Perhaps in response to all the hype surrounding Tesla’s heat pump, Hyundai-Kia has issued technical details of its heat pump system and pointed out that it has been using this technology since 2014, when it debuted on the first-generation Kia Soul EV. Arguably a pioneer in mass-market EVs, between 2018 and 2019 Hyundai-Kia leapt from … Continue reading Hyundai heat pump tech
Tesla Model Y dazzles with advanced thermal management Glance at the new Tesla Model Y SUV and it might appear nothing more than a vertically stretched version of the Model 3 sedan. It would be an understandable assumption, given the two models share a platform and around 70 per cent of components. There are major … Continue reading Inside Tesla’s Octovalve
Talking to EV sceptics just got a lot easier thanks to VASA’s no-bull guide The science on climate change is solid, but to help you steer the electric vehicle debate around this needlessly controversial subject, here is your cut-out-and-keep guide to counter several objections to electrified vehicles. Calling BS on zero emissions The EV marketing … Continue reading Pass the pub test on electric vehicles
Shortly before condemning the Holden brand as unviable, General Motors announced a $US2.2 billion investment that will dedicate its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan to create its first dedicated production base for electric vehicles. The company has plans for a “variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs” to be produced at Hamtramck, including a battery-powered pick-up … Continue reading GM bets the farm on EV, autonomy
Electric utes, sports coupes and more in the pipeline to keep our weekends alive From a VASA member perspective, electric vehicles are only going to “end the weekend” (as claimed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the 2019 general election campaign) because their businesses will be overrun with high-end thermal and electrical diagnosis and … Continue reading Weekends: saved
We may never see an EV battery pack capable of providing a million-mile (1.6 million km) range, but one capable of enough discharge and recharge cycles to carry a vehicle this huge distance could become available as soon as next year, according to Tesla. The main benefit of this battery technology could be to help … Continue reading Mooted million-mile battery pack could be electric truck game-changer
The Porsche Taycan pictured above is hooked up to an Australian-made ultra rapid charger capable of zapping a colossal 350kW into the battery of an electric vehicle, provided it is capable of handling this level of throughput. Porsche has engineered the Taycan to take a not-inconsiderable 270kW of charge when plugged into the right 800-volt … Continue reading Porsche has Taycan thermal management to new heights with its EV
A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) is highlights both direct and indirect emissions caused by automotive air-conditioning, recommending governments take a holistic approach to addressing these issues that includes the adoption of low-GWP refrigerants, improved system efficiency and increased vehicle electrification. Few reports of this kind cover both direct and indirect emissions, usually … Continue reading Auto-AC has big energy role to play in reducing emissions
The red R134a sticker on a refrigerant line fitting in the image above is found under the bonnet of a cutting-edge electric vehicle that is selling well in Australia. The Hyundai Kona. Inset is a J639 label from another hi-tech EV, the Jaguar I-Pace, sold in Australia carrying 850 grams of R134a. The Kona uses … Continue reading Car-makers keep using high-GWP refrigerant
Car manufacturing could soon return to South Australia, with two separate electric vehicle companies selecting the state as their future production bases in the same week. Australian start-up ACE-EV signed a partnership agreement with Aldom Motor Body Builders in Adelaide’s north to assemble its planned range of electric light commercial and passenger vehicles. The first … Continue reading EV production for South Australia?
