GM execs have released a preview of three detailed papers on the new plug-in hybrid propulsion system for the Cadillac CT6 (due to go on sale in China in 2016) that will be presented at the SAE World Congress in April (via Green Car Congress). The CT6 powertrain features a number of innovations, and a high… Read more »
Korean battery maker LG Chem will supply the 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack system and controls for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. LG Chem Power CEO Denise Gray recently noted that LG Chem’s cells, modules and batteries are currently powering some 490,000 vehicles, spanning all levels of electrification from micro-hybrids to BEVs. However, the… Read more »
Volvo has won an order for 11 plug-in hybrid buses from the city of Namur in Belgium, the largest order to date for the company’s electrified buses. The buses will run on electric power within the city’s new zero-emissions zone. Public transport authority TEC, which transports more than 250 million passengers per year, is also… Read more »
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has prohibited shipments of lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, responding to concerns by pilots and airplane manufacturers that they pose a fire risk. A 2015 paper published by an aircraft manufacturing trade group found that existing fire-fighting systems on airliners could not “suppress or extinguish a fire… Read more »
The infectious excitement of today’s EV industry recalls that of the early days of the internet. Bold entrepreneurs are hiring talented young techies for tiny startups that aspire to challenge the mighty multinationals – and by no means all the action is in California. The Croatian firm Rimac Automobili is a perfect example of the… Read more »
Engineering firm GKN Automotive recently demonstrated a new torque-vectoring electric drive system to customers at its Wintertest proving ground in Arjeplog, Sweden. Torque-vectoring technology provides the ability to vary the torque to each wheel, generating a yaw moment in the car. By controlling the power to each wheel separately, a vehicle can respond to inputs with more stability, more… Read more »
Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) specializes in the low-voltage application of switched-reluctance machines to vehicle powertrains, providing electrification of the propulsion system with near full hybrid capability. The UK-based company has invested £1 million in seven projects, including new durability test cells and a low-volume manufacturing facility. The new investment was partially funded by the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing… Read more »
European charging network operator Fortum Charge & Drive has teamed up with Swedish EVSE manufacturer Charge Amps to launch a home and workplace charging solution called Charge & Drive @home, which is aimed at commercial property owners and homeowners. The new product will be launched in Sweden first, followed by the other Nordic countries. Charge… Read more »
CLARIFICATION: ChargePoint is one of four companies chosen by the California Energy Commission among 35 applications to install chargers along Interstate 5, Highway 99 and US Route 101. The other companies who successfully bid on the contracts are NRG EV Services, Recargo and EV Connect. The contracts have been recommended by CEC staff, but have… Read more »
If you buy an EV this year, chances are next year’s model will offer a slightly better battery for the same price. As a result, resale values for most EVs are terrible (or wonderful, if you’re looking to buy a used car). Three-year-old Nissan LEAFs are going for around a quarter of their original MSRPs…. Read more »
