GM has released some details of the second-generation Voltec electric-drive system that will power the 2016 Volt. According to Volt Lead Engineer Andrew Farah, the primary goals for the new powertrain were to improve performance, raise overall efficiency, and cut engine noise. The new Volt has a pair of electric motors, either or both of… Read more »
Lately it seems that almost every EV-related headline has to include a reference to Tesla, however tenuous. However, there may be some substance to this week’s news, as four major automakers have at least hinted at plans to directly challenge Tesla with new high-end EV models. In a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts,… Read more »
The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded Volvo Group spinout PowerCell 7 million kronor ($964,000) to develop a fuel cell system for use in a modular range extender system for EVs. PowerCell, together with its partners in the MoRE Zero consortium, will develop a scalable fuel cell system on the order of 20-25 kW, which will… Read more »
BMW has bet big on carbon fiber – it’s a key material in the groundbreaking i3 and i8 EVs, and the Bavarian automaker is steadily increasing production of the stuff. However, the miracle material is still too expensive for most automakers to take advantage of its strength and light weight – the average cost of… Read more »
Chinese EV maker BYD has sold 34 electric taxis in Brussels, capital of the EU, embarrassing the more established players Renault and Nissan. “I’d rather have chosen a European brand than a Chinese one of course,” said Luigi Marrocco, CEO of Taxis Bleus, one of the two biggest taxi companies in Brussels. “But when it… Read more »
Nissan has begun testing its LEAF to Home power supply system, which aims to use EV technology to help power grids cope with peaks in demand, provide power during natural disasters, and make electricity from renewable sources more viable. Energy management firm Eneres is conducting the tests, using LEAF EVs at several Nissan sales outlets…. Read more »
Assembly specialist Böllhoff and adhesive expert DELO have developed a new joining method for lightweight materials using a bonded bolt called ONSERT. The technology is ideally suited to carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and the companies have tested it in a pilot project that secured cables, claddings and other components of the BMW i3. DELO… Read more »
The latest idea for reducing vehicle weight comes from the German engineering colossus Siemens, which has developed a way to integrate an EV’s motor and inverter in a single housing. An inverter, which converts the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the motor, is a key component of any EV. Siemens’ Sivetec MSA 3300… Read more »
Odyne Systems has delivered six new plug-in hybrid trucks to Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility. The vehicles include three Terex Commander digger derricks, two Terex bucket trucks and an under-deck compressor vehicle with a Boss hydraulic lift and compressor. All six trucks were manufactured by Milwaukee-based DUECO, an independent provider of trucks for the utility… Read more »
Panasonic Enterprise Solutions has partnered with Powertree Services to build 68 EV charging stations at multi-unit residential properties in San Francisco. Each is part of a system that includes solar panels and battery storage. The installation will not only provide charging for vehicles, but also solar power to the buildings and load-balancing services to the… Read more »
