Mustang Advanced Engineering (MAE), a US manufacturer of testing equipment, dynamometers and related products, has announced the delivery of the third of three functional test stands for a major OEM of battery EVs. The OEM contacted MAE to design and build three different pieces of testing equipment – an end-of-line chassis dynamometer capable of testing […] More…

BMW has started series production of electric powertrains based on hydrogen fuel cells, in a major step forward for the technology (writes Nick Flaherty). Previous production has been for prototype and test vehicles, using fuel cell technology developed in-house. BMW’s hydrogen powertrain will now be used in the company’s iX5 Hydrogen, which will be built […] More…

Engineers at the Korea Institute of Materials Science have developed a process for producing high-performance and cost-effective magnets for high-speed electric motors using cerium to reduce the amount of neodymium (writes Nick Flaherty). Cerium is an abundant rare earth element, while neodymium is in increasingly short supply, driving up prices. The process can reduce the […] More…

Launched on September 5, 1977, NASA’s space probe Voyager 1 is now the most distant human-made object in existence (writes Peter Donaldson). At the time of writing, the spacecraft had made it more than 14,569,656,000 miles from the Sun, a figure that continues to grow at a rate of about 38,027 mph. The probe is […] More…

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions division has announced a joint development agreement with fuel cell and battery systems supplier Freudenberg e-Power Systems. Together they will develop clean e-drive ‘powerpack’ solutions consisting of a fuel cell and drivetrain system, as well as share components for a variety of applications. The initial focus of the deal is to […] More…

Mahle unveiled its SCT (Superior Continuous Torque) electric motor at the IAA Transportation show last week. Mahle says the motor solves the dilemma between continuous and peak power. While previous electric motors can only produce their peak power for a short time and then drop to about 60-70%, the SCT motor can be operated continuously […] More…

Murata has launched its first series of high-performance coreless current sensors using tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) elements (writes Nick Flaherty). The MRD series of open-loop current sensors integrates high-performance TMR elements. These use a magneto-resistive effect that occurs in a magnetic tunnel junction composed of two ferromagnets separated by a thin insulator. The insulator, typically a […] More…

Rob Coppinger reports on Alpha Motor Corporation’s digital route to creating a more efficient range of EVs for the global market Alpha Motor Corporation’s latest vehicle, the Saga sedan, is building on the technical standardisation the company is applying across its range of vehicles. Announced in November last year, the Saga is continuing and expanding […] More…

There are big, system-level energy savings to be made in thermal management by switching high-power components such as pumps and fans to higher voltages (writes Peter Donaldson).   Technical Services should know. It is the UK-based European technical partner of US electric pump and fan manufacturer EMP, handling application engineering for OEMs. Its sales and […] More…

Mahle Powertrain is investing $4 million in a new powertrain dynamometer facility in Plymouth, Michigan, aimed at accelerating vehicle development as manufacturers continue the shift towards EVs. Capable of supporting full powertrain development, from the testing and calibration of individual drive components to the complete driveline systems of 4WD vehicles, the facility will enable ADAS […] More…

Total cost of ownership, long service life and packaging efficiency that frees mass and volume for cargo and passengers are essential requirements for all commercial vehicles (CVs) – and meeting all those needs is a challenge as the sector transitions to electric power, according to Harry Husted, BorgWarner’s vice-president and CTO (writes Peter Donaldson). Speaking […] More…

Over the past 5 years, US auto parts maker Dana Incorporated has undergone a dramatic transformation since it entered the e-mobility market. Its acquisition and integration of companies such as TM4 and Pi Innovo, combined with internal development of skills critical to electric powertrain engineering, have resulted in it accumulating a portfolio of OEM customers. More…

Power management company Eaton’s eMobility business has introduced a single-stage vent valve for EV batteries. The valve acts as an over-pressure relief for the vehicle’s pack. The valve’s resealing technology allows customers to specify very low opening pressures and testing for 100% functionality compared with the conventional burst-valve technology commonly used in the market at […] More…

Heating is as important as cooling in the thermal management of battery packs, since lithium-ion batteries need to be held within the temperature range specified by the cell manufacturer if they are to operate safely and efficiently, and achieve their maximum service life (writes Peter Donaldson). Efficient, self-regulating positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters constitute an […] More…

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) has developed an inverter reference design based around an integrated gallium nitride (GaN) chip that reduces the size of powertrains in electric bikes (writes Nick Flaherty). The design, for a 1.5 kW three phase brushless DC motor drive inverter, uses the EPC23101 eGaN chip. This has an embedded gate driver function […] More…

To be competitive in global markets, ultra-fast production processes are essential. That is also true for the manufacture of batteries, for which RAMPF Group has developed polymers for sealing, casting and thermal management, as well as dispensing and automation systems. RAMPF uses epoxy, silicone and polyurethane polymers for sealing, casting and thermal management solutions for […] More…

The electrification of the global commercial vehicle segment will gain serious momentum over the next 10 to 20 years, according to a study by ACT Research. It predicts that 24% of commercial vehicle demand – Class 4 to Class 8 trucks, including transit, coach, school and refuse trucks – in the US, as well as […] More…

High-voltage batteries are indispensable for the electrification and decarbonisation of vehicles worldwide, but the specific energy and energy density limitations of current battery technology bring challenges to the forefront when optimising different kinds of EVs. Take heavy-duty commercial EVs, for example. Whether electrifying an 18-wheel truck, a coach, a city bus or some similar sort of long-endurance fleet vehicle, hundreds of kilowatt-hours of energy need to be stored onboard. More…

ZEEKR, the e-mobility technology brand from Geely Holding Group, and CATL have announced that the former will become the first EV brand to use CATL’s Qilin battery, which uses the third generation of cell-to-pack technology. The ZEEKR 009 luxury MPV will be the first vehicle to use the new battery, with deliveries beginning in the […] More…

Cylindrical cells and central liquid cooling are key architectural characteristics of the new “ultra-high-energy” Akasystem AKM CYC module technology from BorgWarner, which acquired its developer Akasol in February (writes Peter Donaldson). The system is a scalable set of battery modules designed to be built up into packs for heavy vehicles including buses and trucks, along […] More…