Developing heavy-duty powertrains for integrating into electric passenger buses is fundamentally different from other EV applications, owing to their unique drive cycles and weight-carrying considerations, and their dramatically different HVAC requirements (writes Rory Jackson). Unlike other EVs, an electric bus can expend as much energy on heating and cooling its cabin interior as it does […] More…

Coherent has unveiled HIGHvision, a machine vision system for laser-welding heads that it says greatly improves the efficiency of manufacturing EV batteries and motors. HIGHvision is a turnkey system consisting of machine vision hardware and software that enables laser welding heads to align to software-defined features on the workpiece in milliseconds and with high accuracy. […] More…

As part of the FullStack TS fuel cell test bench project, a new generation of test benches is being developed to cover full stacks of cells of up to 200 kW. In the project, Smart Testsolutions will be responsible for monitoring the cell voltages. The project’s funding comes from the Baden-Wurttemberg Lebens-grundlage Umwelt und ihre […] More…

Amogy in the US has demonstrated its ammonia-powered technology in a heavy-duty electric vehicle for the first time (writes Nick Flaherty). The 100 kW tractor marks a 20-fold increase in the performance of the technology over the past year. It uses ammonia (NH3) with a fuel cell rather than hydrogen to provide access to a […] More…

Increasing interest in preserving the world’s Arctic regions has generated strong demand among tour companies and eco-tourists for zero-emissions snow-going vehicles. An electric snowmobile would be quieter, emissions-free, and far easier to maintain than an IC-engined version. More…

EPC has developed a reference design called the EPC9165 for a 2 kW bidirectional charger in 48 V hybrid vehicles using GaN transistors (writes Nick Flaherty). Mild hybrids running on 48 V require a 48 to 12 V bidirectional converter, with power ranging from 1.5 to 6 kW. The EPC9165’s design uses a synchronous buck/boost […] More…

German e-mobility specialist Quantron has signed a framework agreement with TMP Logistics Group for an order of up to 500 Class 8 trucks with fuel cell EV drive systems. The signing took place after the Hydrogen Americas Summit 2022 on October 12 at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce. The event was supported by […] More…

Ascend Performance Materials has announced a new flame-retardant nylon for EV safety applications. It says its Trinohex Ultra electrolyte additive, which it unveiled recently at The Battery Show North America, improves lithium-ion battery safety, extends cycle life and boosts performance. In third-party testing, Trinohex Ultra demonstrated superior cathode protection across cathode and electrolyte chemistries. The […] More…

The most supportable claim by EVs to environmental friendliness is that they lead to cleaner air in towns and cities because they emit no combustion products (writes Peter Donaldson). The fly in that ointment is particles from tyre wear, of which EVs tend to generate more because they are heavier than comparable IC-engined vehicles and […] More…

Reading materials Advances in coating and materials were some of the key takeaways from one of Europe’s largest battery trade fairs, reports Peter Donaldson Held in Stuttgart as June became July, the Battery Show and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo had many highlights, including an advanced battery concept that boosts energy density using a […] More…

GKN Aerospace has been working on cryogenic technology to boost the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors for aircraft (writes Nick Flaherty). The ‘hyperconducting’ systems proposed by the company use the liquid hydrogen stored in the aircraft as fuel as a heat sink, cooling the electrical conductors to temperatures below -200 ºC to […] More…

Aqua Metals has demonstrated a key step in using recycled elements in the production of lithium-ion cells for EVs (writes Nick Flaherty). The company, based in Nevada, has successfully plated high-purity cobalt and produced manganese dioxide from lithium-ion battery black mass. Black mass is the result of the recycling process of lithium ion battery cells […] More…

Everrati has announced that its electrified version of the Porsche 911 (964) Wide Body Cabriolet – the first of its kind in the world – is now available. It has more than double the output of the original car, on which it is based, and comes in 440 bhp or 500 bhp options and with […] More…

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…