A global shortage of semiconductors—caused by manufacturing delays that some semiconductor makers blame on a faster-than expected recovery from the coronavirus pandemic—has forced automakers to adjust or cancel production over the past months. Now SEMI, the largest global trade association for the design and manufacture of semiconductors, and the Center... Read more →

An innovative fuel cell system based on high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) technology from Blue World Technologies (earlier post) is being constructed for testing at the Alfa Laval Test & Training Center in Aalborg, Denmark. The test installation will explore the technology’s potential as a source of marine auxiliary power.... Read more →

The BMW iX electric SUV (earlier post) has its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2021 show. Market launch in China will get underway over the course of 2021. The BMW iX is first model in the brand’s line-up to feature the new Operating System 8 and the latest generation... Read more →

In March, BMW presented the Neue Klasse generation of vehicles, to be launched by the middle of this decade, which will be clearly focused on all-electric drivetrains. For the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group is developing the next generation of its battery technology. (Earlier post.) With the Neue Klasse, we... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems will provide fuel cell modules to Sierra Northern Railway—the freight division of privately-owned Sierra Energy Corporation, operating in Northern California—to power a zero-emission switching locomotive. A purchase order for the fuel cell modules is expected to be issued by Sierra by mid-year 2021. The pilot program will... Read more →

ROUSH CleanTech and First Priority Group (FPG) are partnering to create a line of purpose-built electric emergency and specialty vehicles. The companies are finalizing details for pilot deployment in 2022 with commercial production scheduled to begin in 2023. There are approximately three million law enforcement, fire and emergency medical service... Read more →

Hyzon Motors Inc. has begun production of 15 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for delivery to the Municipality of Groningen in The Netherlands at Hyzon’s European manufacturing facility. The Groningen Municipality orders are being fulfilled through Hyzon Motors Europe B.V., a joint venture between Hyzon Motors Inc. and Holthausen Clean... Read more →

Genesis officially introduced its first EV model, the Electrified G80, to the global market at the 2021 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2021). The Electrified G80 builds on the heritage of the G80, which sits at the core of the Genesis sedan lineup. Based on the NEDC standard,... Read more →

Volvo Cars and DiDi Autonomous Driving, the self-driving technology arm of Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading mobility technology platform, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement on autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s self-driving test fleet. Volvo Cars will provide DiDi with XC90 cars equipped with necessary backup systems for functions such as... Read more →

For the first time the presentation of AUDI AG at Auto Shanghai 2021 is taking place with two partners at a shared trade-fair stand. Audi and its Chinese partner companies FAW and SAIC are showing four world premieres: the brand-new Audi A6 e-tron concept vehicle and the all-round updated Audi... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation announced Toyota bZ, its newly established series of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), in establishment of a full line-up of electrified vehicles. At Auto Shanghai, Toyota unveiled a concept version of the Toyota bZ4X, which will be the first model in the bZ series. In establishment a full line-up... Read more →

Volkswagen is expanding the ID. family of electric vehicles with a GTX performance line. Volkswagen will show the new ID.4 GTX on 28 April. Power consumption of the ID.4 GTX is 19.8-18.1 kWh/km (NEDC). By comparison, the combined power consumption of the ID.4 Pro is 16.9–16.2 kWh/km (NEDC). In Europe,... Read more →

Volkswagen unveiled the third model in the ID. family, the ID.6, at the Auto Shanghai. The vehicle is the first model of the ID. family developed specifically for a single market. Two versions of the fully electric family SUV are available: The ID.6 CROZZ is being manufactured in the north... Read more →

The new Mercedes-Benz EQB is making its debut at Auto Shanghai 2021 this week. Following the EQA 250 (combined electrical consumption: 15.7 kWh/100 km) it is the second fully electric compact car from Mercedes-EQ. The market launch in China is scheduled for this year. After Europe, the international version of... Read more →

ABB announced a strategic investment and development agreement with AFC Energy to further the advancement of fuel cell technology integration into its high-growth eMobility and data center segments. ABB and AFC Energy will partner on the testing and integration of fuel cells as part of the wider power portfolio for... Read more →

ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp., the designer and manufacturer of the three-wheeled SOLO electric vehicle (earlier post), has appointed Kevin Pavlov as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) effective 1 May 2021. Pavlov will be responsible for overseeing operational growth as ElectraMeccanica ramps up commercial production with a focus on enhancing profitability... Read more →

A major new European consortium, IMMORTAL, is developing higher performance fuel cell components for heavy duty trucks with a predicted lifetime of at least 30,000 hours. IMMORTAL (IMproved lifetiMe stacks fOR heavy duty Trucks through ultrA-durabLe components) is a €3.8-million (US$4.6-million), three-year project supported by the European Fuel Cells and... Read more →

RWE Supply & Trading and Australian hydrogen project developer The Hydrogen Utility Pty Ltd (H2U) have joined forces to develop hydrogen trading between Australia and Germany. Together, they aim to bring green hydrogen produced in Australia to Europe. This is in line with the objective of HySupply, a 24-month German-Australian... Read more →

Origin Energy’s export-scale liquid hydrogen project has reached an important milestone, with the signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Port of Townsville to collaborate on the potential expansion of the port, as well as the development of a liquefaction facility, new berth and associated infrastructure. Origin is collaborating... Read more →

Li-Cycle Corp., the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America, will build its third commercial lithium-ion battery recycling facility, to be located in Gilbert, Arizona, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. (Earlier post.) When complete, Li-Cycle’s “Spoke 3” facility will be capable of processing up to 10,000 tonnes of end-of-life batteries... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group Components plant in Braunschweig is significantly expanding its production of battery systems for the latest electric vehicle generation. Following the first expansion stage with a maximum capacity of 250,000 battery systems, the second expansion stage has started up with the same capacity. Thus, once the site is... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 28th annual Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2019. Key findings from the 1990-2019 US Inventory include: In 2019, US greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6,558... Read more →

Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, will invest more than $2.3 billion to build its second battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility will be located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Early conceptual rendering of Ultium Cells LLC battery cell manufacturing... Read more →

Sinopec Capital, as the industrial investment arm of Sinopec Group—one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies—announced an investment in LanzaTech with a focus on promoting direct production of chemicals from waste carbon. Petrochemicals account for around 12% of global oil demand—a share that is expected to increase.... Read more →

Under the name “Green Wilhelmshaven,” Germany-based international energy company Uniper plans to establish a German national hub for hydrogen in Wilhelmshaven and is working on a corresponding feasibility study. Plans include an import terminal for green ammonia. The terminal will be equipped with an ammonia cracker for producing green hydrogen... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the EQS, the first all-electric luxury sedan from Mercedes-EQ. (Earlier post.) The EQS is also the first model to be based on the modular architecture for luxury and executive-class electric vehicles. First models on the market will be the EQS 450+ with 245 kW (electrical consumption NEDC combined:... Read more →

NIO and Sinopec unveiled the NIO Power Swap Station 2.0 at Sinopec’s Chaoying Station in Beijing. This is NIO’s inaugural second-generation battery swap station and also the first under the NIO-Sinopec partnership, representing the rollout of NIO Power Swap Station 2.0. (Earlier post.) As a smart battery swap system enabled... Read more →

Continental and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will work together going forward within the scope of a new development cooperation. The goal of their long-term collaboration, with AWS serving as the preferred cloud provider, is to develop Continental Automotive Edge (CAEdge): a modular hardware and software platform that connects the vehicle... Read more →

Strategy Analytics’ Automotive Connected Mobility service released its H1 2021 Global Ride-Hailing Market Update and its associated Global Ride-Hailing Forecast, tracking more than 140 unique operators across 119 different countries. Although 2020 was tough for ride-hailing operators everywhere, with a decline of 18% in worldwide total revenue (gross bookings) across... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced two funding opportunities totaling more than $162 million to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions among cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles. The funding will support the next stage of the SuperTruck initiatives—aimed at electrifying freight trucking—along with efforts to expand electric vehicle (EV)... Read more →