital, SV Angel, and Y Combinator. The venture is based in Ottawa, Canada, and has also received a $900,000 grant from the Canadian national government.

If this technology proves itself, it could potentially save consumers and automakers—as well as keep costly, resource-dependent energy cells in use much longer.