GM and Lithium Americas to develop lithium production through $650-million investment


General Motors and Lithium Americas plan to jointly invest in the development of the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, which the companies call “the largest known source of lithium in the US.” GM plans to use lithium carbonate from Thacker Pass in its proprietary Ultium battery cells.  As part of the deal, GM will make… Read more »

EDN to showcase new on-board battery chargers for off-highway applications 


Italy-based EDN, a producer of on-board battery chargers and power converters, will showcase its new on-board battery chargers (BHP19 for the US and BHP22 for Europe) for electric and plug-in hybrid applications in the off-highway sector at construction trade show CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas in March. EDN says its 19.2 kW BHP19 and 22 kW… Read more »

New report: over 5,000 e-buses now on US streets


Electric transit buses are becoming increasingly common sights on US streets. A new report from clean transport consultancy CALSTART found that there are some 5,480 full-size zero-emission buses in operation in the US—an increase of 66 percent since 2021—and another 859 in Canada. The entire US fleet of full-size transit buses numbered about 72,700 in… Read more »

Toyo Ink plans second US production site for Li-ion battery materials


Tokyo-based specialty chemicals producer Toyo Ink has established a manufacturing subsidiary, LioChem e-Materials, for the production of its Lioaccum conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, used in lithium-ion battery (LiB) cathodes. The company says that its Lioaccum dispersion helps to increase LiB capacity and extend the cruising range of EVs, luxury cars in particular. The new… Read more »

Liminal raises $17.5 million to scale EV battery production inspection systems


Liminal, a provider of battery manufacturing data and analytics, has announced a $17.5-million Series A2 funding round to scale its EchoStat inspection systems into factory-integrated solutions for global battery manufacturers, in partnership with climate tech fund ArcTern Ventures and other investors including battery cell manufacturer Northvolt. “Our products help battery manufacturers hit their aggressive production… Read more »

GM selects PyroPhobic’s LithiumPrevent 200 fire safety material for its Ultium battery platform


PyroPhobic Systems, a provider of fire-resistant thermoplastic resins for batteries, has announced that its LithiumPrevent 200 material has been selected for application in GM’s Ultium battery platform. LithiumPrevent 200 has “unique intumescent properties, meaning it expands to create a barrier, reducing the propagation of fire,” says PyroPhobic. “Injection-molded into EV battery pack components, LithiumPrevent 200… Read more »

Hyundai’s 2023 IONIQ 6 achieves range of 361 miles in EPA testing


The new 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 has completed final EPA testing. Different trim levels earned different estimated range figures, but the star of the show was the IONIQ 6 SE RWD Long Range variant, which achieved an EPA-estimated range of 361 miles. The EPA testing also awarded a 140 combined MPGe rating to the IONIQ… Read more »

ABB E-mobility delivers millionth EV charger


ABB E-mobility has announced the delivery of its one-millionth electric vehicle charger. The 2022 launch of ABB E-mobility’s new $30-million, 16,000-square-meter production facility in Valdarno, Italy completed a doubling of the company’s production capacity over the last two years. The manufacturing site can produce one DC fast charger every 20 minutes thanks to its seven… Read more »

Rincon Power introduces new 900 V, 350 A contactor


Rincon Power has announced a new addition to its line of sealed contactors and manual disconnect switches.  The new RXC35 is a hermetically sealed contactor that offers the ability to isolate high-voltage systems in a compact and robust package.  The RXC35 offers 350 A of continuous current carry capability for applications ranging from 12 V… Read more »

Ford to build new LFP battery plant in Michigan


Ford plans to invest $3.5 billion to build an LFP battery plant in Marshall, Michigan. BlueOval Battery Park Michigan will initially employ 2,500 people when production begins in 2026. The automaker will offer LFP (lithium iron phosphate) as a second battery chemistry option in addition to NCM (nickel cobalt manganese), allowing customers to choose an… Read more »