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Electric motors and their controllers are an important but often secondary consideration in the cost premium of electric vehicles (EVs).  Today, new electric motor technologies are being developed by many automakers and their supplier partners in an effort to gain advantages in performance and efficiency, just as they have done for years with their internal combustion engines.  According to a new report from Navigant Research, unit sales of electric drive motors will reach 3.7 million by 2020, growing from 1.5 million in 2013.

The key short-term challenge for commercial EVSE sales is to devise viable business models.  Currently, it seems likely that both “all-you-can-eat” subscription plans and single price per charge models will be used in the near future.  Pike Research’s analysis indicates that the industry seems to be converging around a very low price point for per-charge costs that affords little cushion for the host site to make money.  According to the report, the subscription model appears to hold the most promise as a way to generate revenue from public charging systems at a price that will be acceptable to drivers.

Most importantly, PEVs create a set of unknowns about electricity consumption and infrastructure impacts for utilities, in addition to a temptation to respond to anticipated problems that do not necessarily pose actual risks to the grid or to a utility’s business process.

The focus is on high-voltage cables and cable harnesses for high power transmission. These special products are needed because, in cars and commercial vehicles with electric, hybrid or fuel cell drive, 12 volts no longer prevail on their own as they do in conventional vehicles with combustion engines. Instead, electrified powertrains involve voltages up to 1000, which require the cables and components to have special properties with respect to conductivity, mechanical flexibility, thermal capacity and safety

Wireless charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs) offer several advantages over conventional plug-in technology, foremost among them unparalleled convenience for EV owners.  Until recently, these systems were in the R&D and pilot stages only, but now products have begun to reach the market, and several major EV manufacturers have plans to offer models with wireless charging capability in the 2015-2016 timeframe. 

With its new start-stop coasting function, Bosch enables drivers of vehicles with combustion engines to travel in zero-emission, noise-free, and low-resistance mode over large parts of their journey. This innovative technology stops the engine when the vehicle is in motion, so that it does not consume any fuel. Whenever the vehicle can maintain its speed simply by rolling – for instance on a gentle incline – the engine is stopped. As soon as the driver touches the gas or brake pedal, the engine starts up again.

Back in 2011 the five premier German car manufacturers, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen, announced their agreement to jointly incorporate a variety of architectural components for on-board power networks into their vehicles. The five OEM’s expressed their intention to implement a 48-volt power supply, and appealed to suppliers to actively engage in research and development of components for vehicles with a 48-volt electric system.

Volvo is expected to become the first major automaker to sell a Chinese-built light vehicle into the American market. Volvo’s two assembly plants in China are capable of producing 250,000 units annually.