Wrightspeed, the electric powertrain startup led by Tesla co-founder Ian Wright, has just landed its biggest fish to date: an order of 25 powertrains from giant fleet operator Federal Express. The company has tested Wrightspeed’s technology in two of its trucks and decided to take the next step. Financial details of the deal are confidential,… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Motiv Power Systems"
Ultracapacitors supercharge stop/start systems
Electrification is quietly sneaking into “conventional” vehicles, as more models incorporate stop/start technology. Navigant Research predicts that 54% of new vehicles worldwide will have stop/start capability by 2022. Different automakers are applying stop/start in very different ways. For energy storage, a stop/start system may use Li-ion batteries, advanced-glass-mat (AGM) lead-acid batteries, ultracapacitors (UCs), or some… Read more »
Automotive segment consumes 10.5% of global advanced battery production
Batteries are big business. According to the latest Advanced Battery Tracker from Navigant Research, more than 6 billion advanced battery cells were sold in 2013, representing 40 gigawatts of power capacity and more than $13.4 billion in sales (a modest increase over 2012’s $12.8 billion). The majority of these batteries were manufactured in China. Most… Read more »
New simulation software provides a powerful tool for battery developers
In the holy quest for a better battery, engineering simulation software is a key tool, helping battery developers to shorten the time-consuming cycle of prototyping and manufacturing. Software developer ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS) has now incorporated battery models in the latest release of its Fluent software, thanks to the efforts of a team that also includes GM… Read more »
Echo Automotive aims for the plug-in fleet sweet spot
The commercial fleet market is one of the most exciting frontiers in the electromobility revolution, not only because of the enormous potential for fuel savings, but because it offers opportunities for a smaller company, which can hope to carve out a lucrative niche developing a powertrain solution, without the need to build the sort of… Read more »
Drayson’s next mission: commercialize wireless power transfer technology
Drayson Racing is familiar to Charged readers as the developer of the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV electric Grand Prix race car, which set a new FIA World Electric Land Speed Record in 2013, and uses a Qualcomm Halo wireless charging system. Now Lord Paul Drayson has launched a new business, building on Drayson Technologies’ expertise in the… Read more »
Report: The effects of fuel economy and emissions regulations on the automotive sector
By Jeffrey Wishart, a Senior Project Engineer at Intertek, conducts research and development on products and services in the areas of energy, the environment, and advanced transportation. In addition to his supervisory position at Intertek, Dr. Wishart worked for several years at ETEC LABS (the research and consulting division of ECOtality) and at a utility company… Read more »
PowerGenix and Amperex partner to manufacture high-volume nickel-zinc batteries
PowerGenix, a developer of rechargeable nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Asian battery manufacturer Amperex Technology (ATL). ATL will become PowerGenix’s partner for the high-volume manufacturing of NiZn batteries. According to PowerGenix, nickel-zinc is the ideal chemistry for Stop-Start (or is it Start-Stop?) systems. Whatever you call it, the technology, which… Read more »
Chrysler partners with McMaster University to develop advanced electric powertrains
Chrysler has entered a five-year, $18.2 million partnership with McMaster University, with funding support from the Canadian government, to develop next-generation electrified powertrains. Chrysler Group will invest $9.25 million in cash and in-kind contributions, with an additional $8.93 million coming from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). 20 Chrysler engineers and… Read more »
Web of Power: Spider9’s Operating System for Energy
Spider9 weaves a matrix for stationary energy storage and shows that when it comes to fitting battery technology into electric vehicles, it’s not all for one and one for all. Many real-world technologists and engineers take inspiration from the worlds of science fiction, where recurring themes of systems theory take shape in the Grid of… Read more »
