German carmaker BMW and South Korean technology firm SK tes plan to expand their closed-loop battery recycling system from Europe to the US-Mexico-Canada region in 2026. The recycling process recovers cobalt, nickel and lithium from used batteries to return them to the value chain to produce new batteries. BMW is directly involved in the process,… Read more…

Stardust Power, a US-based developer of battery-grade lithium products, has broken ground on the construction of a lithium refinery at the Southside Industrial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The project will be developed in two phases. The first phase will focus on building a production line capable of producing up to 25,000 metric tons per year…. Read more…

US battery recycling technology firms Redivivus and Re-New-Able Technologies have partnered to establish a scalable lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Illinois. Re-New-Able is leading the project, using Redivivus’s Redi-Shred recycling technology. The facility will process batteries of any state of charge or health from local businesses and OEM factories. It will also support the state’s… Read more…

Finnish EV charger manufacturer Kempower has partnered with Sprocket Power, a New York-based energy management and EV integration company.  Using cloud-based facility management software, Sprocket Power microgrids integrate solar energy generation and battery storage to power EV chargers, reducing upgrade and utility costs. One of the first joint projects of the two companies will be… Read more…

The New Afton block cave mine in Canada has introduce autonomous electric loaders made by Sandvik, a Swedish company that offers products and services for mining and rock excavation. Sandvik’s 18-ton autonomous loader—the Toro LH518iB—has been in service since mid-November at the mine, working in a designated test area. The Toro LH518iB loaders are equipped… Read more…

Silicon carbide device maker Wolfspeed has introduced its new Gen 4 technology platform, to simplify switching in high-power designs such as EV powertrains, renewable energy systems and battery energy storage systems. Wolfspeed’s Gen 4 platform was designed to improve system efficiency and prolong application life, even in harsh environments, while helping to reduce system cost… Read more…

Honeywell has released a new generation of battery safety sensors. The Battery Safety Electrolyte Sensor (BES) series is designed specifically for enhanced safety in lithium-ion battery on-road applications, and exceeds industry standards for performance and reliability, according to the company. The new BES uses Honeywell’s proprietary Li-ion Tamer [clever!] electrolyte gas detection technology to identify… Read more…

DGeo, the new DG Solutions division at US-based Labelmaster, has released Obexion FR, a mobile-ready system for first responders to extinguish and remediate lithium battery fires safely. The grab-and-go system from DGeo is designed specifically for first responders who need to mitigate lithium battery risks during and after emergencies. Part of DGeo’s line of Obexion… Read more…

The UK Royal Mail, a subsidiary of International Distribution Services, has deployed its 6,000th electric delivery van, adding it to 15 others at its Manchester mail center for deliveries and collections. So far, more than 240 Royal Mail offices use EVs. Royal Mail purchased its first 100 EVs in December 2017. Most of Royal Mail’s… Read more…

Powered semi-trailers, which carry batteries and electric motors to take some of the load of the tractor, are emerging as a cost-effective way to extend the range of an electric semi (or improve the fuel efficiency of a legacy tractor). Now a three-way partnership is testing a related concept—using electricity to power the refrigeration unit… Read more…

Yes, charging large numbers of electric trucks requires lots of power—as the anti-EV community often reminds us, an electrified truck depot might use as much power as a sports stadium. (And? As Charged’s home city of St Petersburg continues its decade-long fight over the building of a new stadium, I have yet to hear any… Read more…

South Korea-based LG Energy Solution has introduced its new system-on-chip (SoC)-based battery management system (BMS) diagnostic software, which is available on the Snapdragon Digital Chassis from Qualcomm Technologies. The two companies have signed a joint promotion agreement to accelerate the commercialization of SoC-based BMS diagnostic solutions. LG’s software aims to enhance safety, degradation diagnostic functions… Read more…

South Korean battery and trading company SK On has recently published its latest research on all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). SK On’s study with Dr. Jin Ho Kim’s group at the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology focuses on the use of ultrafast photonic sintering technology (traditionally used to manufacture printed circuit board) in the manufacturing… Read more…

US mining company Piedmont Lithium and Australian lithium exploration and development company Sayona Mining have announced an all-stock merger. The ownership will be split approximately 50-50. Sayona will be the ultimate parent entity. The merger is intended to create a leading North American hard rock lithium producer, MergeCo, with geographically advantaged spodumene resources of global… Read more…

GreenPower Motor, a manufacturer of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, has appointed Wolfington Body as its exclusive school bus dealer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and as a dealer for its Class 4 commercial line of EV trucks and vans in those states. As part of the agreement, Wolfington has purchased a Type A… Read more…

Norwegian battery materials company Vianode has been selected as a strategic supplier of high-performance anode graphite solutions to General Motors (GM). The agreement covers the development of large-scale manufacturing capacity and supply of synthetic anode graphite towards 2033. Under the supply agreement, Ultium Cells—GM’s battery cell manufacturing joint venture with LG Energy Solution—will use the… Read more…

Concord Pacific Development has unveiled what it calls the world’s largest EV charging parkade in Burnaby, British Columbia, which provides capacity to charge nearly 2,000 vehicles simultaneously. “Parkade” is a Canadianism for a multi-story parking garage. The unveiling came on the heels of the opening of the company’s Central London EV parkade at Marylebone Square…. Read more…

Germany-based Phoenix Contact E-Mobility has created a new US-based company to support on-vehicle programs for North American automotive companies building EVs. “The US market is of high importance in our global strategy fostering three regions: the US, Europe and China. The roll-out of appropriate high-performance charging infrastructure will boost the acceptance of e-mobility on a… Read more…

The Lucid Motors Gravity Grand Touring EV will be powered by lithium-ion battery cells from Panasonic Energy. The Gravity’s battery pack will deliver an EPA-estimated range of up to 450 miles, according to the companies. The Gravity is an SUV with up to 120 cubic feet of total usable cargo space. It offers 828 horsepower… Read more…

One EV, a thousand applications Q&A with CEO Gary Dannar Different buyers need (or want) different vehicles—that’s why most consumer automakers offer a range of a dozen or so models, from practical family cars to sleek sports cars to hulking pickup trucks. But in the commercial vehicle sphere, this wouldn’t be good enough—different markets demand… Read more…