Wolfspeed and ZF partner to develop silicon carbide semiconductors


Some European feathers have recently been ruffled by the “Buy American” provisions of the US Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Some say the EU needs to respond by increasing its own support of the EV industry in order to meet the threat from Chinese automakers. So it’s encouraging to see two high-tech companies… Read more »

New Zealand firm offers improved LFP battery packs for Nissan Leaf


The Nissan Leaf is a historic and much-loved vehicle. First-generation (2011-2016) Leafs lack the range that current EV buyers expect, but thousands of owners (including your correspondent) still find them to be delightful daily drivers. One of the many nifty things about EVs is that it’s possible to replace a degraded or damaged battery pack… Read more »

Albemarle announces North Carolina technology park to explore advanced lithium technology


Specialty chemicals manufacturer Albemarle has acquired a location in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it plans to invest at least $180 million to establish the Albemarle Technology Park (ATP). The facility will be designed for novel materials research, advanced process development and acceleration of next-generation lithium products to market. The company expects that innovations at the… Read more »

Renesas launches new generation of automotive Intelligent Power Devices


Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics has revealed a new automotive Intelligent Power Device (IPD) that’s designed to safely and flexibly control power distribution within vehicles. The new RAJ2810024H12HPD is available in a small TO-252-7 package and reduces the mounting area by about 40% compared to the conventional TO-263 package product. Renesas also says that the… Read more »

DLR Institute leads project to research calcium-sulfur battery technology


DLR Stuttgart has announced that it will coordinate an effort to determine the potential of the so-called calcium-sulfur (Ca-S) battery as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The CaSino project, conducted by a consortium of five research institutions, two industrial companies and an industrial advisory board, is being funded with 3 million euros by the German… Read more »

Fraunhofer’s EKODA project aims to develop circular value creation


German research organization Fraunhofer has announced the launch of its EKODA project, which focuses on the mobility industry with the aim of addressing issues such as resource scarcity, rising prices of raw materials and energy, supply chain disruptions, and waste disposal. Its goal is to swap conventional recycling for what it calls a circular economy…. Read more »

Infinitum unveils Aircore Mobility electric motor with PCB stator technology


Electric motor manufacturer Infinitum introduced its new electric traction and propulsion motor, Aircore Mobility, at CES 2023. Aircore Mobility is an axial flux propulsion and traction motor designed to power a wide range of electric vehicles. It’s engineered to operate with high efficiency over a wide range of speeds and load conditions, expanding vehicle range… Read more »

LiNa Energy demonstrates dynamic containment with its solid-state sodium batteries


LiNa Energy, a developer of solid-state sodium batteries, has successfully completed an independent demonstration of its batteries for energy storage systems. In the test, a 1 kW / 1 kWh LiNa system performed dynamic containment. This is a key revenue stream for battery energy storage systems in the UK, which requires rapid injection and absorption… Read more »

Argonne National Lab: Lithium-sulfur batteries are one step closer to realization


Scientists at the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory are researching solutions to the drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries by testing alternate materials such as sulfur. Sulfur, says Argonne, is highly cost-effective, and lithium-sulfur batteries can hold more energy than ion-based ones. In a recent study, researchers created a layer in the battery that increases energy storage capacity… Read more »

Marposs offers a new system for checking pouch cell battery welds


Marposs, a designer and manufacturer of measurement, inspection and testing products, has announced a new system for checking the welding joints of pouch cell batteries within the production process, consisting of interferometric sensors and the company’s NCG (non-contact gauge) controller.  The system works by splitting light into two beams that travel different optical paths and… Read more »