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Rio Tinto to install carbon-free aluminum smelting cells using first ELYSIS technology licence

Rio Tinto will install carbon-free aluminium smelting cells at its Arvida smelter in Québec, Canada, using the first technology licence issued by the ELYSIS joint venture. (Earlier post.) This investment will support the ongoing development of the breakthrough ELYSIS technology and allow Rio Tinto to build expertise in its installation... Read more →


Chilean Cobalt Corp. receives US$317M Letter of Interest from US EXIM Bank

Chilean Cobalt recently received a non-binding Letter of Interest (LOI) from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank) for a potential debt funding package of up to $317,400,000 with loan tenor of up to 15 years to fund development efforts within C3’s mining concessions that comprise the La... Read more →


China issues new regulations on rare earth administration

Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a decree of the State Council, unveiling a set of regulations on rare earth administration. The regulations, which will take effect on 1 October, stipulate that the country will pay equal attention to resource protection as well as development and utilization of rare earths, following... Read more →


Nyobolt, the developer of ultra-fast charging niobium-based battery technology (earlier post) revealed the first running Nyobolt EV prototype. (Earlier post.) Designed and engineered with CALLUM, the Nyobolt EV will be used to both validate the company’s battery performance in a high-performance environment, as well as allow car makers to witness... Read more →


China-based XCMG Machinery unveiled a new hydrogen fuel cell dump truck model, the EHSL552F, equipped with a 120kW hydrogen fuel cell and high-power battery system. This launch marks a step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 99.3 kilograms on a daily basis for large-scale transportation projects such as mining operations.... Read more →


Group14 signs agreements with five leading EV and CE cell manufacturers

Group14 Technologies, Inc., the world’s largest global manufacturer, and supplier of advanced silicon battery materials, has signed five multi-year binding offtake agreements amounting to a minimum commitment of more than $300 million with three leading electric vehicle (EV) and two consumer electronic (CE) cell manufacturers across Europe, Asia, and North... Read more →


Aramco to acquire 10% equity interest in HORSE Powertrain

Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has signed definitive agreements to acquire a 10% equity interest in HORSE Powertrain Limited, the new global powertrain solutions company, alongside Renault Group, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Geely Automobile Holdings Limited. HORSE Powertrain Limited was formed on 31... Read more →


Crowley christened the eWolf, the first all-electric ship assist harbor tugboatin the US (earlier post). Built by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala., the 82-foot vessel delivers 70 tons of bollard pull—stronger than its conventional predecessor—and features an end-to-end electric propulsion system from ABB including a 6.2-megawatt-hour energy storage system... Read more →


J.D. Power quality study finds problems plague BEVs despite traditional OEMs leveling field with Tesla

p>In its inaugural year incorporating franchise dealership repair visits with the Voice of the Customer (VOC) data to create a more expansive metric for problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), the J.D. Power 2024 US Initial Quality Study (IQS) the industry average is 195 PP100. Mass market brands, with a combined... Read more →


Bay Area Air Quality Management District orders Tesla to correct ongoing air quality violations at Fremont

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) announced that the agency’s independent Hearing Board has ordered Tesla to correct air quality violations at its electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Fremont. A written order is expected to be issued this week. The Air District sought the abatement order to stop... Read more →


Extreme H, the new hydrogen racing series, unveiled its hydrogen-powered racing car, the Pioneer 25. The Pioneer 25 racing car is designed to demonstrate the viability and performance capabilities of hydrogen fuel cells, setting a new standard for eco-friendly motorsport. The Pioneer 25 has been in development since the announcement... Read more →


Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, has raised $375 million in a close of its Series G round led by existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., with participation by new outside investors as well as existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners,... Read more →


JordProxa and Zelandez partner to accelerate lithium carbonate supply

JordProxa and Zelandez will partner to speed up the supply of lithium from lithium brine mining companies in North and South America. The collaboration links a leading lithium brinefield technology provider with a respected name in modular plant design. The pair will primarily focus on supporting the deployment of Zelandez’s... Read more →


With the installation of the first approximately twelve-meter-high concrete support, the BMW Group has officially started the construction of the future production site for high-voltage batteries in Lower Bavaria. In total, around 1,000 supports will be set up on a floor area of 300 by 500 meters in the coming... Read more →


Fluor to provide EPCM services for Phase One of Northvolt’s large-scale lithium-ion battery facility in Germany

Fluor Corporation announced that its Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services contract for Phase One of Northvolt’s large-scale lithium-ion battery factory in Heide, Germany. Fluor will recognize its undisclosed portion of the total $4.8 billion (€4.5 billion) project in... Read more →


ZF’s Commercial Vehicles Solutions division has developed a new hybrid transmission. Part of the TraXon family, the new TraXon 2 Hybrid from ZF will enable commercial vehicle operators to reduce carbon emissions while still maintaining the capability advantages of a combustion engine. TraXon 2 Hybrid ZF’s standard TraXon 2—the successor... Read more →


Yole Group: China’s automotive innovation to propel LiDAR market to $3.6B by 2029

The Yole Group forecasts that the global automotive LiDAR market will grow from US$538 million in 2023 to US$3,632 million by 2029, with a CAGR of 38% over this period. In 2022, the market was at a crucial junction. At the time, Yole Group identified significant issues between the PC... Read more →


Honda announced lease options for the all-new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV, its production plug-in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. The zero-emissions compact CUV will be available in California starting 9 July, with three competitive leasing options, with the majority of customers expected to choose a 3 year/36,000 mile lease for... Read more →


Hyundai Motor Company unveiled the all-electric INSTER, a new A-segment sub-compact EV offering unique design, segment-leading driving range and versatility, and advanced technology at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show. INSTER offers fast charging and the best all-electric range (AER) in its segment, at up to 355 km (221 miles).... Read more →


Rolls-Royce collaborates with technology partners on highly efficient hydrogen engine for stationary power generation

Rolls-Royce has started, with a consortium of five companies and research institutes, to develop the necessary technologies for a highly efficient first-of-a-kind hydrogen combustion engine to drive combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Under the Phoenix (Performance Hydrogen Engine for Industrial and X) project, funded by the German Government, the... Read more →


MAIRE S.p.A. announced that NEXTCHEM (Sustainable Technology Solutions BU), through its subsidiary MyRechemical, has signed a licensing contract with DG Fuels Louisiana, LCC in relation to its proprietary NX Circular gasification technology. The DG plant, expected to be operational in 2028, will produce 450 million liters per year of SAF... Read more →


Phillips 66 achieves full production rates of renewable fuel at Rodeo

Phillips 66 announced the full conversion of the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex, expanding commercial-scale production and positioning the company as a leader in renewable fuels. The Rodeo facility in the San Francisco Bay Area increased rates to approximately 50,000 BPD (800 million gallons per year), reaching the company’s goal of... Read more →


Stratus Materials Inc., a company focused on the development and commercialization of advanced cathode active materials (CAMs) for lithium-ion batteries, announced that its first-generation LXMO CAM material has achieved a significant milestone associated with cycling durability in electric vehicle applications. LXMO-containing pouch cells surpassed 1,000 full depth-of-discharge cycles while maintaining... Read more →


Gradiant spins-out alkaLi for battery-grade lithium production

Gradiant, a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment and a spin-out from MIT, has spun-out alkaLi, a standalone company dedicated to accelerating the scaling of battery-grade lithium production. alkaLi is powered by EC2, an all-in-one solution engineered to Extract, Concentrate and Convert battery-grade lithium. Gradiant says that... Read more →


Saint-Gobain and KLA to partner with Ion Storage Systems to accelerate path to commercialization for solid-state batteries

Ion Storage Systems (ION), a Maryland-based manufacturer of safe, high-energy density, fast-charging solid-state batteries (SSBs), will collaborate with Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest ceramics, glass and material suppliers and KLA, a leader in semiconductor process and quality control, to accelerate the commercialization of ION’s high-performing, anodeless SSB. The ARPA-E... Read more →


A European consortium of eighteen partners from the automotive industry, research, and technology specialists, has developed a complete cobalt-free lithium-ion battery system for electric vehicles. This system integrates a series of innovations in safety, control, and efficiency, intended for the next generation of batteries. With a budget of €12 million,... Read more →


Air Liquide plans to invest up to US$850 million to build, own and operate four as well as related infrastructure in the framework of a long-term binding agreement with ExxonMobil for its planned low-carbon hydrogen project in Baytown, TX. This will enable Air Liquide to increase its oxygen production capacity... Read more →


Rivian and Volkswagen Group intend to form JV for electrical architecture and software; Volkswagen to invest up to $5B in Rivian

Rivian Automotive and Volkswagen Group intend to form an equally controlled and owned joint venture (JV) to create next-generation electrical/electronic architecture (E/E-architecture) for electric vehicles. The partnership is anticipated to accelerate the development of software for Rivian and Volkswagen Group. It is expected to allow both companies to combine their... Read more →


Blue World Technologies successfully tested its 200 kW high-temperature PEM fuel cell module. The test was completed at the newly established test facilities in connection to the Blue Aalborg Factory, where the fuel cells for the system are produced. With an electrical efficiency of up to 55% when reaching a... Read more →


Volvo’s electric trucks have driven more than 80 million kilometers—equivalent to 2,000 laps around the world—since Volvo launched its first electric truck models in 2019. Volvo has sold more than 3,500 electric trucks in 45 countries since 2019. Covering the same distance with equivalent diesel-powered trucks would have consumed more... Read more →


Uber Freight and Aurora Innovation are launching Premier Autonomy, a new program providing early access to more than 1 billion of Aurora’s driverless miles to Uber Freight carriers through 2030. The program is the latest in their longstanding partnership to integrate and deploy autonomous trucks on the Uber Freight network... Read more →


BMW receives approval for combination of Level 2 and Level 3 systems in vehicles in Germany

BMW received approval for a combination of a Level 2 driving assistance system (the BMW Highway Assistant) and a Level 3 system in the form of the BMW Personal Pilot L3 in the same vehicle. The optional BMW Personal Pilot L3 is available exclusively in Germany priced at €6,000 (incl.... Read more →


ARPA-E awarding Ion Storage Systems $20M to scale-up production of solid-state batteries

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $20 million to Ion Storage Systems to support the scale-up of domestic manufacturing of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries and to accelerate commercialization of the technology into the electric vehicle market. Ion is commercializing next-generation, high-power-density, solid-state lithium-metal batteries, based on ceramic electrolyte... Read more →


GM Defense providing Ultium EV battery technology for evaluation of capabilities for directed energy systems

GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, is providing commercial battery-electric technology in support of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Pulsed Power and Energy Laboratory (PPEL) and Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD). The project, Evaluation of Electric Vehicle Batteries to Enable Directed Energy (EEVBEDE), is funded... Read more →


SK On signs MOU with ExxonMobil for lithium offtake in US

SK On, a leading global electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ExxonMobil for a potential lithium offtake agreement in the United States as part of its efforts to strengthen the battery supply chain in the region. Under the MOU, SK On can explore... Read more →


The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) approved the preliminary design of a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid research vessel that will join the fleet at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography when completed. (Earlier post.) The vessel’s design was developed by naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten. Approval of the preliminary... Read more →


McLaren CEO calls for UK to be a supercar center-of-excellence for next-generation battery technology

The UK, with its rich history in high-performance automotive manufacturing and elite motorsport, faces a golden opportunity to lead the electrification of supercar production if it can attract investment into the domestic supply-chain, says McLaren Automotive CEO, Michael Leiters. Leiters says the existing UK supply-chain is currently not equipped to... Read more →


Volkswagen of America unveiled the Jetta and Jetta GLI. Refreshed for 2025, the Jetta and the sport-tuned Jetta GLI benefit from updated exterior styling, new interior décor and technology, and a lower starting price than the outgoing 2024 automatic-transmission model with a starting MSRP of $21,995. Under the hood, the... Read more →


A team of scientists led by Kumar Varoon Agrawal at EPFL has developed membranes that show exceptional CO2 capture performance by incorporating pyridinic nitrogen at the edges of graphene pores. The membranes strike a remarkable balance of high CO2 permeance and selectivity, making them highly promising for various industrial applications.... Read more →


The proton exchange membrane electrolysis of water (PEMWE) is a critical process for hydrogen generation. However, the limited ability of electrons and protons to permeate the membrane and the inefficient arrangement of the transport structure in the catalyst layer (CL) presents significant obstacles to the widespread adoption of PEMWE. A... Read more →


Volkswagen and Cerence commence roll-out of new generative AI solutions with ChatGPT to drivers in Europe

Cerence announced that Volkswagen Group has deployed Cerence Chat Pro, the company’s automotive-grade ChatGPT integration, to models across Volkswagen’s European lineup via cloud update, marking the first time the solution is available to drivers. Cerence and Volkswagen first announced their collaboration to launch these new, generative AI-powered enhancements to the... Read more →


Kia is adding an optional turbo-hybrid powertrain to the 2025 Carnival MPV lineup, highlighting its versatile multi-purpose capabilities. The new Carnival Hybrid variant starts at $40,500; the standard 2025 Kia Carnival has a starting MSRP of $36,500. The newly added Carnival Hybrid gets a 1.6-liter turbo-hybrid engine paired with a... Read more →


BASF decides against investment in nickel-cobalt refining complex in Indonesia

BASF will not further evaluate a potential investment in a nickel-cobalt refining complex in Weda Bay, Indonesia. In 2020, BASF and Eramet, a global mining and metallurgical group, signed an agreement jointly to assess the potential of such a project. After a thorough evaluation, we have concluded that we will... Read more →


HydrogenPro investing in capacity to increase production of Gen3 electrodes

HydrogenPro ASA to invest in a new production line for its Gen3 electrodes. Total annual capacity will be a minimum of 90-100 MW and the production is expected to start Q1 2025. HydrogenPro ASA has over a long period of time developed a unique Gen3 electrode technology that enables electrolyzers... Read more →


The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has published the 2024 Alberta Energy Outlook report (formerly ST98), an annual publication featuring independent, comprehensive information on the state of Alberta’s energy industry. The report shows that Alberta remains the largest producer of natural gas and oil in Canada, producing more than 60% of... Read more →


Global Battery Alliance launches second wave of Battery Passport pilots

The Global Battery Alliance, the largest multistakeholder organization in the energy storage space, bringing together over 160 members across the battery value chain and the wider ecosystem including public organizations, NGOs, labor unions and academia, launched the second wave of its Battery Passport pilots including 11 pilot consortia. Building on... Read more →


The mechanical and plant engineering company Dürr has developed a sustainable energy management system for automotive paint shops that can reduce both energy requirements and CO2 emissions by around 20%. The intelligent EcoQPower system links all energy flows in the painting process and enables excess heat and cold to be... Read more →


JLR and Chery sign Letter of Intent to license Freelander brand to CJLR for creation of electric vehicles in China

Building on their 12-year relationship and well-established joint venture, JLR and Chery have signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen CJLR’s product offer for the next era of electrification in China. CJLR is the 50/50 joint venture of Jaguar Land Rover Ltd and Chery Automobile Company. Under the proposed new... Read more →


bp acquiring Bunge’s 50% interest in Brazil biofuels JV; $1.4B value

bp will acquire Bunge’s 50% holding interest in its bp Bunge Bioenergia S.A. joint venture, one of Brazil’s leading biofuels-producing companies. Upon completion, bp will become sole owner of the industrial scale sugarcane and ethanol business, enabling bp to accelerate value creation through integration with bp’s trading and technology capabilities.... Read more →


Nobina, a major transport operator in Sweden, has ordered a total of 88 Solaris electric buses for its fleet operating in three regions: Skåne, Värmland and Malmö. This includes 55 units of the Urbino 15 LE electric as reinvestment for Skåne region, 15 units for Värmland, and 18 units of... Read more →