Mercedes-Benz has announced that its Wallbox smart charger for overnight charging at home is now widely available across the US.  The unit delivers up to 11.5 kW when operated at 48 amps on a 240-volt circuit. It provides the typical range of smart-charging features through a phone app. The Wallbox is made by Amsterdam-based EVSE company EVBox. It is offered on a complimentary basis to customers who purchased a Mercedes-Benz MY23 EQE or EQS in the first quarter of this year. “Mercedes-Benz is committed to providing our customers with a variety of convenient, simple and fast charging opti ..read more

US-based Sepion Technologies, which develops nanoengineered separator coatings and liquid electrolytes for EV batteries, has received UN/DOT 38.3 safety certification for its lithium-metal pouch cells. UN/DOT 38.3 is an essential certification required for manufacturers and suppliers involved in transporting and distributing lithium batteries by air, sea and land to ensure the safety of passengers, crew and cargo. Having received the certification, Sepion can commence shipping lithium-metal cell samples to its customers worldwide. Sepion has demonstrated compliance with environmental, mechani ..read more

Lyten, a supermaterials application company, reports that its automated battery production line consistently exceeds 90% yield, confirming the viability of manufacturing its lithium-sulfur battery using a sulfur cathode and lithium metal anode. Converting lithium-ion equipment to produce lithium-sulfur batteries in Lyten’s pilot facility required six weeks. Lyten’s lithium-sulfur battery chemistry utilizes no N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in the cathode manufacturing process. The battery contains no nickel, cobalt, manganese, or graphite in the cathode and anode, enabling an entirely locally s ..read more

School transportation provider First Student, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, has surpassed three million miles driven by its electric school buses. The company has deployed more than 330 electric buses to North American school districts and approved 1,108 more for order. It has a goal of transitioning 30,000 diesel school buses to electric by 2035. First Student was among the top recipients of funds from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which provides $5 billion over the years 2022 to 2026. First Student assists school districts in applying for the funding and has secured close to $220 ..read more

Toray Industries, a Japanese performance chemical manufacturer, has developed an ion-conductive polymer membrane that it says delivers 10 times the ion conductivity of its predecessors. The new polymer membranes offer ion conductivity through hopping conduction. This mechanism enables lithium ions to traverse between interacting sites within polymer membranes, jumping across sites. The membranes remain non-porous. Toray estimates that enhancing the hopping site structure and designing a new polymer with more hopping sites has delivered an ionic conductivity in the 10-⁴ S/cm range for a hoppin ..read more

US-based EO Charging, which provides EV infrastructure and services for van, truck and bus fleets, has launched its Genius Fleet hardware and software bundle to simplify depot electrification for commercial vans, trucks, and school bus fleets. Genius Fleet provides fully managed charging capabilities by combining the EO Cloud charge management platform, 24/7/365 monitoring and remote fix solutions, ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M) support and an EO Genius Level 3 19.2 kW commercial grade charging station. EO handles all charger commissioning onto EO Cloud, monitors the chargers to ..read more

Canada-based EV charging station manufacturer and network operator FLO has launched a new home EV charger. The company offers three options for the FLO Home charger, which is available with a choice of a J3400 connector (also known as NACS or the Tesla connector) or a J1772 connector. FLO Home X3 includes an industrial-grade thermoplastic enclosure and features a 50 A/12 kW output.  FLO Home X6 features a heavy-duty aluminum enclosure and a detachable cable holster for additional flexibility. FLO Home X8 offers higher power output and ruggedness for high-performance cars and trucks. It ..read more

Van and truck operators in the UK can monetize their EV chargers by pairing them with battery energy storage to participate in the National Grid’s new Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), according to storage systems provider Connected Energy. The DFS aims to incentivize businesses to reduce their demand on the grid during peak periods each winter from November to March. National Grid will designate at least 12 periods of exceptionally high demand known as “events,” during which it will pay participants to stop drawing energy from the network. Each event could last up to four hours, and business ..read more

Most popular mapping apps can show the locations of public EV chargers—but they lack important details, such as whether a station requires payment, and whether it is currently in service (EV-specific apps such as PlugShare provide much more detailed information). Now Google Maps has announced plans to upgrade the EV charger information it provides. The service plans to roll out new features designed to provide more detailed and current information about chargers. Google Maps will soon provide information about the exact locations of charging stations. As frequent EV travelers know, finding an ..read more

Portuguese EV charging infrastructure manufacturer Efacec has launched a new high-power modular EV charger incorporating an active monitoring and remote upgrade system. The QC180 is an all-in-one Plug & Charge-ready system. It allows for simultaneous charging at up to 180 kW, includes an independent remote connection for maintenance and asset management and incorporates a credit card payment terminal. It also enables integration with Efacec’s Load Management System (LMS), a tool that allows operators to manage station power at the installation site. The new charger provides more customer ..read more