How would you like it if your EV could go ten percent farther with the same size battery? You’d love it, of course, and so would every EV manufacturer out there. Range is one of the most important parameters in the EV industry, as many potential EV drivers are apprehensive about lower range ratings. Manufacturers… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "conversion"
Zwickau VW plant to produce six electric models
The Volkswagen Group’s plant in Zwickau, Germany is undergoing a massive modernization process. When it’s done, the facility will be one of the biggest all-electric car factories in the world. The German automaker is investing some €1.2 billion to shift the plant’s production from three legacy models to six pure EVs from VW, Seat and… Read more »
DOE announces $89 million in grants for energy storage manufacturing technologies
The DOE has announced it will award $89 million to support innovative, advanced manufacturing R&D projects. This DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) specifically requests proposals in three areas: 1.Innovations for Manufacturing Advanced Materials: Focuses on employing machine learning to develop better batteries, phase change storage materials for heating and cooling applications, and new semiconductors that… Read more »
HELLA develops two new battery systems for mild hybrids
Lighting technology and electronics company HELLA has developed two new battery systems for mild hybrids. The two systems, the Dual Voltage Battery Management System and PowerPack 48 Volt, allow for savings of five to six grams of CO2 per kilometer, according to the company. Designed for compact and mid-range vehicles, the Dual Voltage Battery Management System… Read more »
SiC vs GaN semiconductors for EV power converters: Tech Opinion
Just as engineers are starting to get used to the advantages (and quirks) of silicon carbide (SiC ) devices, another semiconductor material joins the fray: gallium nitride, or GaN. Though there are some superficial similarities between these two materials, and even some overlap in their areas of best use, it is my opinion that only… Read more »
BorgWarner unveils new onboard battery charger
Automotive parts supplier BorgWarner has released a silicon carbide onboard battery charger that is compatible with 400, 600 and 800 V systems. It accepts AC inputs with 7.4 kW, 11 kW, and 22 kW power ratings. Optional DC-to-DC converter rating integration from 2.3 kW to 3.6 kW is available. “Our technical center is dedicated to… Read more »
A closer look at the losses in power semiconductors
A previous article examined loss mechanisms in traction motors, which tend to be the single biggest source of losses in a modern EV drivetrain. This time, the focus is on the various power semiconductors, as they are the next biggest source of losses. Also covered in brief are ways to mitigate these losses and design… Read more »
Maxwell Vehicles retrofits RAM ProMaster vans with plug-in powertrains
What does a PHEV become when it grows up? And do we need yet another electrified-vehicle acronym? Technically, a hybrid with a plug is a PHEV, but some argue that a vehicle with a substantial electric range is a different animal. Chevy called its Volt an EREV, and Seattle-based startup Maxwell Vehicles is calling its… Read more »
German parts maker ZF looks to bring racing car technologies to production EVs
Since 2016, German parts maker ZF has supplied technology for French EV maker Venturi’s team in the FIA Formula E racing series. ZF has developed an electric drive for the team, which includes a 250 kW electric motor with a specially designed transmission ratio and power electronics. ZF says this drive enjoys much higher energy… Read more »
MIT creates hybrid cathode designed to boost energy capacity of Li batteries
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and in China say they’ve developed a new version of the cathode. The researchers describe the cathode as a “hybrid,” since it combines aspects of intercalation-type and conversion-type cathodes to increase gravimetric energy density (per-pound energy output) and volumetric energy density (per-liter energy output). The cathode has… Read more »