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A battery pack manufacturer has released a new solution for Tesla Roadster with aging battery packs. It would slash the car’s weight by about 400 lbs, but it’s not cheap.

In many ways, the Tesla Roadster sparked the electric vehicle revolution.

It was the first commercially available consumer EV with lithium battery cells – enabling over 200 miles of range on a single charge.

The vehicle had comparable or better performance than many other gas-powered vehicles in its segment.

The Roadster had its problem. It was a suboptimal solution as it was still heavily based on the Lotus Elise and not designed from the ground up to be electric, but it did its job as a proof-of-concept.

Tesla only manufactured about 2,000 of them between 2008 and 2011 before moving on to the Model S and other vehicle programs that were built to be electric from the ground up.

Despite being 13 to 16 years old, many Roadsters are still doing well. Electrek’s own Jamie Dow drives his daily. That’s despite Tesla not doing anything with the Roadster program since 2017 when it launched the Roadster 3.0 replacement pack.

Battery technology has improved a lot since then, and a company has decided to take advantage of that and offer a new battery pack for Tesla Roadster owners.

re/cell, a Texas-based supplier of remanufactured battery packs for EVs, has unveiled a new Roadster battery pack that aims to slash hundreds of pounds off of the sports car.

Unlike Tesla’s latest vehicles, which are equipped with skateboard-like platform battery packs, the Roadster has a pack that sits behind the seats in the back and the modules are in the shape seen above.

It does cause problems with balancing the weight of the vehicle.

The pack is able to achieve the Roadster’s peak power output, but it should be a lot more fun to drive by shaving up to 400 lbs off of the car’s original 2,877 lb (1,305 kg) weight.

It does come with a lower energy capacity than the original 53 kWh, but you should be able to achieve very similar range (over 220 miles) thanks to the efficiency gain from the weight loss.

Here are the full specs of re/cell’s new Roadster battery replacement pack:

  • Peak Power Output: 260 kW / 285 kW
  • Weight Savings: up to 400 lbs / 180 kg
  • Volume Savings: 3.7 cu ft / 100 liters
  • Energy Capacity: 38 kWh / 47 kWh
  • Rated Range: 220-240 miles / 350-390 km
  • Cell Type: 18650 / 3500 mAh
  • Cell Configuration: 31p99s / 39p99s

re/cell describes some of the improvements that they were able to make to the pack:

The revolutionary cooling-block design is a single-piece molded core with Palladium-class cooling ribbons for improved cooling and temperature management. The contact area for heat transfer is 50x larger than the cooling tubes used in the original Roadster sheets and the overall surface area for cooling and heating is now more than double. No more vacant cooling voids allowing for hot spots or uneven cooling or heating – the entire cell is now fully encapsulated and temperature controlled!

However, this offer is not going to be for everyone since Roadster owners need to be willing to invest $28,000 in their aging vehicle, which is the price of the pack if you give your existing pack to re/cell.

Interestingly, the company is also thinking about offering other upgrades that can be enabled by space freed up by the new pack.

For example, re/cell believes it would be easier to make the pack capable of DC fast-charging. liquid cooling for the PEM and Motor 

Electrek’s Take

I really enjoyed driving the Roadster 3.0, and I’d be curious to see how much better it would handle with 14% less weight.

There are just no other electric vehicles out there that weigh just 2,400 lbs. Even a Fiat 500e weighs nearly 3,000 lbs.

I can’t wait for small electric sports cars around 2,500 lbs. They should be so much fun and it sounds like this, despite not being designed from the ground up for it, could be an interesting preview.

And there’s not better way to power your electric sports car than with solar. If you want to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, including some who install Tesla products like Powerwalls. They ensure you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.

The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.

Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.

Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.

The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.

“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”

The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.

San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.

Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.

Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.

Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online


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BYD chases Ford and Toyota with its latest EV plant set to open in Cambodia

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BYD chases Ford and Toyota with its latest EV plant set to open in Cambodia

China’s EV giant BYD is aggressively expanding overseas. As it finalizes plans for yet another EV manufacturing plant, this time in Cambodia, BYD will set up shop next to newly opened Ford and Toyota facilities.

BYD’s impressive growth streak is not slowing down. In October, BYD sold over 500,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), its fifth straight record sales month and the first time it has crossed the half-million mark in a single month.

With China’s auto market becoming flooded with low-cost competitors, BYD is looking to key overseas markets to drive growth.

After opening its first plant in Thailand earlier this year, a booming EV region, BYD plans to open up shop in another major Southeast Asian market.

According to Khmer Times, BYD is nearing a deal to establish a new EV manufacturing plant in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Wednesday that the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) is in the final stage of negotiations with BYD to build a new electric vehicle facility in the region.

“We may be aware that BYD is a giant Chinese company specialising in EV production, comparable to Tesla, the largest EV manufacturer in the United States,” Mr Hun Manet said at the event.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia
BYD’s first EV manufacturing plant in Thailand (Source: BYD)

BYD closes in on deal for a new EV plant in Cambodia

BYD will follow Toyota, which opened an assembly plant in Cambodia in May, and Ford’s first assembly plant in the region, which opened in June 2022.

Cambodia’s prime minister stressed the importance of attracting new investments. With geopolitical tensions rising, many companies are looking to new locations.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia
BYD’s luxury Denza opens its first store in Cambodia (Source: BYD)

Southeast Asia is expected to become a major electric vehicle hub. The Cambodian government unveiled plans earlier this year to raise automotive and electronics exports to over $2 billion while creating more than 22,000 new jobs.

BYD opening a new EV plant would be “excellent news” for Cambodia, Natharoun Ngo Son, Country Director of EnergyLab, told Khmer Times.

BYD-milestone-10-millionth-NEV
BYD Dolphin (left) and Atto 3 (right) Source: BYD

An EV manufacturing plant will “provide an excellent opportunity to reskill or upskill the Cambodian workforce” for new higher-paying jobs. EnergyLab is launching a new skills development program early next year to prepare the Cambodian workforce for the auto industry’s shift to EVs.

The news comes after BYD launched its first electric pickup, the Shark PHEV (BYD Shark 6), in Cambodia last month.

BYD-EV-plant-Cambodia-Shark
BYD launches Shark PHEV pickup in Cambodia (Source: BYD)

BYD is also planning to open EV plants in Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Hungary, and Turkey as it competes with Ford and Toyota in the global auto market.

Electrek’s Take

According to a recent Bloomberg report, BYD is quickly catching up to Ford in global deliveries. BYD outsold Ford in the third quarter by around 40,000 units.

While Ford is cutting more jobs in Europe as part of its restructuring, BYD has been on a major hiring spree as it ramps up production to meet the higher demand.

BYD is known for its low-cost EV models, like the Seagull, Dolphin, and Atto 3, but the Chinese auto giant is expanding into pickup trucks, midsize smart SUVs, and luxury EVs.

Ford is well aware of BYD’s rise in the global auto ranks. CEO Jim Farley has warned rivals in the past about losing significant revenue if they cannot keep up with China. Farley said he was shocked by the advanced tech he saw after a trip to China in early 2023.

Although Ford is shifting gears to focus on smaller, lower-cost EVs, it may be too little too late. Ford is developing what’s promised to be one of the most efficient EV platforms in California, but its first model based on it, a midsize electric pickup, isn’t due out until 2027.

Will BYD overtake Ford in the global auto ranks? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Researchers develop EV battery that charges 0-80% in 15 minutes

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Researchers develop EV battery that charges 0-80% in 15 minutes

Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo have developed a new lithium-ion EV battery design that can charge from zero to 80% in just 15 minutes and has a longer lifespan.

The new design also allows batteries to handle up to 800 charging cycles, significantly increasing their lifespan.

Yverick Rangom, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, said, “If we can make batteries smaller, charge faster, and last longer, we reduce the overall cost of the vehicle. That makes EVs a viable option for more people, including those who don’t have home charging stations or who live in apartments. It would also increase the value of second-hand EVs, making electric transportation more accessible.”

The secret sauce here is in the anode, which traditionally relies on graphite. The researchers designed a method to fuse graphite particles together to improve conductivity. This tweak enables lithium ions to move fast without causing typical degradation or safety hazards associated with fast charging.

What’s cool is that they didn’t reinvent the wheel in terms of materials; the team worked with the same lithium-ion components already used in EV batteries today.

“We’re just finding a better way to arrange the particles and providing new functions to the binders that hold them together such as state-of the-art electron, ion, and heat transfer properties,” explained Michael Pope, co-lead of the research and professor at Waterloo’s Ontario Battery and Electrochemistry Research Centre. “This approach ensures that the technology can be scalable and implemented using current production lines, offering a low-cost solution to battery manufacturers.”

The next step? The research team is optimizing the manufacturing process and putting prototypes to the test to gauge industry interest. The goal is to make sure this new battery design isn’t just effective – it has to be scalable and ready for widespread industry adoption.

“It’s crucial that it can be implemented within the existing infrastructure for both battery production and charging stations,” added Rangom, lead researcher for the Battery Workforce Challenge.

The University of Waterloo researchers’ findings are published in the journal Advanced Science.

Read more: North Dakota is ramping up its EV charger installations


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