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 →

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, 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 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 (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 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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, 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 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

The US Department of the Interior-led Interagency Working Group on Mining Laws, Regulations, and Permitting (IWG) released its final report containing recommendations to reform and improve the way mining is conducted on US. public lands. The report will inform efforts to modernize the Mining Law of 1872 and related federal... Read more →

BYD | RIDE delivered two K7M 30' battery-electric buses to the City of Burlington in North Carolina to serve the passengers of its Link Transit Fleet. The zero-emission BYD | RIDE buses will be utilized in Burlington’s public transit system, Link, which has five routes covering Burlington, Gibsonville, Elon, and... Read more →

Peugeot unveiled the battery-electric E-3008—the brand’s first model based on the Stellantis STLA Medium platform. The current Peugeot 3008 has sold more than 1,320,000 units in 130 countries over the past 7 years. The new STLA Medium platform has been designed to offer best-in-class performance for the most important criteria... Read more →

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) approved a new law to increase the uptake of sustainable fuels, such as advanced biofuels or hydrogen, in the aviation sector. The RefuelEU aviation rules are part of the “Fit for 55 package”, the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least... Read more →

OCI Global, the world’s largest producer of green methanol, plans to double its green methanol production capacity to approximately 400,000 metric tons per year in response to the growing demand for green methanol from numerous high emissions industries, including road transport, shipping and industrial. The scale-up plans include entering into... Read more →

Aemetis, a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, received a Use Permit from the City of Riverbank to build a 90 million gallon per year sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel plant at the 125-acre Riverbank Industrial Complex in Riverbank, California. The Riverbank... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and its Japanese subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Bus and Truck Corporation announced the handover of the first FUSO Next Generation eCanter (earlier post) to Yamoto Transport Co, Ltd.. The all-electric truck is the first of around 900 Next Generation eCanters Yamoto Transport ordered from FUSO—the largest single order... Read more →

OCSiAl, a leader in graphene nanotube technologies (earlier post), has been granted a construction permit for a nanotube production facility near Belgrade, Serbia. (Earlier post.) The new nanotube synthesis plant will be launched in 2024 and will have a planned annual capacity of 120 tonnes per year. The project will... Read more →

Leclanché SA has been selected for a second battery system project on behalf of Scotland’s Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL)—this time for a pair of roll-on, roll-off passenger and vehicle ferries (RoPax) which will serve three islands in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands. The contract for two 1.1 MWh Navius MRS-3... Read more →

Turntide Technologies has launched the Turntide Lithium-ion NMC Battery Pack. This new product line offers a scalable modular design with significantly greater energy density in a lighter, smaller form factor than the previous Hyperdrive battery line. The Turntide Lithium-ion NMC Battery Pack combines automotive-quality Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) cells with an integrated... Read more →