Edison Agrosciences, an industrial biomaterials company leveraging crop agriculture and technology, has closed a $600,000 seed financing round. This investment was made possible by the support of current and new investors, including BioGenerator, Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), Crisp & Company, LLC and others. Edison Agrosciences is developing more sustainable, domestic... Read more →

Helm.ai, a provider of AI software for high-end ADAS, Level 4 autonomous driving, and robotics, launched a multi-sensor generative AI foundation model for simulating the entire autonomous vehicle stack. WorldGen-1 synthesizes highly realistic sensor and perception data across multiple modalities and perspectives simultaneously, extrapolates sensor data from one modality to... Read more →

Leapmotor International, a 51/49 Stellantis-led company between Stellantis and Leapmotor (earlier post), has shipped the first batch of Leapmotor electric vehicles—C10 SUVs and T03 cars—from Shanghai, China, to European ports this month, marking a significant milestone in the partnership and demonstrating the shared commitment to providing sustainable mobility and innovation... Read more →

MAN PrimeServ—the after-sales brand of MAN Energy Solutions—has announced that, from 2025, it will offer a retrofit package for the conversion of conventional MAN four-stroke engines already in the field to dual-fuel methanol operation. Customers will initially be able to convert existing MAN 48/60 engines to the latest MAN 51/60DF... Read more →

The BMW Group is expanding its production network for the next generation of high-voltage batteries significantly, with five facilities on three continents to produce sixth-generation high-voltage batteries. Across the globe, the principle of “local for local” will apply. This helps the BMW Group increase the resilience of its production. The... Read more →

BHP and Lundin Mining Corporation agreed to acquire jointly 100% of Filo Corp. which owns 100% of the Filo del Sol (FDS) copper project. BHP and Lundin Mining have also agreed to form a 50/50 joint venture to hold the FDS and Josemaria projects (Joint Venture) located in the Vicuña... Read more →

Wabtec Corporation announced an order for Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives from SimFer, a joint venture among the Government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto, and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (CIOH). The order, valued at $277 million, will provide a locomotive fleet to service the rail operations for the Simandou... Read more →

Nikola Corporation, a provider of transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions via the HYLA brand, together with ITD Industries, opened the first commercial hydrogen refueling station for the heavy-duty transportation sector in Ontario. The station, located at ITD Industries’ headquarters in Etobicoke, ON, is situated at 161 The Westmall,... Read more →

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €998-million (US$1.1-billion) Dutch scheme to support the production of renewable hydrogen. The measure aims to contribute to the development of renewable hydrogen in line with the objectives of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and the European Green Deal. The scheme... Read more →

A team at Arizona State University (ASU) has estimated the future amount of copper needed for clean energy transition (CET)-related technologies, focusing on the US market and the leading role of Arizona (AZ) in copper mining. Particularly, they evaluated hydrogen’s potential to displace diesel in haulage; for use in high-grade... Read more →

Cerence is collaborating with smart, the new-premium all-electric automobile brand, on the development of AI-powered solutions for smart’s next-generation in-car experiences, first available in the Concept #5. For its next-gen platform, smart has prioritized leveraging AI to enhance the user experience, turning to Cerence and its industry-leading expertise as its... Read more →

After a 45-day all-electric development trip through a total of 22 countries, the two near-series prototypes of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 arrived back in Wörth am Rhein, safe and sound with more than 15,000 kilometers more on the clock. The two e-trucks covered exactly 15,269 and 15,939 kilometers respectively during... Read more →

Metafuels and PSI, the developers of a technology for sustainable aviation fuel compatible with existing aircraft, announced a CHF 4.4-million funding grant from the Swiss Government’s Federal Office of Energy to support the implementation and operation of a pilot facility based on Metafuels’ sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) technology (earlier post)—aerobrew—which... Read more →

Ceylon Graphite has entered into a purchase and distribution agreement with GES Europe GmbH (GES), specialist in the manufacture, trade, and processing of synthetic and natural graphite Ceylon’s graphite has uniquely high natural carbon characteristics that exceed those of any other natural graphite suppliers we have seen. The extremely high... Read more →

Since model year 2018, manufacturers have recommended or required premium gasoline for more than half of all light-duty vehicle configurations, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). In model year 1985, premium fuel was required/recommended for 6.5% of new vehicle model configurations. In pursuit of efficient performance, manufacturers have... Read more →

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a document introducing an experimental legal regime in Moscow aimed at launching the country’s first driverless tram service for passenger travel. The initiative will allow for the introduction of Russia’s first self-driving tram. The document was prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development... Read more →

Ecojet, the world’s first electric, commercial airline, has signed an agreement to purchase 22 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia, with options for a further 40 engines. The ZA2000 is a 2-5MW modular hydrogen-electric powertrain for up to 80 seat regional turboprops. Fueled by liquid hydrogen tanks, the powertrain is capable... Read more →

A researcher at Brunel University in the UK has identified an optimal blend comprising oxymethylene ethers (OMEn = 1–5 series) with diesel aimed at simultaneously reducing soot and NOx emissions while enhancing fuel efficiency. Farhad Mazari identified the optimal blend through experimentation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. The study... Read more →

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team on Saturday won the American Solar Challenge, an 8-day, distance-based race from Tennessee to Wyoming. The U-M team covered 2,120 miles before crossing the finish line in Casper, Wyoming, taking advantage of many of the route’s opportunities to add distance through optional loops... Read more →

Yanmar Energy Systems Co., Ltd. (Yanmar ES), a subsidiary of Yanmar Holdings, has commercialized the HP35FA1Z, a compact and multi-unit controllable 35 kW hydrogen fuel cell power generation system, and will begin accepting orders in Japan from 2 September 2024. With the increased focus on renewable energy to achieve a... Read more →

A team from Beijing University of Technology and Beijing Automobile Research Institute Company has used ammonia as a combustion inhibitor to mitigate or eliminate knock and to expand power in a direct-injection hydrogen engine. A paper on their work is published in the journal Fuel. Hong et al. Knock-free operation... Read more →

A team from Tianjin University in China has expxlored the combustion and flame development characteristics of ammonia at different excess air ratios (λ) in an optical spark ignition (SI) engine employing high-speed natural flame luminosity (NFL) imaging, OH* chemiluminescence imaging and flame spectra measurement. The combustion performance and flame development... Read more →

Firefly Green Fuels and Synagro Technologies, Inc. have partnered to bring Firefly’s novel fuel-production techniques to the American market. Synagro, a provider of sustainable solutions for biosolids, organics and residuals, has agreed to be the exclusive supplier of the biosolids feedstock used in Firefly’s innovative process. Firefly has developed a... Read more →

Researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China have developed a new ionic liquid-based electrolyte (ILE) that exhibits high conductivity that is twice that of pure ILE and also constructs a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for electrochemical stability. A paper on their work is published in Journal of Power Sources.... Read more →

Ford’s Model e electric vehicle business segment posted an EBIT loss of $1.1 billion in the second quarter amid ongoing industrywide pricing pressure on first-generation electric vehicles and lower wholesales. Those factors more than offset about $400 million in year-over-year cost reductions in the segment. Overall, Ford reported second-quarter revenue... Read more →

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is realigning its structures to increase its competitiveness and respond to the changes in the mobility sector, particularly in the field of electromobility. In line with the strategic guiding principle of “Strengthening strengths,” the company will further increase its investments in its Commercial Vehicle Technology, Chassis Solutions,... Read more →

Natura Resources, LLC (Natura) is partnering with the Texas Produced Water Consortium (TxPWC) at Texas Tech University to look at the deployment of Natura’s liquid-fueled molten salt reactor (LF-MSR) technology to power the Permian Basin. Dubbed “Fortifying the Future,” this partnership provides an opportunity to deploy Natura’s LF-MSR technology to... Read more →

Daimler Truck is entering the next development phase of its fuel cell trucks. After a rigorous testing phase on the test track and public roads, the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks have now reached an advanced development stage for deployment in the first customer fleets. At the Daimler Truck Test and Development... Read more →

The fourth generation of the Porsche Cayenne will be all-electric. Porsche is simultaneously moving forward with the development of its hybrid and combustion engine third-generation models. Up to and beyond 2030, the successful SUV will be offered with three powertrain variants worldwide. The third generation of the Cayenne will be... Read more →

C-BATT, a joint venture between X-BATT and CONSOL Innovations, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc., has launched the next phase of its effort to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation battery anode materials. C-BATT is combining X-BATT’s battery technology with CONSOL Innovations' domestically sourced carbon resources to bring... Read more →

German battery developer CustomCells and Group14 Technologies, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of advanced silicon battery material, signed a multi-year supply agreement, enabling CustomCells to procure SCC55, Group14’s advanced silicon battery material. SCC55 is a stable silicon-carbon composite anode with five times the capacity of graphite (current anode materials)... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Aymium have formed a new joint venture named Évolys Québec Inc. to manufacture a renewable metallurgical biocarbon product to reduce carbon emissions in large-scale industrial processes. This biocarbon, sourced from biomass residues, offers an alternative for anthracite currently used in ilmenite smelting processes at Rio Tinto’s metallurgical... Read more →

In Germany, gas transmission system operators (TSOs) have submitted their hydrogen core network application to Germany’s Bundesnetzagentur. The future hydrogen core network will include important hydrogen infrastructure that will be put into operation gradually by 2032. Overall the application provides for a line length of 9,666 km (around 60% of... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced 20 projects across 16 states selected to receive up to $371 million to accelerate the permitting of high-voltage, interstate transmission projects. These projects, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, will also support community infrastructure projects along major new and upgraded transmissions lines, including... Read more →

The PACIFIC app, a solution for the exchange of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data of BASF products, is now available in the Catena-X Automotive Ecosystem in the Cofinity-X App Store. BASF customers can from now on register for the application. PACIFIC is a joint development of BASF and CircularTree. After... Read more →

Sunrun, a leading US provider of clean energy as a subscription service, is now operating the nation’s first vehicle-to-home power plant using a small group of customer-owned bidirectional electric vehicles. In partnership with Maryland’s largest utility, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, the regulator-approved initiative... Read more →

TaiSan, a UK company developing quasi-solid-state sodium batteries for the automotive industry, announced the raise of £1.3 battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology. Led by EIT InnoEnergy and TSP Ventures and followed by Heartfelt VC and Exergon, TaiSan’s pre-seed round is backed by Europe’s leading strategic e-mobility funds. Co-funded by the... Read more →

Toyota West Virginia has started production of the fifth-generation hybrid transaxle, a core part of Toyota’s multi-pathway approach to electrification. Assembly of the new transaxles is a result of more than $300 million in investments at the plant announced in 2021 and 2022. The fifth-generation hybrid transaxle is part of... Read more →

Toyota has started testing a new hydrogen fuel cell truck in Europe with Coca-Cola as part of the drinks company’s supply operations. Air Liquide, a leader in clean energy, is supplying the project with hydrogen sourced from renewables. Toyota aims to support the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport with its... Read more →

The Pacific Northwest is set to begin work building out a clean hydrogen economy with the announcement of a Phase 1 funding award from the Department of Energy (DOE). The $27.5-million award to the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2), a multi-state nonprofit organization, will be matched by industry partners up... Read more →

As part of a product update, Webasto is increasing the energy content of its traction batteries from 35 to 40 kilowatt hours (kWh). The standardized product design of the new Standard Battery Pro 40 gives existing and new customers planning security for the coming years and facilitates multi-year electrification projects.... Read more →

ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large regional turboprop. Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is low-temperature... Read more →

SunHydrogen, the developer of a technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and water, entered into a joint development agreement with Honda R&D Co., Ltd.. SunHydrogen’s solar hydrogen technology uses abundant and low-cost materials, requires no external power other than sunlight, and is designed with scalability in mind. Its core... Read more →

Atlas Energy Solutions—a leading proppant producer and proppant logistics provider, serving primarily the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico—and Kodiak Robotics have entered into an agreement whereby Kodiak will outfit new Atlas high-capacity trucks with Kodiak’s autonomous driving technology. The two companies have already completed their first driverless... Read more →

A group of Penn State researchers will receive $1.1 million in funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The two-year cooperative agreement supports early-stage research and development to advance low-cost, low-emissions production of geologic hydrogen, which is produced naturally in Earth’s subsurface and could... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks and Mörtlbauer Baumaschinen Vertriebs GmbH jointly presented their two prototypes as part of the “WaVe” development project to research hydrogen combustion engines for special-purpose vehicles. The Unimog test vehicle and crawler demonstrated their performance in driving and working operation on the Mörtlbauer factory premises in Fürstenzell, Bavaria.... Read more →

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and Stanford Engineering—which have collaborated on research to make driving safer—announced a world first in driving research: autonomously drifting two cars in tandem. The experiments automate a motorsports maneuver called “drifting,” where a driver precisely controls a vehicle’s direction after breaking traction by spinning the rear... Read more →

The call for tenders commission of Nantes Métropole has awarded the contract for the acquisition of new battery-electric buses to the manufacturer Iveco France to replace end-of-life buses and support the development of the Naolib network. Semitan has been mandated by Nantes Métropole to lead this acquisition project, which is... Read more →

Leclanché SA signed a framework agreement with Pinnacle International Capital which will see the company secure expansion funding, subject to the completion of due diligence. This signed Framework Agreement builds on the binding terms already agreed to define a joint venture structure that will cement this partnership and fund the... Read more →

Cleveland-Cliffs will build a new electrical distribution transformer production plant in Weirton, West Virginia. This downstream direct investment by Cleveland-Cliffs in Weirton will address the critical shortage of distribution transformers across the United States. Cleveland-Cliffs will repurpose its Half Moon Warehouse in Weirton to commence production of three-phase distribution transformers... Read more →