Ford announced that it intends to invest up to £230 million (US$316 million) at its Halewood vehicle transmission facility to transform it to build electric power units for future Ford all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles sold in Europe. Halewood will be Ford’s first electric vehicle component in-house assembly site in... Read more →

Nidec Corporation announced that the Ni200Ex, the company’s 200kW e-axle traction motor system, has made its way into ZEEKR 001, an electric vehicle newly released by Geely Automobile Group under its premium Zeekr brand. Developed based on the SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture), which is the EV platform created by Geely... Read more →

New research led by scientists at Penn State and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) demonstrates how a protein isolated from bacteria can provide a more environmentally friendly way to extract rare earth elements from unconventional sources such as mine tailings and e-waste and to separate them from other metals... Read more →

General Motors and GE Renewable Energy signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to evaluate opportunities to improve supplies of heavy and light rare earth materials and magnets, copper and electrical steel used for manufacturing of electric vehicles and renewable energy equipment. The initial focus of the collaboration will be... Read more →

The US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has finalized an Assistance Agreement providing approximately US$21.9 million to a project led by General Atomics for the engineering, construction and operation of a rare earth separation and processing demonstration plant to be located in Wyoming. (Earlier post.)... Read more →

Allison Transmission and SAIC Hongyan Automotive Co., Ltd (formerly known as SIH Truck), a premium Chinese brand in the manufacturing, service and support of heavy-duty vehicles, signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two companies will integrate the Allison eGen Power 130D e-Axle into SAIC Hongyan’s regional... Read more →

Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. have developed a compact, lightweight direct-drive system for EVs, combining the motor, inverter, and brake into a single unit. This enables the installation of the entire system into the wheel. The major features of the technology are: Halbach array magnets and innovative flat coils... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies provided the University of Houston’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a dynamometer test system designed to test motor and inverter designs for use in hybrid and electric vehicle applications. The system features dual opposin 7.5 kW AccuDyne four-quadrant AC motoring dynamometers, variable frequency drives, and a... Read more →

YASA spin-out Evolito, a new company developing and manufacturing direct- and indirect-drive electric motors and power electronics for aerospace applications, launched publicly as a privately-owned business. Evolito was spun out earlier this year by YASA (the pioneer of automotive axial-flux electric motors acquired by Mercedes-Benz in July 2021) exclusively to... Read more →

Allison Transmission, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions, and Jing-Jin Electric (JJE), a China-based electrified propulsion leader in components, assemblies and systems for global automotive and commercial vehicle customers, have signed a broad, global strategic collaboration partnership agreement to accelerate the... Read more →

At the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, General Motors President Mark Reuss revealed GM’s group of three all-new motors that will power its Ultium-based EVs. Designed by GM, the 180kW front-drive motor, 255kW rear- and front-drive motor and 62kW all-wheel drive assist motor are part of Ultium Drive. All three motors... Read more →

At Motor Bella 2021, Bosch is introducing its new efficient 230 electric motor for commercial and medium-duty vehicles. The new 230 electric motor has a rated voltage of 800 volts and is designed for long service life. Bosch‘s electric motor 230 for commercial vehicles. During its development, Bosch engineers paid... Read more →

Electrified powertrain engineering consultancy Drive System Design (DSD) will highlight its simulation, optimization and test capabilities created in response to the significant increase in demand for EV electric drive system development, at the Cenex-LCV event at Millbrook this week. Deploying its latest electrified Powertrain Optimization Process (ePOP) simulation toolset, a... Read more →

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has opened a new production facility at its Szombathely location in the west of Hungary. The facility is Schaeffler’s first production plant fully dedicated to electro-mobility and gives the group a new center of excellence for the production of components and systems for electrified powertrains.... Read more →

A new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program— Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) (HR001121S0035)—seeks to develop novel, bio-based technologies to overcome key challenges facing domestic supply of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) critical to the US and Department of Defense (DoD). Although the US has domestic REE resources,... Read more →

Wright Electric has begun testing its 2 MW (~2,700 horsepower) motor for electric and hydrogen aircraft. (Earlier post.) It’s the largest propulsive aerospace motor in existence to the company’s knowledge—about 2x larger than other propulsive motors in testing. Wright’s motor can work in 150+ passenger aircraft in a 10-motor-array format,... Read more →

At IAA Mobility in Munich, ZF is presenting the Moldular eDrive Kit for purely electric drives. Th kit bundles the entire expertise of ZF's e-mobility team for system solutions, components, and software controls in a flexible and modular platform. The Modular eDrive Kit can halve the development time until series... Read more →

Australia-based Arafura Resources Limited has awarded Hatch a contract to carry out Engineering and Procurement Services for the Nolans NdPR project hydrometallurgical plant. The Nolans project in Australia will encompass a mine, process plant (comprising beneficiation, extraction and separation plants) and related infrastructure to be constructed and located at the... Read more →

Construction of the first stage of the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Rare Earth Processing Facility, which includes a Monazite Processing Unit (MPU) and a Solvent Extraction Unit (SXU), is underway The facility will be the first of its kind in Canada. In August 2020, the Government of Saskatchewan announced $31... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Waseda University have started testing in Japan of a jointly developed recycling process that efficiently recovers high-purity rare-earth compounds from electrified vehicle motor magnets. The testing is aimed at enabling practical application of the new process by the mid-2020s. Most motors in electrified vehicles use... Read more →

Ford Performance is offering the “Eluminator Mac E Electric Motor” as an electric crate engine, along with the dozens of combustion crate engines available. The Eluminator, which carries a price of $3,900, is from the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT. Specs include: Peak power: 210 kW (281 hp) Peak torque: 430... Read more →

The ExOne Company, a leading provider of industrial sand and metal 3D printers using binder jetting technology, is collaborating with startup Maxxwell Motors on development of a unique copper e-winding design for its innovative axial flux electric motors, which can be used in electric cars as well as a range... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) Swanson School of Engineering are working with Powdermet Inc., a nanomaterials and advanced materials research and development company in Ohio, to develop a rare-earth-mineral-free electric motor. Most electric motors for electric vehicles rely on permanent magnets made with rare-earth metals, which are a... Read more →

BorgWarner will supply dual inverters for two premier Chinese OEMs. The dual inverters will be featured on both hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions of the Great Wall Motor (GWM) LEMON platform, and the other major Chinese OEM will utilize the technology on its own... Read more →

Following intensive talks, Daimler Truck AG and the Works Council have agreed that the three powertrain sites in Gaggenau, Kassel and Mannheim will specialize in different components for electrified drives. In the future, they will drive the global production of battery-electric and hydrogen-based drive systems in a production and technology... Read more →

Niron Magnetics, a company developing high-performance rare-earth-free iron-nitride (FeN) permanent magnets, has raised $21.3 million in new financing. The Volvo Cars Tech Fund and Volta Energy Technologies join existing investors Anzu Partners and the University of Minnesota. Niron will use the funding to build its pilot production facility in Minnesota... Read more →

Dana Incorporated, a global provider of drivetrain and e-propulsion systems, and Switch Mobility Ltd., the electrified commercial vehicles company and subsidiary of Ashok Leyland Ltd, a leading commercial-vehicle manufacturer, have signed a strategic agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Dana will make a strategic investment in Switch Mobility and... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $60 million to 24 research and development projects aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars and light- and heavy-duty trucks. (DE-FOA-0002420) The projects will help decarbonize the transportation sector and enhance the infrastructure needed to support the growing adoption of... Read more →

LG Electronics and Magna International signed the transaction agreement which establishes a joint venture between the two companies (earlier post). The new company, to be called LG Magna e-Powertrain, is headquartered in Incheon, South Korea. The joint venture company will manufacture e-motors, inverters and on-board chargers and, for certain automakers,... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has acquired YASA, a pioneer in next-generation electric drive technology. Under the terms of the acquisition, YASA will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, developing ultra high-performance e-motors, while retaining its own brand, team, facilities and continuing to supply existing automotive supercar customers. YASA’s axial-flux electric motor... Read more →

GKN Automotive is accelerating its development of next generation eDrive technologies in response to the rapidly increasing global demand for electrified vehicles. These future systems, utilizing 800V technologies, are already at advanced stages of development and being tested in real-world conditions. GKN Automotive says it is now working with the... Read more →

Exro Technologies is introducing a new application for its patented Coil Driver technology—enabling EVs to fast charge seamlessly and provide electricity back to the grid regardless of power source or charger type. Coil Driver is a next-generation dynamic motor controller that expands the capabilities of electric motors by enabling multiple... Read more →

Enedym, a switched reluctance motor (SRM) spinout from McMaster University, closed a $15-million financing round from an international group of strategic investors within the US, Canada, Europe, and India, including P&A Paletta Giving Inc., TRIO Capital Group Inc., Napino Group, KWG Capital Inc., Pathfinder Asset Management Limited, and others. The... Read more →

Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ (earlier post) will take to the skies for the first time in the coming weeks as it works towards a world-record attempt with a target speed of 300+ mph (480+ km/h). The current speed record for an all-electric plane—set by Siemens in 2017—is... Read more →

Autonomous vehicle company Local Motors and in-wheel motor company Protean Electric expanded their long-standing partnership, inking a further three-year deal valued at $7.3 million. Under this new order, Protean Electric will deliver thousands of its ProteanDrive in-wheel motors (IWMs) to power Local Motors’ Olli 2.0 electric autonomous shuttles, accelerating their... Read more →

Smart power electronics company Exro Technologies and Linamar, a tier one supplier, have agreed to develop develop an advanced eAxle for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles utilizing Exro’s Coil Driver technology to improve cost and performance of Linamar’s eAxle product line. (Earlier post.) Coil Driver is a next-generation controller that expands... Read more →

BorgWarner’s integrated drive module (iDM) was selected by the Hyundai Motor Group for its power electric system, which will be used in the upcoming A-segment electric vehicle production, planned to start in mid of 2023. We have enjoyed nearly two decades of partnership with the Hyundai Motor Group and couldn't... Read more →

Drive System Design (DSD), a company specializing in the rapid engineering and development of electrified propulsion systems and associated technologies, has made significant enhancements to the latest generation of its proprietary Electrified Powertrain Optimization Process (ePOP). This advanced software-based tool combines DSD’s extensive expertise as well as its unique processes... Read more →

As part of its mission to make world-class electric drives accessible, Integral e-Drive has made available a family of three ultra-high-performance machines off-the-shelf in single sample quantities. Leveraging Integral Powertrain’s ‘Core Technology’ the CTSM242 series uses a combination of advanced electromagnetic design and a high-performance thermal management system cooling both... Read more →

Production of fifth-generation high-voltage batteries and battery modules for use in the BMW iX and BMW i4 is now underway at the BMW’s Competence Center for E-Drive Production in Dingolfing. At the same time, the company is also increasing production capacity for its fifth-generation electric motor, which has been built... Read more →

Hyzon Motors, a leading global supplier of hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial vehicles, has developed a new eAxle design which provides extremely high efficiency for 6x4 Class-8 commercial vehicles. Hyzon’s eAxle eliminates right-angle hypoid gears, and uses one motor per wheel with optimized performances both at low speed and high... Read more →

Infinitum Electric, developer of the printed circuit board (PCB) motor (earlier post), raised $40 million in Series C funding to scale production of its ultra-high-efficiency, lightweight motors. The investment will be used to expand production of the company’s IEs Series motors for commercial and industrial applications and complete development of... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies Inc., a leading provider of high-performance dynamometer systems, has developed a series of dynamometer systems for customers required to test and verify the level of efficiency of electric motors in accordance with a variety of national and international standards, including IEC 60034-2-1; IEEE 112B; and Canadian standard C390-93.... Read more →

South Korea’s POSCO, one of the world’s top steel producers, is carrying forward a transition of its business structure to focus on “Green & Mobility”, based on various automotive capabilities in the group. In the transition phase of the megatrend represented by low-carbon and eco-friendly environment, POSCO group should go... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $19 million for 13 projects in traditionally fossil-fuel-producing communities across the country to support production of rare earth elements and critical minerals essential to the manufacturing of batteries, magnets, and other components important to the clean energy economy. Facing persistent shortages in domestic... Read more →

UK-based Pensana plans to build, subject to funding, a US$125-million sustainable rare earth separation facility at the Saltend Chemicals Park (“SCP”) in Humber, UK. Targeted production is around 12,500 annualized tonnes of rare earth oxides, including 4,500 tonnes of magnet metal rare earth oxides (NdPr), which would represent approximately 5%... Read more →

Tula Technology, Inc., the developer of Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) and diesel DSF cylinder deactivation technology for combustion engines, reported at the International Vienna Motor Symposium that its product Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) (earlier post) mitigates efficiency losses of electric motors while significantly reducing reliance on rare-earth materials. DMD’s application... 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 →

UK-based Aeristech, a developer of high-speed electric motor and controller technology (earlier post), closed a £5.15-million (US$7-million) private funding round led by investors Sabien Technology, Vela Technologies and SAIC Venture Capital, the venture capital arm of China-based automaker SAIC Motor. The funding round will supercharge the company’s investment in its... Read more →

Yamaha Motor has developed an electric motor reaching the industry’s highest class in output density. This unit is aimed at use in hyper-EV models and other offerings in the high-output mobility segment; Yamaha is accepting orders for commissioned prototype development from April this year. Since 2020, Yamaha Motor has been... Read more →