by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research This brief post presents the results of an analysis concerning the types of electric light-duty vehicles sold in the United States in 2020. The raw monthly sales data came from Wards Auto via Argonne National Laboratory. The analysis examined three mutually exclusive types of... Read more →

One of the major causes for the drop in capacity over time in Li-ion batteries is the degradation of the widely used graphite anodes. One of the major challenges for graphite anodes is the exfoliation of the graphite framework on deep cycling at a fast current rate. Graphite thus requires... Read more →

A new study by Zemo Partnership (formerly LowCVP) shows that with a market average of 30% high blend renewable fuels (HBRF), used in place of fossil fuels (diesel and natural gas) by 2030, the transport sector could save an additional 46m tonnes in GHG emissions over the next decade, with... Read more →

A team at Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center has evaluated the well-to-wheel (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) fuels produced via various electrolytic H2 pathways and CO2 sources; using various process designs (i.e., with and without H2 recycle); and two different system boundaries: a stand-alone plant (with... Read more →

Oxford Instruments, a leading provider of analytical equipment to the battery research and manufacturing communities, has entered a new R&D collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Department of Materials and the Henry Royce Institute (Royce). The team will work to accelerate research in future battery technologies by using benchtop Nuclear... Read more →

The Government of Canada plans to provide C$2.75 billion (US$2.17 billion) in funding over five years, starting in 2021, to enhance public transit systems and switch them to cleaner electrical power, including supporting the purchase of zero-emission public transit and school buses. This funding is part of an eight year,... Read more →

Neo Performance Materials and Energy Fuels Inc. are launching a new rare earth production initiative spanning European and North American critical material supply chains. The initiative will produce value-added rare earth products from natural monazite sands, a byproduct of heavy mineral sands mined in the southeastern United States. Energy Fuels... Read more →

Haldor Topsoe will invest in a manufacturing facility producing highly efficient solid oxide electrolyzers (SOEC) with a total capacity of 500 megawatt per year with the option to expand to 5 gigawatt per year. With efficiencies above 90%, Topsoe’s proprietary SOEC electrolyzers offer superior performance in electrolysis of water into... Read more →

The EU should promote the use of green hydrogen and ammonia by ships as part of its upcoming maritime fuel law, major shipping industry players and environmentalists have told the European Commission. The FuelEU Maritime initiative will require ships carrying EU trade to progressively switch to sustainable alternative fuels. In... Read more →

International precious metals mining company Sibanye-Stillwater has entered into an investment agreement with Finnish lithium miner Keliber Oy. Keliber’s wholly owned, advanced lithium project, the Keliber project, is located in Kaustinen, Kokkola and Kruunupyy municipalities in Finland, which are among the most significant lithium-bearing areas in Europe. Finland represents an... Read more →

An international team of researchers has shown that alkanes participate extensively in autoxidation reactions with oxygen molecules. The discovery, which overturns current chemical wisdom, has implications for air quality prediction and efficient fuel combustion in engines. An open-access paper on the work is published in the journal Communications Chemistry. Oxidation... Read more →

Porsche is expanding its range of e-mobility products and introducing two new e-bikes to the market. The roadworthy features of the Porsche eBike Sport make it suited for everyday life, while the Porsche eBike Cross is designed for rough terrain. The full-suspension carbon frame featuring an organic shape inspired by... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a $115-million funding opportunity announcement (DE-FOA-0002381) for FY2021 Phase II Release 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) R&D projects. The projects range from grid modernization and carbon removal to renewable energy and energy storage. The Small Business... Read more →

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OCI N.V. (OCI) and MAN Energy Solutions (MAN) to develop methanol and ammonia as marine fuels to support industry-wide decarbonization and environmental preservation efforts. The partnership involves using select conventional vessels from EPS’ existing tanker fleet that use MAN... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is transforming its Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems unit and its Stuttgart-Untertürkheim site for an “Electric First” future in the context of Ambition 2039—the company’s path toward carbon neutrality. The management and works council of the Untertürkheim plant reached an agreement to invest a three-digit million euro amount to transform Untertürkheim,... Read more →

Volkswagen is accelerating its transformation into a software-driven mobility provider. With the new ACCELERATE strategy that it has just unveiled, the company will systematically prepare for the profound changes in the automotive industry in good time. In addition to electrification, integration of software into the vehicle and the digital customer... Read more →

Volkswagen gave a first design preview of Project Trinity. The electrically powered sedan is to be built in Wolfsburg from 2026 and is intended to set new standards in terms of range, charging speed and digitization—as well as being able of delivering Level 4 automated driving. The project name Trinity... Read more →

Skeleton Technologies, the largest European manufacturer of ultracapacitors, and Marubeni Corporation, one of Japan’s largest conglomerates with more than €50 billion of annual revenue, signed a strategic cooperation agreement to support commercial scale-up and customer acquisition for Skeleton’s new generation of ultracapacitors—called the SuperBattery—in the Asian automotive sector. The technology... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $24 million for research into technology that captures carbon emissions directly from the air, replicating the way plants and trees absorb CO2. (DE-FOA-0002481) Although direct air capture of carbon dioxide (DAC) generally refers to the capture of CO2 from ambient... Read more →

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 →