DeepGreen Metals Inc., a developer of lower-impact battery metals from unattached seafloor polymetallic nodules (earlier post), has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) with a dedicated ESG focus and deep operational and capital market capabilities in the energy... Read more →

Korea-based SK Group will invest about 18 trillion won (US$16.4 billion) over the next five years to create a domestic hydrogen ecosystem—production, distribution, and consumption—through creation of domestic hydrogen infrastructure and also through partnerships with global companies. In the first phase, SK E&S, SK Group’s hydrogen business promotion company, will... Read more →

LiquidPiston, Inc., a developer of advanced rotary internal combustion engines, has adapted its X-Engine technology for the United States Air Force to use in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as well as “orbs”—urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles designed to carry people and cargo. The X-Engine, a next-generation rotary diesel engine, is... Read more →

Porsche has presented the Taycan Cross Turismo—an expansion of Porsche’s first all-electric sports car range. Like the Taycan sports car, the Taycan Cross Turismo benefits from an innovative electric drive with 800-volt architecture. The new high-tech chassis with all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension also supports some off-road activity. The... Read more →

Magna unveiled its all-new connected plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivetrain and next-gen battery electric (BEV) drive systems. Both systems were on full display at the company’s Winter Test driving location in northern Sweden. Magna EtelligentEco PHEV The Magna EtelligentEco, an intelligent, connected PHEV system that reduces greenhouse gas emissions... Read more →

Sion Power, a developer of high-energy, lithium-metal rechargeable batteries, reports achieving 400 Wh/kg, 700 Wh/L in a large format 17 Ah pouch Licerion Electric Vehicle (EV) cell. Licerion-EV is being designed for electric vehicle applications, focusing on high energy density, increased cycle life, safety, and fast charging capability. 17 Ah... Read more →

Honda Motor has begun leasing of the Honda Legend EX equipped with Honda SENSING Elite in Japan. Honda SENSING Elite is a variation of Honda SENSING, a suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies currently available on Honda vehicles around the world. One of the “elite” technologies featured is the... Read more →

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has created a Climate and ESG Task Force in the Division of Enforcement. The task force will be led by Kelly L. Gibson, the Acting Deputy Director of Enforcement, who will oversee a Division-wide effort, with 22 members drawn from the SEC’s headquarters, regional... Read more →

United States Steel Corporation has acquired the flat rolled sheet patents and trademarks of The NanoSteel Company, Inc. (earlier post) as part of US Steel’s ongoing commitment to offer customers the world’s best selection of advanced high-strength steels, which now includes the most formable high-strength steel available. The superior strength... Read more →

A team led by researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have discovered a new bimetallic electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical water splitting: CaFe2O4. This inexpensive, non-toxic, and easy-to-synthesize material outperforms other bimetallic OER electrocatalysts and even surpasses the benchmark set by iridium oxide, paving... Read more →

by Lewis Black, CEO of Almonty Industries In the last year, there has been an explosive need for EV batteries. All car manufacturers seem to be following in the same footsteps as Tesla. In fact, Jaguar plans to become an “all-electric luxury brand” by 2025[1] as mentioned on ABCNews. This... Read more →

The Government of British Columbia and Eagle Graphite confirmed release of the first tranche of grant funding in support of a 2-year program to develop and commercialize silicon-modified battery anodes made with graphite from Eagle’s Black Crystal graphite quarry and plant in Valhalla, British Columbia. In 2019, the Government of... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group’s Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen brands are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify sustainability risks such as environmental pollution, human rights abuses and corruption at an early stage—not only among direct business partners but also at the lower levels of their supply chain. The basis for this monitoring... Read more →

China-based EV maker XPeng expanded its product offering by launching three new vehicle versions powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for the Chinese market. The three new LFP-battery powered cars, including the rear-wheel drive (RWD) P7 Standard Range Smart and Premium models, and the G3 460c model, are now... Read more →

Sales of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E totaled 3,739 vehicles in its first full month on the market. Nearly 70% of Mach-E orders are from competitive brands, Ford said, while just over one-fifth were sold in California. Year-to-date, 3,977 units of the Mach-E have been sold. With the fully electric Mustang Mach-E,... Read more →

FedEx Corp., home of the world’s largest cargo airline, has set a goal to achieve carbon–neutral operations globally by 2040. To help reach this goal, FedEx is designating more than $2 billion of initial investment in three key areas: vehicle electrification; sustainable energy; and carbon sequestration. This includes a pledge... Read more →

Amsted Industries, a diversified designer and manufacturer of industrial solutions serving the railroad, vehicular and construction markets with a global footprint spanning 65 facilities in 10 countries across 6 continents, is bringing together two of its century-old, core Tier 1 automotive supply business units—Means Industries and Burgess Norton—to form the... Read more →

The co-chairs of the US House Biofuels Caucus introduced two new pieces of legislation to increase access to biofuels and to recognize fully their environmental benefits. Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) led introduction of the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act, which would expand... Read more →

Scientists at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Santa Catalina Island, working with private industry, report that a new aquaculture technique on the California coast significantly increases kelp growth, yielding four times more biomass than natural processes. The researchers used a depth-cycling approach—i.e., physically moving the macroalgae between... Read more →

A recent collaborative study led by researchers from the University of Maryland (UMD) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources found that consumers tend to buy something less fuel efficient than they normally would for their second car after buying an eco-friendly vehicle. While this sounds like an all-too-logical conclusion, the... Read more →

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is widely used as a low-cost, safer cathode material for Li-ion batteries; however, low ionic and electronic conductivity limit its rate performance. Now, researchers at UCLA have synthesized LiFePO4/graphite composites in which LiFePO4 nanoparticles are grown within a graphite matrix. The graphite matrix is porous, highly... Read more →

Audi of America is offering qualified customers who purchase or lease a 2021 Audi e-tron or e-tron Sportback a subscription to Arcadia at no additional charge for up to five years. Arcadia connects renters and homeowners across the US to wind and solar energy through utility data and billing technology.... Read more →

For 16 months, GTI and its partners have been designing and assembling fuel cell-electric terminal tractors in a project called Zero Emissions for California Ports (ZECAP) that will assess vehicle operation in a demanding, real-world cargo-handling application. (Earlier post.) Performance verification is nearing completion, and the first-of-a-kind pilot project is... Read more →

Unifrax, a manufacturer of high-performance specialty materials, introduced its latest proprietary technology, SiFAB Silicon Fiber Anode Battery Technology by Unifrax. SiFAB, currently in advanced testing after years of research and development, has shown promising performance in multiple battery systems. This anode technology enables significantly higher energy density in lithium-ion battery... Read more →

J&M Sanitation, a family-owned business serving Kuna, Idaho, has deployed two all-electric Class 8 refuse trucks, the first such battery-electric, zero-emission vehicles in Idaho. The trucks are replacing two current diesel vehicles. J&M is the first company in Idaho to own and operate electric refuse trucks and now operates two... Read more →

Moscow started to replace outdated diesel buses with electric buses in September 2018. There are now 600 electric buses on on 42 routes overall, and as replacements for traditional buses on 33 of those routes. Over the next 4 years, the city authorities are going to purhase 2675 more units... Read more →

Volvo Cars launched the battery-electric Volvo C40 Recharge; based on the CMA vehicle platform it is the first Volvo model designed as pure electric only. Following the introduction of the XC40 Recharge and now the C40 Recharge, Volvo Cars will roll out several additional electric models in coming years. By... Read more →

The Covid-19 crisis in 2020 triggered the largest annual drop in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions since the Second World War, according to IEA data, but the overall decline of about 6% masks wide variations depending on the region and the time of year. After hitting a low in April,... Read more →

Teijin and its joint development partner Applied Electric Vehicles have developed a polycarbonate solar roof for future mobility applications. The new solar roof uses Teijin’s Panlite polycarbonate resin glazing for its surface. Solar roof Teijin used its proprietary know-how in polycarbonate resin glazing and technologies to integrally mold the roof’s... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has successfully completed the taxiing of its ‘Spirit of Innovation’ aircraft, the latest milestone on its way to becoming the world’s fastest all-electric plane. (Earlier post.) The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL, short for “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight”. The ACCEL project team includes key... Read more →