The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $18 million for basic research to ensure the continued availability of rare earth elements. Neodymium, praseodymium, lanthanum and other rare earth materials are widely used in a variety of technological applications, including EV motors and wind turbines. The research will seek breakthroughs that increase the… Read more »
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Researchers make Ceramic-based flexible electrolyte sheets for lithium metal batteries
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new method to make ceramic-based flexible electrolyte sheets for lithium metal batteries. They combined a garnet-type ceramic, a polymer binder, and an ionic liquid, producing a quasi-solid-state sheet electrolyte. The synthesis is carried out at room temperature, requiring significantly less energy than existing high-temperature (>1,000° C) processes…. Read more »
Genoa transport operator to purchase 14 Irizar electric buses
Transport operator ATM Genoa has acquired 14 Irizar ie 10.8-meter electric buses. Each bus has 350 kWh of battery capacity, 220 km of range, three doors, 20 seats, and a capacity of 81 passengers. A 180 kW motor provides 1,500 Nm of torque. The buses will be charged overnight via nine interoperable chargers with Combo… Read more »
MDL releases v13 of its Motor-CAD design software
Motor Design Limited (MDL) has released version 13 of its Motor-CAD software, a design tool for fast multiphysics simulation. Motor-CAD enables engineers to evaluate motor topologies and concepts across the full torque-speed operating range, to produce designs that are optimized for performance, efficiency, and size. There are more than 25 new or enhanced features in… Read more »
Electric aircraft maker Lilium completes $240-million funding round
Munich-based aviation company Lilium is developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to serve regional air travel markets. The company recently completed a $240-million funding round led by Tencent, with participation from other existing investors, including Atomico, Freigeist and LGT. The new funds bring the total sum raised to date to over… Read more »
How to maximize safety in advanced battery systems
By Markus Beck, Sensata Technologies In advanced battery systems, the quality of the power electronics helps determine the quality of the final product, its level of functionality, and its reliability. This is emphasized in the latest battery power management and charging systems that use wide-bandgap semiconductors and improved power topologies. In such advanced electronics, if… Read more »
Tesla Model Y uses a heat pump to reduce range loss in cold weather
Cold weather poses a challenge for EVs (though hardly a deal-breaker, as thousands of Norwegian drivers can attest). Not only does battery performance take a hit in low temperatures, but the resistance heating systems used in most EVs consume power, reducing range. Tesla has addressed that issue with the design of the Model Y, which… Read more »
Tesla announces shutdown of Fremont factory
Editor’s note: This information is current as of the evening of March 19. Further updates may follow. After several days of contradictory information, and what appears to have been a valiant attempt to keep the vehicle production lines open, Tesla issued the following statement Thursday: Despite taking all known health precautions, continued operations in certain… Read more »
ROCSYS automates charging stations with soft robots
ROCSYS founder Crijn Bouman is no stranger to innovation. A self-described “entrepreneur at heart,” Bouman has led two Netherlands-based startups in cleantech, software, and electronics. When his first EV fast charging equipment company Epyon was acquired by ABB almost a decade ago, he stayed on as Head of Product Management for its charging portfolio for… Read more »
Here’s why Tesla transitioned to a semi-custom power module design in Model 3 inverter
A closer look at semiconductor packaging considerations in EVs One of the most critical decisions to be made at the earliest stage of designing a new power converter concerns the packages used for the semiconductors, as pretty much every other aspect of the design hinges on their physical form. This is especially true for the main… Read more »