Just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron series hybrid, with which Audi will tackle the Dakar Rally in January 2022. (Earlier post.) Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination... Read more →

The generator that will be at the heart of the most powerful hybrid-electric aero power and propulsion system in aerospace has arrived for installation at Rolls-Royces’s specialist testbed. PGSy1 The generator and related 3,000-volt power electronics system was delivered to the newly-renovated Testbed 108 in Bristol, UK, from the Rolls-Royce... Read more →

Argo AI, Lyft and Ford Motor Company are collaborating to commercialize autonomous ride hailing at scale. The partnership brings together all of the pieces necessary to create a viable autonomous ride hailing service, including the self-driving technology, vehicle fleet and transportation network needed to support a scalable business and deliver... Read more →

XL Fleet Corp. announced a battery and power electronics development and supply agreement and an investment in eNow, Inc., a provider of solar and battery power systems that enable fully-electric Transport Refrigeration Units (eTRUs) for Class 8 commercial trailers. Under the terms of the agreement, XL Fleet will supply battery... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is launching the new S 580 e plug-in hybrid, with which the fourth generation of the hybrid drive system is celebrating its premiere in the S-Class. The plug-in hybrid is available to order, in both short and long wheelbase versions, with price starting at €123,736 (US$146,000). S 580 e... Read more →

In a post published on Medium, Gill Pratt, Toyota Motor Corporation’s Chief Scientist and the CEO of Toyota Research Institute, explains why he is not a proponent of ditching ICE and switching to only BEVs as soon as possible. He argues that a diversity of electrified drivetrain types are better... Read more →

Surf Air Mobility Inc., has signed a purchase agreement with Textron Aviation for up to 150 Cessna Grand Caravan EX single-engine turboprop aircraft, with an initial fleet order of 100 aircraft and an option for 50 more. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc.,... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation launched its all-new Aqua. The all-new Aqua is approximately 20% more fuel efficient (WLTC) than the previous generation; it combines outstanding fuel efficiency of 35.8 km/L (84 mpg US) with the comfortable, high-quality ride of an electrified vehicle. The first-generation Aqua—sold as the Prius C in the... Read more →

De Lijn, the public transport operator (PTO) in the Flemish part of Belgium, is ordering 44 new articulated plug-in e-hybrid buses; further, the operator confirmed the upgrade of 280 if its current hybrid buses into e-hybrids. Their extended zero-emission range will contribute significantly towards improving air quality in the cities... Read more →

Modern automobiles are built with more than 2,000 different compounds comprising 76 different elements. Now, a study by a team from MIT’s Materials Systems Laboratory, with support from Ford, provides insight into how electrification is changing vehicle composition and how that change is driving supply risk vulnerability. The study, published... Read more →

FEV recently entered a long-term agreement with electrified powertrain systems provider Hyliion, to support design, development, integration and production validation of Hyliion’s Electric Range Extender (ERX) for Class 8 tractor-trailer applications. The Hyliion Hypertruck ERX powertrain utilizes a propulsion system combining a renewable natural gas (RNG)-fueled on-board generator paired with... Read more →

XL Fleet Corp. announced that its XL Hybrid electric drive system is now available as an upfit solution for the new Isuzu NPR-HD. The electrification system is XL Fleet’s newest product release and enables Isuzu customers to electrify one of its newest and most popular medium-duty low cab forward vehicles,... Read more →

Volvo Cars and its parent company Geely Holding will create a joint venture under the name Aurobay for its powertrain operations, as the companies proceed with their earlier announced plans to merge these into a new, stand-alone business. The new company will be a global supplier of complete powertrain solutions... Read more →

Kia has presented the fifth-generation Kia Sportage SUV. Developed on a new architecture, the all-new Sportage will offer gasoline and diesel powertrains at market launch later this year, followed by hybrid-electric (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) models. The new Sportage debuts numerous technologies, including Kia’s E-Handling system that enhances... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., a leader in propulsion efficiency, will release the findings of a recent simulation study to evaluate the efficacy of its newest technology at the FEV Powertrain Conference. The study validated that Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) developed for mild-hybrid diesel vehicles reduced CO2 emissions in a 2.3... Read more →

Renault Group and STMicroelectronics announced a strategic cooperation on the design, development, manufacturing, and supply to Renault Group of STMicroelectronics’ products and related packaging solutions for the power electronics systems of battery-operated and hybrid vehicles. These technologies will have significant impacts on electric vehicles’ driving range and charging by reducing... Read more →

New analysis of the latest IHS Markit new vehicle registration data in the US indicates vehicles with a hybrid powertrain (both gasoline and electricity) are out-performing EVs, based on several metrics. In April, hybrids accounted for 6.1% of all new vehicles registered, more than double EVs’ share of 2.4%. The... Read more →

Mazda Motor Corporation announced its new technology and product development plans, which include the introduction of a dedicated EV platform—SKYACTIV EV Scalable Architecture—in 2025, which can be adapted for various vehicle sizes and body types. Mazda has been continuously enhancing its internal combustion engines (SKYACTIV-X and new straight-six engines) and... Read more →

Nissan launched the all-new Note Aura premium compact car in Japan, with sales planned to start in autumn. The all-new Note Aura comes exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post), a key part of the company’s electrification strategy under the Nissan NEXT global business transformation plan. The all-new vehicle... Read more →

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, with colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley, Oak Ridge, and National Renewable Energy labs, and the University of Tennessee, have published a comprehensive analysis of the total cost of ownership (TCO) for 12 sizes of vehicles ranging from compact sedans up to Class 8 tractors with sleeper... Read more →

Lexus announced the world premiere of the all-new NX, the first model of Lexus’ next-generation range. Under the “Lexus Electrified” initiative, the new NX accelerates the proliferation of electrified models by being Lexus’ first Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV); the NX is also offered as a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).... Read more →

Oshkosh Corporation’s Fire & Emergency segment unveiled the Volterra platform of electric vehicles with the introduction of two new trucks under the Pierce Manufacturing and Oshkosh Airport Products brands. Oshkosh Corporation has been developing electric products and equipment since the mid-1990s when the Company’s JLG Industries business launched its first... Read more →

Ford unveiled the 2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck. Maverick comes as a standard five-passenger, four-door pickup, with a full-hybrid powertrain and a projected EPA-estimated rating of 40 mpg city fuel economy and 500 miles of range on a single tank of gas. Maverick, which offers ingenious design and storage... Read more →

Rome-based transport company, Atac, will receive 100 Mercedes-Benz Citaro hybrid buses. The city buses are to be delivered in three lots between June and the autumn of this year. They are part of an ambitious investment program to modernize the bus fleet of the transport company in Italy’s capital. One... Read more →

American Honda reported a surge in electrified vehicle sales for May 2021, with 11,921 units posted compared to 4,311 units in May 2020—an increase of 176.5%. Total electrified vehicles sales for Jan-May 2021 reached 47,797 units, up 182.7% year-on-year. Those results represent 6.7% of total sales for May, and 7.0%... Read more →

ATC Drivetrain, an independent global remanufacturer of automotive powertrain and drivetrain systems, is launching remanufacturing capabilities for electric vehicle systems at its Oklahoma City, OK facility to serve the North American automotive market and at its Zhangjiang, China facility to serve the Asian automotive market. These investments will allow ATC... Read more →

Ford electrified vehicle sales grew 184% in May, achieving a new electrified vehicles sales record of 10,364 vehicles. Growth came from Mustang Mach-E (BEV), which totaled 1,945 vehicle sales, while F-150 PowerBoost (hybrid) totaled 2,852 for the month, Escape electrified (hybrid and plug-in hybrid) sales totaled 3,617—up 125% over last... Read more →

Wärtsilä will supply its Wärtsilä HY Module, a containerized hybrid battery power and energy storage system to Maersk Supply Service, the Denmark-based provider of offshore marine services and integrated solutions for the global energy sector. The Wärtsilä system will support Maersk’s goal of reducing the carbon intensity of its fleet... Read more →

Lexus announced that the luxury brand eclipsed the milestone of 2 million global sales of electrified vehicles—hybrids and battery-electric—at the end of April 2021. In 2020, 33% of the Lexus models sold globally were of the electrified variety. Since the launch of the RX400h hybrid in 2005, Lexus has continued... Read more →

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 →