Scientists: We Can Cut EV Charging Time by Two-Thirds
August 30, 2022 - Government researchers claim they have found a way to cut the charging time of electric car batteries already on the road down to about a third of what it is today. It involves artificial intelligence.
In a presentation at the ACS Fall 2022 meeting held last week, lead researcher Eric Dufek of the Idaho National Laboratory said, “We’ve significantly increased the amount of energy that can go into a battery cell in a short amount of time.”
Moving the idea from the laboratory to the real world could take years. Automakers could use machine learning techniques to design batteries that will charge more efficiently. Engineers could also design charging stations with software that enables them to throttle charging speeds up and down to maximize efficiency with each battery. The ultimate goal, Dufek says, is to develop EVs that teach charging stations how to maximize their charging time.
2022 NAFA Leadership Development Institute: Make the Leap From Manager to Leader
Make the leap from manager to leader! -- October 4-5, 2022 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, Indianapolis, IN
Becoming a competent leader means being able to effectively challenge, motivate and empower others.
It also requires making a seemingly effortless transition from manager to leader.
Gain helpful strategies and straightforward answers to solve even the most difficult dilemmas when it comes to learning exactly how to become a respected and effective leader.
This two-day program will cover a variety of leadership topics including finding the leader within, defining your leadership role, overcoming team challenges, and thinking outside the box.
McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2022
August 24, 2022 - Which technology trends matter most for companies in 2022? New analysis by the McKinsey Technology Council highlights the development, possible uses, and industry effects of advanced technologies.
This study builds on the trend research shared last year, adding fresh data and deeper analysis to provide a more granular assessment of trends in two thematic groups: Silicon Age, which encompasses digital and IT technologies, and Engineering Tomorrow, which encompasses physical technologies in domains such as energy and mobility.
Our analysis examines such tangible factors as investment, research activity, and news coverage to gauge the momentum of each trend. We also conducted dozens of interviews and performed hundreds of hours of research to learn which industries are apt to benefit most as they absorb these technologies. And, recognizing that trends can shift, we examined the uncertainties and questions that surround each of them.
How This Company is Using Tech to Improve Vehicle Safety
August 29, 2022 - The founders of Blaxtair wanted the technologies they had been working on for the military to be used in a different way, to use artificial intelligence to protect people in the field.
Blaxtair – an on-board camera – helps prevent collisions between pedestrians and industrial vehicles (such as forklifts, for example). The product is especially useful in areas such as warehouses, factories, construction, road work, and mining.
Safety is at the “core” of Blaxtair’s activity, says Franck Gayraud, CEO and co-founder. This concern has been present since the company’s inception – “we worked a lot with our customers on the impact we have on safety very early on.” Blaxtair has installed a base of around 15,000 units in the field around the world, and Gayraud says that with these numbers they are hoping to significantly reduce unnecessary accidents.
Bidirectional Charging Could Be the Next Evolution of EVs
August 26, 2022 - Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) car charging - often interchanged with vehicle to grid (V2G) - is being explored as another value proposition for EV owners. Fleet customers are a key market application for bidirectional charging.
The idea of using EVs as battery storage - for other outside uses - may sound simple, but it’s a concept still in its infancy and is one that will require the coordination of car makers, technology providers, utilities and regulators to work together to make bidirectional charging and discharging a common feature of owning and operating EVs.
Industry watchers expect more EVs to support bidirectional charging in the coming model years. A key marketing message around the new Ford F-150 Lightning is its ability to serve as an emergency home power source.
