Phoenix Contact discusses the upcoming transition phase for DC fast charging We receive a lot of press releases at Charged about plans for next-generation DC fast charging. It’s easy to lose track of exactly what is currently installed, what is coming in the near future, and what is still a few years away. Despite all… Read more »
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LORD is developing a rotary band brake aimed at automotive thermal management systems
“Any product that uses less power and has high torque in a small package could be of interest to the EV space,” LORD’s Edward Conner told Charged. We were discussing the company’s electromagnetically actuated rotary band brake technology, and we naturally asked a lot of questions about its potential applications for EVs. The core of… Read more »
Carpenter Technology develops a new soft magnetic alloy with key benefits for EV motors
Electrical steels are soft magnetic materials found at the heart of electric motors. They’re typically manufactured in cold-rolled strips, cut into shapes to make laminations and then stacked together to form the stator and rotor of a motor. These specialty steels are tailored to produce certain magnetic properties, and have a magnetic flux density (key… Read more »
Hyundai launches Ioniq with three distinct powertrain choices: EV, PHEV and hybrid
In the short history of the modern EV industry, it’s been common for automakers to launch plug-in cars under a new brand or model – particularly those companies who are serious about selling EVs at scale. Or, at least the ones that want to appear serious about selling a lot of EVs. Even though Hyundai… Read more »
Tesla founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning talk EVs
Here’s a treat for any EV fan: a long and meaty talk with Tesla founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, delivered at Stanford last October. While there are several substantial talks with Tarpenning available on YouTube (he also graciously granted me a lengthy interview for my book about Tesla), Martin Eberhard has seldom sat down… Read more »
Damn the prototypes, full speed ahead on Model 3 production line
Tesla has never been afraid to ignore “the way things are done” in the auto industry, and its willingness to skip costly and time-consuming processes is part of the reason the company is able to get things done so quickly. As Tesla gears up for an unprecedented expansion of production volume, it plans to cut… Read more »
Peppy young filly meets old workhorse: Prius Prime vs 2006 Prius
The Toyota Prius is one of those cars that you see everywhere – it isn’t exactly an “old classic,” like an aging Corvette or Cadillac, but rather an “old faithful,” like a Honda Civic or a Volvo. Their owners don’t take them to classic car shows, but many of these workhorses have been on the… Read more »
BMW installs charging station at Thomas Edison home
BMW switched on a new charging station at Thomas Edison National Historical Park, the site of Edison’s New Jersey laboratory and home, the symbolic first step of a project that will install up to 100 stations in national parks and nearby communities across the country. The project is a partnership that includes BMW, the National… Read more »
Tesla’s chief motor engineer discusses the potential of next-generation motor technologies
Tesla spends a considerable amount of resources on basic research into EV systems – as well it should. EV technology is very young compared to that of ICE vehicles, so it’s safe to assume that, in a few short years, the aggregate of many incremental technology advances could lead to significantly better EVs. Of course,… Read more »
Battery prelithiation shortens costly formation time
Before a lithium-ion battery is installed in a vehicle, it must undergo a lengthy process called formation, in which it is charged and discharged to control the initial chemical reactions with lithium. Many of these reactions are irreversible and permanently decrease the battery’s available energy. The process requires expensive lithium to be part of the… Read more »