A new threesome has formed: Daimler, Nissan and Ford have agreed on a partnership to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle technology. That's good news for alternative engine technology since it seems obvious that there is a limit to the number of huge Lithium-Ion Batteries that can be put on the highways of the world.
Renault is supporting the development of a EV electrics industry in France as part of ongoing negotiations with LG Chem. A final agreement is expected in second-half 2013. The negotiations seem to be quite difficult, but the Hollande government together with the European Union are backing all efforts toward electromobility.
Electric vehicles could be so great - if it wasn't for the battery. Unfortunately, the laws of physics and the rules of chemistry impose strong limits on the further development of current battery technology. Until something completely new comes around, battery research concentrates on fine tuning the existing tech.
For non-car-aficionados who like a nice read, Goodwood is just a location in a jolly good P.G. Wodehousestory. Everybody else knows that Goodwood Festival of Speed is a car culture festival for historic and contemporary motorsport with an atmosphere of luxury and excitement.
Electromobility doesn’t have to be about huge and heavy batteries that need to be recharged every few hours for half a day and require large amounts of rare materials from unstable countries. One alternative is the fuell-cell vehicle based on hydrogen, very green and clean but with a downside: It needs hydrogen which is very volatile and difficult to store safely. Linde and Daimler cooperate now in order to build filling stations.
A bold move: Daimler and Bosch plan to cooperate in the development and production of electric motors for all-electric vehicles in Europe. This is certainly good for Daimler where know-how in this area is scarce. Bosch on the other hand can but hope that its other customers don't see a conflict of interest.
Slightly oversized companies like Siemens do have an advantage: ideally, one business area can profit from the development work of others. At times, one of the business areas is missing (think VDO), but a topic that’s out of sight doesn’t have to be out of mind. That’s when the industry automation division constructs a charging point for electrical vehicles.
While finding a place where to charge an electric car can still be quite a challenge, Bosch Software Innovations already aims at the next level of infrastructure: A comprehensive open business platform for eMobility.
The ongoing love affair between BMW Group and PSA Peugeot Citroën has just become more intense: Both car giants agreed to deepen their close relationship by signing a Joint Venture agreement at 50 %. The agreement known as BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification focuses on developing and producing hybrid components.
2011 is the celebration year for the automotive industry. 125 years ago, Carl Benz registered his »vehicle with gas-engine drive« with the Berlin Patent Office and in the same year 1886, Bosch also came into existence. At Daimler’s , the year started with an anniversary party.
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