City buses are slowly but steadily going electric, and they could soon begin to go driverless as well. Electric bus maker Proterra, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Nevada Reno and the German Fraunhofer Institute, is testing autonomous buses on the streets of Reno. The first phase of the pilot project will focus… Read more »
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ECO COMBAT project aims to develop better and more sustainable batteries
Ten European industry and research organizations are partnering in the EU-funded project ECO COMBAT (Ecological Composites for High-Efficient Li-Ion Batteries), which aims to develop next-generation Li-ion batteries. Better performance is not the only goal for the new battery. The project also aims to develop a battery that’s more sustainable, by reducing the need for expensive… Read more »
Finnish firm develops lightweight stainless steel battery pack for EVs
Finland-based Outokumpu is working on lightweight stainless steel solutions for EVs in cooperation with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute. Their latest innovation is a new battery pack that combines several lightweight engineering technologies as well as new types of cooling and structural strategies. Because EV batteries are mainly installed in the underfloor area, their casings have high… Read more »
Jaguar Land Rover developing three electrification concepts
As Audi, Porsche and other luxury brands show their concepts for the electric future in Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover has released details of three R&D projects that explore three different levels of electrification. The Concept_e MHEV is a mild-hybrid system featuring an electric motor/generator that regenerates braking energy, stores it in a battery and uses… Read more »
Bosch: Our new EV heat pump system can increase range by up to 25%
Heating and cooling an EV presents a special challenge, as battery power must be used for climate control, which can significantly reduce range. Automakers and researchers around the world are working on a range of alternative solutions. Nissan and Volkswagen both use heat pumps in their EVs. The JOSPEL project, a consortium of organizations from… Read more »
Thin film heater for EVs saves energy and range
Unlike an ICE vehicle, which produces more than enough engine heat to warm the interior, an EV requires an additional electric heater, which gobbles power and limits range. In a worst-case scenario on a cold winter day, the car’s effective range could be cut in half. Several groups around the world are looking for a… Read more »
Scalable axle module for commercial vehicles promises cost savings
A group of eleven German partners, including the Fraunhofer Institute, is developing an integrated axle module for commercial vehicles that promises high performance and reduced production costs. ESKAM, which stands for Electric Scalable Axle Module, includes a motor, gearbox and power electronics in a single compact housing. Advantages of the axle module include high power… Read more »
German micro smart grid project supplies an EV fleet with renewable electricity
As Germany and Switzerland work to phase out their nuclear power plants, the countries are becoming vast laboratories for renewable energy research, and EVs are an important part of the equation. A team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, together with Daimler and the University of Stuttgart, has announced a project called charge@work, whose… Read more »
EVE racer demonstrates new battery management and electronic sensor systems
Two sensors attached at the sides of the batteries measure the magnetic field generated by the flow of electrical current in order to determine the battery’s level of charge.
German researchers seek to demonstrate that EVs are cheaper than ICEs
Do the lower operating costs of EVs justify their higher purchase prices compared to legacy gas-burning vehicles? That question may have no definitive yes-or-no answer (it depends on an individual’s driving habits), but more data is always welcome. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, in cooperation… Read more »