Ford’s new Escape Plug-In Hybrid boasts an EPA-estimated 37 miles of electric range, and what Ford says is a “best-in-class” fuel economy rating of 100 MPGe combined. This Escape features Ford’s fourth-generation hybrid propulsion system, which includes a new 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle hybrid engine and continuously variable transmission. The liquid-cooled, 14.4 kWh battery is located… Read more »
EV powertrain supplier Vitesco Technologies and silicon carbide specialist ROHM Semiconductor have signed a development partnership under which Vitesco will use ROHM’s SiC components to increase the efficiency of its EV power electronics. “Energy efficiency is of paramount importance in an EV. As the traction battery is the only source of energy in the vehicle,… Read more »
Passenger jets may be major consumers of fossil fuels, but the vehicles that refuel them need not be. Engineering firm Gaussin and oil giant Total, which supplies jet fuel to 280 airlines at 300 airports around the world, are jointly developing a fully electric aircraft refueller transporter (ART). The ART Full Elec (which could use… Read more »
In a newly-released report on the nickel sulfate industry, Roskill forecasts that the expanding EV industry will become the key driver of growth in nickel demand. In the past, the market for nickel sulfate was largely driven by the plating industry and non-Li-ion battery applications, such as NiMH and NiCd batteries, but year-over-year growth in… Read more »
Sponsored by Littelfuse The adoption of electric and hybrid electric vehicles depends on a network of charging stations. Consumers don’t want to run out of juice in a place where they cannot recharge their vehicles. Adoption also depends on reductions in charging time, the goal being to get EV charging time on par with a… Read more »
Following the French government’s announcement of an auto industry bailout that included some pro-EV measures, the German government has unveiled a stimulus package that advances vehicle electrification. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, along with its two governing partner parties, hashed out the agreement in a marathon 21-hour negotiating session. The package, which is expected… Read more »
Federal support for EVs in the US may have dwindled, but it hasn’t disappeared. The US DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $130 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program for 2020. The Low-No program funds the deployment of zero- and low-emission transit buses and supporting facilities. Eligible projects… Read more »
Samsung SDI has begun injecting capital into EcoPro EM, a joint venture with EcoPro BM, a supplier of EV battery cathode materials. Samsung said it will contribute 48 billion won ($39 million) to the joint venture for a 40% stake, while EcoPro BM will contribute 72 billion won ($58 million) for a 60% share. EcoPro… Read more »
Remember battery swapping? Following Tesla’s abandonment of the concept, and the spectacular rise and fall of Better Place, most in the EV industry probably wrote it off as a failed transitional technology. However, over in China, NIO has been diligently improving its battery swapping technology. The company introduced its Power Swap system in December 2017,… Read more »
AMTE Power and Britishvolt have announced plans to collaborate on what they call the UK’s first full-cycle battery cell “GigaPlant.” The parties have signed a memo of understanding (MoU) focused on the companies’ complementary ambitions to create and expand an onshore manufacturing supply chain. The collaboration would enable scalable production of a diverse portfolio of… Read more »
