Car and Driver reports that Nissan plans to show a Juke concept using the new e-Power drive system at the Tokyo auto show this fall. The e-Power system, which Nissan introduced in the Note in November, is a series hybrid that pairs a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine with a power generator and inverter. It shares… Read more »
Hitachi Automotive Systems and Honda have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint venture, with a capitalization of around 5 billion yen ($45 million), to develop and manufacture EV motors. Hitachi first started selling motors for electrified vehicles in 1999, and has since delivered “a high volume” of these motors to vehicle manufacturers… Read more »
Vehicles from South Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia often share components and technology, although the two brands compete in the marketplace. The Kia Niro hybrid wagon and the new Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid hatchback share the same platform and powertrain. The 2017 Ioniq will be offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric models – the EV… Read more »
Scottish battery management systems innovator Dukosi has secured £2 million in new investment funding, led by IP Group. Dukosi has developed a battery management system (BMS) that collects, processes and stores data directly at the cell. Using wireless technology, the system transmits real-time information on cell performance to support master-level control of the battery pack…. Read more »
Battery-maker Kokam’s new XPAND battery pack is aimed at heavy vehicles such as electric buses, trams, trucks and other commercial and industrial EVs. The XPAND battery pack will be offered in two versions: the 7.1 kWh XMP71P and the 11.4 kWh XMP114E. Both are scalable to support EV applications from 7.1 kWh to 1.5 MWh… Read more »
ChargePoint, which operates a network of more than 33,000 independently owned charging spots, has secured $82 million in funding, the first part of a larger fundraising round led by Daimler. The new investment will support the expansion of the company’s charging network into Europe. BMW i Ventures and other existing investors also participated in the… Read more »
As expected, the USA’s Climate-Change-Denier-In-Chief will move towards rolling back federal regulations on vehicle emissions. The change, which could undo one of President Barack Obama’s most significant environmental legacies, does not require action by Congress. Reuters reports that an announcement is expected from the Trump administration as soon as Tuesday. The expected order will reopen… Read more »
We may not have flying cars, but we could have flying packages very soon. In a recent test in a suburb of Tampa, UPS used a drone, launched from the top of an EV, to autonomously deliver a package and return to the vehicle, while the delivery driver continued along the route to make a… Read more »
A new process developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory could alleviate a bottleneck in battery manufacturing and deliver higher capacity batteries. It also conserves lithium, which improves battery capacity. In “Fast formation cycling for lithium ion batteries,” published in the Journal of Power Sources, Seong Jin An and colleagues explain that the formation process,… Read more »
Charged’s hometown of St Petersburg has become the second city in Florida to begin electrifying its bus fleet (Tallahassee’s StarMetro operates five Proterra e-buses). After two years of deliberation, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which serves the St Pete/Clearwater metro area, has decided to buy two BYD electric buses. The e-buses will serve Beach Drive,… Read more »
