Battery manufacturer ZAPBATT has developed its Battery Operating System (bOS) in a strategic partnership with Toshiba, initially focused on Toshiba’s battery SCiB lithium titanium oxide (LTO) chemistry for integration across several applications, including EVs. ZAPBATT’s bOS is a battery management system, which enables the adoption of optimal battery chemistries without significant investment in battery infrastructure or modifications to existing electrical components. It acts as a universal adapter, integrating SCIB and other advanced battery chemistries into various applications—from cordl ..read more

Milence, an EV charging joint venture of Daimler Truck, the TRATON Group and Volvo, has expanded its operations to the French and Swedish markets. In late 2023, Milence opened its first charging hub in Venlo, the Netherlands. Now the company has opened a charging hub in Heudebouville, 40 km south of the city of Rouen. The new heavy-duty EV charging hub is located along an important route for heavy-duty vehicles travelling between Paris and logistics hubs in the Normandy Region, such as Le Havre (France’s largest container port), Caen, Dieppe and Rouen. The new charging hub features four CCS ..read more

EV fleet solution provider Synop has launched a new app designed to further streamline EV charge management for its customers. The new Fleet Driver Mobile App will provide Managed Access Charging functionality to EV fleets. Synop’s fleet customers typically give their drivers RFID cards that grant them access to on-site chargers. However, these cards are easily lost or damaged. The Synop Fleet Driver Mobile App allows drivers to add their RFID card information to their profiles, making authorization and instant payments easier. Drivers can securely save their payment details in the app. They ..read more

As driver uncertainty about access to EV charging remains a barrier to broader EV adoption, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are developing algorithms and multilayered communication and control systems designed to make EV chargers operate more reliably, even during electrical grid voltage drops or disturbances. Researchers have identified two key causes of charger failure: When small faults in the electric grid cause a fleeting drop in voltage, EV charging stops. And the failure of one internal component can shut everything down. Reactivating the chargers often requires ..read more

Adamas Intelligence data shows that 408,214 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) were deployed globally in new passenger EV batteries last year, up by 40% from 2022. Europe and the Americas accounted for 40% of global deployment, rising by 38% to 163,423 tons in 2023. Across the three continents, Tesla took the top spot with 44,757 tonnes of LCE deployed across its S, 3, X and Y model lineup, nearly as much as the next five brands combined and an increase of 34% over 2022.  Volkswagen came in second in the Americas and Europe, deploying 11,750 tonnes of LCE in 2023, up by 39% yea ..read more

Dry coating of lithium-ion batteries has the potential to revolutionize battery production through a reduced solvent, energy, and footprint demand. However, dry coated electrodes suffer from poor adhesion between the dry film and current collector that leads to the demand of a pre-coating. In this webinar, we will discuss how carbon coatings of current collectors can enable dry battery manufacturing and improve battery cell performance. Key takeaways: Operating principles of conductive coatings in battery cells The essential role of conductive coatings in dry-coated batteries Insights into s ..read more

German chemical manufacturer BASF offers a portfolio of engineering plastics that can be used in co-creation partnerships with the automotive industry to develop next-generation EV motors. BASF’s portfolio of thermoplastics offers high temperature and media resistance, mechanical strength, exact electric compatibility, high purity and tailored flame retardance. The range includes: Ultramid (PA: polyamide) Ultradur (PBT: polybuthylene-terephthalate) Ultrason (PESU/PSU/PPSU: polyarylethersulfones Ultramid Advanced (PPA: polyphthalamide) The compounds are available in different colors, from co ..read more

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