Tesla Powerwall virtual power plant, Hyundai Ioniq recall, “wear-free” motor: Today’s Car News
Tesla Powerwall owners will ally to smooth the California grid. A new motor design is claimed to be good for performance EVs and wear-free. And Hyundai issues a recall on the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and PHEV—again. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
In a pilot program with the California utility PG&E, some Tesla Powerwall owners will bank the energy in their battery packs together as a “virtual power plant” to back up the grid. With a financial incentive to discharge energy to the grid during high-demand early evening hours, it could be a win-win for those Tesla households and enable extended use of renewable energy.
Hyundai is issuing a safety recall of 2017-2018 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid models over an issue in which an overheating relay under the back seat can potentially lead to a fire. The recall itself is a do-over of one issued in 2018.
And although a lot of automakers are seeking to differentiate their EVs with electric motors developed in-house, that hasn’t stopped top suppliers from innovating. The German supplier Mahle is claiming that it has a “wear-free” motor that can deliver 90% of its max output continuously and meets new standards of durability—good for towing or performance cars, perhaps. The advantage, it claims, is through a new kind of oil-cooling system.
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