Renewables

The 48V mild-hybrid powertrains from 25 car brands will extend factory and platform life. They rise to a flood in 2020. Most use belt-driven alternator replacements for starter, torque-assist for downsized engine, and primitive regenerative braking. The reduction in carbon dioxide emission keeps things legal as emissions laws tighten. It is quieter and uses less fuel.  By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman at IDTechEx

By 2030, it is predicted that 50% of newly registered vehicles will be electrically powered, connected or automated. This dramatic upsurge in functionality requires a new system approach in vehicle architecture to support electromobility and highly automated driving.

The rapid penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) has led to questions on its most expensive component, the battery. What happens to the batteries after eight to ten years of service when they retire from EVs due to capacity fade? Volkswagen announced their ambitious target to build a million EVs by 2025 and has already got a plan for their used EV batteries.

AIWAYS has completed its epic 15,022km road trip from China to Western Europe, which set a new Guinness World Record title in the process. The ‘longest journey by an electric vehicle (prototype)’ record was achieved by the AIWAYS U5 Engineering Drive Team (China), driving an AIWAYS U5, starting in Xi’an, Shanxi, China and ending in Frankfurt, Germany, from 17th July 2019 to 7th September 2019.

At the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC) in Marseille (France), Imec and EnergyVille, together with PVcase, presented their partnership to develop a commercial software solution that allows to easily design and accurately predict the energy yield of brand new photovoltaic (PV) power plants. 

Demand for energy efficient charging solutions is rising fast. In order to address the fast growing demand for Silicon Carbide (SiC) solutions in this field, Infineon Technologies launched two new EasyPACK modules of the 1,200V family. Both, Easy 1B and Easy 2B, integrate CoolSiC MOSFETs aiming not only at this market but also at UPS applications.

Ørsted has officially opened the Hornsea Two Offshore Construction Base (HTOCB) at Humberside Airport in Lincolnshire. The building, formerly a police station at the airport, will now house around 30 Ørsted employees who will be working around the clock to construct another record-breaking offshore windfarm.  

For anyone keeping pace with the automotive sector - or general news for that matter – it’s easy to predict the future. Electrification is here to stay, with sales of full EVs and hybrids growing exponentially year on year. This revolution has forced OEMs to create entirely new vehicle platforms to accommodate new, innovative powertrains - resulting in mass redesigns across all of the major brands. This focus on delivering optimised p...

An urgent overhaul of how range is determined on electric vehicles (EVs) is needed if the UK is to successfully tackle ‘range anxiety’, according to global engineering and testing consultancy HORIBA MIRA.

Mitsubishi has announced its decision to invest in BBOXX, a next generation utility. Since its establishment in 2010, BBOXX has provided clean and affordable energy and other essential modern utilities. It delivers innovative solar home systems (SHS) consisting of solar panels, battery storage, and a variety of home appliances on a pay-as-you-go basis.