Phinergy/Alcoa, MIT, Africar, Audi.

1,600 kilometres all-electric range, promised Phinergy and Alcoa with their aluminium-air battery (we reported). Now, both companies announced they will demonstrate the technology ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal, Canada. The key to the aluminum air’s high energy density is its construction. But technology is still at test phase.
hybridcars.com, transportevolved.com

No more platinum? Researchers at MIT found a way to replace platinum catalysts used in fuel cells with less expensive catalysts. Apparently, they can now produce so-called metal-terminated transition-metal carbides (TMCs), which exhibit catalytic activities similar to platinum group metals (PGMs). To tackle impurities, the MIT team developed a “removable ceramic coating method.”
greencarcongress.com, mit.edu

Electric car for Africa: Students of Munich’s Technical University are developing an electric vehicle with an extra-large loading area, designed to meet demands of Africa’s rural areas. If everything goes to plan, the ‘Africar’ could enter production within the next two or three years.
merkur-online.de (in German)

Audi ready for Le Mans: The German carmaker successfully completed 248 laps with its R18 e-tron on the Le Mans course ahead of the race. The racer survived 2,405 miles faultlessly and all eight drivers got a chance to get acquainted with the vehicle. Albuquerque and Bonanomi finished within 3m 23.799s and came in third in the overall test rating, just behind Toyota.
hybridcars.com