ORNL making electric car charging faster
A 20-kilowatt wireless charging system demonstrated at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory can recharge a vehicle at three times the rate of the plug-in systems commonly used for electric vehicles today.
The breakthrough is seen as helping accelerate the adoption and convenience of electric vehicles, according to ORNL. Industry partners from Toyota, Cisco Systems, Evatran, and Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research contributed to the technology development demonstrated today at ORNL.
"We have made tremendous progress from the lab proof-of-concept experiments a few years ago," said Madhu Chinthavali, ORNL Power Electronics Team lead. "We have set a path forward that started with solid engineering, design, scale-up and integration into several Toyota vehicles. We now have a technology that is moving closer to being ready for the market."
Volkswagen Academy offering summer camp
Summer camp takes a high tech twist at the Volkswagen Academy as applications are now being accepted for the second annual Volkswagen Techatronics Summer Camp July 18-22.
The camp is designed to give 14- to 17-year-old students a dynamic, hands-on introduction to the Automation and Car Mechatronics programs taught at the Volkswagen Academy.
"Volkswagen Techatronics Summer Camp is a great opportunity for high school students to experience the exciting world of mechatronics." said Sebastian Patta, executive vice president of human resources for VW in Chattanooga.
Attendees will choose an area to explore during the five-day camp. They can choose from the following areas of emphasis; AutoCAD, Explore a Passat, Robotics, 3D-Printing/CNC-Machining, Pneumatics or Intro to Lean Manufacturing.
For more information, please email Volkswagen.academy@vw.com.