An old saw often uttered by an electrical engineer (or their hapless techs) when an electronic device releases its magic smoke goes something like this: “The transistor bravely sacrificed itself to protect the fuse.” This is a succinct way of saying that conventional fuses (and most types of circuit breakers) shouldn’t be counted on to… Read more »
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How HummingbirdEV uses modular platforms and micro-factories to lower the cost of commercial EVs
Q&A with HummingbirdEV CEO Rakesh Koneru. The commercial EV market is hot—a bit too hot for some. Over the past decade, we’ve seen dozens of startups come and go. Many of these built promising vehicles, but starved out while waiting for customers to place volume orders. California-based HummingbirdEV, which was founded in 2015, is taking… Read more »
How to protect an EV’s on-board charger from transient grid surges
Sponsored by TTI. The automotive environment is one of the most severe environments for electronics. Today’s vehicle designs proliferate with sensitive electronics, including electronic controls, infotainment, sensing, battery packs, battery management, electric vehicle powertrains, and on-board chargers. In addition to the heat, voltage transients, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the automotive environment, the on-board charger… Read more »
Ford plans new electric pickup and SUV, starting around $25k
The higher purchase prices of EVs now represent the number-one obstacle to mass adoption. Automakers have figured this out (some a bit later than others), and are adjusting their strategies to bring more low-priced EVs to market. In February, Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that his company has been quietly working on a low-cost platform… Read more »
AMCI’s real-world testing offers a metric to compare EV charging speeds
Reading PRs for new EVs, one might get the impression that charging speed is the most important metric there is. Unfortunately, automakers’ charging speed promises don’t amount to much. How fast a particular EV charges on a particular day depends on so many factors—battery state of charge, preconditioning, even ambient temperature—that the charging times quoted… Read more »
The 24/7 diner is part of the American Road Trip—and maybe an ideal site for a NEVI public EV charging station
As states begin to award National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funding, what kinds of sites are getting most of the grants for public EV charging stations? So far, winners include gas stations and convenience store chains—and a Tennessee Waffle House. Tennessee has $88 million in NEVI money to dole out over 5 years. In… Read more »
Ford’s surprise news: it’s developing a new platform for low-priced EVs
Have GM and Ford given up on EVs, as many would have us believe? Well, not this week. GM just hired a renowned battery expert as VP of Batteries, and Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that his company has been quietly working on a low-cost platform for smaller EVs for the last two years. “We… Read more »
Voltage surge and transient suppression in EV chargers
Anything powered by an external source of electricity needs to be protected from voltage transients and surges, as it is not a question of whether such hazards will occur, but rather how often they will occur (and of what severity they will be). As might be expected, there are internationally agreed-upon regulations for surge and… Read more »
How to protect an EV’s on-board charger from transient grid surges
Sponsored by Littelfuse. The automotive environment is one of the most severe environments for electronics. Today’s vehicle designs proliferate with sensitive electronics, including electronic controls, infotainment, sensing, battery packs, battery management, electric vehicle powertrains, and on-board chargers. In addition to the heat, voltage transients, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the automotive environment, the on-board charger… Read more »
Detroit Manufacturing Systems to manufacture hardware for wireless charging pioneer InductEV
Wireless EV charging specialist InductEV (formerly Momentum Dynamics) has formed a partnership with contract manufacturing and assembly company Detroit Manufacturing Systems (DMS). InductEV says taking advantage of DMS’s manufacturing and supply chain expertise will allow it to more quickly scale production to meet customer demand. Under the terms of the agreement, DMS will manufacture InductEV’s… Read more »