The world’s first mass-produced ethanol car, the Fiat 147, motored onto Brazilian roads in 1979. The vehicle crowned decades of experimentation in the country with sugar-cane (and later, corn-based and second-generation sugar-cane waste) ethanol as a homegrown fuel. When Chinese automaker BYD introduced a plug-in hybrid designed for Brazil in October, equipped with a flex-fuel… Continue reading BYD’s Engine Flexes Between Ethanol, Gasoline, and Electricity
Author: IEEE_Spectrum
Toshiba Targets Motorcycles and Boats With Its Batteries
Toshiba has carved out a significant share of the lithium-ion battery market in industrial, automotive, and energy sectors—despite championing a more expensive anode material with lower energy density. The Japanese company is using lithium titanium oxide (LTO) anodes as it competes with standard lithium-ion batteries to gain a foothold in price-sensitive markets including low-power vehicles,… Continue reading Toshiba Targets Motorcycles and Boats With Its Batteries
Safer Autonomous Vehicles Means Asking Them the Right Questions
This article is part of our exclusive IEEE Journal Watch series in partnership with IEEE Xplore. A lot of pressure is riding on autonomous vehicles to perform flawlessly—each mistake they make erodes the public’s trust and puts immense pressure on the industry to further improve safety. What will help autonomous vehicles overcome these challenges? In… Continue reading Safer Autonomous Vehicles Means Asking Them the Right Questions
Could Terahertz Radar in Cars Save Lives?
A few years ago, Matthew Carey lost a friend in a freak car accident, after the friend’s car struck some small debris on a highway and spun out of control. Ordinarily, the car’s sensors would have detected the debris in plenty of time, but it was operating under conditions that render all of today’s car-mounted… Continue reading Could Terahertz Radar in Cars Save Lives?
A New Axial-Flux Motor Becomes a Supercar Staple
Tesla was first to patent a primitive axial-flux electric motor—Nikola Tesla, that is, way back in 1889. It would be 126 years before the concept found its way to a car, the 1,500-horsepower (1,103 kilowatt), US $1.9 million, Koenigsegg Regera hybrid, in 2015. Even today, nearly all the world’s EVs and hybrids rely on relatively… Continue reading A New Axial-Flux Motor Becomes a Supercar Staple
Amazon Pilots New Pedal-Assist Electric Delivery Vehicle
Amazon is piloting a new four-wheel, pedal-assist electric delivery vehicle built by Also, a spin-off from electric-truck maker Rivian, in a bid to make city logistics cleaner and more efficient. The vehicle—called the TM-Q—combines the stability and cargo capacity of a small van with the compact footprint of an e-bike. Amazon plans to deploy the… Continue reading Amazon Pilots New Pedal-Assist Electric Delivery Vehicle
The First Ticket Pre-Purchasing System Was Created 65 Years Ago
For Japan’s train commuters in the years following World War II, buying a ticket could be a stressful experience. Today it’s not difficult to go online and reserve a seat, but 65 years ago, travelers faced long queues at the ticket window and limited ways to find out if seats were available. Reservations were handwritten… Continue reading The First Ticket Pre-Purchasing System Was Created 65 Years Ago
Co-Captain Allows Ships to Share Important Navigational Data
A new onboard system allows ocean-going vessels to share real-time sea condition data, giving crews early warnings and helping them navigate more safely. The system will analyze data related to navigation, vessel behavior, and the environment to give ship crews guidance at sea. While casualties from ship collisions and groundings have declined, the overall number… Continue reading Co-Captain Allows Ships to Share Important Navigational Data
Menifee’s EV-Powered Homes: A New Era in Energy Independence
In Menifee, Calif., six newly built homes are testing a first for North America: electric vehicles that can power houses through the Combined Charging System (CCS) high-power DC charging standard. Each home uses a host Kia EV9 electric vehicle connected to a Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger, allowing the car’s 100-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery to run… Continue reading Menifee’s EV-Powered Homes: A New Era in Energy Independence
The World’s Biggest Electric Ship Charges Up
The world’s largest battery-electric ship is now testing the limits of what megawatt-scale charging and battery storage can do. Unveiled in May by Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania, Hull 096 started receiving electrical charge for the first time last month. The ship’s battery system is 85 percent installed, with two of its four battery rooms charged… Continue reading The World’s Biggest Electric Ship Charges Up