Newswire

UQM announces first customers for PowerPhase DT electric drivetrain

Colorado-based motor manufacturer UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has secured several commercial customers as early adopters of its drivetrain solution, the PowerPhase DT. Hybrid Kinetic Group, Wuzhoulong Motors and ITL in China; and ADOMANI in the US will be collaborating with UQM and suppliers Pi Innovo and Eaton to develop heavy-duty commercial and transit EVs…. Read more »

Fortum Charge & Drive building fast charging corridors in Norway

Fortum Charge & Drive, which operates a network of over 812 affiliated smart chargers in the Nordic countries, is hard at work building charging corridors along the highways of Norway, the world’s EV capital. By the end of this year, Fortum will offer charging stations with CCS/CHAdeMO fast charging capabilities every 31 miles along the… Read more »

Musk to employees: Tesla could show a profit in Q3 if we buckle down

Tesla has been driving on a rough road lately – a thoroughfare called Wall Street. The company’s future depends on being able to ramp up Model 3 production in a timely manner, and recent news items about the SolarCity deal, the new master plan and the new P100D battery pack make some folks think that… Read more »

GM reveals expanded EV plans for China

In Shanghai for a workshop at GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, Executive Director for Electrification Larry Nitz outlined the company’s short-term electrification roadmap for China. The company will soon launch the Chevrolet Malibu XL Hybrid and Buick LaCrosse Hybrid in China, to be followed by the Cadillac CT6 PHEV later this year. The CT6… Read more »

Star-studded startup Romeo Power to manufacture EV battery packs

Santa Monica startup Romeo Power plans to manufacture EV-specific battery packs that it says will outperform any systems on the EV market today. The recently-launched company has over 50 employees, and an executive team that includes some well-known EV pioneers. Co-Founder and CTO Porter Harris is a veteran of SpaceX and Faraday Future, and VP… Read more »

Albemarle to acquire lithium salt production assets in China

Specialty chemical firm Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) has signed an agreement to acquire the lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate conversion assets of Jiangxi Jiangli New Materials Science and Technology. The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of Q1 2017, includes manufacturing assets located in Jiangxi and Sichuan, China, focused on the production of… Read more »

Using fungi to recycle Li-ion batteries

As rechargeable batteries proliferate in everything from cars to smartphones, recycling is becoming a critical issue. Now a team of researchers at the University of South Florida has found a way to use naturally occurring fungi to extract cobalt and lithium from waste batteries. The scientists presented their work at a recent meeting of the… Read more »

Rare earth element-free motor debuts in Honda Freed

Honda was an early electrification innovator, but the disappointing career of its Insight Hybrid apparently killed the company’s interest in electrons. However, there are signs of a turnaround – the hybrid version of Honda’s Odyssey minivan, launched in Japan in February, now accounts for 70% of Odyssey sales. Now Nikkei Asian Review reports that Honda… Read more »

Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 – the ultimate luxury EV?

There are several “luxury” EVs on the market or in the pipeline, but this concept car from Daimler takes automotive indulgence to a new level. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 coupé, which was introduced at the recent Monterey Car Week, was designed as an EV, with styling that recalls the aero coupés of a bygone affluent… Read more »