Last year, 85% of all new medium- and heavy-duty buses (over 3.5 tons) registered in the European Union were fueled by diesel, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, a trade group that represents 16 major European car, truck and bus makers. “Alternatively-powered vehicles” (including natural gas, hybrid and electric) combined accounted for 15% of… Read more »
SK Innovation has announced additional investment in its US battery business to fund the construction of a second EV battery plant in Georgia. The company plans to invest a total of $2.5 billion to build two plants at its site in Commerce, Georgia, with a combined annual capacity of 21.5 GWh. SK broke ground on… Read more »
Colorado-based Lightning Systems, a manufacturer of zero-emission drivetrains for commercial fleets, has introduced Lightning Mobile, a mobile DC fast charger. Equipped with 192 kWh of high-energy-density, liquid-cooled battery storage in a package that can be installed in a vehicle or trailer for mobile deployment, Lightning Mobile is designed to provide on-demand roadside charging. Lightning Systems… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released the final draft of the Advanced Clean Trucks standard. The latest proposal, which is stronger than previous drafts, is the first in the nation that would create a zero-emission mandate for trucks. The proposed rule would require automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission trucks each… Read more »
Ten years after ArcelorMittal introduced its first S-in motion study for ICE vehicles, the company has released a new set of S-in motion solutions for EVs. The S-in motion online car configurator shows how advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and smart solutions can be deployed to meet the weight, safety, cost and sustainability performance targets of… Read more »
Researchers at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently demonstrated a 20-kilowatt bi-directional wireless charging system installed on a UPS medium-duty, plug-in hybrid electric delivery truck. In the demo, the system transferred power at more than 92% efficiency between the truck and a charging pad across an 11-inch air gap, using two electromagnetic coupling… Read more »
LG Chem recently announced that it will invest 65 billion South Korean won ($54 million) by Q1 of next year to add 1,200 tons of carbon nanotube (CNT) production capacity to its Yeosu, South Korea plant. Once the expansion is made, the company will have a total production capacity of 1,700 tons. LG Chem says… Read more »
GM is one of several automakers that had ambitious EV plans in the pipeline before the global health crisis hit. Now lockdowns are being lifted, but the outlook for the auto industry is bleak. Will GM’s EV programs fall victim to cost-cutting, as a planned Lincoln/Rivian collaboration already has? Ken Morris, a 31-year GM veteran… Read more »
Martensitic steels—materials that are both corrosion-resistant and hardenable via heat treating to a wide range of hardness and strength levels—lend themselves to applications in the aerospace, automotive and defense industries, in which high-strength, lightweight parts need to be manufactured inexpensively. Researchers from Texas A&M University, in collaboration with scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory,… Read more »
Protecting automotive electronics from high temperatures and electromagnetic interference to improve the performance of xEVs and Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Powered by advancements in technology, the implementation of ADAS and electrified vehicles is rapidly accelerating. The complex systems that power these new vehicles rely on electronics—making reliable operation of these systems critical for safe vehicle… Read more »
