Q&A with Aqua Metals execs Steve Cotton and David Regan Regardless of the claims made in Facebook memes, Li-ion batteries are eminently recyclable, and current recycling methods cause far less environmental damage than the well-documented depredations of the petroleum industry. However, as sustainability is central to the mission of the EV industry, we need to… Read more »
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Voltage surge and transient suppression in EV chargers
Anything powered by an external source of electricity needs to be protected from voltage transients and surges, as it is not a question of whether such hazards will occur, but rather how often they will occur (and of what severity they will be). As might be expected, there are internationally agreed-upon regulations for surge and… Read more »
Ara Partners acquires magnetic materials producer Vacuumschmelze
Texas-based investment firm Ara Partners has acquired magnetic materials manufacturer Vacuumschmelze (VAC) from asset management firm Apollo. No transaction terms were disclosed. Germany-based VAC is the largest Western manufacturer of sintered NdFeB EV-grade permanent magnets, and has manufacturing facilities in Slovakia, Finland, China and Malaysia. VAC signed a long-term deal with GM in January 2023… Read more »
Renault 5 EV test mules undergo endurance testing and fine-tuning
Renault is testing the first nine prototypes of the new Renault 5 EV, which it will release in 2024. Alternating between static and dynamic fine-tuning and endurance testing, the mules are being put through their paces in low-grip ice and snow conditions in Arvidsjaur (Swedish Lapland) as well as average-to-high grip conditions at the Renault… Read more »
Verifying the origin of EV battery materials at the source: Traceability challenges, Part Two
Q&A with Bureau Veritas’s Stéphane Ponthieux Traceability—the process of documenting the source of a product and the links in its supply chain, has long been important in various industries (aerospace, food, pharmaceuticals). It’s now becoming a hot topic in the EV industry, because the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well… Read more »
DOE awards $30 million to secure domestic supply chain of critical materials
The DOE has announced $30 million in new funding for 13 national lab and university-led research projects to develop new technologies to help secure the supply of critical clean tech materials, including cobalt, neodymium and platinum. Research funded in this announcement is intended to advance the understanding of how rare-earth elements and platinum group elements… Read more »
New MAHLE/Allotrope battery tech combines supercapacitors and lithium-carbon cells
MAHLE Powertrain and Allotrope Energy have unveiled a new battery technology for small EVs that combines supercapacitors with lithium-ion batteries in order to offer ultra-fast charging coupled with good power density. The two companies considered how an electric moped could be powered by an inexpensive, small-capacity battery that could be recharged between stops in as… Read more »
GM reveals 3 new EV motors for its Ultium platform
GM has revealed a group of three new motors that will power its upcoming Ultium-based EVs. The new motors, part of the Ultium Drive platform, were designed and calibrated in-house by GM. They share design principles as well as similar tooling and manufacturing strategies. The new happy family consists of a 180 kW front-drive motor,… Read more »
Here’s why Tesla transitioned to a semi-custom power module design in Model 3 inverter
A closer look at semiconductor packaging considerations in EVs One of the most critical decisions to be made at the earliest stage of designing a new power converter concerns the packages used for the semiconductors, as pretty much every other aspect of the design hinges on their physical form. This is especially true for the main… Read more »
DOE invents high-efficiency magnet for EV and hybrid motors
The DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory has invented a new magnet technology, called HyMag, which could lead to greater efficiency and lighter weight in EV and hybrid motors. HyMag increases a permanent magnet’s usable magnetic flux density, a property of permanent magnets that can be harnessed for power generation. “The higher the flux density you use… Read more »