The Volkswagen Group has invested approximately $100 million in California battery QuantumScape, following six years of collaboration with the firm. VW also announced that it aims to have a production facility for solid-state batteries by 2025. VW estimates that solid-state battery technology could more than double capacity compared with its current batteries, for example boosting… Read more »
Only one year after they were first introduced, Cree’s Wolfspeed Technologies has announced its third generation of 1,200 V SiC MOSFETs. Designed for EV powertrain applications, Wolfspeed claims that the MOSFET has the highest figure of merit on the market today, with low drain-source on resistance (RDS) performance and the industry’s lowest switching losses. Samples are currently available… Read more »
IONITY, a joint venture of BMW, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Group, has a mission to build a charging network along major routes across Europe. Swiss electronics giant ABB has announced that it has been selected as IONITY’s main technology partner and supplier. IONITY recently opened a pilot station in Switzerland, on the A2 motorway… Read more »
The Chicago Transit Board has awarded a $32-million contract for the purchase of 20 Proterra electric buses. Proterra, which has manufactured e-buses for over 60 transit agencies and other clients across the US, won the contract following a competitive bid process. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has been testing two electric buses since 2014 –… Read more »
Automotive supplier Webasto is set to acquire AeroVironment’s Efficient Energy Systems (EES) branch, pending several more heaps of paperwork. The $35-million acquisition includes EES’s charging and docking technologies, further diversifying Webasto’s portfolio. Webasto originally specialized in heating, cooling and sunroof design for automotive applications, but it has been steadily working to expand into the EV energy… Read more »
Volkswagen has successfully simulated several molecules commonly found in batteries using quantum computing. The simulations currently include simple chemicals such as lithium-hydrogen and carbon chains, but will eventually include more complex compounds. The end goal is a simulation of an entire battery without the use of a physical model. Volkswagen will share its work at the upcoming… Read more »
Fleet management specialist Ryder System (NYSE: R) has reserved 500 new Chanje Energy medium-duty electric panel vans, which will be delivered as lease agreements are finalized. This is in addition to the 125 trucks Ryder ordered last year. Ryder is the exclusive sales channel and service partner for Chanje, and is offering truck leasing and… Read more »
Magnetic sensors have several automotive applications, including determining the positions of clutch pedals, engine strokes, and valves. However, their use has been limited to linear position measurements. The current standard, Hall sensors, can only detect changes in the magnetic field perpendicular to its chip. TDK Corporation has introduced the new HAR 379x sensor, which uses its… Read more »
Engineers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida have recently made a breakthrough in the development of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). Current liquid electrolytes require thick, heavy housings in order to prevent leaks and fires from punctures, increasing their bulk and weight. SPEs solve many of these problems, but until recently, they were… Read more »
European fast charging network operator Fastned has opened its first station in Germany. The new station is located along the A3 highway at Limburg an der Lahn, and features several 350 kW DC chargers. The roof of the station is equipped with solar panels. According to Fastned, all the energy delivered by its network comes… Read more »
