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Hyundai and H2 Energy sign joint venture deal on hydrogen mobility in Europe

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Hyundai Motor Company and H2 Energy AG have signed a contract for a joint venture, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, aimed at taking a lead across Europe’s burgeoning hydrogen mobility ecosystem.

To begin the joint venture’s operations, Hyundai Motor will deliver 1,600 fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks to Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility from 2019 through 2025.

The venture will then lease a large portion of these fuel-cell powered trucks to the H2 Mobility Switzerland Association, which comprises major refuelling station operators, transport and logistics companies, as well as to various other industry players that promote hydrogen mobility in Switzerland. [Read more…] about Hyundai and H2 Energy sign joint venture deal on hydrogen mobility in Europe

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.

[Read more…] about Toyota premieres own-brand battery electric vehicles

North American Electric establishes new subsidiary NAE Automation

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North American Electric has established a new, wholly-owned subsidiary – NAE Automation.

The company says the new business will provide “complete automation solutions and engineering services”.

NAE Automation’s primary focus will be material handling equipment such as conveyors, automatic palletizers and strapping machines. [Read more…] about North American Electric establishes new subsidiary NAE Automation

Mitsubishi Electric hosts its first ‘e-F@ctory Alliance’ in Singapore

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Mitsubishi Electric Asia’s Factory Automation Division partners with emerging industrial internet of things innovators in first e-F@ctory Alliance in Singapore

Mitsubishi Electric Asia, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, a manufacturer of electric and electronic equipment, is collaborating with partners and experts to form the first strategic partnership in Singapore, e-F@ctory Alliance.

The alliance is intended to help companies embark on a journey towards developing the internet of things and digital transformation.

Hosted by the Factory Automation division of Mitsubishi Electric Asia, the Alliance saw more than 20 companies present at the inaugural ceremony held at Shangri-La Hotel this afternoon, including Advantech, Hitachi Asia, Oracle and Sato Asia Pacific, among others. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric hosts its first ‘e-F@ctory Alliance’ in Singapore

Motors giant Nidec enters into $260 million joint venture with automaker PSA

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Nidec, one of the world’s largest suppliers of motors and other industrial components, has entered into a joint venture with global automaker PSA Group.

The “Nidec-PSA emotors” joint venture has been created by Groupe PSA and Nidec to initiate the design of “future electric motors”.

Shigenobu Nagamori, CEO of Nidec, and Carlos Tavares, CEO of Groupe PSA, endorsed the establishment of Nidec-PSA emotors, saying the new business will be “dedicated to the design, development, manufacture and sale of electric traction motors”.  [Read more…] about Motors giant Nidec enters into $260 million joint venture with automaker PSA

Bimba launches multi-axis electric linear robot actuator

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Bimba, a supplier of pneumatic, hydraulic and electric motion solutions, has introduced IntelliAxis multi-axis electric linear robot actuators for either X-Z or X-Y motion applications.

Employing what the company says is “a one-of-a-kind two-axis system”, the unit features a single continuous belt that serpentines around the two axes eliminating the need for a motor in the Z- or Y-axis while driving a pair of coordinated motors in the X-axis.

These configurations, known as T-bot and H-bot within the industry, permit synchronized control for complex motion movement profiles such as circles, ellipses and sine waves.  [Read more…] about Bimba launches multi-axis electric linear robot actuator

Opec and big oil eyeing electric cars with trepidation, says Bloomberg

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The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Opec, and big oil companies around the world are looking at the growing popularity of electric cars anew, and revising their forecasts, according to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. 

The prospect of a massive trend that shows consumers turning away from petrol-driven vehicles would have huge implications for the oil industry.

Petrol-driven vehicles account for almost half of oil production demand, according to the US Department of Energy, while other sources say it’s more than 50 per cent.  [Read more…] about Opec and big oil eyeing electric cars with trepidation, says Bloomberg

China’s electric car market given a jump-start by government and looks set to boost lithium industry

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The market for electric cars in China is huge already and it’s growing at almost an exponential rate annually. 

Commentators in the country include electric cars in the category called “new energy vehicles”, which also refers to hybrid energy vehicles, and are saying the market will be further accelerated as a result of government backing.

Edward Tse, CEO of Gao Feng management consultancy, says: “With the issuance in April 2017 of the Automotive Industry Mid to Long Term Development Plan, the Ministry for Industry and Information Technology provides guiding principles for the development of China’s auto industry for the next decade.  [Read more…] about China’s electric car market given a jump-start by government and looks set to boost lithium industry

Roborace shows off its driverless electric racing car in the US

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roborace new york 2 small

Roborace has been showing off its driverless electric racing car in New York, in the US, after organising similar exhibitions in other countries. 

Roborace organises what is believed to be the world’s first driverless electric car racing series, using vehicles based on Nvidia’s Drive PX2 artificial intelligence platform.

The car incorporates technologies such as lidar, radar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, optical speed sensors, GNSS positioning, and others, according to Engineering.com.  [Read more…] about Roborace shows off its driverless electric racing car in the US

Cheap batteries will accelerate sales of electric cars worldwide, says report

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electric car illustration
Picture courtesy of Alternative Energy News

The growth in popularity of electric vehicles in China alone, even if it’s a trend not followed anywhere else in the world, is enough to drive the automotive market to make fundamental changes to the way it manufactures cars as well as the raw materials and fuels it uses. 

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says sales of new energy vehicles – which includes hydrogen – reached 507,000 units in 2016, representing an increase of 53 per cent compared with 2015.

In the previous year, the increase was similar. The steep upward trend seems to have taken off in 2014, according to analysis by Bloomberg.  [Read more…] about Cheap batteries will accelerate sales of electric cars worldwide, says report