Volvo Cars has launched a new investment fund aimed at investing in high potential technology start-ups around the globe. The aim of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund is to invest in strategic technology trends that are transforming the industry, such as artificial intelligence, electrification, autonomous driving and digital mobility services.... Read more →

GKN Driveline has begun testing an SUV technology research vehicle which showcases the company’s eDrive, All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and systems integration capabilities. Based on a Mercedes-AMG GLA 45, the one-off GKN Technology Demonstrator 2018 vehicle (GTD18), features mechanical and electric Twinster torque vectoring, a plug-in hybrid system, and completely re-engineered... Read more →

ZTE Mobile Devices, a division of ZTE Corporation, a global telecommunications equipment, networks and mobile devices company headquartered in Shenzhen, China, will work with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, to drive the commercialization of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communications technology. These efforts build upon a broad industry commitment... Read more →

Responding to fleet market demand for complete, body-ready chassis, Motiv Power Systems is introducing the EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) all-electric family of chassis for 2018. Debuting at Ford’s booth and based on the E-450, F-59, and F-53 platforms, the EPIC all-electric chassis are production-line ready, drop-in replacements for the... Read more →

Gamma Technologies the maker of GT-SUITE, a multi-physics CAE system simulation tool serving the automotive and related industries, has acquired the AutoLion battery modeling software business from EC Power. AutoLion is used by battery suppliers and OEMs for both 1D and 3D battery analysis and design. It is a predictive,... Read more →

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a part of the US$19-billion Mahindra Group, and LG Chem, Korea’s leading manufacturer of advanced batteries, are collaborating in the field of advanced Li-ion battery technology. Under this collaboration, LG Chem will develop a unique cell exclusively for India application and will also supply Li-ion cells... Read more →

Audi unveiled the eighth generation of its successful A6 full-size sedan; all engines feature Audi’s 48V mild-hybrid (MHEV) system (earlier post) as standard equipment. In Audi’s new mild-hybrid technology, a belt alternator starter (BAS) works together with a lithium-ion battery. The Audi A6 can coast between 55 and 160 km/h... Read more →

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. announced a new serial nonvolatile memory family that offers superior performance and reliability for mission-critical data capture. The Excelon Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (F-RAM™) family delivers high-speed nonvolatile data logging, preventing data-loss even in harsh automotive and industrial operating environments over extreme temperatures. The Excelon Auto series... Read more →

Nissan Serena e-POWER goes on sale in JapanThe Nissan Serena e-POWER will go on sale in Japan on 1 March, combining the exceptional driving performance of the e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post) with the family-friendly features of the popular Serena minivan. The Serena will be the second model with the... Read more →

New Flyer of America Inc., the US subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc., the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, has commissioned the Xcelsior CHARGE Bus Simulator at New Flyer of America’s Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC), an innovation lab dedicated to advancing bus... Read more →

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced strategic partnerships for marketing its zeolite membranes, ZEBREX , for bioethanol production. The strategic partners are ICM, Inc. for North America and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. for Asia-Pacific and Europe. The partnerships will accelerate MCC’s business development in the bioethanol market further on a global scale.... Read more →

Renesas Electronics Corporation announced its new R-Car V3H system-on-chip (SoC) that delivers high computer vision performance and AI processing at industry-leading low power levels, targeting automotive front cameras for use in mass-produced Level 3 (conditional automation) and Level 4 (high automation) autonomous vehicles. The new R-Car V3H system-on-chip (SoC) is... Read more →

Hyundai has unveiled the Kona Electric subcompact SUV prior to its official introduction at the Geneva Motor Show (earlier post). The battery-electric version of the Kona carries basically the same design as its conventional sibling; the main difference is the closed grille which gives a clean and stylish appearance, while... Read more →

Driveline engineering consultancy Drive System Design (DSD) has partnered with software specialists Altair and FluiDyna to develop and enhance FluiDyna’s computer modeling technique, nanoFluidX, that significantly improves the analysis of lubrication flow. nanoFluidX utilizes a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) methodology and increases the accuracy of analysis while reducing the simulation... Read more →

In a highly anticipated decision, the German Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) in Leipzig has ruled that cities can ban highly polluting diesel cars if necessary to achieve NO2 emission limits. The verdict of the Bundesverwaltungsgericht—one of the five German federal supreme courts and the court of last resort for administrative... Read more →

XL Hybrids will display three fleet-ready, electrified pickup truck solutions at NTEA’s Work Truck Show next week in Indianapolis. XL is unveiling the industry’s first XLH hybrid-electric F-250 pickup in its booth, while also displaying an XLP plug-in hybrid-electric F-150. Both trucks in XL’s booth will be displayed on vehicle... Read more →

The UK automotive industry warned that the current anti-diesel agenda combined with the ongoing slow take-up of electric vehicles could mean industry misses its next round of CO2 targets in 2021, with negative consequences for the UK’s own climate change goals. The warning came as a new report published by... Read more →

Global levels of the hydrocarbons ethane and propane in the atmosphere have been underestimated by more than 50%, according to a new study by a team of scientists from Europe and the US. When ethane and propane—the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the atmosphere—mix with nitrogen oxides from vehicles... Read more →

Tata Technologies, a global engineering services provider, announced a close association with NIO China in the complete product development process of NIO’s range of electric vehicles. The association between the two companies began with collaborative engineering for NIO’s first electric all-aluminum vehicle, the ES8, which NIO intends to be its... Read more →

Researchers at the University of York (UK), with colleagues from the University of Leeds, University of Cambridge and Université Aix-Marseille in France, have identified more than 20 members of an uncharacterized family of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) (earlier post) by investigating the digestive proteome of Thermobia domestica—the firebrat, a small... Read more →

An international team of researchers has discovered a new family of enzymes found in fungi (fungal lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, LPMOs) that are capable of breaking down xylans—a recalcitrant polysaccharide abundant in wood biomass. The enzymes could now potentially be used to sustainably convert wood biomass into valuable chemical commodities such... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors has presented 8 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid SUVs, 2 i-MiEV BEVs, and 4 chargers to the Indonesian Government as part of a joint study with the Ministry of Industry (MOI) into the development of Indonesia’s growing electric vehicle infrastructure. The vehicles will feature in a series of... Read more →

Daimler AG is intensifying its cooperation with the Israeli start-up Anagog Ltd. Daimler has participated in a financing round together with MizMaa Ventures, a venture capital company located in California. Based in Tel Aviv, Anagog has developed software which provides on-device mobility status detection, with cloud-based processing power, deep learning... Read more →

In collaboration with the Berlin-based start-up XAIN, Porsche is currently testing blockchain applications directly in vehicles—making Porsche the first automobile manufacturer to implement and successfully test blockchain in a car. Transactions based on this technology are both secure and can be processed far more quickly than anything that has come... Read more →

The European Commission (EC) has launched the fifth of six European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prizes, on Innovative batteries for eVehicles, worth €10 million (US$12.3 million). The EIC Horizon Prizes are part of the first phase of the European Innovation Council under Horizon 2020, the EU’s Research and Innovation Framework... Read more →

PEUGEOT has unveiled its new electric mountain bike with in-frame battery. The new eM02 FS Powertube mountain bike is the precursor of the next generation of its in-frame eBikes. The compact battery built into the frame gives it a flowing, integrated & streamlined style. It will be presented alongside the... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) featuring a launch gear; a new 6-speed manual transmission; a new 2.0-liter engine with 40% thermal efficiency (41% in hybrid applications); a new 2.0-liter hybrid system; and new 4WD systems—one for gasoline-engined cars, one for hybrids—based on the Toyota... Read more →

In new research by an international collaboration jointly led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist Brandon Wood and Mirjana Dimitrievska of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the team discovered why substituting one boron atom for one carbon atom in a key battery electrolyte material made lithium... Read more →

Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), with colleagues from the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), have evaluated the current challenges and requirements for the large-scale production of all-solid-state lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries. In a paper in the Journal of Power Sources, they report their findings from workshops with... Read more →

Volkswagen will produce a cabriolet version of the T-Roc compact SUV; the new model is to be produced from the first half of 2020. The Volkswagen Group Supervisory Board confirmed the investment of more than €80 million (US$98 million) in the Osnabrück plant for this purpose. Volkswagen is evolving into... Read more →

Ontario is taking the next steps in exploring the potential of Hydrail (hydrogen-powered rail technology) as an alternative to conventional electric trains. Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Transportation, released the province’s detailed Hydrogen Rail (Hydrail) Feasibility Study, which found that it would be feasible to build and operate electrified rail service... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6-million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in the US into sustainable sources of biodiesel and biojet fuel. The new research project Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane (ROGUE) kicked off on 25... Read more →

The all-new Nissan Terra frame-based SUV will be the first vehicle from Nissan’s frame and LCV division to launch under the company’s midterm plan, Nissan M.O.V.E to 2022, when the vehicle premieres in China this spring. Nissan sees its frame and LCV business unit, made up of frame SUVs, pickups,... Read more →

BAIC Motor Corporation and Daimler AG will co-invest more than RMB 11.9 billion (US$1.9 billion) to expand production in China to meet the demands of the future market there. The new production base of their joint venture, Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC), will manufacture various Mercedes-Benz products in China... Read more →

Researchers at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China have proposed a control method based on a speed loop structure-variable sliding mode controller (SMC) for interior permanent magnet synchronous motors in electric vehicles. The method combines maximum torque per ampere with a vector control strategy. In an open access... Read more →

Canada-based MGX Minerals Inc. will proceed with its previously announced partnership with Highbury Energy Inc. to develop a detailed thermochemical gasification process to extract metals such as nickel, vanadium, cobalt and hydrogen from petroleum coke (petcoke). Petcoke samples were obtained from Alberta oil sands (Sample #1) and refinery (Sample #2)... Read more →

A subsidiary of Geely Group Co., LTD., Hangzhou, China, a company owned by Li Shufu and managed by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd., has acquired a 9.69% stake in Daimler AG. The share purchase makes Li Shufu currently the single largest shareholder of Daimler AG and points to a... Read more →

Researchers from Shinshu University in Japan have developed a method to suppress the growth of lithium dendrites in Li-S and Li-air batteries. As reported in a paper in the RSC journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, they used magnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide [Mg(TFSA)2] as an electrolyte additive to suppress the growth of Li... Read more →

The BMW Group is in advanced discussions to ramp up the global success of its MINI brand through a new joint venture in China. A key element of the brand’s continued strategic development will be local production of future battery-electric MINI vehicles in the world’s largest market for electromobility. To... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz said that winter trials in Northern Sweden have shown that the new electric eVito vans perform handily under low-temperature adverse conditions. The new eVito was tested for several weeks in the Scandinavian winter, in temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22 ˚F). The focus of the trials in... Read more →

France-based advanced battery-maker Saft, a wholly-owned subsidiary of international energy giant Total, is building an alliance with other European partners to launch an ambitious program of research, development and industrialization for new generations of batteries focusing on advanced high-density Li-ion and solid-state battery technology. The program addresses all market segments,... Read more →

South Korea-based SK Innovation announced an oil discovery in the PRMB (Pearl River Mouth Basin) block 17/03 in the South China Sea. This marks SK Innovation’s first discovery in the area since its decision to push forward with offshore oil exploration projects as an operator in the South China Sea.... Read more →

A new Environmental Profile Report released by European Aluminium, finds that the carbon intensity of primary aluminum production in Europe has decreased by 21% versus 2010 and by 55% versus 1990. The carbon intensity of the primary aluminum production in Europe is approximately 7 kgCO2/e per kg of aluminum produced... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Maryland have designed a flexible lithium-ion conducting ceramic textile featuring fast lithium-ion conductors, good electrochemical stability, and scalable processing approaches to device integration for solid-state lithium metal batteries. Based on the garnet-type conductor Li7La3Zr2O12, the material exhibits a range of desirable chemical and structural properties,... Read more →

The Automotive Edge Computing Consortium (AECC) has formally launched operations as a cross-industry alliance. AECC members include automotive technology heavyweights DENSO Corporation, Toyota InfoTechnology Center Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Corporation, along with information communication technology (ICT) leaders AT&T, Ericsson, Intel Corporation, KDDI Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT),... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and DeNA Co., Ltd. will begin a field test of Easy Ride, the robo-vehicle mobility service being developed by both companies, on 5 March. (Earlier post.) Easy Ride is envisioned as a mobility service for anyone who wants to travel freely to their destination of choice... Read more →

Continental and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH are joining forces in a development partnership to improve the sustainability of the natural rubber supply chain in Indonesia—the world’s second largest producer of natural rubber. The aims are to develop a criteria catalog for sustainable production of natural rubber; to... Read more →

UPS plans to deploy 50 plug-in electric delivery trucks that will be comparable in acquisition cost to conventional-fueled trucks without any subsidies—an industry first that would breaki a key barrier to large scale adoption of electric fleets. The company is collaborating with Workhorse Group, Inc. to design the vehicles from... Read more →

Federal, state and local government stakeholders along with industry representatives met to discuss regional and Marine Corps autonomous vehicle proving grounds, to watch autonomous vehicles begin testing, and to tour the installation at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar (located near San Diego) earlier this week. The representatives came from... Read more →

The city of Szczecin, Poland has ordered 16 Solaris Urbino series hybrid buses: 8 articulated vehicles and 8 12-meter units. This is the second-largest Polish contract for hybrid buses produced in Bolechowo this year, right after the order placed by Pabianice. The 12-meter bus is powered by a 157 kW... Read more →