Japanese conglomerates TDK and Toshiba have agreed to establish a joint venture to manufacture automotive inverters for hybrids, PHEVs and EVs. With an eye on the global trend toward stricter emissions regulations, TDK is strengthening its energy unit business, which centers on power conversion hardware, and the controlling software, for electrified vehicles. TDK’s line-up includes… Read more »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced a $2.7- million investment in UK-based QinetiQ’s electric hub-drive technology. QinetiQ’s hub-drive replaces gearboxes, differentials, and drive shafts with compact electric motors contained completely within the wheels, significantly reducing the overall weight of a vehicle. QinetiQ is developing the hub-drive system as part of DARPA’s Ground… Read more »
China has been heavily promoting EVs and other “new energy vehicles,” in order to reduce its choking air pollution, cut dependence on oil imports and give it a leg up in the global auto industry. According to UBS Securities, Chinese governments at all levels invested around 90 billion yuan ($13 billion) in plug-in vehicles in… Read more »
Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) has introduced a reference design that adds Wi-Fi connectivity to an EV charging station, enabling drivers to remotely monitor and control the charging of their vehicles. The new reference design uses TI’s SimpleLink Wi-Fi wireless microcontroller (MCU) technology, which allows designers to create stations that intelligently charge at non-peak times or… Read more »
XALT Energy, a manufacturer of prismatic, large-format battery cells and packs, has launched a new Lithium Titanium Oxide (LTO) cell that it says has achieved better cycle life performance over a wider range of operating conditions than any lithium-ion cell ever built. XALT’s Li-ion LTO cell offers specific energy greater than 76 wh/kg, and specific… Read more »
The latest addition to ClipperCreek’s diverse line of EV charging equipment is a system that allows two charging stations to share power from one branch circuit. Share2 is an option for the HCS-40 line of chargers that allows charging station owners to install two 32 A Level 2 charging stations on one 40 A circuit…. Read more »
Uber continues its experiments with EVs (the company began a pilot using BYD E6s last year in Chicago, and has also runs trials of EVs in South Africa and Portugal). The company’s latest electrical adventure is taking place in London, where Uber will offer its drivers the option to lease BYD and Nissan EVs. A… Read more »
Many EVs, such as the Tesla Model S and BMW i3, offer a feature that people are calling “one-pedal driving.” Regenerative braking slows the car down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, so once you get used to driving this way, it’s rarely necessary to touch the brake pedal. As it… Read more »
Colorado-based motor manufacturer UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has secured several commercial customers as early adopters of its drivetrain solution, the PowerPhase DT. Hybrid Kinetic Group, Wuzhoulong Motors and ITL in China; and ADOMANI in the US will be collaborating with UQM and suppliers Pi Innovo and Eaton to develop heavy-duty commercial and transit EVs…. Read more »
Fortum Charge & Drive, which operates a network of over 812 affiliated smart chargers in the Nordic countries, is hard at work building charging corridors along the highways of Norway, the world’s EV capital. By the end of this year, Fortum will offer charging stations with CCS/CHAdeMO fast charging capabilities every 31 miles along the… Read more »
