A team at Toyota Central R&D Labs is developing a prototype Free Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPEG), which they described at the recent SAE 2014 World Congress in Detroit. Unlike a traditional ICE, which propels a drive shaft, the FPEG is designed to generate electricity directly. It consists of a two-stroke combustion chamber, a linear… Read more »
Echo Automotive, a developer of aftermarket plug-in hybrid powertrains, plans to extend its EchoDrive system to GM 2500 and 3500 vans, including the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana, model years 2010-2014. EchoDrive is already available for Ford E-Series vans – orders are currently being accepted and production is scheduled to begin later this year. Production… Read more »
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a prototype EV motor drive system with a built-in silicon-carbide inverter that it claims is the smallest of its kind. As EVs require large spaces to accommodate their battery systems, Mitsubishi sees a strong need to reduce the size and weight of motor systems to leave a decent amount of… Read more »
The DOE will award $49.4 million in new funding for projects that accelerate research and development of new vehicle technologies. The announcement identifies 13 areas of interest, of which 7 are described as “critical technologies” to meet the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge, which has a goal of making EVs more affordable and convenient to own… Read more »
If you’ve got an idea for cheaper, lighter, safer or more durable batteries or electric powertrain components, you may be eligible for a piece of a new $10 million pot of research funding. The DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) has issued an Incubator Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for projects that address any of several “areas… Read more »
President Obama has announced the selection of a consortium of businesses and universities to lead a manufacturing innovation institute for next-generation power electronics. Last May, the President committed $200 million in federal funding to three new regional hubs, designed to bridge the gap between applied research and product development, and launched a competition to select… Read more »
In-wheel motor developer Protean Electric is partnering with FAW-Volkswagen in China to develop a new electric propulsion system. FAW-VW will create a new rear-wheel drivetrain for an EV based on the new Bora compact sedan, using two Protean in-wheel motors. “This is a two-phase project that will capitalize on the torque and packaging freedoms that… Read more »
Chrysler has entered a five-year, $18.2 million partnership with McMaster University, with funding support from the Canadian government, to develop next-generation electrified powertrains. Chrysler Group will invest $9.25 million in cash and in-kind contributions, with an additional $8.93 million coming from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). 20 Chrysler engineers and… Read more »
The DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has selected 14 projects to receive $27 million in funding to support the development of next-generation power conversion devices. These devices, which convert electrical energy from high to low voltages, are critical to all electronic devices, and represent a key enabling technology for electric vehicles. The DOE’s talent… Read more »
Why motors generate and generators motor In a previous article I took a closer look at regenerative braking, and mentioned an old engineering saying that every motor is a generator and every generator is a motor (along with the caveat that some are more suited to the opposite purpose than others). This time around I’ll… Read more »