Rising above the waters of the Mittelland Canal in Wolfsburg, Germany, four iconic smokestacks cut through an otherwise sparse skyline. These are the most recognizable – and among the last – vestiges of the original Volkswagen factory from 1938. Symbolically, however, the smokestacks represent much more than the symbols of a power plant that –… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "demand charge"
Pushing the power limits: Fuji Electric on the new requirements of power electronics
With each passing model year, the requirements demanded of automotive power electronics increase. Market forces are pushing Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) modules towards lighter, smaller, more powerful and more reliable technology. These switching devices are what power an EV or hybrid inverter, and with increasingly stringent emissions requirements, automakers are looking for more innovative… Read more »
ZeroTruck: Electric fleet vehicles offer compelling cost savings
Medium-duty trucks make perfect candidates for electrification, and the market would seem to be full of opportunities for small companies that build powertrains and components. It’s treacherous territory, however – several startups targeting this space have foundered. ZeroTruck founder Tedd Abramson told Charged about his company’s strategy to hang on for the long haul. Abramson… Read more »
2014 plug-in sales post 23% gain over 2013 as Tesla takes the lead and Mercedes and VW enter the race
2014 was another year of steady growth for EV sales. Some 12,874 plug-ins were sold in the US in December, a healthy gain compared to December 2013. For the full year, sales are up 23%. The Tesla Model S passed the LEAF and Volt to slide into the lead (doubtless thanks to the new P85D’s… Read more »
PG&E and BMW team up to test V2G services
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and BMW are working together to test the ability of EV batteries to provide services to the electrical grid. PG&E selected BMW after a competitive solicitation to manage a minimum of 100 kilowatts of electric demand on PG&E’s system, as other large industrial and commercial customers do today as… Read more »
Germany plans push for more charging stations
Germany seems to be coming around to the wisdom of getting charged. Europe’s largest economy hopes to spur EV demand by expanding its network of EV charging stations, Reuters reported this week (via Green Car Reports). The news organization cited a paper published by the German Transport Ministry, which said that motorway services operator Tank & Rast… Read more »
DOE and electric utilities produce report on EV charging impact
A new report from the DOE describes the findings from six Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) projects, in which electric utilities around the country evaluated operations and customer charging behaviors for home and public EV charging stations. The report, Evaluating Electric Vehicle Charging Impacts and Customer Charging Behaviors, is intended to help utilities determine how… Read more »
Local Chinese governments award Boston Power funding to expand plants
Battery manufacturer Boston Power has secured $290 million in local government support for the expansion of its two facilities in China. The company’s Liyang facility will increase its manufacturing capacity fivefold by 2016. Its Tianjin facility is expected to reach 8 GWh in manufacturing capacity by 2018. Boston Power expects China’s EV market to be… Read more »
2016 Chevrolet Volt adds driver-controllable regen feature
As the 2016 Chevrolet Volt’s official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January draws closer, GM is revealing more and more details of its second-generation PHEV. In a video released this week, GM Executive VP Mark Reuss and Volt Chief Engineer Andrew Farah demonstrate the new driver-controllable regen. Like the 2014 Cadillac ELR, the… Read more »
Infineon and United Microelectronics collaborate on automotive power semiconductors
Semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies and semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics (NYSE: UMC), which have worked together for 15 years, plan to extend their manufacturing partnership into power semiconductors for automotive applications. Infineon will transfer its automotive-qualified Smart Power Technology (SPT9) to UMC, and production will be extended to 300 mm wafers. Production of SPT9 products at… Read more »