Solar Charging Pavilion and New Volvo Hybrid

When thinking of stylish cars, Volvo probably isn't the first brand to come to mind. One thing the company is renowned for, though, is introducing new technology: it was the first manufacturer to install laminated glass in a production car, invented the three-point safety belt, and is constantly adding new safety features to its range.

After holding a design competition for a pavilion to accompany the launch of its new V60 plug-in hybrid, the company will debut a photovoltaic accessory in September that will unite its history of embracing new technology with some cutting-edge style.

The V60's batteries take around 12 hours to charge when connected to the Pure Tension pavilion, good weather permitting. The whole structure is held in place by a carbon fiber tube that keeps the panels taut, and also allows the pavilion to disassemble and fit into a car trunk.

Although these are renders, the Pure Tension will debut at a show in Rome in September. The concept cost around $80,000 to research, develop, and build, according to Wired.

A consumer-ready version isn't anywhere close, unfortunately. For now, the Pure Tension pavilion only serves to showcase Volvo's new hybrid car. Volvo is in talks with the designers of the pavilion about developing the idea further.

Images courtesy of Volvo

Story by Aaron Souppouris

Startup Seeo Creates Safer Next-Gen Lithium Battery

The unnerving capability of lithium ion batteries to catch on fire emerged as headline news last month, as Boeing was forced to ground its futuristic 787 Dreamliner FLEET after two batteries caught on fire. But the next generation of lithium ion batteries are promising to be safer, and a few of them are already starting to be used in real-world situations in the power grid, electric vehicles and gadgets.

Six-year-old startup Seeo — which is backed by Vinod Khosla, Google Ventures and others — has installed its first battery system to act as energy storage in conjunction with a solar panel system developed by SunEdison, according to Seeo CEO Hal Zarem, who I interviewed last week. The solar battery installation is a trial for now, but a sizable one: on the level of kilowatts and tens of kilowatts, explained Zarem. For comparison’s sake, the Nissan LEAF uses a 24 kilowatt hour battery, while an average cell phone will use 2,000 to 3,000 milliamp hour batteries (far smaller than a kilowatt hour of capacity).

Batteries, like the one Seeo has installed for SunEdison’s solar system, can act as storage for the energy produced by solar panels, so that when the sun goes down (or behind a cloud) the battery can then offer up the stored power. Utilities, building owners and even home owners are starting to see the benefits of having battery storage systems connected to solar systems, because power can be far more smooth and reliable. Likewise solar installer SolarCity has been working with Tesla’s batteries to sell a home battery system with its solar panels in certain markets.

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