Monday, January 07, 2019
Sunday, January 06, 2019
Saturday, January 05, 2019
MBTA Orders 194 Series Hybrid Systems from BAE Systems for New Buses
Series-ER components.
The Series-ER uses the same components as the Series-E hybrid-electric system, but with a larger battery. Series-ER extends the electric driving range and provides electric operating modes such as:
- Extended EV range: Driving on all-electric power in no- or low-emission areas can be programmed according to each transit agency’s specifications, to shut the engine off in a tunnel or other preferred areas.
- Electric accessories: Accessory Power System options can power all conventional electric loads, such as cooling fans and pumps, plus all hybrid cooling systems.
- Stop/start technology: With bus accessories powered by the Accessory Power Systems (APS), the engine can be shut off at stops to prevent idling and emissions. The stop/start function can be programmed with a global positioning system to automatically shut down the engine at specified locations.
- Depot drive: The engine can be shut down in specified locations to allow for electric drive mode in low- and no-emission areas, when traveling less than 500 yards.
As transit agencies continue to advance toward more electric systems to help them meet their environmental goals, the demand for BAE Systems’ reliable and efficient hybrid-electric systems continues to grow. Half of the 10,000 system deliveries were made in the past three years.
Read original at MBTA Orders 194 Series Hybrid Systems from BAE Systems for New Buses
UC Davis report proposes mileage fee for EVs, maintaining fuel tax for ICEs to support road repairs
A research report submitted to the California Legislature this week by the University of California, Davis’ Institute of Transportation Studies proposes switching EVs to a mileage-based road-funding fee (road user charge, RUC) while continuing to have gasoline-powered cars pay gasoline taxes.
The report, “Assessing Alternatives to California’s Electric Vehicle Registration Fee,” was requested by the California Legislature.
Since electric vehicles use no gasoline, EV drivers pay no gasoline tax. As more people drive EVs, gas-tax revenue for road repairs is dwindling. To address the shortfall, many states, including California, have opted to charge an extra registration fee for electric vehicles.
That approach is not a sustainable or effective solution, according to report author Alan Jenn, a UC Davis research scientist with the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center.
Read more at UC Davis report proposes mileage fee for EVs, maintaining fuel tax for ICEs to support road repairs
Power From Commercial Perovskite Solar Cells Is Coming Soon
The pilot factory is owned by Oxford PV—a spinout from the University of Oxford, in England—which since 2012 has worked on commercializing solar cells made from a type of crystal known as a perovskite. The first perovskite solar cells were announced just 10 years ago, by the research team of Tsutomu Miyasaka at Toin University, in Yokohama, Japan. But those early lab prototypes were incredibly unstable and had an efficiency of just 3.8 percent.
Since then, researchers and manufacturers have made steep gains in efficiency, and they’ve also addressed the devices’ stability and scalability. In December, for example, Oxford PV posted its latest efficiency milestone of 28 percent. By contrast, the current record for silicon PV is 26.7 percent, and commercial silicon panels are far less efficient.
Now the company is getting ready to introduce the world’s first commercial tandem silicon-perovskite solar modules, which combine a thin-film layer of perovskite material with a silicon solar device. The solar modules look and behave very much like traditional silicon solar panels, says Chris Case, Oxford PV’s chief technology officer. The main difference is that they produce more power.
Read more at Power From Commercial Perovskite Solar Cells Is Coming Soon
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