Vicor has shown a modular approach for a ‘virtual battery’ that can tackle issues with DC fast charging of EVs (writes Nick Flaherty). Many existing DC fast chargers work with 400 V packs but not the 800V versions. In 2020, there were around 400,000 publicly accessible DC fast chargers around the world, but only 2% […] More…

Shell has awarded a contract to Singapore company Penguin International to design, build and operate at least three fully electric ferries which, when operational, will be the first fully electric ferry service in Singapore and a first for Shell globally. Expected to set sail in the first half of 2023, the new 200-seater single-deck ferries […] More…

NXP Semiconductors is working with Hitachi on a power module using 1200 V SiC transistors (writes Nick Flaherty). The collaboration combines NXP’s GD3160 isolated gate driver and Hitachi Energy’s RoadPak SiC half-bridge power modules for faster development of efficient, reliable and functionally safe EV powertrains using 900V battery packs.The RoadPak uses 1200 V SiC MOSFETs, […] More…

Most EV battery packs are built from groups of cells housed in modules interconnected within a case that provides structural support, thermal management, environmental protection and connectivity with the rest of the drivetrain, but this is not the only way to do it. There are potential benefits to eliminating modules and building packs up from cells inside the case, in what has become known as the cell-to-pack arrangement. More…

BYD has unveiled additions to its range of forklifts, including the heavy-duty ECB70/80, its highest-capacity counterbalance forklift to date. It can operate for up to 9 hours on one charge, and with an hour of charging, its range can be extended by a further 2-3 hours Other new products are the ECB20S, a three-wheel counterbalance […] More…

Sono Motors, developer of the Sion solar-powered car, is working on integrating solar cells into all of its five-door, five-seat family hatchback’s outer body panels (writes Peter Donaldson). The Sion is a BEV with a 54 kWh battery that the company expects to provide a range of 305 km on a full charge, with the […] More…

Safe pair of hands Eaton’s head of HV safety systems talks to Rory Jackson about his career so far and the company’s work in the EV sector As electric powertrains move from 400 V architectures up to 800-1000 V and higher still, innovations around ensuring the safety of power distribution systems are critical to protecting […] More…

Global automotive supplier Marelli has expanded its range of battery management technologies with a new wireless distributed battery management system (wBMS). Being wireless, it eliminates the need to daisy-chain the comms and wiring between an EV’s batteries and the control unit. The company says it also reduces the amount of wiring in the harness by […] More…

IoTecha, a global supplier of products and services for the EV charging infrastructures, has announced an addition to its range of end-to-end charging products, the IoT.ON Edge. Designed to control smart charging and grid integration functions, it features IoTecha’s topology-aware energy and load management approach for enabling seamless integration with existing and new third-party energy […] More…

While EVs may have much in common with consumer electronics, the combination of high voltages and powers, and the safety-critical nature of many of their systems, is providing some major headaches for printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) contractors and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers – headaches that vehicle OEMs won’t be able to cure with […] More…

Electrify America has announced that it has entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with developer Terra-Gen to build a solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation project called Electrify America Solar Glow 1. The project, in San Bernardino County, California, is expected to generate 75 MW per hour at peak solar capacity, or an estimated […] More…

Mahle has started deliveries of its new X20 traction motor for e-bikes. The company says that, with a system weight of less than 3.2 kg including battery and control unit, the X20 is the lightest e-bike drive on the market. The X20 drive system is tailored to the design of gravel bikes, road bikes and […] More…

Squad Mobility has unveiled its Squad Solar City Car, a compact two-seater that charges itself on solar energy. It will be available in 2023, cost from €6250 (ex VAT) and can be pre-ordered now. Optimised for private as well as shared mobility use, it has been designed to bridge the gap between cars and two-wheelers. […] More…

Toshiba has developed a transparent solar cell that can be used to boost the charging of EVs (writes Nick Flaherty). The cell uses copper oxide and has an efficiency of 8.4%, the world’s highest level for such as cell. It would sit on top of a flexible silicon solar cell on the roof or trunk […] More…

Research by hydrogen fuel company ULEMCo has concluded that battery-electric fire tenders fitted with hydrogen fuel cells and carrying at least 8 kg of hydrogen fuel will give them the required flexibility, emergency response and water pumping requirements, especially for rural and semi-urban services.   The research was carried out with Oxfordshire County Council and […] More…

Toyota has filed a series of patents in the US for simulating a manual gearbox in an EV (writes Nick Flaherty). The set of eight patents would have an impact on the design of the central motor controller, influencing the torque of the motor based on the operation of the accelerator and a ‘pseudo-clutch’ pedal. […] More…

Airbus is combining its two short-range electric aircraft designs – the rotor-based Vahana and the fixed-wing CityAirbus NextGen concept – for a collaboration in Germany (writes Nick Flaherty). “The first is for a long hover times, for example for rescue operations, while the Vahana is for longer flights, for example from Nuremberg to Munich,” says […] More…

KULR has developed a passive propagation resistant (PPR) system to protect maritime battery packs against the risk of fire (writes Nick Flaherty). The US Coast Guard is launching new safety requirements for passenger vessels, and the PPR developed by KULR provides additional battery safety options for the cargo ships, fishing trawlers and cruise liners. A […] More…

Omni Powertrain Technologies has released details about its new electrohydraulic pump combination. The unit was developed for low-voltage mobile applications, and is said to be ideally suited to the needs of hybrid equipment builders facing spatial constraints.  The system includes a Flo-Torq gear pump packaged with an axial flux motor and controller from Omni’s Magelec […] More…

Pionix in Germany has developed an open source software stack to address the fragmentation of EV charging infrastructure (writes Nick Flaherty). The EVerest software is a minimal Linux system that can run on any device, from chargers using a home socket to public DC charging. It uses a modular, customisable software stack that abstracts the […] More…