Electric Vehicle News

Tesla Autopilot tops the list of most crashes on driver-assist features in new NHTSA report

Tesla has topped the list of most crashes on advanced driver-assist (ADAS) features – Autopilot in Tesla’s case – in NHTSA’s first report on “Safety Performance of Advanced Vehicle Technologies.”

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The post Tesla Autopilot tops the list of most crashes on driver-assist features in new NHTSA report appeared first on Electrek.


Source: Charge Forward

Electroflight’s new modular energy storage unit is designed for electric aviation prototypes

Aviation energy storage specialist Electroflight has launched a new energy storage unit that’s designed to facilitate the development of electric aviation prototypes.

Electroflight says its new SEED (Scalable, Expandable Energy Device) can be rapidly deployed without the need to create a bespoke battery system. “Designed for use in early-stage product development, SEED responds to a growing need from aerospace innovators for pre-certification electric and hybrid aircraft for test operations, which require a battery system with the highest levels of quality and safety.”

The new battery has a capacity of 4.3 kWh and specific energy of 196 Wh/kg. It has an operating temperature of -20 to 60° C at discharge and 0 to 60° C at charge. It features fast-charging capability and a self-contained battery management system.

SEED will be compliant with TSO C179b, which refers to industry battery standards such as DO-311A and DO-160.

“SEED can be used in a variety of applications in the aerospace segment, including hybrid, full electric and eVTOL projects, ultimately allowing companies to drive innovation and testing before investing in a full-scale bespoke battery system,” says Electroflight. “The compactness of the system also means that SEED can be used in challenging packaging envelopes—particularly in smaller aircraft where space and weight are at a premium.”

“The technology in the SEED system has been built on the foundations of the groundbreaking innovation we developed for the world record-breaking ACCEL project, and further strengthened from battery supply partnerships with eVTOL and CS23 aircraft customers,” said Douglas Campbell, Technical Director of Electroflight. “We are already seeing high levels of demand for the system. One leading operator in the electric aviation space has already placed a major order, requesting A samples by Q1 2023 and B samples and first flight in Q2 2023. Another two are very close to finalizing orders.”

“We will need a significant and sustained influx of investment in battery technology if electric aviation is going to become a reality, and innovators in this space need to be empowered to prototype and test as effectively as possible without sacrificing safety or accuracy,” said Stjohn Youngman, Managing Director UK at Electroflight.

SparkCharge raises $23 million to scale its on-demand EV charging service

Mobile charging specialist SparkCharge has raised $23 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Tale Venture Partners and Pendulum. SparkCharge will use the new funding to scale Currently, the company’s on-demand mobile charging app, which allows users to schedule a charge to be delivered to their EVs.

SparkCharge says the Currently service has delivered over 100,000 miles of range to EV owners, and is on track to deliver millions of miles of charge this year.

Since the start of 2022, SparkCharge has secured partnerships with global brands including Kia, Hertz and Uber. SparkCharge’s Currently app has been launched in 4 cities, and the company plans to expand it to over 20 additional markets.

“With the growth of the EV industry and the major gaps in charging access, we will be better able to scale our EV network regardless of the infrastructures in place,” said Josh Aviv, CEO and founder of SparkCharge. “The investments will also allow our team to serve markets where no one else can to meet the needs of EV owners and fleets across the country, in major cities and suburbs.”

“SparkCharge is thriving by offering a unique concierge service, while everyone else is pushing the same old, same old self-serves,” said investor Mark Cuban. “Currently makes charging convenient and accessible to a booming industry—reinvesting in them was an easy decision.”

SparkCharge plans to reveal several new products and major updates at its annual SparkDay event this August. “The products we reveal on SparkDay are going to allow for a fundamental shift in the way people perceive EV charging,” said Joshua Aviv. “We are going to disrupt the traditional way EV charging is done at its core and open the world’s eyes to a seamless, connected way of EV charging, effectively removing the EV owner from the EV charging equation.”

‘Most powerful electric watercraft’ Arc One electric speedboat reveals price, opens sales

Los Angeles-based electric boat company Arc announced this morning that sales have opened for its flagship Arc One electric speedboat, which the company boasts is the “most powerful electric watercraft commercially available.”

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The post ‘Most powerful electric watercraft’ Arc One electric speedboat reveals price, opens sales appeared first on Electrek.


Source: Charge Forward