Capacitor battery developer Kurt Energy has outlined how it complements the inherent safety of its 18650Y and 21700Y hybrid power capacitors and provides protection against abuse and external causes of fire. It uses a device it calls a CID, which interrupts the current when the cell pressure builds up too fast, typically at about 10 […] More…

Heat exchangers Peter Donaldson talks to industry experts about the latest advances in EV thermal management technologies Users of EVs of all kinds, and battery EVs in particular, want more range and/or running time, faster charging and greater assurance of safety. Thermal management is central to all these. We approached industry experts to gauge the […] More…

German automation and motion control specialist KEB Automation is using Yokogawa’s WT5000 Precision Power analyser to develop its latest generation of frequency converters for variable-speed drives, to ensure they meet the latest EU energy efficiency regulations in the Ecodesign Directive. KEB uses power analysers at several stages of a product’s lifecycle, including the development of […] More…

Marelli has been awarded a contract to supply a BMS for the small-to-medium battery EVs of a major global carmaker. Marelli will provide both the hardware and the boot loader software of the BMS for the segment A, B and C vehicles. The system will be developed and tested by Marelli Electric Powertrain teams in […] More…

Wolfspeed and ZF have announced a partnership that includes the creation of a lab to drive advances in silicon carbide (SiC) systems and devices for mobility, industrial and energy applications. The partnership includes the construction of a 200 mm SiC device fab. Both facilities are planned as part of the Important Project of Common European […] More…

Dow has unveiled a new range of liquid silicone rubbers (LSRs) designed for two-component injection moulding with thermoplastic substrates including polybutylene terephthalate and polyamide. Its Silastic SA 994X LSR series is a primerless, self-adhesive, general-purpose or self-lubricating, one-to-one mix ratio series of LSRs that can be used across multiple automotive applications such as connector seals, […] More…

It’s worth taking 9 minutes and 36 seconds out of your day to watch professional rally driver Ken Block’s Electrikhana on YouTube (writes Peter Donaldson). I don’t know whether he is a mathematician, but Block is clearly running some very advanced software somewhere in his central nervous system. His latest instrument is the Audi S1 […] More…

Researchers in Japan have used a quantum sensor with a wide dynamic range and high sensitivity to measure the current in a battery pack more accurately than traditional techniques (writes Nick Flaherty). The team, from Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, took a quantum sensor built from artificial diamond […] More…

Lithium-ion battery maker Microvast Holdings and EV platform supplier REE Automotive have signed a supply and purchase agreement. Under its terms, Microvast will provide its MV-C Gen 4 HpCO lithium-ion battery packs for REE’s EV platforms. The packs can be fully charged in 30 minutes. Their pouch cells in the MV-C Gen 4 provide 53.5 […] More…

ABT e-Line has announced that every existing IC-engined Volkswagen Transporter 6.1 model can now be converted to battery-electric drive. The base vehicle only has to be a diesel with a direct shift gearbox. The ABT e-Transporter 6.1 has a WLTP range of 105-138 km, depending on the body and weight, which might vary slightly during […] More…

Keysight Technologies has updated its regenerative DC emulator to support higher power up to 270 kW for powertrain testing (writes Nick Flaherty). The Scienlab SL1800A Series regenerative DC emulator enables engineers to emulate the large batteries in EVs. The bidirectional power flow allows emulation of power sourcing applications such as traction inverter tests, as well as […] More…

Hypercars to HGVs Viritech’s CTO tells Rory Jackson how fuel cell developments for its Apricale hypercar will feed into its upcoming heavy goods vehicles Anyone who works in electrified and low-carbon automotive engineering should remember that developing solutions to the zero-emissions challenge is not a zero-sum game. Just as solar, wind, tidal and nuclear power […] More…

UK composite construction specialist Far-UK is developing a primarily carbon fibre skateboard chassis concept that can be applied to light vehicles with different configurations of wheelbase, track and either three or four wheels (writes Peter Donaldson). The platform is designed to help reduce barriers to entry for new vehicles by optimising the cost and time […] More…

Energy storage solutions provider Leclanché says it has achieved a breakthrough in the environmentally friendly production of G/NMCA cells, by reducing the cobalt content in NMCA cathode material from 20% to 5% and manufacturing the electrodes using a water-based process. In doing so, Leclanché says it completely dispenses with the use of the highly toxic […] More…

Elaphe and McLaren Applied are collaborating to provide an in-wheel propulsion system, coupling McLaren Applied’s inverter technology with Elaphe’s direct-drive in-wheel motors and vehicle controls. The combination is said to give a torque response five times faster than existing systems. Elaphe has demonstrated an energy efficiency of more than 97% on vehicles such as the […] More…

Proventia has launched a modular rugged battery pack for off-road construction equipment (writes Nick Flaherty). The ePRO500+ platform uses lithium titanate oxide (LTO) cells from Toshiba with different versions for high power at 20 Ah or high energy delivery at 26 Ah, both with a nominal voltage from 48 to 800 V. The high-power, 552 […] More…

Supply and demand Peter Donaldson provides some highlights of this key event, focusing on new products and technologies that offer solutions to pressing challenges Held in Novi, Michigan, in mid-September, the Battery Show North America focused attention on numerous new products, from test equipment for battery development and manufacture to batteries, safety devices, power electronics […] More…

Webasto has launched a compact and scalable thermal management solution called the eBTM, which it says increases the performance and service life of traction batteries in electric vehicles and machines. It allows continuous monitoring of the operating temperature to ensure that the heating and cooling circuits are balanced in order to maintain the battery temperature […] More…

A team of scientists from the US, Canada and Germany (led by researchers at Texas A&M University, TAMU) have combined novel imaging techniques and large data sets to try to gain a better understanding of why lithium-ion energy storage systems fail, and hence how they can be improved (writes Rory Jackson). A key focal point […] More…

Bus power conversion company Kleanbus has developed its first modular electric platform. Its ‘e-drivetrain in a box’ can convert a single- or double-decker bus from IC engine power to fully electric. Installed in an Optare Solo, the company is now entering pilot trials with bus fleet operators. In general, the conversion consists of a full […] More…