TyroMotion GmbH (AT)

Electric bicycles and ebikes - the next ten years

IDTechEx has issued another report in its series on the various types of electric vehicle - hybrid and pure electric - and their future entitled Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) Industry Worldwide 2011-2021 (www.IDTecHEx.com/LEV). Electric vehicles by land, water and air will be a market of over $210 billion in ten years from now. The segments of this market are very different in certain respects yet they increasingly share some technical challenges and vehicle and component suppliers. This report concerns electric bicycles, ebikes and other Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) that constitute an important part of the overall EV business. Other reports in the series cover aircraft, marine, buses/taxis, military/police/security and cars.

Coated in one go

New development in the production of flexible thin-film solar cells Over 10 percent efficiency.

Penetrating the fog surrounding lithium-ion traction batteries

To penetrate the fog surrounding lithium-ion traction batteries we should use the term generically for all rechargeable batteries involving lithium ions. For example, it is false to talk of lithium polymer as an alternative to lithium-ion because the term lithium polymer simply refers to a form of electrolyte involving solid polymer electrolyte usually with gel.

Nissan and JAF to test roadside service vehicle With EV charger

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) today announced a joint trial operation of a roadside service vehicle equipped with a charger to assist electric vehicles (EVs) which run out of battery power. The trial service commences on June 7, 2011.

Electric bicycles and ebikes - the next ten years

IDTechEx has issued another report in its series on the various types of electric vehicle - hybrid and pure electric - and their future entitled Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) Industry Worldwide 2011-2021 .

Swimming with sensors

Sensors printed onto the sleeves of wetsuits could alert the wearer to contaminated water. Navy divers could also use the sensors to locate underwater explosives, such as mines.

Research into batteries to give electric cars the same range as petrol

Research is being conducted at Risø DTU into the development and manufacture of new battery materials, e.g. improved electrode and electrolyte materials for the next generation of Li-ion and Li-air batteries. This requires insight and 'nano-scale engineering' as well as detailed understanding of the underlying processes.

Electric vehicle infrastructure surprises

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure will see a frenzy of change over the next ten years. That will involve how it is made and installed, how it operates and even whether it is needed at all. For example, the 1.3 million electric vehicles for the disabled, obese and elderly being sold this year will rise to over three million in 2021 and none of them will have a charging station - you simply plug them into a regular socket. Registering that the most convenient and affordable charging station is none at all, the e-bike manufacturers have at last started to move in the same direction. Adoption of the new lithium-ion batteries releases a huge amount of weight and space and a charger can now be fitted into the e-bike. That will become more affordable as the years go by. Here are some more of the surprises revealed during the research for the new IDTechEx report, "Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure 2011-2021".

Wave powered autonomous marine drone raises $22 million in funding

Liquid Robotics®, developer of the award-winning Wave Glider® self-powered hybrid sea-surface/underwater robotic vehicle, and cloud-based data service provider, has closed a Series D $22 million financing round led by VantagePoint Capital Partners, the company's first institutional investor, together with participation by oilfield services provider Schlumberger.

Investments in solid-state lighting save energy and create new jobs

Secretary Chu announced nearly $15 million for next generation energy-efficient lighting

New battery design could give electric vehicles a jolt

Significant advance in battery architecture could be breakthrough for electric vehicles and grid storage

Perpetuum unveil key customers

Perpetuum, a maker of electromagnetic energy harvesters, showed at Sensors Expo this week five customers that have integrated their energy harvester solutions with their products.

Boxster E prototypes

The Boxster E, with one electric motor apiece on front and rear axle, runs on purely electric power with four-wheel drive and is equivalent to a Boxster S in terms of driving dynamics. Together with two other Boxster Es, in which an electric motor drives the rear wheels, the prototype is being used to explore the everyday practicality of all-electric vehicles and how they are used, especially in terms of driving and battery charging. What the researchers are after is an understanding of the requirements facing future products, where to go next with Porsche Intelligent Performance and how to integrate electric vehicles into the infrastructure.

New Light Tape portable rechargeable battery packs

Light Tape UK announces the launch of the new portable, quick recharge, compact, battery units to drive the Light Tape® product in its various portable applications. The new units have been specifically developed to address the existing limitations associated with driving Light Tape using portable battery technology

Enecsys unveils 480W duo micro inverter for solar PV modules

Duo concept connects two solar photovoltaic (PV) modules with power point tracking for maximised energy harvest at no cost premium over string inverters.

National Instruments adopts vibration energy harvesting solutions

Perpetuum has announced that the National Instruments NI WSN-3226 Wireless Measurement Node can be powered by Perpetuum's vibration energy harvester technology.

Kovio raises $15 million with lead investor Tyco Retail Solutions

Printed silicon electronics platform enables NFC solutions for retailers

BASF and Dow move further into EV technology

The world's largest chemical company is either BASF of Germany or Dow Chemical of the USA, depending on how you make the measurement. Both have been belatedly but strongly entering the electric vehicle business with materials and participation in device manufacturing joint ventures.

Interview with Jason Wortham, scientist at Maxim Integrated Products

IDTechEx analyst Dr. Harry Zervos interviewed Jason Wortham, Senior Scientist with Maxim and got some more insight into the company's involvement in the energy harvesting space.

Research examines how to apply conductive nanocoatings to textiles

Imagine plugging a USB port into a sheet of paper, and turning it into a tablet computer. It might be a stretch, but ideas like this have researchers at North Carolina State University examining the use of conductive nanocoatings on simple textiles - like woven cotton or even a sheet of paper.