Electric vehicles

The current iteration of Li-ion batteries, which are based on graphite anodes, liquid electrolytes, and cathode materials such as NMC and LFP, are generally considered to be reaching their performance limits. However, from cell materials to battery designs, there are still several routes that can lead to further improvements in performance and cost.

Wireless charging adoption is accelerating and being recognised as the most convenient electric vehicle recharging solution. Various pilot projects are demonstrating the effective use of the technology in the commercial vehicle segment. Auto OEMs are either retrofitting kits or negotiating the option to factory-install wireless power transfer hardware with wireless charging companies. This article takes a deep dive into some of the noticeable public projects and highlights the technical challenges and lessons learnt from them.

Test flights exceeded expectations, resulting in the successful testing of the ultralight eVTOL flight control systems with seamless takeoff, controlled hover, forward flight, pivot turn maneuvers, and a safe, smooth landing, performing optimally in a stable flight envelope.

Ponsse and Epec are introducing an electric forest machine technology concept. While the forest machine will be commercially available later, Epec's technology can already be used in electric or hybrid-electric commercial vehicles and non-road mobile machines. Ponsse's technological concept is a peek into the future, paving the way for technological development and sustainable harvesting solutions.

New Flyer is working on a level 4 autonomous city bus. It is preparing for semi-commercial trials to commence in 2023, with paying passengers and a safety driver onboard. It has identified a tight operational design domain, which increases its likelihood of a driverless deployment.

This premium article gives an overview of proton exchange membrane fuel cells and looks at the role of the bipolar plate (BPP). It will then look into BPP materials and manufacturers, with SWOT analyses of key market players, and the latest trends and research in the field.

Whilst battery electric trucks are already capable of delivering many urban and regional duty cycles, the energy density of current Li-ion battery technologies means that long-haul applications (> 400km), which require significant daily mileage, are very difficult to deliver with a BEV truck, due to the weight, volume, and cost of required batteries. Fuel cell electric trucks which use hydrogen, stored at high pressure (commonly 350 bar) in tanks on the vehicle, as a source of fuel to generate electricity offer an alternative zero-emission solution which can deliver long-haul range.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the regulations for the 2026 Formula 1 Power Unit Regulations that will apply to the power units to be developed and utilised from the 2026 season of the FIA Formula One World Championship. These regulations are the result of extensive research and development by the FIA, as well as collaborative consultation between the FIA and both incumbent and potential new PU manufacturers.

With increasing scrutiny of the environmental impact of current building practices, the electrification of mobile construction machinery offers construction companies a relatively near-term opportunity to demonstrate their environmental credentials.

Dodge is taking a step toward an electrified future, revealing the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT battery-electric vehicle. A new propulsion system drives the Charger Daytona SRT Concept with performance that exceeds the Dodge brand's famed SRT Hellcat engine, accompanied by an industry-first BEV exhaust sound.

Researchers have developed floating 'artificial leaves' that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea. The researchers designed ultra-thin, flexible devices, which take their inspiration from photosynthesis - the process by which plants convert sunlight into food. Since the low-cost, autonomous devices are light enough to float, they could be used to generate a sustainable alternative to petrol without taking up space on land.

Schunk is a German-based company, manufacturing components for high-tech products from carbon, ceramics, and metal. IDTechEx spoke with Jens Voellner (Business Development Manager) with regards to bipolar plates for fuel cells.

While 2022 continues to add to the challenges electric vehicle (EV) makers face, markets are still growing. Indeed, electric car sales for the first half of 2022 reached ~3.5 million, according to IDTechEx research.

Boundary Layer Technologies, a Californian start-up founded in 2018, is launching a highly efficient hydrofoiling electric ferry called Electra. IDTechEx also learned of the company's ambitious plans for a high-speed, zero-emission cargo ship powered by onboard liquid hydrogen, for launch circa 2025.

EasyMile is a French-based roboshuttle company that was founded in 2014. It has been one of the leaders in the roboshuttle space, but these vehicles still aren't catching on and trial deployments are not converting to fleet orders.

A team of researchers have developed the first AI pilot that enables autonomous aircraft to navigate a crowded airspace. The artificial intelligence can safely avoid collisions, predict the intent of other aircraft, track aircraft and coordinate with their actions, and communicate over the radio with pilots and air traffic controllers. The researchers aim to develop the AI so the behaviors of their system will be indistinguishable from those of a human pilot.

Switch Mobility Ltd. ('Switch'), the next-generation carbon neutral electric bus and light commercial vehicle company and Chalo, India's leading transport technology company, today announce that they have entered into a strategic collaboration for the deployment of 5,000 state-of-the-art electric buses across India.

The automotive industry and many robotics start-ups have been promising that autonomous cars are just a couple of years away for many years now. It feels like this "just a couple of years" has been perpetually kicked down the road, with only incremental gains each time. However, Cruise, the robotaxi arm of General Motors, has recently been given approval to start charging passengers in San Francisco. So, is this an enormous leap forward for robotaxis, or just another incremental gain?

Plugless Power Inc. is a privately held company based in Houston, Texas, that developed and manufactured low power wireless charging equipment for electric vehicles. It offered its products as a premium aftermarket accessory through 2016 to 2019 before stopping all sales. IDTechEx spoke to its CEO, Michael Rai Anderson, to understand the state of the company and future outlook.

Precision Micro is a UK-based photochemical etching company. IDTechEx spoke with Rachael O'Connor (Sales Manager) with respect to metal bipolar plates for fuel cells.