Engineers at Germany’s Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have developed a new concept for current and voltage sensors that may be particularly relevant to EV batteries. Battery monitoring typically requires as many current and voltage sensors as there are individual cells. RUB’s system uses only one of each, regardless of the number of cells. Moreover, both sensors… Read more »
Korean batterymaker LG Chem is one of the rising stars of the EV revolution. Its cells power the Chevy Volt, and its components are an integral part of the new Bolt. It will also supply the battery pack system and controls for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. This is translating into jobs in the… Read more »
December plug-in sales blew away last year’s figure, a cheery finale to a year that saw a huge increase. 159,139 EVs and PHEVs changed hands in 2016, a 37% increase over 2015’s 116,099. A new breeze seems to be blowing through boardrooms around the industry, from Toyota to Chrysler to Ford. As usual, Tesla heads… Read more »
It seems we’ve been waiting forever, but in fact, as these things go, it happened with lightning speed. Tesla’s game-changing Gigafactory has started producing battery cells, destined for the Powerwall and other energy storage products and, beginning in the second quarter, the Model 3. The sprawling Nevada plant is already assembling utility-scale Powerpacks for Southern… Read more »
China is one of the epicenters of the electromobility revolution, and a new proposal could make it much more so, while also giving a boost to American EV-makers such as Tesla. Currently, foreign automakers are allowed to produce vehicles in the country only through a joint venture with a local partner. Now China’s National Development… Read more »
UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has received an order from Chinese supplier ITL for 300 PowerPhasePro 135 e-drive propulsion systems. UQM’s PowerPhase Pro 135 provides peak torque of 340 N·m (251 lb-ft), peak power of 135 kW and continuous power of 80 kW. ITL, based in Beijing, will be supplying the electric drivetrain system for… Read more »
Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development program plans to invest up to $1.9 million in Vancouver-based Nano One, which currently produces energy storage materials and a range of nanostructured composite materials. The funding will support a pilot plant that will simulate full-scale production of lithium-ion cathode materials and showcase Nano One’s processing technology. Some promising… Read more »
Plug-in sales in China are going wild – annual sales for 2016 are expected to exceed 350,000. The country now has the largest plug-in fleet in the world: over 650,000 vehicles, surpassing Europe (630,000) and the US (560,000). Upcoming changes to government incentive programs contributed to a sales surge for small EVs in November. The… Read more »
Ford has announced that it plans to introduce 13 new electrified vehicles over the next five years, including hybrid versions of the F-150 pickup and Mustang. The automaker will invest $700 million to equip its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan to produce autonomous and electric vehicles, part of a $4.5-billion investment in electrified vehicles… Read more »
The powertrain joint venture announced in April by tech giants Valeo and Siemens has begun operations. Valeo Siemens eAutomotive is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, and is expected to have some 1,000 employees. It has plans to establish R&D centers in Europe and China. The JV’s portfolio includes motors, range extenders, onboard chargers, inverters and DC/DC… Read more »
