EV heating and cooling presents a dilemma: how to keep a vehicle’s occupants comfortable without draining the battery? Engineers are working on various solutions, from heat pumps and adsorption chillers to passenger-focused AC and heat. A group of researchers from the University of Utah, HRL Laboratories and GM Global R&D has developed a novel approach… Read more »
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Cadillac CT6 PHEV has more electric range than others in its class
The plug-in hybrid version of Cadillac’s CT6 large luxury sedan, which made its debut at this month’s Shanghai Motor Show, will use a version of GM’s second-generation Voltec hybrid system. The 18.4 kWh battery pack is the same size as the one in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which should give the new Caddy an electric… Read more »
More videos reveal BMW i3’s most intimate details
We’re used to seeing automobiles in various states of undress, but the BMW i3 is especially shameless, baring it all for the cameras of an ever-curious EV press. In January, the consulting firm Munro & Associates produced an entertaining video showing how its engineers took apart and reverse-engineered an i3. Now the firm has released… Read more »
Continental announces new generation of power electronics
While batteries and motors tend to get most of the press, a vehicle’s power electronics is just as important to the overall efficiency of a powertrain, and thus to its range and performance. International automotive supplier Continental, which produces power electronics components for five European automakers, has announced that its next-generation system will enter series production… Read more »
Bloomberg article highlights growth of EV sales, predicts decline of Big Oil
We’ve become used to the mainstream press insisting that EVs aren’t selling, and that cheap gas will be the final nail in the electric coffin (most recently in a widely-cited report from Edmunds that found that car buyers are rushing to trade in their “hybrid and electric cars” for gas-guzzling SUVs). Bloomberg, however, has long… Read more »
Fairchild’s new line of MOSFETs and High Voltage Rectifiers
Semiconductor supplier Fairchild (NASDAQ: FCS) has introduced new automotive-qualified SuperFET II MOSFET and High Voltage Rectifier product families, which are designed to increase the power ratings of onboard chargers and DC-to-DC converters used in hybrid and electric vehicles. “A chief goal for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers is keeping onboard battery chargers and DC-to-DC… Read more »
BMW i5 may be more EV than PHEV
BMW’s electrification strategy is cruising along smoothly. The i3 is moving around 1,000 units a month, i8s are selling as fast as they’re being built, and the company has said it plans to introduce a plug-in model in every one of its product segments. The next e-beemer will be the 2016 X5 plug-in hybrid SUV,… Read more »
2016 Cadillac ELR gets a price cut and performance upgrades
The Cadillac ELR has always been a bit of an odd duck. When it went on sale at the end of 2013, most of the media, including Charged, found it to be a fine vehicle, but some were skeptical that buyers would be interested in paying $75,000 for what is basically a luxury version of… Read more »
New report: China poised to overtake US as world’s largest EV market
A new report from consultancy Roland Berger indicates that while the US remains the country with the largest market for plug-in vehicles, that’s unlikely to last, as China has the highest rate of EV sales growth, and by far the highest level of e-mobility subsidies. The Q1 2015 E-Mobility Index compares the relative competitive standings… Read more »
March plug-in sales: Tesla grabs lead, Fiat surprises, Kia and Cadillac disappoint
There are several interesting developments to report on the EV sales front this month – an overall increase, a lead change, and a sales surge in the most unexpected of quarters. Total plug-in sales for the month were 10,341, a healthy recovery from February’s slump, and a 7% increase over the March 2014 numbers. Interestingly,… Read more »