Following his two informative presentations at our September conference comparing 10 leading EV motors and Tesla’s inverter technology versus other BEVs, Sandy Munro returns to the Charged Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, April 19-22, 2021. For many years, Munro & Associates has been performing teardowns—taking cars apart to find out what their components are, where… Read more »
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Electric truck maker Xos goes public in SPAC deal
Xos, a manufacturer of electric Class 5 to Class 8 commercial vehicles, has announced an agreement to go public through a merger with NextGen Acquisition (Nasdaq: NGAC). The combined company will trade on Nasdaq with the new ticker symbol XOS. The transaction values the combined company at a $2-billion pro forma equity value, and is… Read more »
Ford Mustang Mach-E turns heads with its looks, closes the deal with practicality and price
Man, this car is an attention-getter! The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been drawing far more comments and questions from passers-by than any of the dozens of other plug-in vehicles I’ve evaluated, including the Porsche Taycan and several Teslas. As I’ve been driving it around town, at least a dozen people per day have asked me… Read more »
Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2: EV cousins offer different takes on “premium”
You might not know it to look at them, but these two cars—one Swedish, one Chinese—share underpinnings and a parent company. Volvo and its Chinese parent Geely are very serious about selling cars that plug in. Starting in 2016, the Swedish brand has included plug-in hybrid versions of pretty much every new vehicle it sells… Read more »
Is aviation the best application yet for hydrogen fuel cells?
Q&A with ZeroAvia CEO Passenger cars are well on their way to going electric, and the path to a big market share for heavy-duty EVs such as buses and delivery trucks is becoming clearer. However, aviation remains a new frontier for zero emissions. There are several new powertrain options, and none has yet proven itself… Read more »
Refreshed Tesla Models S and X to ditch lead-acid for Li-ion 12 V battery
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro covered a lot of ground in their recent video chat, discussing a great number of advances and improvements to Tesla’s vehicles and manufacturing processes. Here’s just one tidbit that many may have overlooked: beginning with the upcoming Model S/X refresh, Tesla plans to abandon the century-old lead-acid battery technology in… Read more »
Setting a new standard for battery leak testing
Defective cells can shorten battery life, decrease range, and lead to safety issues. A leaky cell housing, one common failure mode for Li-ion batteries, can allow ambient humidity to come in contact with the electrolyte, triggering an exothermic (heat-releasing) chemical reaction. Currently, the common practice in the battery manufacturing industry is to test cell packaging… Read more »
TE Connectivity’s new HC-STAK high-voltage interconnection system
Sponsored by TE Connectivity Since the advent of electric mobility, there has been a need for compact, robust, and reliable high-performance connection interfaces to transfer power in the most efficient manner from the charger through the battery pack to the inverter and drive motors. However, the transmission of this critical power presents a unique set… Read more »
AAM and Inovance to collaborate on integrated EV drivetrains
American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) and Suzhou Inovance Automotive have announced a technology development agreement that will accelerate the development and delivery of scalable, next-generation 3-in-1 electric drive systems, which integrate an inverter, electric motor and gearbox. The companies will focus on enhancing the power density, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of integrated EV drivetrains. AAM and… Read more »
Can Electric Vehicles Overheat? Using NTC Sensor Design to Overcome Thermal Management Challenges
With the introduction of the fully-electric powertrain within electric vehicles, there has arisen a unique range of thermal management challenges. The heart of an electric vehicle (EV) is its motor and accompanying powered subsystems. Protection and regulation of these critical areas make temperature sensors essential to achieve product quality, safety, longevity, and performance. Using new… Read more »



