Chinese automaker Xpeng is the most recent of a string of EV-makers to launch a headline-grabbing IPO. The company’s US stock-market debut (NYSE: XPEV) raised $1.5 billion off the bat, and the stock posted healthy gains on its first day. However, as John Voelcker writes in The Drive, the exploits of Xpeng and its Chinese… Read more »
Canadian automotive supplier Inmotive has launched a new two-speed transmission. The new Ingear features a simple and durable design that’s designed to enable a more efficient powertrain, with extended range, at a lower cost. Typically, an EV has two reduction gears between the electric motor and the wheels, with the motor turning about nine times… Read more »
FEV has developed a combined simulation and testing process for the optimization of thermal propagation behavior in automotive battery packs. The company claims the process can help to reduce the risk of injury and damage from battery cell thermal runaway, while also saving development time and cost. Thermal runaway is a key safety aspect for… Read more »
UK parking app provider RingGo recently conducted a survey of UK drivers, which found that only 40% of respondents would consider an EV for their next car. Price appears to be the main objection, but charging infrastructure and range are also factors—almost a third of respondents who are open to EVs said they want to… Read more »
The DOE has announced FY2020 federal funding for projects that support new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies. Enovix has been selected to advance R&D on lithium-ion batteries using silicon-based anodes. The selection, recommended by the Vehicle Technologies Office, authorizes Enovix to complete negotiations for a $3.2-million federal award funded through the DOE’s Office of Energy… Read more »
Mersen, a specialist in thermal management, overcurrent protection devices and laminated monitoring bus bars, and F & K DELVOTEC, a designer of laser bonding equipment and processes, have joined forces to create Infini-Cell, a new solution to support 21700 series battery assembly systems. F & K DELVOTEC says its laser bonder interface guarantees a high-speed,… Read more »
Amazon has ordered 10 battery electric trucks from Lion Electric, and the first two will be delivered this year. Amazon plans to use Lion’s trucks in its middle-mile trucking operations, transporting items within the company’s network. Lion will provide a training session for Amazon’s drivers, and will also establish a maintenance program for the trucks…. Read more »
A pair of industrial coating specialists, Dürr and Techno Smart, have reached an agreement to provide technologies for coating lithium-ion battery electrodes. Dürr CEO Ralf W. Dieter said, “With Techno Smart as our cooperation partner, we want to secure a larger share of this future-oriented market. The Japanese company’s coating systems are in high demand… Read more »
Vehicle manufacturers and materials suppliers are facing increasing packaging challenges as EV designs continue to push for higher power densities, while footprints remain static or become smaller. Higher performance levels mean higher junction temperatures, which in turn require higher thermal reliability and novel thermal management alternatives. These factors create unique reliability challenges for EV power… Read more »
Battery startup Anzode has received a $1.7-million award for a three-year effort to develop a new generation of non-lithium batteries, as part of the California Energy Commission (CEC) Grant Funding Opportunity “Developing non-Lithium Ion Energy Storage Technologies to Support California’s Clean Energy Goals.” The CEC has awarded almost $11 million for developers of energy storage… Read more »
