Electric vehicles

Researchers have shown that a vehicle navigation tool they created can cut electric vehicle energy use up to 51 percent.

Renault and Bolloré are joining forces to promote electric vehicles (EVs) as part of three agreements relating to industrial cooperation, the founding of a joint-venture to sell EV car sharing solutions and a feasibility study on the development of a specific new Renault vehicle for car-sharing plans.

Linkker Oy has announced that the manufacturing on their VISEDO electric drive train based bus will begin.

Airbus and South Africa's National Aerospace Centre are to jointly fund research by Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) into the application of fuel cells on airliners.

Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman of IDTechEx, will be speaking at the inaugural EV Summit at the University of Surrey, Guildford, on the 16th September; alongside the Baroness Kramer, Minister of State for Transport.

A current major topic of conversation within the advanced battery and electric vehicle industry is the future of battery technology and chemistries in the context of energy density, safety and cost.

The latest news from China is that production of electric and hybrid vehicles surged by 280 percent year on year in the first seven months, mainly due to Chinese government incentives.

A small band of NASA engineers and interns is about to begin testing a group of robots and related software that will show whether it's possible for autonomous machines to scurry about an alien world such as the moon searching for and gathering resources just as an ant colony does.

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority's new electric BYD bus is performing better than advertised.

The all-electric FIA Formula E Championship has confirmed that its course cars for the inaugural season will be fitted with Qualcomm Halo™ wireless charging technology - an inductive charging system which allows the car's battery to be charged without the use of cables.

The first thousand-robot flash mob has assembled at Harvard University.

RENK AG is a member of the Volkswagen and MAN Group. RENK AG ranks among the world's foremost manufacturers of propulsion components and test systems. In tracked vehicle transmissions, slide bearings and naval gear units, the Company is undisputed world market leader. RENK has four independent divisions: Vehicle Transmissions, Slide Bearings, Special Gear Units, and Standard Gear Units. The individual strengths and the specific product expertise of the divisions are bundled and through close cooperation put to optimum use within the Group.

Founded in 2005, Torqeedo is a market leader in the fast growing electric outboard motor industry. As the pioneer in the area of high-tech electromobility on water the company has set many new standards with their motors in comparison to all other solutions. The company has deployed 45,000 electric propulsion systems in the market.

Electric vehicles will feature strongly in this year's MPG Marathon for the first time - but the drivers will have to plan their recharging points carefully if they want to finish first in their class.

On-board chargers and DC-DC converters use similar components to the inverters that are the main focus of this article and they face the same issues in the main, such as improving space, weight, cost and efficiency.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) has presented the Saab 9-3 Electric Vehicle designed and produced as part of a prototype series in Trollhättan.

Maxwell Technologies, Inc has announced that Win Inertia is using its ultracapacitors for a stationary wayside braking energy recuperation system at an electric rail system in Cerro Negro, Spain.

Savvy participants in the electric vehicles business see beyond the obvious e-bikes, e-cars and e-buses where little money is made. The other half of the value market is where most of the profits will be made and it is replete with new sub-markets coming from nowhere.

Those making or intending to make electric cars or their components have big strategy decisions ahead.

Graphene could radically improve batteries and supercapacitors as explained in the new IDTechEx report Functional Materials for Supercapacitors/Ultracapacitors/EDLC 2015-2025.