Anti-EV hit pieces clog the blogosphere like pickup trucks on a Texas highway, but this one sounded much more serious than the usual anonymous speculation. A respected German research institute released a study claiming EVs are dirtier than diesel – music to the ears of many in the German auto industry. “Considering Germany’s current energy… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "fraunhofer"
New motor cooling solution could lead to lighter EVs
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have developed a new method for cooling electric motors, which could help reduce the weight of EVs. With the new cooling method, motors can be housed in lighter-weight polymer materials, and they also benefit from increased efficiency and power density. The… Read more »
LISA project aims to develop Li-S battery cells with solid-state non-flammable electrolytes
Lithium-sulfur is seen as one of the most promising chemistries for the next generation of batteries, and the UK battery firm OXIS Energy has been developing the technology for some time. Now OXIS has announced that it will be one of 13 European partners in the Lithium Sulfur for Safe Road Electrification (LISA) project, which… Read more »
Daimler and thysenkrupp partner to develop bipolar batteries
Under a project sponsored by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Daimler and the Fraunhofer Institute, together with German conglomerate thyssenkrupp and engineering firm IAV, are co-developing the design and production of bipolar batteries. Bipolar batteries are still in the laboratory stage and have not moved past pilot scale. The project, named EMBATT-goes-FAB,… Read more »
Report says transition to EVs threatens 75,000 German auto industry jobs
The coming transition to electric mobility will put 75,000 engine and gearbox manufacturing jobs at risk, according to a study commissioned by German automakers and trade unions (as reported by Reuters). The auto industry accounts for 840,000 jobs in Germany, of which 210,000 have to do with powertrain production, according to the Fraunhofer Institute of… Read more »
Monolithically integrated GaN half bridge enables smaller, more powerful voltage converters
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics has demonstrated what it calls the world’s first monolithically integrated GaN half bridge for the 600 volt class. Half bridge circuits are the centerpiece of many voltage converters. Monolithic integration combines several components on a single GaN chip, enabling small, powerful systems to be created. Monolithically integrated… Read more »
Proterra testing autonomous electric buses in Reno
City buses are slowly but steadily going electric, and they could soon begin to go driverless as well. Electric bus maker Proterra, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Nevada Reno and the German Fraunhofer Institute, is testing autonomous buses on the streets of Reno. The first phase of the pilot project will focus… Read more »
ECO COMBAT project aims to develop better and more sustainable batteries
Ten European industry and research organizations are partnering in the EU-funded project ECO COMBAT (Ecological Composites for High-Efficient Li-Ion Batteries), which aims to develop next-generation Li-ion batteries. Better performance is not the only goal for the new battery. The project also aims to develop a battery that’s more sustainable, by reducing the need for expensive… Read more »
Finnish firm develops lightweight stainless steel battery pack for EVs
Finland-based Outokumpu is working on lightweight stainless steel solutions for EVs in cooperation with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute. Their latest innovation is a new battery pack that combines several lightweight engineering technologies as well as new types of cooling and structural strategies. Because EV batteries are mainly installed in the underfloor area, their casings have high… Read more »
Jaguar Land Rover developing three electrification concepts
As Audi, Porsche and other luxury brands show their concepts for the electric future in Frankfurt, Jaguar Land Rover has released details of three R&D projects that explore three different levels of electrification. The Concept_e MHEV is a mild-hybrid system featuring an electric motor/generator that regenerates braking energy, stores it in a battery and uses… Read more »