Federal support for EVs in the US may have dwindled, but it hasn’t disappeared. The US DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $130 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program for 2020. The Low-No program funds the deployment of zero- and low-emission transit buses and supporting facilities. Eligible projects… Read more »
Samsung SDI has begun injecting capital into EcoPro EM, a joint venture with EcoPro BM, a supplier of EV battery cathode materials. Samsung said it will contribute 48 billion won ($39 million) to the joint venture for a 40% stake, while EcoPro BM will contribute 72 billion won ($58 million) for a 60% share. EcoPro… Read more »
Remember battery swapping? Following Tesla’s abandonment of the concept, and the spectacular rise and fall of Better Place, most in the EV industry probably wrote it off as a failed transitional technology. However, over in China, NIO has been diligently improving its battery swapping technology. The company introduced its Power Swap system in December 2017,… Read more »
AMTE Power and Britishvolt have announced plans to collaborate on what they call the UK’s first full-cycle battery cell “GigaPlant.” The parties have signed a memo of understanding (MoU) focused on the companies’ complementary ambitions to create and expand an onshore manufacturing supply chain. The collaboration would enable scalable production of a diverse portfolio of… Read more »
Amid the hardships of the recent pandemic-inspired lockdowns, some saw signs of hope for the future in the clear skies and quiet streets. Could the views of distant mountains from Los Angeles to New Delhi be made permanent? The object lesson provided by the lockdowns was that, if we want cleaner air, we know how… Read more »
EV startup Polestar has begun production of its Polestar 2 in Luqiao, China, and hopes to begin deliveries this summer, starting in Europe and followed by China and North America. Now Polestar has announced a partnership with European public charging network Plugsurfing, which will give Polestar 2 drivers in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,… Read more »
Battery provider Octillion Power Systems will collaborate with Colorado-based Lightning Systems to produce Class 6 electric trucks (up to 12.5 tons) aimed at “middle-mile” delivery routes between warehouses and distribution centers. Lightning’s fuel cell-powered Class 6 truck offered by Plug Power will be available in the third quarter of 2020. Lightning’s all-electric version of the… Read more »
Tesla is reworking plans for its Berlin-area Gigafactory to answer criticism from environmental groups, a local government official told Bloomberg. The EV trendsetter has faced concerns from locals about deforestation and water usage. In February, the company was forced to temporarily halt construction. New blueprints to be presented in the next couple of weeks will… Read more »
Magnix, a maker of electric powertrains for aircraft, collaborated with engineering and flight test specialist AeroTEC to test an electric Cessna 208B Grand Caravan that they claim is the largest all-electric aircraft yet flown. The 30-minute maiden flight, which took place at an airfield near Moses Lake, Washington, was “flawless,” according to the test pilot…. Read more »
A new report from Guidehouse Insights provides forecasts for blockchain-enabled charging hardware deployment, electricity demand from blockchain-based platforms, and revenue from EV charging and integration applications through 2029. According to the report, the combined market for blockchain-based EV charging and grid integration is expected to exceed $1 billion by 2029 at a 77.9% compound annual… Read more »
