Webasto is increasing the energy content of its traction batteries from 35 to 40 kW/h. The standardised product design of the new Standard Battery Pro 40 gives existing and new customers planning security for the coming years and facilitates multi-year electrification projects. Read more…

Vacuum processes play a crucial role in many stages of the battery cell production process, and category expert Leybold is pioneering new innovative, economical and sustainable manufacturing solutions that raise the bar in all areas. Read more…

Electric vehicles (EVs) are facing some stiff headwinds in the market. Many are affected by depreciation significantly worse than that of comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, the reluctance of dealerships to take them at trade-in time, along with escalating insurance premiums and some insurers refusing to cover them altogether, writes Peter Donaldson. Read more…

Nick Flaherty looks at strategies to get more power out of battery cells, which brings thermal management challenges.
There are many ways to boost the energy density of an e-mobility platform’s powertrain. The materials in a battery cell can be improved to produce more energy, from silicon in the anode to new electrolytes. Solid state batteries under development, for example, can provide higher energy densities, stacking more cells closer together by addressing the materials and the packaging. Read more…

Peter Donaldson speaks to experts who are working on cell design and chemistry to avoid thermal runaway
Protection from thermal runaway in an electric vehicle (EV) battery requires a holistic solution that affects every aspect of the pack’s design and operation. The consensus seems to be that protection options are limited to prevention and mitigation rather than stopping a runaway once it has started. Read more…

Peter Donaldson reports on an electric powertrain developer
that undertakes bespoke conversions for classic cars.
Electrogenic is a leading developer of electric powertrains for niche vehicle manufacturers. It also carries out bespoke conversions of classics, such as the E-type Jaguar, to electric power and produces conversion kits. Read more…

Monolith’s CEO tells Rory Jackson how AI can help improve and shorten vehicle and powertrain development
For much of the 21st century, automotive applications of big data have been limited to some attempts at predictive maintenance in vehicles and powertrains. Read more…

Peter Donaldson takes electric machines apart to examine the inner workings of coil windings.
At first glance, electric machines are simple. They have one moving part, the rotor, which either rotates in response to an input of electrical energy or puts out an electric current in response to an input of mechanical energy that rotates it. Read more…

Nick Flaherty assesses the various materials and processes used to seal and protect a battery pack
Sealing a battery pack safely is a key requirement for e-mobility systems. While there may be concerns about the ingress of moisture or dirt, there are also issues over venting gasses and preventing electromagnetic interference. As a result, the choice of materials and the processes for sealing a battery pack, including cleaning the surfaces, are a series of engineering trade-offs. Read more…

A unique project plans to electrify the niche market of snow groomers, reports Rory Jackson
More than 300 ski resorts decorate the five mountain ranges of France, and these are home to some vehicles that are quite unlike those found at any other kind of sporting retreat. Read more…

Nissan has shown its pilot line for all-solid-state batteries, writes Nick Flaherty.
The Yokohama Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, will supply EVs in 2028, which means the platforms are currently under design. Read more…

Greenjets and Ricardo have shown a fully operational, demonstration propulsion module for use in electric aircraft, writes Nick Flaherty.
The InCEPTion module, the result of an 18-month project, is aimed at eVTOL aircraft weighing under 5 t. Read more…

Researchers in France are developing a new way to use additive manufacturing (AM) for EVs, writes Nick Flaherty.
Renault Group is working with French research group CEA-Liten on a complex mesh structure that can be produced in a single, 3D-printing AM stage to produce components with adaptive mechanical behaviour. Read more…

Intel is proposing a standard for power management across an e-mobility platform, based on its work in the computer sector, writes Nick Flaherty.
It is taking a whole vehicle energy-management approach, inspired by PC equipment. It is looking to apply these concepts to an electric vehicle (EV) platform for the first time to provide a central energy management standard. Read more…

Joby Aviation has shown its electric vehicle take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle in Europe for the first time as it receives US certification for its propulsion systems, writes Nick Flaherty.
The certification plan, approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is a critical step towards receiving type certification. The eVTOL was shown in Europe for the first time at the Mobile World Congress exhibition by partner SK Telecom. Read more…

Alongside assembly systems, Sonplas also offers extensive expertise in testing.
The power electronics in electric and hybrid vehicles is improving all the time. In order for manufacturers to remain competitive at this high level, they require systems that not only allow them to safely assemble the individual components – inverters, chargers and DC/DC converters – but also to test them. Sonplas delivers everything from a single source. Read more…

BorgWarner is first-to-market with its electric Torque Vectoring and Disconnect (eTVD) system for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with launches for Polestar and an additional major European OEM.
The eTVD is part of the company’s electric torque management system (eTMS) portfolio. It is designed to control wheel torque intelligently to increase stability, provide superior dynamic performance, and improve traction during launch and acceleration. Read more…

SAF-HOLLAND started production of the SAF TRAKr electric trailer axle at its main factory in Bessenbach, northern Bavaria, in October 2022, following a successful testing phase. This is now being ramped up, with its MODUL suspension to be added to its portfolio in the middle of this year. Read more…

Pacific Power Source, a provider of AC and DC power test solutions, has launched its Regenerative product line, which includes the All-in-1 AGX Regenerative AC/DC Source, 2-in-1 RGS Regenerative Grid Simulator and RLS Regenerative Load Simulator. Read more…

StoreDot, a manufacturer of extreme fast-charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs), and Polestar, an electric performance car brand, have charged an EV in just 10 minutes.
A 77 kWh battery pack, powered by StoreDot’s XFC high energy (300 Wh/kg) silicon-dominant battery cells, installed in a Polestar 5 prototype, was charged from 10% to 80% in less than 10 minutes. Read more…