In mid-July, Tesla Motors made a trio of Model S update announcements. The new options included a 70 kWh rear-wheel-drive base model, an upgrade for the high-end battery pack from 85 to 90 kWh (providing about a 6% increase in range), and Ludicrous mode, which offers a 10% improvement in the car’s 0 to 60… Read more »
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What will VW’s emissions scandal mean for the EV industry?
The world’s second-largest automaker has admitted that it systematically broke the law in order to evade environmental regulations. “Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California Air Resources Board and with all of you,” said Volkswagen’s US chief Michael Horn. “We have totally screwed up.” Tipped off by the International Council for Clean Transportation, the… Read more »
2016 Chevy Volt: GM’s top electrification engineers on designing the all-new EREV
When the Chevrolet Volt was launched at the end of 2010, I must confess that I gave it little chance of success. It seemed like an awkward compromise – buyers who wanted to go electric would surely prefer a pure EV, and buyers who weren’t ready to take that plunge had every reason to stick… Read more »
A closer look at torque ripple – minimizing its effects on electric machines
The Switched Reluctance Motor, or SRM, is often discussed as a prime choice for the next-generation EV traction motor. It is simple, robust, and arguably the least expensive of all motor types to manufacture. However, SRMs are notoriously difficult to control, and prone to emitting significant amounts of vibration and acoustic noise. The good news… Read more »
Siemens introduces VersiCharge SG, a WiFi-enabled, cloud-based charging station
There’s a new macro trend occurring with electricity rate structures. In an effort by utilities to match their real-time costs with pricing models, new variable rates are being tested and implemented. The problem is that the cost to generate and distribute power is extremely variable, and has a lot to do with what’s happening on… Read more »
Highways England to conduct off-road trials of dynamic wireless charging
Highways England, the government-owned company that manages England’s road network, plans to conduct off-road trials of a system that can charge EVs as they roll down the motorway. The trials follow a feasibility study into ‘dynamic wireless power transfer’ technologies, completed by TRL and Halcrow. “The potential to recharge low-emission vehicles on the move offers exciting possibilities,”… Read more »
New study: “Lack of coherent sales concepts” is responsible for weak EV sales
A new market analysis acknowledges that the market share of electric vehicles in the seven leading automotive nations remains stubbornly low, and looks at some of the reasons for the sluggish growth. “The major growth impetus that would anchor e-mobility in the seven leading automotive nations long term is still nowhere to be seen,” the… Read more »
Lux Research: Infineon is a “clear winner” in power electronics field
Batteries get most of the press, but power electronics (gadgets like inverters, onboard chargers and DC/DC converters) are critical components of all sorts of electrified vehicles as well as high-tech energy solutions. As the electromobility/clean energy sector grows, leading companies in the power electronics field could be poised for major growth. Lux Research recently released… Read more »
2016 Cadillacs to use Maxwell ultracapacitors in start-stop system
Start-stop vehicles (SSVs, if you will) occupy the bottom rung of the electrification ladder, and they’re growing in importance as global OEMs search for ways to meet tightening emissions standards (anything other than selling EVs, it sometimes seems). Over 40 percent of new cars sold in Europe already incorporate start-stop technology. A battery-based start-stop system… Read more »
EverCharge’s power management increases charging capacity in multi-unit dwellings
Charging at home is a snap for those of us with garages, but for the 88 million Americans living in apartments, condos and other multi-unit dwellings, installing EV charging infrastructure can be a difficult and time-consuming process. And as more drivers go electric, an even bigger obstacle may crop up: each building complex has a… Read more »