Battery startup Leyden Energy is selling off patents & equipment. Is it shutting down?
A startup called Leyden Energy is getting rid of a bunch of assets and patents around its lithium ion battery tech. Is it finally closing up shop?
Chinese auto giant Wanxiang wins Fisker bid
Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang has won a bid for electric car maker Fisker for $149 million, and a judge has approved it. Will they restart production of the Karma and make the Atlantic soon?
6 things you should know about the market for big batteries
How do you build a big market for batteries and other forms of energy storage? Here’s a look at the key challenges.
SolidEnergy’s materials could lead to safer, cheaper electric car batteries
A startup that’s recently been spun off from MIT — SolidEnergy — is making materials for lithium ion batteries for electric cars that could make them cheaper, less flammable in the event of an accident, and capable of holding more energy, according to MIT Tech Review. The company, which has developed a lithium-metal electrode (instead of graphite) and combined that with a safer electrolyte, plans to sell its materials to battery makers. It has raised a round of venture funding and is working with battery maker A123 Systems.
Electric car charging company Ecotality could file for bankruptcy
Electric car charging station company, Ecotality, is in trouble. It’s having a hard time improving sales and raising enough money to stay alive, and it shows once again how tough it is to survive in an emerging market.
Fisker founder Henrik Fisker resigns over disagreements
The co-founder of electric car startup Fisker has resigned, after having stepped down as CEO a year ago. The company has stopped production of its cars as it searches for a partner, investor or acquirer in China.
Chinese companies slowly collecting discounted U.S. electric car assets
Fisker is the latest electric car maker to reach out to Chinese investors and auto tech giants for investment and acquisition. And it’s also the latest electric car company to struggle and face a discounted value.
Obama calls for action on climate change, clean energy in inauguration speech
In a surprising move, President Obama called out the need to fight climate change and transition to cleaner energy sources in his inauguration speech on Monday morning. While Obama’s first term provided many resources for clean energy, the administration’s support became controversial and politicized.
Electric car startup Coda laying off 50
Yet another electric car startup is having trouble. Coda Automotive is laying off 50 employees — or 15 percent of staff — after a delayed launch, slow sales, and a car recall. The bad news follows Better Place layoffs, and A123 System’s bankruptcy.
Chinese giant Wanxiang wins bid for bankrupt A123 and its battery tech
If approved, the future of A123 System’s lithium ion battery tech will fittingly be owned by Chinese auto giant Wanxiang. China is increasingly becoming one of the most important markets for electric vehicles in the world.