The push for cleaner energy supply is a driving force for developing new hydrogen technology and adapting existing infrastructure to support it. Since direct measurement is often impractical or even impossible when it comes to hydrogen and fuel cell R&D, modeling and simulation is a useful solution.

Join this webinar at our March Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, where we will share four examples of using the COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation software to model electrolyzer and fuel cell designs, where the goal is to optimize their performance under specific operating conditions. For each example, we will cover the main steps for creating the model as well as results visualization and analysis. The presentation includes a live demo of setting up and solving a model in the software.

Mar 11, 2026, 1:00 pm EDT
Register now—it’s free!

See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.

Broadcast live from March 9 to 12, 2026, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.

Japan’s EXEDY has approved the acquisition of Protean Electric, a UK-based developer of in-wheel motors, in a move it says is aimed at strengthening its electrification technology portfolio as the auto industry shifts toward “CASE” (connected, autonomous, shared & services, electric).

Protean’s in-wheel motors—drive units integrated into the wheels—are positioned as a way to improve vehicle control via fast response and to increase design freedom. EXEDY also said the technology could influence conventional drivetrain architectures and help with control integration challenges often cited for software-defined vehicles.

EXEDY plans to acquire 9,086,213 shares for JPY 5.07 billion (about $35 million) plus an estimated JPY 100 million in advisory fees, for a total estimated outlay of JPY 5.17 billion. The seller is BD Auto and Energy, and EXEDY expects to sign and close on February 26, 2026.

“Protean Electric’s in-wheel motor technology is expected to contribute to improved vehicle control performance through fast response characteristics and to increase freedom in vehicle design,” the company said.

Source: EXEDY

E-mobility companies in Africa are beginning to assemble electric vans and taxis locally, using Chinese-made kits, the Associated Press reports. Kenya and Nigeria, two of Africa’s largest economies, are leading the push for local EV assembly.

Lagos-based SAGLEV has begun assembling 18-seater electric passenger vans using imported kits supplied by Chinese automaker Dongfeng. The company says it plans to make up to 2,500 vehicles a year for Nigeria and other West African markets.

“This is a major step in Nigeria’s transition toward clean, fossil-free transportation,” said Saglev’s CEO Olu Falaye. “This feat is a clear signal that el ectric mobility in Nigeria is practical, scalable and ready for adoption.”

SAGLEV, a joint venture between Nigeria’s Stallion Group, a major auto distributor, and Chinese automaker Sokon Motor, also plans to install solar-powered charging stations to provide more reliable sources of power—a key challenge for EV adoption in much of Africa.

In Kenya, Chinese-backed Rideence Africa recently signed a $2.46-million deal with Mombasa-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) to begin local assembly of electric taxis and minibuses from kits supplied by China’s Jiangsu Joylong Automobile and Beijing Henrey Automobile Technology.

“We are now moving decisively from operator to manufacturer,” said Rideence Africa’s Managing Director, Minnan Yu. “Our aim is to build a Kenya-rooted new-energy mobility company serving Africa.”

“The assembly of electric vans is emerging as a strong market segment,” said Dennis Wakaba, Secretary-General of the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya. “Earlier, the cost of electric vans was high, putting off operators. But as local assembly scales up, these costs have dropped, attracting more orders.”

Vans and minibuses are essential parts of public transport systems throughout Africa. Japanese models such as the Toyota Hiace have long dominated the market. But cutting consumption of expensive imported gasoline makes sense both for individual operators and national governments. According to the AP’s sources, the cost of driving an EV can be as low as a fifth the cost of burning petrol.

Ethiopia and South Africa also have entered the market. In Ethiopia, Belayneh Kinde Group (BKG) assembles about 150 minibuses a month using Chinese components.

Affordability is a big barrier to EV adoption in Africa—transport operators often have limited access to credit, and few can afford to purchase new vehicles outright.

To make EVs more affordable, companies like Rideence and BasiGo are adopting pay-as-you-drive and lease-to-own options.

“These innovative financing models mitigate risks for both assembler and operators, helping put vehicles on the road faster,” Wakaba said.

Source: Associated Press

Electric utility Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy that serves some 285,000 customers in Maryland, has received approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission to launch a pilot program aimed at helping local school systems transition to zero-emission school buses, EVinfo reports.

Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 requires public school systems to purchase zero-emission vehicles. Potomac Edison aims to address one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption by covering the cost difference between diesel and electric buses (up to $250,000 per unit), along with the cost of charging infrastructure and any necessary electrical upgrades.

The $11.1-million pilot program will support the deployment of up to 28 electric school buses within Potomac Edison’s Maryland service territory, and will provide technical and administrative assistance to help school systems plan charging locations, install equipment and train personnel. The program will also include access to vehicle-to-grid technology, allowing Potomac Edison to evaluate how energy stored in bus batteries can be fed back to the grid when vehicles are not in use.

“This program is designed to help make [the EV] transition more practical and affordable,” said Jim Myers, FirstEnergy’s President of West Virginia and Maryland. “We’re reducing upfront costs and offering hands-on support to help school systems integrate electric buses smoothly. At the same time, we’re exploring how these buses can support grid reliability through innovative technology.”

Source: EVinfo

Wi-Fi 7 positions itself as a key technology for advanced automotive connectivity, supporting up to 16 spatial streams and a 320MHz channel width. Its high bandwidth capacity addresses the data transmission requirements of ADAS and autonomous driving applications.

This paper, titled “Murata Wi-Fi 7 Automotive Connectivity and Efficiency White,” outlines Wi-Fi 7’s capabilities and its relevance to the automotive industry.

South Korea’s POSCO Future M has invested in battery developer Factorial, following a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two companies in November 2025 for the development of all-solid-state battery technology.

POSCO Future M is preparing for the growth of the all-solid-state battery market and will supply Factorial with a stable source of high-quality battery materials. Factorial operates a pilot plant for all-solid-state batteries in Cheonan, South Korea and is actively expanding its business.

Factorial’s all-solid-state battery platform, Solstice, delivers high levels of energy density and safety according to the company, which has established partnerships with major automakers in Korea, Europe and North America.

Factorial has been conducting sample testing of all-solid-state battery cathode materials with POSCO Future M and evaluated the Korean firm’s materials as “high-performance.”

POSCO Future M’s material design and coating technologies are optimized for all-solid-state batteries. As part of the POSCO steelmaking giant, the company is expanding its portfolio of all-solid-state battery materials, including sulfide-based solid electrolytes and silicon and lithium metal anode materials.

“Both companies have developed materials technology through a close and continuous partnership. This further developed partnership will enable us to secure competitiveness in line with the rapidly growing all-solid-state battery market,” said Hong Young-Jun, Head of Posco’s Technology Research Laboratory.

Source: POSCO

Sponsored by Heraeus.

The electric vehicle market is emerging as a leading field for advanced heating technologies. In EVs, heating systems are essential not only for passenger comfort but also fundamental to thermal management, keeping battery cells within their optimal temperature range in cold climates. Proper thermal control enables faster and more efficient charging, longer driving range, and extended battery life. To achieve this, EV battery heaters must be compact, lightweight, reliable, energy-efficient, and durable under demanding conditions.

Thick-film heaters on steel (HoS) are advancing as a next-generation solution, gaining adoption in Asia due to their high-power density, design flexibility, and proven resilience in harsh environments. Unlike conventional systems such as heat pumps, cartridge heaters, or positive temperature coefficient (PTC) ceramic heaters, HoS technology offers superior efficiency, reduced size and weight, and faster thermal response.

This paper reviews traditional EV battery heating methods, outlines the performance advantages of HoS technology, and examines the market forces driving innovation in thermal management. A case study is also presented that demonstrates how HoS technology is enabling progress in electric mobility.

Join this webinar at our March Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, where comemso electronics GmbH will present a structured approach to quickly isolate interoperability errors in the charging process without time-consuming on-site appointments or unreadable hex dumps. The focus is on practical methods that can be used to clearly isolate causes and reproduce them.

Key takeaways:

• Clear separation of EV, EVSE, and communication errors through targeted isolation strategies.
• Reduction of troubleshooting time through structured analysis instead of trial and error in the field.
• Comprehensible results for development, testing, and service without raw data overload.

Mar 12, 2026, 8:45 am EDT
Register now—it’s free!

See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.

Broadcast live from March 9 to 12, 2026, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.

Evolito says it is collaborating with Airbus, backed by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, to develop an on-aircraft electric wheel taxi system that lets aircraft taxi with the main engines switched off. The company says the goal is to cut operating costs, noise and emissions, with Project SONATA targeting a 47% reduction in taxi emissions.

Evolito has been selected to develop a low-speed, high-torque electric motor based on its axial-flux technology for the program (System Optimisation of Non-propulsive energy in Aircraft Taxi technologies and Architectures). The company says the proposed motor is expected to deliver about 56 Nm/kg and 350 kW peak power, and meet integration requirements for future landing gear applications.

“By developing low speed, high torque motors for aircraft landing systems, we are extending the performance envelope of our technology and contributing to the reduction of aviation’s environmental impact whilst also reducing operating costs,” said Evolito CEO Chris Harris.

Project SONATA also includes the University of Southampton, Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Magnomatics, Drive System Design and DePe Gear. UK Industry Minister Chris McDonald called the work a contribution toward “Jet Zero,” and said the government is backing it through the Aerospace Technology Institute.

Source: Evolito

ROHM has expanded its lineup of low-voltage (40 V, 60 V) automotive MOSFETs by introducing new devices in a compact HPLF5060 package (4.9 mm × 6.0 mm). The company is positioning the parts for applications such as main inverter control circuits, electric pumps and LED headlights.

As low-voltage MOSFET packaging trends smaller—toward 5060-size and below—ROHM says board-mount reliability can suffer due to narrow terminal spacing and leadless designs. The new HPLF5060 package is meant to address that tradeoff: it has a smaller footprint than the widely used TO-252 (6.6 mm × 10.0 mm) package, and uses gull-wing leads to improve mounting reliability. ROHM also says copper clip junction technology enables high-current operation.

Mass production of the HPLF5060-based products began in November 2025, and ROHM says online sales have started, including availability via distributors such as DigiKey and Farnell.

Next up, ROHM says it plans to start mass production around February 2026 of its smaller DFN3333 (3.3 mm × 3.3 mm) package using wettable flank technology, and has begun development of a larger TOLG (TO-leaded with gull-wing) package (9.9 mm × 11.7 mm) aimed at high-power, high-reliability applications.

Source: ROHM