Ideal Power, developer of the B-TRAN bidirectional semiconductor power switch, has launched its second commercial product, the SymCool IQ Intelligent Power Module. SymCool IQ builds on the bidirectional B-TRAN multi-die packaging design of the SymCool power module and adds an integrated intelligent driver optimized for bidirectional operation. The SymCool IQ,... Read more →

A team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Texas A&M has used in situ bias transmission electron microscopy to measure directly the electrical properties of SEIs formed on copper and lithium substrates. The study shows that the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is not an electronic insulator, as previously thought,... Read more →

VinFast has officially launched VF 6, its first electric model in the B-SUV segment, in Vietnam. With a starting price of 675 million VND (US$27,800), the VF 6 is available for order in the Vietnamese market from 20 October 2023. VinFast first announced the VF 6 at CES 2022 in... Read more →

Volkswagen is altering its planned vehicle manufacturingallocation plans for its German factories. Apart from the ID.3—that is being ramped up in 2023—the plant in Wolfsburg will produce a second electric model. Starting in 2026, large numbers of an all-electric SUV for the high-volume A segment are scheduled to roll off... Read more →

Australia-based is forming a JV to bring to market a new hydrogen injection technology that can be used to reduce diesel and gasoline fuel usage in passenger, commercial and stationary engines. UHL plans to target heavy diesel vehicles, such as trucks, buses, vans, utes, cement trucks and waste collection vehicles... Read more →

The Castings business unit of Rheinmetall’s Materials and Trade division has booked two new orders. The first order comes from one of the top ten global automakers, a company, headquartered in Shanghai, the product portfolio of which includes vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, hybrid models and fully fledged e-vehicles.... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and Woven by Toyota, Inc. (Woven by Toyota) announced that to accelerate the implementation of software in social systems and vehicles, they intend to strengthen their relationship by making Woven by Toyota a wholly-owned Toyota subsidiary. Toyota intends to transition into the phase of accelerating vehicle intelligence... Read more →

Swiss marine power company WinGD has secured the first approval in principle (AiP) for two-stroke engines fueled with ammonia. Lloyd’s Register awarded the AiP to WinGD’s X‑DF‑A dual-fuel range (earlier post), giving shipowners the assurances they need to realize vessel designs using ammonia-fueled main engines for the first time. Development... Read more →

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has ordered six MAN small-bore, seven-cylinder 21/31DF-M, methanol-burning GenSets in connection with the construction of 2 × 9,300 ceu (car equivalent units) PCTCs (pure car and truck carriers) for China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES). The business represents the first order for the new methanol-powered, MAN... Read more →

StoreDot, a developer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles (earlier post), signed a multi-year agreement with Volvo Cars to develop an optimized battery for next-generation Volvo cars. This collaboration, with experts from Volvo Cars and StoreDot working together, will lead to the development of XFC cells... Read more →

Mining giant Vale signed a protocol of intent with Petrobras to develop low carbon solutions, taking advantage of the technical expertise of both companies and their synergies. The partnership is for a two-year period and will assess joint decarbonization opportunities, including the development of sustainable fuels—such as hydrogen, green methanol,... Read more →

Albemarle Corporation signed agreements with Caterpillar to collaborate on solutions to support the full circular battery value chain and sustainable mining operations. The collaboration aims to support Albemarle’s efforts to establish Kings Mountain, NC as the first zero-emissions lithium mine site in North America. These efforts include utilization of next-generation,... Read more →

Almost 50 countries from continents across the world—including large and emerging critical mineral producers and consumers—convened with leaders from industry, investment and civil society at the first IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit to share experiences and discuss effective courses of action on critical minerals to ensure rapid and... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $19 million in funding over four years for DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory to lead the multi-institutional Center for Steel Electrification by Electrosynthesis (C-STEEL). The center’s charge is to develop an innovative and low-cost process that would replace blast furnaces in steelmaking and... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $16.7 million in funding to five projects to advance the production of affordable biofuels and biochemicals that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Located in four states, these selected projects support the development of high-impact technologies that convert domestic biomass and... Read more →

Lucid Group has officially opened the first car manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. As Lucid’s second Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-2) and first international plant, the facility will produce Lucid’s electric vehicles for Saudi Arabia and export to other markets. The AMP-2 facility received significant support from the Ministry of Investment... Read more →

Signalling its strong commitment to the Wackersdorf location in Upper Palatinate and as part of its continuing e-mobility ramp-up, the BMW Group is investing around €100 million between now and 2026 in a new battery testing center that will be integrated into the site’s existing building structures. The first deliverables... Read more →

US-based Ascend Elements is partnering with South Korea-based SK ecoplant and its e-waste recycling subsidiary, TES, to build a $65-million lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Hopkinsville, Ky. The 100,000-square-foot EV battery recycling facility will disassemble and shred approximately 24,000 metric tons of used EV batteries and gigafactory scrap per year—or... Read more →

Northvolt will establish a fully integrated lithium-ion battery gigafactory, just outside of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Québec. The factory, named Northvolt Six, will host 60 GWh of annual cell manufacturing capacity, with adjacent facilities for cathode active material production and battery recycling, enabling fully circular production at site.... Read more →

ADM and Syngenta Group, one of the world’s biggest agricultural technology companies, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in scaling research and commercialization of low carbon-intensity next-generation oilseeds and improved varieties to help meet skyrocketing demand for biofuels and other sustainably-sourced products. The MoU envisions a collaboration in... Read more →

BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) and ZeroAvia signed an agreement for the supply of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and to collaborate on research on next generation MEAs for ZeroAvia’s high temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell stacks for aviation. The companies will work together to accelerate the... Read more →

A letter sent by Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Pepsi, Ball, SunPower and eight more leading companies urges the US Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in American-made clean aluminum to retain and create manufacturing jobs, reduce industrial emissions, and grow a vitally important industry. The letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer... Read more →

Researchers from China and the US have developed a cobalt-free, Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) Li-ion battery cathode with negligible voltage decay. The new development overcomes the persistent challenge of voltage decay with LMR layered oxides and could lead to significantly higher energy storage capacity. A paper on their work is... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award a combined total of $2 million to eight projects to drive innovation in lithium-ion battery (LIB) rejuvenation, recycling, and reuse administered through the ReCell Center. The ReCell Centerwas established by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office and is located at Argonne National Laboratory. These... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcedthe availability of at least $500 million in funding from the Clean School Bus rebate competition. This second round of funding will build on the previous nearly $1 billion investment. (Earlier post.) EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,... Read more →

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $100 million will be made available on a statewide basis for zero-emission school buses in the first round of funding available for these buses under the $4.2-billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. By utilizing this funding, school... Read more →

EVgo, one of the US’ largest public fast charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs), announced a new collaboration with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. that is designed to provide a range of new benefits for Honda and Acura EV drivers, including charging credit, technology integration into the HondaLink and Acura... Read more →

With an anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles, DC fast charging capability and a neo-rugged design, Honda’s Prologue electric midsize SUV (earlier post) will go on sale nationwide in the US in 2024, with pre-sale activities starting later this year. Honda said the starting MSRP will be in the... Read more →

In federal court in Brooklyn, the US. Department of Justice, on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a complaint against eBay Inc. for unlawfully selling, offering for sale, causing the sale of, and distributing hundreds of thousands of products in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA);... Read more →

A new Rolls-Royce small gas turbine that has been specifically developed to power hybrid-electric flight has successfully completed its first fuel burn. (Earlier post.) The engine has been designed using novel combustion technology to produce ultra-low emissions; this significant achievement confirms the effectiveness of the compact, power-dense turbine that will... Read more →