The TU Munich presents LiBCycle, a company spun off in 2021, in more detail, which takes care of used electric car batteries. The start-up has developed a transport box that should significantly facilitate handling with the battery packs – and built an additional business model from it.
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In Germany, the NEFTON project launched in 2021 to develop charging scenarios for heavy battery trucks based on the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is now being expanded. The consortium around the Technical University of Munich is now focusing on charging capacities of up to 3 megawatts.
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A research team from TU Munich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has now shown that light can be used to increase the mobility of ions in lithium-ion batteries. The research shows that exposing ceramic materials to light can significantly increase ion mobility for fuel cells and, in the future, perhaps batteries.
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In order to advance cell production in Germany and Europe, the Landshut University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Munich are to develop new technology in the new IntelliSpin research project that uses electrospinning and artificial intelligence to make battery production more flexible and reduce costs.
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A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has succeeded in producing a coil made of superconducting wires that can transmit power of more than five kilowatts without contact and major losses. Possible applications include vehicles or even aircraft.
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A German-American research team has studied the electrochemical processes in lithium-ion batteries in more detail. They discovered that the lithium is not evenly distributed in the battery cells – a discovery that should improve the modelling of battery cells.
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Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a highly efficient supercapacitor. The basis of the energy storage device is a novel graphene hybrid material that has comparable performance data to batteries currently in use.
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Evum Motors, the spin-off of the TU Munich for the commercialization of the all-electric commercial vehicle aCar, is back with some news. Sales of the limited edition ‘First Mover’ will start this Tuesday with Evum taking orders through their website online.
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An international research team at the University of Technology in Graz presented a new solid electrolyte for batteries. According to a statement by the university, it shows one of the fastest lithium migration processes ever measured in a lithium-ion conductor. Toyota was also involved in the project.
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Evum Motors, the spin-off of the TU Munich for the commercialization of the all-electric commercial vehicle aCar, is back with some news. In Bayerbach, Bavaria, the site is currently being prepared for series production and a workshop with a showroom is being set up in Munich.
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We know the future of transport to be electric, connected and autonomous ideally but there are different versions of how that may look like. The TU Munich has come up with a concept called Truck2030 that includes the use of long and heavy LHV trucks and also fun ideas.
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The German center for aerospace (DLR) has lauded the winners of the competition they organized in cooperation with NASA for design ideas regarding future flight technology. The winners were a team from the technical university in Munich.
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The EV designed by the Technical University of Munich to operate in Africa will go into serial production by Evum Motors, which was founded as part of the project.
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Researchers from the TU Munich (TUM) have optimised the cutting process for steel sheets used in electric motors, thus increasing the drives’ efficiency by keeping the sheets magnetic properties in tact.
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Hybrid drone delivery: UPS started tests with hybrid delivery vans that carry a drone pod on their roof. From there, the little octocopter called HorseFly launches, delivers a parcel and returns to the van, where it is caught by robotic arms to dock and charge.
techcrunch.com, newatlas.com
Wireless charging for e-buses: The 50 kW inductive charging system by Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE) has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories. It allows to charge electric buses at bus stops with up to 50 kW wirelessly. Californian Antelope Valley Transit Agency will be first to use it and plans to buy 85 electric buses from BYD over the next 5 years.
chargedevs.com, busride.com
Lexus confirmed specs of the LS 500h hybrid powertrain ahead of Geneva. The partially electrified version of the luxurious sedan will share its powertrain with the LC 500h. The LS500h can run in EV mode to 140 kph.
autocar.co.uk
New tool for Li-ion battery research: Positrons have been used by scientists at the TU Munich (TUM) to investigate capacity loss in NMC batteries. So-called positron annihilation spectroscopy reveals voids in the lattice of the cathode material that block electrodes’s return upon recharging.
tum.de
No Google car: Apparently, Google will not pursue the development of a self-driving car any further at this point. Instead, the IT giant wants to focus more on forging alliances with traditional carmakers and hopes to therefore offer an autonomous ridesharing fleet by the end of next year. Google is already partnering with Fiat-Chrysler.
theinformation.com (original source; paid content) via theverge.com
Autonomous Bolt: General Motors and SAE International kicked off a new student competition called “AutoDrive Challenge.” Teams have three years to design an EV that is based on the Chevy Bolt and has level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. Meanwhile, GM announced that the electric Chevy will be the first self-driving EV to join the fleet of ride-hailing company Lyft.
greencarcongress.com (competition), businessinsider.de (Lyft)
New battery test cell: Michael Metzger, researcher at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has developed a new battery test cell. The cell is fitted with a thin capillary, which allows for the gasses that are released during charging and discharging to be sampled and investigated using a mass spectrometer.
tum.de
Electric drivetrains for utility vehicles: UQM Technologies has received a substantial order from China. It will deliver 300 PowerPhasePro 135 for commercial vehicles to company Kunde ITL Efficient Energy Tech.
wallstreet-online.de
Nissan and Eaton got closer as they broaden their energy portfolio. The xStorage Home residential energy storage solutions, which can use second-life EV batteries, now come in six configurations and pre-orders have started in the UK, Norway and Germany with other European markets to follow. Nissan and Eaton also announced a 10-year deal with Amsterdam ArenA to provide back-up power to the Ajax stadium from second-life Leaf batteries.
greencarcongress.com, newsroom.nissan (xStorage), youtube.com (video, Ajax Amsterdam)
Hydrogen double decker: British Wrights Group presented a hydrogen fuel cell bus driveline in London built into a double deck bus. The new system shall be ready for production by 2017 and can serve in both single-deck and double-deck buses.
greencarcongress.com
The Audi lunar quattro is ready to go to the moon. The engineers have finished their work, reportedly supported by Audi, and have signed an agreement to take-off in 2017 already. The moon rover may be shot to earth’s natural satellite with the Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX.
electrek.co, audi-mediacenter.com, youtube.com (video)
Electric stair-climber: A wheelchair that can clim stairs and stabilises itself has been developed by TU Munich. The bionic system works with two “legs” that electrically push the chair up the stairs. The wheelchair is part of a wider mobility concept.
tum.de, youtube.com (in action)
Supercar from Singapore: New pictures and specs about the electric supercar by Vanda Electric and Williams Advanced Engineering (we reported) have been released. The Dendrobium is said to boast 1,100 kW and 4,000 Nm torque, be able to hit 400 kph and have a range of 400 km. The model will probably not be cheap…
gizmag.com
Hydrogen from wind: The HyBalance plant currently being built in Denmark will be Europe’s largest power-to-gas plant to use wind energy for the production of hydrogen. The latter will be used to fuel FCVs. Air Liquide is involved in the 15m euro project. The company already operates five H2 filling stations in the country.
gasworld.com
Fast battery tests: Researchers at TU Munich have developed a technique with which EV batteries can be tested more quickly. Instead of taking eight hours, this method will cut testing times down to 20 minutes. A patent for the technology is pending.
sueddeutsche.de
Against protectionism: South Korea will file an official complaint against China for the decision to only subsidise lithium iron phosphate batteries, saying it discriminates against South Korean companies (we reported). The issue will be on the table during bilateral trade talks next month.
yonhapnews.co.kr
Carbon EV: 2050 Motors introduces the e-Go, an electric car made from carbon fibre the company specialises in. It will be presented in Las Vegas and is said to weigh around just 680 kg (1,500 lbs) including the battery. The latter comes with a 10-year warranty. e-Go may be joined by full size sedan Ibis soon, the firm said.
globenewswire.com
Battery ageing explained: Researcher from TU Munich applied combined electrochemical investigations with measurement methodologies like X-ray diffraction to better understand why batteries age. They traced back capacity loss to the build-up of a pacifying layer on the anode and hope the research will ultimately lead to optimised batteries.
tum.de, jes.ecsdl.org (full text)
360 degree racing: Formula E intensifies its partnership with 360 Racing to offer 360° video coverage of the electric races. Fans can follow the drivers by logging onto on-board cameras that provide an all-round view. Access is granted via the Formula E app.
motorsport.com, fiaformulae.com
Freedom to fold: Trikke finally introduces the electric version of its tilting trike. Early adopters may get one of the three-wheeled fun vehicles for 599 dollars. With a platform for each foot, Trikke’s foldable Freedom is propelled with carving motions and now a front hub motor. Range is set at 11 – 15 miles.
gizmag.com, indiegogo.com
Meet the BiCar: This EV crosses genres. It looks like a hooded Segway, drives like a car, and is almost as small as a bicycle. Developed by researchers at the School of Engineering at the ZHAW in Zurich, the three-wheeled BiCar is designed for sharing, only goes 30 kph, and is compact enough to fit eight of it in one parking space. A test fleet of 20 is said to be issued over the next two years while ZHAW is looking for sponsors.
aargauerzeitung.ch, engineering.zhaw.ch (both in German)
Lightweight chassis: “LEICHT” (meaning “light” in German but here stands for Lightweight Energy-efficient Integrative Chassis with Hub-motor Technology) is the latest vehicle technology developed by Stuttgart University and the DLR (German aeronautics and space centre) within the DLR@Uni-Stuttgart project. LEICHT is now to be developed into a hardware prototype, funded with 507,000 euros by the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
baden-wuerttemberg.de (in German)
Sino-German electric motorcycle: GlobalDrive is a collaborative project between TU Munich and Chinese Tsinghua University in Beijing. Their latest development is a 100-kW electric motorcycle that will soon to compete against gas guzzling two-wheelers.
twitter.com (with picture), tum.de (in German)
Tesla hacked: Thanks to Joe Pasqua, the Model S has been decoded and is open for knowledgeable IT people to re-programme – at least partially. The free app ‘Visible Tesla’ allows access to all basic functions like locking and unlocking. So far, Tesla has not shown any concern.
technologyreview.com, visibletesla.com
Most clicked link on Thursday was the website of the ABattReLife project that examined possible reasons for the quick deterioration of batteries towards the end of their lifespan.
abattrelife.eu
Haste hurts: Structural changes that occur when charging li-ion batteries quickly have been made visible utilising a novel X-ray fluorescence detector. Researchers at DESY together with the German universities of Giessen and Hamburg as well as Australian CSIRO found out that damage to the inner structure of the battery material is clearly evident after only a few charging cycles.
desy.de, phys.org
EV modulations by Renault: The French carmaker has brought a modified electric range to the CV Show in Birmingham. The Kangoo Z.E. comes as a Panel Van while the Twizy Cargo has turned into an Ambulance featuring blue lights and a siren.
electriccarsreport.com
Efficient AC for EVs: The TU Munich in their Visio.M concept EV showcased efficient temperature management. Peltier elements in the seats provide heat or cold close to the passengers. Furthermore, the performance electronics are integrated into a holistic thermal management system.
electriccarsreport.com, greencarcongress.com
Dutch electric yacht: Together, VanDutch and Aguri Technologies plan to create an electric yacht range, called Van Dutch E, which will be based on the Van Dutch 40. Still in the concept stage, further details on the electric yacht are not yet known.
mby.com, ntkmarine.com
Most clicked link on Wednesday was Shai Agassi’s new transport vision of electrically powered and autonomously driven personal pods.
globes.co.il
