Heating or cooling the interior cabin of an EV substantially affects the vehicle’s on-road efficiency, and the HVAC system often gets the proverbial “rented mule” treatment. In an ICE vehicle—particularly an underpowered one—there is a visceral reminder that running the AC, at least, costs something, since there is a palpable hit to acceleration whenever the… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Volt Carbon"
2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe: The legendary SUV brand’s first plug-in hybrid
The plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Wrangler offers useful all-electric range and great electric torque—if drivers plug it in. Do they? The accelerating pace of electric vehicle launches has brought us to this: The first Jeep in the US to get a plug-in hybrid version is the legendary Wrangler. In Europe, it was smaller… Read more »
Toyota actively lobbies against support for EVs
Toyota has earned a place in the history of transport electrification. The Japanese automaker’s introduction of the Prius hybrid in 1997 was a milestone. Since then, the company has sold some 15 million hybrids worldwide, and has gradually added hybrid powertrains to more of its offerings—a majority of Toyota and Lexus models are now available… Read more »
Airbus boosts cryogenic technology testing for electric aircraft systems
Airbus is developing a testing platform called Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator (ASCEND) to explore the impact of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures on the performance of an aircraft’s electric propulsion systems. The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance, which reduces power loss in conductors. When coupled with liquid hydrogen at… Read more »
NASA at the forefront of electric airplane development
Aircraft are responsible for a substantial amount of air pollution, but building an electric airplane presents several physical and institutional problems that automobile designers don’t have to worry about. NASA has been working on electric planes, and grappling with these problems, for at least a decade, and has begun to demonstrate some progress. The agency… Read more »
Ford unveils its 2022 F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck
The most popular vehicle line in the US now includes a battery-electric pickup truck. Is this the turning point for EVs? Wednesday evening, Ford unveiled its long-awaited battery-electric pickup truck, dubbed the F-150 Lightning. The name hearkens back to “the fastest truck in the world,” the Lightning F-150 SVT, which launched in 2002 with a… Read more »
Extreme E tackles tough terrain, promotes sustainable racing
Formula E, the FIA-sanctioned electric racing series, has been a powerful ambassador for the EV revolution—and a damn fine sporting event—since its opening season in 2014. Now some of the same team behind Formula E, including Alejandro Agag, Chairman of Formula E and now CEO of Extreme E, have gone off-road and off the chain… Read more »
Who’s behind the current wave of hype about hydrogen?
Hydrogen fuel cells are controversial—several automakers, including Daimler, Honda, GM and Volkswagen, have abandoned the technology, while Toyota continues to pursue it. Hydrogen opponents cite its inefficiency relative to batteries, and question the wisdom of building a complex and costly new infrastructure. On the other hand, many believe that hydrogen may have a role to… Read more »
European Commission approves €2.9 billion in funding for comprehensive battery project
The European Commission has approved a second Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) to support innovation throughout the battery value chain. The European Battery Innovation project calls for 12 member states—Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden—to provide up to €2.9 billion in funding in the coming years…. Read more »
Toyota announces new EV platform, revamped version of fuel cell-powered Mirai
Toyota has announced that it will someday release a preview of a possible electric SUV for the European market. Details are “to be announced in the coming months.” The unnamed “preview model” will be based on Toyota’s new e-TNGA platform. The new platform is designed to be easily adaptable for a range of vehicle types—some… Read more »