Can a company that’s 100 years old be called a startup? Mary Petrovich, Executive Chairman of AxleTech, certainly thinks so. AxleTech was founded in 1919 as Wisconsin Custom Built Axles, and has seen a century’s worth of sales, acquisitions, and rebrandings since then. Petrovich herself brought AxleTech back from the brink of failure not once,… Read more »
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EVs expected to boost demand for aluminum
A recent analysis by mining and metals consultancy CRU finds that demand for aluminum, driven by increased production of plug-in vehicles, is set to skyrocket by the year 2030. Demand will reach nearly 10 million metric tons, a tenfold increase over 2017 levels. According to CRU, demand for “primary aluminum-intensive extrusions and rolled products will… Read more »
New i3s traction control system to be used in all future BMW and MINI models
BMW introduced the i3s, a more powerful and sportier version of the i3, last fall. For the new model, BMW not only increased the output of the motor, but also developed an innovative traction control system adapted specifically to the instantaneous power delivery of the company’s eDrive powertrain. Now BMW has announced that it will… Read more »
Test-driving the Porsche Mission E
Automobile magazine contributor Georg Kacher recently got a chance to drive one of the few existing prototypes of Porsche’s Mission E, and was also able to glean some technical details about the upcoming EV. Porsche told Kacher that every Mission E will have all-wheel drive at first – a rear-wheel-drive version may be offered in… Read more »
Renault road-tests Level 4 autonomous EV
Renault’s SYMBIOZ concept car, revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, is currently performing road tests in France to demonstrate Level 4 autonomy, which frees the driver from all dynamic driving tasks. Level 4 automation is currently not permitted under French road rules, but trials are allowed if a human is traveling in the… Read more »
ARPA-E issues $100-million funding opportunity for early-stage energy R&D
The DOE has announced up to $100 million in funding for new projects as part of ARPA‑E’s latest OPEN funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001858). Areas of research covered by this FOA include all aspects of transportation, including electrification and energy efficiency. Under the Transportation Technical Category, subcategories include: electric motors; fuel cells; alternative vehicle designs such as… Read more »
Lamborghini collaborates with MIT on electric supercar concept
Lamborghini’s Terzo Millennio concept car, unveiled at the recent EmTech conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the first product of a partnership between the automaker and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The “third millennium” supercar is just the beginning for the Lamborghini/MIT team – their future plans include the development of supercapacitors powerful enough to drive… Read more »
Ricardo to integrate 800 V electric powertrain for Fisker EMotion
Fisker has selected global engineering firm Ricardo to integrate the electric powertrain for the upcoming Fisker EMotion. The partnership will include integration of Fisker’s proprietary charger, battery pack and e-axle systems. The EMotion powertrain, including the motors, inverters and power electronics, is based on an 800 V architecture, which, according to Fisker, delivers many benefits,… Read more »
Former EPA official: US automakers’ EV strategies are irrational
These days, not a week goes by without an announcement of some major electrification initiative from a major carmaker: Nissan’s new LEAF is coming to the US soon, GM is actually advertising its Bolt EV, VW and Daimler have each announced a range of new EVs (for China, at least), and Volvo and Jaguar have… Read more »
VW developing electric racer for Pikes Peak 2018
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as the Race to the Clouds, has been run since 1916. The course climbs 4,700 feet in just over 12 miles. This demanding race has become something of a showplace for electric racing – several EV startups have distinguished themselves there, including Lightning Motorcycles, Rimac and Faraday… Read more »