Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI), in partnership with truck manufacturer Shaanxi Automotive, is introducing a PHEV cement mixer truck to the Chinese market. The vehicle integrates EDI’s PowerDrive 8000 PHEV drivetrain and PowerSuite vehicle control software into a Shaanxi Class 8, 32-ton mixer truck. It is currently in the final stages of integration and testing, and… Read more »
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DOE awards Saratoga Energy $1 million to commercialize its battery tech
Berkeley, California-based Saratoga Energy has won a million-dollar Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the DOE to help commercialize its process for synthesizing graphite from carbon dioxide. “Graphite is an essential material in advanced lithium-ion batteries,” said Drew Reid, Saratoga Energy’s CEO. “Our process produces graphite more sustainably and affordably than traditionally-sourced graphite,… Read more »
Northvolt to build battery gigafactory in Sweden
Battery manufacturer Northvolt has announced a partnership with the two Swedish towns of Skellefteå and Västerås to establish a battery manufacturing facility. Skellefteå, part of a raw material and mining cluster in the north of Sweden, will be the location of Northvolt’s main production site, which will include material preparation, cell assembly and recycling. The… Read more »
Former Tesla production head offers insourcing insights
For years, automakers have been steadily outsourcing more and more of their manufacturing. Modern vehicles are assembled from parts made by suppliers all over the world, and in some cases, even the final assembly is done under contract by companies such as Magna and Valmet. Tesla has reversed this trend to a certain extent –… Read more »
Zunum Aero unveils 12-passenger hybrid aircraft for delivery in 2022
Washington-based Zunum Aero, profiled in the July/August issue of Charged, has unveiled details of its first aircraft – a hybrid plane with a capacity of 12 passengers and a range of 700 miles. It will have a maximum cruise speed of 340 miles per hour, and a take-off distance of 2,200 feet. The company says… Read more »
Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance to launch 12 new EVs on common platforms
The Alliance of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi has announced a new six-year plan under which the three automakers will accelerate their collaboration on common platforms, powertrains and electric, autonomous and connected technologies. The three automakers plan to launch 12 new EV models by 2022, using new common platforms and components for multiple segments. The alliance… Read more »
Making a motor: Many automakers rely heavily on third party motor-winding experts like Odawara Engineering
Electric motors are everywhere: in household appliances, in hand tools, in buildings, in consumer electronics, and increasingly in automobiles. Motors are used in windshield wipers, power windows, throttle controllers, and, more and more, in the drivetrains of electrified vehicles. Electric motors abound, and Odawara Engineering knows how to make them. Charged spoke with Odawara’s Chris… Read more »
Tesla Model 3: Will this machine kill the Oil Age?
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the Tesla Model 3 (although the media has been doing its best). There’s no question that it’s a momentous motorcar on (at least) three levels. First, Model 3’s success is widely assumed to be an existential issue for the company – if it fails to deliver on its… Read more »
Clean Energy Credit Union offers financing for EVs
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has granted a federal charter to a new credit union based in Boulder, Colorado, called the Clean Energy Credit Union (CECU), which will serve members of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), also based in Boulder. CECU’s mission is to promote clean energy by offering low-cost loans tailored to… Read more »
Two electric school buses, powered by Motiv Power Systems, go into service in California
Colton Joint Unified School District in San Bernardino County, California has taken delivery of two electric Type C Starcraft eQuest XL school buses from Creative Bus Sales, featuring powertrains from Motiv Power Systems. Built on Ford’s F59 chassis, the new e-buses have a capacity of 48 passengers and a range of up to 85 miles…. Read more »