Yamaha + DLR, EU project Challenge, Interflex, e-bike drive

Yamaha and DLR work on thermoelectric vehicle systems. New modules for residual energy in road and rail vehicles based on thermoelectric effects could be used in hybrid or range extended electric vehicles. Waste heat of combustion engines for example could be recovered and converted into electricity. First demonstrators are tested in the lab in Germany already while Yamaha will take care of production subsequently.
dlr.de

EU challenge kicks off: Four years to find new power devices for electric vehicles is the aim of the EU project Challenge that is part of the Horizon 2020 initiative. 3C-SiC is the base. This cubic silicon carbide technology is particularly suited for hybrid vehicles but will also reverberate in other applications.
cordis.europa.eu

Smart grids are on the Horizon 2020 funding list and the latest project is called Interflex. 20 partners including industry, utilities and academia seek ways to optimise energy distribution over three years. Electric vehicles and energy storage are focal points for the 23m euro initiative led by RWTH Aachen.
rwth-aachen.de, powerengineeringint.com

Carry-on pedelec drive: Engineers from TUM Create, the joint hub of TU Munich and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, have developed a retrofit e-bike drive. The prototype is foldable and weighs 3.5 kilos so the device can be called “ease” indeed.
tum.de