Niron Magnetics, a company developing high-performance rare-earth-free iron-nitride (FeN) permanent magnets, has raised $21.3 million in new financing. The Volvo Cars Tech Fund and Volta Energy Technologies join existing investors Anzu Partners and the University of Minnesota. Niron will use the funding to build its pilot production facility in Minnesota... Read more →

Dana Incorporated, a global provider of drivetrain and e-propulsion systems, and Switch Mobility Ltd., the electrified commercial vehicles company and subsidiary of Ashok Leyland Ltd, a leading commercial-vehicle manufacturer, have signed a strategic agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Dana will make a strategic investment in Switch Mobility and... Read more →

Nutrien, the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, and EXMAR, a provider of floating solutions for the operation, transportation and transformation of gas, will jointly develop and build a low-carbon, ammonia-fueled vessel. Partners for more than three decades in transporting ammonia globally, Nutrien is one of the world’s... Read more →

Gentherm, a developer of innovative thermal management technologies (earlier post), has received its first production vehicle award for its ClimateSense technology on an all-new 2024 model year electric vehicle with a global automaker. ClimateSense is Gentherm’s proprietary microclimate solution comprising advanced thermal products, integrated electronics, embedded software and a thermo-physiology... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will launch a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model of the all-new Outlander crossover SUV with a new-generation PHEV system. The vehicle will roll out in Japan in the second half of this fiscal year (fiscal 2021 runs from April 2021 to March 2022) and in the US... Read more →

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) unveiled its first-generation sodium-ion battery, together with its AB battery pack solution—which is able to integrate sodium-ion cells and lithium-ion cells into one pack. The sodium-ion battery has a similar working principle to the lithium-ion battery; sodium ions shuttle between the cathode and anode.... Read more →

Sakuú Corporation (previously KeraCel Inc.), a developer of multi-process additive manufacturing (AM) technology, has produced a 3Ah lithium-metal solid-state battery (SSB) that equals or betters current lithium-ion batteries. (Earlier post.) Sakuú has been developing its first-generation SSB battery technology alongside its additive manufacturing platform, set for commercial launch by the... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) announced that $12 million in rebates will be available to install publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The funds are part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) that addresses regional charging needs and... Read more →

Eni and BASF have signed a strategic agreement on a joint R&D initiative to reduce the CO2 footprint of the transportation sector. The cooperation aims to develop a new technology to produce advanced bio-propanol from glycerin, a side stream of the production of industrial biodiesel (FAME, fatty acid methyl ester),... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) and LG Energy Solution have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Indonesia to establish a joint venture (JV) in Indonesia to manufacture battery cells for BEVs. With this battery cell manufacturing venture, the Group and LG Energy Solution are further strengthening... Read more →

The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) and majority state-owned energy group ČEZ signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the construction of a gigafactory for battery cells for electric vehicles. The document sets forth the basic conditions for the establishment of the factory and is a prerequisite for agreements... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $60 million to 24 research and development projects aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars and light- and heavy-duty trucks. (DE-FOA-0002420) The projects will help decarbonize the transportation sector and enhance the infrastructure needed to support the growing adoption of... Read more →

Solid-state battery developer Quantumscape reported that it has made and is currently testing its first 10-layer cells in a commercially relevant (70x85 mm/ 2.8x3.4 inches) form factor. The cells are being tested at 1C and C/3 (one- and three-hour charge and discharge) rates under standard temperature (25 °C) and pressure... Read more →

LG Electronics and Magna International signed the transaction agreement which establishes a joint venture between the two companies (earlier post). The new company, to be called LG Magna e-Powertrain, is headquartered in Incheon, South Korea. The joint venture company will manufacture e-motors, inverters and on-board chargers and, for certain automakers,... Read more →

UKRI announced a further investment of £10 million (US$14 million) from the Faraday Battery Challenge to support collaborative R&D projects co-funded by industry and managed by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This latest round of Faraday Battery Challenge funding will be shared across 17 projects... Read more →

Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) announced it will be working together with Sierra Northern Railway, Gas Technology Institute (GTI), and other technical experts to develop and test a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell engine for a switcher locomotive. (Earlier post.) Switcher locomotives are a type of engine for trains that carry... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America has joined the Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP). Formed in 1987, A/SP leverages the resources of the automotive and steel industries to pursue research, validation and education that have helped automakers enhance vehicle safety and fuel economy while improving design and manufacturing. The Auto/Steel Partnership’s ongoing mission is... Read more →

Haldor Topsoe and Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum have formed a joint venture with the aim of delivering locally produced MK-151+ methanol synthesis catalysts to the Chinese market. The joint venture will secure fast delivery to local customers, who demand high-performance catalysts for energy-efficient methanol production. The mechanical strength of methanol synthesis... Read more →

ExxonMobil said it made a discovery at Whiptail in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. The Whiptail-1 well encountered 246 feet (75 meters) of net pay in high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. Drilling is also ongoing at the Whiptail-2 well, which has encountered 167 feet (51 meters) of net pay in high-quality... Read more →

Johnson Matthey (JM), as part of leading European consortium GAIA (next Generation AutomotIve membrane electrode Assemblies), has helped deliver a fuel cell power density of 1.8 W/cm2 @ 0.6V. This represents a 20% increase versus state-of-the-art technology. This market-leading result marks a significant step forward for fuel cell technology and... Read more →

MAN Energy Solutions has won the order to supply the world’s first, low-speed, dual-fuel engine to run on methanol within the container segment. Hyundai (HMD) will construct the 2,100-TEU vessel in Korea for A.P. Møller – Maersk, the global integrator of container logistics, while HHI-EMD, which has already experience with... Read more →

To meet the growing demands for sustainable delivery solutions, Electric Last Mile, Inc. (ELMS) (earlier post) and Thermo King, a strategic brand of Trane Technologies plc, plan to build an all-electric refrigerated delivery van. As part of the collaboration, Thermo King will integrate its E-200 all-electric refrigeration unit into the... Read more →

General Aviation Modifications, Inc., (GAMI)—a leading general aviation engineering company—announced that the FAA has approved Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) authorizing use of its G100UL high-octane unleaded avgas. GAMI elected to follow the well-established FAA Approved Model List (AML) STC process whereby the FAA issues the initial STCs with an AML... Read more →

A region of the central Pacific—the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ)—is estimated to contain vast reserves of polymetallic nodules that are rich in nickel and cobalt—minerals that are commonly mined on land for the production of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. Deep-sea-mining schemes propose sending down... Read more →

Rio Tinto has committed $2.4 billion to the Jadar lithium-borates project in Serbia, one of the world’s largest greenfield lithium projects. (Earlier post.) The project remains subject to receiving all relevant approvals, permits and licences and ongoing engagement with local communities, the Government of Serbia and civil society. Jadar Project... Read more →

XL Fleet Corp. and ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, have announced a partnership to electrify ARBOC Freedom low floor buses with the XL Hybrid (XLH) electric propulsion system. The wheelchair-accessible buses are built on the GM 4500... Read more →

US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) continued to grow in the first six months of 2021, averaging 9.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). This average marks an increase of 42%, or 2.8 Bcf/d, compared with the same period in 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).... Read more →

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 →