Toyota Motor

Outlook on fuel cell technologies for automotive applications

Being the automotive sector a trillion dollar market and given the existence of multiple low carbon powertrain technologies and sunk investments in specific powertrains technologies, the possibility of "betting on the wrong horse" makes the transition to low carbon vehicles a very risky process for incumbent automotive companies (global automotive manufacturers and their tier one suppliers). Through these technology developments these incumbent companies are primarily trying to maintain or increase their captured added value of the automotive value chain and their global sales market share. For new entrants with no existing interests, the risks are lower given they are not compelled to capture most of the value of the powertrain technology, giving them the possibility of sharing it with other parts of the value chain (suppliers, technology developers etc.)

CENEX LCV Event: Micro EVs & Buses

Supporting IDTechEx strong forecasts for car-like vehicles not homologated as cars or even crash tested, we saw a lot at this event.

CENEX LCV Event: Range Extenders

The latest CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle Event took place at Millbrook UK mid September with over 50% growth on last year there being over 3000 delegates and over 200 exhibitors, mostly parts suppliers and charging station manufacturers but with several prestige stands from major motor manufacturers.

48V vehicle systems becoming significant

Analysts IDTechEx almost completely rewrote their report Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles 2015-2025 this year and frequent updates take place, such is the pace of change.

Cambridge Nanotherm make the finals of the 2015 R&D 100 Awards

Cambridge Nanotherm has been named as a finalist in the R&D 100 Awards, otherwise known as the "Oscars of Invention".

Wireless Charging: Insights from EV Roadmap 8 Oregon

There was a question and answer session "Wireless Charging: Emerging Business Models" at EV Roadmap8 Portland Oregon USA 30 July 2015.The panel consisted of Jeremy McCool of Hevo Power, which retrofits wireless charging, Jeff Muhs of WiTricity with key patents and Wesley Smith of WAVE installing large vehicle solutions. They also talked to IDTechEx afterwards.

Report on EV Roadmap8 Portland Oregon 28-29 July

This event of a few hundred people and twenty or so exhibitors had a good range of coverage from many choices of EV test drive to sitting in on focus groups of people minded to buy an EV.

Report on EV Roadmap 8 Portland Oregon 28-29 July Day One

Summary of the first day of the EV Roadmap 8 event taking place in Portland, Oregon

Test environment for connected and driverless vehicles

he University of Michigan has opened Mcity, the world's first controlled environment specifically designed to test the potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies that will lead the way to mass-market driverless cars.

Winners in electric vehicle batteries

IDTechEx is the only market analyst tracking the development of 45 electric vehicle categories and not just electric cars.

Technological megatrends for vehicles

There are three important technological megatrends for vehicles that are now coming increasingly important. They are shaping what is designed and the market positioning of new vehicles from type of customer targeted to the location where the vehicles will be used.

National electric vehicle strategies strongly diverge

The industrial and commercial electric vehicle business will be 42% of the EV market in 2025 on IDTechEx analysis with well over 50% of the profits because so much of it is specialist and niche and the vehicles are not bought on up-front price.

Jet engine range extenders for electric vehicles

In May 2015, Californian Company, Wrightspeed announced the Fulcrum, a gas turbine on-board range extender for charging the batteries of electric vehicles.

Calcium batteries might be more powerful than lithium batteries

Jean-Yves Sánchez researches the development of calcium batteries that can compete with lithium batteries.

Fuel cell electric vehicles 2015-2030: surprises continue

This article shares some of the findings of the new IDTechEx Research report, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2015-2030: Land, Water, Air and some of what will be discussed in the forthcoming IDTechEx webinar on 9th June.

Making the cleanest cars affordable

The California Air Resource Board is initiating a pilot project in the Greater Los Angeles area and San Joaquin Valley to help low-income individuals and families get rid of old polluting vehicles and purchase much cleaner and more fuel-efficient cars.

The direction of development in autonomous vehicle research

Autonomous vehicles uses a portfolio of sensors that is highly dependent on Lidar technology, given the high price of these sensors, researchers are looking how to reduce the reliance on this technology through enhancing the capabilities of cheaper sensor technologies.

Webinar 9 June: Fuel Cell Vehicles 2015-2030

IDTechEx are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 9 June 2015.

Industrial and commercial electric vehicles: see the future

The IDTechEx report Industrial and Commercial Hybrid and Pure Electric Vehicles 2015-2025 now finds that Industrial and Commercial Electric Vehicles operating on land will constitute a huge 42% of the value market for electric vehicles, land, water and airborne in 2025.

R&D breakthrough sets stage for more efficient fuel cell stacks

A breakthrough in the real-time observation of fuel cell catalyst degradation could lead to a new generation of more efficient and durable fuel cell stacks.