March 22, 2012 International Rectifier has introduced an automotive-qualified AUIR3240S battery power switch for the combustion-engine shut-off and restart function (Stop-Start system) that can help reduce fuel consumption in automotive vehicles by up to 15 percent. Read more

March 16, 2012 CAP-XX Limited has developed a supercapacitor module which supplies the cranking current to start the engine in Stop-Start vehicles (also known as start-stop, idle-stop, or micro-hybrid vehicles), reducing wear on the battery and eliminating the need for larger, more expensive ones. Read more

March 9, 2012 Phoenix Contact has released high-performance connectors to charge large DC battery units. The DC interchangeable battery concept for power applications was specifically developed for electric commercial vehicles. It is used in city and community transportation systems, for transport vehicles in the logistics environment, as well as for people movers. Read more

February 21, 2012 Chemical company BASF has announced to take over the electrolyte business for high-performance batteries from competitor Merck. The move strengthens BASF's position in future markets lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Read more

February 15, 2012 At the Bochum Car Symposium, chemical company Evonik AG has introduced an electric sports vehicle with rather impressive performance data, with the weight of less than 1000 kilograms (including battery) being one of the most spectacular ones. A chemical company? Indeed: The company contributed the Lithium-ion battery, the tires and parts of the body. The vehicle is based on a Lotus Elise, the famous British sports car. Read more

December 8, 2011 A MEMS chip can harvest energy from vibrations inside car tires allowing a tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) to run battery-free, according to Belgian research institute IMEC. The new MEMS energy harvester technology from IMEC, which can be used to power any low-current wireless sensor node, was reported Wednesday at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington. Read more

December 1, 2011 Carmakers BMW and Toyota have signed a medium to long-term agreement to jointly conduct R&D activities targeting an environmental-friendly automotive technologies. BMW will also sell fuel efficient diesel engines to Toyota Motor Europe (TME). Read more

November 18, 2011 A team of Northwestern University researchers has created an anode electrode for lithium-ion batteries that allows the batteries to hold a charge up to 10 times greater than using current technology. Read more

November 9, 2011 ZMD AG has unveiled a new Intelligent Battery Sensor IC for fuel saving start/stop systems and other solutions for measuring State-of-health (SOH), State-of-charge (SOC) or State-of-function (SOF) of a vehicle’s battery. The first member of a new Battery Power Management product line from ZMDI, the ZSSC1856 comes in a QFN32 5x5 package of only 0.85 mm height. Read more

October 26, 2011 Linear Technology Corporation has unveiled a 750 mA, 42 V step-down switching regulator with integrated boost and catch diodes. Its Burst Mode operation keeps quiescent current under 2.5 µA in no load standby conditions. The LT3973's 4.2 V to 42 V input voltage range makes it ideal for automotive and industrial applications. Its internal 1.2 A switch can deliver up to 750 mA of continuous output current to voltages as low as 1.21 V. Read more

September 15, 2011 Amidst ongoing discussions over the shortfalls and challenges of battery electric vehicle concepts, at the Frankfurt Motor Show Daimler presented a research car driven by hydrogen fuel cells. The vehicle boasts a large number of innovative features including its electronics. Read more

August 23, 2011 Robert Bosch GmbH agreed to build a pilot production in order to research into materials and industrial production processes for future generations of lithium-ion cells. It is planned that the line will produce the first samples for trial purposes from 2012, and will then be extended until it reaches an annual production volume of more than 200,000 cells by 2015. Subsequent preparations for series production are planned for marine applications. Read more

August 12, 2011 A change in architecture is promising to close the gap between semiconductor technology and battery technology, which has traditionally lagged behind semiconductors due to its dependence on unchangeable chemical reactions. Read more

July 19, 2011 E-bikes and power tools are target applications for Texas Instruments' integrated battery protection and cell-balancing solution for Li-Ion and lithium iron phosphate battery packs. The device simplifies battery pack designs for e-bikes, e-scooters, portable gardening tools, power tools and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and can also be used when replacing lead acid batteries. Read more

July 8, 2011 Axeon is one of six British companies to receive a share of almost £500,000 funding from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board for feasibility studies into the recycling and re-use of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. The project will research the recycling process and examine how to determine a battery’s end-of-life, which is still a major issue with automotive batteries for both manufacturers and consumers. Read more

June 24, 2011 A new report released by market analyst, IMS Research, forecasts that global production of electric cars – either hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric or fuel cell vehicles – will surpass 16 million in 2021, which will account for 16 percent of all vehicles manufactured. Read more

June 14, 2011 Engineering tool vendor dSpace GmbH (Paderborn, Germany) has added a new battery model to its Automotive Simulation Models (ASM) simulation package. The model is designed to virtualize rechargeable lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lead batteries used for the electrification of vehicle drivetrains. Read more

May 31, 2011 Chemical giant BASF has announced plans to enter the business for lithium-ion batteries: The company will develop electrolytes for these batteries. Towards this end, BASF is forming a global R&D team. Read more

May 19, 2011 Texas Instruments Incorporated has introduced a battery management integrated circuit that increases the life of rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs and maximizes available energy for hybrid and electric vehicles, power tools and uninterruptible power source (UPS) applications. The stackable bq76PL536 battery monitor, balancer and protector incorporates analog-to-digital converters for independent cell voltage and temperature protection, cell balancing and isolated chip-to-chip communication. Read more

April 19, 2011 Europe's largest independent lithium-ion automotive battery systems supplier, Axeon, has been awarded research funding from the EU to reduce the weight, volume and cost of batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles as part of the SmartBatt consortium programme. Read more

March 30, 2011 President Obama earlier this year called for 1 million electric vehicles to be on U.S. roads by 2015. Events currently unfolding in the oil-rich but Democracy-strapped Middle East could well hasten their arrival. Estimates for the global EV market see some 50 million vehicles hitting the road over the next decade. Read more

March 3, 2011 U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) has awarded a development contract worth 8.4 million US Dollars to Cobasys, a subsidiary of SB LiMotive. The companies aim at developing a Lithium-Ion battery for e-vehicle use. Read more

February 28, 2011 Freescale Semiconductor's MM912J637 battery sensor measures current, voltage and temperature of lead-acid batteries and deduces the status of the battery from these parameters. Amidst increasing numbers of hybrid electric vehicles and start-stop systems (“mild hybrid”), it becomes increasingly important for car designers to determine the battery status. Read more

February 24, 2011 If the number of electric vehicles (EVs) and their associated battery packs increase in the long term, recycling and reuse of lithium ion batteries will help validate the tag, 'green car, market researcher Frost & Sullivan suggests. Reuse and recycling ensure that the energy source of EVs are in a closed loop and complete a full lifecycle. Read more

February 24, 2011 The Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) has announced the outcome of its first assessment of an electric plug-in vehicle, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The car's four star rating shows that safety does not need to be compromised in zero-emissions vehicles, the pan-European organization says. Read more

February 22, 2011 Linear Technology has introduced a second generation high voltage battery monitor for hybrid/electric vehicle (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs) and other high voltage, high performance battery systems. The LTC6803 is a complete battery measuring IC that includes a 12-bit ADC, a precision voltage reference, a high voltage input multiplexer and a serial interface. Read more

February 9, 2011 Automotive supplier Continental has developed a sensor (satellite) for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles which will immediately shut off the high-voltage battery in the event of a collision while the vehicle is in charge mode. Thus, emergency service personnel can recover vehicles without running the risk of suffering an electric shock. Read more

February 2, 2011 Car makers BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën announced to establish a joint venture named BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification. The new company is dedicated to the development of components for hybrid electric vehicles including power electronics and software. Read more

December 22, 2010 Not that it comes as a big surprise, but the year 2010 is about to peter out – a good reason to look back and reflect what it brought to automotive electronic designers and the industry. The ten articles most read in 2010 on this site provide a good overview on what occupied the engineers. Read more

December 10, 2010 Italian vendor FIAMM Group has introduced a line of automotive batteries specifically designed for use in hybrid drive vehicles. Their innovative materials and architecture are particularly dedicated to the needs of micro hybrid concepts. Read more

December 8, 2010 Maxim Integrated Products has introduced automotive-grade, synchronous step-down converters that consume 25 microamps (no load) and deliver 1 A and 600 mA, respectively. The 2.1 MHz step-down converters are optimized for operation over the 3.5 V to 28 V range. Read more

November 4, 2010 The batteryuniversity.eu is offering complete UN Transport Tests including specialist support in the event that a redesign of the battery packs is necessary with the issuance of expert reports and certificates required for the transport of lithium ion cells or batteries. Read more

November 4, 2010 Japanese electronics group Panasonic has acquired an albeit relatively small stake in its customer Tesla Motors. The move is part of a multi-year collaboration of the two companies and aims at accelerating the market penetration of Tesla's electric sports car. Read more

November 1, 2010 Intersil Corporation has introduced its HEV/EV system solution, featuring an automotive grade Li-Ion battery management system and safety monitor. Building upon Intersil's history of providing battery management devices for the portable electronics market, the automotive grade (AEC-Q100) ISL78600 multi-cell solution is specifically designed and tested to address the safety, reliability and performance requirements of the hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicle markets. Read more

October 28, 2010 Against the background of increasing R&D activities driving the roll-out of hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles as well as clean diesel and similar approaches, the Japanese government has raised its expectations as to the market penetration of these next-generation vehicles over the years ahead. Read more

October 27, 2010 More power for less money – this is the outcome of a battery research program conducted by Oberflächen- und Materialtechnologie GmbH (o.m.t.). As a welcome side effect, the usage of toxic materials could be reduced. Read more

October 15, 2010 At the Baden-Baden Spezial 2010 congress on automotive technology, one of Germany's most prestigious idea exchange platforms for the automotive industry, this year's focus topic was electric driving. Engineers discussed options and consequences of electrifying the powertrain. Lithium-ion battery production capability is a key factor, the experts agreed. But also semiconductors play a major role in the e-car game. Read more

September 29, 2010 No more bulky batteries for electric cars: Volvo is participating in a research project aiming at integrating the battery into the body panels. This does not only mean squeezing the energy storage into narrow body cavities. The project aims higher. Read more

September 15, 2010 Daimler has started production of a small series of electric cars based on it's A-class five-seater compact car. The move is intended to gather experience with the integration of electric drivetrains into this class of vehicles Read more

September 9, 2010 International Rectifier has introduced a new family of -30 V devices featuring IR's latest P-channel MOSFET silicon in an SO-8 package for battery charge and discharge switches, and system/load switches used in DC applications. Read more

August 30, 2010 Most experts agree that electric vehicles will gain market share and thus become relevant for the ecological balance sheet. Swiss research institute EMPA now has calculated the ecological footprint for lithium batteries as the most popular energy source for e-cars. Read more

August 24, 2010 The organizer of the Automechanika trade fair has announced the winners of this year's awards. Among others, a “green” battery concept and a universal diagnostic system are winners. Read more

August 23, 2010 Isabellenhütte and austriamicrosystems have signed a cooperation agreement to develop battery sensor ICs, taking advantage of both companies' expertise on current and voltage measurement of 12V and 24V vehicle batteries and on high-performance analogue ICs respectively. Read more

August 18, 2010 Car manufacturer BMW has concluded its e-car usability pilot project in Munich. Similar projects in UK, the U.S. and Germany have been extended. Now the company plans to launch such a project in China. Read more

August 13, 2010 Linear Technology Corporation has introduced a 4-A monolithic synchronous buck battery charger for 1-cell Li-Ion/Polymer batteries. The LT3651-4.2 accepts inputs up to 32 V with a 40 V absolute maximum rating for added system margin. Read more

August 11, 2010 AgigA Tech Inc., a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. has introduced what the company claims is the industry's highest-density DDR3 solution as part of its family of high-speed, battery-free non-volatile RAM systems. Read more

August 6, 2010 Maxim Integrated Products has introduced a high-voltage, 12-cell, battery-monitoring IC for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and any system that stacks long series strings of batteries. Read more

August 4, 2010 Not one but many different types of lithium-ion batteries will drive future electric vehicles. This shows the Li-ion battery roadmap developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI). Read more

August 3, 2010 The market for hybrid truck, bus and vans is expected to explode over the coming years, says market research company Frost & Sullivan. However, before demand can take off, the high upfront cost associated to this class of vehicles needs to come down. Read more

July 20, 2010 In a move to coordinate its globally distributed e-mobility R&D activities, Volkswagen announced to bundle its advanced research efforts for electric vehicles. The company's US-based Electronics Research Lab focuses on battery technology. Read more

July 15, 2010 In an interdisciplinary effort of 20 chairs, the Munich Technical University has presented a concept for an e-car featuring total cost of ownership (TCO) equal to a conventional vehicle. The MUTE e-car also will sport a number of technologies that show what car designers regard as future trends. Read more

July 5, 2010 These days, BMW has introduced the concept for its first pure e-car, to be launched in 2013. Besides the electric drive, the vehicle will excel through its extensive use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic, an extremely light but stable material. Read more

May 18, 2010 Semikron has introduced a series of SKAI 2 modules that claim to offer the most compact power electronic systems for hybrid and electric vehicles for use in the agricultural industry, construction industry, materials handling and battery-powered vehicles of any kind. Read more

May 10, 2010 Automotive tier ones Continental AG, ZF Friedrichshafen and ads-tec GmbH have launched a joint project aiming at Lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric drives in commercial vehicles. Unlike many other projects focusing on materials, the joint effort gets granular on production technology. Read more

April 15, 2010 When the world's largest industry exhibition, the Hannover fair will open its gates next week, automotive technology will play a significant role on the huge fairground. Interesting insights into future automotive design perspectives will be provided by the 33 Fraunhofer research institutes participating in a joint R&D effort aiming to speed innovation in various segments of the automotive industry. Read more

April 13, 2010 General Motors has announced measures to double the size of its automotive battery lab. The move highlights the importance of electric vehicles for the US manufacturer. Read more

April 9, 2010 Automotive safety expert Autoliv Inc plans to expand into the market for passive safety technology. To this end it will acquire Delphi's Pyrotechnic Safety Switch (PSS) assets in Europe. Read more

April 6, 2010 Despite certain drawbacks against its gas-driven equivalents, electric scooters and motorcycles are likely to gain market share, predicts market research company Frost & Sullivan. However, European vendors need to consider a number of aspects in the competition against down-market Asian manufacturers. Read more

March 29, 2010 With a high precision data acquisition front-end IC for automotive battery current, voltage, and temperature sense applications, Austriamicrosystems enters the growth market for battery monotoring applications. The AS8510 can be used with 12V batteries as well as with high-voltage batteries used in electric cars and HEVs. It also can be used in general sensor applications requiring high accuracy. Read more

March 23, 2010 According to media releases, automotive OEMs Daimler and Nissan are currently in negotiations regarding a far-reaching collaboration. The cooperation could include strategic components for electric vehicles and HEVs. Read more

March 5, 2010 Analog Devices, Inc., has unveiled a Li-ion battery monitoring and protection system that integrates all necessary components, including voltage and current measurement, signal isolation and safety monitoring. Read more

March 4, 2010 Atmel Corporation is claiming that its new ATA6870 battery management circuit is the industry's first solution that features active cell balancing with capacitors or inductors for high-cell-count Li-Ion batteries supporting supply voltages up to several hundreds volts such as used in electrical/hybrid vehicles, e-bikes or uninterruptible power supplies. Read more