Lucid announced that Gravity, its upcoming luxury electric SUV, will be on sale in 2024 with reservations opening in early 2023. Lucid is currently finalizing the vehicle design and specifications, in parallel with continuing the expansion of its AMP-1 factory in Casa Grande, AZ. With the Lucid Space Concept employed... Read more →

A new report from a team at Argonne National Laboratory examines the changing characteristics for light-duty plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) from 2010-2021, evaluating range, energy efficiency, costs, and performance. The report estimates miles driven, electricity consumption, petroleum reduction, and greenhouse gas emissions attributable to electric vehicles. The report also explores... Read more →

VinFast has received an order from Autonomy—the US’ largest electric vehicle subscription company—for more than 2,500 VF 8 and VF 9 vehicles. This is VinFast’s largest corporate order to date, and one of Autonomy’s largest electric vehicle orders. In August 2022, Autonomy ordered 23,000 electric vehicles across 17 different global... Read more →

Domino’s is rolling out more than 800 custom-branded 2023 Chevy Bolt electric vehicles at select stores throughout the U.S., making it the largest electric pizza delivery fleet in the country. Domino’s launched pizza delivery in 1960 with a Volkswagen Beetle, rolled out the DXP —a custom-built pizza delivery vehicle—in 2015,... Read more →

UTM Offshore signed an agreement for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for Nigeria’s first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility with engineering firms KBR, JGC Corporation and Technip Energies. The FLNG facility will have a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) nameplate production capacity of 1.2 million metric ton per annum and... Read more →

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, China’s leading privately-owned automotive technology group, has signed an agreement to license its pure electric Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) to ElectroMobility Poland (EMP), an electric vehicle manufacturer backed by the Polish government. Geely Holding will also become a technology partner to EMP’s first series of vehicles... Read more →

Rare earth elements (REEs), especially heavy REEs (HREEs), are important in modern industry. However, conventional mining techniques apply excessive usage of ammonium-salt-based leaching agents to recover HREEs from ion-adsorption rare earth deposits (IADs), which exhibits low efficiency and devastating environmental impact on the local ecosystem. A research team led by... Read more →

NXP Semiconductors has introduced the new S32K39 series of automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) optimized for electric vehicle (EV) control applications. The modern S32K39 MCUs offer high-speed and high-resolution control for increased power efficiency to extend driving range and provide a smoother EV driving experience. The S32K39 MCUs include networking, security and... Read more →

Solid-state sodium-ion battery company LiNa Energy (earlier post) successfully completed an independent demonstration of its lithium-free sodium batteries for energy storage systems with commercial partner ion Ventures. The test was performed independently at HORIBA MIRA and was funded via support from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy... Read more →

Constellium SE is supplying aluminum auto body sheet for the all-new Maserati Grecale SUV. Constellium is the primary supplier of auto body sheet solutions for the closures of the Maserati Grecale, including the hood, liftgate, and doors. For the outer surface of the hood and liftgate, Constellium provides Surfalex, its... Read more →

Israeli startup EVR Motors has partnered with India’s EKA Mobility, an electric vehicles and technology company, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries Limited, to design small, lightweight electric motors for their e-buses and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) in India. According to the new commercial agreement, EVR will design and develop electric... Read more →

Ampaire’s Eco Caravan, a nine-seat regional aircraft, made its first flight on a fully-integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system. Ampaire expects it to be the first electrified regional aircraft to enter commercial service (certification in 2024) and the first in a series of larger Ampaire hybrid-electric aircraft. (Earlier post.) The Eco Caravan... Read more →

Fusion Fuel has entered into a commercial agreement with Duferco Energia SpA jointly to develop the green hydrogen ecosystem in Italy and select markets in the MENA region. A subsidiary of Duferco Group, the multinational steel and commodity trading company, Duferco Energia is a focused on the management of energy... Read more →

The US Department of Agriculture has awarded Bridgestone and several partners a $35-million grant to continue its investment in desert shrub guayule (earlier post) to advance a climate-smart domestic rubber industry and offer a solution for growers amid the ongoing water crisis in the Southwestern US. The grant will be... Read more →

Neste, the world's leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel produced from waste and residue raw materials, will acquire the used cooking oil (UCO) collection and aggregation business and related assets in the United States from Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC. The transaction includes shares in SeQuential Environmental... Read more →

Audi is strengthening its development capabilities in China with a significant broadening of its R&D scope in the region and an expansion of its local Audi China R&D team. The move to the new Audi China Building, opening nearly 10 years after its predecessor, is also a significant milestone in... Read more →

In the future, Continental will offer Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) solutions based on the CV3 artificial intelligence (AI) system-on-chip (SoC) family from semiconductor company Ambarella. The high-performance, power-efficient and scalable SoC portfolio, which is built for ADAS applications, complements Continental’s solutions for assisted driving and further advances vehicle automation.... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Japan-based motor maker Nidec is planning to invest an estimated ¥100 billion (US$715 million) to build an e-axle plant in Mexico. The company is currently producing e-axles in China and Europe but will start making them in North America as well ahead of an expected surge... Read more →

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has exclusively licensed battery electrolyte technology to Safire Technology Group. The collection of five patented technologies is designed for a drop-in additive for lithium-ion batteries that prevents explosions and fire from impact. Safire, a battery technology startup formerly known as BTRY, plans... Read more →

MIT researchers led by MIT Professor and colleagues at Brown University have developed an approach to controlling dendrite propagation in solid-state batteries. A paper on their work is published in the journal Joule. MIT Professor Yet-Ming Chiang, the corresponding author of the paper, says in the group’s earlier work, they... Read more →

General Motors plans to invest $45 million at its Bedford, Indiana aluminum die casting foundry. This investment will be used to expand the facility’s production capacity of EV drive unit castings to support the anticipated strong demand for the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV full-size pickups. The capacity... Read more →

VinES Energy Solutions Joint Stock Company (a member of Vingroup) and Gotion Inc.（a wholly owned subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech), held the groundbreaking ceremony for their LFP battery cell factory in Vung Ang Economic Zone (Ha Tinh). The project has a total investment of more than VND 6,329 billion (US$275 million),... Read more →

Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, signed a definitive agreement to acquire full ownership of Beyond6, LLC (B6) and its network of 55 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations across the United States from Chevron’s current B6 co-owners, a subsidiary of Mercuria Energy Trading (Mercuria) and B6 CEO Andrew... Read more →

Aviation H2 has commenced testing on a Swiwin SW170b-2448 turbine, using jet A fuel to develop the baseline data required to compare the engine’s performance once they convert it to a carbon-free fuel. With the initial trials complete, the company will start pulling apart the engine and designing the modifications,... Read more →

Archer Aviation publicly unveiled its production aircraft, Midnight, a pilot-plus-four-passenger eVTOL aircraft during its Open House event in Palo Alto, CA. Midnight is the evolution of Archer’s demonstrator eVTOL aircraft, Maker, which has validated its proprietary twelve-tilt-six configuration and key enabling technologies. Midnight is designed to be safe, sustainable, quiet... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has successfully entered the final phase of testing it’s ALECSys (Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System) demonstrator engine, this time at altitude. (Earlier post.) The demonstrator took to the skies attached to the Rolls-Royce Boeing 747 Flying Test Bed in Tucson, Arizona. The test program has included flights up to... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board approved a $2.6-billion investment plan to support the transition to zero-emission transportation. Supported projects range from incentives for cleaner trucks and buses, and mobility options such as bike- and car-sharing, to consumer rebates for clean cars. This year’s investment dollars focus largely on underserved communities,... Read more →

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and CMO global of Stellantis, officially announced plans to offer the fully electric Fiat 500e in North America. The new 500e will arrive in the US market in early 2024. Fiat 500e hatchback (European specification) During the press conference, Olivier... Read more →

Hyundai Home has officially launched in 16 states. (Earlier post.) Hyundai Home gives homeowners in select states an easy way to produce, store, and use their own energy to power their lives at home and on the road. Hyundai has partnered with Electrum to develop a one-stop online marketplace to... Read more →

Hyundai’s N Vision 74 hydrogen fuel cell hybrid concept (earlier post) made its US debut at Automobility LA. This concept reveals the Hyundai N sub-brand electrification vision, demonstrating its commitment to zero-emissions technologies. The ‘Rolling Lab’ concept on which it is based is a testbed of future technologies seeking the... Read more →

The Hyundai 2023 IONIQ 6, inspired by Hyundai’s Prophecy EV concept, made its North American debut at AutoMobility Los Angeles. (Earlier post.) The four-door electrified streamliner with a targeted estimated driving range of 340 miles is equipped with relevant technology and ultra-fast charging that can charge the battery from 10... Read more →

Vale Canada Limited, a subsidiary of Vale S.A., and General Motors signed a term sheet for the long-term supply of battery grade nickel sulfate from Vale’s proposed plant at Bécancour, Québec, Canada. This agreement secures for GM a supply of nickel sulfate from a US free-trade partner to support GM’s... Read more →

Sakuu, the developer of Swift Print solid-state battery technology (earlier post), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LiCAP Technologies, a provider of sustainable and scalable electrode coating solutions. Under the MOU, the two companies will partner to establish best practices for end-to-end development and the reliable commercial supply... Read more →

Wolfspeed and BorgWarner announced a strategic partnership that calls for BorgWarner to invest $500 million in Wolfspeed’s new $1.3-billion financing transaction in exchange for a silicon carbide device capacity corridor. Wolfspeed intends to offer, subject to market conditions and other factors, $1.300 billion aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior... Read more →

Archer Aviation and E-One Moli Energy Corp. (Molicel), a supplier of lithium-ion battery cells, entered into a memorandum of understanding for Molicel to manufacture and supply the battery cells for Archer’s production electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Midnight. Archer is focused on building an aircraft tailored to the... Read more →

A Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototype has successfully completed its first high-altitude tests on public roads. A major point on the checklist of the test program: crossing the Brenner Pass, one of the main arteries of European freight traffic. In 2019 alone, around 40 million tons of freight were transported by... Read more →

Toyota revealed its bZ Compact SUV Concept in Los Angeles, making its world premiere to kick off the opening of the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show at the LA Convention Center. The Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept is designed as a full battery-electric vehicle, using a clean-vital design approach. Toyota... Read more →

Following initial contracts with European suppliers, the BMW Group has now concluded further agreements for the supply of CO2-reduced steel in the US and China. In the medium-term, the BMW Group will increase CO2 savings through agreements with additional steel suppliers and thus consistently drive forward the decarbonization of its... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $73.9 million in funding for 10 projects to advance technologies and processes for electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling and reuse. With demand for critical battery minerals, such as lithium and graphite, projected to increase by as much as 4,000% in the coming decades,... Read more →

United Airlines Ventures (UAV) announced a strategic investment in NEXT Renewable Fuels (NEXT), which is permitting a flagship biofuel refinery in Port Westward, Oregon, with expected production beginning in 2026. NEXT is a Houston-based company developing the biorefinery which, at full production, could produce up to 50,000 barrels per day... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research Travel by air plummeted at the start of the pandemic in early 2020 (as did travel by other modes of transportation). There has been, however, a gradual rebound since then. In terms of revenue passenger miles (for domestic flights) the lowest point was reached... Read more →

Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA, has entered into a joint development agreement with General Motors to help accelerate the industrialization of Nel’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer platform. By combining GM’s extensive fuel cell expertise and Nel’s deep knowledge of electrolyzers, the two companies are looking to... Read more →

As part of the strategy to decarbonize its customers’ supply chains, A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) has entered a green methanol partnership with US-based project developer Carbon Sink LLC. This is Maersk’s 8th such agreement in the efforts to accelerate global production of green methanol. The parties have signed a... Read more →

In the summer of 2022 (June—August), the price of fuel ethanol was lower than the price of the petroleum component of gasoline, which led to record-high fuel ethanol levels (blend rates) in gasoline sold in the United States, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). In addition, on 29... Read more →

Toyota unveiled the all-new Prius in a livestream event from Japan, with Series Parallel Hybrid (HEV) models to launch in winter this year and Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) models to launch in spring 2023. Following Japan, the new Prius will be launched in North America, Europe, and other countries around the... Read more →

NIO has launched its 1,200th NIO Power Swap Station in China at Suzhou New District Jinke Wangfu Hotel. Within a year, the company has deployed 600 new power swap stations have been deployed. NIO plans to build 1,300+ Power Swap stations by the end of 2022 and 4,000+ by 2025.... Read more →

With electric vehicles becoming more common, the risks and hazards of a cyberattack on electric vehicle charging equipment and systems also increases. Jay Johnson, an electrical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, has been studying the varied vulnerabilities of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the past four years. Johnson and his... Read more →

Genesis unveiled the Genesis X Convertible four-passenger open-roof electric vehicle concept in California. The X Convertible completes the X concept trilogy and shares its architecture and electric powertrain with the X Concept and X Speedium Coupe concept. The Genesis X Convertible concept shares its architecture and electric powertrain with the... Read more →

Cummins and Tata Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the design and development of low- and zero-emission propulsion technology solutions for commercial vehicles in India, including hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines (H2ICE), fuel cells (FC), and battery electric vehicle (BEV) systems. The shift to sustainable mobility is... Read more →

With the opening of a 14,000 sqm warehouse in the Czech Republic specialized in handling batteries for electric cars, A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) is expanding its offering as a preferred logistics partner for the Central European automotive industry and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Located in the Northern part of... Read more →