Korean battery maker LG Chem will supply the 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack system and controls for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan. LG Chem Power CEO Denise Gray recently noted that LG Chem’s cells, modules and batteries are currently powering some 490,000 vehicles, spanning all levels of electrification from micro-hybrids to BEVs. However, the… Read more »
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Second life: Spiers New Technologies develops advanced battery classification techniques
Spiers New Technologies (SNT) is just over a year old, but its founder has been focused on developing the market and technology for secondary-use batteries as long as anyone in the business. Dirk Spiers is one of the more passionate figures in the EV industry. Like many entrepreneurs, he seems to have a clear view… Read more »
GKN’s new torque-vectoring axle combines an electric motor and dual-clutch system
Engineering firm GKN Automotive recently demonstrated a new torque-vectoring electric drive system to customers at its Wintertest proving ground in Arjeplog, Sweden. Torque-vectoring technology provides the ability to vary the torque to each wheel, generating a yaw moment in the car. By controlling the power to each wheel separately, a vehicle can respond to inputs with more stability, more… Read more »
Daimler tells managers to drive EVs, invests 30 million euros in charging infrastructure
The makers of plug-in vehicles generally agree on the importance of charging infrastructure, and several have invested substantial sums in workplace charging. Daimler, the maker of the Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive and S 500 Plug-in Hybrid, as well as the smart electric drive, has already built 556 employee charging points. The company recently announced an… Read more »
Data-driven energy management system can improve the efficiency of PHEVs by 12%
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have demonstrated an energy management system (EMS) that learns from historical driving cycles how to combine the power streams from an electric motor and an internal-combustion engine in the most energy-efficient way. In “Data-Driven Reinforcement Learning-Based Real-Time Energy Management System for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles,” published in Transportation Research… Read more »
GM may license Volt powertrain to other automakers
GM has floated the idea of selling the plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt (and in the Cadillac CT6 PHEV and Chevy Malibu Hybrid) to other automakers. “We want to be the partner of choice in propulsion system development in this complex and turbulent era we are approaching,” GM’s global powertrain chief… Read more »
New study suggests advanced support systems for energy-efficient driving
Obviously, hybrids can save gas, but reaching the true potential of the technology requires drivers to adopt a driving style that maximizes fuel economy. A team from the Technical University of Chemnitz in Germany and the University of Southampton in the UK attempted to quantify these driving techniques. In “Ecodriving in hybrid electric vehicles –… Read more »
Motor controller maker Sevcon acquires Italian charger manufacturer Bassi
Sevcon (Nasdaq: SEV), a manufacturer of motor controllers for electric and hybrid vehicles, has acquired the Italian charger manufacturer Bassi Srl. The Bassi product line includes fast charging technologies suitable for a range of electrification markets, including rapid, high voltage and high power sectors. In 2015, Bassi generated a profit on $16 million in sales…. Read more »
Advancing BMS: Linear Technology launches its fourth-generation battery stack monitor
Engineers use battery management systems (BMS) to prevent problems that occur in Li-ion batteries when they are over-charged or over-discharged, including premature capacity loss and thermal events. A BMS ensures precise control and keeps the individual cells balanced, which is critical to extracting the most useful energy from a pack. Fortunately for EV systems designers,… Read more »
Hyundai joins the plug-in club with the 2016 Sonata PHEV
Around the world, automakers are facing ever-tightening emissions regulations, and they understand very well that improving the efficiency of their internal-combustion engines isn’t going to be enough to bring them into compliance. Each OEM has crafted its own strategy to reduce the average emissions of its fleet. Hyundai has opted for an “all-in strategy,” developing… Read more »