In May, Tesla acquired Riviera Tool & Die, a Michigan-based firm that makes large stamping die systems used to produce automotive sheet metal parts. The Californians have now taken over the company’s Grand Rapids facility and rebranded it as Tesla Michigan. Reporter Rick Albin from local TV station WOOD recently took a factory tour and… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "SIC"
Aston Martin unveils RapidE concept – possible release in two years
Aston Martin unveiled a fully electric concept of its Rapide S four-door sports sedan, developed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, at a posh do in London where Prince William met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the event, Aston Martin and Chinese investment group ChinaEquity announced an agreement to explore the development of a… Read more »
Bob Lutz thinks Tesla’s in trouble
Since Tesla’s 2003 founding, there’s been a steady stream of articles explaining why it would soon go belly-up. The latest comes from a seemingly unlikely source: Bob Lutz, the “father of the Chevrolet Volt.” Back in the day, Lutz and Musk seemed like fellow travelers – the former GM exec said he would always be… Read more »
PowerAmerica offers funding for wide bandgap semiconductor projects
PowerAmerica, a private-public partnership led by North Carolina State University, has released a call for projects to advance wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technology. Funding is available for projects to accelerate commercialization of WBG power electronics applications in high voltage systems, efficient motors and other transportation- and renewable energy-related fields. Objectives for eligible projects include: Lowering… Read more »
Will a post-diesel VW turn to EVs?
The developing VW scandal has highlighted the lengths to which some automakers will go to find an alternative to electrification. Some industry gadflies have speculated that Volkswagen might opt to redeem itself by becoming a (sorely needed) leader in the electromobility field. “With hydrocarbon combustion we’ve hit the limits of physics,” Elon Musk told Auto… Read more »
Model X delivered as Musk admits “we got a little carried away”
The long-awaited Model X is finally on the road – at least, a few of them are. In a super-duper sound-and-light show in Fremont, Elon Musk handed over the keys to the first six buyers. Production is just getting started, and it will take a while to ramp up to full volume. Musk offered no… Read more »
Researchers receive grant to develop universal onboard fast charger
A pair of professors at the University of Maryland Energy Research Center have been awarded a three-year, $460,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an onboard fast charger for EVs. Professors Alireza Khaligh and Patrick McCluskey are collaborating with Steven Rogers of Genovation, an EV builder in nearby Rockville, Maryland on the project,… Read more »
What will VW’s emissions scandal mean for the EV industry?
The world’s second-largest automaker has admitted that it systematically broke the law in order to evade environmental regulations. “Our company was dishonest with the EPA, and the California Air Resources Board and with all of you,” said Volkswagen’s US chief Michael Horn. “We have totally screwed up.” Tipped off by the International Council for Clean Transportation, the… Read more »
2016 Chevy Volt: GM’s top electrification engineers on designing the all-new EREV
When the Chevrolet Volt was launched at the end of 2010, I must confess that I gave it little chance of success. It seemed like an awkward compromise – buyers who wanted to go electric would surely prefer a pure EV, and buyers who weren’t ready to take that plunge had every reason to stick… Read more »
A closer look at torque ripple – minimizing its effects on electric machines
The Switched Reluctance Motor, or SRM, is often discussed as a prime choice for the next-generation EV traction motor. It is simple, robust, and arguably the least expensive of all motor types to manufacture. However, SRMs are notoriously difficult to control, and prone to emitting significant amounts of vibration and acoustic noise. The good news… Read more »