November 22, 2010 In the coming five years Volkswagen plans to invest the rather gigantic sum of 51.6 billion euros into the further development of its production technology and its vehicles. An unspecified but significant share of this sum will be dedicated to improving fuel efficiency and develop electric and HEV cars. Read more

November 8, 2010 The significance of the automotive industry for semiconductor manufacturers will increase steeply over the next years, predicts Strategy Analytics. The biggest driver for semiconductor demand is, not a big surprise, power train electrification. The market researcher's figures however are astonishing. 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 8, 2010 TT electronics Components Division has secured a contract to develop custom micro inverter/power electronic modules for the hybrid and electric vehicle (HEV) market. The contract with UK based Protean Electric will see TT electronics AB Mikroelektronik design and manufacture these complex modules at its advanced factory in Salzburg, Austria. 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 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 27, 2010 The European Investment Bank (BEI) announced it has awarded a 200 million euro ($258 million) loan to PSA Peugeot Citroen to finance the carmaker's program to develop plug-in hybrid vehicles. The program, totaling 400 million euros ($516 million), is part of the group's ongoing R&D investment strategy and is aligned with the EIB's commitment to promoting sustainable development. Read more

July 8, 2010 Automotive tier one Robert Bosch GmbH has announced it will invest about € 400 million (about $ 508 million) annually in the development of all-electric powertrains and associated electronics. The company also reiterated its avowal to the internal combustion engine and hybrid drives. Read more

June 9, 2010 The industry's ambitious CO2 emission reduction goals for heavy trucks will not result from alternative powertrain technologies alone, a study by consulting company Roland Berger says. Instead, a large share will also come from vehicle improvements such as better aerodynamics or reduction in overall vehicle weight. In any case, there is an immediate need for further developing new powertrain technologies. Read more

May 21, 2010 Inverters and DC/DC battery chargers for electric and hybrid vehicles require minimum space and maximum power handling per cubic cm. The new CS-100-AU automotive current sensor from Spanish manufacturer Grupo Premo uses just 2.4mm3 and handles 14.6A/cm3. 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

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