Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

electric vehicles

355 welding robots at new Byton car plant in China

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Byton, the electric vehicle maker, has announced it will complete its Round C fundraising in mid-2019 with support from multiple investors and shared further details of its Nanjing factory.

Construction of the plant, which started in September 2017, is nearing completion and trial production of the M-Byte SUV will start in the third quarter of 2019.

The installation and commissioning of key equipment has already begun in the five major workshops: stamping, paint, welding, battery, and assembly.

[Read more…] about 355 welding robots at new Byton car plant in China

Mack Trucks unveils fully electric refuse demonstration model

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Mack Trucks unveiled its highly anticipated Mack LR battery electric vehicle (BEV) at WasteExpo 2019.

Combining the refuse industry-leading design of the Mack LR model with a fully electric Mack drivetrain, the demonstration model will begin real-world testing in 2020 in the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY).

The Mack LR BEV is powered by Mack’s integrated electric powertrain consisting of two 130-kW motors producing a combined 496 peak horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of torque available from 0 rpm.

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Toyota premieres own-brand battery electric vehicles

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Toyota unveiled its C-HR and IZOA battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the opening day of Auto Shanghai 2019.

The C-HR and IZOA will be the first BEVs to launch in China under the Toyota brand. Sales of the new models are expected to start from 2020.

Toyota also displayed other electrified vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) variants for the RAV4 and the Alphard/Vellfire in China, as well as the Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) series, launched in March 2019.

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Daimler and NewMotion team up on electric vehicle charging solutions for fleet customers

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Daimler AG is cooperating with NewMotion B.V., one of Europe’s leading providers of charging solutions, enabling Mercedes-Benz in Germany and Athlon to offer an all-in solution from a single source to fleet customers.

This comprehensive, modular package offers tailor-made solutions for all charging requirements and range of services relating to vehicle charging, from advice and installation to operation of the charging points.

These include charging stations at business locations, home charging stations for employees and access to public charging points.

[Read more…] about Daimler and NewMotion team up on electric vehicle charging solutions for fleet customers

New battery promises to increase range of electric vehicles by five times

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A company called Innolith says it is developing “the world’s first 1,000 Wh/kg rechargeable battery”. 

Under development in the company’s German laboratory, the new “Innolith Energy Battery” would be capable of powering an electric vehicle for “over 1,000 kilometers on a single charge”.

Electric cars currently on the market can be driven for about 100 to 300 km, depending on the model.  [Read more…] about New battery promises to increase range of electric vehicles by five times

Volkswagen opens electric platform to third parties

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The Volkswagen Group is opening its Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) to other manufacturers.

It says the purpose is to achieve a significant reduction in the cost of e-mobility through the widest possible deployment of the MEB and the associated economies of scale, thus enabling broad access to individual mobility to continue in future.

The Volkswagen Group is currently projecting a first wave of some 15 million pure electric vehicles based on the MEB.

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Alliance Ventures invests in Enevate to advance electric vehicle battery technology

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Alliance Ventures, the strategic venture capital arm of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, has invested in the latest round of funding in Enevate Corporation, an advanced lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology company based in Irvine, California, USA.

Alliance Ventures was launched last year to support start-ups, early-stage development, and entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of next-generation systems for the automotive industry.

The investment reflects the capability of Enevate in breakthrough Li-ion batteries capable of extreme fast charging with high energy density.

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Harting accelerates electric mobility offerings

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German industrial giant Harting is accelerating the research and development of its electric mobility product range. 

The company will begin to showcase its offerings at high-profile trade shows.

The Harting stand at Hannover Messe will be also be presenting the “MicroSnap”, the latest vehicle concept from Swiss automotive visionary Frank M. Rinderknecht.  [Read more…] about Harting accelerates electric mobility offerings

BMW Group sales of electric hybrid vehicles up 38 percent in 2018

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The BMW Group sold 142,617 electrified (battery-electric and plug-in hybrid) BMW and Mini vehicles in 2018, up +38.4%.

Europe is the Group’s biggest sales region for battery and plug-in hybrid vehicles, accounting for over 50% of sales in 2018.

With 75,000 electrified vehicles delivered to customers in Europe last year, the BMW Group is the market leader in the region, with over 16% market share.

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AVL and Comau partner to deliver advanced solutions for the electric vehicles market

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AVL List GmbH, a leader in engineering, simulation and testing technology for powertrain systems, and Comau SpA, a leading company in industrial automation products and systems, have joined forces to develop simulation, design, assembly and testing of powertrain systems and components.

As of January 1, 2018, AVL and Comau have an open cooperation in simulation, design, assembly and testing of powertrain components for electric as well as traditional vehicles.

The agreement will ensure customers have access to robust, standard solutions on a global scale, backed by a local presence, resulting in higher quality and a shorter time to market.

[Read more…] about AVL and Comau partner to deliver advanced solutions for the electric vehicles market