Sevcon (Nasdaq: SEV), a global manufacturer of controls for electric and hybrid vehicles, has received a £400,000 grant from a UK government fund, which it will use to develop the next generation of its Gen4 controller. The new low-voltage controller will provide additional functionality and improved performance in a smaller package than its predecessor. “The… Read more »
Four years ago, researchers from nine European countries launched the MotorBrain project, which aimed to develop an EV drivetrain that didn’t need costly rare earth metals in the motor. Now they’re ready to present a prototype of a fully-integrated drivetrain with a rare-earth-free permanent magnet synchronous motor at this year’s CWIEME Berlin exhibition. “Rare earth metals… Read more »
The plug-in hybrid version of Cadillac’s CT6 large luxury sedan, which made its debut at this month’s Shanghai Motor Show, will use a version of GM’s second-generation Voltec hybrid system. The 18.4 kWh battery pack is the same size as the one in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which should give the new Caddy an electric… Read more »
We hear a lot of discussion in the EV industry about all the possible business models for public charging. Will paid public charging ever be a profitable business in its own right? Will plug-in vehicle drivers pay a premium to charge away from home? Or, will it make more sense for businesses to offer charging… Read more »
Norway celebrated the delivery of its 50,000th EV last week, as an EU agency ruled that the country’s generous economic incentives are in compliance with European competition rules. Norway’s many measures to promote elbiler, which include exemptions from taxes and tolls, free parking and charging, and access to priority lanes, had been under review by… Read more »
Tesla may have some competition in the residential storage market. Battery giant LG Chem has partnered with Eguana Technologies to develop a modular energy storage system called AC Battery. AC Battery is targeted at homeowners who want to store electricity from solar panels for later use. However it could also be aggregated for small commercial… Read more »
We’re used to seeing automobiles in various states of undress, but the BMW i3 is especially shameless, baring it all for the cameras of an ever-curious EV press. In January, the consulting firm Munro & Associates produced an entertaining video showing how its engineers took apart and reverse-engineered an i3. Now the firm has released… Read more »
While batteries and motors tend to get most of the press, a vehicle’s power electronics is just as important to the overall efficiency of a powertrain, and thus to its range and performance. International automotive supplier Continental, which produces power electronics components for five European automakers, has announced that its next-generation system will enter series production… Read more »
Tesla’s new residential and utility-scale batteries, which have the potential to revolutionize the energy market, are expected to be publicly unveiled this week. Invitations to the April 30th event teased the new product line as “the missing piece.” The company has been quietly installing systems for a while now – in a California pilot with… Read more »
Tesla’s Model 3, the promised EV for Everyman, is due to disrupt the automotive world in 2017, but the company has yet to complete an alpha engineering prototype. Should we be worried? Automakers are usually secretive about this sort of stuff, but it seems that developing alpha and beta prototypes are milestones that CEO Elon… Read more »
