Battery

Dossier

Performance Projects / Dynium electric tractor

Peter Donaldson relates the development of this tractor’s powertrain, which is designed to operate in confined spaces. When Dynium Robot decided to rethink the tractor to work in the confined spaces of orchards and polytunnels, the off-road robotics specialist turned to racecar engineering company Performance Projects to design the vehicle from...

PS

Race for battery breakthroughs

While lithium-ion battery chemistries continue to improve rapidly, a number of rival technologies and their developers are tantalising the EV industry with promises of much higher energy densities, but always with a caveat or two in other critical areas (writes Peter Donaldson). Some of these technologies represent improved...

Digest

Tropos Motors ABLE-XR

Matching the size of vehicle to the size of job was the inspiration behind developing this utility vehicle. Rory Jackson reports. The ABLE-XR from Tropos Motors is an electric compact utility vehicle (eCUV) designed for carrying loads over short distances, for delivery applications that would normally be reserved for...

Grid

Bike battery spreads the load

Curtiss Motorcyles in the US has replicated a V8 engine with a distributed battery pack to provide higher efficiency for its latest Zeus model (writes Nick Flaherty). The Zeus has a skeletal space frame anchored to the custom powertrain architecture. “With the battery cells packaged inside eight cylindrical towers configured in a flaring radial vee pattern, we’re able to...

Grid

Battery data gets cloud cover

A battery management start-up has developed a cloud-based battery monitoring service that can handle data from millions of electric bikes and cars on the road (writes Nick Flaherty). The Edison management software from Indian company Ion Energy uses a design called FS-XT, developed by a technology company in France called...

In Operation

Urbino 18 electric

This electric bus can be configured for propulsion and recharging in different ways. Rory Jackson explains how it’s used. Solaris Bus & Coach, a Polish manufacturer of buses, shuttles and trolleybuses, has produced and supplied more than 18,000 vehicles across 32 countries, mainly in Europe. Since 2001 it has sought to develop energy-efficient and...

Focus on...

Insulation

With the need for thermal and electrical insulation in electric vehicles set only to grow, Rory Jackson outlines the options available. With EVs and HEVs being designed now for longer ranges and heavier loads, so batteries are emerging that provide increasing quantities of energy. Most often, that means...

Dossier

Lightning Strike electric motorcycle

Stewart Mitchell explains how this road-going machine was developed to take on the ICE competition – at a competitive price. Lightning Motorcycles is an all-electric motorcycle manufacturer that produces the LS-218 ‘superbike’ and the more affordable Strike, which is pitched head-on against gasoline-powered alternatives. Founder of the San Jose, California company Richard Hatfield says...

PS

How Clean are EVs

There’s no doubt that EVs are much cleaner and friendlier to be around than anything powered by an internal combustion engine, as they produce no local emissions (writes Peter Donaldson). They also use energy more efficiently in stop-go traffic, particularly when fitted with regenerative braking systems. Even petrol-diesel electric hybrids allow the engine to be...

Show Report

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo Europe 2019

Rory Jackson was on hand to investigate some of the key product launches and showcases at this recent show in Germany. The Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo Europe 2019 was co-located with The Battery Show Europe 2019, and took place in the automobile hub of Stuttgart, Germany, in May. It drew together more than...