Sponsored by TTI By Mike Gardner, Director of the Advanced Technology Market Development at Molex. What the future of connected vehicles means for suppliers, and how Molex is navigating the transition. Take a look at the headlines and it’s clear: connected vehicle technology—which allows a vehicle to gather data and communicate with its surroundings—is about… Read more »
The e-mobility business of power management company Eaton has launched the Flex Power Distribution Unit (PDU) for high-voltage EVs. The Flex PDU is designed to protect vehicle power electronics from short circuits, crashes and system faults. Features of the Flex PDU include: Isolation detection Voltage and current sensing Precharge functionality High-voltage interlock Circuit protection and… Read more »
A new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute (via Forbes) finds that improvements in the cost and performance of batteries are quickly outpacing forecasts, due to massive investments in battery manufacturing and steady advances in technology. According to RMI’s Breakthrough Batteries Report, venture capital firms invested over $1.4 billion in battery tech in the first… Read more »
Swiss electronics company ABB has acquired a majority stake in Chargedot, a Chinese EV charging provider. Chargedot supplies AC and DC charging stations, as well as an accompanying software platform. ABB offers services and products such as grid distribution and charging points. Tarak Mehta, President of ABB’s Electrification business, said, “With China forging ahead in… Read more »
Scientists at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Lab have uncovered a “root” cause of the growth of needle-like structures – known as dendrites and whiskers – that plague lithium batteries and can cause short circuit, failure, and even fire. Dendrites are tiny, rigid tree-like structures that can grow inside a lithium battery. Their needle-like projections… Read more »
Green Watt Power has launched a new series of onboard AC chargers. The EVC3400 charger features an IP66 rating for high-stress environments, as well as a high-density, low-profile design for flexible mechanical integration. Fan- or liquid-cooled designs are available. The fan-version EVC-116-3400 has dimensions of 240 x 187 x 70 mm (9.45 x 7.36 x… Read more »
A new report from Navigant Research has found that public charger deployments are positively affecting plug-in vehicle adoption, although the sustainability of the business model is in doubt due to low utilization among early EV adopters, which makes private investment difficult. The report, “Leveraging Charging Infrastructure to Accelerate EV Sales,” analyzes the relationship between public… Read more »
The War on Fuel Economy Standards took another twist, as the Trump administration backed down from its plan to freeze fuel economy standards. “People familiar with the process” told the Wall Street Journal that the administration is now considering calling for a 1.5% annual increase in corporate average fuel efficiency. This target would be a… Read more »
The e-mobility business of power management company Eaton has launched a four-speed transmission for heavy-duty commercial EVs. Designed for Class 7 and 8 vehicles, the new transmission features fine-pitch helical gears and low-noise operation. Eaton said its new gearbox does not have a clutch and is synchronized via the traction motor. The transmission is scheduled… Read more »
Supermarket chain Morrisons has plans for what it calls the UK’s largest network of ultra-fast chargers. This week, Morrisons unveiled its first 50 GeniePoint rapid chargers at stores across the UK. It plans to install a further 50 by 2020. Customers must join the organization, which is free, to use the GeniePoint chargers. There is… Read more »