Vehicle autonomy is developing on a parallel course with electrification. Tesla is at the forefront of this trend with its Autopilot features, keeping it a nose ahead of any potential competition from other automakers. Every day, more Autopilot-driven miles are added to the body of data that the company is amassing. Tesla said in April… Read more »
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SAE issues guideline for wireless charging standard
Wireless charging certainly seems like the future, but the lack of technical standards has stalled the release of systems from the major EV makers. Now SAE has published an industry guideline for wireless power transfer (WPT) between infrastructure, vehicle suppliers and OEMs. “SAE TIR J2954 Wireless Power Transfer for Light-Duty Plug-In/ Electric Vehicles and Alignment… Read more »
Oil giant Total to acquire battery-maker Saft
France-based oil company Total is taking over international battery maker Saft. To the barricades! A Gallic conspiracy to buy up battery makers and buttress Big Bad Oil? Probably not. Saft builds a wide range of batteries for transportation (including stop-start technology), backup power, space and defense applications, but to the best of our knowledge, doesn’t… Read more »
Tesla says it moves too fast for suppliers used to traditional auto development cycles
Over the past couple of decades, major automakers have built an ecosystem in which components of their cars are built by suppliers large and small around the world. This system has served them well, but it has several drawbacks that are becoming more apparent as cars become electric, autonomous and connected (Ian Wright eloquently described… Read more »
Two more commercial vehicle builders offer EVs using Motiv Power Systems powertrains
California Truck Equipment Company (CTEC) and Indiana-based Rockport Commercial Vehicles are two of the latest vehicle builders to offer electric versions of their existing commercial vehicles. Both are using Motiv Power Systems’ All-Electric Powertrain, an OEM-installed package that includes batteries, motors, charging hardware and power for hydraulics and other accessories (see the July/August 2015 issue… Read more »
Even Bernie Sanders might approve of Elon Musk’s compensation plan
As Tesla promotes a more sustainable transportation system, it hopes to demonstrate a more egalitarian pay policy, at least for its CEO. While overpaid and underperforming executives are drawing the ire of the public (and one presidential candidate), Elon Musk has a compensation plan that’s not only good for him, but also for the company’s… Read more »
Nordic plug-in market soars in Q1 2016
13,896 new plug-in vehicles hit the roads of Scandinavia in the first quarter of 2016. Both Norway and Finland had their best-selling quarters to date. However, sales in Denmark stalled as the government phased out tax breaks. As reported by auto industry publication Insero Quarterly, EVs are still outselling PHEVs, but the latter are closing… Read more »
PARC uses CoEx printing technology to fabricate high-energy, high-power battery electrodes
PARC, a Xerox company, is collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Ford in a DOE-funded project that will use PARC’s CoEx printing technology to fabricate higher energy and higher power electrodes for EV batteries. The goal of the project is to demonstrate pilot-scale pouch cells with a 20% improvement in gravimetric energy density… Read more »
Early Model X buyers reporting glitches
It’s common for a new car model to have problems – call them teething troubles, bugs, glitches, or more colorful epithets. Tesla’s Model X is not only a new model, but an entirely new type of vehicle, so it would be strange if some substantial snags didn’t come up. In fact, the company has already… Read more »
Ford may be working on a 200-mile EV after all
Are they or aren’t they? After months of refusing to comment on whether Ford is working on a 200-mile EV to challenge competitors GM, Tesla and Nissan, Kevin Layden, Ford’s Director of Electrification Programs and Engineering, seemed to dash our hopes when he said that the 2017 Focus Electric’s 100-mile range should be plenty for… Read more »
