Amazon’s electric delivery trucks, which the retail giant developed in cooperation with Rivian, are becoming common sights in many parts of the US. Now the company is adding fifty Class 8 EVs to its drayage fleet in Southern California. Amazon’s Volvo VNR Electric tractors will haul both cargo containers and customer package loads in Amazon’s… Read more…

Element 25 (E25) has agreed with Veolia North America to secure a site for its planned high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) refinery in Louisiana. The plant will have the capacity to produce 135,000 tons of HPMSM annually for US EV battery manufacturing, in partnership with automakers GM and Stellantis. GM has committed $85 million in… Read more…

New session topics for the June 2024 Charged Virtual Conference on EV Infrastructure are out now. This virtual event will span all things EV charging in two main tracks: For full access, register here. It’s free! The free-to-attend conference will be broadcast June 10 – 12, 2024, featuring live presentations, interactive Q&As, on-demand webinars, and… Read more…

Three US-based companies, EV charging software provider EV Connect, parking technology provider Flash and EV charger installer Qmerit, have announced a partnership to combine their services to provide a seamless reservable parking and charging driver experience and simplified management for infrastructure owners and operators. EV drivers will be able to use Flash’s network of more… Read more…

Toshiba Electronics has launched a motor control driver IC that implements a gate driver and a CPU core together for driving three-phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) more efficiently. The TB9M003FG is the first device in Toshiba’s Smart Motor Control Driver (SmartMCD) family, designed for applications including electric pumps, fans,… Read more…

BMW’s plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico is gearing up for production of the company’s next-generation family of EVs: the Neue Klasse. The automaker is building a battery pack assembly line at the facility, and expanding the body shop, assembly and logistics areas. BMW has announced investment of 800 million euros to expand the production… Read more…

Adhesive and sealant specialist Henkel has added three new products to its portfolio of dedicated potting adhesives, each tailored to meet specific challenges. Potting of sensitive electronic components such as ECU connectors, sensors and e-motors protects them from moisture and exposure to common automotive fluids. Henkel’s new potting products are designed to enable more efficient… Read more…

US-based Turntide Technologies, which manufactures motors and other electrification systems, has launched the sixth version of its inverter, which features increased power density. The Whitehaven inverter can be used in electric two- or three-wheelers, small vehicles and motorcycles, as well as material handling and low-voltage electrification applications. Whitehaven offers an extensive motor library for simplified… Read more…

Cincinnati-based EV charging station developer and contractor Electrada has entered into an agreement with California-headquartered Red Bull Distribution, a subsidiary of Austrian energy drink maker Red Bull, to provide the charging infrastructure for electrification of Red Bull’s fleet. The program was initiated through Electrada’s partnership with Holman, a US-based automotive services company. The collaboration between… Read more…

Intelligent power management company Eaton is opening a new assembly plant in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic, to meet growing customer demand for its fuses. The project will increase supplies of Eaton’s Bussmann series fuses, which provide critical safety functionality in EVs, energy storage projects and other industrial applications. Eaton’s new 65,000-square-foot… Read more…

Japanese automaker Nissan is building an all-solid-state battery pilot line at its Yokohama Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, as part of its plan to promote the development and manufacturing of solid-state technologies. Nissan aims to launch EVs, including pickup trucks, equipped with the batteries by fiscal year 2028 under its Nissan Ambition 2030 plan. The company… Read more…

DHL Freight, headquartered in Bonn, has deployed two Mercedes-Benz eActros 300 trucks for delivery and distribution transport at the company’s Koblenz and Hagen sites. The truck at Hagen makes round trips to the Mercedes-Benz truck plant in Kassel, and the second truck makes deliveries to customers in the Koblenz area. Each truck is powered by… Read more…

US EV software and services provider MoveEV, a member of the Geotab Sustainability Alliance, has introduced an add-in for its MyGeotab software product. The software is designed for Geotab-enabled fleets with EVs enrolled in MoveEV’s ReimburseEV home charging reimbursement program. It connects Geotab and ReimburseEV to allow fleet managers to see any vehicle’s home charging… Read more…

German automaker Volkswagen has launched an upgraded version of its ID.3 electric compact car containing a stronger and more efficient electric motor, providing more power and economical consumption. In Germany, the ID.3 Pro S model now delivers 170 kW as standard. Customers in other markets can decide after purchase whether they want to increase the… Read more…

US solid-state battery specialist Sakuu has produced its lithium metal Cypress battery cell using a fully dry process. The company has now produced commercial-grade lithium-metal anode battery cells using both wet and dry electrode manufacturing. The batteries can run for 1,000 cycles at 100% depth of discharge (DoD) to 80% state of health (SOH), providing… Read more…

SiAT, a Taiwanese battery nanomaterials manufacturer, has partnered with Taiwan C.S. Aluminum Corporation (CSAC) to introduce carbon nanotube (CNT) coated aluminum foil for faster charging and extended lifespan in lithium-ion batteries, sodium batteries and supercapacitors. The foil uses CNT carbon coating, which conducts ten times better than carbon black, according to SiAT. The CNT coating… Read more…

Jeremiads lamenting China’s takeover of the global auto industry are everywhere these days. Three recent accounts stand out from the pack. These articles cover three different aspects of the tragic tale, but all are authoritative, fact-filled pieces written by journalists with first-hand knowledge of what’s going on in the Middle Kingdom, and I recommend that… Read more…

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has chosen engineering firm IHI Technology’s initiative to develop electric power control and thermal and air management system technology for the Next-Generation Aircraft Development Project under its Green Innovation Fund program. NEDO created the ¥2-trillion ($12.96-billion) Green Innovation Fund to invest in the energy and industrial… Read more…

Automakers often say one thing and do the opposite, or make contradictory statements for different audiences. Usually this sort of cognitive dissonance is considered a bad thing, but in Toyota’s case it may be otherwise—the company’s leaders have long been the auto industry’s most prominent anti-EV voices, even as the company itself has quietly but… Read more…

Australian battery materials producer Sicona Battery Technologies plans to expand into the US battery component market by developing a commercial production facility somewhere in the southeastern US. The company recently completed front-end engineering design studies and is advancing its plans for the phased development of a silicon-carbon anode materials plant that would produce 6,700 tons… Read more…