Oil giant Total acquires London charging network


Total, along with fellow European oil giants BP and Shell, has been buying up assets all along the EV charging value chain. Now we learn that Total has acquired a major UK charging network, Source London, which operates over 1,600 on-street charging points in London. Total acquired Source London from the French Bolloré Group, which… Read more »

ZF to provide 8-speed plug-in hybrid transmission for new Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV


Fiat Chrysler will use ZF Friedrichshafen’s 8-speed plug-in hybrid transmission in the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe. The latest version of ZF’s 8-speed features a compact electric motor with a peak output of up to 100 kilowatts and 245 Newton-meters of torque. ZF produces a full range of driveline technologies. The company recently affirmed its commitment… Read more »

Stena gives Volvo bus batteries a second life


A new agreement between Volvo Buses and Stena Recycling subsidiary Batteryloop will give second lives to used EV batteries. After the batteries are removed from Volvo’s buses, they will be reused as energy storage units in stationary applications such as buildings and charging stations. Bus batteries are used for many years before they need to… Read more »

Both candidates support EVs? Don’t you believe it.


During the recent presidential debate, Donald Trump falsely stated that he has “given big incentives for electric cars.” At least one credulous major news outlet took the bait, and ran a headline saying that Biden and Trump agreed on support for EVs. In fact, as everyone who follows the industry knows, nothing could be further… Read more »

Pick, place & weld: a novel process in power semiconductor module interconnects


Sponsored by Kulicke & Soffa The development of more reliable, less expensive electric and hybrid vehicles (EV/HEV) has led to advances in power modules as one of the main components of the EV/HEV Power-train system.  As much as 30% of the inverter cost can be made up by power modules.  Thus, reducing the cost of… Read more »

Li-ion battery capacity for new EVs sold in the US reached a record high in 2019


Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) captured a record amount of total plug-in vehicle battery capacity sold in 2019, with 17.4 gigawatt-hours of total capacity. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) accounted for a smaller portion of total vehicle battery capacity due to their lower sales volumes, and because they require smaller battery packs than BEVs. PHEV sales… Read more »

New Volta Zero electric truck designed for safety and sustainability


Startup Volta Trucks has revealed its first vehicle, a purpose-built fully-electric 16-ton commercial vehicle designed specifically for inner-city parcel and freight distribution. The new Volta Zero will begin trials with European parcel delivery and logistics companies in the first half of 2021. The company has secured several orders for customer-specific vehicles, which are to be… Read more »

Millbrook’s remote driveline testing increases test efficiency and maximizes customer safety


Millbrook says it has increased the efficiency of its driveline and electric motor dynamometer testing services in the US, due to proactive preparation for lockdown and consistent customer communications. The company’s engineering team adapted to ensure that customers continued to receive test data as it was generated, changing the setup of Millbrook’s electric motor test… Read more »

Xpeng P7 review: The company’s making headlines, but how is the car?


Chinese automaker Xpeng is the most recent of a string of EV-makers to launch a headline-grabbing IPO. The company’s US stock-market debut (NYSE: XPEV) raised $1.5 billion off the bat, and the stock posted healthy gains on its first day. However, as John Voelcker writes in The Drive, the exploits of Xpeng and its Chinese… Read more »

Inmotive introduces new two-speed EV transmission


Canadian automotive supplier Inmotive has launched a new two-speed transmission. The new Ingear features a simple and durable design that’s designed to enable a more efficient powertrain, with extended range, at a lower cost.  Typically, an EV has two reduction gears between the electric motor and the wheels, with the motor turning about nine times… Read more »