Research firm Adamas Intelligence has reported that 93 percent of all passenger EVs sold in 2018 used permanent magnet (PM) traction motors, an increase of 1 percent from 2017. PM traction motors use neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets in the rotor, which spin the rotor in response to a rotating magnet field produced in… Read more »
Israel-based VisIC Technologies, a manufacturer of gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices for the auto, data center and industrial markets, has published a reference design aimed at the EV industry for its on-board charger (OBC) that uses its GaN technology. The 6.7 kW OBC has a volume of 2.3 liters and weighs 4.5 kg, providing… Read more »
German reinsurance company Munich Re is now offering insurance that covers battery performance. It is primarily aimed at large projects, such as utility systems designed to ensure grid stability or cover peak demand periods. In a second phase, Munich Re plans to introduce the product into the mobility market, including for EVs. US battery manufacturer… Read more »
A team of scientists that includes researchers at the DOE’s Brookhaven National Lab and SLAC National Accelerator Lab has identified the causes of degradation in nickel-rich materials for lithium-ion battery cathodes, as well as possible remedies. Researchers at Brookhaven are part of a DOE-sponsored consortium called Battery500, a group that is working to triple the… Read more »
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), a UK-based tech and engineering firm, says it is working on new carbon composites that offer comparable performance to existing options, but at a cost that brings them within reach of mainstream applications. WAE says carbon fiber reinforced polymer’s (CFRP) high strength-to-weight ratio, stiffness, and resistance to fatigue and its environment… Read more »
Epsilor, a developer and manufacturer of mobile energy products for defense and aerospace, showcased the latest version of its 6T NATO-standard Li-ion battery at the recent International Armoured Vehicles show in London. Industrial clients and armed forces in five NATO nations are currently performing field tests on the 6T. The Israeli Defense Forces recently completed… Read more »
Rice University scientists have found that adding a layer of red phosphorus to separators in lithium metal batteries can signal when damaging dendrites threaten to create a short circuit. Rice University chemist James Tour made lithium metal test cells with a coat of red phosphorus on the separator, which keeps the anode and cathode electrodes… Read more »
Motor manufacturer Nidec has announced a prototype for an in-wheel EV traction motor. The company aims to begin mass production of the motor around 2023. The prototype motor fits within the wheel hubs of an EV, a design which Nidec claims allows for higher efficiency and lighter, more compact designs than motors occupying the engine… Read more »
Advanced Linear Devices (ALD), a California manufacturer of analog technology, has created a six-channel supercapacitor automatic balancing (SAB) printed circuit board (PCB). ALD says the board, known as SABMB6, can balance any size supercapacitor with zero added power dissipation. Each PCB can balance up to six supercapacitors stacked in a series, ranging from six to… Read more »
Researchers at Drexel University and Trinity College have found that using silicon fortified with a special type of materials called MXene in Li-ion anodes could improve charge-to-charge life of batteries. The group reports in Nature Communications that the latest Li-ion batteries on the market are likely to extend the charge-to-charge life of phones and EVs… Read more »