Solid-state battery company Factorial Energy (earlier post) has entered into Joint Collaboration Agreements with both Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, each of which is also making a strategic investment in the company. Factorial’s technology offers a high level of operational safety and extends driving range by 20 to 50 percent, addressing two... Read more →

Element 1 Corporation has entered into a global agreement with NEXA Capital Partners LLC to accelerate the adoption of its methanol-to-hydrogen generators (earlier post) for fuel cell applications in aerospace and particularly electric vertical aircraft (EVA). Element 1 and NEXA are combining their expertise, along with NEXA’s capital market access,... Read more →

Initial findings from a world-first study of the impact of 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial jet have provided promising early results, according to the participants. The ECLIF3 study (Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels) (earlier post), involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, German research center DLR... Read more →

bp confirmed it is planning a new large-scale green hydrogen production facility in the North East of England that could deliver up to 500MWe (megawatt electrical input) of hydrogen production by 2030. To be developed in multiple stages, HyGreen Teesside is expected to match production to demand and build on... Read more →

Researchers in the US and China have developed a catalyst that solves three key problems long associated with direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs): low efficiency, the cost of catalytic materials and the toxicity of chemical reactions inside the cells. The team from the University of Central Florida, Oregon State University,... Read more →

At Art Basel’s 2021 Miami Beach show, BMW M GmbH presented the new BMW Concept XM; the concept car looks ahead to the most powerful BMW M car ever to go into series production, which is set to begin at the end of 2022. Electrification underpins an extraordinary driving experience... Read more →

Dana TM4, the joint venture between Dana Incorporated and Hydro-Québec, North America’s largest renewable energy producer, is establishing a new manufacturing facility in Åmål, Sweden that will initially produce electric motors for the mobility industry. This $50-million fully sustainable operation has received $10.7 million in support from the Swedish business... Read more →

Pony.ai has received approval to run paid autonomous Robotaxi services in the Beijing Intelligent Networked Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone in southeastern Beijing. With this approval, Pony.ai will be permitted to charge fees for Robotaxi services provided to the public. This represents a significant milestone on the company’s path to commercialization,... Read more →

Nine national, regional, state and city-level governments signed up to Climate Group’s newly launched initiative ZEV Pledge. The ZEV Pledge asks governments at all levels, as well as individual departments, agencies and public sector bodies, to pledge to convert their entire owned or leased fleets, where feasible, to zero-emission vehicles.... Read more →

A new report from Juniper Research has found that the automotive sensors market will grow to more than $92 billion by 2026—a 30% increase over 2021. This growth will be driven by sensors that enable automated vehicles and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). Sensors monitoring various vehicle safety parameters in... Read more →

Baidu, Inc., JiDU Automotive and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced that JiDU’s first production vehicle will feature an intelligent digital cockpit system assisted by Baidu and Qualcomm Technologies. This system is based on the 4th Generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform from Qualcomm Technologies, together with the next generation intelligent cockpit system... Read more →

A team of researchers from the US NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers based at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities has demonstrated the use of a dual cellular–heterogeneous catalytic strategy to produce olefins from glucose. Wang et al. These renewable liquids could serve as a more sustainable replacement for today’s... Read more →

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can leverage its abundant cobalt resources and hydroelectric power to become a low-cost and low-emissions producer of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials, according to a new study on a unified African supply chain by BloombergNEF (BNEF). The BNEF study—undertaken at the behest of... Read more →

Nissan Motor unveiled Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s new long-term vision for empowering mobility and beyond. With this vision, Nissan wants to deliver strategic value by empowering journeys offering confident, exciting, and more integrated experiences to customers, and through collaborations, empower society to build a smart ecosystem with integrated mobility.... Read more →

Honda Motor recently unveiled its work on two key advanced future safety technologies being developed with the goal of realizing “zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050”. The first is artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “Intelligent Driver-Assistive Technology” providing assistance that is suited to the ability and... Read more →

Vulcan Energy Resources (earlier post) and Stellantis have signed a binding lithium hydroxide offtake agreement to supply, starting in 2026, a minimum of 81,000 tonnes and a maximum of 99,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide over the duration of the initial five-year agreement. The Stellantis deal marks Vulcan Energy’s fourth... Read more →

The UK Government earlier this month announced that it will support five local transport authorities with funding worth nearly £71 million (US$95 million) under the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme. The investment will support the introduction of up to 335 zero-emission buses. The winning authorities were: Cambridgeshire and... Read more →

Seattle-based e-bike manufacturer Ariel Rider has raised US$14.8 million in a Serie A round, which puts the company’s valuation at US$74.0 million. Founder of Ariel Rider, Arda Onal, stated that the new investment will help the growth of Ariel Rider and will be used mainly for inventory, improving customer service,... Read more →

An international team of scientists, led by NTU Singapore, has linked increased air pollution to an uptick in cases of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma—an aggressive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—is a type of cancer for which research strongly suggests that genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors play a part.... Read more →

Solvay Ventures, the venture capital fund of Solvay, invested in Sepion, a California-based start-up that specializes in advanced membranes for batteries with Li-metal anodes and liquid electrolytes. The $16-million funding round was led by Fine Structure Ventures, and also includes other climate tech investors. Sepion raised funds to accelerate commercialization... Read more →

Start-up DiviGas has announced a $3.6-million seed round to support the commercialization of a new next-generation polymeric hydrogen separation membrane. Divi-H, Divigas’ new polymeric membrane, can purify hydrogen up to 99.95% purity from any feedstock composition, with best in class recovery rate, and is the most robust system against adverse... Read more →

Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a division of Nel ASA, has received a purchase order for a 20MW alkaline water electrolyzer from Ovako, a leading European manufacturer of engineering steel. The electrolyzer will be installed at Ovako’s existing plant in Hofors, Sweden. The fossil-free hydrogen will replace the use of fossil... Read more →

The UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and DNV are partnering to explore the potential of nuclear-derived hydrogen to support the conversion of UK gas networks to hydrogen. The ‘Nuclear Derived Hydrogen to Gas Networks’ collaboration is set to provide deeper evidence to support key up-coming government policy decisions on the... Read more →

Australia-based Li-S Energy has entered into an agreement with Janus Electric to develop and to test lithium sulfur and/or lithium-metal battery cells to suit the requirements of the Janus Electric exchangeable prime mover battery packs. Janus Electric has developed a system to convert diesel powered prime mover fleets to electric... Read more →

France-based specialty chemicals and materials company Arkema announced a 50% increase in its Kynar PVDF fluoropolymer production capacities at its Pierre-Bénite site in order to address the fast-growing demand for materials for lithium-ion batteries. Arkema now aims for sales of at least €1 billion in the battery sector by 2030.... Read more →

To conclude the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of Renault 4, the car maker teamed up with motion design hub TheArsenale to create a futuristic showcar, reinterpreting this iconic model. More than 8 million units of the small economy car were sold in more than 100 countries between 1961 and... Read more →

Swedish Climate Leap, “Klimatklivet”, is investing €15 million in power-to-fuel Liquid Wind’s facility, FlagshipONE, producing eMethanol. (Earlier post.) The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency works on behalf of the Swedish government, conducting and coordinating Sweden's environmental work within Sweden, the EU and internationally. The aim of their initiative Climate Leap is... Read more →

Koch Strategic Platforms (KSP), a subsidiary of Koch Investments Group, is making a US$100-million investment in Canada-based Standard Lithium (earlier post) through a direct private placement. In addition to the new capital, the company and several Koch Industries subsidiaries are exploring strategic opportunities to work collaboratively in several key areas.... Read more →

Cornish Lithium (earlier post), a mineral exploration and development company based in Cornwall, UK, secured an investment package of up to £18 million (US$24 million) from TechMet Limited, a leading technology metals investment company. Cornish Lithium said that securing long-term investment from TechMet is a significant step forward that allows... Read more →

The BMW Group is introducing its innovative eDrive Zones in another 20 European cities, including Copenhagen, Verona and Toulouse. A total of 138 cities in Europe are now benefiting from this technology; BMW expects to roll out the service in at least another 30 cities worldwide in the coming year.... Read more →

Swedish battery materials company Altris AB, which specializes in producing highly sustainable cathode materials for rechargeable sodium batteries, has officially opened its first office in China. The Guangzhou-based team will work to promote the company’s innovative cathode material, Fennac, to the Chinese market, as well as provide tailored local support... Read more →

China-based EV maker NIO has entered into a strategic partnership with Shell to further its involvement in electric vehicle and energy industries globally. As part of this new strategic cooperation agreement, NIO and Shell will construct and operate battery charging and swapping facilities. This includes a plan to install 100... Read more →

The Port of Narvik in northern Norway needs a new workboat which should be both fast and emissions-free. Together with eight project partners, it is now seeking public funding to build one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered high-speed vessels. The boat will be equipped with hydrogen fuel cells from TECO... Read more →

INOVYN is partnering with Netherlands-based VT Group (Verenigde Tankrederij) to build Europe’s first bulk liquid chemical barge powered by hydrogen. The hydrogen powered barge will transport vital raw materials for INOVYN between its sites at Antwerp and Jemeppe. This is part of INOVYN’s ongoing strategy to develop green hydrogen and... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä, together with class society RINA, ABB, Helbio (a subsidiary of Metacon AB), the Liberian Registry, and an energy major have joined forces in an effort to deliver a solution with hydrogen as fuel. The aim is to have a scalable and sustainable solution that will exceed... Read more →

By disrupting normal societal activities such as driving, COVID-19 lockdowns afforded a unique opportunity to study their impacts on the environment. Researchers now report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters that satellite data from before and during the spring 2020 lockdown in Los Angeles shows that vehicles, rather than... Read more →

Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, concluded an agreement with Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd. regarding the supply of butadiene derived from plastic waste and biomass. Asahi Kasei plans to begin producing and marketing sustainable solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) using sustainable butadiene at its plant in Singapore by the... Read more →

IONITY, Europe's leading high-power charging network, open to drivers of all electric vehicle brands, and present in 24 countries, announced a combined €700-million investment from its current shareholders and new partner the BlackRock Global Renewable Power platform. This investment will drive IONITY’s growth and network expansion plans across Europe, while... Read more →

Elcora Advanced Materials has acquired STE ERMAZONE.A.R.L, which includes ten (10) Vanadium licenses/concessions sites in Morocco. This strategic acquisition supports Elcora’s plan to enhance both its mining and energy storage solutions by adding additional markets related to battery technologies. Elcora’s methodology in processing, along with mining and battery experience, creates... Read more →

Ford has revealed the next-generation Ranger mid-size pickup truck. Order books for next-generation Ranger will open in Europe in late 2022 for customer delivery in early 2023. The current Ranger is Europe’s pick-up segment leader and recently set a new September year-to-date sales record of 45,539 units, with market share... Read more →

In the US, diesel freight trains emit 35 million metric tons of CO2 annually and produce air pollution that leads to $6.5 billion in health costs, resulting in an estimated 1,000 premature deaths each year. Now, researchers from the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), collaborating... Read more →

Swiss engine designer WinGD, a leading developer of two-stroke low-speed gas and diesel engines used for propulsion power in merchant shipping, said that its engines will be able to run on methanol and ammonia from 2024 and 2025 respectively. WinGD’s multi-fuel solutions will be based on its well-established diesel-fueled X... Read more →

BAE Systems has launched its next-generation power and propulsion system for the marine market. The HybriGen Power and Propulsion system is a flexible solution to help operators reach zero emissions—improving electrical efficiency and vessel range, increasing propulsion power, and simplifying installation. The HybriGen Power and Propulsion solution uses variable speed... Read more →

Renault Group has acquired a 21% minority stake in Whylot, a company based in the Lot region of France that has developed an innovative axial flux automotive e-motor. This acquisition of a stake in the French start-up reinforces the existing strategic partnership between the two companies. Renault Group has previously... Read more →

Israel-based automotive cybersecurity and data management company Upstream Security recently closed a Series C round which includes BMW i Ventures as a new investor. Upstream provides a cloud-based data management platform purpose-built for connected vehicles, delivering automotive cybersecurity and advanced data-driven applications. The platform utilizes connected vehicle data to secure... Read more →

The US Army’s Project Manager Transportation Systems (PM TS), part of Program Executive Office for Combat Support & Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), has partnered with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to prototype a hybrid conversion kit for tactical vehicles. The effort will initially focus on integrating an idle-reduction capability... Read more →

DHL Express is the first within Deutsche Post DHL Group to test hydrogen-fueled trucks for the long haul. Together with its customer Apple, DHL is piloting the heavy-duty vehicle, equipped with a fuel cell range extender from VDL, between Breda, the Netherlands, and Brussels, Belgium, as part of the Interreg... Read more →

FREYR Battery, a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, has become a member of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) to underscore FREYR’s commitment to developing a sustainable global battery industry. The FCA is a multi-stakeholder action platform committed to developing responsible and fair supply of artisanal mined cobalt... Read more →

Volvo Cars has invested in the optical and imaging technology start-up Spectralics through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the company’s venture capital investment arm. The investment gives Volvo Cars access to promising technology at an early stage of development. Coming from a background in aerospace technology development, Israel-based Spectralics creates... Read more →

A combined experimental and computational study published in Nature Catalysis shows promising results for a new class of catalysts producing ammonia under mild conditions. The production of ammonia amounts to about 200 megatons per year. This makes it the second-most produced chemical in the world, surpassed only by sulfuric acid.... Read more →