The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $16.7 million in funding to five projects to advance the production of affordable biofuels and biochemicals that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Located in four states, these selected projects support the development of high-impact technologies that convert domestic biomass and... Read more →

Lucid Group has officially opened the first car manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. As Lucid’s second Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-2) and first international plant, the facility will produce Lucid’s electric vehicles for Saudi Arabia and export to other markets. The AMP-2 facility received significant support from the Ministry of Investment... Read more →

Signalling its strong commitment to the Wackersdorf location in Upper Palatinate and as part of its continuing e-mobility ramp-up, the BMW Group is investing around €100 million between now and 2026 in a new battery testing center that will be integrated into the site’s existing building structures. The first deliverables... Read more →

US-based Ascend Elements is partnering with South Korea-based SK ecoplant and its e-waste recycling subsidiary, TES, to build a $65-million lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Hopkinsville, Ky. The 100,000-square-foot EV battery recycling facility will disassemble and shred approximately 24,000 metric tons of used EV batteries and gigafactory scrap per year—or... Read more →

Northvolt will establish a fully integrated lithium-ion battery gigafactory, just outside of Montreal, in the Canadian province of Québec. The factory, named Northvolt Six, will host 60 GWh of annual cell manufacturing capacity, with adjacent facilities for cathode active material production and battery recycling, enabling fully circular production at site.... Read more →

ADM and Syngenta Group, one of the world’s biggest agricultural technology companies, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in scaling research and commercialization of low carbon-intensity next-generation oilseeds and improved varieties to help meet skyrocketing demand for biofuels and other sustainably-sourced products. The MoU envisions a collaboration in... Read more →

BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) and ZeroAvia signed an agreement for the supply of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and to collaborate on research on next generation MEAs for ZeroAvia’s high temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell stacks for aviation. The companies will work together to accelerate the... Read more →

A letter sent by Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Pepsi, Ball, SunPower and eight more leading companies urges the US Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in American-made clean aluminum to retain and create manufacturing jobs, reduce industrial emissions, and grow a vitally important industry. The letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer... Read more →

Researchers from China and the US have developed a cobalt-free, Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) Li-ion battery cathode with negligible voltage decay. The new development overcomes the persistent challenge of voltage decay with LMR layered oxides and could lead to significantly higher energy storage capacity. A paper on their work is... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award a combined total of $2 million to eight projects to drive innovation in lithium-ion battery (LIB) rejuvenation, recycling, and reuse administered through the ReCell Center. The ReCell Centerwas established by DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office and is located at Argonne National Laboratory. These... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcedthe availability of at least $500 million in funding from the Clean School Bus rebate competition. This second round of funding will build on the previous nearly $1 billion investment. (Earlier post.) EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,... Read more →

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced $100 million will be made available on a statewide basis for zero-emission school buses in the first round of funding available for these buses under the $4.2-billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. By utilizing this funding, school... Read more →

EVgo, one of the US’ largest public fast charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs), announced a new collaboration with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. that is designed to provide a range of new benefits for Honda and Acura EV drivers, including charging credit, technology integration into the HondaLink and Acura... Read more →

With an anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles, DC fast charging capability and a neo-rugged design, Honda’s Prologue electric midsize SUV (earlier post) will go on sale nationwide in the US in 2024, with pre-sale activities starting later this year. Honda said the starting MSRP will be in the... Read more →

In federal court in Brooklyn, the US. Department of Justice, on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a complaint against eBay Inc. for unlawfully selling, offering for sale, causing the sale of, and distributing hundreds of thousands of products in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA);... Read more →

A new Rolls-Royce small gas turbine that has been specifically developed to power hybrid-electric flight has successfully completed its first fuel burn. (Earlier post.) The engine has been designed using novel combustion technology to produce ultra-low emissions; this significant achievement confirms the effectiveness of the compact, power-dense turbine that will... Read more →

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) has successfully completed the first tender for the German fast-charging network Deutschlandnetz. A total of ten different companies will build and operate around 900 locations with almost 8,000 new ultra-fast charging points for electric cars. BMDV selected: Allego GmbH BayWa Mobility Solutions... Read more →

Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) have developed a technology for real-time detection of micro defects on the fuel cell surface during the production process. The technology is based on deep learning and enables real-time 3D measurement. It can detect defects on the surface shape... Read more →

At its annual Technology Summit in Europe, GlobalFoundries (GF) announced advancements to its 22FDX (22nm FD-SOI) (Fully Depleted Silicon On Insulator) platform, introducing a suite of innovative features and enhancements. These enhancements represent a strategic response to the growing demand for better power efficiency and top-tier performance in both IoT... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz will launch its production-ready version of DRIVE PILOT in the United States. The class-leading system for conditionally automated driving rolls out in late 2023 with a limited fleet of SAE Level 31 equipped EQS Sedans in California and Nevada called DRIVE PILOT: First Class. In early 2024, Mercedes-Benz plans... Read more →

Kia America announced the base price for the all-new 2024 Kia EV9, Kia’s first three-row SUV EV. Starting at $54,900 (excluding destination), the EV9 Light RWD will come standard with DC fast-charging capability, accommodations for up to seven passengers, full SynTex leather-trimmed seating, 19-inch alloy wheels, 8-way power adjustable driver’s... Read more →

Neste has expanded its capability to supply renewable fuels to customers on the West Coast of the United States in cooperation with Vopak, a leading energy industry infrastructure provider. Neste commissioned terminal capacity at Vopak’s Los Angeles terminal in California for storing Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Neste... Read more →

Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) will use eFuels in both road and race cars at Rennsport Reunion 7 when it kicks off 28 September at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This marks the first time synthetic fuel is used in Porsche vehicles at a large-scale event in the United States, as... Read more →

Leclanché SA has won another ferry electrification project, having been selected by Norwegian system integrator Brunvoll Mar-El AS to support the retrofit of a conventionally powered Norwegian ferry into a zero-emission vessel. The all-electric MF Rygerbuen passenger and vehicle ferry is owned and operated by Rødne Trafikk AS, Norway’s largest... Read more →

Li-ion battery recycling company Blue Whale Materials (BWM) will site its inaugural li-ion battery processing facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Blue Whale’s commercial facility will be situated within a 35-acre campus including 150,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Bartlesville Industrial Park and encompasses multiple lots designed to facilitate battery... Read more →

A public road approved prototype of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck completed Daimler Truck’s #HydrogenRecordRun covering 1,047 km of distance driven with one fill of liquid hydrogen. Powered by a cellcentric fuel-cell system and equipped with a liquid hydrogen fuel tank system, the run started 25 September in the afternoon at... Read more →

Mid-nickel lithium ion battery cells can have a lower carbon footprint than high nickel or lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, according to new data from Benchmark’s Battery Emissions Analyser. While LFP cells maintain a cost advantage over the majority of nickel-based chemistries, the carbon intensity of these variants can in... Read more →

With aggressive government decarbonization targets and OEM electrification strategies, Electric Vehicle (EV) production will increase significantly this decade. This will require a corresponding growth in EV battery output. New research from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research finds that global EV battery output production will increase nearly six times to... Read more →

INVISTA, an industry leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, is licensing its nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement technology at three adipic acid production facilities in China; those licenses will help companies in the automotive industry achieve material supply chain emissions reductions. INVISTA—which produces its own adipic acid, along with a... Read more →

The new BMW 5 Series Sedan now offers the entire range of electrified drive technology. Following the earlier market launch of the all-electric BMW i5 (earlier post) and the combustion engine variants equipped exclusively with 48-volt mild hybrid technology, two plug-in hybrid models will be launched in November 2023. The... Read more →

Norway-based Nel has selected Plymouth Charter Township, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, as the location for its next gigafactory. Fully developed, the factory will be among the world’s largest electrode manufacturing facilities, with a total annual capacity of 4 GW Alkaline and PEM technology. Plymouth Charter Township is an ideal... Read more →

Mitsubishi Electric and BlackBerry Limited announced that Mitsubishi Electric’s new automotive in-cabin system—Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect, will be powered by BlackBerry IVY—an edge-to-cloud vehicle data platform. The collaboration will help advance road safety by leveraging an array of sensor data to anticipate safety risks, reduce driver distractions, highlight potential driving hazards,... Read more →

HERE Technologies, a data and technology platform, has entered into a partnership with Eco-Movement, a provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging station data, to create faster, fresher, and more accurate charging experiences for EV drivers globally. Finding reliable charge points when you need them most can be a challenge for... Read more →

A new white paper produced by the Electrification Institute, recently established by Qmerit, North America’s leading installer of home and business EV chargers and other clean energy technologies, assesses issues it sees as pivotal to broad electric vehicle (EV) adoption and greater progress toward home and building electrification by 2030.... Read more →

EVgo, one of the nation’s largest public fast charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs), announced significant progress in network enhancements made through EVgo ReNew, its comprehensive maintenance program focused on bolstering reliability and elevating the customer experience. The ReNew program consists of six pillars that outline the company’s approach to... Read more →

California state leaders celebrated achieving the goal of installing 10,000 fast chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) on Monday, more than a year ahead of schedule. A celebration was held in the parking lot of the El Mercado Plaza Shopping Center in Union City, where newly installed EVgo direct current fast... Read more →

Innolith, a European developer of Li-ion battery cell technologies, introduced the I-State Power Cell, a battery cell specifically designed for the most demanding e-mobility applications. The new cell will be used to drive sports and luxury battery electric vehicles (BEV), industrial vehicles and electric aviation. In an official partnership for... Read more →

Nano One Materials, a clean technology company with patented processes for the sustainable production of lithium-ion battery cathode materials, and Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM), a leading vertically integrated miner, refiner and producer of cathode active materials (CAM), agreed to a strategic equity investment in Nano One by SMM of C$16,879,949.85... Read more →

Enevate and NantG Power, two battery innovation companies enabling high-speed charge and energy density battery technologies for electric vehicles (EVs) and other markets, announced a strategic alliance to combine their proprietary cathode and anode innovations to commercialize and scale up a breakthrough silicon-dominant battery technology in the transportation, mobility, and... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has achieved a key milestone in its hydrogen combustion engine research project. Both Rolls-Royce and its partner easyJet are committed to being at the forefront of the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft, including those in the narrow-body market segment, from the... Read more →

Porsche is expanding its hybrid range for the new Cayenne further. The new Cayenne S E-Hybrid is the third electrified engine variant within the model series and is positioned between the Cayenne E-Hybrid and the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. Focusing on a balance between everyday usability and performance, the S E-Hybrid... Read more →

IVECO BUS officially inaugurated its new testing and validation facility, called E-BENCH, located in the R&D center in Vénissieux, the global headquarters of Iveco Group's bus and coach activities. Extremely versatile, E-BENCH allows testing of both individual components and complete vehicles in real driving conditions, simulating all types of missions... Read more →

According to registration data used as a proxy for sales, there were four counties in the United States with electric vehicle (EV) market penetration above 30% as of December 2022, and all were in California. Santa Clara County topped the list at 35%, followed by Marin County at 34%, and... Read more →

BASF is expanding its growing portfolio of 14C bio-based monomers with a proprietary process for production of 2-Octyl Acrylate (2-OA). The new product underlines BASF’s strong commitment to innovation for a sustainable future with 73% 14C-tracable bio-based content according to ISO 16620. Besides the regular 14C bio-based 2-Octyl Acrylate, BASF... Read more →

Crude oil production cuts among OPEC+ members are limiting the global supply of medium, sour and heavy, sour grades of crude oil. These cuts are increasing prices for these grades compared with sweet crude oils, reversing typical price relationships, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Crude oil is... Read more →

ABB will deliver a comprehensive power distribution system for two newbuild short-sea container ships of the global logistics company Samskip Group headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The vessels will be among the world’s first of their kind to use hydrogen as a fuel. Financial details were not disclosed. The order was... Read more →

The preliminary final results of the Straßkirchen referendum are in: A clear majority of Straßkirchen residents voted in favor of building the new BMW Group facility. With more than 75% of the vote, the council’s “Yes to a BMW assembly plant for high-voltage batteries” motion was successful. Around 77% of... Read more →

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and United States Steel Corporation plan to test an advanced membrane technology to capture CO2 emissions generated by steelmaking operations at the company’s Edgar Thomson Plant, located in Braddock, Pennsylvania. The Edgar Thomson Plant, part of the Mon Valley Works, is the last integrated... Read more →

Global copper company First Quantum Minerals Ltd. has contracted with MECS, Inc. (MECS), a subsidiary of Elessent Clean Technologies, for the Kansanshi Smelter Expansion at the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi, Zambia. The MECS scope will include a redesign of the existing sulfur-burning sulfuric acid plant into a copper smelter off-gas... Read more →

CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp.) announced that Lufeng 12-3 Oilfield Development Project has begun production. The project is located in the eastern South China Sea, with an average water depth of approximately 240 meters. Lufeng 12-3 Oilfield is the largest jointly-developed oilfield in the South China Sea in the... Read more →