Renewables

Around the world, the electrification of road vehicles shows no signs of slowing down. Driven by their reduced environmental impact, low operation and maintenance costs, and, crucially, government monetary and non‑monetary subsidies, a growing number of individuals and businesses are opting for electric vehicles (EVs) over vehicles powered by conventional internal combustion engines.

The new Hyundai Tucson switches off the engine when coasting or braking at under 30kph. This is a bridge to the 48V full hybrids that IDTechEx foresaw some time ago. IDTechEx correctly predicted that they would come sooner rather than later and not just as cars - thus the title of the new IDTechEx report embracing it all, ‘48V Mild Hybrid and 48V Full Hybrid Vehicles 2020-2030’.

British experts from academia and industry joined their Chinese counterparts for the 2nd UK-China symposium on clean energy utilisation and energy storage. Over 100 delegates gathered at the University of Birmingham to showcase their recent developments in addressing some of the toughest challenges of climate change through the use of clean energy utilisation and energy storage. 

Developed to meet the demanding requirements of electric and hybrid vehicle drivetrains, the new PerforMore connector system from Stäubli Electrical Connectors can carry a continuous current of 400A or more with minimal power loss. The rugged devices are suitable for connecting the whole drivetrain, including batteries, inverters, motors and high voltage distribution units. 

TomTom has announced the launch of two new APIs for developers to help build applications for electric mobility. The TomTom Long Distance EV Routing API and the TomTom EV Charging Stations Availability API are new to the already extensive range of tools TomTom offers to developers who build an application for electric vehicle drivers - enabling a reliable and stress-free driving experience.

Electric motor drive is key to all electric vehicles (EV) and it is taking new forms. In-wheel motors are successful in two-wheel EVs but they have rarely been seen in larger vehicles due to safety and cost concerns and a fear that unsprung weight gives a rougher ride. Near-wheel motors are a compromise.

The first batch of electric vehicle batteries are reaching their retirement age and the next ten years will see a huge increase in the volume of retired batteries. What will happen to the huge amount of used EV batteries? IDTechEx has recently released the latest report: “Second-life Electric Vehicle Batteries 2020-2030”.

Renesas Electronics has announced its fourth-generation lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery management IC that offers unmatched life time accuracy. The ISL78714 provides accurate cell voltage and temperature monitoring, along with cell balancing and extensive system diagnostics to protect 14-cell Li-ion battery packs while maximising driving time and range for hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV/MHEV/PHEV/BEV).

Electric aircraft have got there. Cars next. With no road resistance, the best electric aircraft, the Bye Aerospace eFlyer, achieves 1000km with its solar wing option. This range will be the final nail in the coffin of internal combustion cars. It is longer than some of them offer. With gasoline stations shutting down, guess who then gets range anxiety!  By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman at IDTechEx

With just over 20 years until petrol and diesel cars are planned to be banned, Britain is weighing up the idea of switching to ‘green’ driving more than ever before. MoneySuperMarket has conducted a study to determine just how viable this switch is. The data reveals the true cost of making the jump to electric versus driving a petrol or diesel car, as well as the number of charging points currently available in dif...