The depoliticization of EVs

e EV news is coming so hot and heavy these days that we can hardly keep up with it. (We’re making a valiant e ort—you’ve probably noticed that we’ve added more online feature articles and expanded our coverage.)

Chinese EVs are becoming common sights on the streets of Europe, and they’re headed for the US (see this issue’s Charging Forward column, page 82). A Vietnamese automaker is also delivering product, and hopes to establish production in the States. Tesla has begun to open its Supercharger network to all brands in the US—and by the way, announced plans to support bidirectional charging, hinted at a future wireless charging option and said it will build a new Gigafactory in Mexico. e US Postal Service, a er years of dithering, has placed a substantial order for electric delivery vans. ere are signs that industry laggard Toyota may nally begin to electrify. Game-changing V2X technology is on the cusp of moving from the pilot phase into commercial deployment (see our feature on e Mobility House in this issue, page 72).

Every one of these recent news items is a blockbuster, with huge potential to advance the cause of electri cation. However, the biggest ongoing story of all is the massive support that Western governments are getting ready to funnel into electri cation and renewable energy. e US In ation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (silly names, but nobody asked us), along with similar legislation in the EU, seem to be a part of every conversation about EVs these days. Large pots of money are available for public charging infrastructure, school bus electri cation, battery production and much more—and companies are moving quickly to take advantage of the opportunities.

One important—and controversial—aspect of policies on both sides of the pond is a major push to establish domestic extraction and processing of raw materials for batteries. is is a global earthquake—automakers will have to rebuild their entire supply chains—and these goals won’t be achieved quickly, or without pain. However, when the dust settles, the auto industry will be far greener and more resilient.

Is this all too good to be true? Could changes in Washington shut down the EV revolution in the US? Certainly the anti-EV forces are powerful (and they have allies in both parties), but we’re cautiously optimistic that at least the main initiatives set in motion by the IRA/BIL will continue to move forward. If there’s one thing that politicians of all stripes love, it’s JOBS, and the scramble to establish domestic battery production promises to create plenty. Billions worth of investment is headed for the Battery Belt, which runs through southeastern deep red states, and local politicians are happily cutting ribbons and hailing the new technology. (One study found that red states are slated to receive far more in per-capita climate investments under the IRA than blue states.)

Another promising sign that EVs are getting depoliticized: All 50 states quickly established Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans, unlocking $1.5 billion in funding under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. at’s something that doesn’t always happen with federal programs (Medicaid expansion, for example). Another small but symbolic victory: A Wyoming bill that would have banned the sale of EVs was soundly rejected, with nary a Democrat in sight.

At Charged, we’ve always believed that EVs make much better cars, in many different ways—and advancing the best technology by encouraging new engineering breakthroughs should never be a partisan political issue.

Rheinmetall receives 250-million-euro order for 900-volt EV contactors

German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order for contactors worth over a quarter-billion euros from an undisclosed German automaker.

Contactors ensure that EVs can be safely switched on and o , especially in emergencies like an accident or system failure.

Rheinmetall has a new type of contactor that’s designed for the coming 900-volt generation of EVs, and it will be available starting in 2025.

e new 900-volt technology poses challenges for the contactors’ design, particularly concerning the cut-o performance under high short-circuit currents.

e company says its new product platform combines low weight with high performance, and that low contact resistances guarantee lower power losses. Rheinmetall’s contactors function without volatile quenching gases, which reduces production costs, improves longevity and enables higher operating temperatures with a signi cantly lower risk of bursting.

Infinitum unveils Aircore Mobility electric motor with PCB stator technology

Electric motor manufacturer In nitum introduced its new electric traction and propulsion motor, Aircore Mobility, at CES 2023.

Aircore Mobility is an axial ux motor designed to power a wide range of electric vehicles. It’s engineered to operate with high e ciency over a wide range of speeds and load conditions, expanding vehicle range and reducing energy loss in the process, according to In nitum.

e Aircore Mobility motor replaces the heavy iron found in traditional units with a lightweight, printed circuit board (PCB) stator that’s 10% more e cient, 50% smaller and lighter, uses 66% less copper, and is ten times more reliable, according to the company.

In nitum says Aircore Mobility can achieve up to four to ve times the current density of a conventional liquid-cooled motor, using a liquid cooling technology that allows the coolant to be in direct contact with the stator, mitigating heat across a larger surface area, enabling high overload capability and extended life.

“Our Aircore motor topology eliminates core losses and delivers a broader range of speeds and load conditions in which the motor can operate at high-e ciency levels,” says Paulo Guedes-Pinto, VP of Technology for In nitum. “ e Aircore Mobility motor o ers a new avenue in extending the range for Class 1-8 vehicles, aerospace, marine, construction and agricultural machines.”

Kia EVs to use onsemi’s silicon carbide power module for traction inverters

onsemi has announced that its EliteSiC family of silicon carbide power modules has been selected for Kia’s EV6 GT model.

onsemi says its power module enables high-e ciency power conversion from the DC 800 V of the battery to the AC drive for the rear axle. It also delivers package technology to minimize parasitics and thermal resistance, and o ers package reliability using interconnects. ese innovations, says onsemi, lead to reduced power losses in DC-AC conversion, as well as reduced size and weight of the traction inverter, potentially improving performance and EV range by as much as 5%.

e company reports that it plans to continue collaborating with Hyundai and Kia to use the EliteSiC technology for the automakers’ upcoming EVs based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

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Wolfspeed and ZF partner to develop silicon carbide semiconductors

US silicon carbide specialist Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) and German automotive supplier ZF have announced a strategic partnership that includes the creation of a joint innovation lab and the construction of silicon carbide device fabrication facility in Germany. Both the lab and the fab are planned as part of the Important Project of Common European Interest for Microelectronics and Communication Technologies framework, and are dependent upon state aid approval from the European Commission.

e joint research facility will focus on e-mobility and renewable energy. e goal of the collaboration is to develop breakthrough innovations for silicon carbide applications, covering the full value chain from chips to complete systems. Additional partners will be invited to participate, with the goal of establishing an end-to-end European silicon carbide innovation network.

Also, Wolfspeed plans to build a fully automated 200 mm wafer fabrication facility in Saarland, Germany. ZF will support the project by making an investment “in the hundreds of millions of dollars” in exchange for Wolfspeed common stock.

“ ese initiatives are a signi cant step towards a successful industrial transformation,” said Dr. Holger Klein, CEO of ZF. “ ey strengthen European supply resilience and support the European Green Deal and the strategic goals for Europe’s Digital Decade.”

“ZF brings industry-leading experience in scaling components for electric mobility as well as the aptitude to accelerate innovation in silicon carbide systems and power devices,” said Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed. “I am con dent this partnership will li silicon carbide semiconductor technology to a new level of global impact.”

Marposs offers a new system for checking pouch cell battery welds

Marposs, a designer and manufacturer of measurement, inspection and testing products, has announced a new system for checking the welding joints of pouch cell batteries within the production process, consisting of interferometric sensors and the company’s NCG (non-contact gauge) controller.

e system works by splitting light into two beams that travel di erent optical paths and are later combined to produce interference, which can identify refractive changes and surface irregularities.

Pouch cell batteries are typically sealed using impulse or contact welding (heat sealing), which fuses the plastic layers together. e thickness of this joint is a key indicator of the quality of the seal, and must be measured while the material is still so . Marposs says its system is able to check the thickness right a er the welding process using the non-contact interferometric technology.

e solution can measure thin external plastic layers starting at 1 µm, and can accommodate thickness variations due to the presence of the tabs in parts of the welding seam. It comes with a measuring snap with two interferometric sensors that enable the simultaneous measurement of the total thickness of the welding seam and the thickness of the two external plastic layers. Each sensor has a measuring eld of 900/1.8 mm and o ers a repeatability range within 1 mm of the application thickness.

Proterra begins producing EV batteries at new South Carolina factory

Proterra (NASDAQ: PTRA) is a commercial electric vehicle OEM, and it has two related businesses: Proterra Energy, which o ers turnkey charging services to eets; and Proterra Powered, which provides battery packs to other vehicle manufacturers.

Now the company has produced the rst Proterra Powered EV battery at its new Powered 1 battery manufacturing plant in Greer, South Carolina. Proterra expects to begin deliveries of Proterra Powered battery systems from the new factory in the rst quarter of 2023. Powered 1 has also started production of drivetrains and other ancillary systems such as high-voltage junction boxes.

Powered 1 brings battery production closer to Proterra’s customers on the East Coast and in Europe, and to its own electric bus manufacturing operations in Greenville, South Carolina. e 327,000-square-foot battery plant will eventually have “multiple gigawatt-hours of annual production capacity.”

“Achieving this important milestone at Powered 1 a little over a year a er announcing our plans for the factory is a re ection on the talent, innovation, and collaboration of our incredible team,” said Proterra CEO Gareth Joyce. “At full scale, we believe Powered 1 will be the largest battery manufacturing facility in the US dedicated exclusively to electric commercial vehicles.” at’s a laudable ambition, but Proterra might just have some competition for the “largest” title—so many new battery plants are planned for the US Southeast that some are starting to call it the Battery Belt.

Renesas launches new generation of automotive Intelligent Power Devices

Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics has revealed a new automotive Intelligent Power Device (IPD) that’s designed to safely and exibly control power distribution within vehicles.

e new RAJ2810024H12HPD is available in a small TO-252-7 package and reduces the mounting area by about 40% compared to the conventional TO-263 package product.

Renesas also says that the advanced current detection function of the new device allows highly accurate detection of abnormal currents such as overcurrent. Since the new IPD detects abnormal currents even at low loads, it allows engineers to design power control systems that can detect even the smallest abnormalities.

Key features of the new RAJ2810024H12HPD IPD:

• Single-channel high-side IPD

• Small TO-252-7 package (6.10 x 6.50 mm, excluding pins)

• Low on-resistance (Ron) of 2.3 mΩ at 25° C (typical)

• Highly accurate current detection at low loads

• Built-in charge pump

• Self-diagnostic feedback by load current sense

• Protection functions such as load short-circuit, overheat detection, sense current output and GND open protection

• Supports 3.3 V / 5 V logic interface

• Low standby current

• Battery reverse connection protection with self-turnon

• Compliant with AEC-Q100 and RoHS automotive standards

Rincon Power launches new 600 A, 1,000 V manual battery disconnect

Electronic parts manufacturer Rincon Power has announced a new line of battery disconnect switches, the HVBD6Axx series. is hermetically sealed switch serves to isolate a high-voltage system in a compact and robust package.

According to the company, the HVBD6Axx o ers 600 A continuous current carry in applications ranging from 12 to 1,000 V DC. e single-pole, single-throw switch features optional auxiliary contacts which can be used as part of a high-voltage safety circuit. Low contact resistance (averaging less than 0.1 mΩ) ensures limited heat generation and energy losses.

e hermetic seal allows the unit to be operated in virtually any environment, while also ensuring that there is no contact oxidation over the life of the switch. e handle features a lock-out hasp for OSHA-complaint lock-out/tag-out functionality.

“Our 600A HVBD Battery Disconnect o ers an attractive solution for physically isolating high-voltage systems while allowing for a visual indication that the switch is turned o ,” said Markus Beck, Rincon Power’s VP of Sales. “ e HVBD series has been successfully implemented in a wide range of applications including electric buses, o -road equipment, electric marine and a wide range of high-voltage battery systems.”

Rice University announces new process to revive lithiumbattery anodes for reuse

Rice University scientists have reported what they believe to be a partial solution to the mounting disposal problem of worn-out lithium-ion batteries. It relies on a unique “ ash” Joule heating process they have developed to produce graphene from waste.

e lab of Rice chemist James Tour is said to have recon gured the process to quickly regenerate graphite anode materials found in Li-ion batteries, removing impurities so they can be repeatedly reused. Powdered anodes from commercial batteries are “ ashed” for a few seconds with a jolt of high energy, decomposing their inorganic salts, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, which can then be recovered by processing them with dilute hydrochloric acid. e reported cost is about $118 to recycle one ton of untreated anode waste.

“We’re claiming our process can recover critical metals and recondition anodes in a far more environmentally and economically friendly manner,” says Tour.

Hyundai-Kia lauds Eaton’s Breaktor technology

Hyundai-Kia has named Eaton’s Breaktor circuit protection technology “Best Technology” in its electri cation category.

Power management company Eaton developed Breaktor as a circuit protection system for EVs that combines the functions of fuses, pyro switches and contactors into one coordinated device.

“Our technology lls a unique need in the growing EV market,” said Kevin Calzada, Eaton’s Global Product Strategy and Marketing Manager.

According to Eaton, as EV power levels increase, its proprietary technology solves the coordination challenge between fuses and contactors and provides fast, reliable protection for high-power battery, fast-charge and inverter systems.