Wolfspeed, a Cree company, has introduced a fully-qualified all-SiC commercial power module. The 62 mm module is designed to offer high efficiency and power density for high-current power electronics such as converters/inverters, motor drives and other EV components. According to Wolfspeed, the new module achieves efficiency of over 98%, allowing system designers to realize systems… Read more »
Even as it insists that Europe should be a leader in electromobility, Volkswagen is collaborating with oil giant Shell to argue that EU planners should rely heavily on biofuels to meet proposed emissions targets. Executives from the two industrial giants recently released a study that proposes greater use of biofuels as an alternative to increasing… Read more »
An electric Ferrari? CEO Sergio Marchionne, a reliable EV skeptic, says no – a Ferrari with no engine noise would be “almost an obscene concept,” he said at this year’s Geneva Auto Salon. Eric Hutchison, of San Diego-based EV conversion company Electric GT, has other ideas. Hutchison rescued a burned-out 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS from… Read more »
California Truck Equipment Company (CTEC) and Indiana-based Rockport Commercial Vehicles are two of the latest vehicle builders to offer electric versions of their existing commercial vehicles. Both are using Motiv Power Systems’ All-Electric Powertrain, an OEM-installed package that includes batteries, motors, charging hardware and power for hydraulics and other accessories (see the July/August 2015 issue… Read more »
The Model 3 launch, which Tesla calls “the biggest consumer product launch ever,” is to be followed by what must be the biggest and fastest production ramp-up ever (those of little faith might prefer such adjectives as “quixotic” or “impossible”), Tangible evidence of this massive mobilization is beginning to appear. Tesla recently leased a million… Read more »
ClipperCreek has added an access control solution to its HCS Series Level 2 charging stations. The ChargeGuard option, designed for fleet, workplace, multi-tenant, hospitality and residential charging applications, delivers key-based access control. It’s a $78 option for HCS Series chargers, which start at $565. ChargeGuard is designed to be simple to use: plug the vehicle… Read more »
Silicon Valley companies are notoriously obsessed with creating the best possible user experience. So, it should come as no surprise that user ratings for Tesla’s Supercharger sites are better than ratings for other types of DC Fast Charging sites. PlugShare makes a free app that allows EV drivers to find and share information about charging… Read more »
Battery manufacturer Kreisel Electric has started construction on a new factory in Rainbach, Austria, which it calls 3K One. When the 67,000-square-foot plant comes online in March 2017, it will have the capacity to produce 800,000 kWh worth of batteries per year. The new facility will feature a fully automated production line, and will also… Read more »
Has Toyota decided that plug-in vehicles have a future after all? Or is the company just taking advantage of Chinese policies that incentivize people to buy PHEVs, even if they never plan to plug them in? Whatever its motivation may be, Toyota has announced that it will launch plug-in hybrid versions of the Corolla and… Read more »
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and the University of Utah will use $5.4 million that they scored in the latest round of Low-No grants from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase five New Flyer battery-electric buses. The e-buses will serve Salt Lake City and the University of Utah campus. New Flyer’s electric bus is based… Read more »
