Farasis Energy, a battery manufacturing company, Kautex Textron, a supplier of energy storage systems, and the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics aim to make plastic-based battery housings safer by means of virtual design to increase the safety of EVs. Farasis, which develops and produces lithium-ion battery technology and pouch cells for electromobility, is developing a… Read more…

Stellantis Ventures has made a strategic investment in France-based sodium-ion battery developer Tiamat. Tiamat says its sodium-ion technology is lithium- and cobalt-free and cheaper per kilowatt hour (kWh) when compared with lithium-ion batteries. The wide availability of sodium boosts sustainability and material sovereignty.  Tiamat will use the new funding to start construction of a sodium-ion… Read more…

Power semiconductor specialist CISSOID released a new series of SiC Inverter Control Modules (ICMs) for the e-mobility market at the recent Applied Power Electronics Conference. These software-powered SiC Inverter Control Modules are designed to help engineers create safe, robust and modular e-motor drives.  The new CXT-ICM3SA series offers optimal hardware and software integration of CISSOID’s… Read more…

Battery manufacturer SK On is showcasing new fast-charging battery cells at this week’s InterBattery 2024, a battery trade show in Seoul, South Korea. The Advanced SF and SF+ batteries are among several new technologies that SK On is displaying at the show. The original SF (Super Fast) battery, introduced in 2021, was a high-nickel battery… Read more…

Construction giant Skanska has completed a 90-day pilot program using the Volvo EC230 Electric excavator on the Purple (D Line) Extension Transit Project in Los Angeles. The goal of the trial was to test the capability of a battery-powered excavator to match the performance of a legacy diesel-powered machine. The excavator was used to load… Read more…

QuantumScape, a US battery company, has introduced a new cell format, FlexFrame, for solid-state EV batteries. FlexFrame combines pouch and prismatic cells. The FlexFrame architecture has a frame that wraps around the cell stack and a flexible polymer laminate outer layer like pouch cells. The cell is anode-free and the cell stack is contracted, with… Read more…

Sponsored by Littelfuse. The automotive environment is one of the most severe environments for electronics. Today’s vehicle designs proliferate with sensitive electronics, including electronic controls, infotainment, sensing, battery packs, battery management, electric vehicle powertrains, and on-board chargers. In addition to the heat, voltage transients, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the automotive environment, the on-board charger… Read more…

To date, most EV buyers, at least in the US, have been suburban dwellers, and these folks may not understand what the fuss is about charging. They install a charger in their carport or driveway, and never look back. But for EV adoption to reach the next cohort of drivers, there needs to be a… Read more…

There’s more to a lithium-ion battery cell than a handful of lithium in a little metal can. Actually, the enclosure is called a can, but it’s a highly engineered piece of hardware, designed to reduce the incidence of issues such as cell rupture and ignition. Battery supplier Panasonic Energy has signed a long-term agreement with… Read more…

Sports boat manufacturer Supra, a division of Skier’s Choice, has partnered with EVOA, a provider of electrified performance solutions, to introduce new electric propulsion solutions for the towed water sports market. The centerpiece of this collaboration is the EVOA E1 electrified performance package. The electrical system is built on an 800 V architecture, and features… Read more…

EV charging provider ChargePoint, energy solutions provider EnTech Solutions and bank Wells Fargo are collaborating to offer flexible financing solutions for businesses building charging infrastructure for EV fleets. Wells Fargo has created a financing program specifically for EnTech’s eSkid charging solution, a rapidly deployable EV charging platform that uses ChargePoint hardware and software. The funding… Read more…

The Charger sedan and Challenger coupe exuded testosterone, courtesy of snarling V-8s. Dodge says the EVs that replace them will be just as noisy. The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona is a Detroit anomaly: it’s a passenger car in an age of trucks and SUVs, it’s battery-electric when U.S. makers seem to be in an EV… Read more…

According to Adamas Intelligence, 493,472 tons of graphite were deployed globally in the batteries of all newly marketed passenger EVs and hybrids from January to October 2023, up 45% or 153,034 tons from the same period in 2022. Over the same period, passenger EV unit sales rose 33% and sales-weighted average battery capacity in kWh… Read more…

Microchip Technology has launched a new family of dsPIC digital signal controller-based integrated motor drivers. These devices incorporate a dsPIC33 digital signal controller (DSC), a three-phase MOSFET gate driver and optional LIN or CAN FD transceiver into one package. This integration is designed to reduce the component count of a motor control system design, and… Read more…

Things are moving along briskly at electric automaker Polestar. The company has begun production of its third model, the Polestar 3 SUV, in Chengdu, China. Importantly for US buyers, production is also slated to begin in South Carolina in mid-2024. The company has successfully completed a production test series at its Carolina plant. “This stunning… Read more…

Logistics provider NFI and charging network Electrify America have announced the grand opening of NFI’s new DC fast charging facility in Ontario, California. The charging hub will support NFI’s fleet of 50 heavy-duty electric trucks, which perform drayage operations in and around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. When fully completed, the new… Read more…

Yellow-machine icon Caterpillar has signed an electrification strategic agreement with building materials firm CRH, a major North American producer of aggregates, to advance the deployment of Caterpillar’s zero-emission off-road vehicles. CRH will participate in Caterpillar’s Early Learner program, testing and validating 70- to 100-ton-class battery-electric off-highway trucks and charging solutions in real-world applications. CRH will… Read more…

Hyundai Motor and Kia have unveiled a technology that reduces aerodynamic resistance generated during high-speed driving. The Active Air Skirt (AAS) technology controls airflow entering through the lower bumper and reduces turbulence around the vehicle wheels by operating variably depending on vehicle speed during high-speed driving.  AAS is installed between the front bumper and the… Read more…

UK-based EV leasing company Octopus Electric Vehicles has launched its DriveFree plan in the Houston area. The program, which customers access online, includes the lease of a pre-owned EV, as well as a maintenance contract and smart home charging through Octopus Energy. “With DriveFree, we wanted to address all the concerns people have about switching… Read more…

Microchip Technology has added a new offering to its line of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor solutions. The new 3.3 kV XIFM plug-and-play mSiC gate driver uses the company’s patented Augmented Switching technology, and is designed to work out of the box with preconfigured module settings to reduce design and evaluation time. “The complex development work… Read more…