News

Volvo Cars to build US plant

As part of a global expansion, Volvo Cars plans to invest $500 million in a new U.S. plant, the first venture into this country from the company owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding of China.

Volvo Cars has not yet announced where it will build the plant, but officials say they have a short list of potential locations.

The move expands Volvo’s industrial operations to three key continents. It has two factories in Europe, two in China, and the future plant in the U.S. As part of a corporate renewal plan that began in 2010, Volvo officials plan to create a global industrial footprint, redesign its product range throughout the next four years, introduce modular vehicle technology, develop new safety technologies, and design a range of connectivity services.

“Volvo Cars cannot claim to be a true global car maker without an industrial presence in the U.S.,” says Volvo Cars President and CEO Håkan Samuelsson. “The U.S. is an absolutely crucial part of our global transformation and today’s announcement makes it perfectly clear that Volvo is in the U.S. to stay.”

The plant will support Volvo’s goal of selling 100,000 cars a year in the U.S. Last year, the automaker sold fewer than 57,000 cars in this country. www.volvocars.com/us

Mercedes, Nissan collaborate on pickup

Mercedes-Benz engineers will work with Nissan and Renault designers to develop a luxury pickup. Based on the Nissan NP300, a truck co-developed with Renault that Nissan sells in South American and Europe, the Mercedes truck will debut by the end of the decade.

Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, says, “The pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”

Nissan will make Nissan and Renault trucks at its plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Renault will make Nissan, Renault, and Mercedes trucks for Latin American markets in Argentina. Nissan’s Barcelona plant will make all three trucks for Europe and other markets, excluding North America. The companies have not said if they will market the truck in the U.S. www.nissan-global.com; www.mbusa.com; www.renault.com

EV batteries last longer than projected

Research from scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) show that electric vehicles (EVs) will meet the daily travel needs of drivers longer than commonly assumed. Previous assumptions were that EV batteries would be retired after losing 20% of their energy storage or power delivery capability. The Berkeley Labs study shows that the daily travel needs of drivers continue to be met well beyond these levels of battery degradation.

Powertrain research leader Samveg Saxena analyzed driving patterns and found that batteries that have lost 20% of their originally rated energy storage capacity can still meet the daily travel needs of more than 85% of U.S. drivers.

“[Drivers are] afraid the battery won’t last the whole life of the car and they’ll have to replace it for a lot of money,” Saxena says. “We show that, even after substantial battery degradation, the daily travel needs of most people are still going to be met.”

Berkeley Lab researchers analyzed nearly 160,000 driving itineraries from the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the Department of Transportation showing when a car was parked or driving. By altering variables and assuming Nissan Leaf-like EV battery sizes, researches created more than 13 million individual daily state-of-charge profiles.

“Only a small fraction of drivers will no longer be able to meet their daily driving needs after having lost 20% of their battery’s energy storage capabilities,” Saxena says. “The vast majority of people don’t drive more than 40 miles per day on most days, and so they have plenty of reserve available.”

As the battery continues to degrade to 50% of its original energy storage capacity, the research found that the daily travel needs of more than 80% of U.S. drivers can still be met, and at 30% capacity, 55% of drivers still have their daily needs met. www.lbl.gov

Cal Poly Pomona receives SMTCL VMC

California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) of Pomona is receiving a SMTCL VMC850E vertical machining center (VMC) to give students hands-on experience.

The school’s Formula SAE and BAJA SAE race teams will benefit from the machine. The teams already use the SMTCL Brio for producing parts and wheels, and the VMC will expand their access to equipment.

“What is great about the VMC850E is that it comes with everything; coolant thru the spindle, spindle chiller, chip conveyer, 10,000rpm, and even an oil skimmer,” says Prof. Clifford Stover.

Students will use the machine to cut costs and save time before Formula SAE competitions begin.

“Cost is one of the judging factors in Formula SAE, and it is up to the team of students to ensure that they stay within budget,” Stover says.

Before receiving the Brio, the team had to send all designs to an outside source, increasing costs and infringing on race practice time.

SMTCL has been working with Cal Poly Pomona for more than five years.

Jamie Gonzalez, the SMTCL distributor who contacted the school, says, “With experience on the Brio and now with the VMC850B, we are happy to give the students what they need to be successful in this field.” www.smtcl-americas.com