On 31 March, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the final rule for The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles for Model Years 2021-2026. The final rule requires a 1.5% year-over-year increase in fuel efficiency and reduction in GHG emissions standards, which... Read more →
The latest 2020.1 release of powertrain design and optimization software from Ricardo encompasses a new approach to the design and optimization of transmission systems for all types of vehicle—including the latest hybrid and pure battery electric concepts, along with a wealth of new features and capabilities. The 2020.1 Ricardo Software... Read more →
BASF has successfully developed and tested an innovative Tri-Metal Catalyst technology that enables partial substitution of high-priced palladium with lower-priced platinum in light-duty gasoline vehicles without compromising emissions standards. Adoption of the Tri-Metal Catalyst can reduce catalytic converter costs for automakers and partially rebalance market demand for PGMs (platinum-group metals),... Read more →
Batteries for electric cars require both pressure compensation during normal operation and emergency ventilation. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ DIAvent component combines these two functions in a single, advanced design. ABT e-line, an electromobility company developing and producing electrified variants of the Volkswagen Caddy and Transporter, has selected this solution to help... Read more →
Honda, like other automakers, has is focused on reducing the weight of its vehicle components, from body frames and engines down to the bolts. To achieve a reductive design, the structure and materials used in every part must be scrutinized. The latest target for Honda R&D is the crankshaft. Crankshafts... Read more →
Power management company Eaton has expanded its portfolio of valvetrain solutions for diesel off-highway vehicles to help OEMs reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. Eaton’s new technology allows for cost-effective, variable valve actuation with hydraulic lash adjustment (HLA) function. This technology enables precise valve lift control through HLA, coupled with... Read more →
In the US, Model Year (MY) 2018 vehicle fuel economy was 25.1 miles per gallon, 0.8% higher than the 24.9 miles per gallon MY 2017, according to the annual Automotive Trends Report released by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In model year 2018, the average estimated real-world CO2 emission... Read more →
Purdue University researchers have developed a turbomachine expander that offers an efficient and safe strategy for heating and cooling. The researchers developed their device to decrease energy consumption of the vapor-compression heat pump cycle (VCC), which is commonly used in homes, businesses and vehicles for cooling and heating. With increasing... Read more →
SuperTurbo Technologies Inc. (formerly VanDyne SuperTurbo) has appointed Ricardo Performance Products to support the first phase of commercial industrialization of the SuperTurbo system—a novel planetary traction drive that enables high speed power transfer to and from a turbocharger shaft, offering significant driveability and fuel efficiency benefits for large trucks. The... Read more →
The new BMW Aerodynamic Wheel is making its debut together with the BMW iX3, the market launch of which is planned for this year. The new combination of aluminum base wheel and individually designed inserts complements the efficient basic alignment of the BMW Group’s first purely electric Sport Activity Vehicle... Read more →
BorgWarner Inc. and Delphi Technologies PLC have entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which BorgWarner will acquire Delphi Technologies in an all-stock transaction that values Delphi Technologies’ enterprise value at approximately $3.3 billion. The acquisition would strengthen BorgWarner’s power electronics products, capabilities and scale. Combining with Delphi Technologies is... Read more →
Teijin Limited will establish Teijin Automotive Center Europe GmbH (TACE) in Wuppertal, Germany in February as a new base for technical functions within the company’s automotive composite business. The company will handle concept, designing, prototyping, evaluations, marketing and technical research for next-generation automotive components, utilizing the Teijin Group’s capabilities to... Read more →
GKN Automotive, a leading global supplier of electric drive, all-wheel drive and driveline technology and systems, and Delta Electronics Inc., a world-class provider of power and thermal management solutions, will collaborate on the joint development of next-generation integrated 3-in-1 (inverter, motor and transmission fully integrated) eDrive systems of power classes... Read more →
NXP Semiconductors N.V., the world’s largest supplier of automotive semiconductors, has introduced a multi-gigabit Ethernet switch designed to help automakers deliver the high-speed networks required for evolving connected vehicles. The NXP SJA1110 is the first automotive Ethernet switch with safety capabilities built in, offering integrated 100BASE-T1 PHYs, hardware-assisted security as... Read more →
Meritor, a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets, has acquired all the outstanding common shares of Transportation Power (TransPower), a provider of electrification technologies for large commercial vehicles. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In 2017, Meritor made a... Read more →
Jaguar Land Rover is developing a pioneering shape-shifting seat system designed to improve customer wellbeing by tackling the health risks of sitting down for too long. The ‘morphable’ seat, being trialed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Body Interiors Research division, uses a series of actuators in the seat foam to create... Read more →
Aeristech, the UK-based developer of power-dense and efficient high-speed electric motors for applications including super- and turbo-chargers and fuel-cell compressors, has introduced a new 20 kW motor. The new compressor provides greater torque density than any same-rated rival technology, reduced size for enhanced modularity and a significant increase in continuous... Read more →
India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched India’s first long distance compressed natural gas (CNG) bus under a strategic program led by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), the largest CNG distribution company in India. The launch ushers in CNG as the fuel of choice for long distance transportation... Read more →
Metal particles from the abrasion of brake pads (brake abrasion dust, BAD) may cause inflammation and reduce the ability of immune cells to kill bacteria, similarly to particles derived from diesel exhaust particles (DEP), according to a new study led by researchers at King’s College London. The researchers say this... Read more →
Nissan has developed new twin-motor all-wheel-control technology called e-4ORCE for electric vehicles. The technology provides instant torque to all four wheels to deliver balanced, predictable power and handling on par with many premium sports cars. Nissan’s newelectric concept Ariya features the new e-4ORCE system The e-4ORCE twin-motor all-wheel control technology... Read more →
ZF has developed a new hybrid driveline for the Dakar off-road race. ZF, in cooperation with MKR Technology, has fitted the Riwald Dakar team’s Renault C640 with this new driveline developed especially for this objective. The core of this driveline is a special prototype of ZF’s central electric axle drive,... Read more →
The BMW iFE.20 Formula E racer uses a cooling shaft manufactured from flax fibers—the first BMW race car fielded by a works team with parts made out of renewable textile fibers. Compared with carbon, flax has greater absorption and greater impact resistance, which can be advantageous on the street circuits... Read more →
Toyota has launched a new program to license its Intellectual Property to interested parties. Toyota IP Solutions is intended to help promote and serve as an access point for the licensing of patents to US and global companies. Initially, the patent portfolios available for licensing will be in four areas:... Read more →
China-based Weichai Power Co., Ltd. has acquired Germany-based electric powertrain component manufacturer ARADEX AG as another component of its global strategy in the new energy power systems industry following its strategic investment in Ballard Power and Ceres Power. Weichai Power, a provider of traditional powertrains for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, is... Read more →
Continental will premier its new Contact Sensor System (CoSSy) at CES 2020 next month in Las Vegas, Nevada. CoSSy closes a gap in the industry’s automotive sensor portfolio by enabling the detection of low-speed contact between a vehicle and a person or object. At CES 2020, Continental will demonstrate how... Read more →
Fuel-cell systems are a challenging technology that, much like combustion engines, require sophisticated thermal management and supplies of air and hydrogen. Pierburg GmbH, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall Automotive AG, is applying its accumulated combustion engine expertise in pumps and valves to offer special products for fuel-cell vehicles. In addition to... Read more →
In vehicles with a conventional internal combustion engine, the a/c compressor is usually driven via a pulley and the V-belt but in electric vehicles, this mechanism is not available. Here, the a/c compressor is driven by an electric motor that is integrated into the vehicle’s high-voltage network. Pierburg GmbH has... Read more →
China-based Kolbenschmidt Huayu Piston Co. Ltd. (KSHP) (belonging to Rheinmetall Automotive AG) has received an order from one of the world’s biggest car producers with a lifetime volume totaling more than €200 million for modern lightweight pistons for gasoline engines with ring carrier and coolant gallery technology. Lightweight gasoline piston... Read more →
Pierburg (Rheinmetall Automotive), Swoboda, BASF and General Motors (GM) have developed the first all-plastic fuel vapor pump assembly in series production. It is currently produced at Pierburg’s facility in Fountain Inn, South Carolina and placed on the 2019 Cadillac XT4. The assembly is mounted on the engine and directly transfers... Read more →
Hyundai Motor Group has developed the first Road Noise Active Noise Control (RANC) system. RANC builds on the Group’s current Active Noise Control (ANC) technology, which actively reduces noise by emitting soundwaves inverted to incoming noise. ANC is a software-driven technology that analyzes the in-cabin sound to decrease engine and... Read more →
A study by Gentherm, a developer of innovative thermal management technologies, and General Motors has shown that Gentherm’s ClimateSense microclimate thermal comfort system significantly increases driving range and energy savings in electric vehicles. The results of the study were presented during the SAE Thermal Management Systems Symposium last week in... Read more →
BMW i Ventures has made an investment in CelLink, a San Carlos, CA-based manufacturer of flexible circuit technology that delivers high-conductance, large-area, lightweight, and low-cost flexible circuits through a proprietary combination of manufacturing processes, designs, and materials. The new funding is aimed at ramping up production of large-area flexible circuits... Read more →
Eaton says it has shown in regulatory test cycles and real-world use that its cylinder-deactivation (CDA) technology can play a key role in helping commercial vehicle manufacturers meet or exceed 2024 and 2027 US emissions regulations. The company will make the announcement at the North American Commercial Vehicle show (NACV)... Read more →
Eaton’s eMobility business is expanding high-voltage circuit protection solutions for electrified vehicles (EVs) with the introduction of Breaktor, a new advanced circuit protection solution for EVs that combines the function of fuses, pyro switches and contactors into a single coordinated device. As electric vehicle power levels increase, Breaktor addresses the... Read more →
Eaton’s eMobility business has introduced a new Flex Power Distribution Unit (PDU) for high-voltage electrified commercial vehicles; the new unit is uniquely designed to handle multiple load requirements. Eaton has reached an agreement with Cummins Inc. to supply elements of the Flex PDU, which reliably distributes power and keeps the... Read more →
Pierburg has been developing vacuum pumps for brake boosters for decades. With the current EVP40 model, the supplier is offering an electric option that operates on-demand and sets high standards in terms of robustness, temperature resistance and noise. The EVP40 can be used in hybrids and electric vehicles as well... Read more →
The 2019.2 release of powertrain design and optimization software from Ricardo provides enhancements across the entire suite of products. In keeping with its strategy of combining upgrades into major releases and ensuring that all customers have the most up-to-date software at the earliest opportunity, the 2019.2 release from Ricardo Software... Read more →
Swindon Powertrain is developing a new compact 80kW “crate” electric powertrain that will make it easier for specialist OEMs to electrify their low volume sports cars, light commercial and recreational vehicles. Swindon Powertrain’s High Power Density (HPD) EV system will ease the transition for manufacturers currently frustrated by the lack... Read more →
Modern piston assemblies are subject to high demands in terms of both loading and lifetime; in addition, there is the environment-friendly demand for low engine emissions. KS Kolbenschmidt has developed its LITEKS concept for particularly low-friction piston systems installed in highly loaded gasoline engines. The supplier is now introducing its... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies, the drivetrain business of Continental, has signed agreements with Groupe PSA and Hyundai to supply the first fully integrated electric axle drive system for various volume-production models. Production of the new electric drive system at Vitesco Technologies plant in Tianjin, China, has already started. First fully integrated electric... Read more →
Ricardo will present the early results of an R&D project to develop a scalable Electric Drive Unit (EDU) for future electric vehicles at the CTI’s 8th International Congress and Expo, to be hosted on 24-25 September 2019, in Shanghai, China. The scalable EDU being developed by Ricardo comprises a high-performance... Read more →
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is developing a new generation of conductive seals designed to ensure a durable electrical connection between housings and shafts while preventing bearing damage caused by electricity and electromagnetic radiation. In many operating conditions, the shafts used in electric powertrains are electrically insulated from their housings. The insulation... Read more →
Building off its 350 bar GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) system, Delphi Technologies has developed a 500+ bar GDi system that can reduce particulate emissions by up to 50% without expensive engine re-designs for the majority of applications. Left: GDi 500+ injector. Right: GDi 500+ fuel pump With an innovative new... Read more →
Garrett Motion Inc., a leading differentiated technology provider in the automotive industry, has developed a new turbocharger boost control software that can significantly enhance turbo performance and health and help unlock optimized energy management in hybrid vehicles. Electrifying a turbocharger removes the constraint of needing a small turbine with excellent... Read more →
At its meeting on Monday, Continental’s Executive Board decided to consider the possibility of a spin-off of the Powertrain division (future name: Vitesco Technologies) and subsequent stock exchange listing. This review will be conducted in parallel with the company’s ongoing preparations for a potential partial IPO of the division. This... Read more →
Dana Incorporated has acquired Nordresa Motors, Inc., an integration and application engineering expert for the development and commercialization of electric powertrains for commercial vehicles. Two Nordresa systems are now available: the W Series, a walk-in van based on Ford’s E-450 chassis, and the T Series, for cab forward trucks. Terms... Read more →
BorgWarner has optimized the latest generation of its all-wheel drive (AWD) coupling with a compact brushless direct current (BLDC) motor and highly integrated electronics. The resulting actuator unit has very high durability and weight savings of approximately 15% in comparison to a conventional AWD coupling. The lightweight, high-performance design has... Read more →
Transient Plasma Systems Inc. (TPS), which develops nanosecond pulsed plasma ignition systems to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has achieved a new milestone in its internal combustion engine testing with its first multi-cylinder demonstration of the company’s nanosecond pulsed plasma ignition technology in a mass-manufactured, on-road natural-gas... Read more →
Researchers at Empa have developed an electrohydraulically actuated cam-less valve train that enables completely free adjustment of stroke and timing, while at the same time being robust and cost-effective. The new technology saves up to 20% fuel in typical passenger car low load operating conditions. The FlexWork valve train was... Read more →
Power management company Eaton is partnering with global technology company KPIT to support the development of next-generation electrified mobility technologies for Eaton’s eMobility business unit (earlier post). Eaton’s collaboration with KPIT initially will focus on developing and deploying technologies, software solutions and platforms for several components, including inverters, on-board chargers,... Read more →