MSU, U-M team up on DOE grant to support Michigan’s auto supply chain in transition to EV components

The Michigan State University Industrial Training Assessment Center and University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute have been awarded $500,000 by the US Department of Energy to launch the Michigan Automotive Supply Chain Technical Assistance Program. This two-year initiative will help small and medium-sized manufacturers in Michigan’s automotive sector transition to... Read more →


DOE announces approximately $15M to facilitate collaboration and accelerate industrial decarbonization

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), with support from the Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office, and the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, announced approximately $15 million in funding to address adoption challenges preventing later stage... Read more →


USCAR publishes USCAR-53 “INdustrial Data Communication For Automotive Manufacturing” standard

The United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR) announced a new standard for “Industrial Data Communication for Automotive Manufacturing.” The new data standard, SAE/USCAR-53, establishes a common methodology for data communication, machine language, and reporting to and from manufacturing devices in the automotive production or Smart Manufacturing environment. The... Read more →


DOE seeks input to increase energy efficiency of semiconductor applications 1,000-fold over next 20 years

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) released a request for information (DE-FOA-0003426) to solicit feedback from stakeholders on the Energy Efficiency Scaling for Two Decades (EES2) Initiative and the draft EES2 Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap that accompanies this RFI. The roadmap outlines... Read more →


Fortescue starts works on Green Metal Project

Fortescue has started works at its Green Metal Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA). Located at the Green Energy Hub at Christmas Creek, the US$50-million project is expected to produce more than 1,500 tonnes per annum of green metal, with first production anticipated in 2025. The plant... Read more →


To plug the gap between today’s battery industry and 2040 battery demand will require at least $1.6 trillion of investment, according to Benchmark. This is almost triple the $571 billion needed to meet 2030 demand. Such large investments are needed as battery demand is forecast to grow from 937 gigawatt-hours... Read more →


Natron Energy, a developer of sodium-ion battery technology, announced plans to build the first sodium-ion battery gigafactory in the United States. The facility will be located in Edgecombe County, NC, and is expected to produce 24GW of Natron’s sodium-ion batteries annually at full capacity. Natron’s sodium-ion batteries offer higher power... Read more →


GM signs landmark solar power deal for three assembly plants

As part of an ongoing push around renewable energy, GM announcED a 15-year renewable energy purchase agreement with NorthStar Clean Energy for three GM assembly plants. NorthStar’s Newport Solar project in Newport, Arkansas, will support the electricity needs of GM’s Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly in... Read more →


Polestar has begun production of its luxury SUV, Polestar 3, in South Carolina. This makes the Polestar 3 the first Polestar to be produced on two continents. The factory in South Carolina produces cars for customers in the US and Europe, complementing existing production in Chengdu, China. Manufacturing Polestar 3... Read more →


Tirupati Graphite begins operations at Vatomina

Tirupati Graphite has begun production at its Vatomina mine in Madagascar. (Earlier post.) Steady state 24/7 production has been ongoing since 6 August 2024, with production of 165 tons in seven (7) consecutive working days. With the 330 days per annum operational design, this run rate equates to 7,778 tons... Read more →


A team of researchers from Hydro-Québec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage has used plasma vapor deposition (PVD) to deposit a think LixSny alloy layer of the surface of a lithium foil. The layer has a much higher hardness than bare Li and can withstand aggressive cycling... Read more →


Study: steel industry’s net zero drive could make lower-grade iron ore viable

A decarbonized steel industry that includes carbon dioxide removal techniques in its net zero arsenal could use lower-grade iron ore, according to a new study by researchers from Heriot-Watt University in the UK. Steel accounts for 5-8% of carbon dioxide emissions globally. Its total emissions have risen over the past... Read more →


Nissan has been trialing an innovative automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle’s ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system. Developed in partnership with Radi-Cool, a specialist in radiative cooling products, the paint incorporates metamaterial, synthetic composite materials with structures that exhibit... Read more →


The BMW Group is exploring the use of humanoid robots in production for the first time. During a trial run lasting several weeks at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, the latest humanoid robot Figure 02 from California company Figure successfully inserted sheet metal parts into specific fixtures, which were then assembled... Read more →


DENSO signs manufacturing license agreement for SOEC cell stacks with Ceres Power

DENSO Corporation signed a manufacturing license agreement with Ceres Power Holdings, a leading developer of solid oxide cell stack technology. DENSO aims to advance the early practical application of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) that produce hydrogen through water electrolysis. Cell stacks are one of the components of SOECs, playing... Read more →


The auto industry can eliminate more than 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from producing the steel for passenger vehicles by switching to fossil fuel-free steel, according to a new report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). Primary steel, a critical component of today’s auto sector supply chain,... 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 →


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 →


Metafuels and PSI receive CHF 4.4M grant from Swiss Federal Office of Energy to construct e-SAF pilot plant

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 enters into purchase and distribution agreement with GES Europe

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 →


C-BATT working to commercialize its silicon-carbon composite anode material Obsidia

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 →


Group14 and CustomCells sign $300M multi-year supply agreement for silicon battery material SCC55

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 →


Toyota West Virginia begins production of fifth-generation hybrid transaxle

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 →


Leclanché signs framework agreement with Pinnacle International Capital to secure $400M expansion funding

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 to build new electrical transformer production plant in West Virginia

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 →


Constellium signs long-term agreement with Lotte to supply foilstock for battery foil

Constellium signed a long-term agreement with Lotte Infracell, a subsidary of Lotte Aluminium, a leading provider of aluminum solutions, to supply foilstock for Lotte’s battery foil applications in Europe. This partnership highlights Constellium’s commitment to the growing electric vehicle (EV) market and its strategic focus on advanced automotive aluminum solutions.... Read more →


Constellium announced that its facility in Muscle Shoals, Alabama has been selected by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for an investment of $23 million under Title III, Defense Production Act to rebuild its Direct Chill aluminum casting center. The funding was awarded via the Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI)... Read more →


The BMW Group is now powering exhaust purification in its first paint shops electrically. Due to a new method, the high temperatures needed for the thermal purification of exhaust from paint booths and drying areas can now be generated by electricity. With that, a further production process can now be... Read more →


Dow launches DOWSIL CC-8000 Series UV and Dual Moisture Cure Conformal Coatings for protection of electronic components

Dow has introduced DOWSIL CC-8000 Series UV and Dual Moisture Cure Conformal Coatings, a range of solventless silicone coatings that provides strong protection for electronic components in renewable energy applications, as well as e-motors, power tools and home appliances, and does so at lightning speed. DOWSIL CC-8000 Series UV and... Read more →


Rheinmetall secures two orders for exhaust technology for hybrid technology from Chinese manufacturers with a total value of around €20M

Rheinmetall has won two orders in the field of exhaust technology for hybrid vehicles with a total value of around €20 million. Both orders relate to the subsidiary Pierburg China. One order is for the supply of fuel tank shut-off valves (FTIV) by a well-known Chinese supplier of carbon canisters.... Read more →


Around a year after the topping-out ceremony, Daimler Truck officially opened the Battery Technology Center (BTC) at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim. Daimler Truck’s product and process development for battery electric commercial vehicles is carried out on an area of over 10,000 square meters: the BTC combines development with production.... Read more →


Canada adds high-purity iron, phosphorous and silicon metal to critical minerals list

Canada recently added an additional three minerals—high-purity iron, phosphorous and silicon metal—to its Critical Minerals List, bringing the total to 34. Canada released its first Critical Minerals List in March 2021 with a commitment to review the minerals identified as critical every three years. The list guides federal policy and... Read more →


Chalmers researchers create metal electrode directly in cell

Metal batteries have the potential to deliver more energy, at a lower weight, than the popular lithium-ion battery. The problem, however, is that the technology currently has too short a lifespan due to the highly reactive nature of the lithium metal within these batteries. New research from Chalmers University of... Read more →


ArcelorMittal Gent hosting the first industrial trial of D-CRBN CO2 conversion technology

ArcelorMittal and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) are working with a climate tech company, D-CRBN, to trial a new technology to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) captured at ArcelorMittal’s plant in Gent, Belgium into carbon monoxide which can be used in steel and chemical production. This is the first industrial testing... Read more →


Ford expands F-Series Super Duty production to Oakville in Canada; multi-energy technology for next generation

Ford Motor Company plans to assemble F-Series Super Duty pickups at its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada, starting in 2026, boosting production of one of the company’s most popular and profitable vehicles. The move to add production of up to 100,000 units of its best-selling Super Duty to Oakville... Read more →


Fraunhofer UltraPLAS ultrathin, hard and sustainable non-stick coating for injection molding and die casting

The new UltraPLAS coating developed by Fraunhofer researchers has proven to be a ground-breaking solution to the challenges of primary forming processes. This advanced release and easy-to-clean coating is applied as a gradient layer using a cold plasma process and is suitable for materials such as tool steel, stainless steel... Read more →


EPA awarding nearly $160M to support clean US manufacturing of steel and other construction materials

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of 38 grant recipients across the country, totaling nearly $160 million, to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products. EPA estimates that the construction materials used in buildings and other built infrastructure account... Read more →


Zhejiang researchers report 3D printable elastomers with exceptional strength and toughness

Researchers from Zhejiang University have developed 3D photo-printable resin chemistry that yields an elastomer with tensile strength of 94.6 MPa and toughness of 310.4 MJ m-3—both of which far exceed that of any 3D printed elastomer. A paper on their work is published in the journal Nature. Three-dimensional (3D) printing... Read more →


Constellium completes first industrial-scale hydrogen casting

Constellium successfully completed its first industrial-scale hydrogen casting at C-TEC, Constellium’s primary R&D center. This casting was performed in a 12-ton furnace following strict internal procedures. Quality monitoring, including the use of Batscan technology, an inclusion detection tool for molten aluminum, was conducted and no quality impact from hydrogen combustion... Read more →


Volkswagen’s PowerCo and QuantumScape announce agreement to industrialize solid-state batteries; targeting Volkswagen Group vehicle series

Volkswagen Group’s battery company PowerCo and QuantumScape have entered into an agreement to industrialize QuantumScape’s next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. Upon satisfactory technical progress and certain royalty payments, QuantumScape will grant PowerCo the license to mass produce battery cells based on QuantumScape’s technology platform. Under the non-exclusive license, PowerCo can... Read more →


The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $1.7 billion to support the conversion of shuttered or at-risk auto manufacturing and assembly facilities across eight states—Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia—to manufacture electric vehicles and their supply chain. The Domestic Manufacturing Auto Conversion Grants program selectees will negotiate... Read more →


Yamaha Motor will build a new verification testing facility equipped with a melting furnace and heat treatment furnace using hydrogen gas at its Morimachi Factory in Japan. From 2025, the company will begin development and verification of technologies and techniques for melting aluminum alloy using hydrogen gas, as well as... Read more →


BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions breaks ground on new green hydrogen investment in Budenheim, Germany

BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) commenced construction of its production facility for green hydrogen and fuel cell components in Budenheim, Germany, near Frankfurt. The products produced at this site will include newly developed low-iridium-loaded catalyst coated membranes (CCMs), a key functional part for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water... Read more →


Steel made with green hydrogen and electric arc furnaces, or produced from scrap, can reduce the CO2 emissions of producing cars in Europe by 6.9 Mt in 2030, new analysis shows. That’s equivalent to avoiding the annual emissions of 3.5 million fossil fuel cars. Switching to 40% green steel would... Read more →


Hydro and Porsche planning the widespread use of aluminum with a reduced environmental impact

Porsche and Norwegian aluminum company Hydro have contractually specified the possibility of delivering carbon-reduced primary aluminum as well as secondary aluminum with a high proportion of recycled material. Within their technical collaboration, Porsche and Hydro are also testing where aluminum with an even higher proportion of recycled material can be... Read more →


DOE LPO announces $1.2B conditional commitment to ENTEK Lithium Separators to build Indiana EV battery separator manufacturing plant

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.2 billion for a direct loan to ENTEK Lithium Separators LLC (ENTEK). If finalized, the loan will substantially finance a new facility in Terre Haute, Indiana to manufacture lithium-ion battery separators. The separators will be... Read more →


MAN Energy Solutions will supply its large-scale heat pump solution to Scout Motors Inc. for its new electric vehicle production in South Carolina. This major venture is part of a multi-billion investment by Volkswagen AG in the American company, which is producing the next generation of fully electric pickup trucks... Read more →


Audi is witnessing a global decline in customer orders in the electric luxury class segment. This affects the Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron models, which roll off the production line in Brussels. Audi is therefore considering the early end of production at the Brussels site. The Board of Management... Read more →