When most people think of leak testing, one childhood event probably comes to mind: Submerging a filled bicycle inner tube in a sink full of water, hoping to find the exact leak location by following a trail of air bubbles.
At the recent Geneva Motor Show, vehicle electrification was a leading topic of conversation. While automakers aren’t giving up on the good-old internal combustion engine just yet, they’re investing billions of dollars to develop fully electric systems that are reliable, safe and cost-effective to assemble.
FREMONT, CA—Tesla Inc. has temporarily suspended production of the Model 3 sedan at its assembly plant here in what the company said on Monday was a planned production pause. It was the second time since February that Tesla has temporarily shut down assembly of the Model 3.
CASA GRANDE, AZ—Lucid Motors, a start-up manufacturer of high-end electric vehicles, will spend $700 million to build a new assembly plant here. The factory is expected to create 2,000 jobs in the next six years.
CHATTANOOGA, TN—Volkswagen is planning to build electric vehicles in North America by 2020, in a bid to regain its lost image following the diesel emission scandal.
AUBURN HILLS, MI—FEV North America Inc., an engineering firm specializing in the design of gasoline, diesel and alternative engines, will construct a new, $27.4 million headquarters and tech center here. The project is expected to create 246 jobs.
STUTTGART, Germany—Daimler is planning to invest more than 7 billion euros over the next two years on green powertrain technologies, including a plug-in hybrid electric-hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
OAK RIDGE, TN—Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a 20-kilowatt wireless charging system for electric vehicles. The system is said to be three times more efficient than plug-in systems.
