Energy Vault, a company developing grid-scale gravity energy storage solutions, has entered into an energy storage system agreement with DG Fuels, a developer of renewable hydrogen and biogenic-based, synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and diesel fuel. Under the terms of the agreement, Energy Vault agreed to provide 1.6 gigawatt hours... Read more →

JGC Holdings Corporation and Cosmo Oil Company will use Honeywell Ecofining technology (earlier post) for the first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel project in Japan. The project will convert used cooking oil locally collected in Japan into renewable jet fuel meeting ASTM D7566 standards with start-up scheduled in 2025. Honeywell’s UOP... Read more →

ElDorado National (California) or ENC, a subsidiary of REV Group, will launch its fully electric Axess bus at APTA Expo 8-10 November 2021. In addition to being the first zero-corrosion battery electric bus (BEB), it is the first to offer 40', 35' and 32' bus lengths. ENC partnered with Cummins... Read more →

Daphne Technology, a Swiss startup that has developed multi-pollutant reduction technology—a “green converter”—targeting the maritime industry, has secured strategic investments from Shell Ventures, Trafigura, AET and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures. Daphne’s technology removes toxic and GHG emissions such as nitrogen oxides, methane and carbon dioxide from the combustion gas of... Read more →

MEYER NEPTUN Engineering, a new startup within the Meyer Group focused on green innovations in the maritime industry, plans to work with the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT Rostock) on the establishment and operation of a development platform for power-to-liquid fuels from renewable energy and CO2. Power-to-Liquid (PtL) is based... Read more →

Boundary Layer Technologies, a California-based marine technology startup, revealed its concept design for a fully electric hydrofoiling ferry: ELECTRA. ELECTRA, with a 9,000 kWh battery, has a range of up to 100 nautical miles and cruise speed of 40 knots—twice the speed and range of existing electric ferries—due to Boundary... Read more →

In Japan, Toyota held the global premiere of the all-new bZ4X SUV, the first model in a new series of bZ—beyond Zero—battery electric vehicles (BEVs). US-specific product details will be shared in mid-November. Faithful in its design and technology to its concept predecessor, revealed earlier this year (earlier post), the... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has published a notice of intent (DE-FOA-0002637) to issue a second “Scale-Up” Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (DE-FOA-0002638). This FOA, funded by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), will aim to accelerate the scale-up of biofuel and bioproduct biorefineries.... Read more →

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reports that battery producers have begun to increase lithium-ion cell prices following a period of consistent raw material price rises throughout 2021, particularly for lithium. According to Benchmark, several of China’s major lithium-ion battery makers have written to customers setting out intentions of new pricing structures, citing... Read more →

In the face of the global chip shortage, Bosch is increasing its capital expenditure. Just a few weeks after opening its new wafer fab in Dresden, Bosch has now announced another nine-figure investment in its chip manufacturing facilities. In 2022 alone, Bosch plans to invest more than €400 million in... Read more →

Roskill reports that prices for Chinese graphite continue to rise as producers contend with increasing electricity costs and supply disruption caused by limits on energy consumption. For raw material flake from China, this was the fifth month of price rises for many grades, with FastMarkets IM reporting 94% C grades... Read more →

The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source foundations, along with multiple industry leaders, including Bosch, Microsoft and others, announced an open invitation for technology leaders to help define a new working group focused specifically on the Software-Defined Vehicle. The ultimate goal will be the creation of a... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (January-June) of 2021, which shows the largest six-month increase recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history. An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes... Read more →

Rio Tinto and steel producer BlueScope will work together to explore low-carbon steelmaking pathways using Pilbara iron ores, including the use of clean hydrogen to replace coking coal at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to research and design low-emissions processes for... Read more →

QM Power and the SPARK Lab at University of Kentucky shared the combined results of a large-scale, multi-objective design optimization study, and lab testing of a prototype motor designed to meet the 2025 power density goals set by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The research demonstrated the high torque... Read more →

Ford Motor Company and Newlab announced the five startups that will participate in the inaugural cohort of the Mobility Studio—a new program focused on supporting the advancement of technologies, product collaborations and business models that drive a cleaner transportation future. The program lives within Michigan Central, a new mobility innovation... Read more →

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a startup developing net-zero engine technology (earlier post), has secured $17 million in Series A financing, which will enable commercialization of the company’s innovative engine technology for the long-haul trucking, agriculture and power generation sectors. The financing was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with participation from Mercuria,... Read more →

Swedish freight technology company Einride and GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, are partnering for the implementation of electric and autonomous transport at scale. It will be the first time an autonomous and electric truck is live and operating in the US. The Pod—with no space for a driver—is the... Read more →

Autonomous driving company Aurora has released its first commercial beta of the Aurora Driver, which consists of the hardware, software, and data services needed to safely operate an autonomous Aurora-powered vehicle. Aurora Driver Beta is currently hauling loads between Dallas and Houston, TX, in a commercial pilot of Aurora Horizon,... Read more →

A new software update will extend the range of MY 2019 or 2020 Audi e-trons by up to 20 kilometers. This means that Audi isn’t limiting efficiency increases to new models, but also boosting the efficiency of cars already on the road. The update is now available and can be... Read more →

Start-up solid-state battery company Factorial Energy, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation are partnering to test Factorial’s novel solid-state battery technology and its integration in Hyundai electric vehicles. Under the Joint Development Agreement, which includes a strategic investment, the companies will integrate Factorial technology at the cell, module, and system... Read more →

Solid Power, a leading developer of all-solid-state battery cells for electric vehicles (earlier post), announced a partnership with SK Innovation to manufacture automotive-scale all-solid-state batteries under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and joint development agreement (JDA). Together, the partnership is expected to enable SK Innovation to produce automotive-scale all-solid-state battery... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) revealed online the fully redesigned plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) model of the Outlander crossover SUV. Sales will commence in Japan on 16 December, followed by Australia and New Zealand in the first half of 2022 and North America in the second half of 2022. The... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Vans has unveiled the SUSTAINEER (SUSTAINability pionEER) to give an impression of how sustainability in urban delivery operations may look in the future. The fully electric van—based on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter—combines a variety of innovative solutions designed to improve the quality of life in cities; to conserve resources and... Read more →

Audi is establishing a high-voltage battery development center at the Neckarsulm site. With that strategic decision, Neckarsulm will become a center of competency for a key electromobility technology. Audi is already developing high-voltage batteries for plug-in hybrids (PHEV) in Neckarsulm. Now, development of complete high-voltage battery portfolios for fully electric... Read more →

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has unveiled the first real-world example of a self-learning concept wheel loader with the brains to make decisions, perform tasks, and interact with humans. It is also the first time a LEGO Technic model has been turned into a real machine. While not commercially available,... Read more →

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) announced Li-Bridge, a new public-private partnership to bridge gaps in the domestic lithium battery supply chain. The Li-Bridge, which will be led by ANL, will work with the entire National Laboratory complex to accelerate the development of a robust and secure domestic supply chain for lithium-based... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $209 million in funding to 26 new national laboratory projects focusing on electric vehicles, advanced batteries and connected vehicles. The US currently relies heavily on importing advanced battery components from abroad, which exposes the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities that threaten to... Read more →

Volkswagen Group of America’s Innovation Hub Knoxville, the company’s technology unit for applied materials science, has expanded its research collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). The expanded collaboration aims to explore how to integrate break­throughs in material science and recycling concepts to... Read more →

CBMM, global leader in Niobium products, has signed an agreement to acquire 20% of the startup Battery Streak. With the investment, the company expects to drive developments in materials for batteries in mobility applications, electronic equipment, and drones. This strategic investment is part of CBMM’s new business plan, which aims... Read more →

Plug Power and Lhyfe, a producer and supplier of renewable hydrogen, announced an partnership to pursue and develop jointly green hydrogen generation plants throughout Europe. The initiative seeks to generate a total hydrogen capacity of 300MW by 2025, and to start the development of a 1GW production site. The agreement... Read more →

In a paper published in the Journal of Manufacturing Processes, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) report that their novel Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) technology (earlier post) can extrude aluminum alloy 7075 tubing at speeds up to 12.2 m/min without surface tearing. This is first experimental evidence... Read more →

In the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) International Energy Outlook 2021, released earlier this month, the EIA forecast that the global light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet will grow from 1.31 billion vehicles in 2020 to 2.21 billion vehicles by 2050. EIA projected that electric vehicles (EVs)—any LDV with a charging plug—will... Read more →

ZeroAvia announced a development collaboration with Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, for a hydrogen-electric powertrain capable of flying 76-seat regional aircraft in excess of 500 NM. Alaska is also joining the list of top investors for the company, alongside a fellow Seattle-based Amazon Climate Pledge Fund... Read more →

The Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of seven of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving more sustainable aviation and to reaching industry-wide Air Transport Action Group targets in a joint statement. This statement updates a commitment made by a unified group of CTOs in June 2019... Read more →

Urbix Inc., a US-based processor of battery-grade graphite, and Circulor, a leading sustainable supply chain traceability provider, announced a strategic partnership for transparency and accountability in sourcing and processing graphite that is used in advanced batteries. Urbix will utilize Circulor’s technology to track and trace its graphite as it changes... Read more →

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland, have developed a carbon-supported platinum nanoparticle catalyst that can achieve complete hydrocracking of polypropylene into liquid hydrocarbons (C5–C45). With tuning, the catalyst can achieve a selectivity of 80% toward motor oil (C21–C45). A paper on their work is published... Read more →

Novozymes is introducing Innova Quantum, a new addition to its Innova yeast platform. The robust new yeast enables ethanol plants with longer fermentation times of more than 60 hours to realize higher ethanol yields and processing efficiencies than ever before. Most importantly, plants can achieve this industry-leading yield without trade-offs... Read more →

General Motors announced a new community charging program to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the US and Canada. GM and its dealers will work together to expand access to charging in local communities including in underserved, rural and urban areas where EV charging access is often... Read more →

Proterra and Komatsu, a global leader in construction and mining equipment, announced a new collaboration to electrify next-generation underground mining machines using Proterra’s battery technology. This is the second collaboration between Proterra and Komatsu. The two companies previously announced an agreement in which Proterra supplies its industry-leading battery systems to... Read more →

Allegro MicroSystems, a global provider of power and sensing solutions for motion control and energy efficient systems, is expanding its QuietMotion product line with the introduction of the new A89307 automotive-qualified gate driver integrated circuit (IC). Designed for battery cooling fans and HVAC systems in electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles,... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s eMobility business has introduced the EVK Series, a new line of Bussmann series fuses. The new line of high-voltage fuses meets the requirements for use in the latest high-powered electrified vehicles (EVs) with ratings up to 1,000 volts of direct current (VDC) and 600 amps. Eaton’s... Read more →

ADM and Gevo signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other low carbon-footprint hydrocarbon fuels. The MoU contemplates the production of both ethanol and isobutanol that would then be transformed into renewable low carbon-footprint hydrocarbons, including SAF, using Gevo’s processing technology... Read more →

MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the world’s largest CRJ Series Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul company, and ZeroAvia, an innovator in hydrogen-electric propulsion for aviation (earlier post), signed an agreement to cooperate in developing hydrogen-electric propulsion for regional jet applications. The... Read more →

The Biophysical Economics Institute (BPEI), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the natural sciences into economic analysis and decision making, has partnered with Hedgerow Analysis to evaluate the implementation of SiC chips in electric vehicle usage on behalf of silicon carbide technology leader Wolfspeed, Inc. Specifically, the study estimated the... Read more →

The first full-size lithium-ion battery cells featuring Johnson Matthey’s advanced eLNO cathode technology (earlier post) are being installed in a high performance race car. eLNO is a family of nickel-rich cathode materials that safely enables batteries to perform better and charge more quickly while retaining exceptional battery lifetime. Johnson Matthey... Read more →

BASF and SVOLT have entered into an agreement in which both parties will partner throughout their global operations with regards to cathode active materials (CAM) development, raw materials supply and battery recycling for SVOLT’s battery cells. The cooperation will also enhance the research and development (R&D) capabilities for both companies... Read more →

The further enhanced prototype of the hydrogen-based fuel-cell truck Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck has received approval from German authorities for use on public roads. In April, the truck manufacturer began to conduct tests of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, which was unveiled in 2020, on the company’s test tracks. There, the truck,... Read more →

Hertz is making a significant investment to offer the largest EV rental fleet in North America and one of the largest in the world. This includes an initial order of 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022 and new EV charging infrastructure across the company’s global operations. Today, 40% of... Read more →

The Lion Electric Company has received a conditional purchase order for 1,000 all-electric LionC school buses from Student Transportation of Canada (STC), a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America (STA), a North-American leader in student transportation, safety and fleet management services, the controlling shareholder of which is Caisse de dépôt... Read more →