Renault Group’s Sandouville site will build electric LCVs for Flexis SAS, the new joint venture set up by Renault Group, Volvo Group and CMA CGM. (Earlier post.) Reflecting the expertise and skills acquired by Sandouville in the production of LCVs over the past 10 years, the site has been selected... Read more →

New global research commissioned by ABB Robotics and industry specialists Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (AMS) has revealed that the rising cost of energy in Europe and escalating US labor rates are becoming major challenges for the automotive industry. ABB Robotics’ second annual barometer survey of the automotive industry showed that more... Read more →

The total cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of Polestar’s first electric performance SUV, Polestar 3, is lower than that of the smaller Polestar 2 when it was launched in 2020 at 24.7 tCO2e versus 26.1 tCO2e. The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from the extraction and processing of various materials... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) is renewing the Roll-to-Roll (R2R) Consortium of national laboratories to develop “roll-to-roll” processes that will reduce the cost of manufacturing electrolyzers and fuel cells. The R2R Consortium aims to advance efficient, high-throughput, and high-quality manufacturing processes to... Read more →

On 25 March, BYD rolled off its 7 millionth new energy vehicle, the DENZA N7, at its Jinan factory in China. NEVs include plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles. BYD reached the production of 1 millionth NEV in May 2021 and rapidly multiplied this figure threefold within 18 months, then surpassed... Read more →

Following the joint venture binding agreements signed in October 2023, Renault Group and Volvo Group have obtained the required regulatory approvals to launch the new company for the next generation of fully electric vans based on a Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) platform and its dedicated services. (Earlier post.) The new... Read more →

BASF has broken ground on a methyl glycols (MG) plant at its Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China. The new facility is designed with an annual capacity of 46,000 metric tons and aims to meet the rapidly growing demand for brake fluids in the region. The plant is scheduled to commence... Read more →

At the Additive Manufacturing Campus in Oberschleißheim, the BMW Group is trialling wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), in which a wire made of aluminium or similar is melted using an arc. Then a software-controlled robot places a large number of welding seams on top of each other with precision, until... Read more →

NVIDIA announced that TSMC and Synopsys are going into production with NVIDIA’s computational lithography platform to accelerate manufacturing and push the limits of physics for the next generation of advanced semiconductor chips. TSMC, the world’s leading foundry, and Synopsys, the leader in silicon to systems design solutions, have integrated NVIDIA... Read more →

The board of directors of POSCO International has approved the construction of a new traction motor core plant in Poland and a second plant in Mexico, completing the blueprint for producing 7 million traction motor cores by 2030. The company will be able to establish a global production cluster for... Read more →

Solvay and Carester signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a strategic partnership aimed at leveraging the expertise of both companies to pursue manufacturing opportunities within the rare earth industry for the permanent magnets value chain in Europe. The collaboration will enable both companies to enhance their respective strengths... Read more →

Lyten announced it is consistently surpassing 90% yield from its automated battery production line, confirming the manufacturability of its lithium-sulfur battery utilizing a sulfur cathode and lithium metal anode. (Earlier post.) The lithium-sulfur manufacturing performance has been achieved utilizing standard lithium-ion manufacturing equipment and processes. The conversion of lithium-ion equipment... Read more →

StoreDot, developer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, announced a collaborative partnership with EVE Energy. The agreement gives StoreDot access to EVE’s extensive manufacturing footprint and the ability to mass produce its 100in5 extreme fast charging battery cells. StoreDot will secure manufacturing capacity from EVE to... Read more →

SiAT, a Taiwan manufacturer of advanced nanomaterials for batteries, is partnering with Taiwan CS Aluminum Corporation (CSAC). This collaboration marks the introduction of carbon nanotube-coated aluminum foil, designed to meet the growing demand for faster charging and extended lifespan in lithium-ion batteries, sodium batteries, and supercapacitors. The new product leverages... Read more →

Dutch battery developer LeydenJar Technologies will build its first factory at Strijp-T in Eindhoven. Set to open in 2026, LeydenJar’s PlantOne provides a production capacity of 70 MWh pure silicon anode for high energy density batteries. LeydenJar developed a pure silicon anode with 70% higher energy density than traditional anodes.... Read more →

At InterBattery 2024 in Korea, Samsung SDI unveiled a suite of “super-gap” battery technologies encompassing fast charging and ultra-long life as well as its mass-production readiness roadmap for its all solid-state battery (ASSB), a beyond lithium-ion battery solution with a targeted top energy density of 900Wh/L. The ASSB roadmap illustrates... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has agreed with Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Panasonic HD) to make Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE) a wholly owned subsidiary in order to strengthen its capabilities in mass-producing automotive batteries. The acquisition is scheduled to take place in late March. Among Toyota-affiliated companies, currently PEVE, Toyota... Read more →

The BMW Group has begun construction of a manufacturing facility for Gen-5 high-voltage batteries in Thailand. Local BEV production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2025. Local production of high-voltage batteries in Rayong is the next logical step in the continued electrification of our production network. Once... Read more →

The all-electric version of the MINI Countryman is now rolling off the lines at BMW Group Plant Leipzig, four months after the production launch of the combustion-engined MINI Countryman. After phasing out production of the BMW i3, the birthplace of electric mobility at the BMW Group now manufactures four models... Read more →

Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with colleagues from Clarios, Amplitude Laser Group, and Liminal Insights, have developed a novel laser patterning process to alter the microstructure of battery electrode materials. BatMan builds on NREL’s expertise using laser ablation, advanced computational models, and... Read more →

XPENG and the Volkswagen Group have entered into a Master Agreement on Platform and Software strategic technical collaboration, marking a significant milestone in the strategic partnership of both parties. The executed agreements not only accelerate the joint development of the two B-class battery electric vehicles but also pave the way... Read more →

Constellium SE is leading a new R&D; initiative called “Close the Loop” in partnership with an ecosystem of recycling companies in France, including INDRA (automotive recycling), GALLOO (metal recycling) and MTB RECYCLING (metal shredding & sorting). Funded in part by the French Environmental Agency ADEME under the France 2030 program,... Read more →

At the production site for power electronics in Klášterec in the Czech Republic, ZF is opening its first zero-emission factory after a renovation period of just under a year and a half. The plant, which is part of the Electrified Powertrain Technology division, supports the company’s efforts to achieve climate... Read more →

Panasonic Energy signed a long-term agreement with H&T; Recharge (H&T;), a leading battery component manufacturer, for the supply of lithium-ion battery cans in North America, with the aim of expanding production of safe EV batteries. Panasonic Energy and H&T; have collaborated since 2017, with H&T; supplying approximately 40 GWh of... Read more →

GILLIG, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the US, announced that GERCO LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has acquired select assets from Lightning eMotors and Lightning Systems through a receivership sale, and has hired a number of former engineering employees of Lightning. In line with this... Read more →

Schaeffler is expanding operations in the US with the addition of a new manufacturing facility focused on producing automotive electric mobility solutions. This announcement represents the company’s commitment to innovation and growth in the Americas region. Schaeffler is investing more than US$230 million in building the new greenfield manufacturing facility,... Read more →

Following a recent launch of the EV drive development center in Vienna, Austria in 2023, hofer powertrain has announced a forthcoming move to a larger facility due to a growing number of projects. This strategic decision to expand so rapidly in the Austrian capital underscores the imperative to develop advanced... Read more →

The Government of Canada awarded C$18.1 million (US$13.4 million) from its Low Carbon Economy Fund to Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) to support the decarbonization of iron ore processing at its operations in Labrador West. The funding will enable IOC to reduce the amount of heavy fuel... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment to American Battery Solutions (ABS) for a $165.9-million loan to help finance the expansion of an advanced battery pack assembly facility to support light-, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) and industrial equipment applications at its... Read more →

Santos has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with one of South Australia’s biggest commercial industrial gas users, Liberty Primary Metals Australia Pty Ltd (part of GFG Alliance), to enter into discussions for gas supply combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities to support the green steel transformation of... Read more →

Switzerland-based Terra Quantum is collaborating with leading steel manufacturer POSCO Holdings to deploy quantum AI for optimizing steel production, specifically focusing on POSCO’s advanced blast furnaces. The partners will demonstrate the potential of Quantum Neural Networks to enhance efficiency, targeting tangible outcomes such as reduced emissions and energy consumption. POSCO... Read more →

In a follow up to one of last year’s largest cleantech private equity placements, Ascend Elements raised $162 million in new equity investments. Major investors include Just Climate, Clearvision Ventures, and IRONGREY. The new equity financing brings the company’s 12-month funding total to $704 million, including the $542 million funding... Read more →

More than 200 battery factories are to be built worldwide over the coming ten years, most of them in Europe; production technology worth billions is needed for each of these factories. This marks an historic growth opportunity for German and European mechanical and plant engineering firms, according to a new... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment to SK Siltron CSS, LLC for a $544-million loan to expand US manufacturing of high-quality silicon carbide (SiC) wafers for electric vehicle (EV) power electronics. SiC semiconductors are designed for high-voltage use and are critical components... Read more →

Toyota Alabama has started production on its i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbo engine line for the all-new Tacoma. Powered by a previous investment of $222 million, the new line furthers Toyota’s commitment to diversified powertrains that align with customer demand, the company said. With Tacoma offering a hybrid option, every line at... Read more →

VinFast Auto announced that it will break ground at its integrated electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing site in Thoothukudi City, Tamil Nadu(earlier post) on 25 February 2024. This move represents a significant step towards a strategic partnership between VinFast and the State Government aimed at advancing the development of green transportation... Read more →

Plug Power has finalized a contract to supply a major US automobile manufacturer with hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell solutions that will support material handling operations. The manufacturing campus of more than 6 square miles is dedicated to electric vehicles, batteries and is one of the largest auto manufacturing campuses... Read more →

Enevate, a developer of technology enabling extreme fast charge with high energy density batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other markets, announced that JR Energy Solution (JR ES) has started operation of Korea’s first electrode foundry, with capability to manufacture electrodes containing Enevate’s technology. JR ES develops and manufactures high-performance... Read more →

Rio Tinto has signed Australia’s largest renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) to date to supply its Gladstone operations in Queensland, agreeing to buy the majority of electricity from Windlab’s planned 1.4GW Bungaban wind energy project. The agreement, which follows the announcement last month of a PPA for the Upper Calliope... Read more →

Cleveland-Cliffs successfully completed a hydrogen injection trial at its Indiana Harbor #7 blast furnace, the largest blast furnace in North America, with a production capacity of 5.5 million tons of iron a year. This represents the second Cleveland-Cliffs blast furnace to utilize hydrogen as a reductant and fuel source, following... Read more →

LG Energy Solution signed an offtake agreement with Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers (WesCEF) for lithium concentrate, further advancing the companies’ pre-existing partnership driven by the objective to deliver efficient and sustainable power solutions to the North American market. Under the agreement, WesCEF will supply LG Energy Solution up to... Read more →

Syrah Resources has begun production of natural graphite active anode materila (AAM) at its 11.25ktpa facility in Vidalia, Louisiana. (Earlier post.) Vidalia is the first vertically integrated natural graphite AAM supplier outside China, processing natural graphite from Syrah’s Balama Graphite Operation in Mozambique. Commencing production at Vidalia is a huge... Read more →

thyssenkrupp Steel launched its call for tenders to supply hydrogen to its first direct reduction plant. In conjunction with two innovative melters, this is the centerpiece of the first transformation step in thyssenkrupp's decarbonization process as part of the tkH2Steel project. The hydrogen requirement is being put out to tender... Read more →

The US Department of Energy recently announced $171 million for 49 projects across 21 states to reduce industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accelerate the development of innovative decarbonization technologies. (Earlier post.) This includes $10 million funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office to demonstrate hydrogen direct reduction... Read more →

ACC (Automotive Cells Company) closed a €4.4-billion debt raising, increasing the funding for the construction of three gigafactories for lithium-ion battery cell production in France, Germany, and Italy, and for R&D.; ACC is a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies, through its subsidiary Saft, behind the technology used by... Read more →

BorgWarner announced a strategic relationship agreement with FinDreams Battery (FDB), a subsidiary of BYD Company. Under the agreement, BorgWarner will be the only non-OEM localized manufacturer, unaffiliated with FinDreams Battery, with rights to localize LFP battery packs for commercial vehicles utilizing FinDreams Battery blade cells in Europe, the Americas, and... Read more →

Preparations for the production of the next generation of electric motors, the MEBeco (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten, modular electric drive concept), have begun at Audi’s plant in Győr, Hungary. The virtual design of the production lines is underway and the first production equipment for the future production of the transmission components have... Read more →

Stellantis N.V. intends to increase production capacity of electric drive modules (EDMs) by adding production in Szentgotthard, Hungary, targeted to begin in late 2026. The €103-million investment in Szentgotthard, including grants and contributions from the Hungarian government, is the latest example of Stellantis’ commitment to transforming existing facilities for its... Read more →

As reported by the CO2 refrigeration marketplace R744, the Volkswagen Group plans to convert all mobile air conditioning heat pumps in its battery electric vehicles (BEV) models to CO2 (R744) by 2030. The Group made the statement in a public comment submitted regarding the European PFAS Restriction Proposal. In 2023,... Read more →

Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group Company, signed a binding off-take agreement with the battery materials and technology company NOVONIX Limited for the supply of synthetic graphite, the main component of the anodes of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). In line with Panasonic Energy’s medium- to long-term... Read more →