California legislators have allocated UC San Diego $35 million to design and build a new coastal research vessel with a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system. The new vessel will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The feasibility study to conceptualize the hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion technology for... Continue reading

ABB will acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a leading global autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer with a broad portfolio across all major applications enabled by the company’s software suite. This will expand ABB’s robotics and automation offering, making it the only company to offer a complete portfolio for the... Continue reading

Stora Enso’s pilot facility for producing bio-based carbon materials from lignin has started operations. This follows the company’s €10-million investment announced in 2019. (Earlier post.) Pilot production of Lignode by Stora Enso, wood-based carbon for batteries, is currently being ramped up. Applications include electric vehicles and consumer electronics as well... Continue reading

Nearly half of Americans would consider owning an electric vehicle (EV) today, up from just more than a third of the population three months ago. Better battery life, range and safety are the top factors consumers believe automakers need to address for electric vehicles to take off, according to a... Continue reading

Proterra Inc and Taylor Machine Works, Inc., a leading heavy-duty equipment manufacturer, announced a new partnership to power Taylor’s next-generation ZLC-series electric container handler and ZH-series electric forklift using Proterra’s battery technology. The next-generation ZH Series plug-in, battery-electric vehicle will feature 225 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and the ZLC-series... Continue reading

Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, a provider of fuel cell power solutions for motive applications, is teaming with DD DANNAR, LLC (DANNAR) on an integration project to develop hydrogen fuel cell power solutions to markets in need of clean power options that may include municipalities, fleets, military applications, agriculture and mining.... Continue reading

IndianOil (Indian Oil Corporation Limited) will build India’s first ‘Green Hydrogen’ plant at its Mathura refinery. Green hydrogen is derived from water electrolysis using renewable energy such as solar or wind. Biomass-based hydrogen production technologies also qualify under the green category. Brown and grey hydrogen are produced through coal gasification... Continue reading

Venti Technologies, a developer of safe-speed autonomous logistics systems, secured approximately $8 million in a seed round funding. The financing round was led by LDV Partners and Alpha JWC Ventures. The investment will further Venti’s production of AI-enabled autonomous logistics transport, including fulfilling new and existing customer agreements with PSA... Continue reading

Batteryline.com introduces a new network website for experts in the manufacturing of EV batteries based on the need for more knowledge in the related automotive industry. In the drive to supply the world with high quality and cost-effective batteries there is a need to improve worldwide production. The fast-growing market... Continue reading

Eastman is collaborating with the United States Automotive Materials Partnership LLC (USAMP) and automotive recycler PADNOS for a concept feasibility study to demonstrate a closed-loop project to recycle automotive-industry mixed plastic waste in the automotive supply chain. USAMP is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC... Continue reading

Eastman and Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, a pioneer in the liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) industry (earlier post), are partnering to make the storage and transportation of sustainable hydrogen more secure, easier and more affordable for the fast-growing clean energy market. Eastman is poised to meet the increasing needs of the... Continue reading

EV developer Rivian has closed a $2.5-billion private funding round. The financing was led by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, D1 Capital Partners, Ford Motor Company and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. This round included participation by Third Point, Fidelity Management and Research Company, Dragoneer Investment... Continue reading

Just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron series hybrid, with which Audi will tackle the Dakar Rally in January 2022. (Earlier post.) Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination... Continue reading

General Motors will introduce new Super Cruise capabilities on six model year 2022 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022. Super Cruise is the first true hands-free driver-assistance technology allowing drivers to travel hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the US and Canada. Super Cruise adds... Continue reading

Experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs. (Earlier post.) As a result, GM will be conducting a new recall for the previous population of Bolt EVs... Continue reading

The generator that will be at the heart of the most powerful hybrid-electric aero power and propulsion system in aerospace has arrived for installation at Rolls-Royces’s specialist testbed. PGSy1 The generator and related 3,000-volt power electronics system was delivered to the newly-renovated Testbed 108 in Bristol, UK, from the Rolls-Royce... Continue reading

Hyzon Motors Inc., a global supplier of hydrogen fuel-cell-powered commercial vehicles, has developed new onboard hydrogen storage system technology that it says is capable of reducing the weight and manufacturing cost of commercial vehicles powered by Hyzon’s hydrogen fuel cells. The new patent-pending onboard hydrogen storage system technology integrates lightweight... Continue reading

Air Products has selected Haldor Topsoe’s low-carbon SynCOR technology for a world-scale net-zero hydrogen energy complex in Canada. Topsoe’s SynCOR technology will enable capture of more than 95% of CO2 emissions from the production of blue hydrogen from natural gas for the recently announced Air Products facility to be built... Continue reading

Tenneco is putting its 100-plus years of powertrain expertise in improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing emissions to work to explore synthetic fuels (e-fuels) as a viable near-term solution to further maximize the efficiency and minimize the carbon footprint of internal combustion engines (ICE). Tenneco’s Powertrain business group is partnering... Continue reading

Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to go all-electric by the end of the decade, where market conditions allow, shifting from electric-first to electric-only. By 2022, Mercedes-Benz will have battery electric vehicles (BEV) in all segments the company serves. From 2025 onwards, all newly launched vehicle architectures will be electric-only and customers... Continue reading

Mercedes-Benz has acquired YASA, a pioneer in next-generation electric drive technology. Under the terms of the acquisition, YASA will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, developing ultra high-performance e-motors, while retaining its own brand, team, facilities and continuing to supply existing automotive supercar customers. YASA’s axial-flux electric motor... Continue reading

BHP will supply Tesla Inc. with nickel from BHP’s Nickel West asset in Western Australia; BHP says that Nickel West is one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world. Nickel is a key metal used in Tesla’s battery technology. Demand for nickel in batteries... Continue reading

Rio Tinto has approved a $108-million investment in underground development to enable early orebody access and undertake orebody characterisation studies for underground mining at the Kennecott copper operations in the United States. The investment builds on $25 million approved in early-2020 to complete a pre-feasibility study to determine the viability... Continue reading

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research. Among the variables included in my ongoing monthly monitoring of key transportation indexes is revenue passenger miles for domestic flying. That monitoring has shown a huge pandemic-related drop in flying during the spring of 2020 and a gradual rebound later in 2020 and in... Continue reading

Argo AI, Lyft and Ford Motor Company are collaborating to commercialize autonomous ride hailing at scale. The partnership brings together all of the pieces necessary to create a viable autonomous ride hailing service, including the self-driving technology, vehicle fleet and transportation network needed to support a scalable business and deliver... Continue reading