Researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the University of Texas at Austin, with colleagues at the US Army Research Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have developed a thick cobalt-free high voltage spinel (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO)) cathode material with high areal capacity. The paper on their work... Read more →

Audi and the Hager Group, a supplier of solutions and services for electrical installations in residential, commercial and industrial buildings Increasing network stability, lowering electricity costs, and contributing to climate protection, are researching bi-directional charging to integrate electric vehicles into the domestic power grid to reduce electricity costs and increase... Read more →

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and University College London (UCL) have produced graphene via a special, scalable technique and used it to develop hydrogen fuel cell catalysts. In an open-access paper published in the RSC journal Nanoscale, the researchers report that this new type of graphene-based catalyst was... Read more →

OptiFuel Systems, a system integrator of Cummins and BAE Systems hybrid power products for decarbonizing the rail, marine, and microgrid power market, is in the process of finalizing a $2.6 million US Department of Energy (DOE) grant to demonstrate a pre-production Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) hybrid 4,300 hp line-haul locomotive.... Read more →

Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) unveiled its first 21 Proterra electric buses and brand-new, purpose-built electric bus garages. ETS has 19 more Proterra buses on the way this year to make up a 40-bus fleet, one of the largest purchases of electric buses in Canadian history. With this deployment, ETS also... Read more →

Workhorse Group Inc. has received an initial purchase order for 20 of its all-electric C-1000 delivery vehicles from Cincinnati-based, newly-launched trucking company, eTrucks. eTrucks plans to function as a vehicle buyer and reseller and will be offering fleet funding programs and services tailored for different business needs. The company also... Read more →

With the market launch of the eVito and the eSprinter in 2019, Mercedes-Benz Vans has sent a clear signal of locally emission-free commercial freight transport in urban areas. The new eVito Tourer, which can be ordered now, reaches a new dimension in battery-electric commercial passenger transport in terms of mile... Read more →

The 2010 Census counted 308,745,538 people living in the United States; the 2020 Census is still counting and we will not know the final number until the work is done and presented to the president and Congress. However, the US Census Bureau provides population estimates between the decennial censuses and... Read more →

Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel, has opened four new fueling stations in northern and central California, providing greater accessibility to 100% renewable diesel. The fueling stations are open 24/7 and provide a seamless and quick customer experience. They are located near major commercial freight routes and are... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for airplanes used in commercial aviation and large business jets. This proposed action would align US standards with the international CO2 emissions standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2017, making domestically manufactured aircraft competitive... Read more →

Jeep is taking orders in Europe for the Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe plug-in hybrids (earlier post)—the first electrified Jeep models in the EMEA Region. The Jeep 4xe models will debut in Jeep showrooms across Europe in September with three trim levels: ‘Limited’, ‘S’ and ‘Trailhawk’, two power levels—190 or... Read more →

SCS Global Services (SCS), Electrify America and Verra announced the first validation of a carbon-offset project under a new methodology for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. Electrify America’s achievement (for its direct current (DC) fast chargers) came last month after successful validation and registration of the project’s design under the... Read more →

In preparation for production of the fully-electric BMW i4, BMW Group Plant Munich will pause vehicle production for six weeks this summer. No cars will be produced between the end of the late shift on 23 July and the start of the early shift on 7 September. Plant Munich will... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz AG is grouping all drive system competencies across the group in the new unit “Mercedes-Benz Drive Systems” within the company. The transformation of Mercedes-Benz AG and its products in line with CO2-free mobility for the future brings with it significant changes for the drive system in particular. Therefore, the... Read more →

Optimal Electric Vehicles, LLC. (Optimal-EV) is entering electric vehicle manufacturing with the battery-electric S1LF Low-Floor Shuttle Bus. The S1LF integrates a quasi-purpose-built Ford E450 chassis platform, which has been fully optimized with the vehicle body and achieves a low step-in height without kneeling the suspension. Optimal Electric Vehicles, LLC. is... Read more →

Savari and Swift Navigation are partnering to foster and promote technology to improve position accuracy for V2X applications. Using Swift Navigation’s Skylark precise positioning service and Starling positioning engine, Savari’s V2X software stack will benefit from improved positioning accuracy, enhancing the reliability of V2X content. This capability of centimeter-accurate precision... Read more →

Global chemical company BASF and IntelliSense.io, a leading industrial artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced an exclusive partnership which will combine their expertise in mineral processing, ore beneficiation chemistry and industrial AI technology. The joint offering is called the ‘BASF Intelligent Mine powered by IntelliSense.io’ and delivers AI solutions embedded with... Read more →

FCA and Waymo have expanded their autonomous driving technology partnership; FCA became Waymo’s first OEM partner in 2016. Waymo will now work exclusively with FCA as its preferred partner for the development and testing of class 1-3 light commercial vehicles for goods movement for commercial delivery customers, including Waymo Via.... Read more →

Southern California Edison has set fleet electrification goals for 2030: 100% of its light-duty vehicles, 30% of medium-duty vehicles, 8% of heavy-duty vehicles, and 60% of forklifts. SCE estimates that in pursuing its 2030 fleet electrification goals, it will save more than 620,000 gallons of fuel annually and eliminate close... Read more →

The market for software-intensive automotive electronic systems is expected to grow by some 15% annually between now and 2030. Bosch is now establishing a new division, Cross-Domain Computing Solutions. From the start of 2021, existing and new customers will receive electronics systems and the requisite software from a single source:... Read more →

Ford has introduced the Mustang Mach-E 1400, a performance prototype based on the Mustang Mach-E EV. Developed in collaboration with RTR and built off a Mustang Mach-E GT body-in-white, the prototype targets 1,400 peak horsepower. The chassis and powertrain work together for a multitude of setups offering capability unlike any... Read more →

More than 14 tonnes of CO2 was saved in a two-year trial involving just 11 urban trucks and vans running on green hydrogen dual fuel. That is one result of the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial (LEFT) project to investigate the practical deployment of hydrogen powered vehicles in the... Read more →

Nuseed Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nufarm Limited, has executed a commercial off-take agreement with Saipol, the largest biodiesel producer in Europe, to supply Nuseed Carinata as a feedstock for certified low-carbon oil for renewable fuels and high protein non-GMO meal for livestock feed. The multi-year agreement follows the first... Read more →

Brazilian researchers have demonstrated a new chemical approach for producing biodiesel from domestic cooking oil waste by using lithium hydroxide mixed with either sodium hydroxides or potassium hydroxides as catalysts. Their work, published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, could enable future studies related to the use of... Read more →

China-based EV company Xpeng Motors announced the signing of its Series C+ financing of around US$500 million with a group of investors including Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital China. The Series C+ financing further enhances the company’s commitment to serving the large and growing base of technology-savvy middle-class... Read more →

Borealis, a supplier of polyolefin plastic materials for engineering applications in the automotive industry, announced the availability of Fibremod, its innovative carbon and glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) technology, for the North American automotive market. The Fibremod family of products enables automotive manufacturers to achieve weight-saving and process cost-saving targets. In... Read more →

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, have reported in the journal Nature Materials a new class of soft, solid electrolytes made from both polymers and ceramics that suppress dendrites in that early nucleation stage, before they can propagate... Read more →

Baker Hughes and Snam have successfully completed testing of the world’s first “hybrid” hydrogen turbine designed for a gas network. The test paves the way to implement adoption of hydrogen blended with natural gas in Snam’s current transmission network infrastructure. The test took place at Baker Hughes’ facility in Florence,... Read more →

Volkswagen is rolling out its own charging service to coincide with the market launch of the ID. family. With We Charge, customers will be able to charge their electric vehicles at more than 150,000 public charging points all over Europe. The We Charge charging card gives them easy access to... Read more →

LeydenJar Technologies, a Dutch spin-out of the applied research institute TNO, has developed a new,100% silicon anode for lithium-ion batteries. This breakthrough offers two key benefits: batteries with a 70% higher energy density (1350 Wh/L) and 62% less CO2 emissions. The anode is ready for production and LeydenJar is preparing... Read more →

Mercom Capital Group, LLC, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the global Battery Storage, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency sectors for the second quarter (Q2) and first half (1H) of 2020. Total corporate funding (including venture... Read more →

Ford and Mobileye, an Intel company, are expanding their relationship to offer even better camera-based detection capabilities for driver-assistance systems, including improved forward collision warning, vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus lane-keeping features. As chosen supplier of vision-sensing technology for Ford advanced driver-assistance systems, Mobileye will provide its EyeQ family... Read more →

Workhorse Group Inc., an American technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective drone-integrated electric vehicles to the last-mile delivery sector, announced the closing of its previously announced financing agreement for a $70-million Senior Secured Convertible Note with a single institutional investor. The proceeds will be used for current operating... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $64 million in Fiscal Year 2020 funding for 18 projects that will support the H2@Scale vision for affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and use. These projects will fuel the next round of research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities under H2@Scale’s multi-year initiative... Read more →

Chevron Corporation entered into a definitive agreement with independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company Noble Energy, Inc. to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Noble Energy in an all-stock transaction valued at $5 billion, or $10.38 per share. Based on Chevron’s closing price on 17 July... Read more →

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) and Tradepoint Atlantic celebrated the first day of operations at the Tradepoint Atlantic terminal at the Port of Baltimore, VWGoA’s newest port in the US. The port, which will serve roughly 302 dealers in the mid-Atlantic region, marks an approximately $150-million investment in the... Read more →

Solid-oxide-fuel-cell manufacturer Bloom Energy is entering the commercial hydrogen market by introducing hydrogen-powered fuel cells and electrolyzers that produce renewable hydrogen. These products will be first introduced to the South Korean market in 2021 through an expanded partnership with SK Engineering and Construction (SK E&C), an affiliate of SK Group.... Read more →

A Korean research team has developed a technology that can be used to mass-produce aviation-grade fuels from wood wastes. The ability to produce aviation-grade fuel from oil derived from wood waste—which up until now has been difficult due to the high viscosity of the oil—could help international aviation companies comply... Read more →

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), and a collaborative organization of FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, has awarded a $2.4-million contract to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to lead a program to develop... Read more →

BYD announced the official launch of its Han EV series, the brand’s long-awaited flagship offering for the global mid-to-large luxury sedan market, including three pure electric models and one hybrid model. The Han EV will be sold in China at first. Its extended-range version will sell at 229,800 RMB (US$32,900),... Read more →

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Caltech have found that copper that was once bound with oxygen is better at converting carbon dioxide into renewable fuels than copper that was never bound to oxygen. For their study, published in the journal ACS Catalysis, the scientists performed X-ray... Read more →

Continental has introduced a new line of truck tires that offer reduced fuel consumption and improved mileage. The Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3 are produced using a new manufacturing process in combination with an innovative tread design for the steering axle and a rubber compound that is optimized for rolling... Read more →

Kia Motors Corporation has founded ‘Purple M’, a new start-up designed to offer customized EV mobility services. Purple M is a new joint venture created in partnership between Kia Motors and CODE42.ai, a Korean technology firm pioneering the transition to autonomous Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS). Through this new start-up, Kia and CODE42.ai... Read more →

Britishvolt has signed an MOU with the Welsh Government as both parties work together on plans to develop a commercially viable 30 GWh battery manufacturing plant, and supplementary 200MW solar plant, at the former RAF base at Bro Tathan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. After six months of careful analysis,... Read more →

BAE Systems has been awarded a $32-million prototype agreement by the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to integrate a Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) system onto a Bradley Fighting Vehicle—a tracked vehicle. The development program is part of the Army’s effort to increase vehicle efficiency and boost... Read more →

Researchers from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a cobalt-free high-energy lithium-ion battery, eliminating the cobalt and opening the door to reducing the costs of producing batteries while boosting performance in some ways. The team reported a new class of cathodes anchored... Read more →

The CCS Full-Scale project is a central part of Norway’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet the European goal of climate-neutrality by 2050. It is the largest single state aid award ever approved by the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Surveillance Authority (ESA). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)... Read more →

A team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Aramco Services Company, MIT, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Argonne National Laboratory has developed a machine-learning-based model (Pandemic Oil Demand Analysis, PODA) to project the US medium-term gasoline demand in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to study the impact... Read more →

Jaguar Land Rover has now produced more than 1.5 million Ingenium engines at its Engine Manufacturing Center in Wolverhampton, UK. The UK manufacturer is now adding a new straight-six diesel to the family. The advanced Ingenium family, which includes a range of diesel, gasoline and electrified engines, are built to... Read more →

Scientists from ExxonMobil, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Imperial College of London have published in the journal Science joint research on potential breakthroughs in a new membrane technology that could reduce emissions and energy intensity associated with refining crude oil. Laboratory tests indicate the patent-pending membrane could be used... Read more →