Liebherr’s concept excavator with electric-hybrid powertrain The R 9XX concept operates together with hydraulic and electrical energy storage devices, comprising the electric slewing gear, super capacitors, and the electronic control unit. Read full story

Hyundai revises Sonata Hybrid's programming Engineers refined control of the transmission and made regeneration more linear than before. Read full story

AVL using Abaqus for thermal modeling of Li-ion batteries For an AVL internal R&D project, a team was challenged to develop a battery pack configuration that would provide the most efficient battery cooling at the lowest possible cost. Key to this was a good understanding of what was happening inside the pack. Read full story

Intertek helping to solve the safety problem of stranded energy Stranded energy refers to the residual charge or stored energy left in a battery after an automobile accident that cannot be directly accessed but still poses a potential shock or fire hazard. Read full story

Solar glass delivers a small boost in EV range Climate control can reduce electric-vehicle range by up to 46% from A/C usage in hot weather and up to 68% from electric heaters in cold temps. Tests of a solar glass windshield at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory show 4% savings in required A/C cooling capacity, providing an up to 1.0 mi (1.6 km) increase in vehicle range. Read full story

Protean unveils production in-wheel electric drive system Using motors that fit within a pair or all wheels of a vehicle, it is designed to be an integral part of a hybrid powertrain system when paired with a traditional internal-combustion engine, or it could be the only source of traction drive in pure electric vehicles. The plug-and-play nature of the concept can offer a transitional solution for automakers. Read full story

Lithium-ion micro-battery demos potential new path to high performance The innovation is a novel, three-dimensional battery design from the University of Illinois that simultaneously expands the cell’s reactive surface area while boosting its ion and electron transport capacity. Read full story

Boeing and FAA confident in 787 battery fix (video) U.S. National Transportation Safety Board on April 23-24 will hold a hearing focusing on the design and certification of the 787's battery system. Read full story

Video interview: CARB sticking by its regulatory guns CARB chief Mary Nichols defends her agency's past, present, and future regulatory activities before an SAE 2013 World Congress audience, promising flexibility where necessary. Read full story