In a successful cooperation between BMW Group Plant Dingolfing and Landshut University of Applied Sciences, students have developed an innovative solution for plant logistics. The new digital tool automates the counting of empty containers using artificial intelligence (AI), saving time and avoiding errors. At the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, around... Read more →

SABIC has launched NORYL GTX LMX310 resin, the first in a new family of resins with enhanced dimensional stability. This innovative material is well-suited for inline paintable automotive applications, such as service flaps for electric vehicles (EVs). In particular, this new grade addresses the challenges of larger, asymmetrically shaped service... Read more →

Stellantis N.V. and Mistral AI are deepening their strategic collaboration to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) across multiple areas, from vehicle engineering to in-car experiences. This partnership leverages Mistral AI’s expertise in large language models (LLMs) and AI-driven automation to bring AI to many systems and applications across Stellantis enterprise, improving... Read more →

Nissan Motor announced that it will expand the use of low-CO2-emission steel manufactured in Japan. Through this initiative, the proportion of low-CO2-emission steel Nissan uses in Japan in fiscal year 2025 is expected to increase by a factor of five compared to fiscal year 2023. Nissan aims to reduce CO2... Read more →

Elevated Materials, a newly formed independent company, has launched with investments from TPG’s Rise Climate fund and Applied Materials, Inc. Building on extensive technology development from Applied, Elevated Materials brings to market ultra-thin, uniform lithium films designed to enable the next generation of batteries with enhanced energy density, cycle life,... Read more →

Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC), Toyota’s first in-house battery manufacturing plant outside Japan, is ready to begin production and will start shipping batteries for North American electrified vehicles in April. The nearly $14-billion battery facility, Toyota’s 11th manufacturing plant in the United States, will produce batteries for hybrid electric... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation will sign a comprehensive partnership agreement with the Shanghai municipal government in China regarding carbon neutrality. In addition, Toyota has decided to establish a new wholly-owned company in Jinshan District in southwest Shanghai to develop and produce BEVs and batteries. Under this partnership with the Shanghai municipal... Read more →

Subaru Corporation has expanded its AI development center "SUBARU Lab" to encompass broader software development functions, opening a new office in February 2025 in the WeWork Shibuya Scramble Square flexible office space operated by WWJ Corp. (WeWork Japan). With this new opening, the “Subaru Lab” has become a two-base operation,... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Hydro will partner to identify and evaluate available carbon capture technologies for future implementation in the aluminum electrolysis process. The companies have signed a partnership agreement that provides for the sharing of certain information, results and costs covering specific R&D activities from lab tests with external suppliers... Read more →

In response to the automotive industry’s increasing demand for lighter, safer, and more sustainable vehicles, ArcelorMittal and TRUMPF are partnering to combine ArcelorMittal’s expertise in advanced automotive steel with TRUMPF’s cutting-edge laser technology, enabling the precise shaping of laser-welded, hot-stamped MPI parts for modern vehicle design. TRUMPF’s non-contact laser cutting... Read more →

Researchers at The George Washington University, University of Chicago and The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new method directly to extract and to purify lithium hydroxide from geothermal brines. An open-access paper on their work is published in Nature Communications. In this work, we design an economically... Read more →

As part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions across every area of its business, Volvo CE is now for the first time implementing low carbon emission steel into serial production of all its articulated haulers built in Braås, Sweden. The announcement was made as part of the company’s biggest articulated... Read more →

C-BATT, a developer of advanced battery materials, has established a fully domestic supply chain for its upcoming Obsidia high-capacity battery anode material. This development ensures that every component and precursor of Obsidia—a tunable silicon-carbon composite battery material—is sourced and produced within the United States. One key ingredient is domestically mined... Read more →

Symbio announced that Bureau Veritas has awarded the Group a Letter of Conformity to IATF 16949 certification for the Design and Manufacturing perimeters. This certification testifies to the technological and industrial maturity of Symbio and SymphonHy, Europe’s largest site dedicated to the development and production of hydrogen fuel cells and... Read more →

Wolfspeed recently introduced its new Gen 4 silicon-carbide technology platform, which enables design rooted in durability and efficiency, all while reducing system cost and development time. Engineered to simplify switching behaviors and design challenges commonly experienced in high-power designs, Gen 4 charts a long-term roadmap across Wolfspeed’s product categories, including... Read more →

Alignment with future market requirements though production of thinner, highly silicized, non-grain-oriented electrical steel with optimized mechanical and magnetic properties Electrical steel is the key material for efficient motors and generators Total investment at the Bochum location of around 300 million euros, of which around 150 million euros are for... Read more →

Heraeus Precious Metals signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jolt Solutions, a Barcelona-based company specialized in the coating of metallic catalysts for electrochemical applications. Both companies aim to optimize the use of platinum group metals (PGM) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis utilizing Jolt’s proprietary Sparkfuze technology. This coating... Read more →

Anglo American is partnering with the University of Birmingham and venture-builder Cambridge Future Tech to launch PeroCycle, a new venture aimed at developing and commercializing carbon recycling technology for implementation in steelmaking. PeroCycle will build upon innovations made at the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemical Engineering by Professor Yulong... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Nissan will buy 20 GWh of ternary Li-ion batteries for EVs sold in the US from S. Korea-based SK On—enough for some 300,000 EVs. A ternary battery uses a cathode material comprising three different metal elements, the most common combination being nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and... Read more →

Axalta Coating Systems, a global coatings company, and Dürr Systems have entered into a partnership to provide a digital paint solution, combining Axalta’s NextJet technology with Dürr’s robotics integration. Digital paint, also referred to as overspray-free application, is an advanced paint application that allows for precise paint placement. Under the... Read more →

Forge Battery, the commercial lithium-ion battery production subsidiary of Forge Nano, Inc., finalized award negotiations for $100 million in non-dilutive funding by the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC). Forge Battery plans to use the $100 million to expand its North Carolina lithium-ion battery gigafactory... Read more →

The Australian government is investing a record $2 billion in the Australian-made aluminum industry. A new Green Aluminum Production Credit will provide targeted support to Australian aluminum smelters switching to reliable, renewable electricity before 2036. Under the initiative, facilities will be eligible for support for their production over a 10-year... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Fiscal Year 2025 Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Program Wide funding program. (DE-FOA-0003514) This funding opportunity will award up to $88 million for projects that will seek innovative transportation solutions for on- and off-road vehicles. This funding opportunity has 10 major topic areas:... Read more →

Vianode, an advanced battery materials company, has been selected as a strategic supplier of high-performance anode graphite solutions to General Motors. The agreement covers development of large-scale manufacturing capacity and supply of synthetic anode graphite towards 2033. The master supply agreement has a USD multi-billion value for Vianode and marks... Read more →

The Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto Company Limited is building its first European passenger car plant in Szeged, Hungary. To equip it with painting technology, BYD selected Dürr. Over the coming months, the German mechanical and plant engineering company will send more than 120 robots fitted with EcoBell3 atomizers... Read more →

The European Union (EU) via the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) has awarded a €1.8-million grant to a research project to establish decarbonization technologies for the steelmaking industry. The program aims to establish a process for injecting hydrogen using the Sequence Impulse Process (SIP) technology directly into the... Read more →

Dürr Systems AG has received a significant order from Italian battery manufacturer FIB S.p.A, a Seri Industrial Group company. Awarded in December 2024, the order includes the delivery of a giga-coating system comprising four anode and four cathode lines, as well as the associated calenders, slitters, and solvent recovery systems.... Read more →

Stellantis and dSPACE, a leader in simulation and validation solutions, signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at accelerating the cloud-based development of Stellantis vehicles. The collaboration will integrate dSPACE’s VEOS platform for Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing into the Stellantis Virtual Engineering Workbench (VEW), enabling faster, scalable development of customer-focused... Read more →

The Mazda Motor Corporation plans to construct a new module pack plant in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The plant will produce automotive-grade cylindrical lithium-ion battery modules and packs, sourced from Panasonic Energy. These battery packs will power Mazda’s first battery EV designed on a dedicated EV platform and will... Read more →

Outgoing US President Biden has blocked the proposed acquisition of US Steel by Nippon Steel. (Earlier post.) A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains. That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry,... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation announced the development of the Integrated Greenhouse Gas Information System (IGIS), a platform designed to monitor, quantify and manage carbon emissions throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle. By leveraging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, IGIS provides detailed quantification and tracking of carbon emissions throughout the... Read more →

BMW i Ventures invested in Phoenix Tailings, a metals production company dedicated to creating a zero-waste, zero-emission future. The Series B financing, which was led by Envisioning Partners and included additional participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity, will enable Phoenix Tailings to scale its rare earth processing operations... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $25 million to projects to advance materials, processes, machines, and equipment for domestic manufacturing of next-generation batteries. These projects will advance platform technologies upon which battery manufacturing capabilities can be built, enabling flexible, scalable, and highly controllable battery manufacturing processes. Managed by... Read more →

Eos Energy Enterprises, a developer of zinc-based long duration energy storage (LDES) systems, manufactured in the United States, has received the first loan advance from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office in the amount of $68.3 million. The loan advance, which covers 80% of eligible costs incurred to... Read more →

Honda Motor will build a new plant in Japan to produce the next-generation fuel cell system being developed independently by Honda. Honda aims to start operating the new plant in the fiscal year ending 31 March 2028 (FY2028), utilizing part of the land and buildings of the Powertrain Unit Factory,... Read more →

Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), inclusive of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) R&D, has been selected to receive $4.5 million in funding from the US Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The funding is part of the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced the closing of a direct loan of up to $9.63 billion to BlueOval SK LLC (BOSK) for the construction of up to three manufacturing plants to produce batteries for Ford Motor Company’s future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles (EVs).... Read more →

Aluminum metal scrap can be directly transformed and upgraded into high-performance, high-value alloys without the need for conventional melting processes, according to a new study from researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The research study, published in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrates that scrap aluminum from... Read more →

BMW Group Plant Regensburg has produced 100,000 fully-electric vehicles produced since the start of the year. The milestone vehicle was a BMW iX1. The vehicle, finished in Blue Bay Lagoon metallic, will be shipped to overseas, to the island of La Réunion. The plant has produced this successful premium compact... Read more →

Constellium announced the successful conclusion of the “ISA3” R&D project, initiated in 2021 to enhance lightweighting in automotive design. Conducted in partnership with Renault Group, ESI Group, the Institut de Soudure (Welding Institute), and the University of Lorraine, and supported by a grant from the France Relance investment program, the... Read more →

Toyota Kentucky is investing $922 million to build a new advanced paint facility and further support electrification efforts. The facility is designed to improve operational efficiencies, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance the quality of vehicle finishes. Scheduled to open in 2027, the facility will add 1 million square-feet of capacity... Read more →

Stellantis and CATL will invest up to €4.1 billion to form a joint venture that will build a large-scale European lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant in Zaragoza, Spain. Designed to be completely carbon neutral, the battery plant will be implemented in several phases and investment plans. Targeted to start... Read more →

The board of directors of TECO 2030 ASA has decided to file for bankruptcy. The board decision is unanimous and is due to the fact that there is no longer a realistic opportunity to raise sufficient capital to continue operations. A stock exchange notice on 14 November 2024 disclosed that... Read more →

ABB has entered into a strategic collaboration with Austria-based Engineering Software Steyr GmbH (ESS) to develop simulation tools that will transform automotive paint shop operations while reducing costs by up to 30%. As part of the collaboration, ABB will take a minority investment in ESS. Financial details of the investment... Read more →

Die-casting molds face extreme challenges, from thermal stress to premature wear, driving up costs and reducing efficiency. The Swiss Steel Group has introduced a new solution with its new hot-work tool steel, E 40 K. Designed specifically for high-performance applications, E 40 K offers unmatched resistance to thermally induced cracking,... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation, a leader in solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, announced that next-generation heat treatment equipment for its separator production process, Cobra, has been developed, delivered, installed and released for initial separator processing. Achieving this milestone on schedule puts the company on track to deliver higher-volume samples of its first planned... Read more →

A new report from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has projected Australia’s hydrogen electrolyzer manufacturing (HEM) sector could generate $1.7 billion in revenue and create nearly 4000 jobs by 2050. The Hydrogen Electrolyser Manufacturing report highlighted a significant opportunity in manufacturing devices that generate hydrogen from water using electricity, positioning... Read more →

Polestar has started US production of the Long range Single motor variant of its flagship SUV, the Polestar 3. Complete with a certified WLTP range of up to 706 km/438 mi (WLTP)/ 350 mi (EPA) the full-size SUV offers one of the longest ranges in its class. The entry-level Polestar... Read more →

Worthington Steel has reached an agreement to acquire, through its subsidiary Tempel Steel Company, a controlling equity stake in Italy-based Sitem S.p.A. (together with its subsidiaries, Stanzwerk AG, Decoup S.A.S. and Sitem Slovakia spol. s r.o., Sitem Group). Sitem Group produces electric motor laminations and accessory products for automotive and... Read more →

DENSO Corporation recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canatu to advance the practical application of carbon nanotube technology. By strengthening their partnership, the two companies aim to deepen their collaboration to contribute to the advancement of autonomous driving technology and the realization of carbon neutrality. As autonomous driving... Read more →