Motor

PS

The Gradual Evolution

After a promising start in the closing decade of the 19th century, the development of electric road vehicles – and to a lesser extent, the adoption of electric power in other spheres of transport – has been a slow process (writes Lawrence Butcher). The main stumbling block has been the means of storing or generating electricity. Range has always been a challenge, with battery technology lagging behind the...

Grid

Bus is on route to the future

Daimler has developed an electric bus platform that will accommodate the next generation of batteries and fuel cells (writes Nick Flaherty). The powertrain of the eCitaro bus is based on the proven ZF AVE 130 electric axle, with 125 kW electric motors at the wheel hubs providing...

Show Report

Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo 2018

Lawrence Butcher rounds up some of the innovation highlights at this show – the largest such event in North America. The annual EV and Hybrid Technology Expo returned to Novi, Michigan, in September 2018, with a host of companies displaying a range of...

Show Report

Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo 2018

Rory Jackson reports on some of the latest developments in maritime propulsion technology that were on show at this pre-eminent exhibition. Taking place in the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, the Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo is the largest aquatic propulsion trade show in the world. This year’s event was the biggest yet...

Dossier

Volabo ISCAD motor

Lawrence Butcher talks to two of Volabo’s founders about their concept for a traction motor that runs off a mere 48 V. t is generally accepted that in order to use an electric traction motor in a vehicle, where a relatively high power output is...

Grid

Testing facility for e-motors

New testing laboratory for E-mobility drives The Von Roll institute in Breitenbach, Switzerland, recently expanded the capabilities of its already comprehensive test facilities with the addition of a new lab, dedicated to the testing of e-motors specifically for...

Grid

Diesel digger goes electric

US motor maker Dana has developed a custom electric drivetrain for compact excavators (writes Nick Flaherty). The drive for Mecalac’s e12 electric compact wheeled excavator uses Dana’s Spicer 112 axles and a Spicer 367 shift-on-fly transmission. The 146 kWh LiFePO4 batteries in the area previously occupied by...

Focus on...

Thermal Management 2018

Nick Flaherty explains the issues surrounding the design and manufacture of temperature control systems for electric powertrains. Thermal management is a key part of the design and construction of an electric platform, whether it be ground-based or airborne. The thermal performance of the electronic control system, battery management system and battery packs determines...

Dossier

Pipistrel Alpha Electro

Lawrence Butcher explains how this electric two-seater, airworthy certified aircraft was developed and how it acts as a pointer to the future. Electric aircraft are by no means a new invention: the first recorded electric powered flight was in 1973, by...

Grid

Smoothing road to electric

In recent months, efforts by Tesla and Toyota to bring electrification to semitrailers for road freight have made the headlines (writes Lawrence Butcher). The goal of full electrification, as sought by these companies, is an admirable one, but in the near term, there is much that can be achieved through...