This fall, AKASOL is set to begin mass producing batteries for Mercedes-Benz’s eCitaro. AKASOL’s first-generation battery systems will contain ten battery modules for up to 243 kWh per vehicle and a charging rate of up to 300 kW. In order to make this possible, AKASOL uses a water-cooling system to keep its batteries at 25° C in various… Read more »
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BorgWarner develops exhaust heat recovery system for hybrids and PHEVs
Auto tech specialist BorgWarner has developed an exhaust heat recovery system (EHRS) for hybrids and PHEVs that’s designed to reduce engine warm-up time. Because the EHRS reduces the time an engine is running cold, it also reduces emissions and can increase fuel economy by up to 8.5%, according to BorgWarner. Production will begin later this… Read more »
Henkel to invest heavily in e-drive manufacturing tech
Engine and powertrain specialist Henkel aims to solidify its e-mobility commitment by investing in several new EV-oriented manufacturing processes. Henkel has chosen to focus on developing several adhesive and liquid gasketing materials as well as PCB technologies, part cleaners and lubricants. Here’s the breakdown: Liquid gasketing: Henkel offers a wide range of different gasketing technologies. Recent… Read more »
Xtalic materials extend charger connector life
Nanotech specialist Xtalic Corporation has created alloys and coatings that increase battery connector lifespans from 250 charge cycles to 10,000 at temperatures of 150° C and above. In order to do this, the company places certain elements in its primary material’s grain boundaries to create alloys with higher stabilities at various temperatures and accurately controlled… Read more »
A closer look at DC-DC converters
As far as we know, all EVs in production by major automakers use a conventional lead-acid battery for the 12 V system (surprising, but true – more on why in a bit) and this battery needs charging, just as it does in an ICE vehicle. While you could hang an alternator off the traction motor… Read more »
Wall Street comfortably digests Tesla’s Q2 results
Tesla isn’t like other companies, and you can never tell how Wall Street will react to a particular quarterly earnings report. Like gourmands digesting a culinary oeuvre, those of us who aspire to be seen as wise have learned to wait a day or so to let things settle before passing judgement (or making stock… Read more »
Spanish train maker CAF to acquire Polish bus builder Solaris
Spanish rail equipment manufacturer CAF plans to acquire Polish bus builder Solaris, a move intended to “broaden the company’s range of products in electric mobility and multimodal door-to-door solutions.” Solaris is a global supplier of legacy and electric buses with a presence in 32 countries and a workforce of more than 2,300. Its main markets… Read more »
Iron trifluoride cathode could greatly increase energy density
Researchers from the University of Maryland and the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a cathode material containing iron trifluoride (FeF3) that they say could triple the energy density of Li-ion batteries. Their research was published in Nature Communications. “Compared to the large capacity of the commercial graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries, the capacity of the cathodes is… Read more »
ON Semiconductor announces rugged automotive SiC Diodes
ON Semiconductor has introduced a robust line of automotive-grade silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes. The AEC-Q101 diodes can handle high surge currents and are meant to operate from -55° to 175° C. There are several reasons why SiC diodes are ideal for automotive applications. They are smaller and cheaper compared to alternatives, have higher power densities, and create… Read more »
Wolfspeed Technology introduces third-gen 1,200 V SiC MOSFET
Only one year after they were first introduced, Cree’s Wolfspeed Technologies has announced its third generation of 1,200 V SiC MOSFETs. Designed for EV powertrain applications, Wolfspeed claims that the MOSFET has the highest figure of merit on the market today, with low drain-source on resistance (RDS) performance and the industry’s lowest switching losses. Samples are currently available… Read more »