Siemens eMobility’s new electric vehicle charger, VersiCharge Blue, is currently in full production at the company’s Carrollton, Texas, manufacturing facility and is now going into commercial deployment. The Level 2 AC charger is designed for all AC EV charger applications including offices, hospitals, airports, school campuses, parking garages and lots,... Read more →
Rhythmos’ rapid deployment with Knoxville Utilities Board is a collaboration with Tennessee Valley Authority and EPRI via the Incubatenergy® Labs program. Rhythmos will tap into data from 250,000 Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters to provide KUB with energy network management to optimize EV charging capabilities. Rhythmos is one of just... Read more →
DOE to award nearly $48M to 16 projects to advance clean hydrogen technologies
21 September 2023
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $47.7 million in funding for 16 research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects across 13 states to advance clean hydrogen technologies. The selected projects aim to lower technology costs, enhance hydrogen infrastructure, and improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cells—supporting DOE’s efforts to reduce... Read more →
Ryder System, a leader in supply chain, dedicated transportation, and fleet management solutions, has deployed its first BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric vans at four strategic Ryder facilities in California, Texas, and New York. The introduction of BrightDrop’s electric vans within Ryder’s rental fleet marks an important step in the company’s... Read more →
ZF’s latest version of its concept to electrify the trailer will be on show at the NUFAM commercial vehicles trade show in Karlsruhe (Germany). The ZF electrified trailer solution is made possible by integrating ZF’s AxTrax 2 electric axle with a modular battery system box for recuperation and traction support.... Read more →
Volvo Trucks North America customer Coke Canada Bottling Limited (Coke Canada Bottling) has unveiled its first Volvo VNR Electric trucks. The trucks are part of a six-truck pilot of electric vehicles to service the bottler’s Red Fleet customer delivery routes throughout the Greater Montreal Area. Coke Canada Bottling was the... Read more →
Airbus has become a strategic partner with DG Fuels (DGF), an emerging producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). DGF’s fuel production system is based entirely on cellulosic waste products, such as wood waste from the logging industry, and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. The partnership with... Read more →
United to buy up to 1B gallons of sustainable aviation fuel from syn-bio company Cemvita
21 September 2023
Cemvita Corporation announced an offtake arrangement with United Airlines for up to 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Cemvita’s first full-scale SAF plant. Under the agreement, signed by Cemvita and United Airlines, Cemvita will supply United Airlines up to 50 million gallons annually for 20 years of... Read more →
WinGD collaborates with KSS Line for ammonia-fueled gas carriers
21 September 2023
Swiss marine power company WinGD has signed a memorandum of understanding with KSS Line to explore X‑DF‑A engines for future newbuild projects. The companies will focus on 52cm- and 62cm-bore versions of the dual-fuel ammonia engines, suitable for midsize and very large gas carriers (VLGC). The agreement is the latest... Read more →
Li-Metal Corp. and Mustang Vacuum Systems sign definitive agreements for partnership on Lithium-metal anode business
21 September 2023
Li-Metal Corp., a developer of lithium metal anode and lithium-metal technologies critical for next-generation batteries, announced the completion of the definitive agreements for its previously announced exclusive partnership with Mustang Vacuum Systems, a global developer and manufacturer of industrial scale physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment. (Earlier post.) The signing of... Read more →
Redwood Materials acquires leading EU battery recycler Redux Recycling GmbH
20 September 2023
Last year, Redwood Materials, the battery materials recycling, refining and remanufacturing company founded by former Tesla exec JB Straubel, announced expansion plans in Europe to support creating a closed-loop battery supply chain. Europe continues to be the fastest growing EV market globally, driven by automakers’ commitments and strong government support... Read more →
DOE awarding $2M to 8 projects to enhance lithium-ion battery recycling and remanufacturing
20 September 2023
The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) has selected eight projects, which have been awarded a combined total of $2 million, to drive innovation in lithium-ion battery (LIB) rejuvenation, recycling, and reuse administered through the ReCell Center located at Argonne National Laboratory. Through this investment,... Read more →
Dragonfly Energy successfully manufactures lithium battery cell using high-purity recycled battery materials from Aqua Metals
20 September 2023
Dragonfly Energy, in collaboration with Aqua Metals, has successfully used high-purity lithium hydroxide recovered by Aqua Metals from recycled lithium-ion batteries to manufacture a lithium-based battery cell using Dragonfly Energy’s patented dry battery electrode coating technology. The successful recovery of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and cycle testing of a sustainably manufactured... Read more →
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become immensely popular as the go-to power source for a wide variety of electronic devices and vehicles over the past two decades. Although it is hard to overstate the transformative effects that LIBs have had on modern societies, this technology has a fair share of disadvantages... Read more →
Toyota Research Institute (TRI) announced a breakthrough generative AI approach based on Diffusion Policy to teach robots new, dexterous skills quickly and confidently . This advancement significantly improves robot utility and is a step towards building “Large Behavior Models (LBMs)” for robots, analogous to the Large Language Models (LLMs) that... Read more →
Volvo Cars will end of production of diesel models in early 2024
20 September 2023
Volvo Cars will end of production of all diesel-powered Volvo Car models by early 2024. In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy car makers to take this step. This milestone follows the company’s decision... Read more →
Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group sign MoU for collaboration on sustainable mobility, hydrogen economy, and workforce development
20 September 2023
Georgia Tech and Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, including developing a hydrogen economy, workforce development, and making cities smarter and more sustainable, among many other areas of cooperation. The Group is... Read more →
Volkswagen is presenting the all-new third-generation Tiguan. More than 7.6 million buyers have chosen the compact SUV since its debut in 2007. The new model will reach dealerships as early as the first quarter of 2024. The US version of the next-generation Tiguan is based on the LWB version of... Read more →
Battle Motors unveiled its California EV (Electric Vehicle) refuse truck, the 3-axle LET2 (Low Entry Tilt 2), featuring the Heil Rapid Rail Automated Side Loader Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV). With an 8.67-ton legal payload capacity, Battle Motors’s truck reduces waste collection trips on a 3-axle configuration, reducing road congestion and... Read more →
Shell has opened its largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station globally in Shenzhen, China. The charging station is located about 2.5 kilometrers from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal and features 258 public fast-charging points. It is operated by Shenzhen Shell and BYD Electric Vehicle Investment Company Limited, a joint venture between... Read more →
Mercedes-Benz has signed an agreement with Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI) to source more than 50,000 tonnes of CO2-reduced steel annually for its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. SDI steel will be made using an electric arc furnace (EAF) and will use electricity from 100% renewable sources. With EAFs powered by green... Read more →
The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI) recently surveyed electric vehicle (EV) owners to gauge their understanding of EVs and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), or EV charging stations and chargers. The goal of the survey was to identify safety gaps related to emerging technology to ensure consumers are safe while operating... Read more →
Amprius to showcase its silicon nanowire battery manufacturing line in December
19 September 2023
Amprius Technologies, a developer of next-generation lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Anode Platform, will host an event for customers, vendors, investors and partners to showcase its expanded production facility—known as Amprius Lab—in Fremont, California. Amprius is increasing its capacity by 10x at its Fremont facility through the commissioning of its... Read more →
Germany to award up to €400M to support development of commercial fast charging infrastructure for cars and trucks
19 September 2023
The German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) will invest up to €400 million to support setting up fast charging infrastructure for cars and trucks. The funding program is targeting commercially used fast charging points with a charging power of at least 50 kW as well as the... Read more →
Li-Cycle Holdings and Glencore International, a leading producer, recycler, and marketer of nickel and cobalt which is required for the production of lithium-ion batteries, are now planning a two-phase approach to the Portovesme Hub project in Sardinia, Italy (earlier post) to expedite the production of battery-grade lithium carbonate. Phase 1... Read more →
DOE awards $2M for innovations to source domestic lithium from geothermal brines
19 September 2023
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the winners of its first-ever American-Made Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize. Three teams will split a total of $2 million for prototyped innovations to directly extract lithium from the hot water used to produce geothermal energy, known as geothermal brines. Lithium is a crucial... Read more →
MINI USA is marking Climate Week NYC with the North American debut of the new all-MINI Countryman Electric, following the World Premiere earlier this month at IAA Mobility in Munich. (Earlier post.) Expected to arrive in the US for consumers in the fall of 2024, this evolution for the largest... Read more →
Record volumes of crude oil were imported into China during the first half of 2023 because of refinery expansions in the country and initiatives to reopen the economy after the government eased COVID-19 mobility restrictions. China imported an average of 11.4 million barrels of crude oil per day (b/d) in... Read more →
Researchers at South Korea’s Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have used an electrochemical pre-passivation method to enhance the long-term cycling stability of lithium metal anodes for Li-metal batteries. A paper on their work is published in the journal Energy Storage Materials. Seo et al. Ultrathin, large-area Li... Read more →
A joint research team from South Korea’s Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) developed a dry pre-lithiation strategy for the graphite/silicon-based diffusion-dependent electrodes (DDEs) by simply introducing Li metal powder in DDE. The added Li metal powder uniformly and continuously... Read more →
Eni and LG Chem assessing potential for biorefinery in South Korea
18 September 2023
South Korea’s leading chemicals producer LG Chem and Italian energy group Eni Sustainable Mobility are exploring the possibility of developing and operating a new biorefinery at LG Chem’s Daesan chemical complex, 80 kilometers southwest of Seoul, South Korea. Together, the companies are examining the technical and economic feasibilities for the... Read more →
Adamas Intelligence: China’s battery manufacturing build out set to swamp global market
18 September 2023
In over little more than a decade, China has come to dominate completely the EV market by taking control of all aspects of the mine-to-megawatt supply chain, says market research firm Adamas Intelligence. Data from the Adamas Intelligence EV Battery Capacity and Battery Metals Tracker show that the top 3... Read more →
FAW Group and Mobileye partner on autonomous driving
18 September 2023
FAW Group, one of the largest Chinese automotive groups, and Mobileye, a global leader in autonomous driving solutions, announced a new strategic partnership leveraging their respective industry advantages in software, hardware and technology products. The two sides will work together to create new products based on Mobileye SuperVision and Mobileye... Read more →
Talon Metals, through its wholly owned subsidiary Talon Nickel (USA) LLC, has entered into a definitive agreement with the Department of Defense’s Office of Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization to accelerate and expand the company’s efforts to discover and secure additional domestic supply of nickel for the growing US... Read more →
In June 2023, total lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) deployment in full electric vehicles (BEVs) was up 35% compared to the same month last year, according to data from Adamas Intelligence. Month-on-month there was a 22% jump in June with just shy of 33,000 tonnes of LCE in EVs rolling out... Read more →
Exponential growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales is transforming the auto sector faster than currently predicted, with EVs set to dominate global car sales by the end of the decade, putting at risk nearly half of worldwide oil demand, according to new analysis by RMI in partnership with the Bezos... Read more →
CF Industries and POSCO evaluating joint US blue ammonia project and long-term offtake agreement into South Korea
17 September 2023
CF Industries Holdings, the world’s largest producer of ammonia, and POSCO Holdings, South Korea’s largest steelmaker as well as a leader in energy trading and power generation, are evaluating a joint venture to construct a low-carbon clean ammonia plant at CF Industries’ Blue Point Complex in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United... Read more →
Japan-based global automotive supplier AISIN said that it will invest ¥500 billion (US$3.4 billion) over the next three years to ramp up its product offerings for battery-electric vehicles and vehicle intelligence. The supplier intends to revamp its product portfolio, and will establish BEV products, safe and comfortable entry, and braking... Read more →
LCM partners with Ionic Technologies & Ford for REE magnet recycling in the UK
16 September 2023
Ionic Technologies, Less Common Metals (LCM) and Ford will establish a demonstration circular supply chain for Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in the UK, by utilizing innovative technologies to create high-specification magnets containing 100% recycled REEs for use in Electrical Vehicles (EVs). Ionic Technologies has demonstrated patented technology at the demonstration... Read more →
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) embarked on a year-long collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace in 2023 to prototype and support the commercialization of a novel cartridge-based hydrogen fuel storage solution for UAVs. The project, Fuel Additives for Solid Hydrogen (FLASH) Carriers in Electric Aviation, is a new hydrogen carrier technology... Read more →
Fraunhofer ISI has released a roadmap for alternative battery technologies for the period up to 2045. The roadmap analyzes technology-specific advantages, future areas of application, markets and supply chains as well as Europe’s position, costs and industrial scalability. The roadmap also shows fields of action for the EU and Germany... Read more →
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water. Specifically, the modified organism can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing that is a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans.... Read more →
Nikola Corporation, a manufacturer of hydrogen-fuel-cell and battery-electric heavy-duty trucks, announced an expansion of its dealer network into Canada for its Class 8 truck sales and service coverage with the addition of ITD Industries Inc., a commercial trailer manufacturer and technology business headquartered in Toronto, ON. ITD has more than... Read more →
At the recent launch of its BEV Factory Toyota Motor revealed that its next-generation BEVs (battery electric vehicles) will start production in 2026. Not only will they be designed and built differently, they will also be powered by a range of new advanced batteries developed specifically to exceed Toyota customers’... Read more →
TECO 2030 ASA and Pherousa Green Shipping AS (PGS) signed a green package supply agreement for up to six modern, zero-emission Ultramax dry bulk carriers of about 63.000 deadweight tons each. Each vessel will be equipped with 12 megawatts (MW) of TECO 2030 fuel cells for main propulsion onboard. Pherousa... Read more →
Ascend Elements, a US-based manufacturer of sustainable, engineered battery materials, announced a contract to engineer sustainable cathode active material (CAM) for Freudenberg e-Power Systems. At its XALT Energy battery plant in Midland, Mich., Freudenberg manufactures battery cell, pack, and system solutions for applications with particularly high performance requirements for lifetime,... Read more →
Volvo Trucks is ramping up electric truck volumes and is starting serial production of heavy battery electric trucks at the Ghent factory in Belgium. This means that electric Volvo trucks are now built in four factories: three in Europe and one in the US. Three different electric models will be... Read more →
Honda has introduced the Motocompacto e-Scooter, a fresh take on e-scooters that was inspired by the Honda Motocompo of the early ’80s. Sales will begin exclusively at Motocompacto.honda.com, and at Honda and Acura automobile dealers in November with an MSRP of just $995. The zero-emissions Motocompacto provides riders with an... Read more →
PNNL discovery could lead to more efficient catalytic converters in industrial vehicles
15 September 2023
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have discovered a previously unknown key mechanism that could inform the development of new, more effective catalysts for abating NOx emissions from combustion engines burning diesel or low-carbon fuels. An open-access paper on their work is published in Nature Communications. SCR of NOx... Read more →
DOE awarding $16M to five projects to boost domestic capabilities in solid-state and flow battery manufacturing
15 September 2023
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will award a total of $16 million to five projects to advance domestic capabilities in solid-state and flow battery manufacturing. Each project represents a collaborative effort between DOE National Laboratories and industry partners to expedite the... Read more →