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Electric-Car Battery Swapping: What Do You Want To Ask Better Place?

If you’ve followed electric cars for a while, you’ll probably be familiar with the concept of swapping out a depleted Inspiron 1545 battery pack with a freshly-charged one in the same amount of time it takes to fill a car with gasoline. 

Better Place, the first company to try and commercialize that technology, is on the cusp of opening its doors to public electric car drivers later on this year. 

We’ve already heard from an early Better Place Customer, but now it’s time to find out what goes on behind the scenes at Better Place.

How does battery swapping work? What is Better Place’s business model? And how is it possible to ensure that electric car owners can always get a freshly-charged battery, day or night? 

In a little under a week, we’ll be guests of Better Place at its Israeli headquarters, meeting the people and the technology behind Better Place’s dream to electrify the cars of an entire nation.

We’ll be talking to Better Place’s founder and CEO Shai Agassi, along with Better Place.

investors, engineers and customers, to learn about everything from its network of conventional charging stations through to its customer experience centers, battery for dell vostro 1400 swap stations and OSCAR telematics systems.

Of course, we’ll be asking all the important questions, taking lots of photographs and capturing some live video, but are there any questions you want answered?

Maybe you’re worried about Universal External battery Parts reliability? Perhaps you want to know when the scheme will go public in Better Place’s other key markets of Hawaii and Denmark? Or are you worried that Better Place is nothing more than a Monopoly on Electric Cars? 

Whatever your questions, let us know them in the Comments below, and we’ll do our best to get answers on your behalf.

Study: Major Shakeout Pending as Battery Market Rises Over $9 billion

a recent study says the global battery market is due for extreme growth, to the tune of $9 billion annually by 2015.

This growth will, however, be accompanied by massive overcapacity, says German strategy consulting company, Roland Berger. The study reiterates past predictions that many small Battery SONY NP-QM91D companies will be either driven out of business, or left fighting over a comparative sliver of the market pie in just a few years.

We’ll note also, this news comes as IBM says it intends to relegate lithium-ion batteries to history sometime after 2020. And beyond that, others are quietly working in labs around the world on alternative energy storage as well. All this behind-the-scenes work stands to throw further wild cards into otherwise well-researched market predictions.

And even without a radical breakthrough, Roland Berger's in-depth findings about lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride and other HP Compaq Business Notebook 6710b batteries are actually an update and refinement on the same study done around two years ago.

Fast Forward

One bit of positive news for watchers of the move toward vehicle electrification is things are happening rapidly, with major indicators that the shift toward using batteries to one degree or another in vehicles is underway.

On the other hand, Roland Berger’s amended report now already shows its forecasts from only a couple years back were not accurate in some areas, while more or less consistent in others.

For example, in February 2010, Roland Berger projected a major shakeout whereby “only six to eight global Olympus Li-70b Battery manufacturers will survive the next five to seven years.” In the updated report released Thursday, April 19, Roland Berger amended its outlook, and said, “in the course of this consolidation, five top players will share most of the battery market in 2015.”

Thinning the Herd 

Today, says Roland Berger, more than 100 companies are competing in the li-ion automotive battery segment. But the firm also said that more than double supply over demand for li-ion by 2015 will decimate the number of battery makers, forcing market consolidation as pricing becomes competitive.

Companies expected to control the majority of the li-ion Canon Eos 1100d Battery market and their anticipated shares in 2015 are: AESC (20 percent), LC Chem (15 percent), Panasonic/Sanyo (13 percent), A123 (11 percent) and SB LiMotive (9 percent).

By 2016/2017, Roland Berger forecasts in addition to the five big fish, “one or two other companies will join the ranks of the top players controlling 80-90 percent of the market.”

Automotive demand for batteries includes those for all sorts of applications, including battery electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, stop/start technology, and other efficiency increasing sub systems. Legislation plus consumer demand in Europe and the U.S. has every automaker looking for more ways to squeeze higher mileage and lower emissions from its offerings.

By 2015, Roland Berger forecasts original equipment manufacturers facing prices in the $237-264 per kilowatt-hour range for high-energy packs on large orders.

This is a sizable drop from today’s prices, and even if later this estimate is revised again, Roland Berger has consistently said, in short, prices will drop, as big players take over 80-90 percent of the market.

Further key findings are:

• New and confirmed programs, especially in Asia, are being partly offset by volume reductions in Europe and America

• Major overcapacity and falling prices will lead to strong market consolidation

• Chinese competition is growing, while China could become the leading market for e-mobility by 2020

Trust Us, We’re Experts

If you’ll pardon the snarky sub-headline, we’re just noting even the self-described “experts” have had to change their forecasts, so we won’t be surprised to see that happening again, as the Olympus Mju 410 Battery market has many variables to contend with.

If anything is clear, this is a “dynamic” industry, as Roland Berger also notes. And, there are huge positive pressures for transportation-oriented Canon Lp-e10 batteries – particularly nickel-metal hydride and the up-and-coming lithium-ion varieties.

Another positive slant to all this could be that having had two years to refine its study, contact companies, crunch numbers, and so forth, Roland Berger’s present snapshot does give a picture at least worth considering. Further, it could very well be more accurate being that it is that much closer to the electric vehicle “future” many are attempting to prepare for.

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Behind the Wheel of Ford’s First Electric Vehicle

Ford is at the onset of a massive push towards electrification. The Blue Oval estimates that between 10 and 25 percent of its products will be “electrified” by 2020, with a mix of traditional hybrids and plug-in versions joining a brace of new EVs. And its first all-electro-powered product is this: the 2013 Ford Focus Electric.

Ford announced plans to electrify its Focus compact at last year’s CES and the automaker has already begun handing out its EV hatch to fleets, including the delivery of the first Focus Electric to Google. Later in 2012, Ford will begin selling the Focus to consumers in 19 markets across North America, with prices starting at $39,200 – or about $4,000 more than the Nissan LEAF before taxes and any state or federal government incentives.

But do you want it?

We took to the streets of San Francisco for a brief drive in Ford’s first EV and discovered that while it might not boast the same range or bespoke body as its competition from Nissan, the Focus Electric wins on charge time and something that’s been missing from other mass-market EVs: genuine fun.

 

Photo: Courtesy Ford

A cursory look at the Focus Electric’s stats aren’t going to stoke the flames of enthusiasts’ hearts. The front-mounted electric motor powering the front wheels is good for 141 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available – as with all EVs – as soon as you tramp the throttle. That makes for a spirited sprint from a stop, despite being down some 20 lb-ft from the Nissan. But more impressive is the tractability of the brushless motor and the single-speed gearbox putting the power down.

Unlike other EVs that begin to wheeze as you pile on the speed, the Focus Electric retains a suitable amount of punch above 40 mph. Credit the extra 31 horsepower over the LEAF, which does its best to counteract the additional 300 pounds the Focus Electric has to lug around over the Nissan.

But the additional tonnage over the standard Focus (around 500 pounds) added by the liquid cooled and heated 23 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and assorted plumbing is used to good effect, with Ford claiming weight distribution is an Ultimate Driving Machine-approved 50:50 front-to-rear. It’s just too bad the overly-grabby brakes aren’t up to par with the keenly tuned electrically-assisted steering, front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear suspension.

Even mild brake application is enough to send you and your passenger hurdling towards the windshield as the seat belts strain to keep you in place. There’s sure to be a learning curve – one that we weren’t able to scale in our short time behind the wheel – but the lack of EV-tuned brake regen to slow the car as we rolled off the throttle was notable.

More notable is Ford’s claimed charge time: 4 hours to fully top up the batteries with a 240-volt outlet, or a little more than half the time of the Nissan LEAF. That boosted charge time is thanks to a 6.6 kW Leviton charger (versus the LEAF’s 3.3 kW unit) sold at Ford dealers for $1,499, rolled into the purchase price of the Focus Electric and installed by Best Buy’s Geek Squad.

The 23 kWh of juice is good for a 76-mile range – a few miles off Nissan’s hypothetical pace – but because of the liquid-cooled and heated battery packs, Ford maintains there’s no degradation in range or performance, something that can’t be said for the LEAF’s air-cooled batteries.

Photo: Courtesy Ford

And then there’s Ford’s killer app: an app.

Available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and through a dedicated web portal, MyFord Mobile allows owners to keep tabs on charging, find 240-volt stations along their route and plan their trips accordingly, along with remote cooling and heating while the Focus Electric is plugged into the grid, boosting range in the process. The app even gives you tips on your driving style (ranging from “zippy” to “zen”) and the ability to automatically juice up during off-peak hours thanks to an exclusive partnership with Microsoft and its Value Charge program.

This all adds up to one of the most compelling EVs available from a mass-market automaker, combining a gas-free existence with a suitable entertaining driving experience. We’ve waited long enough for an automaker to deliver on both fronts, and Ford seems to have arrived there first. But we won’t make a definitive call until we can put the Focus Electric through its paces as a commuter-cum-corner-carver.

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Ford Focus Electric test drive and MyFord Mobile hands-on (video)

This is the production version of Ford's Focus Electric for the US market, and we got the chance to take it for a proper test drive last week. Don't fret, though -- Engadget hasn't suddenly turned into a car site. While we'll be happy to share our driving impressions, we're mostly interested in how Ford interfaces the vehicle with our favorite mobile devices and social networks -- tech that we're covered before, known as MyFord Mobile. Hit the break for the details, including our hands-on video.

We enjoyed driving the 76-mile range Focus Electric -- our three-mile loop downtown San Francisco even included some of the city's famous hills. As you'd expect, the electric motor provides plenty of (computer-modulated) torque, even with four people on board. Behind the wheel, the car feels much less appliance-like than Toyota's Prius plug-in hybrid and a bit more refined and engaging than the Chevy Volt. The cockpit layout shuns the sci-fi approach for a more traditional, driver-centric environment.

Steering and handling are the best we've experienced amongst mainstream EVs -- attributes that the Focus Electric likely inherits from its gasoline-engined twin. With some of the 23kWh battery (battery for Dell Inspiron 1521) pack's Li-ion cells under the trunk, weight distribution is supposedly close to 50/50, which is rare for a front-wheel-drive vehicle. As a result, Ford engineers have tuned the suspension to minimize oversteer during throttle lift-off. The dynamic character of the car doesn't detract from making it a comfortable ride, and the brakes get the job done without any regen weirdness.

 

As you'll recall, the Focus Electric features an embedded wireless data connection using AT&T's network which enables remote vehicle monitoring and control. The MyFord Mobile app lets you connect to the car from your iOS, Android and BlackBerry smartphone (or from a Web portal) to check the APPLE a1181 battery status and range, to initiate charging (if the EV's already plugged in) and to adjust the climate control (to set cabin temperature ahead of time, while still on the grid). It also allows you to plan trips by taking into account the location of charging stations and by knowing your vehicle's current position.

In addition, the app also coaches you by providing feedback on your driving style (we managed to reclaim 74% of the energy we used during our test drive, despite our heavy foot). All this is complemented by a generous serving of social networking integration -- letting you share routes, driving scores and achievements with friends via Twitter, Facebook and email. The app also incorporates Microsoft-powered Value Charging which automatically refills your HP pavilion dv6134ea battery pack (in 3-4 hours at 240V) when the utility rates are the lowest each day.

Watch our hands-on video above in which Bill Frykman demos the MyFord Mobile app right after we took the car for a spin. The Ford Focus Electric is available now for $39,200 plus a $795 destination charge.

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LG 55LM6700 Cinema 3D Smart LED TV Review

Remember that term “xxx is the ‘new’ black?” Well, 55-inch is the new “standard” size for a flat-panel, at least if you want a big screen image that has enough real-estate to show 3D effects well. LG has more than their share of large displays, but the Cinema Screen provides not only a high-definition Full HD (1080p) image in both 2D and 3D, but contains all the bells and whistles that a manufacturer’s ad could print.

The easiest way to start looking at the LG is by noting that you get six (!) pairs of 3D glasses with your purchase. Keep in mind that these polarized glasses don’t have Acer Aspire 5920 Battery or any electronics because they work on the “passive” principle of a polarized screen being part of the display. But also keep in ind that using this technology for 3D means the 3D glasses are lightweight, inexpensive and also keeps the price of the display you use them with down too.

Now you can wear pretty much any pair of polarized glasses you want, but I’ll be using one of the pair made by EX3D because I trust their lenses more than a cheap pair pulled off the discount rack.  Plus they’re clip-ons that I can wear over my prescription glasses.

When you’ve a large display — pretty much anything over 27 inches — expect a certain amount of weight when pulling it out of the box. A 55-inch model, like 55LM6700, will work best if two people work together to lift it up. But you do have to attach the base to locking plate that then connects to the back of the LG first; this requires a few screws placed in position and takes under 10 minutes to do. The base allows the LG to swivel and has a screw hole for securing it into the surface it’s been placed on for added security (something us SoCAL folks should take heed of). The LG can also be mounted to a wall as is commonly done by many to flat-panel displays.

And, as noted earlier, the use of polarization for 3D means there’s no emitter on the LG that must be lined up with those wearing the 3D glasses.  That’s not to say that the screen’s placement relative to those viewing shouldn’t be taken into consideration, but certainly there’s not the urgency that an emitter requires.

The back panel sockets are conventional enough: there’s an input for a standalone antenna and 4 HDMI inputs (the first supports ARC – audio return channel – that lets audio pass through into the LG from an ARC-supported model, such as an amplifier).  There’s also a HDMI input for computer use (requiring an adaptor if the computer only supports DVI) and an audio input for this use as well. A Component and a Composite input (with dual RCA audio inputs) and optical audio output completes the panel.

Next to the panel are 3 USB ports for use with a storage device, media server or for storing apps stored on a thumb drive or equivalent flash storage. This use has become commonplace enough that discussing it is ho-hum.

I should add that I don’t expect artifact and other 3D-type visual problems to occur because “passive” 3D doesn’t have these issues which are found in “active” 3D, and so the 120 Hz graphic engine should operate the onscreen response time nicely. By using an LED backlight, the LCD panel should also display blacks with more intensity and colors, in general, more vibrantly. Another important factor about LED backlighting is that it enables stronger contrast without “smudging” detail. We’ll see if all of this is true in both the 2D and 3D “worlds” shortly.

I guess I should add that the LG 55LM6700 has a 2D to 3D conversion technology built in for use with 2D content. While you can’t “get” 3D when it’s not there, the algorithm driven software built into the electronics can provide a simulation that many will find 3D-like, at times. It’s important to note the factors that affect whether a 3D like effect is seen or not: being the type of content being altered and the perception of the viewer.

First turning on the LG 55LM6700, you’ll go through a series of startup screens to prepare the TV for use: these allow for customization but can be reconfigured later on as well. About the only one taking some effort is that for your wireless network — as in locating the name/password –should you not be using the Ethernet port on the back for a wired connection. Accessing the built-in user’s guide, by the way, negates the need to go through a manual, should you be one of those who disdain doing that, while still getting a heads-up on the vital features.

A series of controls are locating at the back of the right side — the bezel and thinness of the LG 55LM6700 is pretty astounding for all that’s being contained inside. Forget about them and use the “Magic Remote” instead. This pointer-like device mimics a wireless mouse, only you point it around the set to move the onscreen pointer. Controls on it turn the set on and include functions that most will find familiar: a “Home” button, clickable scroll wheel, an “Apps” button and 3D-activation button among others. The remote links to the LG 55LM6700 through radio-frequency, so distance is not an issue as it could be with an infrared signal.

The menus for this “Smart TV” are straightforward and don’t merit time to talk about them, with the exception of “My Apps.” This is where the Internet access comes into play; LG provides access to a series of “apps” to download and use with the display. This is also where you can access online content from such sites as Netflix and Pandora (the speakers built into the display, by the way, are more than adequate for general use but do lack the bass that adds to a more immersive audio experience — but you can use the optical audio out to go to a more powerful amplifier and speakers).

Access to all of the commands of the LG 55LM6700 can be done through the remote and browsing the menu pages of content available should keep  you busy, even as the main image plays in the top left corner of the screen while you’re doing so. “3D” world has many Internet-loaded titles to view that display the 3D effect well (auto 3D enacted) — the magician showing off a floating dollar bill is impressive and lets you see the wider viewing angle for 3D of the screen.

As expected, you should modify the settings differently when playing a compressed video from a broadcast network through a cable box or satellite receiver, versus that of the uncompressed video off a Blu-ray disc. I couldn’t find anything to complain about when doing either: broadcast television off my Dish Network satellite, be it “live” mode or from the DVR, was sharp and clean with only a hint of “noise” that you could barely catch if looking for it — more a function of the video signal than the display. And in all cases when playing 2D Blu-ray discs, the image never faltered. I particularly was impressed with the LG’s display when playing the BD of Madonna’s Truth or Dare, as the concert had scenes where I expected to see some image “smearing.” But no. And if you really want to enjoy the blacks that this display can output, dim the lights so that there are NO reflections on its glossy front and put in Tron: Legacy. Even in 2D, this movie rocks on the LG 55LM6700.

3D I approached with 3D discs  –  although there are choices you can access through the Internet in “3D World.”  I went with my collection of IMAX sea titles and the truly wild Drive Crazy, because it handles 3D like visiting a demented funhouse. As expected, the 3D effect wasn’t as limited as it would be with an “active” 3D system, and in general the 3D effects were spot on. Neither contrast nor brightness issues came up, although in general you should tinker with the settings for a 3D “setting” to use, instead of just leaving the LG set at “2D” because wearing glasses does introduce another element between your eyes and the light. And the video resolution looked fine to me — my eyes not being an electronic measuring device, I can only go with what I can see. Additionally, neither my eyes nor the bridge of my nose were fatigued by the 3D glasses LG provided. Plus my nephew, seated next to me, didn’t once try and push me away to take my place at the “center” of the screen. He’s gotten a lot bigger so that’s real good.

Mirroring a PC on the LG 55LM6700 Cinema 3D LED TV brought up an important lesson — to get the best image you have to make the adjustments at the PC side. Don’t blame the LG, as I did, initially, because it can only display what it’s been given from a computer’s graphic card. Making the PC’s output match that of the LG’s innate abilities will result in an image that you’ll have nothing to complain about (and if you’ve one of those wireless computer video transmitters, like the Warpia StreamHD VE, you can exert even more control over the image being seen). The LG is Windows 7 compatible and so can also use the PC as a media server.

Editor’s Rating:

Excellent

Bottom line: When you take into account the LG 55LM6700’s screen size and all that it can do, the $2299 list price doesn’t seem off-putting. Especially since the “street” price is a good couple of hundred dollars less. And the slimness of the unit will astound you — even in these days where every panel alludes to being svelte. Those looking for a solid performer, with few issues when playing 3D, can get this LG with no buyer’s remorse.

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U.S. Soccer Development Academy highlights of the week

WHAT’S AHEAD:
Sporting, Rapids Meet in Frontier Bout: Sporting Kansas City and the Colorado Rapids face one another in a U-17/18 Frontier Division match this Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Sporting holds the early division lead with four points and a 1-0-1 record, and the Rapids are off to a strong start with a 1-0-0 division record and 5-0-3 overall mark.

Elsewhere in the Development Academy, two traditional powers in the Mid-Atlantic open divisional play this weekend when D.C. United hosts Baltimore Bays Chelsea on Saturday, March 31. D.C. United swept the Mid-Atlantic Division at both age groups last season. However, the current Baltimore Bays U-15/16 team has a 7-2-1 record and has outscored its opponents 25-7 this season.

Breakers, Revolution Playing Abroad: As the Academy action picks up locally, some players are taking their game outside of the country. The Santa Cruz Breakers U-15/16 team gets set for the Mondial Minimes Montaigu tournament starting next week in France, while the New England Revolution U-15/16 pool formed a U-17 team to play in the 2012 Future Champions Gauteng tournament in South Africa. Santa Cruz opens its tournament on April 6 against Toulouse FC. The Revolution is coming off a 3-3 draw against School of Excellence SAFA on Tuesday in Soweto, South Africa.

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Central Conference:

The Chicago Fire U-17/18 team earned a two-game sweep in the Great Lakes Division with a 6-0 victory against Vardar SC Freiburg on Saturday and a 2-1 win against the Crew Soccer Academy Wolves on Sunday. In the latter match, Kellen Gulley scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute. The Chicago Fire’s Joseph Calistri provided the offensive power with four second-half goals. The Fire is averaging more than three goals per game (28 goals in nine matches) and holds a 7-2-0 overall record (2-0-0 in the Great Lakes).
St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri netted a 1-0 victory in U-15/16 play, shutting out Sporting Kansas City in its first Frontier Division match of the season. SLSG Missouri is 5-0-3 overall and has performed admirably on both sides of the pitch, scoring three goals per game (24 in eight matches) and allowing only three total goals on the defensive side (.38 goals per game, which ranks first in the Academy).

East Conference:

Oakwood SC’s Luke Nguyen scored all three goals for the U-15/16 team in a 3-0 victory against South Central Premier in both teams’ Northeast Division opener. Oakwood erased a two-game losing streak after playing against Baltimore Bays Chelsea and Players Development Academy in previous weeks. Tyler Bonini, Mark Richards and Matthew Barry scored the three goals that helped the Oakwood U-17/18 team earn a 3-2 victory against South Central Premier.
The New York Red Bulls posted an impressive 4-0-0 record last weekend. Brandon Allen fueled the U-17/18 team by scoring the lone goal during a 1-0 victory against Match Fit Chelsea, and then tallying what proved to be the game-winning goal during a 2-0 win against NJSA 04. The U-15/16 team enjoyed similar success, earning wins against Match Fit Chelsea and NJSA 04. Amando Moreno was a standout in each game, scoring three goals for the Red Bulls (7-3-1) on the weekend, including two against NJSA 04.

South Conference:

Weston FC’s U-15/16 team continued its unbeaten divisional season with a scoreless draw against IMG Soccer Academy on Saturday and a strong 5-1 victory against the Clearwater Chargers on Sunday. Nicholas Pappacena scored the game’s first two goals in the 36th and 40th minutes as Weston improved to 10-2-5 overall and 4-0-4 in the Southeast Division. Weston is tied for third in the division with Georgia United at 16 points apiece. Fortunately for Weston, the team has played in four fewer games than Georgia United, the first-place South Carolina United Battery (29 points) and second-place Concorde Fire (18 points) and can potentially work its way into the postseason picture with a strong run.
The Kendall SC U-17/18 team moved into a fourth-place tie in the Southeast Division, corralling a 3-1 victory against the Clearwater Chargers and a 2-2 draw against IMG Soccer Academy. Nahuel Medina contributed a goal in each match as Kendall improved to 3-1-4 (13 points) in the division, currently tied with Birmingham United in points.

West Conference:

Mason Klerks scored the game-tying and game-winning goals to lead the Arsenal FC U-15/16 team to a dramatic 4-3 victory against Real So Cal. Klerks’ tallies in the 57th and 65th minutes provided enough offense to overcome Real So Cal’s strong start that featured three goals in the opening 40 minutes – two by Christian Chavez.

PEAK PERFORMERS
Week 27 Player of the Week: Brian Pacheco, Forward, Pateadores
Brian Pacheco scored three goals and the Pateadores U-15/16 team posted two victories last weekend. Pacheco started and played 80 minutes during Pateadores’ 2-0 win against Crossfire Premier on Saturday, and then he tallied a hat trick in 76 minutes of play during a 4-2 victory against Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday. Pacheco has scored 17 goals this season, which leads Pateadores and is tied for fourth overall in the Academy. The forward has 19 starts this season to lead Pateadores to a 10-4-7 overall record and 4-3-3 in the SoCal Division.

Referee of the Week: Spencer Adamson
Spencer Adamson earns Referee of the Week honors for his performance during this past weekend’s U-15/16 game between Baltimore Bays Chelsea and FC Greater Boston. The grade 6 referee from Maryland has worked 50 Academy matches since 2008, and he has attended the past four Winter Showcases. Adamson also received high scouting marks for his officiating during a D.C. United vs. New England Revolution U-15/16 match two weeks ago.

ACADEMY ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES:
U-23 MNT Bows Out of Olympic Qualifying: The U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team saw its bid for the 2012 London Olympics fall short, taking third place in Group A of CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying in Nashville, Tenn. The USA opened strong with a 6-0 victory against Cuba as former San Diego Surf player Joe Corona notched a hat trick and was named ussoccer.com Man of the Match. But the U.S. dropped a 2-0 decision to Canada and suffered a deflating 3-3 draw against El Salvador. Corona gave the U.S. a 3-2 lead against El Salvador for his team-high fourth goal of the tournament, but a last-second Jaime Alas tally bounced the USA out of qualifying. New York Red Bulls Academy product Juan Agudelo had a goal in the opener, but a meniscus tear in his left knee forced him to miss the remainder of the qualifying and a portion of the MLS season with the New York Red Bulls.

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BMW recalling 367,000 5- and 6-Series cars; owners advised to park outside due to fire risk

DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators and BMW say owners of some 5- and 6-Series cars should park them outside until a Universal External Battery cable problem can be fixed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday said BMW is recalling more than 367,000 of the cars in the U.S. from the 2004 to 2010 model years. A Apple a1175 Battery cable connector can loosen in the trunk and overheat. In extreme cases, it could lead to a smoldering fire in a trunk floor mat, according to documents posted on NHTSA’s Website.

The U.S. recall is part of a larger one announced Monday by the German automaker that affects 1.3 million cars worldwide. BMW spokesman David Buchko says the company knows of only one fire in the U.S. related to a loose ACER Aspire 5630 Laptop AC Adapter battery cable. No injuries have been reported from the problem, he said, adding that the recommendation to park the cars outside is merely a precaution.

“We’ve got one known case of actual fire here in the U.S., having sold 367,000 cars,” he said.

The recall affects 5-series sedans and sports wagons, as well as the 6-series coupe and convertible. Most of the cars in the recall are 5-series sedans, BMW’s No. 2 seller in the U.S. In 2010, the last model year affected by the recall, BMW sold almost 39,000 of the cars, according to Autodata Corp.

According to NHTSA documents, BMW found out there was a problem in 2006 when unspecified incidents were reported in Germany and Sweden. The company said in a letter to NHTSA that it investigated but couldn’t identify a cause. There were incidents in the U.S. in April and November of 2009 and May of 2011. Those, too, were investigated and no cause was found.

In April last year, a task force was set up to investigate further. On March 12, tests pointed to a connector in the trunk that links two Canon Digital Ixus v3 battery cables. The company said that in rare cases, the connector may have been incorrectly attached to the trunk floor. BMW decided on March 16 to recall the cars, according to the letter.

BMW said its dealers will inspect the connector and tighten it if needed. Dealers also will add protective grease and replace a plastic SAMSUNG VP-L850D Battery cover. Recall work will begin in April.

NHTSA spokeswoman Lynda Tran said BMW initiated the recall and made the initial recommendation that the cars be parked outside.

“The agency may make a variety of recommendations to ensure consumer safety in connection with a recall as appropriate to the potential issue, including where to safely park a vehicle,” she said.

In February, BMW agreed to pay $3 million in fines for delays in reporting safety defects and recalls to U.S. regulators. An examination of 16 recalls issued by BMW of North America LLC in 2010 found a pattern in which the automaker failed to meet federal requirements that known defects be reported within five days, NHTSA said in a statement.

As part of a settlement, BMW agreed to make internal changes to its recall process, NHTSA said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Troubles snowball for maker of electric-car batteries

By Greg Gardner, USA TODAY and the Detroit Free Press, and Chris Woodyard, Drive On

Shares of electric vehicle battery supplier A123 Systems open today at a new low after another day of being battered as part of the fallout over defects. Also, a New York law firm began seeking investors who might want to sue management and the board over alleged violations of securities law.

On Monday, the Waltham, Mass.-based firm with plants in Livonia and Romulus, Mich., announced it would replace faulty (HP Compaq NC6000 Laptop AC Adapter) batteries shipped to five customers, including Fisker Automotive.

A123 CEO David Vieau said company officials discovered the problem in certain prismatic cells late last week at its Livonia facility. The defect appeared to be caused by one of four automated welding machines, he said. The company will start shipping replacement battery packs to five customers later this week, he said. It estimated the replacement effort will cost about $55 million that it will take as a charge to its earnings over the next several quarters.

Yesterday, shares fell 12.9% to close at $1.22 share. Since Friday, the stock has lost 29% of its value.

Yesterday, the New York law firm of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, which bills itself as a "corporate litigation boutique," issued a press release saying it was "investigating potential claims" of shareholders concerning whether the company and certain of its officers and directors have violated federal securities laws.

A123 spokesman Dan Borgasano declined to comment on the law firm's statement.

Earlier this month, Consumer Reports disclosed that a $108,000 Fisker Karma flashed an error message and locked in gear with just 180 miles on the odometer, while being driven at the magazine's Connecticut testing center. The cause of that shutdown was associated with A123's defective Canon Lp-e10 batteries, said Vieau, who declined to identify other customers who received defective battery packs.

more tags: Jvc m50 camcorder Battery, Motorola GP320 battery , Canon mvx150i Battery, TOSHIBA ADP-65DB Laptop AC Adapter, SAMSUNG PL55 Charger, Cell Phone External Battery

Troubles snowball for maker of electric-car batteries

By Greg Gardner, USA TODAY and the Detroit Free Press, and Chris Woodyard, Drive On

Shares of electric vehicle battery supplier A123 Systems open today at a new low after another day of being battered as part of the fallout over defects. Also, a New York law firm began seeking investors who might want to sue management and the board over alleged violations of securities law.

On Monday, the Waltham, Mass.-based firm with plants in Livonia and Romulus, Mich., announced it would replace faulty (HP Compaq NC6000 Laptop AC Adapter) batteries shipped to five customers, including Fisker Automotive.

A123 CEO David Vieau said company officials discovered the problem in certain prismatic cells late last week at its Livonia facility. The defect appeared to be caused by one of four automated welding machines, he said. The company will start shipping replacement battery packs to five customers later this week, he said. It estimated the replacement effort will cost about $55 million that it will take as a charge to its earnings over the next several quarters.

Yesterday, shares fell 12.9% to close at $1.22 share. Since Friday, the stock has lost 29% of its value.

Yesterday, the New York law firm of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, which bills itself as a "corporate litigation boutique," issued a press release saying it was "investigating potential claims" of shareholders concerning whether the company and certain of its officers and directors have violated federal securities laws.

A123 spokesman Dan Borgasano declined to comment on the law firm's statement.

Earlier this month, Consumer Reports disclosed that a $108,000 Fisker Karma flashed an error message and locked in gear with just 180 miles on the odometer, while being driven at the magazine's Connecticut testing center. The cause of that shutdown was associated with A123's defective Canon Lp-e10 batteries, said Vieau, who declined to identify other customers who received defective battery packs.

more tags: Jvc m50 camcorder Battery, Motorola GP320 battery , Canon mvx150i Battery, TOSHIBA ADP-65DB Laptop AC Adapter, SAMSUNG PL55 Charger, Cell Phone External Battery

Nanopower: Avoiding electrolyte failure in nanoscale lithum batteries

(Nanowerk News) It turns out you can be too thin—especially if you're a nanoscale battery. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the University of Maryland, College Park, and Sandia National Laboratories built a series of nanowire Nikon D70 Charger batteries to demonstrate that the thickness of the electrolyte layer can dramatically affect the performance of the battery, effectively setting a lower limit to the size of the tiny power sources (see paper in Nano Letters: "Electrolyte stability determines scaling limits for solid-state 3D Li-ion Panasonic Lumix Sdr-s10 batteries").

The results are important because battery size and performance are key to the development of autonomous MEMS—microelectromechanical machines—which have potentially revolutionary applications in a wide range of fields.

Using a transmission electron microscope, NIST reearchers were able to watch individual nanosized batteries with electrolytes of different thicknesses charge and discharge. The NIST team discovered that there is likely a lower limit to how thin an electrolyte layer can be made before it causes the Sony Gv-d800 battery to malfunction.

MEMS devices, which can be as small as tens of micrometers (that is, roughly a tenth the width of a human hair), have been proposed for many applications in medicine and industrial monitoring, but they generally need a small, long-lived, fast-charging battery for a power source. Present COOLPIX S220 Charger battery technology makes it impossible to build these machines much smaller than a millimeter—most of which is the battery itself—which makes the devices terribly inefficient.

NIST researcher Alec Talin and his colleagues created a veritable forest of tiny—about 7 micrometers tall and 800 nanometers wide—solid-state lithium ion ACER 0335A1965 Adapter batteries to see just how small they could be made with existing materials and to test their performance.

Starting with silicon nanowires, the researchers deposited layers of metal (for a contact), cathode material, electrolyte, and anode materials with various thicknesses to form the miniature batteries. They used a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to observe the flow of current throughout the Camcorder Battery SONY CCD-TR840E and watch the materials inside them change as they charged and discharged.

The team found that when the thickness of the electrolyte film falls below a threshold of about 200 nanometers, the electrons can jump the electrolyte border instead of flowing through the wire to the device and on to the cathode. Electrons taking the short way through the electrolyte—a short circuit—cause the electrolyte to break down and the ACER Aspire 5630 charger battery to quickly discharge.

"What isn't clear is exactly why the electrolyte breaks down," says Talin. "But what is clear is that we need to develop a new electrolyte if we are going to construct smaller batteries. The predominant material, LiPON, just won't work at the thicknesses necessary to make practical high-energy-density rechargeable Acer Aspire 7720 batteries for autonomous MEMS."