Another milestone on the road to self-driving cars was reached this week as Tesla released a software update that apparently brings the capabilities of cars with Autopilot 2.0 to near-parity with those of the first-generation Autopilot suite. As aficionados know, Tesla vehicles built since October 2016 are equipped with second-generation Autopilot hardware (including eight cameras… Read more »
Toshiba’s latest addition to its SCiB line of lithium-ion batteries, the SIP series of modules for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), will be available in April. AGVs are mobile robots used to transport materials around factory floors, warehouses, hospitals and offices. Most current AGVs use lead batteries, which suffer from long charge times and short lifecycles…. Read more »
Before a lithium-ion battery is installed in a vehicle, it must undergo a lengthy process called formation, in which it is charged and discharged to control the initial chemical reactions with lithium. Many of these reactions are irreversible and permanently decrease the battery’s available energy. The process requires expensive lithium to be part of the… Read more »
Canada-based Mkango Resources has teamed with UK-based Metalysis to develop and commercialize novel rare earth metal alloys for use in 3D-printed permanent magnets. The two companies envisage a comprehensive R&D program, taking advantage of Mkango’s knowledge about the performance characteristics and demand outlook for rare earth magnets and Metalysis’s solid-state process, which it says can… Read more »
NH Research has released a higher-voltage, higher-power version of its single-channel 9210 series battery test system. The 9210 Series provided a 12 kW power module operating at 40, 120 or 600 Volts, which allowed paralleling with similar systems to increase the power. The new 9300 system provides a 100 kW power module with a software-selectable… Read more »
Tesla is on a serious roll this time. Both deliveries and production set new records in the first quarter of 2017, a promising sign for the Model 3 ramp-up. As the good news piles up, TSLA stock is soaring, making Tesla the most valuable American carmaker. According to a company press release, deliveries are up… Read more »
Toshiba, in cooperation with Waseda University, has completed a year-long field test of electric buses equipped with its wireless rapid rechargeable battery system. In the test, a small and a medium-size bus, both customized to run on Toshiba’s SCiB batteries (the medium-size bus used a 52.9 kWh battery pack), provided regular service between All Nippon… Read more »
Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) has completed the integration of its EDI PowerDrive technology into a new OEM platform, Freightliner. The newly available Freightliner M2 truck rounds out EDI’s portfolio of Class 3 to 6 zero-emission utility vehicles. The new utility vehicle features the EDI PowerDrive 6000 plug-in electric drivetrain. According to EDI, it delivers over… Read more »
France-based Silicon Mobility, a provider of semiconductor control solutions, has introduced a software library and an application optimized for its OLEA chips. OLEA is Silicon Mobility’s family of products for automotive applications, and includes a hardware-flexible interface for real-time data processing and deterministic control of actuators and sensors and SILant, as well as a functional… Read more »
Alstom and NTL have presented a new electric public transport vehicle with a unique design. The layout of the new Aptis is based on that of a tram, incorporating low-floor accessibility and 360° views. Two or three large double doors enable easy on-and-off passenger flows and smooth access for wheelchairs and strollers. Aptis has four… Read more »
