Researchers from the University of Maryland and the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a cathode material containing iron trifluoride (FeF3) that they say could triple the energy density of Li-ion batteries. Their research was published in Nature Communications. “Compared to the large capacity of the commercial graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries, the capacity of the cathodes is… Read more »
GM and Honda have agreed to develop new battery chemistry components in order to hasten their plans for future all-electric vehicles. They seek to improve power density, packaging size, and charging capabilities for their up-and-coming EVs. Honda intends to source the new modules from GM in the future. This is not their first partnership; they… Read more »
Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) is on a serious roll – China’s biggest battery builder issued a successful IPO on the Shenzhen stock exchange earlier this month, and has been announcing new supply contracts left and right – Daimler, Honda, Nissan/Renault, SAAB successor NEVS and EV startup Byton are now customers, and there are rumors… Read more »
Power semiconductor supplier ROHM and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor specialist GaN Systems have partnered to develop new power electronics. Wordy? Yes. Interesting? It GaN be. The partnership will harness GaN’s expertise in power transistors along with ROHM’s established design and manufacturing capabilities in order to create new lines of compatible products. The new products will… Read more »
ON Semiconductor has introduced a robust line of automotive-grade silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes. The AEC-Q101 diodes can handle high surge currents and are meant to operate from -55° to 175° C. There are several reasons why SiC diodes are ideal for automotive applications. They are smaller and cheaper compared to alternatives, have higher power densities, and create… Read more »
The Volkswagen Group has invested approximately $100 million in California battery QuantumScape, following six years of collaboration with the firm. VW also announced that it aims to have a production facility for solid-state batteries by 2025. VW estimates that solid-state battery technology could more than double capacity compared with its current batteries, for example boosting… Read more »
Only one year after they were first introduced, Cree’s Wolfspeed Technologies has announced its third generation of 1,200 V SiC MOSFETs. Designed for EV powertrain applications, Wolfspeed claims that the MOSFET has the highest figure of merit on the market today, with low drain-source on resistance (RDS) performance and the industry’s lowest switching losses. Samples are currently available… Read more »
Automotive supplier Webasto is set to acquire AeroVironment’s Efficient Energy Systems (EES) branch, pending several more heaps of paperwork. The $35-million acquisition includes EES’s charging and docking technologies, further diversifying Webasto’s portfolio. Webasto originally specialized in heating, cooling and sunroof design for automotive applications, but it has been steadily working to expand into the EV energy… Read more »
Volkswagen has successfully simulated several molecules commonly found in batteries using quantum computing. The simulations currently include simple chemicals such as lithium-hydrogen and carbon chains, but will eventually include more complex compounds. The end goal is a simulation of an entire battery without the use of a physical model. Volkswagen will share its work at the upcoming… Read more »
Magnetic sensors have several automotive applications, including determining the positions of clutch pedals, engine strokes, and valves. However, their use has been limited to linear position measurements. The current standard, Hall sensors, can only detect changes in the magnetic field perpendicular to its chip. TDK Corporation has introduced the new HAR 379x sensor, which uses its… Read more »