ON Semiconductor has released the first two devices within its new VE-Trac family of power modules for high-voltage automotive traction inverters. Future devices in the VE-Trac family will include discrete power devices, isolated gate drivers, and wide bandgap (WBG) devices. The company says its first two devices are ideally suited for use in the main… Read more »
Author: Ryan Austin
Ricardo software update provides simulation for electric motorcycle powertrain design
Ricardo has released a 2019.2 update of its powertrain design and optimization software. The company hopes the update will help customers more quickly deliver cleaner and more efficient products to market. The Ricardo development team focused on the scope, accuracy, and speed of simulation, as well as integration and co-simulation between individual analysis operations and… Read more »
EU approves €3.2-billion project to create more sustainable Li-ion batteries
The European Commission recently approved a €3.2-billion research project focused on every level of the value chain of Li-ion batteries in the European market. The Commission designed the project to support the development of innovative technologies that improve charging time, battery life, safety and sustainability. The project participants will focus on four areas: Raw and… Read more »
Nexeon acquires 24 patents for silicon anodes
Silicon anode specialist Nexeon has acquired three sets of patents relating to the use of silicon in lithium-ion battery anodes. The 24 patents cover the manufacture and use of nano-scale silicon particles, alone or combined with graphite, as well as methods for coating carbon particles with silicon using vapor deposition. The patents have global coverage,… Read more »
Gentherm and GM find microclimate comfort system reduces energy use up to 69% in cold weather
Gentherm, a developer of thermal management technologies, has published the results of a study it performed in partnership with GM to understand the real-world effectiveness of a ‘microclimate’ comfort system in reducing energy use in EVs. The study found that Gentherm’s ClimateSense microclimate comfort system increases driving range and energy savings. As part of the… Read more »
Feinmetall’s new 600 A cell contacts skirt oxidation issues
Feinmetall, a maker of contacts for Li-ion cells, has introduced new contact technologies in its new line of high-current contacts, including a new technique to avoid oxidation problems on contacts. One of its new new high-current blocks, the HC01, is suitable for contacting prismatic and pouch cells and allows continuous currents up to 600 amps…. Read more »
UnitedSiC announces SiC FETs with RDS(on) of less than 10 mohms
Range and horsepower may get the headlines, but to powertrain designers, drain-source resistance, also known as RDS(on), is a sexy spec. Those in the know are excited over the news that UnitedSiC, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, is introducing four new SiC field-effect transistors (FETs) that boast RDS(on) levels of… Read more »
Hino Motors uses REE corner module in FlatFormer chassis concept
REE, an Israeli startup developing a corner module that integrates the wheel and drive components into a single unit, has cooperated with Hino Motors, a provider of commercial vehicles, on Hino’s new FlatFormer modular concept. The FlatFormer is a flat, super-flexible chassis that supports a range of body configurations. The vehicle maker showcased the concept… Read more »
Northvolt to couple charging station with energy storage system
Northvolt and Swedish power provider Mälarenergi are partnering to construct an energy storage system at an EV charging station in Västerås, Sweden. The companies are designing the battery system to provide more than an 80% reduction in electricity peak demand directly at the charging station, thereby lessening the impact of EV charging on the local… Read more »
Pierburg creates modular AC compressor for EVs with integrated motor and electronics
Pierburg, a subsidiary of German parts maker Rheinmetall Automotive, has developed an AC compressor for EVs that integrates the compressor, electric motor and power electronics into one modular, compact unit. In ICE vehicles, the AC compressor is typically driven by a pulley and V-belt. EVs lack this mechanism, so the AC compressor is driven by… Read more »
