Four British-built pure electric buses went into service in London this week. The MetroCity single-deck buses were manufactured by Optare, part of the Hinduja Group, based in North Yorkshire, and will be operated on a trial basis on route H98 between Hayes and Hounslow. Manufacturer’s tests demonstrated that, while the initial cost of these vehicles… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "US Hybrid"
ABB and Volvo form partnership for bus fast charging
Swiss power and automation group ABB has announced a partnership with Volvo Buses to co-develop and commercialize electric and hybrid buses with open standards-based DC fast charging systems. The partners will develop a standardized system that can charge electric and hybrid buses quickly through an automatic roof-top connection system at bus stops, or through cabled… Read more »
New VW Passat offers plug-in hybrid option
Volkswagen’s eighth-generation Passat, unveiled this week at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, offers 10 different powertrain options, including a PHEV version. All versions are equipped with a stop-start system and a regenerative braking mode. The brand-new plug-in Passat features a 115 kW (154 hp) TSI gasoline engine and an 80 kW electric motor. Total… Read more »
Oerlikon Graziano presents transmissions for hybrids and EVs
Transmission specialist Oerlikon Graziano presented several transmission systems designed for hybrid and electric vehicles at last month’s VDI Wissenforum in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The electric products on display included the 2SED, a dual-speed seamless-shifting transaxle that can be coupled with a transversal electric motor, for front or rear full electric axle; and the 4SED, a new… Read more »
Silicon carbide power semiconductors improve hybrid fuel efficiency
Toyota and Denso have collaborated to develop a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor for use in power control units (PCUs). Using SiC power semiconductors, Toyota aims to improve hybrid fuel efficiency by 10 percent and reduce PCU size by 80 percent, compared to current PCUs with silicon-only semiconductors. The PCU is a critical component of… Read more »
Lux Research: market for 48-Volt micro-hybrids poised for major growth
According to a new forecast by Lux Research, automakers will begin producing 48-Volt micro-hybrids in 2015, and the market is likely to exceed 7 million vehicles by 2024. Lux believes that 48 V power systems represent an unfilled niche between 12 V start-stop micro-hybrids and larger mild hybrid systems. As the number of production models… Read more »
Volvo may test dynamic wireless charging on Swedish city bus line
The Volvo Group is studying the possibility of developing a dynamic charging solution for city buses. Dynamic charging, in which vehicles are charged by an inductive charging coil in the roadbed, is generally considered to be several years from commercialization, although a group of Korean researchers has tested a prototype system. Volvo plans to develop… Read more »
Nissan and Rouses Market activate New Orleans’ first fast charging station
Hé toi! Now you can charge your EV in about the time it takes to eat a crawfish po’ boy. Nissan has partnered with Rouses Market on Baronne Street in downtown New Orleans to install the city’s first public DC quick charger. Installed by Solar Alternatives, the new charging station is in line with Rouses’… Read more »
Misleading Lexus ad trashes plug-in vehicles
Every automaker has its own electrification strategy. Tesla, Nissan and BMW are pushing pure EVs. GM and Ford have each put most of their chips on plug-in hybrids, while hedging their bets with a low-volume EV. Toyota, and its luxury division Lexus, firmly believe hybrids are the way to go. Lexus has five hybrid models… Read more »
US/Chinese/Korean research team details the challenges of Li-air battery research
Lithium-air batteries are widely expected to be the next big thing – more than 300 research papers have been published on the topic in the past 3 years. Li-air has the potential to deliver far more energy density than current lithium-ion technology. A new review in the ACS journal Chemical Reviews sums up the current… Read more »