Eaton introduces 3-in-1 EV battery pack vent valve

Power management company Eaton has introduced a 3-in-1 battery pack vent valve for EV batteries. The valve is capable of three functions: battery case leak-checking, and both passive and active venting to provide battery pack overpressure relief.

The company says the leak-check mechanism eliminates the need to install the vent valve as the final step of battery assembly and that leak testing is more thorough because it includes testing the sealing surface of the vent after the vent valve has been assembled.

Eaton has also developed a tool that allows manufacturers to actuate the leak-check mechanism on their assembly lines to permit testing through pressurization or a vacuum. Its spring-based actuation accommodates a range of opening pressure requirements with the same valve design, driving economies of scale.

The valve features a low-flow breathing mode that allows air to move through porous material to normalize pressure during regular operation, and its resealing technology enables manufacturers to specify very low opening pressures. “Our new battery vent valve can be assembled both through our robust quick-connect feature or by a screwed metal-to-metal connection,” said Eaton Manager Jens Buhlinger.

Shyft Group’s Blue Arc debuts Class 5 crew cab EV with 200 mile range and dumping capabilities

Specialty vehicle manufacturer The Shyft Group has debuted its latest all-electric commercial vehicle designed for its Blue Arc sub-brand. The Class 5 all-electric crew cab was unveiled during NTEA’s Work Truck Week in Indianapolis this morning and will come equipped with some unique features you’ll want to see, including its dump-capable body. Video below.

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Source: Charge Forward

Micromobility Europe conference returning to Amsterdam, bringing tiny EVs with it

Micromobility Europe, along with Micromobility America, is one of premier trade shows focused purely on small format vehicles designed for personal mobility. If it rolls, moves a few people, and doesn’t look like something you’d never want to park in a crowded city, it will probably be there.

On June 8-9, Amsterdam will play host to the Micromobility Europe 2023 event, featuring a pile of new vehicles, a curated list of industry speakers and more.

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Source: Charge Forward

ICCT study: Battery-electric trucks emit 63% less GHG emissions than diesel

A favorite trope of the “better stick with oil” crowd is that EVs aren’t any cleaner than ICE vehicles, because fossil fuels are consumed to manufacture and to charge them. Of course, all human activities have environmental footprints, but over the past decade, numerous studies have affirmed the lower lifecycle emissions of EVs compared to legacy vehicles.

A new study adds to the literature by comparing the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of electric, hydrogen, natural gas and diesel trucks and buses in Europe. Its results indicate a clear pathway to decarbonize the sector: Battery-electric models can deliver the greatest emission reductions, even using the EU’s current electrical grid mix.

In “A comparison of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of European heavy-duty vehicles and fuels,” the authors examine not only CO2 emissions from vehicle tailpipes, but also the GHG emissions arising from the manufacture of the vehicles and their components, vehicle maintenance, fuel production and electricity production.

A key finding: the greatest climate impact produced by trucks and buses over their lifetimes comes from the use or fuel consumption phase, not from the extraction of raw materials, construction or maintenance.

“The problem is not the factory but the road,” says Nikita Pavlenko, ICCT’s Fuels Program Lead. “The high greenhouse gas intensity of driving a truck during its whole life offsets the GHG emissions generated during manufacturing or the production of the fuel or the energy it consumes. Our study addresses the uncertainties surrounding the share of emissions in all stages of the vehicle’s life. It shows that only battery-electric and some fuel cell electric trucks can meet the climate targets in the sector.”

The comparison of the different powertrain options reveals that battery-electric trucks are the best option for reducing GHG emissions. Over its lifetime, a battery-electric 40-ton tractor-trailer will produce at least 63% lower emissions compared to diesel. As the grid continues to decarbonize, these emissions will fall—the study shows an 84% reduction of emissions when using only renewable electricity.

The study found that fuel cell trucks using hydrogen produced from fossil fuel produce 15% less GHG emissions compared to their diesel counterparts. The emissions reduction depends heavily on the source of hydrogen. If the hydrogen were produced with only renewable electricity, the emissions reduction could reach 85%.

“Increasing energy efficiency is the game-changing factor in shrinking the carbon footprint of battery-electric trucks compared to the rest of the technologies,” says Felipe Rodríguez, ICCT’s Program Lead. “These models become the cleanest option even if the source of electricity is not fully clean. This is not the case for hydrogen trucks, which can become a promising option in the future if hydrogen is produced from a 100% renewable energy source. Today, their capacity to reduce emissions is still limited.”

The study found that natural gas vehicles have lifecycle emissions ranging from 4% to 18% lower than their diesel counterparts.

“The climate benefits of natural gas urban buses compared to diesel are marginal at best when compared to diesel. Methane leakage may undermine the benefits of transitioning bus fleets to natural gas. Cities should consider their transport policy strategies with these numbers at hand,” says Mr. Pavlenko.

BWP, LiCAP and Siemens partner to mass-produce dry electrode manufacturing equipment

BW Papersystems (BWP), LiCAP Technologies (LiCAP) and Siemens have formed a strategic partnership to manufacture dry electrode systems for batteries.

The partnership aims to industrialize LiCAP’s Activated Dry Electrode technology by using BWP’s and Siemens’s resources. Siemens will help to scale production for both companies.

According to LiCAP, its Activated Dry Electrode technology enables the safe and reliable operation of ultracapacitor electrodes at 3 V compared to electrodes manufactured via the traditional “wet” coating process, which operate between 2.7 and 2.85 V.

“For LiCAP, it was important that BWP and Siemens, as our manufacturing partners, already have the expertise and know-how in areas that are critical to successful commercialization of our Activated Dry Electrode technology,”  says Martin Zea, VP of Operations at LiCAP. “This is why we partnered up with them and have no doubt they can build manufacturing equipment for our electrode manufacturing process at a much greater speed compared to any other company,” 

Ford F-150 Lightning owners are doing more ‘truck activities’ than the ICE version drivers

Who says EVs aren’t up to the task? Ford’s electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, is revolutionizing the truck industry. Lightning owners are challenging the norm, using their EV truck beds for more “truck activities” like home projects, camping, and hauling than gas-powered F-150 owners.

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Source: Charge Forward