Off-Highway

Web exclusive

Webasto swappable batteries power Staad electrified excavators

With many European cities now insisting that machinery such as excavators used on construction sites must not produce harmful emissions, the pressure on the industry to electrify them is growing (writes Peter Donaldson). In 2020, Staad, the Dutch importer of Doosan machinery, formed its Electric Construction Equipment (ECE) division to convert excavators and now offers […]

Grid

Fast charge ahead for BMW vehicles

Sprint Power is leading the development of an 800 V fast-charging system for BMW (writes Nick Flaherty). The Celeritas project is a £9.7 million effort to develop fast-charging cells and battery packs for battery EVs and fuel cell hybrid EVs. As well as BMW, its members include the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, BP, AMTE […]

Dossier

Sigma Powertrain EMAX transmission

Peter Donaldson reports on how lamination technology has evolved in recent times to meet changing demands from the EV industry Whether or not governments

New Products

EV makes tracks in Antarctica

The Venturi Antarctica exploration vehicle is now in service at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Research station in East Antarctica. It is a world first for operating an EV with caterpillar tracks on the White Continent.

New Products

Volvo Penta in electric tractor tie-up with TICO

Volvo Penta has delivered and integrated its electric driveline into the first of a series of prototype fully electric terminal tractors for US customer TICO, who will be testing the prototypes with various fleet partners. The driveline is based on proven Volvo Group technology tailored to TICO’s application in terms of performance and energy needs. Volvo Penta’s approach of handling the development and installation of the complete electric driveline and its integration into the vehicle has allowed TICO to focus on improving the vehicle’s functionality. Ports and distribution hubs have highly organised fleets and operations with favourable environments for developing charging infrastructures, as they have well-defined duty cycles. Volvo Penta analysed customer operations and based its electric system on that data and simulations.

Web exclusive

Eco Charger quad adapted for military use

Electric quadricycle all-terrain vehicle (ATV) developer Eco Charger has teamed up with military vehicle specialist Supacat to adapt the former’s top-of-the-range 4WD model for military use; it displayed an example at the 2021 Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEI) event in London. Eco Charger COO Jon Hourihan speaks exclusively with Peter Donaldson about the electrification […]

New Products

Dana launches e-axles for Class 7 and 8 vehicles

Dana Incorporated has expanded its Spicer Electrified e-powertrain offerings to include a family of single and tandem e-axles designed for a range of Class 7 and 8 applications. The Zero-8 e-axles include systems for direct drive and now 4 x 2, 6 x 2, and 6 x 4 multi-speed e-axle systems. The new e-axles are designed to […]

Focus on...

Battery Safety

The EV battery industry offers a variety of ways to minimise the hazards they can pose, as Peter Donaldson explains. Proximity to large amounts of energy has always presented hazards, but people have mostly learned to live with them and enjoy its benefits....

Deep Insight

Skateboard platforms

Against the backdrop of a boom in skateboard platforms for EV designs, Nick Flaherty looks at the approaches taken by some of their suppliers. Changing the wheelbase of a traditional car or truck design by 6 or 7 in creates a ripple effect whereby half the transmission shaft has to be redesigned, changing the centre of gravity and the requirements for the suspension. That means a whole new vehicle design is needed...

Show Report

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo Europe 2018

Lawrence Butcher reports on some of the latest products that caught his eye at this major e-mobility show. May 2018 saw this annual expo take place in Hanover, Germany, where it also incorporated The Battery Show. Concurrently, the conference element of the show saw a...