Motor

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...

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...

In Conversation

David Richards

The technical manager at permanent magnet supplier MagDev gives Stewart Mitchell some pointers on their design and choice of materials for e-drive motors. With the ever-increasing drive for e-mobility, the development of permanent magnet electric motors and their associated power electronics is now one of the most heavily investigated areas of engineering in the...

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...

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Cables

There is a complexity to producing cables for EVs that some may find surprising. Rory Jackson has the details. The importance of cables for channelling power and data throughout electric and hybrid vehicles over thousands of hours cannot be overstated. However, before selecting and specifying cable requirements, the mechanical stresses they...

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...

In Operation

E-Kotug tugboat

A desire to cut maintenance costs prompted the development of this hybrid version of an existing tugboat. Rory Jackson reports. The E-Kotug is a diesel-electric tugboat owned and operated by international towage services provider Kotug Smit Towage. It is a hybrid-powered version of the Dutch company’s dieselpowered Rotortug design, which features three 360°...

Dossier

Protean Electric PD18 in-wheel motor

Protean’s PD18 has a crucial advantage over other in-wheel motors – it can be retrofitted to existing vehicles. Wayne Ward reports. Pure electric vehicles are rapidly changing from being a niche purchase to one that will soon become commonplace. With the imperative that legislation places on the car...

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Axial flux motors

Axial flux motors have many EV design advantages over their radial flux counterparts, as Nick Flaherty explains. A new type of motor is gaining traction in the e-mobility sector – the axial flux type. For many years they have been used in stationary applications such as elevators and agricultural machinery, but over the past decade a number of developers have been working on improving...