Another secretive startup, another web site with pix of smiling multicultural techies and vaguely-worded flights of eloquence about redefining the automobile. But now Rivian Automotive has taken a concrete step towards realizing its dreams, buying a 2.4-million-square-foot former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois. According to county records, the company paid $2 million for the 500-acre… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Motiv"
Batteryuniversity has the tools to test the biggest batteries
German firm Batteryuniversity (BU) has introduced new test benches capable of testing the largest EV batteries. BU’s new 120 kilonewton shaker can handle a weight of 800 kg, and can test random profiles, sine sweep, superimposed sine and shock impulses. Frequency can be set between 5 and 2,500 hertz. A large low-pressure chamber (8x3x3 meters)… Read more »
Schaeffler acquires motor manufacturer Compact Dynamics
Automotive supplier Schaeffler has acquired 51% of the shares of electric motor manufacturer Compact Dynamics from SEMIKRON International. Schaeffler and SEMIKRON have also agreed to cooperate on the development of power electronics systems and the integration of power electronics components. Compact Dynamics, based in Starnberg, Germany, specializes in lightweight electric drive concepts in small volume… Read more »
Dynexus licenses embedded battery diagnostic technology
The DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory has teamed with Colorado-based Dynexus Technology to develop a new battery diagnostic technology for the energy storage industry. Under an exclusive licensing agreement, Dynexus will commercialize INL’s embedded wideband impedance technology for analyzing and forecasting the health, aging and safety characteristics of batteries. The wideband impedance technique delivers in-depth diagnostic… Read more »
Faraday Future reveals production-ready FF 91, announces over 64,000 reservations
Faraday Future (FF), the intriguing EV startup that employs several alumni of Tesla and other automotive and tech giants, revealed its first production vehicle, called FF 91, at a press event prior to the recent CES trade show. FF 91 features a monocoque vehicle structure that integrates the chassis and body, and a multi-motor setup… Read more »
New concept for current and voltage sensors could enable simpler battery packs
Engineers at Germany’s Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have developed a new concept for current and voltage sensors that may be particularly relevant to EV batteries. Battery monitoring typically requires as many current and voltage sensors as there are individual cells. RUB’s system uses only one of each, regardless of the number of cells. Moreover, both sensors… Read more »
Nano One says it can produce Li-ion materials faster and cheaper, wins $1.9-million investment
Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development program plans to invest up to $1.9 million in Vancouver-based Nano One, which currently produces energy storage materials and a range of nanostructured composite materials. The funding will support a pilot plant that will simulate full-scale production of lithium-ion cathode materials and showcase Nano One’s processing technology. Some promising… Read more »
Valeo and Siemens launch electric powertrain joint venture
The powertrain joint venture announced in April by tech giants Valeo and Siemens has begun operations. Valeo Siemens eAutomotive is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, and is expected to have some 1,000 employees. It has plans to establish R&D centers in Europe and China. The JV’s portfolio includes motors, range extenders, onboard chargers, inverters and DC/DC… Read more »
New ORNL hardware-in-the-loop facility simulates advanced ICEs combined with electrification
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new testing capability to explore new automotive technology, including hybrid vehicle architectures, in real-world drive cycles. The new facility is focused on low-temperature combustion engines, but builds upon the powertrain-in-the-loop expertise established by ORNL’s Vehicle Systems Integration Laboratory. The hardware-in-the-loop setup includes a transient dynamometer… Read more »
UL developing safety standard for second-life EV batteries
There are currently more than 1.5 million EVs on the world’s roads, and over the next year or two, the first wave of batteries will be coming to the end of their automotive life cycles, while retaining around 80% of their original capacities, still sufficient for a number of stationary energy storage applications. Before beginning… Read more »