Newswire

Eaton launches e-drive gearing design services

Eaton has announced that its Vehicle Group is developing EV gearing solutions, drawing on its experience in producing transmissions and contract-manufactured gear sets for passenger and commercial vehicles. The company’s new technology complements its eMobility power electronics portfolio in the EV powertrain market. “We are partnering with OEM customers to leverage our expertise in simulation,… Read more »

Volvo to go fully electric by 2030, announces new C40 Recharge EV, online sales

Volvo became the latest automaker to announce a phaseout of fossil-fuel vehicles, and it did so with a stronger statement than GM, Ford and Jaguar have done. No “aspirations,” no plug-in hybrids, no exceptions for profitable models, and no geographic carve-outs: “Volvo Cars is committed to becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car… Read more »

Magna’s new Michigan plant to supply battery pack parts for Hummer EV

Magna has broken ground on a new manufacturing facility in St. Clair, Michigan, that will build battery enclosures for the upcoming 2022 GMC Hummer EV. Construction of the 345,000-square-foot facility, named Magna Electric Vehicle Structures, represents an investment of over $70 million. The new plant is expected to bring more than 300 jobs to the… Read more »

JAIST packs more juice into Li-ion batteries with silicon anodes and polymeric coatings

Although silicon anodes could greatly boost the capacity of Li-ion batteries, their performance rapidly degrades with use. Polymeric coatings can help solve this problem, but few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms. In a recent study, scientists from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) investigated how a poly(borosiloxane) (PBS) coating stabilizes the… Read more »

Efacec expands and upgrades its line of smart chargers

Portuguese charger manufacturer Efacec Power Solutions recently presented several new products and upgrades to existing lines. Efacec’s Level 2 Public Charger offers power levels from 11 kVA to 22 kVA, the ability to charge two EVs at once, smart charging features, over-the-air software updates, and optional payment terminal integration. With the latest generation, the company… Read more »

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s new in-line measurement system detects battery manufacturing defects

Thermo Fisher Scientific‘s new LInspector in-line measurement and control system is designed to detect defects in lithium-ion battery electrode coatings, electrode calendering and separator films during the manufacturing process, while reducing waste and improving battery quality.  The company says LInspector offers improved basis weight determination, increased scan coverage, measurement precision and sensor accuracy, as well… Read more »

Ford Mustang Mach-E turns heads with its looks, closes the deal with practicality and price

Man, this car is an attention-getter! The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been drawing far more comments and questions from passers-by than any of the dozens of other plug-in vehicles I’ve evaluated, including the Porsche Taycan and several Teslas. As I’ve been driving it around town, at least a dozen people per day have asked me… Read more »

LG to produce Tesla’s new 4680 battery cell at Korean factory

Tesla has recently introduced several battery innovations, including the new tabless 4680 cell, which it is believed to be producing in small quantities on a pilot line at its Fremont plant. However, the California carmaker has no intention of trying to produce all the cells it needs on its own. “The reason Tesla is doing… Read more »

Washington raises the stakes with California, proposing to phase out gas cars by 2030

Washington may soon become the third US state to fix a date for the end of the Oil Age. The state House Transportation Committee has voted 17-12 to advance a bill that would require all light-duty vehicles of model year 2030 and later registered in the state to be electric. The bill will now move… Read more »