Search Results Found For: "panasonic"

Is Toyota changing its tune? 10 new EVs in the pipeline

Toyota, the world’s second-largest automaker, and one of the largest electrification skeptics (its execs have made statements disparaging battery EVs, and its Lexus subsidiary has run ads mocking EVs), now says it plans to launch 10 new pure EVs by “the early 2020s,” and to add electrified variants to its entire lineup by 2025. “As a mass-market… Read more »

Tesla Model 3: Will this machine kill the Oil Age?

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the Tesla Model 3 (although the media has been doing its best). There’s no question that it’s a momentous motorcar on (at least) three levels. First, Model 3’s success is widely assumed to be an existential issue for the company – if it fails to deliver on its… Read more »

Workhorse orders 500 more electric powertrain systems from TM4

Powertrain provider TM4, a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, has received a new purchase order from Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS) for 500 SUMO MD powertrain systems, following last year’s order of 150 systems. Workhorse will install the powertrains in its E-GEN and E-100 delivery trucks, destined for such customers as UPS and FedEx Express. The Workhorse E-100… Read more »

Brink’s buys electric trucks from Workhorse

Security company Brink’s, famous for its armored trucks, operates a fleet of 7,800 vehicles in 150 countries. The company recently purchased two plug-in trucks from Workhorse Group (profiled in the May/June 2017 issue of Charged). Brink’s bought one Workhorse Class 5 E-GEN and one E-100 chassis, both paired with a custom Brink’s body. The two… Read more »

Analyst predicts Tesla will have a near-monopoly in EVs

As Tesla soars and the legacy automakers waffle, a classic disruption scenario, unthinkable only a couple of years ago, seems ever more likely. The latest to reach this conclusion is analyst Alexander Haissl of Hamburg’s Berenberg Bank, who predicts in a recent report that Tesla will end up with a near-monopoly of the EV market…. Read more »

Workhorse CEO on the company’s new plug-in hybrid pickup truck and its expansive plans for the future

We all acknowledge the absurdity of ignoring an elephant, when one is present in the very room in which important matters are being discussed, but what about a hulking, jacked-up, V8-powered monster truck? Tesla permanently changed the conversation about EVs when it electrified a sporty two-seater, a luxury sedan and a crossover SUV, but few… Read more »

VIDEO: Just how does an EV work, anyway?

Judging from the articles that appear in the mainstream press, there’s still a lot of confusion and ignorance about how EVs actually work. Anyone who’d like a little deeper understanding of the workings of an electric powertrain, without going to engineering school, would do well to watch “How does an Electric Car work?” Part of… Read more »

New study finds V2G discharging harmful to EV batteries

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is seen as a potentially valuable resource for balancing electrical grids and facilitating the use of renewable energy. However, a new study by a team at the University of Hawaii suggests that the additional cycling to discharge vehicle batteries to the grid is detrimental to battery performance. In “Durability and reliability of… Read more »

Southwest Research Institute consortium conducts independent battery benchmarking

Comparing the spec sheets from different parts manufacturers is tricky business for engineers in any industry. However, the advanced battery market seems to be uniquely challenged in this regard. As Tesla CEO Elon Musk often points out, when it comes to batteries, the BS factor is outrageous. Even if you assume that every vendor provides… Read more »