Start-up Terragia Biofuel raised a $6-million seed round led by Engine Ventures and Energy Impact Partners (EIP). The company will use the capital to commercialize its novel biology-based approach to converting cellulosic biomass into ethanol and other products, expand its employee headcount and initiate partnerships with major biofuel producers. Terragia... Read more →

Verdagy, a renewable hydrogen electrolysis company with more than a decade of technology and product development experience, announced that Shell provided technical endorsement of Verdagy’s eDynamic electrolyzers. This major step qualifies Verdagy as a supplier in its upcoming green hydrogen projects. Verdagy worked with the Shell team to complete a... Read more →

Recent analysis by Wood Mackenzie finds that, based on forecasted 2030 net cash margins, 121 out of 465 screened refineries are at some risk of closure. This represents a cumulative 20.2 million b/d of refining capacity, or 21.6% of global 2023 capacity. The future viability of refinery facilities will be... Read more →

The percentage of automobile shoppers who say they are “very likely” to consider an electric vehicle (EV) for their next purchase or lease declined to 24.4% through the end of February 2024, the fourth consecutive monthly decline in EV consideration, according to the J.D. Power 2024 US Electric Vehicle Experience... Read more →

Renault Group’s Sandouville site will build electric LCVs for Flexis SAS, the new joint venture set up by Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM. (Earlier post.) Reflecting the expertise and skills acquired by Sandouville in the production of LCVs over the past 10 years, the site has been selected... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” that sets stronger standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty (HD) vehicles beginning in model year (MY) 2027. The new standards will be applicable to HD vocational vehicles (such... Read more →

Panasonic Energy and Mazda Motor Corporation signed an agreement towards the supply of cylindrical automotive lithium-ion batteries. In June 2023, the two companies commenced discussions aimed at building a medium- to long-term partnership for the supply of cylindrical automotive lithium-ion batteries, discussions which have now resulted in the signing of... Read more →

Greenlane announced its first commercial EV charging corridor with more than 100 chargers, modern amenities designed to increase the comfort of drivers, resilience for high uptime and ultimately moving freight more efficiently. Greenlane is a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America LLC, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, and BlackRock (through... Read more →

Polestar and Plugsurfing are launching a new public charging service in Europe called Polestar Charge. With more than 650,000 compatible electric car charging points, Polestar Charge gives Polestar drivers access to the largest charging networks in Europe, including the Tesla Supercharger network, IONITY, Recharge, Total, Fastned and Allego in one... Read more →

Archer Aviation, a leading developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced the successful completion of rigorous battery pack drop testing conducted at a National Institute for Aviation Research lab. This marks a significant milestone in the development of the company’s proprietary electric propulsion system for its Midnight... Read more →

Aqua Metals and 6K Energy signed a strategic supply agreement establishing a North American sustainable circular supply chain for the critical minerals essential for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. Aqua Metals will deliver sustainably recycled battery materials from its Sierra ARC facility in Reno, NV for 6K Energy to manufacture cathode active... Read more →

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group (earlier post), is partnering with battery materials and technology company Talga Group to recover graphite from old EV batteries for reuse in the production of new battery anodes. The collaboration marks a step towards securing a sustainable domestic source of graphite for the UK... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $62 million for projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase consumer participation in consumer electronics battery recycling and improve the economics of battery recycling. With demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage projected to expand the lithium battery market... Read more →

Yamaha Motor and Lola Cars have signed a technical partnership agreement for the development and supply of high-performance electric powertrains to be part of an official manufacturer in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Through this connection with Formula E, Yamaha Motor will work on developing leading electric technologies... Read more →

Nissan announced its commitment to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship until at least 2030, reinforcing its Ambition 2030 electrification plans. Running from Season 13 (2026/27) to Season 16 (2029/30), Formula E’s GEN4 technology will be the most advanced yet. This decision will see Nissan’s involvement in Formula E... Read more →

Ideal Power Inc, the developer of the B-TRAN bidirectional semiconductor power switch, announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 2,000,000 shares of its common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) at an offering price of $7.50 per share of common stock. The Bidirectional, Bipolar Junction... Read more →

TANAKA Precious Metals will install a stationary pure hydrogen fuel cell system with a maximum generating capacity of 500 kilowatts (kW), one of the largest in private-sector use in Japan, at the Shonan Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, a key recycling business site for TANAKA. The company will install an H2Rex... Read more →

Almost a fifth (19.5%) of electric vehicles sold in Europe last year were made in China and this is on track to reach a quarter (25%) in 2024, according to new analysis by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E). The forecast comes as the EU is considering import tariffs to... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation, a developer of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, has started customer shipments of Alpha-2 prototype battery cells, fulfilling a goal for 2024. Alpha-2 prototypes are a significant milestone on the roadmap to deliver QSE-5, QuantumScape’s first planned commercial product. QuantumScape entered the automotive qualification process in December 2022... Read more →

Porsche AG and Applied Intuition, a Silicon Valley-based vehicle software supplier, announced a strategic partnership. The common goal is the joint development in different fields of automotive software while maintaining software ownership and reducing dependencies on black-box suppliers. This reduces complexity and increases implementation speed. Porsche says that the partnership... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the public for information on the potential ways in which people might be exposed to lead through the use of wheel weights. Lead exposure can have devastating impacts to human health and can be especially harmful to developing children. The Advance Notice... Read more →

Cox Automotive is rolling out across Manheim the used car industry’s only solution that will measure EV battery health for each specific VIN. In addition, the company is expanding LotVision's capabilities of reporting battery health for each unique vehicle. Both enhancements give wholesale buyers and sellers the information they need... Read more →

New global research commissioned by ABB Robotics and industry specialists Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (AMS) has revealed that the rising cost of energy in Europe and escalating US labor rates are becoming major challenges for the automotive industry. ABB Robotics’ second annual barometer survey of the automotive industry showed that more... Read more →

Volkswagen of America, Inc., announced the offer structure for the 2025 ID.7, the first all-electric Volkswagen in the near-luxury sedan segment. The ID.7 will be offered stateside in two trims—Pro S and Pro S Plus—with an 82 kWh battery and 282 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque on rear-wheel drive... Read more →

The first batch of Daimler Truck’s all-electric RIZON trucks—Class 4-5 battery-electric trucks focused on urban delivery (earlier post)—are now on the streets of America following deliveries to customers in California. More units are scheduled to be handed over throughout March of 2024. The initial deployment of RIZON trucks includes a... Read more →

3M has invested in EVOLOH, a company working to scale up manufacturing of multi-megawatt liquid alkaline electrolyzers to make green hydrogen affordable and efficient. The low-cost production of green hydrogen is key to the world reaching its climate goals and the investment is part of 3M’s ongoing commitment to materials... Read more →

In a continued commitment to enhance sustainability within their operations, Volvo CE and Volvo Trucks have teamed up with logistics firm Capelle Transports to pilot an electric shuttle delivery solution. The e-shuttle service has been designed to not only reduce CO2 emissions during the first transport leg of construction machines... Read more →

Developing renewable hydrogen production in Africa would allow African nations to meet domestic electricity needs while becoming a major exporter to supply growing global demand, according to a new report released by the Hydrogen Council. The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-led initiative that brings together leading companies with a... Read more →

Autocar, LLC, a manufacturer of severe-duty vocational trucks, is collaborating with Rocsys, a developer of hands-free charging solutions for electric vehicles, to bring hands-free charging capabilities for Autocar’s electric terminal tractors. This alliance marks a first with the operational deployment of terminal tractors powered by hands-free charging at distribution centers,... Read more →

Volume production of ZF’s CeTrax lite electric drive for light commercial vehicles (earlier post) started in April 2023; ZF has now announced that it has already produced its first thousand units. The ramp-up in volume production was steeper than planned because demand from the customer ISUZU increased. The drive is... Read more →

BASF is now the first manufacturer to offer AdBlue as a ZeroPCF variant with a certified CO2 footprint (product carbon footprint = PCF) of <0.05 kg per kilogram of AdBlue. This value includes the amount of CO2 emitted in connection with the product during production up to the site gate... Read more →

SK On, a leading global electric vehicle battery manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Italian luxury sports carmaker Ferrari to reinforce their partnership and to lead innovation in cell technology. Under the MoU, the two sides plan to share expertise in respective areas to expand their technological... Read more →

Farasis Energy and FAW Jiefang Automobile Co., Ltd., a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in China, will partner on commercial vehicle applications. Both companies will collaborate closely on commercial vehicle semi-solid-state and solid-state battery projects for light-, medium- and heavy-vehicle platforms, and specific scenarios such as long-haul transportation, urban logistics, and... Read more →

Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, and National Sorghum Producers sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling on Administrator Michael Regan to act swiftly on an emergency waiver for E15 sales. New and ongoing conflicts across the... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co. launched The Arc, its new business plan which is focused on a broad-based product offensive, increased electrification, new approaches to engineering and manufacturing, the adoption of new technologies, and the use of strategic partnerships to increase global unit sales and improve profitability. The plan is positioned as... Read more →

The total cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of Polestar’s first electric performance SUV, Polestar 3, is lower than that of the smaller Polestar 2 when it was launched in 2020 at 24.7 tCO2e versus 26.1 tCO2e. The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from the extraction and processing of various materials... Read more →

The Ford Performance Cobra Jet EV demonstrator broke the world record for the fastest quarter-mile pass with a full bodied-drag car with a blistering time of 7.759 seconds at 180.14 miles per hour at the National Hot Rod Association Winter Nationals. It’s the second time the Cobra Jet EV Demonstrator... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) is renewing the Roll-to-Roll (R2R) Consortium of national laboratories to develop “roll-to-roll” processes that will reduce the cost of manufacturing electrolyzers and fuel cells. The R2R Consortium aims to advance efficient, high-throughput, and high-quality manufacturing processes to... Read more →

Fuel cell and hydrogen solutions providers HyAxiom, Inc. (HyAxiom) and Doosan Fuel Cell Co., Ltd. (DFCC) announced their Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) cell stack has passed a critical environmental test by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. This is the... Read more →

On 25 March, BYD rolled off its 7 millionth new energy vehicle, the DENZA N7, at its Jinan factory in China. NEVs include plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles. BYD reached the production of 1 millionth NEV in May 2021 and rapidly multiplied this figure threefold within 18 months, then surpassed... Read more →

Indigo Technologies, a robotics-focused Smart EV OEM with road-sensing SmartWheels invented by team out of MIT, received a strategic investment from Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn). Indigo develops light utility EVs designed for sustainable ride hail, delivery and autonomous transportation services. Foxconn’s Chief Strategy Officer for Electric Vehicles Jun Seki,... Read more →

MAN Energy Solutions and Svitzer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on the development of a methanol-fueled version of the MAN 175D engine, designated 175DF-M (Dual Fuel-Methanol). (Earlier post.) The MoU targets the finalization of a field-test agreement based on which a dual-fuel engine and plant equipment will... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group co-hosted a 2024 Korea-Africa Business Forum today in Seoul in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation (CSST) at SOAS University of London and the Korea-Africa Foundation. The forum discussed how Korean and African stakeholders can work together as strategic partners for sustainable development amidst ongoing... Read more →

REE Automotive Ltd., an automotive technology company and provider of full by-wire electric trucks and platforms, which recently announced FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certification (earlier post), has received two certifications from California Air Resources Board (CARB) on the Class 4 P7-C chassis cab.... Read more →

In China, EV registrations, including plug-in and conventional hybrids, soared by 92% in January compared to the same month last year, according to Adamas Intelligence. At just under 765,000 units, more EVs were sold in China during the first month of 2024 than the next 19 countries combined. Every third... Read more →

The European Council adopted the regulation to establish a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, better known as the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). This is the last step in the decision-making procedure. Following the Council’s approval the European Parliament’s position, the legislative act... Read more →

i-charging, a provider of innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, announced that the blueberry CLUSTER and the blueberry PLUS which already offered power of up to 600 kW can now both be delivered with an increased power capacity of 900 kW. Both versions of the blueberry family can now be... Read more →

FreeWire Technologies, a provider of battery-integrated electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and energy management solutions, introduced its Accelerate Program, which allows businesses to offer and collect payments from ultrafast EV charging amenities at their site, while FreeWire owns and operates the equipment. Chevron is among the first to participate in... Read more →

Researchers from Tohoku University have identified a promising alternative to the conventional means of synthesizing ammonia, one that is more environmentally friendly. Details of their research are published in an open-access paper in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. The Haber-Bosch synthesis, developed in the early 20th century to synthesize... Read more →

Australian Strategic Materials announced that it received a non-binding and conditional Letter of Interest (LoI) from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) to provide a debt funding package of up to US$600 million for the construction and execution phase of the rare earths and critical minerals Dubbo... Read more →