By mmillikin The BMW Group, Northvolt and Umicore have formed a joint technology consortium in order to work closely together on the continued development of a complete and sustainable value chain for battery cells for electrified vehicles in Europe. The chief objective is to make battery cells sustainable by establishing a closed life-cycle loop. This…
By mmillikin A new study from Juniper Research forecasts that revenues generated by the use of MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) platforms, which integrate multi-modal transport services (including buses, taxis, rail and metro), will exceed $11 billion by 2023. This is up from an estimated $100 million in 2018 and reflects an average annual growth of 156%. The…
By mmillikin Hyundai presented its new 2019 Kona Electric crossover (introduced in March at the New York Auto Show, earlier post) and 2019 NEXO fuel cell SUV (showcased at CES in January, earlier post) to US media at a driving introduction in Los Angeles. Kona Electric models will be produced in Ulsan, Korea and will…
By mmillikin Novel materials can considerably improve storage capacity and cycling stability of rechargeable batteries. Among these materials are high-entropy oxides (HEO), the stability of which results from a disordered distribution of the elements. With HEO, electrochemical properties can be tailored, as was found by scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). An open-access paper…
By mmillikin Volvo Cars and NVIDIA are partnering on the development of a highly advanced, AI-capable core computer for the next generation of Volvo cars. The core computer is based on NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX Xavier technology and will allow Volvo Cars to implement an advanced computing platform for its new cars on the forthcoming Scalable…
By mmillikin The third generation of the plug-in hybrid from Mercedes-Benz is due to be launched. (Earlier post.) The new S 560 e (combined fuel consumption: 2.6-2.5 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions: 59-57 g/km, combined electrical consumption: 20.2-20.0 kWh/100 km) can be ordered from today. The modified components and the intelligent powertrain management’s new anticipatory…
By mmillikin By 2022, Mercedes-Benz’ entire product range will be electrified. There will be electric alternatives in every segment from smart to SUV, with well in excess of 130 variants in total, ranging from 48-volt on-board electrical system with EQ Boost to plug-in-hybrids to all-electric vehicles with batteries or fuel cells. As part of the…
By mmillikin Global clean energy investment was $67.8 billion in the third quarter of 2018, down 6% from the same period last year, according to the latest Clean Energy Investment Trends report from research company Bloomberg NEF (BNEF). The slip in the July-September quarter leaves clean energy investment for the year so far running a…
By mmillikin Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have successfully produced renewable methane from a biomass-based synthesis gas mixture in their pilot plant for methanation using a new honeycomb catalyst. The quality of this synthetic natural gas (SNG) is comparable to that of fossil natural gas and can be used as fuel in…
By mmillikin Boeing- and JetBlue-backed Zunum Aero has selected Safran Helicopter Engines as the turbine provider for its hybrid electric commercial aircraft, which will be available in the early 2020s. (Earlier post.) Safran Helicopter Engines will provide a new generation engine turbine, the Ardiden 3Z to drive the Zunum ZA10’s electrical generator. The turbo-generator will…
By mmillikin Cruise and General Motors have joined forces with Honda to pursue the shared goal of transforming mobility through the large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicle technology. Honda will work jointly with Cruise and General Motors to fund and to develop a purpose-built autonomous vehicle for Cruise that can serve a wide variety of use…
By mmillikin OXIS Energy UK has achieved 425 Wh/kg on a High Energy 16Ah pouch Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) cell design for HAPS applications (High Altitude Pseudo Satellites) and expects to achieve 450Wh/kg at cell level by the end of 2018. OXIS aims to reach 500Wh/kg by the end of 2019 through its many collaborations and…
By mmillikin The US Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory is launching a four-year, $3.2-million project to develop software that will bring the power of exascale computers to the computational study and design of catalytic materials. Ames Laboratory scientist Mark Gordon, also the Francis M. Craig Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Iowa State University, will lead…
By mmillikin H2-Industries and Lloyd’s Register (LR) are working together on developing safety standards for all-electric vessels powered by emission-free Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology. The project is seeking to obtain Approval in Principle for the use of LOHC technology on ships. This covers the refueling of ships with LOHC, the storage of the…
By mmillikin SEAT, a member of the Volkswagen Group, will introduce the first SUV powered by compressed natural at the Paris Motor Show. The new Arona TGI marks the fourth vehicle in SEAT’s line-up to benefit from the cleaner, cheaper fuel, joining the Leon, Ibiza and Mii. The Arona TGI has been designed, developed and…