GM has released a wealth of information about the new and improved Voltec electric-drive system that will power the 2016 Volt. A new video from CNN takes us inside a GM plant for a quick look at some of the Volt’s innards. Under the watchful eyes of the pros, presenter Peter Valdes-Dapena says it takes… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "bolt"
New joining technology for CFRP tested on BMW i3
Assembly specialist Böllhoff and adhesive expert DELO have developed a new joining method for lightweight materials using a bonded bolt called ONSERT. The technology is ideally suited to carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and the companies have tested it in a pilot project that secured cables, claddings and other components of the BMW i3. DELO… Read more »
California Building Code to require all new construction to be EV-ready
The Golden State is preparing for the electrified future in a comprehensive way. The California Building Code will soon require that all newly constructed housing and parking lots provide the conduit and electrical system capacity for EV charging stations, beginning in 2015. EVSE installation often requires trenching to run new electrical conduit, as well as… Read more »
Plug-in hybrid kit maker Echo Automotive goes out of business
The commercial fleet market promises great opportunities for startups, but also great dangers. A number of companies are trying to electrify this segment, and several have already fallen by the wayside. The latest to run out of juice is Echo Automotive, which was profiled in our April issue. The Arizona-based company has been forced to… Read more »
It’s always something: Thieves target copper from EV charging stations
Several EV owners in the Vancouver, British Columbia metro area have been frustrated to find public Level 2 charging stations inoperable after thieves snipped off the attached cables with bolt cutters. According to Transport Evolved, the thefts are becoming widespread in the area, with some sites falling victim multiple times. TE has also reported similar… Read more »
Echo Automotive aims for the plug-in fleet sweet spot
The commercial fleet market is one of the most exciting frontiers in the electromobility revolution, not only because of the enormous potential for fuel savings, but because it offers opportunities for a smaller company, which can hope to carve out a lucrative niche developing a powertrain solution, without the need to build the sort of… Read more »
Jay Leno checks out the new Porsche 918 Spyder PHEV
Only the coolest of the cool can tempt Jay Leno out of his garage. This week he makes a road trip to Monterey to see the Porsche 918 Spyder, a plug-in roadster that embodies the highest of tech and speed. Porsche gave us a sneak peek at the prototype back in April. This is the final production… Read more »
BMW i3: The launch of many firsts
When you’re writing about the dawn of a new industry, “firsts” and “milestones” come along so often that they may start to lose their novelty. However, the BMW i3, which was officially “launched” in July, and is scheduled to go on sale next year, boasts an impressive number of innovations that has the EV press… 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 »
Protean Electric will use $84 million to build a new manufacturing facility In China
Protean plans to begin producing prototype in-wheel electric motors in Liyang early next year and to ramp up to volume production in 2014.