DGeo, the packaging division of US-based Labelmaster, has expanded its large-format lithium battery packaging solutions to include collapsible, clippable wooden crates. Part of DGeo’s Obexion line of protective packaging, Obexion MAX crates are UN-certified and offer a repeatable fastening system that delivers a simple and cost-efficient packaging solution for transporting large lithium batteries. The crates… Read more…

Sponsored by Knowles Precision Devices. It’s becoming more common to see power supply circuits with wide-bandgap semiconductors rather than traditional silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). There are clear performance benefits to this switch, and with costs coming down, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are more accessible than ever before. While the fundamental… Read more…

US severe-duty truck maker Autocar is collaborating with automated EV charging company Rocsys, headquartered in the Netherlands, to provide hands-free charging capabilities to Autocar’s electric terminal tractors at logistics facilities, including distribution centers and inland ports. Rocsys says its hands-free charging system will undergo final development through a pilot order secured from an Autocar customer…. Read more…

Syrah Resources, an industrial minerals and technology company, has become an integrated natural graphite active anode material (AAM) supplier outside China, processing natural graphite from Syrah’s Balama Graphite Operation in Mozambique. The 11,250-ton-per-year AAM Vidalia operation in Louisiana is supported by high EV-driven demand internationally, the need for independent natural graphite AAM critical mineral supply,… Read more…

As driver uncertainty about access to EV charging remains a barrier to broader EV adoption, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are developing algorithms and multilayered communication and control systems designed to make EV chargers operate more reliably, even during electrical grid voltage drops or disturbances. Researchers have identified two key causes of… Read more…

EV fleet solution provider Synop has launched a new app designed to further streamline EV charge management for its customers. The new Fleet Driver Mobile App will provide Managed Access Charging functionality to EV fleets. Synop’s fleet customers typically give their drivers RFID cards that grant them access to on-site chargers. However, these cards are… Read more…

Milence, an EV charging joint venture of Daimler Truck, the TRATON Group and Volvo, has expanded its operations to the French and Swedish markets. In late 2023, Milence opened its first charging hub in Venlo, the Netherlands. Now the company has opened a charging hub in Heudebouville, 40 km south of the city of Rouen…. Read more…

Battery manufacturer ZAPBATT has developed its Battery Operating System (bOS) in a strategic partnership with Toshiba, initially focused on Toshiba’s battery SCiB lithium titanium oxide (LTO) chemistry for integration across several applications, including EVs. ZAPBATT’s bOS is a battery management system, which enables the adoption of optimal battery chemistries without significant investment in battery infrastructure… Read more…

Adamas Intelligence data shows that 408,214 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) were deployed globally in new passenger EV batteries last year, up by 40% from 2022. Europe and the Americas accounted for 40% of global deployment, rising by 38% to 163,423 tons in 2023. Across the three continents, Tesla took the top spot with… Read more…

Dry coating of lithium-ion batteries has the potential to revolutionize battery production through a reduced solvent, energy, and footprint demand. However, dry coated electrodes suffer from poor adhesion between the dry film and current collector that leads to the demand of a pre-coating. In this webinar, we will discuss how carbon coatings of current collectors… Read more…

German chemical manufacturer BASF offers a portfolio of engineering plastics that can be used in co-creation partnerships with the automotive industry to develop next-generation EV motors. The compounds are available in different colors, from colorless to orange and laser-markable black, and feature short-glass, long-glass or mineral fiber reinforcement as well as various heat stabilizers. The… Read more…

The directors of Australian fast charger manufacturer Tritium have declared the company as well as three of its Australian subsidiaries—Tritium, Tritium Holdings and Tritium Nominee—insolvent and called in voluntary administration, according to a statement filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “The Company’s other subsidiaries will continue to operate outside the voluntary administration,”… Read more…

School transportation provider First Student, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, has surpassed three million miles driven by its electric school buses. The company has deployed more than 330 electric buses to North American school districts and approved 1,108 more for order. It has a goal of transitioning 30,000 diesel school buses to electric by 2035. First… Read more…

Lyten, a supermaterials application company, reports that its automated battery production line consistently exceeds 90% yield, confirming the viability of manufacturing its lithium-sulfur battery using a sulfur cathode and lithium metal anode. Converting lithium-ion equipment to produce lithium-sulfur batteries in Lyten’s pilot facility required six weeks. Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery chemistry utilizes no N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in… Read more…

US-based Sepion Technologies, which develops nanoengineered separator coatings and liquid electrolytes for EV batteries, has received UN/DOT 38.3 safety certification for its lithium-metal pouch cells. UN/DOT 38.3 is an essential certification required for manufacturers and suppliers involved in transporting and distributing lithium batteries by air, sea and land to ensure the safety of passengers, crew… Read more…

Mercedes-Benz has announced that its Wallbox smart charger for overnight charging at home is now widely available across the US.  The unit delivers up to 11.5 kW when operated at 48 amps on a 240-volt circuit. It provides the typical range of smart-charging features through a phone app. The Wallbox is made by Amsterdam-based EVSE… Read more…

Van and truck operators in the UK can monetize their EV chargers by pairing them with battery energy storage to participate in the National Grid’s new Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), according to storage systems provider Connected Energy. The DFS aims to incentivize businesses to reduce their demand on the grid during peak periods each winter… Read more…

Canada-based EV charging station manufacturer and network operator FLO has launched a new home EV charger. The company offers three options for the FLO Home charger, which is available with a choice of a J3400 connector (also known as NACS or the Tesla connector) or a J1772 connector. FLO’s chargers feature a 25 ft cable… Read more…

US-based EO Charging, which provides EV infrastructure and services for van, truck and bus fleets, has launched its Genius Fleet hardware and software bundle to simplify depot electrification for commercial vans, trucks, and school bus fleets. Genius Fleet provides fully managed charging capabilities by combining the EO Cloud charge management platform, 24/7/365 monitoring and remote… Read more…

Toray Industries, a Japanese performance chemical manufacturer, has developed an ion-conductive polymer membrane that it says delivers 10 times the ion conductivity of its predecessors. The new polymer membranes offer ion conductivity through hopping conduction. This mechanism enables lithium ions to traverse between interacting sites within polymer membranes, jumping across sites. The membranes remain non-porous…. Read more…