Search Results Found For: "Efficient Drivetrains"

University of Illinois puts hybrid aircraft to the test in simulation

Automobiles are trending towards electric power – but what about their counterparts in the sky? Jet fuel and aviation gasoline are very energy-inefficient, but they have one big advantage: they’re lightweight. Every gram matters in the aerospace industry. That’s why electrifying an aircraft is so difficult: although batteries would be much more efficient than jet… Read more »

Siemens and VW to test long-haul trucks charged by overhead power lines

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment has approved a subsidized pilot project to research the electrification of long-haul trucks using a roof-mounted pantograph to charge from an overhead power line. Siemens will be responsible for developing the pantograph, and Volkswagen will provide hybrid trucks via subsidiary Scania, and will carry out the research. Trial… Read more »

Making a motor: Many automakers rely heavily on third party motor-winding experts like Odawara Engineering

Electric motors are everywhere: in household appliances, in hand tools, in buildings, in consumer electronics, and increasingly in automobiles. Motors are used in windshield wipers, power windows, throttle controllers, and, more and more, in the drivetrains of electrified vehicles. Electric motors abound, and Odawara Engineering knows how to make them. Charged spoke with Odawara’s Chris… Read more »

GKN Driveline new eTwinsterX offers compactness, efficiency and torque vectoring

GKN Driveline’s eAxles integrate an electric motor and a two-speed transmission in a single compact unit. This not only makes it easier to fit an eDrive unit within a vehicle chassis, but also improves efficiency on vehicle assembly lines. GKN supplies front eAxles for the Porsche 918 Spyder and BMW i8, as well as rear… Read more »

Xtrac introduces new integrated lightweight EV transmission system

Xtrac has added a new product to its Integrated Lightweight Electric Vehicle (ILEV) line of transmission systems. The new P1166 is featured in Williams Advanced Engineering’s FW-EVX lightweight EV platform concept, which Williams unveiled at the recent Low Carbon Vehicle Show in Millbrook, UK. The P1166 transmission, fully integrated with a YASA P400 motor-generator, powers… Read more »

Flying electric: Both startups and industry giants push ahead with electric airplanes

In the popular imagination, aviation represents the last frontier for electrification. Considering the weight and limited range of batteries, an electric airplane might seem practically impossible. However, while electric long-haul airliners probably lie pretty far in the future, the fact is that, in some applications, the technical obstacles to electrified aircraft are not as formidable… Read more »

Visedo and TECO partner to disrupt heavy EV motor industry

Visedo, a Finnish manufacturer of electric drivetrains for heavy vehicles, has signed a production agreement with Asian motor producer TECO Electric & Machinery. Visedo hopes to benefit from TECO’s production capacity, particularly in Asia. Visedo recently opened a new office in Hong Kong, and signed a letter of intent with the VC firm Beijing Capital… Read more »

Wolfspeed launches a new silicon carbide MOSFET for EV inverters

Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies have attracted a lot of attention and research funding in the past decade. Both public and private institutions around the world have been obsessed with accelerating the evolution of WBG tech into commercial power electronics applications. What’s all the fuss about? WBG materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium… Read more »

Visedo’s electric propulsion system powers hybrid ferry in Taiwan

The Taiwanese harbor city of Kaohsiung has launched a new hybrid ferry. Visedo OY, a Finnish manufacturer of electric drivetrains for marine vessels and other heavy-duty applications, worked alongside Taiwan’s Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC) to retrofit the 100-ton, 23-meter-long passenger ferry with a Visedo electric propulsion system, replacing the original 300 hp… Read more »