Electric vehicles

Let’s take a couple of upcoming electric vans to New Zealand as an example, the Ford Transit and LDV’s eDeliver 3, if only because they are square shaped with lots of sheet metal and serve a visual purpose. One day, the battery pack that sits under the floor of each van won’t be there. The battery will be the van itself – chassis, bodyshell, floor, doors, mudguards, tailgate … [Read more...] about EVs in the future, when the car itself WILL BE the battery

Canadian company Worksport has developed a folding tonneau cover for pick-up trucks that contains a cutting-edge solar charging and storage system. The cover, called TerraVis, uses solar panels to pull in the sun’s energy and send it to removable batteries packaged in the truck’s bed. It is capable of storing up to 1000W of useable energy, says the company, which can be … [Read more...] about Solar cells in ute cover provide on-the-job power for tradies

One hundred to one – that’s the ratio of petrol- and diesel-powered to hybrid or all-electric SUVs registered with the NZ Transport Agency since the beginning of 2017. It’s actually closer to 100/0.5. In theory, a single hybrid/electric SUV would still be in bits and pieces on the assembly line by the time the 100th conventional SUV was logged with the NZTA. Of the … [Read more...] about Exhaust gases: combustion engine looks for answers

Wireless charging technology pioneered by University of Auckland professors John Boys and Grant Covic has helped an Australian company log a world first for electric cars (EVs), one it claims will change the recharging industry forever. Lumen Freedom, an automotive components specialist based in Melbourne, has become the first and only company in the world to have a wireless … [Read more...] about Kiwi invention powers Aussie firm to world first for EVs