Charged Magazine

Kansas City-based Orange EV has announced that Rail Management Services (RMS) has placed a follow-up order for nine additional T-Series electric terminal trucks. RMS, an intermodal lift-on/lift-off contractor with a hostling fleet of over 700 trucks, purchased its first Orange electric truck in July 2016 for use at a railyard in Chicago.
“We put the Orange EV truck in Chicago at one of our toughest ramps,” said RMS VP Ed Morgenthaler. “It’s one of the larger …read more

Mitsubishi Electric has developed a working model of an ultra-compact silicon carbide (SiC) inverter for hybrid vehicles. The company believes it to be the world’s smallest SiC of its type, with a volume of only 5 liters.
Mitsubishi also claims that the new inverter offers the world’s highest power density for two-motor hybrids: 86 kVA/L, thanks to full-SiC power semiconductor modules that achieve superior heat dissipation.
The new inverter is designed to improve fuel and energy efficiency, …read more

Charging station manufacturer AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) is teaming up with eMotorWerks, a provider of cloud-connected smart-grid charging solutions. AeroVironment will integrate eMotorWerks’ JuiceNet charging platform into its line of consumer and OEM chargers.
JuiceNet-enabled AeroVironment charging solutions will offer new features such as smartphone, web and voice control over charging, real-time and historic energy usage data, load balancing of two or more EVSEs on the same electrical circuit, and scheduled charging to allow customers to take …read more

Volkswagen’s new e-Golf, with a larger battery pack and longer range, is now available for order in Europe, and will go on sale in the US later this spring. Prices start at €35,900 ($38,000) in Germany. US pricing is yet to be announced.
The e-Golf’s battery capacity has been increased from 24.2 kWh to 35.8 kWh. EPA-estimated range is 125 miles, a 50% increase over the previous model year. The motor has been upgraded as well, …read more

EV charging is becoming a trendy new amenity that businesses can offer to attract customers and make them stay a bit longer – but what kinds of businesses can benefit? Grocery stores could be likely candidates – doing the weekly shopping usually takes long enough that one could add enough charge to get back home or run the next errand.
Network operator ChargePoint already has over 2,000 grocery store charging locations in 45 states in its …read more

The English automotive clean tech firm AVID Technology has signed a deal with GKN Hybrid Power to develop and manufacture electric motors. AVID will take over the existing EVO motors, and develop EVO technology to deliver new variants of the motor.
According to the companies, the EVO motor’s high power density, ability to run at speeds that remove the need for a gearbox, and flat configuration enable in-wheel designs, and allow it to operate in confined …read more

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has voted unanimously to reaffirm the state’s clean car standards, setting up a confrontation with the regime in Washington.
The Board’s decision comes after years of detailed analysis by ARB staff, culminating in a Midterm Review which concluded that the standards can be met on time, using known technologies, at costs below those originally anticipated.
California’s fuel economy standards, which are stricter than federal rules, are also followed by 12 other …read more

Take that, EV nay-sayers! As automakers prepare to meet with the new US regime to discuss watering down fuel efficiency regulations – which some fear is the first step to scaling back their EV programs – mayors of cities around the country have joined to demonstrate their interest in low-emission vehicles.
Thirty cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, jointly asked automakers for the cost and feasibility of providing 114,000 EVs – which would amount …read more

Motiv Power Systems has earned a valuable vote of confidence from Ford – the California manufacturer of electric powertrains is now a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM).
Members of the QVM program can modify vehicles for commercial customers while keeping the original manufacturer’s warranty in force. With the new eQVM designation, Ford has expanded its program to include electrified and hydraulic hybrid powertrains. Motiv has met Ford’s assessment criteria verifying that the company meets the manufacturing, …read more

Netherlands-based EV-Box has introduced a new home charging station with a modular, upgradable design. The new Elvi home charger is designed to be easily scalable, making home and condominium sites future-proof.
As EV ranges are increasing, charging power levels are on the way up as well. Designed with the next generation of EVs in mind, Elvi’s power output can be increased up to 22 kW (as long as the customer’s electrical connection can provide the required …read more