Minnesota has become the latest state to adopt California clean car standards; the new standards were finalized by a notice in the state register on Monday. Original map from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The policy will implement two clean cars standards to reduce vehicle emissions. The low-emission vehicle (LEV) standard... Read more →

In the second quarter of 2021, Tesla produced 206,421 vehicles (2,340 Model S/X and 204,081 Model 3/Y) and delivered 201,250 (1,890 Model S/X) and 199,360 Model 3/Y). Tesla also announced that had achieved an operating margin of 11.0% and exceeded $1 billion of GAAP net income for the first time.... Read more →

The BMW Group has presented a number of innovative micromobility solutions to the public in the past, including the BMW Motorrad X2City, the Personal Mover Concept and the BMW Vision E³ Way elevated road concept. BMW Group engineers are now unveiling the electrified bicycle Concept DYNAMIC CARGO and the e-scooter... Read more →

FREYR Battery, a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, has signed a contract with Mpac Lambert for the supply of the casting and unit cell assembly equipment package to the battery cell production line at FREYR’s Customer Qualification Plant (CQP) in Mo i Rana, Norway. (Earlier post.) Preparatory... Read more →

Air Products and Cummins signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to accelerate the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Cummins will provide hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains integrated into selected OEM partners’ heavy-duty trucks for Air Products, as Air Products begins... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company will deploy the company’s latest hydrogen fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks in California in two publicly funded projects to improve the air quality in the region. The demo trucks that Hyundai will bring into the United States are developed based on XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world’s first... Read more →

Titan Advanced Energy Solutions (Titan), focused on using ultrasound technology to help make batteries run better, safer, and longer, received nearly $1.1 million in Phase II SBIR funding from the US DOE (earlier post) to develop an early warning system that detects hazardous conditions in lithium-ion batteries. This award follows... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $60 million in funding for its largest-ever cohort of university-based Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs), which assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers in reducing their carbon emissions and lowering energy costs, while training the next generation of energy-efficiency workers. This new cohort of IACs at... Read more →

Since the introduction of General Motors’ fleet telematics solution, OnStar Vehicle Insights, fleet managers have received nearly 3.5 million notifications and details of almost 16 million trips covering more than 246 million miles. OnStar Vehicle Insights can now be used with most non-GM vehicles via a plug-in adapter. This means... Read more →

New Flyer of America has received a firm contract from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for 10 zero-emission battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE 40-foot transit buses. OCTA serves 34 cities within Orange County, California, providing transportation to the state’s third-largest county and supporting nearly 40 million passengers per year. The purchase... Read more →

California legislators have allocated UC San Diego $35 million to design and build a new coastal research vessel with a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system. The new vessel will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The feasibility study to conceptualize the hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion technology for... Read more →

ABB will acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a leading global autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer with a broad portfolio across all major applications enabled by the company’s software suite. This will expand ABB’s robotics and automation offering, making it the only company to offer a complete portfolio for the... Read more →

Stora Enso’s pilot facility for producing bio-based carbon materials from lignin has started operations. This follows the company’s €10-million investment announced in 2019. (Earlier post.) Pilot production of Lignode by Stora Enso, wood-based carbon for batteries, is currently being ramped up. Applications include electric vehicles and consumer electronics as well... Read more →

Nearly half of Americans would consider owning an electric vehicle (EV) today, up from just more than a third of the population three months ago. Better battery life, range and safety are the top factors consumers believe automakers need to address for electric vehicles to take off, according to a... Read more →

Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, a provider of fuel cell power solutions for motive applications, is teaming with DD DANNAR, LLC (DANNAR) on an integration project to develop hydrogen fuel cell power solutions to markets in need of clean power options that may include municipalities, fleets, military applications, agriculture and mining.... Read more →

Venti Technologies, a developer of safe-speed autonomous logistics systems, secured approximately $8 million in a seed round funding. The financing round was led by LDV Partners and Alpha JWC Ventures. The investment will further Venti’s production of AI-enabled autonomous logistics transport, including fulfilling new and existing customer agreements with PSA... Read more →

Batteryline.com introduces a new network website for experts in the manufacturing of EV batteries based on the need for more knowledge in the related automotive industry. In the drive to supply the world with high quality and cost-effective batteries there is a need to improve worldwide production. The fast-growing market... Read more →

Eastman is collaborating with the United States Automotive Materials Partnership LLC (USAMP) and automotive recycler PADNOS for a concept feasibility study to demonstrate a closed-loop project to recycle automotive-industry mixed plastic waste in the automotive supply chain. USAMP is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC... Read more →

EV developer Rivian has closed a $2.5-billion private funding round. The financing was led by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, D1 Capital Partners, Ford Motor Company and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. This round included participation by Third Point, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Dragoneer Investment... Read more →

Just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron series hybrid, with which Audi will tackle the Dakar Rally in January 2022. (Earlier post.) Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination... Read more →

General Motors will introduce new Super Cruise capabilities on six model year 2022 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022. Super Cruise is the first true hands-free driver-assistance technology allowing drivers to travel hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the US and Canada. Super Cruise adds... Read more →

Experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs. (Earlier post.) As a result, GM will be conducting a new recall for the previous population of Bolt EVs... Read more →

The generator that will be at the heart of the most powerful hybrid-electric aero power and propulsion system in aerospace has arrived for installation at Rolls-Royces’s specialist testbed. PGSy1 The generator and related 3,000-volt power electronics system was delivered to the newly-renovated Testbed 108 in Bristol, UK, from the Rolls-Royce... Read more →

Hyzon Motors Inc., a global supplier of hydrogen fuel-cell-powered commercial vehicles, has developed new onboard hydrogen storage system technology that it says is capable of reducing the weight and manufacturing cost of commercial vehicles powered by Hyzon’s hydrogen fuel cells. The new patent-pending onboard hydrogen storage system technology integrates lightweight... Read more →

Air Products has selected Haldor Topsoe’s low-carbon SynCOR technology for a world-scale net-zero hydrogen energy complex in Canada. Topsoe’s SynCOR technology will enable capture of more than 95% of CO2 emissions from the production of blue hydrogen from natural gas for the recently announced Air Products facility to be built... Read more →

Tenneco is putting its 100-plus years of powertrain expertise in improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing emissions to work to explore synthetic fuels (e-fuels) as a viable near-term solution to further maximize the efficiency and minimize the carbon footprint of internal combustion engines (ICE). Tenneco’s Powertrain business group is partnering... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to go all-electric by the end of the decade, where market conditions allow, shifting from electric-first to electric-only. By 2022, Mercedes-Benz will have battery electric vehicles (BEV) in all segments the company serves. From 2025 onwards, all newly launched vehicle architectures will be electric-only and customers... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has acquired YASA, a pioneer in next-generation electric drive technology. Under the terms of the acquisition, YASA will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, developing ultra high-performance e-motors, while retaining its own brand, team, facilities and continuing to supply existing automotive supercar customers. YASA’s axial-flux electric motor... Read more →

BHP will supply Tesla Inc. with nickel from BHP’s Nickel West asset in Western Australia; BHP says that Nickel West is one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world. Nickel is a key metal used in Tesla’s battery technology. Demand for nickel in batteries... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved a $108-million investment in underground development to enable early orebody access and undertake orebody characterisation studies for underground mining at the Kennecott copper operations in the United States. The investment builds on $25 million approved in early-2020 to complete a pre-feasibility study to determine the viability... Read more →