Targets for 100% electric vehicle adoption by 2035 cannot be achieved without an unprecedented acceleration in copper mining, according to the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum Joseph McMonigle. Copper is the most essential mineral for societal development, but growing electrification needs globally cannot be met if limited supplies... Read more →


Researchers from China, Japan and the US have developed a data-driven model to predict the dehydrogenation barriers of magnesium hydride (MgH2), a promising material for solid-state hydrogen storage. This advancement holds significant potential for enhancing hydrogen storage technologies, a crucial component in the transition to sustainable energy solutions. An open-access... Read more →


BASF now offering first biomass-balanced products for its ammonia and urea portfolio

BASF applies a biomass balance approach to replace fossil resources at the beginning of the production process with certified biowaste raw materials which are attributed to the products. The mass balanced products are certified according to ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) PLUS standards. In addition, BASF is using electricity... Read more →


DOI awards additional $35M to California to plug orphaned oil and gas wells

The US Department of the Interior is awarding $35.2 million to continue reclaiming and restoring orphaned oil and gas wells in California. With this new funding, the state of California expects to plug and remediate 206 high-risk orphaned oil and gas wells and decommission 47 attendant production facilities with approximately... Read more →


Renault is unveiling the high-performance version of Rafale: Renault Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 hp. Renault Rafale E-Tech 4x4 300 hp offers a range of up to 1,000 km (WLTP). With the electric motor added to the rear axle, this brand flagship gains a permanently active 4-wheel drive set-up. Packed with... Read more →


DANNAR will reveal its latest Mobile Power Station (MPS) platform option at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo), North America’s premier event for advanced vehicle technology. DANNAR will feature the Mobile Power Station (MPS) and the new Gen2 MPS 480 3-Phase option, which increases total energy export capacity, expands... Read more →


MITSUI E&S and its subsidiary company in the US, PACECO, began commercial operations of the first hydrogen fuel cell powered rubber-tired gantry (RTG) Crane “MITSUI-Paceco H2-ZE Transtainer crane” at the Port of Los Angeles. The H2-ZE RTG Transtainer Crane features a PACECO-Mitsui Fuel Cell Power Pack (FCPP) designed to power... Read more →


NASA has created a new digital modeling tool for aeronautical engineers to innovate new aircraft designs, building on decades of experience using highly advanced computer code for aviation. Using this tool, researchers can create simulations of conceptual aircraft featuring never-flown technology and receive detailed data about how it would work.... Read more →


Nissan to transition to low-CO₂ emission aluminum by 2030

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it will use low-CO2 emission aluminum parts made from green or recycled aluminum in new and current models from fiscal year 2024 onward and aims to complete the full transition to such parts by 2030. Aluminum accounts for approximately 10% of vehicle weight. By... Read more →


Daimler Truck and Volvo Group intend to form JV for a software-defined vehicle platform and truck operating system

Daimler Truck and Volvo Group have reached a preliminary agreement to establish a joint venture to develop a common software-defined vehicle platform and dedicated truck operating system, providing the basis for future software-defined commercial vehicles. The intention is to make the new joint venture a leading developer of standardized hardware... Read more →


Intelligent Energy unveils smaller, more powerful fuel cell system targeting passenger cars

Intelligent Energy (IE) unveiled a new hydrogen fuel cell system that is smaller and more powerful than any other solution on the passenger car market. Intelligent Energy’s IE-DRIVE™ system has been designed to give passenger car manufacturers direct access to a smaller, more powerful, turnkey and commercially-viable hydrogen fuel cell... Read more →


Honda will debut a Class 8 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Concept at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo on 20 May, showcasing the start of a new demonstration project aimed at future production of fuel cell powered products for the North American market. Honda is seeking new business collaborations as... Read more →


EPA finalizes ban on most uses of methylene chloride

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized a ban under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) on most uses of methylene chloride (CH2Cl2). (Earlier post.) Methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane and DCM, is a volatile chemical used in a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications such... Read more →


Two years after announcing the “H2 Central Valley Express” project, Symbio unveiled a hydrogen-fueled, regional-haul Class 8 truck developed and integrated by Symbio in California and outfitted with next-generation EV specific tires that offer improved fuel economy and reduced wear from Michelin. The Symbio “H2 Central Valley Express” project aims... Read more →


The new Volkswagen Golf GTE and the new Golf eHybrid offer new plug-in hybrid technology along with a range of enhanced features. The Golf eHybrid is designed for maximum comfort and its second-generation plug-in hybrid drive delivers an output of 150 kW (204 PS), with an all-electric range of up... Read more →


Environmental permit application submitted for the Kotka CAM plant; 60,000 tonnes of NMC material per year

Easpring Finland New Materials Oy, a joint venture recently established by Finnish Minerals Group and Beijing Easpring Material Technology Co., Ltd. (earlier post), has submitted an environmental permit application concerning a cathode active material (CAM) plant to be established in Kotka to the Regional State Administrative Agency. The applicant has... Read more →


BASF opts for sustainable glass fiber in its Ultramid A&B portfolio

BASF has set itself the ambitious goal of reducing its Scope 3.1 emissions by 15% across its entire portfolio by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. This will only be possible by procuring raw materials with reliable PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) primary data and, furthermore, raw materials with a... Read more →


Global EV sales reached 1.1 million units in April 2024, bringing year-to-date (YTD) sales to 4.3 million, 22% greater than the same period in 2023, according to Rho Motion. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) represent 64% of units sold so far in 2024, with the remaining 36% Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV). EU... Read more →


J.D. Power study finds EV purchase consideration ebbing while charging concerns continue to grow

Consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has cooled as the industry grapples with persistent growing pains, according to the J.D. Power 2024 US Electric Vehicle Consideration (EVC) Study. For the first time since the study’s inception in 2021, new-vehicle buyer consideration has dropped from the previous year. This year’s study... Read more →


Plug Power signs 3 GW BEDP contract with Allied Green Ammonia for electrolyzer project in Australia

Plug Power signed a Basic Engineering and Design Package (BEDP) with Allied Green Ammonia (AGA), an Australian company focused on green ammonia production, for a three-gigawatt (GW) electrolyzer plant supplying hydrogen to AGA’s planned ammonia facility proposed for the Northern Territory of Australia. Plug’s BEDP offering is instrumental for project... Read more →


Volvo CE publishing industry’s most extensive Product Carbon Footprint reports

Volvo CE is publishing the construction equipment industry’s most extensive catalogue of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) reports, making it easy for customers to take active steps to reduce their environmental impact. The reports confirm that electric machines are a more sustainable choice compared to conventional diesel machines, when looking at... Read more →


Volvo expands its range of 100% biodiesel-powered trucks

A full range of new Volvo truck models can now be powered by 100% biodiesel (B100), offering another renewable fuel choice for customers looking to reduce CO2 emissions from transport immediately. Volvo Trucks has one of the industry’s broadest ranges of renewable fuel options, including biodiesel, HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils)... Read more →


Airbus Helicopters’ Racer demonstrator recently made its first flight. Launched as part of the European Clean Sky 2 program, the objectives were a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared with a conventional aircraft of the same weight, and an equally significant reduction in the noise footprint. Simulations,... Read more →


Honda and IBM to explore R&D of semiconductor and software technologies for future software-defined vehicles

Honda Motor and IBM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining their intent to collaborate on the long-term joint research and development of next-generation computing technologies needed to overcome challenges related to processing capability, power consumption, and design complexity for the realization of the software-defined vehicles (SDV) of the... Read more →


Plug Power integrating fuel cell into Class 6 electric truck

Plug Power unveiled a Class 6, medium-duty fuel cell electric truck. The integration involves a commercial Class 6 chassis cab with an industry-proven electric propulsion system powered by Plug’s ProGen fuel cell technology and integrated with an industry-proven electric propulsion system. Designed specifically for middle-mile deliveries, this vehicle is engineered... Read more →


Altilium secured backing from the UK government to begin rapid prototyping of lithium-ion EV battery cells using recycled cathode active materials (CAM). The project, the first of its kind in the UK, has received grant funding of £639,797 (US$798,114) from Innovate UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge. Production of the cells will... Read more →


SAKOR Technologies, a provider of high-performance dynamometer systems, has provided its Electric Motor Efficiency Testing Dynamometer system to TÜV SÜD for testing and verifying the level of efficiency of electric motors in accordance with a variety of national and international standards, including IEC 60034-2-1; IEEE 112B; Canadian standard C390-93; and... Read more →


The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei is further accelerating its hydrogen business activities. On 13 May, company representatives and partners including the Japanese government celebrated the official opening of a new hydrogen pilot plant in Kawasaki, Japan. Operational start of this commercial-scale facility was in March 2024. The trial operation... Read more →


The Daimler Truck brand FUSO announced a comprehensive update of the popular Canter light-duty truck. In the all-new Canter (for the 6.0 t, 7.5 t and 8.55 t variants), additional safety and comfort features are available as standard. Furthermore, the interior has been completely redesigned. The fully electric sister model... Read more →


The share of electric and hybrid vehicle sales in the United States decreased in the first quarter of 2024 as battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales declined, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and BEVs fell to 18.0% of total new light-duty vehicle... Read more →