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BMW i3 bares it all in LA

As BMW prepares to bring its new i3 to market in 2014, expectations are running high. The upscale city car fills a vacant niche in the market, and it embodies all the advantages of a pure EV. Equally important, the company seems committed to making the i3 a success in the marketplace, rather than taking… Read more »

Remy CEO moves to VIA as it ramps up production

VIA Motors has announced that John Weber, former CEO of motor manufacturer Remy, has been chosen as VIA’s new Chief Executive Officer. “John’s many years of experience as an auto industry manufacturer and his keen leadership skills make him a tremendous asset to VIA Motors as we ramp up production and work more closely with… Read more »

A closer look at back electromotive force

Why motors generate and generators motor In a previous article I took a closer look at regenerative braking, and mentioned an old engineering saying that every motor is a generator and every generator is a motor (along with the caveat that some are more suited to the opposite purpose than others). This time around I’ll… Read more »

Juicy details about the BMW i3

BMW has released a vast wealth of details about its upcoming i3 EV, and there’s plenty here for auto pundits to discuss before the official unveiling, which is scheduled for July 29. The i3 embodies several milestones – it’s the first EV to offer an optional range extender engine, it features a unique carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic… Read more »

In-wheel house: Protean Electric’s in-wheel drive system nears production

When Protean Electric begins production of its Protean Drive in-wheel electric drive system later this year, it could mark the stirring comeback of the wheel hub motor, a concept that’s been more than a century in the making.  Electric wheel-hub motors date all the way back to 1884, and none other than Ferdinand Porsche used… Read more »

EVs: the Holy Grail of multiphysics

Sandeep Sovani on the evolution of computer-based engineering simulations. Before actually creating any physical prototypes, engineers build a three-dimensional virtual model of a component, and can use computer simulations to test how the design will perform in the real world. Computer-based engineering simulation early in the development process allows them to refine and validate designs… Read more »

Will Tesla add battery swap capability to the Model S?

Just as the idea of battery swapping seems to have stalled (its main proponent, Better Place, is retrenching amid hard times, and Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn has poo-pooed the concept) it may get a recharge from the alpha dog of the EV pack. A careful reading of the leaves from Elon Musk’s last cup of tea… Read more »

GM CEO: next-generation Volt will see big price drop

GM CEO Daniel Akerson was talking green with Fortune’s Geoff Colvin at this week’s Brainstorm Green conference. He talked about the $90 million that GM saves every year in the US from its energy- and waste-saving policies, and took a dig at the politicians, pointing out that no president since Nixon has articulated a national… Read more »