Automotive News

EV charging infrastructure gets a boost

Kempower and JET Charge, one of Australia’s EV charging infrastructure specialists, are working together to support the take-up of EVs in Australia.

Currently, less than two percent of new vehicles sold in Australia are electric. In November 2021, the Australian government announced a new $250 million plan to incentivize electric mobility in the country. This strategy includes partnering with private enterprises to accelerate the rollout of 50,000 EV charging and hydrogen refuelling stations. The government expects the sale of battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric to increase to 30 percent by 2030. The collaboration between the partners started when JET Charge was looking for a portable DC charger with an intelligent design, high quality and robust performance. This search led JET Charge to Kempower’s movable T-Series, which offers 40 kW of pure charging power and has a simultaneous dual charging option providing 20 kW from each channel. Since then, the companies have expanded their relationship to include Kempower’s C-Series and S-Series chargers, now being installed at major charging hubs and bus depots.

In Japan, Toyota and other automotiverelated companies are about to begin a collaborative effort to expand the range of fuel options for internal combustion engines. In November last year, five companies: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Subaru Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, and Yamaha Motor jointly announced they would begin discussions for conducting collaborative research into possible avenues for expanding the range of fuel options for internal combustion engines in the quest for carbon neutrality. At that announcement the V8 hydrogen engine developed by Yamaha for Toyota was unveiled to the public. The unit is based on the 5.0-litre engine in the Lexus RC F luxury sport coupe, with modifications made to the injectors, cylinder heads, intake manifold and more, and delivers up to 336kW at 6,800 rpm and a maximum 540 Nm of torque of at 3,600 rpm. Yamaha began developing a hydrogen engine for cars about five years ago. Takeshi Yamada from the Technical Research & Development Centre’s Automotive Development Section is a member of the hydrogen engine development team, and he began to sense the depth of potential in the powerplant as the project progressed. Another thing that Mr Yamada and the team valued in the development process was Kanno Seino, meaning sensual or exhilarating performance. One example is the harmonic high-frequency exhaust note produced by the engine’s 8-into-1 exhaust manifold.

Yamaha develops hydrogen engine for Toyota

Yamaha Motor has been commissioned by Toyota Motor Corporation to develop a 5.0-litre V8 engine for automobiles that is fuelled entirely by hydrogen.

Briefs

VW and Bosch software for Level 2 autonomous driving

Volkswagen’s software subsidiary Cariad and Bosch are teaming up to develop software for automated driving to use in Volkswagen’s cars using data from Volkswagen’s fleet, the partners will develop so-called Level 2 autonomous driving software enabling hands-free driving in cities, rural areas and on the motorway as well as a Level 3 system that takes over all driving functions on the motorway. They expect to implement Level 2 software in Volkswagen vehicles from 2023.

Here one-minute VinFast the next

Vietnamese VinFast has decided to exit Australia and is closing all operations including its Australian engineering centre in Port Melbourne and the Lang Lang Proving Ground it purchased from GM Holden for around $34 million. The company cited Covid as the reason. This comes as a double blow for many of VinFast’s Australian staff who were ex-GM and have now been made redundant twice.

Savic Motorcycle launches online design service

Savic Motorcycles has launched a sophisticated Motorcycle Configurator that allows users to ‘build’ an electric motorcycle to their own specifications and enables users to design their own Savic C-Series in different colours with various trims and optional components and upgrades – offering a distinctive new way for customers to interact and shop online. The website also has a built-in Augmented Reality viewer which enables users to project their virtual motorcycle to scale in their driveway – both as a practical tool for storage and a unique visualisation of their ownership experience.

M-B’s new chemistry for electric cars

Experts from Daimler’s Formula One team have developed the EQXX Mercedes Benz electric car that can drive more than 1000 kilometres with a battery half the size of the company’s EQS electric car. This battery technology is expected to be used in the company’s compact cars from 2024. The technology employs new chemistry and used a new one-part casting method to form a major aluminium component for the rear of the car.

Semiconductor shortage to continue

The US Commerce Department has published a semiconductor supply chain report estimating that the global shortage will last until at least the second half of 2022 but may extend into 2023. Demand was also 17 percent higher in 2021 than it had been two years before. Toyota has said it expects to miss its annual vehicle production targets because of the competition for semiconductors. Automotive News has said that the shortage will “dent global vehicle output by four million more vehicles in 2022”.Infineon which is one of the biggest suppliers of auto semiconductors says the shortage should ease by 2023. The German company plans to expand its production at its semiconductor plant in Austria which opened in 2021.

Ford and QUT to R&D on LIDAR and cameras

QUT Centre for Robotics’ researchers are working on a new fundamental research project with the Ford Motor Company to develop improved localisation and perceptions techniques for autonomous vehicles.

The project will look at how cameras and LIDAR sensors, commonly used in autonomous vehicles, can better understand the world around them. Professor Michael Milford will lead the two-year, $271,000 project and its research team, which includes QUT Research Fellow Dr Sourav Garg and PhD candidate Ming Xu. “We’ll dive deep into research developing the algorithms and artificial intelligence systems that could improve the capabilities of autonomous vehicles,” Prof Milford said. “In particular, we’ll be looking at the synergistic relationship between autonomous vehicles and the world around them. “If vehicles are able to understand the environment, they are in such as in an urban environment, the vehicle can better understand its surroundings such as a pedestrian crossing. We can take that understanding of what is in the environment to then help the vehicle better understand where they are located in it.”

Dr Punarjay (Jay) Chakravarty will lead the project on behalf of the Ford Autonomous Vehicle Future Tech group. The Ford and QUT team will work together to understand how to decrease the cost of autonomous vehicle technology adoption by lowering the cost of sensing and computing using state-of -the-art deep learning technology. Professor Milford has worked with autonomous vehicle projects in mining, as well as a project which involved taking an artificial intelligence system on a road trip to identify the key role high-definition annotated maps could play in autonomous driving on Australian roads.

Brabham simulators

Brabham Branding has collaborated with Base Performance Simulators (BPS) to create a limited run of special edition simulators that will both celebrate the illustrious history of Brabham in motor racing and bring the iconic designs into the eSports age.

The Brabham name is synonymous with engineering and innovation, with Sir Jack Brabham setting new standards in grand prix racing during the late 1950s, first leading the Cooper brand to global success before establishing Brabham as a leading name in the sport in 1962. Through this new partnership with Base Performance Simulators, Brabham Branding has been able to pay tribute to some of its most iconic grand prix cars, bringing elements of their styling into the digital age. Each rig will make use of cutting-edge simulation technology, allowing drivers to test, compete and play on a truly professional level – be they professional racing drivers, eSports competitors, or enthusiastic home gamers. The three Brabham Motorsport/Base Performance Simulator racing sims are as follows: BT19, BT46B and BT52.

Rheinmetal pyrofuse for EVs

Technology group Rheinmetall has developed a pyrofuse, a pyrotechnical safety switch system which was developed by its Sensors and Actuators division. It ensures safe operation of battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV).

The system disconnects the battery or the DC charger in case of emergency such as accident, crash or short circuit, reducing possible dangers and risks for passengers, rescue teams and first aiders. It has an ultrafast response speed below one millisecond and breaks the power supply immediately. The operating voltage of Rheinmetall’s innovation ranges from 450 to 1000 VDC and it can break high currents of up to 30kA, operating at temperatures up to 120 °C. The fuse system has lowest best-in-class internal electrical resistance (<30 μΩ ) and reduces power losses and thermal self-heating. Further benefits are the low weight and the cost-efficient design and the ability to disconnect short circuit currents without outburst of conductive and hot gases. In addition, the system is also available with an integrated current sensor, saving costs, space, and assembly efforts and simplifying component harmonization. With the ongoing transformation to e-mobility and new market demands, pyrofuse systems will be widely used in electric vehicles and this technological segment will undergo rapid development.

CUPRA the new car on the block

CUPRA Australia is the latest car brand to hit our shores with the CUPRA Ateca SUV, which will be available in one highly specified model grade, named VZx.

The Ateca will form part of CUPRA’s Australian model launch in mid-2022, which also includes the Leon hatchback, and the Formentor crossover SUV. The Ateca, named after an historic town in Spain, has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a sevenspeed DSG and 4Drive all-wheel drive. While CUPRA is now its own brand, initially it was a part of Spanish car maker SEAT’s cars, SEAT is owned by Volkswagen. The cars will be sold online but backed up with a network of around 12 showrooms.

Hyundai invests in hydrogen refuelling

Hyundai Motor Company Australia has invested in a new hydrogen refuelling station in Sydney.

To be located at its corporate headquarters in Macquarie Park, the facility will be constructed in partnership with Australian gas technology company ENGV. The new refueller will replace HMCA’s existing hydrogen refuelling station, which has been operational since 2014 and has conducted fills of both Hyundai and competitor FCEVs and hydrogen forklifts. The facility will enable Hyundai to support its expanding range of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles through faster refuelling and green hydrogen generated on site. It will also enable the company to continue its activities showcasing the benefits of hydrogen mobility technologies to external stakeholders. The state-of-the-art station will produce up to 20kg of hydrogen per day via an integrated electrolyser, as well as providing 700bar refuelling capability. This will enable the Hyundai NEXO FCEV to travel up to 666km (WLTP) on a single tank, with a refuelling time of less than 5 minutes. Hyundai has selected US-based PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions to supply the hydrogen refuelling station, known as the SimpleFuelFast, with ENGV responsible for local integration, installation and ongoing operational services. This engagement follows CSIRO’s Victorian Hydrogen Hub announcement in mid-2021 which will see ENGV, PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions working together to construct a hydrogen refuelling system at the national science agency’s Melbourne facility. This announcement follows Hyundai’s deployment of the NEXO SUV to the ACT and Queensland Government, with both successfully integrating the vehicles into their existing fleets. HMCA anticipates a growing market for its advanced hydrogen technologies in Australia, including passenger and commercial vehicles as well as stationary power applications. The company is now working with government and industry stakeholders across Australia to realise hydrogen mobility projects, with the ultimate aim being a connected hydrogen refuelling network nationwide.

KIA EV6 arrives in Australia

The EV6, Kia’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) built on the company’s EV platform (Electric-Global Modular Platform or E-GMP), has arrived

in Australian showrooms.

The EV6 is the first of seven dedicated BEVs to be built on the E-GMP Platform. It is powered exclusively by electric energy and brings a long-range, zero-emissions powertrain to the large SUV market. The EV6 is available in two grades; the range focused EV6 Air in rear-wheel drive only (RWD) and top trim GT-Line with RWD or allwheel drive (AWD) options. The performance EV6 eGT with follow in late 2022 or early 2023. The RWD single motor EV6 produces 168kW power and 350Nm of torque and a single charge driving range of 528km, with 0-100 acceleration being reached in approximately 7.3 seconds on 19” alloy wheels. The AWD dual motor produces 239kW/605 Nm and hitting 0-100 in approximately 5.2 seconds. The AWD has a range of 484km.

Briefs

New CEO for Hyundai Australia

Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has appointed Ted Lee to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 January 2022. Mr Lee joins HMCA from Hyundai Motor Company Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, where he was formerly Head of Western Europe Team. He first joined Hyundai Motor Company in 1997 and is returning to Australia following his tenure as HMCA Coordinating Director of Sales from 2015 to 2019. He is the first CEO to have previously held a position at HMCA.

GM invests in more battery cell plants

General Motors will invest in four Michigan factories focused on battery cell and electric truck manufacturing, including a third plant with partner LG Energy Solutions, as the company aims to meet ambitious EV production targets. The investment includes two previously announced sites: the Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Lansing, Michigan and the conversion of GM’s assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan. A third, a new Ultium battery cell manufacturing plant will be in Lansing, Michigan. Ultium Cells is the partnership between LG Energy and GM, it expects the facility will have 50 gigawatt hours of battery cell capacity when running full production. GM and LG Energy already are planning two battery cell manufacturing sites that are being constructed in Ohio and Tennessee.

Premcar due to produce its 1000th Warrior

Australian automotive manufacturing is flourishing in Victoria with more than 750 examples of the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior by Premcar having already rolled off the production line. Premcar’s Epping facility has been abuzz with activity since the launch of the Warrior 2.0, with the 35-strong Warrior team on track to produce its first 1000 vehicle by the end of March 2022. The Nissan Navara PRO-4X undergoes extensive re-manufacturing at the advanced Premcar facility to deliver the world’s toughest Navara, with the team engineering a unique flagship vehicle that is tailor-made for Australia and Australian conditions.

Lambos go plug in

Lamborghini has announced that starting next year it will only introduce new vehicles with electric motors starting with hybrids and plug-in hybrids, with the first likely to be a four-door model.