Search Results Found For: "Fraunhofer "

Marelli launches SiC power module for motorsport EVs

Global automotive supplier Marelli has launched a power module for motorsport EV applications. The module, which was completely developed in the company’s Corbetta (Italy) facility, is based on silicon carbide (SiC) technology and uses a new direct cooling solution.  The new module, called EDI (Enhanced Direct-cooling Inverter), was developed by Marelli Motorsport with the Fraunhofer… Read more »

Accelerated electrode drying could reduce battery production cost

A new EPIC project coordinated by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is aimed at accelerating the drying of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries, increasing the energy efficiency of this process and reducing production cost. KIT says innovative electrode drying management can reduce the cost of battery production and improve environmental performance. The quality of Li-ion battery… Read more »

New study reaffirms carbon emissions of EVs lower than ICEs, lists flaws in long-tailpipe arguments

Journalists sometimes have to write the same articles over and over, like teachers repeating the same lecture for a new class each semester. The myth of the “long tailpipe”—the notion that EVs generate just as much carbon emissions as ICE vehicles do—has been debunked by dozens of scientific studies (see below for a partial list)…. Read more »

Volkswagen explains why batteries, not fuel cells, are the right choice for passenger cars

The debate over hydrogen fuel cells refuses to go away. The founders of Tesla considered hydrogen and other energy storage media before deciding that batteries were the best choice for electric powertrains, and have explained their reasoning in great detail several times since. Toyota, on the other hand, continues to insist that fuel cell vehicles… Read more »

Here we go again: German research institute claims diesels are cleaner than EVs

Anti-EV hit pieces clog the blogosphere like pickup trucks on a Texas highway, but this one sounded much more serious than the usual anonymous speculation. A respected German research institute released a study claiming EVs are dirtier than diesel – music to the ears of many in the German auto industry. “Considering Germany’s current energy… Read more »

New motor cooling solution could lead to lighter EVs

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have developed a new method for cooling electric motors, which could help reduce the weight of EVs. With the new cooling method, motors can be housed in lighter-weight polymer materials, and they also benefit from increased efficiency and power density. The… Read more »

LISA project aims to develop Li-S battery cells with solid-state non-flammable electrolytes

Lithium-sulfur is seen as one of the most promising chemistries for the next generation of batteries, and the UK battery firm OXIS Energy has been developing the technology for some time. Now OXIS has announced that it will be one of 13 European partners in the Lithium Sulfur for Safe Road Electrification (LISA) project, which… Read more »

Daimler and thysenkrupp partner to develop bipolar batteries

Under a project sponsored by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Daimler and the Fraunhofer Institute, together with German conglomerate thyssenkrupp and engineering firm IAV, are co-developing the design and production of bipolar batteries. Bipolar batteries are still in the laboratory stage and have not moved past pilot scale. The project, named EMBATT-goes-FAB,… Read more »

Report says transition to EVs threatens 75,000 German auto industry jobs

The coming transition to electric mobility will put 75,000 engine and gearbox manufacturing jobs at risk, according to a study commissioned by German automakers and trade unions (as reported by Reuters). The auto industry accounts for 840,000 jobs in Germany, of which 210,000 have to do with powertrain production, according to the Fraunhofer Institute of… Read more »

Monolithically integrated GaN half bridge enables smaller, more powerful voltage converters

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics has demonstrated what it calls the world’s first monolithically integrated GaN half bridge for the 600 volt class. Half bridge circuits are the centerpiece of many voltage converters. Monolithic integration combines several components on a single GaN chip, enabling small, powerful systems to be created. Monolithically integrated… Read more »