Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

evs

Electric Future: Stalled car revolution

by

How green are electric vehicles?

Believe it or not, if you had been walking through Manhattan in 1900, there is a good chance you would have seen an electric car. Roughly one third of cars on the road in New York back then were electric, while the city’s taxi fleet had 30 electric vehicles (EVs). It was to be a brief heyday.

It was Henry Ford’s Model T – first produced in 1908 – that signalled the beginning of the end of the electric car. Suddenly, petrol-fuelled cars were relatively affordable and, thanks to Ford’s pioneering use of the production line, ubiquitous.

Improved roads and cheaper petrol prices saw the electric car all but disappear by the mid-1930s, and it wasn’t until the 1970s – amid soaring oil prices and gasoline prices – that the potential of EVs began to be seriously considered again. [Read more…] about Electric Future: Stalled car revolution

Why the Automotive Future is Electric

by

With the global automotive market shifting towards electrification at an unprecedented rate, electric cars or EVs are slated to become the next generation of personal transportation.

By 2040, an estimated 40 million units of EVs are expected to hit the roads, essentially replacing the IC engine. Several manufacturers have already shifted their focus on EV platforms and the latest entry into the segment is the Mazda MX-30, the company’s first all-electric offering.

Taking the MX-30 as an example, we can see how far the EV industry has come over the years. Mixing style and practicality with its rear-hinged doors, the 2022 MX-30 is as good as a modern EV can get. [Read more…] about Why the Automotive Future is Electric

6 Trends in Process Automation Changing How Cars are Made

by

Process automation has had a significant impact on how cars are made. From the early days of Henry Ford’s simple conveyor belt production lines to modern advances in AI and robotics.

Moreover, with EVs and self-driving vehicles, you can expect new applications for process automation. Additionally, the intricacies of modern EVs require new automated tech that needs to evolve. As a result, manufacturing and automation are constantly changing. [Read more…] about 6 Trends in Process Automation Changing How Cars are Made

Visteon unveils ‘first’ wireless automotive battery management system

by

Automotive technology company Visteon has announced a first production-intent, completely wireless battery management system (BMS) to monitor battery packs continuously for state of health and charge.

GM will be the first OEM to equip its electric vehicles (EVs) with the systems solution from Visteon, GM and other technology partners. GM will make the system standard on all planned EV models powered by its Ultium batteries.

Sachin Lawande, president and CEO, Visteon, says: “Our wireless BMS technology eliminates wiring harnesses found in the battery packs of traditional systems, delivering a solution that offers a secure, safe and robust battery system for EVs.” [Read more…] about Visteon unveils ‘first’ wireless automotive battery management system

Electric vehicle market defies coronavirus threat

by

The electric vehicle market has apparently defied the coronavirus threat to rack up record sales for automakers all over the world.

From European companies Renault and BMW to Asian companies such as Hyundai and Toyota, and even US companies such as General Motors – deep in the midst of the the coronavirus crisis – have reported, and are projecting, strong sales and interest in electric and other “new energy” vehicles, as they are called.

Toyota, arguably the world’s largest automotive company, recently reported that it had sold a staggering 15 million hybrid electric vehicles worldwide. [Read more…] about Electric vehicle market defies coronavirus threat

Volkswagen initiates system changeover to e-mobility as production of the ID.3 starts

by

Volkswagen has initiated a system changeover to electric mobility as production of the ID.3 starts in Zwickau

Volkswagen’s electric offensive is picking up speed: This months sees the official start of series production of the ID.3.

The first car in the new generation of electric vehicles (EVs) – a white ID.3 – rolled off the assembly line watched by Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Group CEO Dr Herbert Diess.

The Volkswagen Group aims to sell some 22 million EVs worldwide by 2028, helping EVs make the breakthrough to the mainstream. [Read more…] about Volkswagen initiates system changeover to e-mobility as production of the ID.3 starts

StoreDot and BP fully charge an electric vehicle in five minutes

by

StoreDot and BP have demonstrated a live, full-charge of a two-wheel electric vehicle (EV) in just five minutes.

An electric scooter equipped with StoreDot’s charging battery demonstrated that this technology can charge an electric vehicle in only five minutes.

This proof-of-concept is a major milestone for ultra-fast charging battery technology and its game-changing potential to accelerate the adoption of EVs.

[Read more…] about StoreDot and BP fully charge an electric vehicle in five minutes

Hitachi electric vehicle inverter adopted for the Audi e-tron

by

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.’s electric vehicle (EV) inverter has been adopted by Audi for its first mass production EV, the e-tron, which went on sale in Europe in March this year.

With tightened environmental regulations around the world, many countries are driving for greater adoption of electric vehicles.

This has led to the demand for more efficient and higher-output electric motors, inverters, and other electric powertrain systems that will contribute to high performance EVs.

[Read more…] about Hitachi electric vehicle inverter adopted for the Audi e-tron