Electrification

The European/American automaker announces it will partner with two titans of Li-ion cell-making for batteries for North American-built BEVs.

The developer says its software acts like an EKG for lithium-ion batteries, gathering and analyzing vital performance data quickly to speed development time and help automakers and battery suppliers avoid costly recalls.

Hydrogen Day (Oct. 8 = 1.008, the atomic weight of hydrogen) always produces news on the fuel-cell vehicle front. But great expectations for a hydrogen-powered future are being tempered by reality.

The longtime CEO of the U.S.’s largest charging network says many OEMs are content to follow Tesla’s lead and talk at length about fast-charging, ignoring the convenience of Level 2 charging.

The agency expects to allocate about $6 billion – to be matched by industry – to developing infrastructure, from mining and processing core battery components to recycling.

Tom Murphy, Managing Editor, WardsAuto presents: What’s the state of the art in electrification? And what’s making these electrified powertrains more competitive with internal-combustion engines? What’s next for ICEs as automakers look to raise the bar on performance and efficiency and extend the life of more conventional powertrains? We’ll discuss what we’ve learned from this year’s Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems testing and where we think powertrain technology is headed in the years to come.

Kevin Riddell, Senior Manager, Powertrain Forecasting, LMC Automotive presents a look at how quickly powertrains will be changing in key regions, as automakers spend billions in the transition to an electric future. What will be the main regulatory drivers, technology advancements and OEM strategies as electrified vehicles replace traditional ICE-powered cars? Will policy changes place the U.S. in a global leadership position on climate change?

Global automotive supplier and aluminum architectures specialist Dura is dipping its toes into BEVs by helping to design and assemble battery trays for some Mercedes EQ models, but it doesn’t plan to stop there.

The move to eliminate expensive, rare-earth magnets from automotive traction motors is driving a wave of innovation in induction-motor technology.

General Motors has big BEV plans, aiming for 1 million sales globally by 2025. Tim Grewe is one of the execs leading the charge, and looking for ways to create stronger, lighter pack designs.

The German and Japanese automakers are aiming to become more sustainability, with Nissan joining a campaign to halve global emissions by 2030, while Rivian may be going public this fall.

Three model years of the Chevy Bolt will get all new modules, whether they’ve experienced battery-related fires or not, as GM aims to solve the lingering issue.