ARPA-E released $10 million in funding for 6 projects as part of the Connecting Aviation By Lighter Electrical Systems (CABLES) topic. CABLES is one of a set of projects supported by an ongoing funding opportunity for a range of the most innovative and unconventional ideas across the energy technology spectrum,... Read more →

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., introduced its battery-electric low-floor purpose-built bus: the Equess CHARGE. Available in 30-foot and 35-foot models, the Equess CHARGE builds on ARBOC’s proven Equess transit bus platform, and utilizes the in-field electric vehicle technology from New Flyer of America, another NFI Group... Read more →

Germany is putting another €100 million into a subsidy program for private wallbox chargers, bringing the program total to €400M. Under the program, the purchase and installation of wallboxes are supported with a grant of €900. Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer said that 300,000 wall boxes have already been... Read more →

Nissan announced a breakthrough in engine efficiency, reaching 50% thermal efficiency with its in-development, next-generation e-POWER system. Nissan’s e-POWER system utilizes an on-board gasoline engine to provide electrical energy to the e-powertrain battery pack. Nissan’s latest approach to engine development has raised the bar to world-leading levels, accelerating past the... Read more →

The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) (Maryland) Board of Education approved a contract on Tuesday evening with Highland Electric Transportation, a provider of turnkey electric fleet solutions, to convert the MCPS school bus fleet to all-electric, starting with 326 school buses over the next four years. This project represents the... Read more →

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has placed an initial order for 10 Lion Electric LionC school buses. This order follows on Lion’s recent delivery of all-electric school buses to the Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento. LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the United States, serving... Read more →

Wireless power transfer leader WiTricity announced an additional $18 million to its previously announced October fund raise of $34 million for a total of $52 million. The extension included investments from Tony Fadell’s Future Shape and other private investors. Fadell also joins WiTricity’s newly formed Board of Advisors. Stage 1... Read more →

As a direct result of the state’s Clean Cars 4 All program, more than 10,000 Californians have now scrapped old, dirty cars and replaced them with cleaner alternatives such as new and used zero-emission, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid cars. There is strong consumer demand for Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A)... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work with the South Korean government as well as logistics, battery and mobility companies to demonstrate the electric vehicle (EV) battery leasing business. Through this agreement, Hyundai aims to foster an EV ecosystem by alleviating the initial cost burden... Read more →

Volvo Cars and Geely Auto have agreed on a wide-ranging collaboration that will maximize the strengths of the Swedish and Chinese automotive groups, delivering synergies in powertrains, sharing of electric vehicle architecture, joint procurement, autonomous drive technologies and aftersales. Elements of the expanded collaboration include: Powertrain operations to be combined... Read more →

Solaris has just delivered three Urbino 18 electric buses to Bonn. It is the first contract for the manufacturer with Stadtwerke Bonn Bus und Bahn (SWB). The three delivered Urbino 18 electric buses are fueled solely by power derived from renewable sources. The future is electric. We stick to our... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is making additional clean vehicle rebates available for lower-income consumers. A cornerstone of CARB’s suite of EV-purchase incentives, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) is the nation’s largest and longest-running EV incentive program. CVRP offers standard rebates of $1,000 to $4,500 for the purchase... Read more →

Fisker Inc. has entered into a MOU with Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) supporting a project to develop a breakthrough electric vehicle. Highlights of the proposed collaboration, codenamed “Project PEAR” (Personal Electric Automotive Revolution): Fisker and Foxconn to jointly develop a breakthrough new segment vehicle. Foxconn to manufacture the vehicle... Read more →

California’s current strategy of recovering a myriad of fixed costs in electricity usage rates must change as the state uses more renewable electricity to power buildings and vehicles, according to the findings from a new report from the Energy Institute at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and non-profit... Read more →

DHL Freight, one of the leading road freight providers in Europe, and Volvo Trucks have partnered to speed up the introduction of heavy-duty electric trucks to be used for regional transport in Europe. DHL Freight and Volvo Trucks have initiated a project focusing on electric longer distance heavy transports. So... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company launched the IONIQ 5 midsize CUV during a virtual world premiere event. IONIQ 5 is built upon Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated battery-electric vehicle (BEV) architecture called theElectric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), enabling it to have unique proportions on an elongated wheelbase. With E-GMP, IONIQ 5 offers innovative interior... Read more →

The US Postal Service awarded a 10-year contract to Oshkosh Defense to manufacture a new generation of US-built postal delivery vehicles that will drive the most significant modernization of the USPS fleet in three decades. Under the contract’s initial $482-million investment, Oshkosh Defense will finalize the production design of the... Read more →

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a comprehensive vision for deeply decarbonizing transportation. It is a strategy rooted in cross-cutting research and engineering to enable industry stakeholders, communities, government agencies, and early adopters to meet their climate goals. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, greenhouse gas... Read more →

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering have found that with an emissions-based incentive towards electrification, ridesourcing companies such as Uber and Lyft would electrify more and cut their emissions by amounts ranging from 10% in New York to 22% in Los Angeles. In LA alone, this represents a reduction... Read more →

The Washington State House Transportation Committee voted 17-12 to advance legislation calling for all model year 2030 or later passenger and light-duty vehicles sold in the state to be electric vehicles (EVs). Clean Cars 2030 (HB 1204) sets the first state-legislated 2030 phaseout target for automotive combustion engines in the... Read more →

ATLIS Motor Vehicles, Inc. and Clemson University have partnered to advance development of electric-vehicle batteries that charge faster, last longer and can be scaled to fit a variety of vehicle classes. ATLIS, a startup company based in Arizona, is developing battery cells and packs to power the Atlis XP Platform... Read more →

Highland Electric Transportation, a provider of turnkey fleet solutions delivering the latest in zero-emission technologies to school districts and fleet managers, has raised $253 million to accelerate its growth. The financing was led by Vision Ridge Partners with participation by Fontinalis Partners and existing investors. Highland reduces the complexity of... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group is expanding its WeShare electric car sharing project to Hamburg later this week; the pilot project launched in Berlin in 2019. Due to the Corona pandemic, we are unfortunately only able to launch in Hamburg with a delay of around one year. We are all the more... Read more →

Romeo Power, Inc., which delivers large-scale electrification solutions for complex commercial applications, and Ecellix Inc., the developer of eCell micro-porous silicon anode battery materials intended to replace graphite in lithium-ion batteries, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the development, validation and launch of next-generation battery technology.... Read more →

China has increased its production quota for rare-earth metals by close to 30% for the first half of this year, according to a report by the Nikkei. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Natural Resources jointly announced that the production quota for the first half of... Read more →

Adamas Intelligence has released its 4th biannual ‘State of Charge: EVs, Batteries and Battery Materials’ report. This latest report covers the global EV market’s performance over 2020 H2 and its implications on the ever-evolving battery and battery materials supply chains. Among the findings of the latest report: In 2020 H2... Read more →

A research team from Japan has recently developed a novel electrode material for all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) by combining lithium sulfate and lithium ruthenate, which results in improved performance. An open-access paper on their work is published in Science Advances. An all-solid-state lithium battery using inorganic solid electrolytes requires safety assurance... Read more →

On 19 February, LME cash prices for copper hit a nine-year peak of US$8,806.50/t. This is the highest level since 1 May 2012 when copper traded at US$8,528/t. Total visible copper stocks (LME + COMEX + SHFE + Chinese bonded warehouses) amounted to just 560kt at the end of January,... Read more →

Electric vehicle (EV) registrations in the US in 2020 reached record market share of 1.8%, demonstrating increased consumer interest for electric vehicles, according to new analysis from IHS Markit. December 2020 also represented the highest monthly share for EV new registrations, at 2.5% of the industry—a record monthly level since... Read more →

The University of Birmingham is working with Bentley Motors and others on a three-year research project to deliver a sustainable source of rare earth magnets for electric and hybrid vehicles. The £2.6-million (US$3.6-million) RaRE (Rare-earth Recycling for E-machines) project is funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and... Read more →

Hyperloop technology, initially proposed by Elon Musk in 2013 as an innovative means for intermediate-range or intercity travel, is now being developed by several companies. Hyperloop systems could be used for both passenger and freight transportation with the goals of time-saving, convenience, quality of service and, in some cases, increased... Read more →

Phoenix Motorcars,a manufacturer of medium-duty all-electric buses and trucks, delivered the first of two all-electric medium-duty service trucks to the City of Woodland, California. Funding for the vehicles and infrastructure was coordinated between Phoenix Motorcars and the City of Woodland, leveraging local Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and utility funding... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s Vehicle Group is developing gearing solutions for electrified vehicles (EVs). Leveraging its expertise in producing transmissions and contract manufactured gear-sets for passenger and commercial vehicles, the Vehicle Group aims to be a leader in the global design, development and supply of EV reduction gearing. The new... Read more →

IDTechEx expects electric motorcycle sales in Europe to have grown at least 50% year-on-year in 2020, building on the momentum of recent years. (Although steep, the 50% growth is half that experienced in 2019 from the year before.) This growth is driven by continued policy support from governments alongside start-ups... Read more →

Canada-based AK Motor International Corporation, an automotive intellectual property management company, is launching a new electric vehicle brand: Maple Majestic. Arising from AK Motor’s project CANU (Canadian Automotive New Utilities), Maple Majestic is intended to excel in difficult environments. According to AK Motor, many electric vehicles still remain woefully ill-prepared... Read more →

The recent announcement by GM that it aspires to phase out sales of oil-powered light vehicles (LVs) by 2035 (earlier post)—part of a broader proposal to make the automaker a net-zero-carbon company—is a prominent signpost that oil demand from LVs has already peaked, according to a new analysis by Jim... Read more →

Volta Trucks, a full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has selected Proterra as the battery supplier for the Volta Zero. The Volta Zero is the first purpose-built, full-electric 16-tonne commercial vehicle designed specifically for inner city freight distribution. (Earlier post.) This significant contract completes Volta Trucks’s strategic sourcing of the electric powertrain.... Read more →

Dutch battery tech scale-up E-magy, a designer and manufacturer of nano-sponge silicon material for advanced lithium-ion batteries (earlier post), has secured an additional €5 million of funding. SHIFT Invest, an impact venture capital fund that invests in circular technologies, smart food & ag-tech, bio-based innovations and smart materials, led the... Read more →

Ford committed today that by mid-2026, 100% of Ford’s passenger vehicle range in Europe will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, and will be completely all-electric by 2030. Similarly, Ford’s entire commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, by 2024, with two-thirds of Ford’s commercial... Read more →

Enevate, a developer of advanced silicon-dominant lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology featuring extreme fast charge and high energy density for electric vehicles (EVs) and other markets (earlier post), has secured an $81-million Series E funding led by Fidelity Management & Research Company. Existing investors Mission Ventures and Infinite Potential Technologies also... Read more →

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. will begin to supply full electrical powertrain units and batteries for the production of the Fiat E-Ducato light commercial vehicle. The SolarEdge e-Mobility division is based on its acquisition of S.M.R.E. Spa (SMRE), a provider of innovative integrated powertrain technology and electronics for electric vehicles, in January... Read more →

Hyundai provided details for its significantly redesigned and enhanced 2022 Kona and Kona Electric SUVs for the US market. The new Kona receives a variety of updates—powertrains, connectivity, safety suite—driven by US customer research. 2022 Kona gasoline and Electric SUVs are produced in Ulsan, Korea and will arrive in the... Read more →

Lotus unveiled the E-R9, a new design study for a next-generation pure electric endurance racer that could be on the starting grid of circuits around the world for the 2030 season. The EV features a sleek fighter jet-style canopy centrally mounted in a delta-wing upper body. Innovations include advanced active... Read more →

Ricardo formally opened its new Electrified Propulsion Research Center at its Shoreham Technical Center in West Sussex. Designed to support the company’s existing work in powertrain optimization and electrification, the new state-of-the-art research center, which has cost £5.5 million (US$7.7 million)and included a grant of £1.5 million (US$2.1 million) from... Read more →

Global oil and gas major Shell has outlined how it will achieve its target to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society’s progress towards achieving net zero. This target covers the emissions from its operations and the emissions from the use of all the energy... Read more →

Ford has become the first US automaker to join the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), marking an expansion of the company’s commitment to safeguard human rights, communities where such work is done, and the broader environment.The BMW Group is also an IRMA member. Ford has also committed to lead... Read more →

Central to Jaguar Land Rover’s Reimagine plan is the electrification of both Land Rover and Jaguar brands on separate architectures with two clear, unique personalities. Jaguar and Land Rover will offer pure electric power, nameplate by nameplate, by 2030. By this time, in addition to 100% of Jaguar sales, it... Read more →

Canada-based Nova Bus, a member of the Volvo Group, recently was awarded a contract for 15 LFSe+, Nova Bus’ long range electric buses, by TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transportation network. TransLink will be adding these to their two LFSe vehicles delivered in 2019 as part of the Canadian Consortium for Urban... Read more →

Israel-based Chakratec, a provider of kinetic energy storage technology for electric vehicle (EV) charging, has completed a project with Premier Inn, a British hotel chain and the UK’s largest hotel brand, enabling guests at the hotel’s Leipzig, Germany, location to charge their EVs throughout their stay. Premier Inn is the... Read more →

Researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in Korea have developed an innovative electrolyte additive that enables a high-energy-density Li-ion battery to retain more than 80% of its initial capacity even after hundreds of cycles. When this additive was added to a large-capacity battery composed of... Read more →