Sponsored by ODU-USA Although mass-produced hybrid and electric cars have been commercially available since the 1990’s, the field is still very much in an evolutionary state, driven largely by two key factors: Greater vehicle range Shorter stops at re-charging stations The second of these does not necessarily imply actual re-charging. A more recent innovation involved… Read more »
NEVS, former owner or the Saab brand, has formed a strategic partnership with mobility service provider DiDi Chuxing to develop an EV that’s optimized for a self-driving, on-demand mobility service. The first vehicle used in the cooperation will be the NEVS 9-3. DiDi Chuxing, which acquired Uber China in August 2016, offers a range of… Read more »
Tesla has announced plans to acquire Minnesota-based Perbix, which builds some of the equipment used at Tesla’s factories. Perbix, founded as a maker of machining equipment 41 years ago, has provided Tesla with automated tools, including a system that makes drive-unit rotors. Tesla also has Perbix equipment in its Nevada Gigafactory. “Perbix, which has been… Read more »
Reborn automaker Fisker has filed patents for a new type of solid-state battery technology that it says could lead to much greater energy density and faster charging times. According to Fisker, current limitations of solid-state technology include low electrode current density, limited temperature ranges and non-scalable manufacturing processes. Other drawbacks include: low power and low… Read more »
A new analysis from the nonprofit organization Ceres and M.J. Bradley & Associates finds that the benefits of increased investment in EV charging infrastructure outweigh the costs by more than 3 to 1. “Accelerating Investment in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure” evaluates the need for charging infrastructure – including both private and public chargers – in… Read more »
Lamborghini’s Terzo Millennio concept car, unveiled at the recent EmTech conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the first product of a partnership between the automaker and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The “third millennium” supercar is just the beginning for the Lamborghini/MIT team – their future plans include the development of supercapacitors powerful enough to drive… Read more »
Tesla isn’t the only company demonstrating pent-up demand for EVs. Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) says it has received $300 million worth of pre-orders for its W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup truck. CEO Stephen Burns told Autoblog that soliciting advance orders was part of the company’s strategy. “We couldn’t build it and hope [customers] came,” he said…. Read more »
Oerlikon Fairfield will present a new electric drive system for off-highway vehicles at this month’s Agritechnica show in Hanover, Germany. The system integrates an Oerlikon Fairfield Torque Hub planetary drive with an Interior Permanent Magnet Motor produced by Ashwoods Electrical Motors. The new drive system delivers 4,000 Nm of drive torque and 5,600 Nm of… Read more »
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently broke ground on its new Southern California headquarters. The 380,000-square-foot building will be home to one of the world’s largest and most advanced vehicle emissions testing and research facilities. The new headquarters will include light-, medium- and heavy-duty test cells, space for onboard diagnostics and portable emissions measurement… Read more »
In June 2016, Siemens launched a pilot eHighway system in Sweden – two plug-in hybrid trucks performing en route charging via an overhead catenary. Now the company, in collaboration with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), is conducting a one-mile eHighway demonstration near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The catenary… Read more »
