BMW has doubled its production capacity of high-voltage batteries at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The battery facility now produces new fourth-generation batteries for the plug-in hybrid models of BMW’s new X5 and its future X3, both of which are also produced in Spartanburg. In the past four years, the plant’s battery assembly team… Read more »
Chinese EV startup Seres (formerly SF Motors) has selected a new co-CEO, James Taylor, and announced that it will delay the launch of its SF5 EV crossover in the US. Speaking to a visiting group from China, Taylor, a former senior executive at GM, said the company’s R&D is still led by its Silicon Valley… Read more »
Sponsored by TTI By Mike Gardner, Director of the Advanced Technology Market Development at Molex. What the future of connected vehicles means for suppliers, and how Molex is navigating the transition. Take a look at the headlines and it’s clear: connected vehicle technology—which allows a vehicle to gather data and communicate with its surroundings—is about… Read more »
German parts maker ZF has launched a two-speed electric axle drive system for passenger cars. The drive, which integrates an electric motor with a shift element and power electronics, is compatible with standard-sized and compact cars. The modular design enables it to be scaled up for sports vehicles, according to the company, allowing manufacturers to… Read more »
The Canadian government has announced a new $4.5-million challenge aimed at accelerating made-in-Canada battery innovation to better position the country in the global market. The Charging the Future Challenge will help accelerate the most promising Canadian battery innovations from lab to market. During the 18-month challenge, five finalists will pitch their concepts to a jury… Read more »
The Volkswagen Group’s plant in Zwickau, Germany is undergoing a massive modernization process. When it’s done, the facility will be one of the biggest all-electric car factories in the world. The German automaker is investing some €1.2 billion to shift the plant’s production from three legacy models to six pure EVs from VW, Seat and… Read more »
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will join EV100, The Climate Group’s business initiative on electric vehicles. Through the initiative, AstraZeneca pledges to transition its fleet of 16,000 vehicles to EVs. AstraZeneca is the 50th business and first global healthcare company to join EV100, which now includes companies representing $900 billion in annual turnover and 2.8 million employees,… Read more »
Chinese EV maker BYD and Toyota have signed an agreement for the joint development of electric vehicles. The two companies will develop sedans and low-floor SUVs as well as the onboard batteries for these vehicles and others. They aim to launch the new models in the Chinese market under the Toyota brand in the first… Read more »
E-plane startup Bye Aerospace has begun flight tests of its two-seat eFlyer 2 prototype, equipped with a new 90 kW Siemens SP70D production motor. The new motor weighs 57 pounds and features a 90 kW peak rating (120 hp) and a continuous power rating of 70 kW (94 hp). In addition to the new motor,… Read more »
In-wheel motor pioneer Protean Electric has introduced a new ‘corner module’ concept that integrates a vehicle’s powertrain, steering and suspension within a single product. The new Protean360+ module offers a limitless 360-degree steering capability combined with suspension, pneumatic ride-height control, and a ProteanDrive in-wheel electric motor. The 360-degree steering capability is made possible by a… Read more »