Search Results Found For: "DOE "

Nissan and Waseda University announce recycling process for rare-earth compounds

Nissan and Waseda University are testing a jointly developed recycling process that recovers high-purity rare-earth compounds from EV motor magnets.  Since 2010, Nissan has been working from the design stage to reduce the amount of heavy rare-earth elements (REEs) in motor magnets. Nissan is also recycling REEs by removing magnets from motors that do not… Read more »

NREL researchers, industry partners test Megawatt Charging System with up to 3.75 MW of power

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks, to say nothing of aviation and shipping, will require much more powerful charging facilities than those that now serve passenger cars. To get these heavy vehicles charged up in 15 to 20 minutes will require power levels of a megawatt or more, and transferring this much energy requires unique design in… Read more »

Tesla co-founder JB Straubel’s company to produce battery materials in US

Redwood Materials, the battery recycling venture founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, came out of stealth mode last year, and announced that it is recycling scrap from Panasonic’s battery cell production at Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada. In July, it raised $700 million in new investment. Now Redwood has dropped a bit of a bombshell: it… Read more »

USPS’s environmental impact statement seems designed to justify its timid electrification strategy

Electrifying the US Postal Service fleet would be one of the most effective ways for the federal government to encourage EV adoption (while saving taxpayers billions of dollars and eliminating tons of emissions). However, there is a strong faction at the agency that seems determined to prevent that from happening, and some see the draft… Read more »

Toyota actively lobbies against support for EVs

Toyota has earned a place in the history of transport electrification. The Japanese automaker’s introduction of the Prius hybrid in 1997 was a milestone. Since then, the company has sold some 15 million hybrids worldwide, and has gradually added hybrid powertrains to more of its offerings—a majority of Toyota and Lexus models are now available… Read more »

HEVO to commercialize ORNL’s dynamic wireless charging technology

The DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has licensed its wireless charging technology to Brooklyn-based HEVO. The system is designed to provide high power levels in a small package, and also supports dynamic charging, which could one day allow EVs to be charged while in motion. HEVO will work with ORNL to further develop the technology… Read more »

Glencore and Britishvolt sign partnership for long-term supply of cobalt

Global mining giant Glencore has announced a long-term strategic partnership for the supply of responsibly sourced cobalt with battery startup Britishvolt. Glencore has also made an undisclosed investment in Britishvolt.  By securing a supply of a key battery ingredient from Glencore, Britishvolt hopes to significantly derisk its operations. David Brocas, Head Cobalt Trader for Glencore,… Read more »

Titan to develop early warning system for Li-ion batteries using ultrasound

Titan Advanced Energy Solutions has received nearly $1.1 million in funding from the DOE to develop an early warning system for lithium-ion batteries using ultrasound technology to detect abnormal and hazardous battery conditions in real time, hours to days in advance of a dangerous situation. These conditions may include thermal runaways, a chain reaction within… Read more »

US seeks to build a domestic supply chain for critical minerals, Australia touts its mineral resources

EV fans may be frustrated with the US government’s lukewarm support for electrification, but at least it can be said that the administration understands the importance of establishing a domestic supply chain for batteries and critical minerals. As Reuters reports, the DOE is channeling funds into R&D spanning the materials spectrum, from primary processing to… Read more »