The transition to EVs frequently raises questions about the sustainability of batteries, from mining impacts to vehicle carbon emissions. To address these questions, the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) are conducting a research initiative focused on identifying strategies to improve sustainability and governance across the… Read more »
Scientists at the Toyohashi University of Technology have made an active sulfur material and carbon nanofiber (CNF) composite using a low-cost liquid phase process. Their paper, published in the American Chemical Society’s ACS Applied Energy Materials, claims that all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries using a sulfur-CNF composite material show higher discharge capacity and better cycle stability than… Read more »
Electronics giant ABB will be supplying chargers capable of charging batteries at up to 920 VDC for Volvo’s Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project. The Volvo LIGHTS project is a partnership among the Volvo Group, charging solution provider Greenlots (a Shell subsidiary), and several other players in the charging infrastructure space. The project… Read more »
Tesla has extended its earnings streak, posting a surprise profit in the first quarter, typically a tough one for automakers. The company reported record levels of production, and says its vehicle order backlog is the highest it’s ever been. “Q1 2020 was the first time in our history that we achieved a positive GAAP net… Read more »
New Jersey’s Division of Rate Counsel, a state agency charged with representing the interests of ratepayers in dealing with regulated utilities, is seeking to block two companies from spending hundreds of millions of ratepayer dollars on EV infrastructure projects. In separate filings with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Division Director Stefanie Brand is… Read more »
Transit agency Tri Delta Transit, which operates 15 bus routes serving some 250,000 residents in Contra Costa County, California, is using a managed charging software platform from AMPLY Power to optimize its energy usage, while ensuring that its vehicles are charged and ready to work each day. Tri Delta Transit began operating electric buses from… Read more »
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $18 million for basic research to ensure the continued availability of rare earth elements. Neodymium, praseodymium, lanthanum and other rare earth materials are widely used in a variety of technological applications, including EV motors and wind turbines. The research will seek breakthroughs that increase the… Read more »
Sponsored by NXP Semiconductors Power inverter safety system concept for ISO 26262 By Erik Santiago & Antoine Dubois, NXP Semiconductors One of the indisputable facts about the automotive industry is that the overall electronic system content in vehicles is increasing. As vehicles become more sophisticated and include features that sense, think and act for the… Read more »
Finnish energy conglomerate Fortum has agreed to sell the majority of its public charging network operator Fortum Recharge to Infracapital, a subsidiary of investment manager M&G. Fortum Recharge owns approximately 1,300 public chargers, mostly DC fast chargers, and operates an additional 1,400 charging points in Norway, Finland and Sweden. After the transaction Fortum’s ownership in… Read more »
USA Rare Earth has purchased the neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) permanent magnet manufacturing equipment formerly owned and operated in North Carolina by Hitachi Metals America. Demand for rare earth magnets is being driven by plug-in vehicles (electric motors and batteries), wind generators (direct drive generators), medical devices (personal vital sign monitors and medical imaging machines)… Read more »
