Amprius Technologies has demonstrated a charging rate of 6 minutes to 80% from 0% state of charge for its silicon-based batteries (writes Nick Flaherty). This exceeds the targets for 2025 set by the US government for charging a battery cell to 80% in less than 15 minutes. Using silicon nanowires avoids the problems of the […] More…
Category: E-Mobility Engineering
Quantron unveils range of commercial EVs
Quantron, a systems provider for battery-powered and hydrogen-electric mobility for commercial vehicles, is presenting its portfolio of commercial vehicles to investors, customers and press representatives from April 26 to 28. The company will give exclusive insights and showcase new vehicles from its Q-Light and Q-Heavy ranges. A highlight of the event will be the world […] More…
Goldhofer announces e-drive tie-up with Aradex
The Airport Technology division of Goldhofer is equipping its zero-emissions Sherpa E cargo and pushback tractors and Phoenix E towbar-less aircraft tractor with battery-powered motors and inverters supplied by Aradex. The newly configured electric powertrain is used in both vehicles, and provides a torque of up to 1200 Nm for the Sherpa E and 4000 […] More…
Wireless BMS simplifies pack design
Visteon has launched a wireless BMS and added smart junction box technology to simplify battery pack designs (writes Nick Flaherty). The company has been involved in BMS development since the earliest days of EV production when it supported the 1998 Ford Ranger EV. The wireless BMS uses chips from Analog Devices to eliminate the traditional […] More…
Electric trams and trolley buses
In the West we are still addicted to the car as the ultimate embodiment of personal mobility (writes Peter Donaldson). However, there is growing awareness of the total carbon footprint of transport, and even the most efficient electric cars represent large tonnages of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in their manufacture. This awareness is […] More…
Breakthrough for lithium-sulphur batteries
A cell technology holding 900 Wh/kg – three times the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery chemistries – that is safer and cheaper thanks to the use of abundant and easily accessible sulphur for the cathode in place of nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) is an exciting prospect (writes Peter Donaldson). Batteries that use sulphur […] More…
Lithium-air pack beats lithium-ion
Researchers in Japan have developed a lithium-air battery that has a far higher energy density than current lithium-ion batteries (writes Nick Flaherty). Lithium-air batteries have the potential to be the ultimate rechargeable packs, as they are lightweight and have high capacity, with theoretical energy densities of 3150 Wh/kg – several times that of the lithium-ion […] More…
Solar power
Light at the end of the tunnel Solar cell technology is near the point of becoming mainstream in EVs, but some obstacles to their use still need to be overcome. Peter Donaldson reports According to the NASA Earth Observatory, an average of 340 W/m2 of solar power reaches the Earth. Over an hour that would […] More…
Going electric gives classic off-roader new abilities
Examples of classic vehicles converted to electric power abound, but SC Innovation’s reworking of the rugged skid-steered 6 x 6 All-Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP) is remarkable because, rather than adding a high-tech twist to an exercise in nostalgia, it brings new capabilities to a machine that has filled niches in military, agricultural and other utility […] More…
Operando test cell from EL-CELL
The PAT-Cell-Force is an operando test cell in EL-CELL’s PAT series for adjusting and measuring the mechanical force applied to a cell stack. Its wide range of forces makes it suitable for aprotic lithium-ion chemistries with liquid electrolytes as well as solid-state batteries. It allows the force on a cell stack to be set to […] More…
Conversion service for classic mini
Following a one-off project in 2018, BMW is now offering a service to convert the classic petrol-driven Mini to electric propulsion (writes Nick Flaherty). The original was launched in 1959, created during an oil crisis and based on the idea of saving fuel and transporting four occupants and their luggage in the smallest possible footprint. […] More…
Solid-state batteries
Liquid displacement As batteries that use solid instead of liquid electrolytes begin to appear, Nick Flaherty cautions that challenges remain in bringing them to market Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are seen in some areas as a key way forward for e-mobility applications. For one thing, replacing the liquid electrolyte in lithium-ion cells can help to reduce […] More…
HV SiC MOSFET switch ships for EVs
Power Integrations (PI) has launched its first high-voltage switch chips for automotive battery packs that use a SiC MOSFET (writes Nick Flaherty). The package for the InnoSwitch3-AQ integrates a 1700 V SiC MOSFET for 800 and 1000 V battery packs where a 1200 V device would not be able to handle the peak voltage that […] More…
Lotus unveils production Hyper-SUV
Lotus has launched what it calls a Hyper-SUV, the all-electric Eletre. It is Lotus’ first five-door production care, and represents and evolution of its Emira sportscar and its all-electric Evija hypercar. The Eletre is four-wheel drive, has a battery capacity 100-plus kWh and a power output starting at 600 bhp, giving an acceleration of 0-100 […] More…
Separator and current collector protect cells from shorts
Soteria Battery Innovation Group, together with a consortium of more than 110 organisations, is making available new separator and current collector technologies that protect battery cells from the effects of internal short-circuits (writes Peter Donaldson). The consortium members include NASA, Mercedes-Benz, Lenovo, DuPont, Bosch and Motorola. As European consortium director Dr Juergen Kellner explains, “We […] More…
Audi unveils its PPE-based Avant e-tron
Audi has unveiled the next model concept in its electrically powered A6 class: the Avant e-tron. Its electric drive system is based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform developed by Audi and Porsche. The 800 V system has a charging capacity of 270 kW and gives a WLTP-standard range of up to 700 km. […] More…
Lightyear One
Ray of sunshine Rory Jackson explains how this aerodynamic five-seater has been designed for daily trips purely on solar power While EV technology has come a long way over the past decade, the main concerns being raised by engineers, advocates and prospective customers of battery EVs remain the same. Range anxiety broadly encapsulates these problems, […] More…
DC-DC converters for EVs with IP67 option
Green Watt Power, a division of Powerland Technology, has launched its EVD3000 series of fully encapsulated, ruggedised DC-DC converters for EVs. They have an input range of 280 to 880 V, with output voltages of 27.5 or 48 V DC to power auxiliary EV functions such as air conditioning, lights, instruments, accessories, or to provide […] More…
High-speed marine motor addresses critical need
Rapid acceleration may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering marine vehicles that serve the offshore industries, but it is important because it increases their operational limits, enabling them to be deployed for longer in higher sea states (writes Peter Donaldson). That is one of the key selling points of Walker […] More…
CSM launches split HV measurement modules for confined spaces
CSM has unveiled its latest measurement technology solution for electric and hybrid vehicles where installation space is limited. Called the HV Breakout Module (BM) Split system, it provides high-frequency measurement of current, voltage and power directly in HV power cables as well as busbars. The split design allow measurements at points where there is not […] More…
