Los Angeles Sanitation (LASAN) has completed a demonstration project using a Class 6 battery-electric refuse truck developed by BYD and Wayne Engineering. During the four-month pilot, the truck logged over 5,200 miles, and achieved an average range of 99 miles. Operating on the same routes and variable terrain as LASAN’s regular trucks, the e-garbage truck… Read more »
The coming generation of electric, autonomous vehicles promises to make transportation safer, more convenient and greener. However, these benefits won’t be fully realized unless users make the transition from private car ownership to a shared mobility model. That’s the conclusion of a new report, “Three Revolutions in Urban Transportation,” from a team at the University… Read more »
Four separate Chinese OEMs have selected a plug-in hybrid drivetrain made by Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) to integrate into their 8- and 12-meter buses. EDI will supply its EDI PowerDrive 6000 system, along with the EDI PowerSuite vehicle control software, to Shaanxi Automotive; Ankai; Xiamen Jinlong; and Yaxing Motors. Government regulations in China are driving… Read more »
Pacific Gas & Electric and BMW worked together on a pilot vehicle-to-grid program from July 2015 to December 2016. The iChargeForward program was designed to test the ability of EVs to support the electric grid through smart charging and demand response. The companies have now released the results of the pilot, which they say successfully… Read more »
As the US federal government abandons support for green technology, states are taking matters into their own hands. California Governor Edmund Brown recently traveled to China to sign an agreement to deepen cooperation on the development of green tech. The Governor met with President Xi Jinping as well as the country’s Minister of Science and… Read more »
Tesla recently earned another feather in its corporate cap, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded Model X a 5-star safety rating in every category. All versions of Model X earned a perfect score in every one of the 11 sub-categories, the first SUV ever to do so. NHTSA’s safety testing simulates a… Read more »
Poetic justice department: SF Motors, the new Chinese EV brand that recently opened an office in Silicon Valley, has bought an auto assembly plant where smoke-belching Hummers used to roll off the line, and plans to convert it to an EV manufacturing plant. AM General’s South Bend, Indiana plant also used to assemble SUVs for… Read more »
Sometimes range anxiety isn’t all in the mind. Just like legacy vehicles, EVs will occasionally run out of go juice, and when that happens, drivers need help from a roadside assistance vehicle that can provide a charge. With that in mind, Spain’s Royal Catalan Automobile Club has equipped a roadside assistance car with technology from… Read more »
Infolytica has released new versions of its MagNet, ElecNet, ThermNet and OptiNet simulation software. Upgrades in version 7.8 include improved nonlinear material treatment in AC/time-harmonic simulations and expanded circuit modeling tools for complex control systems. Infolytica’s suite of computer-aided engineering software is designed to handle the most complex electromagnetic and electric field simulations. Engineers, scientists… Read more »
If you’re wondering how quickly EVs could take over from legacy vehicles, you might look at early adopter Norway, where plug-ins now represent 33% of all auto sales. Of the top 10 cars sold in the country in May, only two were non-electrified models. The Norwegian plug-in market continued its steady rise in May, growing… Read more »
