Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Renault Electric Car Sales Up 27% In October (Nearly 1,850 ZOE Sold)

57 mins ago by Mark Kane

Renault's Lineup Of Pure Electric Cars – Fluence Z.E., Twizy, Kangoo Z.E. and ZOE

Renault's Lineup Of Pure Electric Cars – Fluence Z.E., Twizy, Kangoo Z.E. and ZOE

Renault ZOE powered almost entirely by renewable energy in Scotland

Renault ZOE

Renault electric car sales grew last month by 27% (year-over-year – including the inclusion of the Twizy).

In total, Renault delivered about 2,200 cars and nearly 290 Twizy (all numbers preliminary).

Growth is fueled by Renault ZOE, which at nearly 1,850 sales not only represents about 84% of Renault's all-electric car sales, but is moving up fast at up over 39% from over the 1,300 moved a year ago.

Average monthly sales of ZOE this year are over 1,360, which is a decent number, especially considering that sales are almost entirely limited to Europe.

So far this year, the French manufacturer already sold a record ≈16,800 electric cars (all-time record for Renault) and ≈2,000 Twizy.

Renault BEV car sales (without Twizy) - October 2015

Renault BEV car sales (without Twizy) – October 2015

Tags: renault, Renault Zoe, sales

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Source: Renault Electric Car Sales Up 27% In October (Nearly 1,850 ZOE Sold)

Monday, November 23, 2015

5 Of The Most Amazing Bits Of Car Tech Created By Startups

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With cars becoming more technically advanced, it's not just the standard professions that are called on to work on our vehicles. Electronics and related technology are a huge automotive development area, and some companies operating in other arenas – such as consumer electronics – are entering automotive development.

Similarly, specialist startups are focusing on specifics of car tech and are responsible for several innovations that can greatly enhance our driving experience.

Here are five examples.

  • Self-driving technology (Cruise Automotive)
  • Cruise Automotive can install an autopilot system to a car for around £6,000. It's not quite the full self-driving solution that Google is at the forefront of, but neither is it the 'inch by inch' approach currently in the marketplace.

    Radars and cameras sit in a sensor pod on the roof and transmit data to a small computer in the boot which in turn controls actuators under pedals and in the steering wheel.

  • GPS based diagnostics, navigation and driving (Zubie)
  • By connecting your car to the Internet, this app provides a whole raft of motoring-related functions. Items include engine diagnostics, trip tracking and navigation, monitoring driving habits for safety and information, accessing help easily such as roadside assistance and creating a mobile Wi-Fi environment in the car.

    It's a whole 'car communication' system all on your phone.

  • Smart screen display (Navdy)
  • Another piece of tech working in conjunction with a smartphone, this uses a small pod mounted on the dashboard to display information on the windscreen glass. It's similar to existing heads up displays, and the driver doesn't have to glance away from the road to their phone screen.

  • Electric cars (Tesla)
  • Not one single piece of car tech, but this Californian-based firm is at the vanguard of the rush to produce an electric car with its Model S. Tesla started up by developing an electric car with an impressive range of more than 200 miles per battery charge.

    Their goal was to fully commercialize electric cars; the first step was the Tesla Roadster between 2008 and 2012 and followed by the Model S. The next phase is the introduction of other mainstream models such as a SUV.

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    Tesla's success in developing electric power technology shows how a small, new manufacturer can compete with the multi-nationals in bringing a new technology to the market. While the market is new, opportunities exist and Tesla's technology is a good example of this.

  • Preventing drink driving (Sober Steering)
  • Breathalyser units have been widely available for personal use for some while, but this remarkable innovation from Sober Steering detects through your physical contact with the steering wheel if you've had too much to drink.

    Sounding like something from a science fiction film, biosensors installed in the steering wheel detect gases containing alcohol given off through the skin. The car is immobilised for a short while to give someone else a chance to take over behind the wheel.

    For fleet management purposes, it will link to dispatch centres to inform them a vehicle cannot be driven because the driver has too much alcohol in their bloodstream.

    Many of the above examples are related to technology already in existence. For example, the drink-drive prevention system is related to sensor technology that detects when drivers may be tired behind the wheel, but it just shows how niche products and systems can be developed by smaller concerns.

    All of these things are fresh, but all have the capacity to become mainstream quickly. It's not hard to imagine that the process of learning to drive could soon include the need to master much of these pieces of technology, alongside steps to memorise the rules of the road when taking on the theory test. After all, a trial involving sat nav systems is already underway.

    There's no doubt that driving is changing but the importance of it isn't. Our reliance on our vehicles and our love of technology are creating the perfect environment for advancements in this field and that's something that has been fully embraced by start-ups.


    Source: 5 Of The Most Amazing Bits Of Car Tech Created By Startups

    Sunday, November 22, 2015

    Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai, comes to Calif.

    Dana Hull, Bloomberg News 12:12 a.m. EST November 22, 2015

    The Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle(Photo: Jordan Strauss / Invision for Toyota)

    Toyota Motor Corp. is making a huge bet with its Mirai fuel-cell sedan that hydrogen-powered vehicles — not battery-electric cars — will be the real future of clean transportation. It's starting with very small numbers.

    Toyota sold 34 of them last month in California, the only state in the U.S. where it is currently available for sale or lease, and plans to deliver 100 this year at a price of $58,335. The car qualifies for a $5,000 rebate from the state of California and the coveted, white carpool-lane sticker.

    Toyota argues that hydrogen-powered vehicles have a big advantage over battery-electric cars and are a better long-term solution to clean-air regulations. The trapezoid-shaped Mirai can go 312 miles on a full tank of hydrogen and takes three to five minutes to refuel, which is closer to what consumers experience with gasoline-powered cars. No plug-in electric car on the market can go that far on a single charge.

    The world's largest automaker is making about three Mirais each day at a plant in Toyota City, the company's headquarters city in Japan. It plans to produce 2,000 of the cars next year and 3,000 in 2017 before accelerating production even faster.

    "Our goal is to produce 30,000 units annually by 2020," said Yoshikazu Tanaka, the Mirai's chief engineer. "Further cost reduction is necessary to make the technology affordable and accessible."

    Toyota isn't alone. Honda Motor Co. is working on a reboot of its fuel-cell model, and Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Co. started selling a hydrogen-powered Tucson SUV last year. Neither sells battery-EV in the U.S.

    California is helping Toyota's hydrogen play in a big way. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger started talking about a "hydrogen highway" back in 2004. The state's ambitious zero- emission vehicle goal calls for at least 1.5 million hydrogen, electric and plug-in vehicles to be on the roads by 2025. To jump-start the infrastructure needed to support consumer adoption, the state is spending $200 million to build 100 hydrogen refueling stations, many of them clustered in Los Angeles and around the Bay Area.

    Toyota is introducing the Mirai very slowly. Only eight Toyota dealerships — four in northern California and four in southern California — are designated "launch dealers." Owners must live near one of those dealerships and in proximity to a hydrogen fueling station. Consumers don't have a lot of options and can choose between four colors: blue, white, silver and black.

    The perks Toyota is throwing in for initial owners are plentiful, including three years of complimentary fuel and roadside assistance, and seven days with a free rental car annually.

    "We're just now starting to deliver the first Mirais in California," said Toyota spokesman John Hanson. "But we believe that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, more than battery electric vehicles, will become mainstream vehicles more quickly."

    Toyota sees battery-electric vehicles filling a niche for short commutes, but thinks that fuel cell vehicles, or FCVs, have the greatest potential for long distance driving and for use in buses and trucks.

    Like electricity, hydrogen can be produced in several ways; most is made from natural gas. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity from the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapor as the only exhaust product. A fuel cell vehicle is refueled instead of recharged.

    Fuel cells like the Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese, have been questioned by competitors. Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has been among the loudest, calling them "fool cells" and telling analysts last year that the technology is inefficient and that "success is not one of the possible outcomes."

    "I'm bewildered that Elon Musk is denying fuel cells," said Tanaka, who spoke through an interpreter during an interview in San Francisco. "But if Elon Musk says fuel cell technology is stupid, in a sense this is true: We are just at the beginning. It was just born and has huge potential."

    Toyota was an early partner with Tesla, investing $50 million in the Palo Alto, California-based company and cooperating on the RAV4EV, which produced roughly 2,500 vehicles. But Toyota is now firmly focused on fuel cells, and has invested in FirstElement Fuel Inc., a startup that is creating a hydrogen fueling network. The Japanese automaker has stopped making the RAV4 EV.

    "The question isn't Do we need fuel cells or plug-in vehicles?"' said David Reichmuth, a senior engineer in the Clean Vehicles Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We need both. Fuel cells are not competing with plug-in EVs; they are teammates. The main difference between them is how they store the energy."

    Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/1jdROJS


    Source: Toyota's fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai, comes to Calif.

    Saturday, November 21, 2015

    Connecticut International Auto Show Opens With Focus On Electric Cars

    HARTFORD — Electric and hybrid vehicles will take center stage at the Connecticut International Auto Show, which opens Friday and runs through the weekend.

    The annual auto show at the Connecticut Convention Center comes as the state has announced additional funding for a program that offers a cash rebate of up to $3,000 for residents and $15,000 for municipalities purchasing an eligible electric vehicle under the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate Program. The program is the first of its kind in the nation.

    The car show is "the perfect time to focus attention on the advantages" of electric vehicles, said Commissioner Robert Klee of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. "Putting more Connecticut drivers behind the wheel of an [electric vehicle] is what it will take to drive down harmful carbon emissions linked to climate change, reduce conventional pollutants that threaten our air quality and public health, and help motorists reduce the cost of owning and operating a car.''

    "We're doing just that by making an additional $1 million in funding available for a rebate program ... and making another $1 million in grants available to state agencies and cities and towns who want to purchase electric vehicles for their fleets and install charging stations for public use,'' he said.

    Jim Fleming, president of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association, said the rebate program is a model for the nation.

    "We want to highlight these electric vehicles,'' Fleming said. "I've been to meetings all around the country and every time I go to a meeting people are asking us about the cheaper rebate program, so states are trying to duplicate what Connecticut is already doing."

    Among the vehicles on display will be the Toyota Mirai, powered by hydrogen fuel cell and the Audi A3 e-tron, a plug-in hybrid. Others include the Chevrolet Volt, Kia Soul EV, Hyundai Sonata Plug In, Nissan Leaf and the Volkswagen E-Golf.

    "The transportation sector is responsible for about 40 percent of the carbon emissions in Connecticut and we must address that challenge if we are going to meet the state's aggressive climate change target of reducing emissions 80 percent from 2001 levels by 2050," Klee said. "In addition, motor vehicles fueled by gasoline and diesel are the primary source of pollutants that create smog – which causes illness, especially among infants, senior citizens and those prone to respiratory ailments."

    Klee also said the expanded consumer rebate initiative and new grant program for cities and towns and state agencies will help Connecticut meet its goals as part of an eight-state effort to put 3.3 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2025.

    There are 134 publicly available charging stations for electric vehicles across the state. These stations are part of a network of 187 publicly available charging stations with 419 plugs across in Connecticut.

    Tickets for the auto show are $10 with roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people to come through over the course of the weekend.


    Source: Connecticut International Auto Show Opens With Focus On Electric Cars

    Friday, November 20, 2015

    Automotive Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Market Report 2015-2025

    Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you have any questions or comments about this page please contact pressreleases@worldnow.com.

    SOURCE Visiongain

    LONDON, November 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

    Top Companies, Car Sales Forecasts & Charging Station (EVCS) Infrastructure Forecasts

    The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain offers comprehensive analysis of the global Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) market. Visiongain assesses that the BEV market will generate revenues of $46.3bn in 2015.

    Now: "Consumers have largely shunned electric vehicles because of their high price tags and limited driving range, as well as the scarcity of charging stations, though many analysts predict sales will rise sharply by the end of the decade," 14th of September 2015, UK Reuters.

    This is an example of the business critical headline that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read visiongain's objective analysis of how this will impact your company and the automotive industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed?

    How this report will benefit youRead on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in the BEV sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW.

    In this brand new report you find 268 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 6 EXCLUSIVE interviews - all unavailable elsewhere.

    The 264 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global Battery Electric Vehicle market. Discover the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.

    By ordering and reading our brand new report today you stay better informed and ready to act.

    Report Scope• Global Battery Electric Vehicle unit sales and revenue forecasts from 2015-2025• Regional Battery Electric Vehicle unit sales and revenue market forecasts from 2015-2025 covering 5 US states and the whole of the US, 11 European Countries: France, Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and the whole of Europe, Japan, China and RoW 

    To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

    • The Row includes further analysis of Brazil, Russia, India and South Korea• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) deployment for Africa/ Middle East, Asia Pacific, 4 European Countries and the whole of Europe, Latin America, 5 US states and the whole US market,• Examination of the key cost factors that influence the deployment of EVCS for two scenarios• Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global, regional and country level Battery Electric Vehicle markets from 2015-2025• Forecasting of Tesla Model S and new Tesla Model X sales for 2016• Sales analysis and revealing market share for the most bought brands in each country

    • 10 detailed tables containing financial analysis but also forecasting for future brand sales• Profiles of the leading 8 OEM's and 4 Aftermarkets companies involved with BEV in 2015 with revealing regional market share data.- Tesla- BMW Group- Porsche AG Group- Dubuc Motors- Rinspeed- Lighting Car Company- Nissan Group- Commuter Cars- A123 Systems- Liberty Plugins- ChargeMaster PLC- ClipperCreek• 6 Interviews with key opinion leaders informing and underpinning the analysis- Dubuc Motors- Rinspeed- Liberty Plugins- Lightning Car Company- Commuter Cars- ClipperCreek

    How will you benefit from this report?• Keep your BEV knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind• Reinforce your strategic decision-making with definitive and reliable BEV market data• Learn how to exploit new technological trends• Realise your company's full potential within the BEV market• Understand the BEV competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships

    Who should read this report?• Anyone within the BEV value chain & supply chain.• CEO's• COO's• CIO's• Business development managers• Marketing managers• Technologists• Suppliers• Investors• Banks• Government agencies• Contractors

    Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the Battery Electric Vehicle market and leading companies. You find data, trends and predictions.

    Buy our report today Automotive Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Market Report 2015-2025; Top Companies, Car Sales Forecasts & Charging Station (EVCS) Infrastructure Forecasts. Avoid missing out by staying informed - get our report now.

    To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

    Companies ListedA123 Systems LLCAC PropulsionAixamAixam Mega LtdAker Wade Power TechnologiesAltair Nanotechnologies Inc.AMGAsdaAshok LeylandAT&TAudiAutomotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC)AvtoVAZAxeda Corporation.Azure DynamicsBaicBAKBaker ElectricBaker Motor VehicleBMW GroupBolloreBoulder Electric VehicleBurbank Water and Power (BWP)BYDCarCharging GroupChargemaster PLCCheryChevroletChilectraCitroenCleanovaClipperCreekControl Module industriesCoulomb TechnologiesDaihatsuDaimlerDassaultDelta-q TechnologiesDetroit ElectricDKB GroupDow KokamDubuc MotorsDuke EnergyEatonEcotricityEDF EnergyEEtrex Inc.ElectrovayaElektromotiveEltekEndesaEnelEner1Enova InternationalENVIAEpyonEviEVTraxerFedExFiatFiskerFordGeelyGeneral Motors (GM)Gigawave Europe LtdGlobal Electric Motorcars, LLC (GEM)GO smartGoupilGRIDbotGridPoint Energy ManagementGS Yuasa CorporationGurgel SAGWL Power Group Technology SolutionsHenney KilowattHeuliezHinduja Group.HitachiHitachi GroupHondaHybrids Plus, Inc.,Hydro-Qué becHyundaii4wifi a.sIndianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL)International BatteryITOCHU CorporationItronJohnson ControlsK2 EnergyKandi Technologies Group IncKiaLeviton Manufacturing Inc.LG Chem Ltd.Liberty PluginsLighting Car CompanyLishenLumeneo SmeraMadison Gas and Electric (MGE)Mahindra & MahindraMahindra Reva Electric Vehicle Private LimitedMazdaMelexMercedes - BenzMia electricMiles Electric VehiclesMit. MinicabMitsubishi CorporationMM NmGMobileyeModecNavistarNEC CorporationNEC Energy Devices, LtdNissan Motor Co, LtdNissan GroupNovaTorque, Inc.Oka Auto USAOpelOptareOptimization Technologies, Inc.PEP StationsPeugeotPiaggioPorsche AG GroupPorsche Latin AmericaPrimearth EV Energy Co.Progress EnergyProterra, Inc.PSA Peugeot CitroenRenaultRenault - Nissanrimac-automobiliRinspeedRWE AGSAFTSainsbury'sSakti3SakuraSB LimotiveSchneider ElectricSeatService USAShorepowerSinautecSion PowerSmartSmith Electric VehiclesSmith Electric Vehicles US Corp (SEV US Corp)SolarCitySPX Corporatio nSSC North AmericaSSC Ultimate AeroSunpods IncSuzukiThe Tanfield Group Plc,Tesla MotorsTH!NK CityThunder Sky Group (China)ToyotaToyota Motor CorpTwikeUniversal Electric VehicleValenceVauxhallVentureOneVenturi AutomobilesVolkswagenVoltaWaitroseWanxiang AmericaWanxiang Group CorporationZAP CorporationZENNZigBeeZotye

    Government Agencies & Other Organisations Mentioned in This ReportAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment ActCouncil for EV and Charging StationsDubai Electricity and Water AuthorityEnvironment CommitteeEnvironmental Protection AgencyEuropean ParliamentEuropean Standardisation OrganisationsEuropean UnionFederal and State RegulatorsInstitute of Transportation and StudiesJapan Automobile Importers AssociationJapanese GovernmentNational Association of Automobile Manufacturers In BrazilNational Electric Vehicle Safety Standards SummitNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNatural Resources CanadaSacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)Société de Véhicules Electriques (SVE)State Council of ChinaUS Department of Energy

    To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com

    To request an exec summary of this report please email Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com or call Tel: +44(0)20-7336-6100

    Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1523/Automotive-Battery-Electric-Vehicle-(BEV)-Market-Report-2015-2025

    ©2015 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.


    Source: Automotive Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Market Report 2015-2025

    Thursday, November 19, 2015

    Yes, EVs are Cleaner than Gasoline-Powered Cars

    Electric vehicles, EVs, UCS, Leon Kaye, Nissan Leaf, greenhouse gas emissions EVs are far cleaner, says UCS

    It's the trick question that has left many of us stumped: from the earliest stages of manufacture to the years driving on the road until they are sent to the junkyard, are conventional automobiles or electric cars cleaner for the environment? While acknowledging that electric vehicles (EVs) emit no emissions when running on our streets and highways, many have assumed that those pesky rare earth metals in their massive batteries and the emissions associated with producing the power canceled out any environmental benefits that their drivers enjoyed.

    According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a two-year study has provided the answer. The EV is the cleaner option, hands down.

    In order to reach that conclusion, UCS researchers evaluated the entire life cycle of an EV based on the two most popular models sold in the United States—the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S. Looking at the raw materials needed to make a car, the assembly and manufacturing processes, driving, disposal and recycling, the UCS team compared the emissions of EVs to a similarly sized gasoline-powered automobile, with examples including the Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, Kia Forte5 and Volkswagen Golf.

    When emissions are measured during the early manufacturing phases, UCS found that the manufacture of EVs at first were less clean than that of conventionally fueled cars. But within anywhere from six to 16 months after both cars have been driven, those early emissions are quickly offset by their cleaner driving. So when comparing these cars' respective environmental performance over their lifetime, UCS' researchers concluded that an EV will generate less than half of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to those of a gasoline-powered car. For a smaller EV, only 4,900 miles of driving will offset those higher emissions from that vehicle's manufacture; in the case of a full-sized, long-range EV, those earlier emissions are canceled out after approximately 19,000 miles of driving.

    UCS based its assumptions on the fact that both cars would have a 15-year life cycle, with 135,000 miles driven and a weight of approximately 3,000 pounds. The researchers also assumed that in comparison for this study, the average gasoline-powered car would have an average fuel economy of 29 miles to the gallon.

    UCS insists that EVs will become even more efficient and therefore, cleaner in the coming years. These cars' environmental benefits will increase as additional sources of cleaner energy fuel the national grid. In regions of the U.S. where much of the grid is still reliant on coal energy, driving an electric car is currently about as efficient as a gasoline-powered automobile that scores 35 to 40 miles per gallon. And in areas where the electricity grid uses cleaner sources of energy (as on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts), EVs' equivalent miles per gallon rates spike even higher. Overall, according to UCS, driving an EV in the U.S. on average produces greenhouse gas emissions equal to driving a gasoline-powered car with a mileage of 68 miles per gallon. To put all these statistics into context, UCS has an online tool that allows users to see how an EV's environmental performance would measure within their zip code.

    More needs to be done, however, before EVs can truly make a difference in reducing the U.S.'s carbon emissions. EVs have got to contribute a larger share of vehicle sales than they do now—at the moment they account for less than one percent of sales nationwide. The grid has got to become cleaner and greener as well, though UCS does point out that even in a region dominated by coal-fired power plants, an EV reliant on such power at worst offers a fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon.

    Overall UCS is sanguine about the future of EVs, consumer doubt and low oil prices notwithstanding. The convergence of better EV performance, cleaner electricity generation, optimized battery technology and improved battery recycling can help EVs reduce American oil consumption significantly in the coming decades–and of course, less time at the pump.

    Image credit: Markus Mayer, Wikipedia


    Source: Yes, EVs are Cleaner than Gasoline-Powered Cars

    Wednesday, November 18, 2015

    Bosch, GKN prepare for tomorrow’s (electric) powertrains today

    Most people assume that auto manufacturers make all the components of their cars themselves. In fact, there are many Tier 1 suppliers behind the scenes who manufacture whole systems, not just individual components. Bosch and GKN are two of the largest, supplying critical components to companies like Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Porsche.

    New technology always starts at the top of the market and works its way down as economies of scale drive costs lower. All of the important developments in internal combustion cars were first introduced on premium models. The electric self-starter, automatic transmission and engines with overhead camshafts were all first introduced on top of the line cars. Today, they are available on the even the least expensive models.

    Senior engineers at Bosch and GKN say a similar progression will occur for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, as new battery technology lowers the cost of electric cars. Lower prices will mean more people can afford to drive electric cars and that will trigger even lower costs. Peter Moelgg, head of technology at GKN, expects 50% of all cars will have some electric drive components by 2025.

    Bosch and GKN are both developing electric drive components for those cars. Both will be able to offer manufacturers complete drive units that can be simply bolted to a car's chassis during the assembly process. Whether those powertrains turn the front wheels, rear wheels or all 4 will make no difference.

    Torque vectoring will be an integral part of all electric drivetrains, according to both companies. Electronic controls will be able to vary the amount of torque going to each wheel from 0 to 100%. That will help cars negotiate tight corners and manage roads made slippery by rain, snow, or ice. It may also make it possible for tomorrow's cars to make emergency maneuvers to avoid a collision — maneuvers that most ordinary drivers do not have the skill to perform.

    The internal combustion engine is not a thing of the past — not quite yet. Bosch is working on electric turbochargers that provide instant torque. Ordinary turbochargers need to get up to speed before they are effective. By using an electric supercharger, an internal combustion engine can make more power at lower rpm. That increases fuel economy and decreases exhaust emissions.

    In the age of the gasoline engine, each auto maker built its own engines. Its cars were defined by what was under the hood. Today, most of the pieces that move the car forward are made by independent suppliers like Bosch and GKN. Manufacturers don't make their own batteries, they buy them from LG Chem, Panasonic, or Samsung. Companies like Bosch and GKN will become increasingly more important to the future of automobiles as time goes on.


    Source: Bosch, GKN prepare for tomorrow's (electric) powertrains today