Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has started full-scale marketing of its ST60-HSM aluminum alloy board, which has high heat conductivity and high strength, for use as on-board bus bar. Bus bars are used to conduct electricity, and many bus bars are made of copper. A bus bar can conduct more electric... Read more →

In the first quarter of 2021, hybrid electric vehicles made up 18.4% of total passenger car sales in the EU, almost doubling their market share in a year, according to data from the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA). Demand for electrically-chargeable cars also increased in Q1: battery-electric vehicles made... Read more →

Allison Transmission and Emergency One (UK) Ltd, the market leader in the United Kingdom in the manufacture, service and support of fire and rescue vehicles, announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two companies will integrate the Allison eGen Power 100D electric axle into Emergency One’s fire rescue and... Read more →

Allison Transmission’s eGen Flex, its next generation electric hybrid propulsion solution (earlier post), will be put into revenue service at New York City Transit (NYCT) in May. The eGen Flex system—comprising the drive unit, inverter and rechargeable energy storage system—includes full electric drive capability for up to 10 miles, depending... Read more →

Hyundai’s 2022 Tucson, with its all-new design, will begin arriving in the US market this spring (gasoline and hybrid models), with plug-in models available in summer 2021. The new 2022 Tucson internal combustion models will be produced at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Ulsan, Korea. The new Tucson for... Read more →

Hyliion, a developer of electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 semi-trucks, has formed the Hypertruck Innovation Council, a group of fleet, logistics, and transportation industry leaders that will actively support the development of Hyliion’s Hypertruck powertrain solution. Representing more than 100,000 Class 8 commercial trucks globally, the Council will collaborate... Read more →

Apex Clean Energy has ordered 19 electrified Ford F-series pickup trucks from XL Fleet, including ten plug-in hybrid electric and nine hybrid electric systems for pickups in its service fleet, for delivery in the second quarter of 2021. Apex is a leading clean energy company that develops, constructs, and operates... Read more →

Nissan announced that cumulative sales of vehicles with its e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post) surpassed 500,000 units at the end of March. The e-POWER system uses a highly efficient gasoline engine to generate electricity for the electric motor that propels the vehicle. For customers, this delivers EV-like excitement, quietness and... Read more →

Audi will compete in the Dakar Rally for the first time in January 2022 with a prototype featuring an advanced series-hybrid drivetrain (earlier post). Now, Audi reports that the concept of the innovative prototype has almost been concluded. The first tests are planned for the middle of the year. The... Read more →

Linamar Corporation has entered the evaluation phase for the first Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Delivery Vans in their technology contract with the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE). CTE is managing the Next Generation Fuel Cell Delivery Van Deployment Project for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), awarded to... Read more →

Mercedes-AMG laid out its new electrified drive strategy, which is based on two pillars: Performance hybrids with a completely independent drive concept under the technology label E PERFORMANCE. Battery-electric AMG derivatives based on the new Mercedes Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) for luxury and premium-class vehicles. Extensive modifications to the drive,... Read more →

Since July 2019, the purely battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros has proven its worth in extensive field testing at the company Logistik Schmitt. The eActros has travelled a total of around 50,000 kilometers in the Northern Black Forest to date, carrying more than 100,000 load units on around 5,000 trips. In doing... Read more →

Hyundai is adding Plug-in Hybrid and N Line models to its 2022 Tucson line-up. Tucson N Line and Plug-in Hybrid SUV models will be produced in Ulsan, Korea and be available spring and summer, respectively. Hyundai had already announced a hybrid version of the 2022 Tucson. 2022 Tucson Plug-in Hybrid... Read more →

Magna is introducing a scalable solution enabling automakers to electrify their pickup trucks and light commercial vehicles without sacrificing utility and functionality. eBeam is a drop-in replacement for traditional beam axles, using existing suspension and chassis architectures. It integrates with a battery electric or hybrid powertrain system and offers a... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research This brief post presents the results of an analysis concerning the types of electric light-duty vehicles sold in the United States in 2020. The raw monthly sales data came from Wards Auto via Argonne National Laboratory. The analysis examined three mutually exclusive types of... Read more →

LiquidPiston, Inc., a developer of advanced rotary internal combustion engines, has adapted its X-Engine technology for the United States Air Force to use in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as well as “orbs”—urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles designed to carry people and cargo. The X-Engine, a next-generation rotary diesel engine, is... Read more →

Magna unveiled its all-new connected plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivetrain and next-gen battery electric (BEV) drive systems. Both systems were on full display at the company’s Winter Test driving location in northern Sweden. Magna EtelligentEco PHEV The Magna EtelligentEco, an intelligent, connected PHEV system that reduces greenhouse gas emissions... Read more →

The all-new Toyota Yaris (earlier post) has been named as the 2021 European Car of the Year. Selected by a jury of 59 automotive journalists from across Europe, the fourth-generation Yaris receives the award 21 years after the innovative first generation was named European Car of the Year in 2000,... Read more →

CWind, a leading provider of project services, crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and GWO-accredited training courses to the offshore wind industry, and part of the Global Marine Group (a market leader in offshore engineering), has delivered the world’s first hybrid-powered Surface Effect Ship (SES), the CWind Pioneer. A surface effect ship... Read more →

Nissan announced a breakthrough in engine efficiency, reaching 50% thermal efficiency with its in-development, next-generation e-POWER system. Nissan’s e-POWER system utilizes an on-board gasoline engine to provide electrical energy to the e-powertrain battery pack. Nissan’s latest approach to engine development has raised the bar to world-leading levels, accelerating past the... Read more →

Cadillac is upgrading the XT5 and XT6 SUV lineups in China with a 48V mild hybrid system for improved fuel economy and better driving performance. The 48V mild hybrid technology includes a 48V motor, power battery, power management module and hybrid control unit. As a result, the fuel efficiency of... Read more →

As a direct result of the state’s Clean Cars 4 All program, more than 10,000 Californians have now scrapped old, dirty cars and replaced them with cleaner alternatives such as new and used zero-emission, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid cars. There is strong consumer demand for Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A)... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of advanced powertrain technologies and electrification solutions, is now making electrical catalyst heating available in high-voltage hybrid vehicles as well. With a new DC/DC converter, the heating discs of the electrically heated EMICAT catalyst (earlier post) can now also be supplied with electricity in... Read more →

Audi has upgraded the battery capacity for the Q5, A6, and A7 Sportback PHEVs. The TFSI e models now come with 14.4 kWh net (17.9 kWh gross), which supports an increased electric range of up to 91 kilometers (57 miles), measured in accordance with the NEDC cycle (73 km (45... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) announced pricing and availability of the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) crossover. Outlander PHEV is substantially upgraded for 2021, and features a revised powertrain, an enlarged battery pack offering extended all-electric range, and increased performance from a new, more efficient, 2.4... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is supplying 129 Citaro G hybrid 18m articulated buses to Belgium’s TEC Group. This is one of the largest orders for articulated buses in recent years. The vehicles will be delivered by summer of this year. The delivery also includes a comprehensive service contract valid for eight years. The... Read more →

Hyliion Holdings, a provider of electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles, instroduced its next generation battery module which integrates Toshiba’s LTO cells with Hyliion’s technology to achieve longer battery life, higher charging rates and improved safety. Building on Hyliion’s proprietary battery system, the battery module will be incorporated... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) plans to debut three new electrified models—two BEVs and a PHEV—in the US market this year. Toyota currently has more than 40% share of the total alternative fuel vehicle market, which includes a 75% share of the fuel cell market and a 64% share of... Read more →

ZF Group has received several large-scale orders worth several billion euros from North American vehicle manufacturers for its automatic 8-speed PowerLine transmission—including the largest individual commercial-vehicle-related order in company history. In 2023, production will start in Gray Court, South Carolina. ZF consequently is expanding its transmission plant, investing more than... Read more →

Bombardier Transportation (now part of Alstom) introduced a variety of green innovations to reduce CO2 emissions and pollution in the railway sector. One of our first sustainable mobility solutions was a dual-mode Autorail à Grande Capacité (AGC) train, designed and developed by its Crespin site in France; the AGC was... Read more →

XL Fleet Corp. has entered into a strategic partnership with Curbtender, a market leader in Under CDL (vehicles that do not require a Commercial Drivers License) refuse trucks and a pioneer in automated side-loader collection. Under the terms of the agreement, XL Fleet and Curbtender will jointly develop a series... Read more →

Rheinmetall Automotive has booked its first orders for an environmentally friendly fuel tank isolation valve (FTIV). Developed by Pierburg in Neuss, Germany, it is used in modern plug-in hybrid vehicles, which generally feature a hermetically sealed tank system so that fuel fumes cannot escape when the vehicle is operating in... Read more →

Orders for the all-new Nissan Note e-POWER have surpassed 20,000—more than double the compact car’s monthly sales target—since it was released in Japan in late December. (Earlier post.) Equipped with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain, the fully refreshed Note went on sale on 23 December with a monthly sales target of... Read more →

Leclanché SA has developed a modular, all-in-one, high-performance battery system optimized for powering new and retrofit hybrid and fully electric commercial vehicles. INT-39 Energy HV pack (INT-39 Energy) is a fully integrated product comprising Leclanché’s advanced M2 battery modules, powered by its high density and high life cycle 60 Ah... Read more →

Dana Incorporated has introduced an expanded family of Dana TM4 SUMO HP electric motors and inverters, including the HV1000 and HV2500. The TM4 SUMO family is specifically designed for battery-electric, range-extended, and fuel-cell vehicles. These high-performance motors and inverters are engineered to offer maximum flexibility, enabling direct-drive, series-hybrid, or parallel-hybrid... Read more →

Shin-Etsu Chemical has developed innovative silicone thermal interface materials for applications in electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). With the electrification of automobiles, the demand for heat dissipation measures for lithium-ion batteries and for various other electronic control systems are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and diversified. With the... Read more →

While the lithium-ion battery is dominant in battery-electric vehicles, NiMH batteries are still the most common in full hybrid vehicles (HEVs), according to a new report—“Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle Markets 2021-2041”—from IDTechEx. Toyota is the ruling OEM in the global HEV car market, with more than 60% market share in... Read more →

Rolls-Royce is supplying two mtu 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines to Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard for the construction of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid powered tug. This is the first LNG-hybrid tug to be powered by mtu gas engines. Designed by LMG Marin (Norway), part of the Sembcorp Marine... Read more →

Supporting Nissan’s goal of achieving 50% electrified sales in Europe by 2024, the new Nissan Qashqai will not only be available with a 1.3 DiG-T gasoline engine equipped with mild hybrid technology, but also e-POWER, Nissan’s non-plug-in series-hybrid electric powertrain in its European debut. The e-POWER system for New Qashqai... Read more →

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has launched the all-new GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar, which will compete in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The reigning World Champions and three-time Le Mans winners will defend those titles against new manufacturer competitors using a racing version of the upcoming hypercar road car,... Read more →

At cruising altitude, airplanes emit a steady stream of NOx into the atmosphere, where the chemicals can linger to produce ozone and fine particulates. Previous research has shown that the generation of these chemicals due to global aviation results in 16,000 premature deaths each year. Now, MIT engineers are proposing... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz experienced a sharp increase in xEV deliveries in 2020, with more than 160,000 plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles sold worldwide (+228.8%), including about 87,000 units in the fourth quarter alone. We more than tripled sales of our plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars. Demand for these vehicles increased sharply, especially... Read more →

In 2020, e-mobility became more popular in Germany, despite a 20% decline in registration numbers in the year of the COVID 19 pandemic. Alternative drives (battery-electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell, gas, and hydrogen) took up around a quarter of all new light-duty vehicle registrations in Germany in 2020,... Read more →

The FCA Group will invest more than $200 million in its plant in Tychy, Poland, where new hybrid and electric Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo models will be built. The investment will involve the expansion and modernization of the FCA Poland plant and will last several years. The goal is... Read more →

Nissan launched the all-new Note e-POWER AWD compact car, with dual electric motors that give the driver enhanced control and acceleration. The car comes exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain—a non-plug-in series hybrid configuration (earlier post)—and is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in early 2021. The introduction of... Read more →

India’s first greenfield and largest shipbuilding yard, Cochin Shipyard Ltd., has selected Siemens Energy to provide advanced marine solutions for the country’s first fleet of 23 boats to be equipped with electric propulsion drive trains with energy storage integration (batteries) and vessel automation technologies. Cochin Shipyard Ltd. is building the... Read more →

Volkswagen’s plug-in hybrid version of its Tiguan SUV—the Tiguan eHybrid (earlier post)—is now available to configure and order in Europe; the starting price in Germany is €42,413.11 (US$51,500). The Tiguan eHybrid has an all-electric range (WLTP) of up to 50 km (31 miles). In Hybrid mode, the electric motor supports... Read more →

PEUGEOT Sport and TOTAL have released the main technical characteristics of the powertrain of their Hypercar LMH for the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC)—the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW. The main features of the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW are: Hybrid technology, with a mid-rear, 2.6-liter, 500 kW (680 horsepower), twin- turbo, V6,... Read more →

XL Fleet announced that Essential Utilities, Inc. one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the US, serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands, is launching a pilot program to electrify its two most popular commercial GM vehicle... Read more →

In a new report—“Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle Markets 2021-2041”—IDTechEx forecasts that market value for hybrid electric vehicles will peak at $792 billion in 2027. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have seen significant growth in sales over recent years, and the HEV market is set to increase in 2020 despite the implications... Read more →