The Tesla 3 gets nearly double the range of the Nissan Leaf by using nearly double the amount of battery but engineers are using a multitude of work rounds to do better: aerodynamics, lightweighting even including structural electronics where dumb structure is replaced by supercapacitors or solid state batteries. Add more efficient motors and powertrain. Fuel cell hybrids retain the cachet of most expensive solution with a long on-road charging t...

The TCF industry has recently experienced sluggish growth. The industry has transitioned from being supply-limited to being commoditised and demand-limited with supply currently outstripping demand. This is a commonplace characteristic of supply industry into consumer electronic devices: there is often a scramble for supplies as demand rapidly takes off but the industry soon over-invests, the capacity overshoots demand and competition renders the...

Very large Li-ion battery banks were largely unknown ten years ago. Now, it is tough to keep up with the variety of uses for them. On ships, where there were no such batteries, we are starting to see 1-5MWh banks. Autonomous underwater vehicles, mining trucks and buses can sport ones of up to 350kWh but it is in stationary applications that really big facilities have arrived. Here there is a multiplier effect with Li-ion gaining market share in g...

The IDTechEx report, Microcontrollers and Single-board Computers 2016-2026, is the first to reveal the big picture developing from the close relationship between these devices. The report provides newly researched forecasts leading to figures such as $300bn in 2026 for SBCs alone. Applications, technologies, players and markets are revealed in easily understood infographics offering a depth never seen before. For example, the ten year forecasts f...

Advancements in electronics technology are enabling medical electronic equipment designed for faster diagnosis, improved patient quality of life and new drug-based therapies. Patient monitoring, display and testing equipment is becoming more accurate, versatile, compact and portable allowing for improved bedside treatment. Such equipment includes blood glucose monitoring systems, insulin pumps, defibrillators and neurological stimulators. Reducin...

Stellar growth over the coming decade is forecast by IDTechEx for the EV business resulting in nearly one trillion dollars sales at ex-factory prices in 2026. About half of that will probably be the 48V mild hybrids first launching in 2017 when they will not be EVs i.e. propelled by electric motors some or all of the time. By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx.

The first generation of wearable devices are constructed using mature, rigid technologies put inside a new box that can be worn. These are often bulky devices that are not truly wearable in the sense that our clothes are. This is, however, beginning to change... albeit slowly. New conformal, clothing-based components are emerging. By Dr. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Research Director, IDTechEx.

IDTechEx Research has released new forecasts for the OLED display market. OLED is an emissive display technology which is gaining significant market share against LCD. OLED was initially adopted in mobile phones but can now be found in tablets, TVs and wearables. This latest IDTechEx Research report, OLED Display Forecasts 2016-2026: The Rise of Plastic and Flexible Displays, says the market will reach nearly $16bn this year and will grow to $57b...

The report from IDTechEx Research, Lithium-ion Batteries 2016-2026, finds that at around $140bn in 2026, the Li-ion battery business will dominate the battery business. By Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new approach to cooling electronics using graphene nanoflake-based film. By Rachel Gordon, Technology Analyst, IDTechEx.

At first it seems ridiculous that IDTechEx forecasts a huge growth in the power electronics business for electric vehicles. Yes, there is tending to be two motors per car or larger vehicle not one now and that means many more motor controllers. Yes, the market is growing for the vehicles and each car or larger vehicle has a charger and a battery management system on board, both being power electronics but that alone is insufficient to create the ...

IDTechEx announces today that Europe’s largest event on emerging technologies, the IDTechEx Show! held in Berlin on 27-28 April, grew 27% vs. last year’s event.  This year’s exhibition and conference featured attendees from 57 countries with 171 exhibitors and 2,300 attendees. The event covered a number of interrelated emerging technologies, including printed electronics, wearable technology, IoT, advanced materials, energy...

While there are obviously similarities, different applications have different key requirements of the TIMs. In all cases, the TIM needs to minimise stress, prevent electromigration of its fillers and maximise adhesion. Thermal Interface Materials 2016-2026 explores in detail the relationship between the form factors and characteristics of different commercial product offerings and their applications, focused on new opportunities and gaps in the m...

This article shares some of the research for the new IDTechEx Research report, “Electric Vehicle Traction Motors, Belt Driven & Integrated Starter Generators 2016-2026”. It is no longer contentious to say that the future of land, water and air vehicles is to be more and more electric. The detail of how this is being achieved is rich and varied and it revolves around the electric motor and its variants far more than the more-discus...

Last week IDTechEx gave the opening presentation at the 2016 Korea Summit for Smart Wearable Devices, hosted by KDIA and KSA in Seoul, Korea. Wearable sensors once again dominated discussion throughout the day, with latest examples of options in MEMS, textiles and more presented at length in the conference. Additional discussions throughout the day extended to topics like glucose sensing (including enzyme-free examples), sensor fusion and beyond....

Many interests have been raised within the battery business in 2015 through a number of activities: the launch of Tesla’s Powerwall with low prices supported by the capability of Gigafactory; Apple’s patent relating to charging and managing power in a device with solid-state batteries; LG Chem's opening of a mega battery plant in Nanjing; Bosch’s purchase of polymer solid-state battery company Seeo, etc.

OLED lighting technology has faced a difficult challenge since the very beginning in the shape of inorganic LEDs. The challenge was that LED lighting got there first and leveraged its accumulated production experience to improve its performance and to reduce its costs. This in turn created a large gap between the two technologies that shows no signs of narrowing. By Dr. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Head of Consulting, IDTechEx.

3D Printing Europe on 27th & 28th April in Berlin has a speaker programme which has been carefully curated by IDTechEx analysts to cover all the latest innovations in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. Extensive analysis has highlighted a few key trends, and IDTechEx has brought together a wide range of industry experts to talk about 3D Printing and new materials.

Materials are needed to replace the estimated 50,000 metric tons of tin-lead solder currently used each year, but there are no 'drop-in' replacements for eutectic tin-lead solder. $1.2bn of Electrically Conductive Adhesives (ECAs) are already selling each year and they are becoming increasingly common to replace solders in a variety of functions, applications and industries.

IDTechEx Wearable Europe brings together a global community of innovators behind the best of wearable technology today. IDTechEx analysts have constructed a two-day agenda assembling key innovators and thought leaders to discuss key aspects of this rapidly evolving industry. Within the broader IDTechEx show, you will see the best of new technology that is already causing disruption today, as well as a glimpse at the materials, components and prod...