When the German postal service Deutsche Post DHL decided in 2013 that it wanted to upgrade its fleet to electric powertrains, it couldn’t find a suitable vehicle or an OEM willing to develop one. So, in cooperation with a university spin-out called StreetScooter, it developed its own EV. By the end of 2017, over 4,000… Read more »
Circuit protection specialist Littelfuse has introduced its first series of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. In March, Littelfuse made a majority investment in the SiC technology development company Monolith Semiconductor. The LSIC1MO120E0080 Series, with a voltage rating of 1,200 V and ultra-low (80 mΩ) on-resistance, is the first SiC MOSFET to be released by the new… Read more »
The advantages of adding stationary energy storage to fast charging stations are well known. But chemical batteries may not be the only solution. The Israeli firm Chakratec, established in 2013, manufactures a kinetic energy storage solution based on a flywheel. Chakratec says its “kinetic battery” can provide a virtually limitless number of deep charge cycles… Read more »
Charging an EV consumes less energy than several common household appliances, according to data compiled by the DOE. For the typical US household, home heating is by far the biggest consumer of energy (11,300 kWh per year) followed by water heating (4,700 kWh per year). Based on average driving habits, charging a Nissan LEAF requires… Read more »
A123 Systems has invested in Solid Power, a developer of solid-state battery technology. Solid Power’s tech combines a high-capacity cathode with a high-capacity lithium metal anode in combination with a high-ionic-conductivity solid separator. The battery materials are 100 percent inorganic, and possess no flammable or volatile components. Solid Power says its batteries provide two to… Read more »
“This is the first truly new consumer device to be introduced in almost twenty years,” says Forest Williams, Director of Business and Channel Development at PowerFlex Systems. “Certainly this product will have the biggest impact on electrical systems and the grid since the advent of television in the 1950s.” Williams is referring, of course, to… Read more »
Continental’s AllCharge is a technology that aims to provide a universal charging experience for EVs. The way it sets out to do this is simple, yet surprisingly unique: Instead of using purpose-built charging components, AllCharge makes use of the existing components of an EV’s electric powertrain to charge the vehicle. “Normally you have to swallow… Read more »
Commercial vehicle upfitter XL Hybrids has announced that it will begin production of its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System for Ford F-250 pickups in the first quarter of 2018. The XL3 system will be offered as a ship-through upfit on 2018 F-250 pickups, and is compatible with a range of wheelbases, cab and bed configurations… Read more »
Austrian battery startup Kreisel Electric grabbed some attention in the EV media by facing off with a Model S in a converted Porsche Panamera. Now it’s in the spotlight again after announcing the backing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his nephew, Patrick Knapp-Schwarzenegger. The Governator, a longtime EV fan, became familiar with Kreisel when he hired… Read more »
Sponsored by EPCOS, a TDK Group Company By Joseph Pulomena, EPCOS Inc., A TDK Group Company Automobiles have changed significantly over the past 40 years from mechanical systems to computerized systems. As a result there is an increased need for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) filters in today’s electric and hybrid vehicles. The history 40 years ago… Read more »
