The 2022 Audi e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback (earlier post) are making their way to the US this fall, adding to Audi’s portfolio of all-electric performance vehicles. Audi e-tron S models carry two electric motors on the rear axle and one on the front and are able to generate... Read more →

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is making a total of €500 million available by the end of 2025 for the further development of the public charging infrastructure in Germany. The aim is to set up a total of at least 50,000 charging points (of which at... Read more →

Ricardo has received UK Government funding to create a retrofit hydrogen fuel cell bus demonstrator for the UK’s first hydrogen transport hub in the north-east of England. To demonstrate progress with its national hydrogen strategy, the UK Government launched the Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub, and initiated the Hydrogen Transport Hub... Read more →

Raven SR Inc., a waste-to-fuels company, closed a $20-million strategic investment from Chevron USA, ITOCHU, Hyzon Motors and Ascent Hydrogen Fund. Raven SR plans to build modular waste-to-green hydrogen production units and renewable synthetic fuel facilities initially in California and then worldwide. (Earlier post.) Raven SR’s technology makes it one... Read more →

The UK’s Advanced Propulsion Center (APC) announced almost £92 million (US$127 million) in combined government and industry funding for four electric and hydrogen mobility projects, aiming to tackle range anxiety and find solutions to decarbonize commercial and heavy-duty transport. The four projects are: REECorner for EVs; £41.2 million (US$57 million)... Read more →

Anglo-Australian BHP Group is merging its oil and gas business with Woodside Petroleum Ltd. The all-stock merger will create a global top 10 independent energy company by production, and will also allow BHP to focus more intently on “future-facing commodities” that are most positively leveraged towards population growth, rising living... Read more →

Micromobility services Bird and Ford-owned Spin are the latest to integrate with Google Maps for Mobile (GMM). People using Google Maps for efficient and reliable journey planning are now able to discover Spin e-scooters and e-bikes and Bird scooters when given route options for their journeys. Google Maps users are... Read more →

Nissan launched the Note Aura NISMO, sales of which are scheduled to start in Japan this autumn. The all-new Note Aura NISMO comes exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post), a key part of the company’s electrification strategy under the Nissan NEXT global business transformation plan. e-POWER borrows from... Read more →

Addressing climate change requires not only a clean electrical grid, but also a clean fuel to reduce emissions from industrial heat, long-haul heavy transportation, and long-duration energy storage. Hydrogen and its derivatives could be that fuel, argues a commentary by four energy researchers in the journal Joule. However, they note,... Read more →

The UK government has launched a Hydrogen Strategy intended to create a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector—blue and green—in the UK over the next decade and beyond. The UK’s first Hydrogen Strategy drives forward the commitments laid out in the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution by... Read more →

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a robotic disassembly system for spent electric vehicle battery packs to recycle and reuse critical materials safely and efficiently while reducing toxic waste. With the anticipated growth in EVs over the next two decades comes the issue of... Read more →

In order to provide a basic fast-charging infrastructure for medium- and long-haul traffic, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is putting out tenders for the construction and operation of 1,000 fast charging locations, each with several charging points. (Earlier post.) This will create several thousand new... Read more →

The United States continued a trend of significant growth in large-scale battery capacity, with US battery power capacity reaching 1,650 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2020. According to EIA’s report, Battery Storage in the United States: An Update on Market Trends, US battery power capacity grew by 35% in... Read more →

BASF, L&L Products and Stellantis have been recognized for lightweighting success on the composite tunnel for the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The vehicle, which launched in May, just won the Altair Enlighten Award for achievements in vehicle weight savings.The composite tunnel delivers a 40% weight reduction compared to previous... Read more →

Helbiz announced the launch of its first electric scooter intended for sale, Helbiz One. The e-scooter prototype was developed through a collaboration with international design house and emblem of Italian style, Pininfarina, and MT Distribution, a leader in the design and production of urban micro-mobility solutions in the Italian Motor... Read more →

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a Preliminary Evaluation of the SAE Level 2 ADAS system (Autopilot) in the Tesla Model Year 2014-2021 Models Y, X, S, and 3. The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist,... Read more →

The US Bureau of Reclamation released the Colorado River Basin August 2021 24-Month Study. This month’s study projections are used to set annual operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead in 2022. Releases from these massive reservoirs are determined by anticipated reservoir elevations. Most of the flow of the Colorado... Read more →

Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA, has received a contract for a 1.25 megawatt (MW) containerized PEM electrolyzer from a leading utility in the US. The client will be installing an MC250 electrolyzer at a nuclear power plant for self-supply of hydrogen to meet turbine cooling and chemistry... Read more →

Scientists of Ural Federal University and the Institute of Metallurgy of the Ural Branch of RAS (Russian Academy of Sciences) have developed and successfully tested the technology of joint non-waste processing of electric furnace and ladle slag to obtain pig iron and Portland cement clinker. A paper on their work... Read more →

LG Energy Solution has secured 100% rights to battery-grade nickel and cobalt materials from Australian Mines Limited amid growing concerns about future supplies of raw materials. LG Energy Solution has entered into a binding long-form offtake agreement with Australian Mines Ltd. for nickel and cobalt, which will be supplied in... Read more →

Re|Source, a solution to trace responsibly produced cobalt from the mine to the electric vehicle (earlier post), acknowledged the progress made by Tesla in implementing the pilot project across its supply chain. Tesla has been a key partner in designing and implementing the solution, which was officially announced on 20... Read more →

China Molybdenum (CMOC) will invest US$2.51 billion to expand production capacity of its Tenke Fungurume mine (TFM) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In July, the company started trial production from a 10k expansion at another site in the mine. (Earlier post.) The expansion project, which is expected to... Read more →

thyssenkrupp has been awarded a contract to perform a technical study for a new green hydrogen and green ammonia project by the Emirati company Helios. A water electrolysis plant as well as a facility for sustainable ammonia production are planned to be constructed at KIZAD in Abu Dhabi, UAE, based... Read more →

Global Energy Ventures entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Province Resources and Total Eren (together the HyEnergy Project partners) to support a technical and commercial feasibility study on exporting green hydrogen from the HyEnergy Project, located in the Gascoyne region, in Western Australia, to nominated markets in the... Read more →

Mitsui OSK Lines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint study to build a supply chain of renewable energy-derived ammonia (green ammonia) with Australian energy company Origin Energy. Origin is pursuing a number of green ammonia and hydrogen projects, including a green ammonia export project in Bell... Read more →

A study by researchers at CU Boulder and Edinburgh Napier University finds that high-density, low-rise environments such as those found in Paris are the optimal urban form when looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their whole life cycle. There is a growing belief that building taller and denser is... Read more →

Strategic Biofuels announced that its Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Test Well Program was successfully completed at the company’s Louisiana Green Fuels Project (LGF) in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. LGF is the first renewable diesel fuel project to achieve this milestone. The goals of the test well program were to demonstrate... Read more →

A team at the University of Oregon is working to give bicyclists smoother rides by allowing them to communicate with traffic signals via a mobile app. The latest report to come out of this multi-project research effort introduces machine-learning algorithms to work with their mobile app FastTrack. Developed and tested... Read more →

Micro Bird Holdings, a Blue Bird and bus distributor Girardin joint venture and North American market leader in the Type A school bus market, has acquired a controlling interest in the EV drivetrain integrator and supplier GranTuned Automobiles (Ecotuned). This strategic acquisition firmly positions Micro Bird for substantial growth in... Read more →

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority (Port of Corpus Christi) and Howard Midstream Energy Partners, LLC (Howard/HEP) have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) stating their intention to convert Howard’s Javelina refinery services facility into the region’s first blue hydrogen production facility. Howard’s Javelina facility is strategically positioned in the... Read more →

A new study published by US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory offers the most complete understanding yet of the costs of owning and operating a vehicle, and how those costs vary by powertrain, from the conventional to the cutting-edge. “Comprehensive total cost of ownership quantification for vehicles with... Read more →

Lilium GmbH, a developer of regional electric air mobility solutions (earlier post), intends to enter into a $1-billion commercial deal and strategic alliance with Brazilian airline Azul. Lilium plans to work with Azul to transform high-speed regional transportation in a country which sees close to 100 million domestic air passengers... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) Swanson School of Engineering are working with Powdermet Inc., a nanomaterials and advanced materials research and development company in Ohio, to develop a rare-earth-mineral-free electric motor. Most electric motors for electric vehicles rely on permanent magnets made with rare-earth metals, which are a... Read more →

Nikola Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial battery-electric vehicles (BEV), fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and energy infrastructure solutions, has been awarded an approximate $2-million grant from the US Department of Energy to advance research into autonomous refueling technologies for future hydrogen fueling stations. Autonomous fueling is part of... Read more →

The California Energy Commission has approved a 4-million grant to Equilon Enterprises LLC (dba Shell Oil Products US) to develop and demonstrate the first multi-modal hydrogen refueling station in California. The multi-modal hydrogen refueling station will serve hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered on-road heavy-duty vehicles and locomotives at the Port of West Sacramento and... Read more →

Romeo Power, a developer of electrification solutions for complex commercial vehicle applications, has entered into a long-term supply agreement for lithium-ion battery cells with LG Energy Solution, Ltd., a Tier 1 battery cell and materials manufacturer. Under the agreement, LG Energy has committed to supplying cells to Romeo Power that... Read more →

Proterra has concluded negotiations with LG Energy Solution on a new agreement that will provide Proterra with a long-term supply of cylindrical cells produced at an LG Energy Solution battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The US-manufactured battery cells will be delivered to Proterra factories for the manufacture... Read more →

Finnish Minerals Group and Norway-based FREYR Battery have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pursue co-operation in implementing a battery cell investment in Finland. The parties will be identifying co-operation and business models, and technological implementation options for the plant, as well as evaluating the possibility of establishing the... Read more →

Bosch is pooling its mechanical engineering expertise and offering companies factory equipment for battery production from a single source—ranging from individual components and software solutions to complete assembly lines. One of its pilot customers is Webasto, which is equipping its battery factories with Bosch technology. We know batteries like the... Read more →

Mitsui & Co., Inc., one of the leading ammonia marketers in the world, and CF Industries Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia, announced a memorandum of understanding that will guide the companies in a joint exploration of the development of blue ammonia projects in the United States. CF... Read more →

“Blue” hydrogen—produced through steam methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas or coal gasification, but with CO2 capture and storage—is being described as having low or zero carbon emissions. However, a new lifecycle study by a team from Stanford University and Cornell University has concluded that total greenhouse gas emissions from... Read more →

NFI Group, a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in mobility solutions, announced an agreement with Robotic Research, LLC to increase the deployment of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in transit agency fleets across North America. The agreement expands the partnership between New Flyer of America, an NFI... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s Vehicle Group has developed a series of 48-volt technologies to assist its global on- and off-highway commercial vehicle customers transitioning from traditional 12- and 24-volt vehicle systems to systems that include 48-volt architecture. These 48-volt systems can power new, advanced energy-consuming components and can help reduce... Read more →

ChargePoint Holdings, a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network operating in North America and Europe, has acquired ViriCiti, a leading provider of electrification solutions for eBus and commercial fleets. ChargePoint acquired ViriCiti for a total purchase price of approximately €75 million (US$88 million) in cash, subject to adjustments. The ViriCiti... Read more →

Southwest Research Institute and The University of Texas at San Antonio (USTA) are collaborating to combine two catalytic processes into a single reactor, with the overall goal of recycling carbon from CO2 to produce low-cost hydrocarbon fuels. The work, led by Dr. Grant Seuser of SwRI’s Powertrain Engineering Division and... Read more →

Southwest Research Institute received an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at up to $34 million over five years to support the US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center through research and development of autonomous and robotic vehicles. SwRI develops autonomous drones and ground vehicles, such as this high mobility... Read more →

XALT Energy, LLC and the ReCell Center, the US Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office’s (DOE/VTO) battery recycling center (earlier post), are working to close a technology gap between the world’s increasing use of lithium-ion batteries and the need for advanced, in-process and end-of-life battery recycling options. XALT Energy, a... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is adding additional Car-to-X functions that can detect large potholes. Large potholes are a safety hazard, because if drivers do not recognize them in time, they can no longer take evasive action or reduce their speed. There is also a risk of damage to tires and the suspension system.... Read more →

Chevrolet revealed that the Silverado electric pickup will have available—on select models and trims—Four-Wheel Steer and 24-inch wheels. Four-Wheel Steer is a chassis feature that enables the vehicle to steer all four wheels, enabling increased agility and tighter turning radius at low speeds, improved handling and stability at higher speeds,... Read more →

Kia EV6 (earlier post)has achieved product carbon footprint certification and ‘Carbon Measured’ label from the global climate change and sustainability consultancy the Carbon Trust, becoming the first Korean vehicle manufacturer to achieve the certificate. The first EV6 models are expected to go on sale in the US in early 2022... Read more →