Samsung SDI has completed construction of a new EV battery plant in Hungary. Located in the town of Goed, 30 kilometers north of Budapest, the plant is capable of producing batteries for 50,000 vehicles annually. Operations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2018. The new plant will allow the company to save… Read more »
All Tesla vehicles produced since October 2016 are equipped with a powerful computer that will eventually enable fully self-driving capability. Nvidia describes its Drive PX 2 as “the world’s first AI supercomputer for self-driving cars.” It has the computing power of about 150 MacBook Pros, and the company estimates that one can support Level 4… Read more »
As more and more automakers are accelerating their plans for an electric future, sales of existing EV models are also gathering momentum. Monthly US plug-in vehicle sales have now beaten previous-year figures for 20 consecutive months. The trend continued in May, as an estimated 16,568 plug-ins were sold, a gain of 44% over last May…. Read more »
EVs are growing in popularity, but where are the electric pickup trucks? Havelaar, which has operations in Canada, the Netherlands and China, is one of the few pioneers of plug-in pickups. The company revealed its new Bison E-Pickup, which it developed in collaboration with the University of Toronto, at the recent EVVE Conference in Ontario…. Read more »
KS HUAYU AluTech, a member of Rheinmetall Automotive, has booked a major order from a German carmaker for electric motor housings. The €100-million contract will run for seven years. Production of the aluminum housings is scheduled to begin in mid-2018 at a Rheinmetall subsidiary in China. The components will be used in several all-electric models,… Read more »
Wolfspeed, a specialist in silicon carbide (SiC) power products, has released a new power module that’s designed to withstand high-humidity, high-temperature and high-voltage conditions. The new all-SiC module, rated for 300 A and 1.2 kV blocking, passed a reliability test that subjected it to an environment of 85% relative humidity and 85° C ambient temperature… Read more »
Audi Chairman of the Board Rupert Stadler said at the company’s recent annual meeting that Audi plans to launch three new electric models by 2020, after which the brand will gradually electrify models in each of its core series. The first to go into production will be the e-tron quattro SUV, due next year. Audi… Read more »
Envision Solar’s EV ARC is a stand-alone solar-powered charger that fits inside a parking space and generates enough electricity to power up to 225 miles of EV driving each day. New York City has awarded the company a three-year contract worth $3.8 million. The city’s first order will be for at least thirty EV ARC… Read more »
We may not have heard the last of the dirty diesel scandal. Two of the Big Three automakers have recently been served with lawsuits alleging behavior similar to that which may end up costing VW $20 billion. The US Justice Department has filed a civil complaint on behalf of the EPA, claiming that Fiat Chrysler… Read more »
A new report from the non-profit Acadia Center presents a strategy for seven states in the Northeast to use market-ready technologies to establish a low-carbon energy system by the year 2030. EnergyVision 2030 describes a path to reducing carbon emissions by 45% (from 1990 levels) by 2030, and by 80% by 2050. Reaching these goals… Read more »
