Wireless charging is gradually making its way to the market. We’ve seen countless demonstration projects over the past few years, and a couple of OEMs have announced that they have wireless charging systems in the pipeline. Convenience is the most obvious reason to cut the cable, but wireless can deliver several other benefits as well… Read more »
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Fisker is hiring, rebuilding its supply chain
Things are stirring at Fisker Automotive. New owner Wanxiang plans to relaunch the Karma plug-in luxury sedan next year, and the company is hiring – its online job board lists some 45 open positions, including engineers, managers and interns. Fisker is renewing its relationship with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies, the supplier of the Karma’s powertrain… Read more »
Hitachi supplies inverters and DC/DC converters for Mercedes PHEVs
Hitachi Automotive Systems has begun to supply Daimler with compact, high-output inverters and DC/DC converters for use in the Mercedes S500 and S550 plug-in hybrids, which recently went on sale in Germany. Hitachi developed a third-generation inverter that is 40% smaller and offers higher output than the previous version, and a high-output DC/DC converter with… Read more »
Daimler invests €100 million to expand lithium-ion battery production
Daimler plans to invest around €100 million ($125 million) to expand production capacity for lithium-ion batteries at its Deutsche ACCUmotive subsidiary. A new building is under construction in Kamenz, Germany, and when it is completed in mid-2015, Deutsche ACCUmotive will have nearly 20,000 square meters of production and logistics space. “Deutsche ACCUmotive will be producing… Read more »
Air Force rolls out plug-in vehicle fleet with V2G
Los Angeles Air Force Base has replaced its entire general-purpose vehicle fleet with plug-in vehicles. The 42-vehicle fleet includes 13 Nissan LEAFs, five Ford pick-up trucks with EVAOS PHEV kits, 9 VIA Motors VTRUX vans, four Electric Vehicle International medium-duty trucks and one Phoenix Motorcars 12-passenger bus. Most are equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability, allowing… Read more »
BMW’s fast charging strategy: Clarifying some nuanced announcements
Range anxiety: we’re not sure whether it’s a serious disease or a psychosomatic ailment, but it’s one of the most commonly-cited objections heard from potential EV buyers, and automakers take it quite seriously. All of the top EV-makers are investing heavily in public charging infrastructure in an effort to eradicate this dreaded malady. At the… Read more »
Next-gen battery pack testing: AeroVironment launches the AV-900 EX
In the late 1980s, General Motors contracted with the California-based firm AeroVironment to develop the Impact electric concept car. It was the prototype that evolved into the infamous EV1 production car. While designing the Impact, AeroVironment needed the ability to test large-format battery packs for automotive applications. However, at that time, essentially no one else… Read more »
2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive
After a gradual build-up, Daimler’s automotive brands are now showing their stuff in the EV arenas of three continents. Stateside, the spotlight lands on the new, competitively priced Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), hasn’t been the most visible mover or shaker in electric mobility up to this… Read more »
Q&A with Qualcomm’s Joe Barrett, Appealing to the wireless generation
In January 2014, the Alliance for Wireless Power announced Qualcomm Technologies Inc. as one of the first companies to earn Rezence certification, a technology and set of specifications endorsed by the world’s leading mobile chipmakers, mobile phone manufacturers and other key industry partners. With Qualcomm and other companies now certified, it is expected that Rezence-based… Read more »
New book excerpt: The early days of Tesla
This article is an excerpt from Tesla Motors: How Elon Musk and Company Made Electric Cars Cool, and Sparked the Next Tech Revolution by Charged Senior Editor Charles Morris. This 270-page book is a comprehensive history of Tesla, told by the entrepreneurs who made it happen, as well as an assessment of the company’s lasting influence… Read more »