In 2020, Porsche delivered just over 20,000 units of its luxury Taycan EV—the first vehicle from a major automaker to sport an 800 V (nominal) battery, which is more than double the voltage of its competitors (and firmly into light-rail and switchyard locomotive territory, actually). It appears that many other EVs will soon follow in… Read more »
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Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar 2: EV cousins offer different takes on “premium”
You might not know it to look at them, but these two cars—one Swedish, one Chinese—share underpinnings and a parent company. Volvo and its Chinese parent Geely are very serious about selling cars that plug in. Starting in 2016, the Swedish brand has included plug-in hybrid versions of pretty much every new vehicle it sells… Read more »
Is aviation the best application yet for hydrogen fuel cells?
Q&A with ZeroAvia CEO Passenger cars are well on their way to going electric, and the path to a big market share for heavy-duty EVs such as buses and delivery trucks is becoming clearer. However, aviation remains a new frontier for zero emissions. There are several new powertrain options, and none has yet proven itself… Read more »
Refreshed Tesla Models S and X to ditch lead-acid for Li-ion 12 V battery
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro covered a lot of ground in their recent video chat, discussing a great number of advances and improvements to Tesla’s vehicles and manufacturing processes. Here’s just one tidbit that many may have overlooked: beginning with the upcoming Model S/X refresh, Tesla plans to abandon the century-old lead-acid battery technology in… Read more »
2022 GMC Hummer EV: the biggest, baddest, butchest EV to hit the market?
The news that General Motors would relaunch the infamous Hummer name—as an all-electric truck no less—broke a few days before the high-dollar, high-visibility 2020 Super Bowl ad that introduced that vehicle to the world. After a succession of carefully staged events for media and the public, we now know that the 2022 GMC Hummer EV… Read more »
Sila Nanotechnologies raises $590 million in funding
Sila Nanotechnologies, a maker of battery materials, announced that it raised $590 million in Series F funding at a $3.3 billion post-money valuation. The new funding comes as the first Sila Nano-powered batteries prepare to ship in consumer devices and the company scales up production. Sila Nano will use the funds to develop a new… Read more »
Setting a new standard for battery leak testing
Defective cells can shorten battery life, decrease range, and lead to safety issues. A leaky cell housing, one common failure mode for Li-ion batteries, can allow ambient humidity to come in contact with the electrolyte, triggering an exothermic (heat-releasing) chemical reaction. Currently, the common practice in the battery manufacturing industry is to test cell packaging… Read more »
TE Connectivity’s new HC-STAK high-voltage interconnection system
Sponsored by TE Connectivity Since the advent of electric mobility, there has been a need for compact, robust, and reliable high-performance connection interfaces to transfer power in the most efficient manner from the charger through the battery pack to the inverter and drive motors. However, the transmission of this critical power presents a unique set… Read more »
AAM and Inovance to collaborate on integrated EV drivetrains
American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) and Suzhou Inovance Automotive have announced a technology development agreement that will accelerate the development and delivery of scalable, next-generation 3-in-1 electric drive systems, which integrate an inverter, electric motor and gearbox. The companies will focus on enhancing the power density, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of integrated EV drivetrains. AAM and… Read more »
Compact EV-specific transmission supports niche OEMs as they shift to electric
Following the recent release of its HPD E crate motors and associated kit to electrify the classic Mini, Swindon Powertrain is now extending its electrification range with a new standalone E-Transmission for EVs. Swindon says the single-speed gearbox is an affordable plug-and-play solution to purchasing a transmission to work with existing electric motors. With two… Read more »