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Study highlights issues with EV acoustic alerts for sound direction detection

Researchers in Sweden have found that the warning sounds used by EVs can be difficult to locate, writes Nick Flaherty. As electric cars become more common with silent operation, vulnerable road users are encountering more and more warning signals from them.

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Folding e-bike integrates with EVs

Lemmo in Germany has developed a folding e-bike that integrates with the systems in a Nio electric car, writes Nick Flaherty. The design of the Lemmo Zero separates the electronic components, including the battery, motor controller and communications functions, into a detachable unit that Lemmo calls the ‘Smartpac.’

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ZF unveils modular EV drive platform boosting efficiency and cutting weight

ZF has developed a modular drive system for EVs that boosts efficiency and reduces size, writes Nick Flaherty. The SELECT platform covers electric motors and transmission to the inverter and AI-enhanced control software. “If you just optimise one piece you miss out on the global optimisation and you have lower efficiency,” says Dr Otmar Scharrer, senior vice president r&d, electrified powertrain technology at ZF.

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InfiMotion unveils magnesium‑alloy integrated drive system for high‑efficiency EVs

InfiMotion Technology in China has developed a lightweight integrated drive system with a magnesium housing to reduce the weight, writes Nick Flaherty. The TL300 combines dual motors, dual inverters and a common power control module in a single unit built from a magnesium alloy that reduces the mass of the housing by 25%.

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Fuel cells boost to 200,000 hours

Researchers in the US have developed a fuel cell with a lifetime of 200,000 hours that is suitable for heavy-duty hydrogen electric trucks, writes Nick Flaherty. A team at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering in California has developed a durable catalyst architecture that shields a platinum catalyst from the degradation that currently limits a […]

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First piloted eVTOL flight in open airspace

Vertical Aerospace in the UK is using actuators from Volz in Germany for its latest VX4 prototype eVTOL electric aircraft in flight tests, writes Nick Flaherty. The Vertical VX4 is using the DA 30-HT, DA 30-HT-D and DA 58-D actuators for all the control surfaces of the electrical aircraft prototype.

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Carbon nanotubes drive metal-free motor

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed an electric motor without metal, which instead uses carbon nanotubes (CNTs), writes Nick Flaherty.

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Copper fleece boosts battery capacity

Researchers in Germany have developed a technique that significantly improves the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, writes Nick Flaherty.

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BMW moves to two-motor architecture

BMW is using two different types of motor in its sixth-generation electric powertrain, writes Nick Flaherty. The Gen6 eDrive system rolling out later this year redesigns the powertrain for 800 V operation, and adopts cylindrical rather than prismatic cells that are part of the vehicle’s structure.

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Overmould rib process for electric aircraft

The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University has developed a thermoplastic rib structure to simplify the manufacture of eVTOL systems, writes Nick Flaherty. The fully automated hybrid thermoforming and injection overmoulding process cuts production time from 100 hours to two minutes, marking a major breakthrough in aerospace manufacturing efficiency. By integrating two key polymer processing techniques, the process enables production of high-performance, lightweight components with greater design flexibility and cost efficiency.