The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment to SK Siltron CSS, LLC for a $544-million loan to expand US manufacturing of high-quality silicon carbide (SiC) wafers for electric vehicle (EV) power electronics. SiC semiconductors are designed for high-voltage use and are critical components... Read more →

Volvo Construction Equipment and Mack Trucks, both Volvo Group companies, recently delivered on- and off-road electric equipment to Florida-based Coastal Waste & Recycling. The company, based in Boca Raton, Florida, is piloting a 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator from Volvo CE and took delivery of a Mack LR Electric Class 8... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0003178) for up to $9.4 million for the development of advanced biofuels. This investment through a new agreement between EPA and DOE is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will support high-impact... Read more →

WeaveGrid, a software company with a managed charging platform, announced a collaboration for direct integration with Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) for both Toyota and Lexus battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). WeaveGrid’s direct integration with Toyota, now active in select utility territories across the US... Read more →

In a pilot project, mobile.de is offering Hyundai car dealers the opportunity to use battery certificates to market their used electric vehicles. This makes mobile.de the first car trading platform in Germany to offer the integration of battery condition certificates. From mid-February, the new function will be tested and further... Read more →

SQM Lithium Ventures announced a follow-on investment of US$9.43 million in Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the energy transition to net zero (earlier post), bringing Altilium’s total investment to US$12 million. The investment completes Altilium’s Series A funding round and marks the largest investment to date... Read more →

South 8 Technologies, the developer of LiGas, liquefied gas electrolyte for advanced lithium-ion batteries (earlier post), has demonstrated high performance on cobalt-free, low nickel, and high-energy battery cells designed for next generation electric vehicles (EV). LiGas is a blend of non-toxic, non-corrosive gases that liquefies under pressure, enabling several safety... Read more →

Weebit Nano Limited, a developer of advanced non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies for the global semiconductor industry, is demonstrating the high endurance and reliability of its Resistive Random-Access Memory (ReRAM) in extended automotive conditions, including high temperatures of 150 degrees Celsius and extended program cycles. At a basic level, ReRAM (also... Read more →

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announced pricing and packaging for the all-new 2025 CX-70 (earlier post). CX-70 offers two variants of the e-Skyactiv G 3.3L Inline 6 Turbo with 48-volt M-Hybrid Boost, and an e-Skyactiv PHEV. All three choices are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and standard i-Activ all-wheel... Read more →

Toyota Alabama has started production on its i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbo engine line for the all-new Tacoma. Powered by a previous investment of $222 million, the new line furthers Toyota’s commitment to diversified powertrains that align with customer demand, the company said. With Tacoma offering a hybrid option, every line at... Read more →

VinFast Auto announced that it will break ground at its integrated electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing site in Thoothukudi City, Tamil Nadu(earlier post) on 25 February 2024. This move represents a significant step towards a strategic partnership between VinFast and the State Government aimed at advancing the development of green transportation... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $15 million for 12 projects across 11 states to advance next-generation, high-energy storage solutions to help accelerate the electrification of the aviation, railroad, and maritime transportation sectors. Funded through the Pioneering Railroad, Oceanic and Plane ELectrification with 1K energy storage systems (PROPEL-1K) program... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law program that makes $250 million available, over five years, in competitive grants to advance innovative, multimodal solutions to reduce vehicular traffic in the most congested metropolitan areas of the United States. The Congestion Relief Program... Read more →

Plug Power has finalized a contract to supply a major US automobile manufacturer with hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell solutions that will support material handling operations. The manufacturing campus of more than 6 square miles is dedicated to electric vehicles, batteries and is one of the largest auto manufacturing campuses... Read more →

With GPS data from as little as 6% of vehicles on the road, University of Michigan researchers can recalibrate traffic signals to reduce congestion and delays significantly at intersections. In an 18-month pilot study conducted in Birmingham, Michigan, the team used connected vehicle data insights provided by General Motors to... Read more →

SiAT, a manufacturer of advanced nanomaterials for batteries in Taiwan, is collaborating with Taiwan petrochemical company CPDC to launch its second-generation lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) paste, a product designed to significantly elevate the safety standards of batteries across the industry. The new LMFP paste incorporates a proprietary blend that... Read more →

Enevate, a developer of technology enabling extreme fast charge with high energy density batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other markets, announced that JR Energy Solution (JR ES) has started operation of Korea’s first electrode foundry, with capability to manufacture electrodes containing Enevate’s technology. JR ES develops and manufactures high-performance... Read more →

Developer of maritime battery systems EST-Floattech has received an investment of €4 million from Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam and existing shareholders Rotterdam Port Fund, PDENH, Ponooc, and Yard Energy. EST-Floattech develops and produces lithium-ion battery systems for electric and hybrid propulsion of inland vessels, ferries, yachts, and more. Energy Transition... Read more →

Lilium N.V, developer of an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet, has partnered with Star Charge, a provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and microgrid solutions, to develop, customize, and provide charging systems for its Lilium Jets. At the Singapore Airshow, the companies announced that Lilium placed a first... Read more →

Originally introduced in the United States in 1958, the Toyota Land Cruiser became one of the most respected off-road icons in the industry. Back after a brief pause, the all-new 2024 Land Cruiser stays true to its roots as an extremely capable off-roader, packed with premium features, and now at... Read more →

Volvo Cars is introducing a new Performance software pack for the EX40 (formerly named the XC40 Recharge) and EC40 (formerly named the C40 Recharge) Twin Motor variants, and as an upgrade for the previous model year in selected markets. The Performance software pack, which increases power output by 25kW for... Read more →

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the $5-million Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program; the CBPA is funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office). Managed by NREL, the CBPA program provides free technical assistance to create comprehensive and customized bus electrification plans for school... Read more →

Rio Tinto has signed Australia’s largest renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) to date to supply its Gladstone operations in Queensland, agreeing to buy the majority of electricity from Windlab’s planned 1.4GW Bungaban wind energy project. The agreement, which follows the announcement last month of a PPA for the Upper Calliope... Read more →

Sitting on an estimated 203 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, Nigeria is on a mission to monetize its gas resources and become a leading LNG exporter to global markets. Its most notable project—the $5-billion Nigeria LNG Train 7 expansion—is set to boost processing capacity by 35% from 22 million... Read more →

Niron Magnetics, a company developing high-performance, rare earth-free permanent magnets, (earlier post), has received $25 million in new strategic funding in a round led by Samsung Ventures. Allison Ventures, the venture capital arm of Allison Transmission, was also part of this funding round, along with one of the world’s largest... Read more →

Europe’s new vehicle registrations reached their highest level last year since the pandemic. Strong demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the growing influence of new market entrants sparked significant shifts in the continent’s automotive landscape with new passenger vehicle registrations totalling 12,792,151 units in Europe-28 in 2023, up 14%... Read more →

A team from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology has used a formic acid–hydrogen peroxide system for the efficient selective leaching of lithium ions from spent lithium iron phophate batteries. A paper on their process is published in thr Journal of Power Sources. With rapid technology development and the support... Read more →

The ID.7 is the flagship among electric Volkswagen models. Volkswagen is now expanding the ID.7 portfolio in Europe with an estate car: the all-new ID.7 Tourer. It is one of the first all-electric estate cars in the upper mid-sized class. Volkswagen is also represented in this class with the new... Read more →

Porsche is further expanding its range of powertrains for the Panamera. As part of the E-Performance strategy, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid have been added to the portfolio. This is Porsche’s response to the particularly strong interest in efficient and dynamic e-hybrid powertrains in many markets.... Read more →

On the back of offtake agreements with Panasonic Energy and General Motors Holdings (earlier post), Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) has closed Mitsui & Co. and Pallinghurst Bond Limited for an aggregate combined investment of US$87.5 million to advance NMG’s development toward commercial operations. Map of NMG’s integrated extraction and advanced... Read more →

Made from a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber and plastic polymers, including other chemical components, tires represent a significant source of non-exhaust emissions. Tire abrasion is produced when there is friction with the road surface, for example when vehicles turn, accelerate or brake. Small particles break off from tires... Read more →

Topsoe signed an engineering agreement with Approtium, a South Korean industrial supplier of hydrogen, to deliver Topsoe’s proven ammonia cracking technology, H2RETAKE, converting low-carbon ammonia, also referred to as blue ammonia, back into hydrogen. Topsoe will deliver its technology to Approtium’s landmark project in Ulsan, South Korea. The facility is... Read more →

Just 17% of electric cars sold in Europe are compact vehicles in the cheaper B segment, compared to 37% of new combustion engines, a new analysis by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) finds. Only 40 fully electric models were launched in the compact segments (A and B) between 2018... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group announced its 2024 first-half ZER01NE Accelerator program, an open innovation platform to facilitate collaboration between startups and the Group on various projects. This program aims to discover valuable startups and explore the possibilities of strategic use of their innovative technologies. Startups can apply to one of seven... Read more →

Australia-based South32 Limited announced final investment approval for the Taylor deposit, the first development at its Hermosa zinc project in Arizona. Hermosa was the first mining project added to the US Government’s FAST-41 process and is currently the only advanced project in the United States which could supply two federally... Read more →

Toyota has updated the latest generation of its Yaris with an additional, more powerful new hybrid electric powertrain; significant new and enhanced safety and driver assistance features; and all-new driver’s instrumentation and multimedia system that exploit the potential of digital technology. The new Yaris offers customers the option of a... Read more →

Cleveland-Cliffs successfully completed a hydrogen injection trial at its Indiana Harbor #7 blast furnace, the largest blast furnace in North America, with a production capacity of 5.5 million tons of iron a year. This represents the second Cleveland-Cliffs blast furnace to utilize hydrogen as a reductant and fuel source, following... Read more →

Deltamarin and BAR Technologies introduced a new co-developed wind-optimized hull design. The partnership highlights Deltamarin and BAR Technologies’ ongoing dedication to decarbonization and forward-thinking innovation. The Aframax/LRII design, named Aquilo, represents a significant leap in overall performance by integrating state-of-the-art hull design with WindWings technology. Recognizing uncovered potential in both... Read more →

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have demonstrated a simple, new, and effective way to separate metal ions from a simulated battery electrode mixture. Their process relies on fundamental chemical principles and requires no specialty chemicals, binding agents, membranes, or toxic solvents. Instead, it uses a common gel loaded... Read more →

LG Energy Solution signed an offtake agreement with Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers (WesCEF) for lithium concentrate, further advancing the companies’ pre-existing partnership driven by the objective to deliver efficient and sustainable power solutions to the North American market. Under the agreement, WesCEF will supply LG Energy Solution up to... Read more →

Celadyne, a developer of more durable low-permeability membranes for hydrogen fuel cells, raised $4.5 million in seed investment funding in a round co-led by Maniv and Dynamo Ventures, with major participation from EPS Ventures. Current fuel cells struggle with durability because hydrogen crossover inadvertently causes side reactions that lead to... Read more →

Syrah Resources has begun production of natural graphite active anode materila (AAM) at its 11.25ktpa facility in Vidalia, Louisiana. (Earlier post.) Vidalia is the first vertically integrated natural graphite AAM supplier outside China, processing natural graphite from Syrah’s Balama Graphite Operation in Mozambique. Commencing production at Vidalia is a huge... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award more than $17 million to three projects that will support the design and construction of facilities that produce rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials from coal-based resources. The projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, may strengthen domestic supply... Read more →

Lake Charles Methanol II, LLC (LCM) plans to invest $3.24 billion to construct a new manufacturing plant that will produce low-carbon intensity methanol and other chemicals at the Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The company plans to use advanced auto thermal gas reforming technology and employ carbon capture and secure... Read more →

thyssenkrupp Steel launched its call for tenders to supply hydrogen to its first direct reduction plant. In conjunction with two innovative melters, this is the centerpiece of the first transformation step in thyssenkrupp's decarbonization process as part of the tkH2Steel project. The hydrogen requirement is being put out to tender... Read more →

Point2 Technology, a provider of ultra-low-power, low-latency mixed-signal SoC solutions for multi-terabit interconnect, announced a $22.6-million Series B extension from Bosch Ventures and Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, with participation from other investors. The boost in funding comes at a time when the use of AI in... Read more →

The New Mexico legislature passed The Clean Transportation Fuels Standard (HB 41). New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who supported the legislation, is expected to sign it into law. The bill provides the Environmental Improvement Board the authority to adopt rules setting a carbon intensity standard for transportation fuels and... Read more →

DuPont announced that FilmTec LiNE-XD nanofiltration membrane elements, the company’s first offering dedicated to lithium brine purification, was named a finalist in the 2024 Edison Awards in the Resource Recovery & Environmental Conservation category. Lithium brine purification is critical to producing batteries needed for electrification. FilmTec LiNE-XD elements can help... Read more →

Fluorspar demand from the lithium-ion battery sector is expected to exceed 1.6 million tonnes by 2030, representing a significant portion of the overall market, according to Benchmark’s new Fluorspar Market Outlook. This mineral, primarily composed of calcium fluoride (CaF2), holds potential beyond its traditional uses in refrigerants, steelmaking and aluminum... Read more →

According to data from Adamas Intelligence, through the first 11 months of 2023 a total of 253,648 tonnes of nickel were deployed onto roads in the batteries of all newly sold passenger EVs worldwide—a 40% increase over the same period of 2022. Through the first 11 months of last year,... Read more →