Tesla has joined the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN), an organization formed a few months ago by several automakers and EVSE manufacturers with the mission of promoting technical standards for the Combined Charging System (CCS), and working to increase its capabilities. Observers of the charging scene differ as to the significance of the move. In the… Read more »
In February, engineering firm GKN Automotive announced a new torque-vectoring option for electric drive called eTwinster. Torque vectoring technology is generally defined as a vehicle’s ability to vary the power to each wheel. To quickly control the torque applied to the wheels independent of one another – increasing stability, responsiveness and agility – GKN’s new… Read more »
Philadelphia is set to become the first city in the Northeastern US to put battery-electric buses into service. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) plans to purchase 25 40-foot Proterra Catalyst e-buses, which will be deployed on two bus routes in South Philadelphia. Two canopy-style charging stations will be installed along the routes, and operators… Read more »
Ian Wright was a co-founder of Tesla, but he soon left to start his own company, partly because he felt that large commercial vehicles represented a better target for electrification than passenger cars (read more about Wright’s electrifying adventures in the April 2014 issue of Charged, and in the book Tesla Motors). Since then, Wrightspeed’s… Read more »
Williams Advanced Engineering is famous for its high-performance powertrains – it’s involved in building the Jaguar C-X75 hybrid supercar and an Aston Martin electric concept, as well as supplying batteries for the Formula E electric racing series. The company’s expertise about combining energy efficiency and performance can be applied to more prosaic vehicles as well…. Read more »
Airbus Group and Siemens have launched a joint project to explore the electrification of aviation. The goal is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of various hybrid/electric aircraft propulsion systems by 2020. The two giant companies plan to develop prototypes for propulsion systems with power classes ranging from a few hundred kilowatts up to 10 or… Read more »
Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory, which allows customers to watch their new vehicles being assembled, has been redesigned as a showcase for electromobility and digitalization. The site now features some 50 interactive exhibits, including a glass frame model of the e-Golf. Several of VW’s electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are available for test drives. The exhibition is… Read more »
As Tesla develops the mass-market Model 3, it is simultaneously working on the Nevada Gigafactory that will produce the boatloads of batteries required. When the futuristic factory is finished in 2020, it is expected to produce more lithium-ion batteries than all the world’s other battery factories combined. When completed the 13-million-square-foot facility will have the… Read more »
Heavy vehicle manufacturer Cummins (NYSE: CMI) has been awarded a $4.5-million grant from the DOE to develop a Class 6 commercial PHEV. Class 6 vehicles weigh between 19,000 and 26,000 pounds fully loaded – examples include school buses and single-axle work trucks. The goal of the project is to reduce fuel consumption by at least… Read more »
Massachusetts-based battery technology developer CAMX Power has granted a license for its CAMX suite of CAM-7 cathode materials to chemical giant BASF. CAM-7 is a patented cathode material that features high-nickel compounds. According to the company, it features a discharge capacity over 200 mAh/g, and retains more than 80% of capacity at -20° C. It… Read more »
