In 2020, a total of 134.5 GWh of passenger EV battery capacity was deployed globally in newly sold passenger EVs, an increase of 39.6% over the prior year, according to an analysis by Adamas Intelligence. This figure excludes an additional 15 to 20 GWh of installed passenger EV battery capacity idling in sales channels and… Read more »
Effenco, a designer of electric propulsion systems for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, says its new electric solution is available at the same purchase price as diesel alternatives. Effenco’s powertrain uses ultracapacitors to optimize the battery load and increase efficiency. The company says its ultracapacitors also enable much faster charging than competing systems, and it’s equipped with… Read more »
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro covered a lot of ground in their recent video chat, discussing a great number of advances and improvements to Tesla’s vehicles and manufacturing processes. Here’s just one tidbit that many may have overlooked: beginning with the upcoming Model S/X refresh, Tesla plans to abandon the century-old lead-acid battery technology in… Read more »
One of the most significant innovations Tesla introduced with Model Y was the replacement of about 70 parts with two enormous aluminum castings. Now the company says it has plans to take this idea a step further by developing a battery pack that forms part of the structure of the vehicle, linking the front and… Read more »
Some EVs employ regenerative braking to recover energy whenever the accelerator pedal is released, while others simply allow the vehicle to coast. For the new ID.4 electric compact SUV, Volkswagen decided that coasting will take priority because energy conversion inevitably leads to losses. This applies to the Drive position, which is activated by default upon… Read more »
Which auto brands will meet the EU’s ever-tightening emissions targets? The answer may provide an indication of which brands are serious about electrification. Mercedes-Benz seems to want to be included on that list—the company reported significant progress on its “journey towards CO2 neutrality” in 2020. Mercedes-Benz Cars sold more than 160,000 PHEVs and EVs worldwide… Read more »
Brazilian beverage maker Ambev has ordered 1,000 electric delivery trucks from manufacturer FNM (Fábrica Nacional de Mobilidades). The trucks, which FNM developed in collaboration with vehicle manufacturer Agrale, will use battery packs from California-based Octillion Power Systems and electric drivetrains from Danfoss Editron. Ambev expects to deploy the 1,000 electric delivery vehicles by the end… Read more »
This is a meeting that promises to be fascinating for any EV fan—Elon Musk speaks to auto manufacturing expert Sandy Munro for over 45 minutes. Sandy has become something of an internet star of late for his insightful comments (both positive and negative) about Teslas and other EVs. In this new video on the Munro… Read more »
If urban drivers who lack garages or assigned parking spaces are to go electric, some sort of easily accessible public charging infrastructure will need to be developed. One proposed solution is a network of local “superhubs” of DC fast chargers. Electric transportation company Revel is building just such a Superhub at the historic former Pfizer… Read more »
Ford’s Q4 2020 earnings report included an announcement that the automaker will increase its investments in electrification to at least $22 billion through 2025, nearly twice the previously-announced level (the company also committed an additional $7 billion to autonomous vehicle tech). As auto analyst John Voelcker pointed out, Ford’s figure tops GM’s announced investment of… Read more »
