EU lawmakers confirm 2035 zero-emission sales mandate for new cars and vans


The European Commission has agreed to set a zero-emission sales mandate for new cars and vans by 2035. As the average age of passenger cars in the EU is just under 12 years, this policy should put the bloc on track to reach the target of converting its fleet to zero-emission-only by 2050, the date… Read more »

LANXESS says demonstration proves feasibility of polyamide 6 for battery enclosures


Chemical provider LANXESS and automotive supplier Kautex Textron say they have proven the feasibility of the plastic polyamide 6 for high-voltage battery enclosures in EVs. The companies jointly developed a 1.4-meter demonstrator composed of a polyamide 6-based composite called Tepex dynalite 102-RGUD600 in crash-relevant areas, along with the polyamide 6 compound Durethan B24CMH2.0. Kautex Textron… Read more »

European Parliament says public charging stations should be available every 60 km


The European Parliament recently adopted its position on draft EU rules aimed at encouraging the deployment of charging infrastructure for cars, trucks, trains and planes. The new rules are part of the Fit for 55 in 2030 package, the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990… Read more »

Hillcrest to collaborate with Hercules Electric Mobility on electric powertrain


Inverter and control system technology company Hillcrest Energy Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding with electric propulsion technology company Hercules Electric Mobility to collaborate on an electric powertrain, which is designed for automotive and marine applications. Between October of 2022 and March of 2023, the companies will work together to build and test an… Read more »

Toyota announces bZ3 EV, second model in bZ series


To sell in China, the world’s largest auto market, it seems that even EV skeptics like Toyota have to produce “new energy vehicles,” whether they really want to or not. The Toyota bZ3 5-seat electric sedan is the second model in the Japanese auto giant’s bZ series. Toyota jointly developed the bZ3 for the Chinese… Read more »

Komatsu presents 20-ton-class Proterra Powered electric hydraulic excavator


Komatsu showed off a 20-ton-class electric hydraulic excavator at the recent bauma trade show in Munich. The machine is powered by a lithium-ion battery system from Proterra. Since January 2021, the two companies have been jointly developing electric medium-sized hydraulic excavators, and have been conducting proof of concept tests on research machines at customers’ construction… Read more »

TeraWatt to build Electric Corridor of charging sites for electric trucks along I-10 from Long Beach To El Paso


When we spoke with TeraWatt Infrastructure CEO Neha Palmer back in 2021, we were impressed by her company’s comprehensive approach. Charging hubs for fleet vehicles need to incorporate not only charging stations, but energy management systems, and possibly energy storage and on-site generation. Charging providers need to work closely with local electrical utilities, and they… Read more »

Fermata’s newest V2X bidirectional charger, the FE-20


Fermata Energy, a specialist in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) charging systems, has successfully deployed its FE-15 bidirectional charger on multiple commercial projects. Now the company has added a second commercial V2X-capable bidirectional charger to its lineup, the FE-20. The FE-20 is a DC fast charger that can both charge and discharge the battery of a bidirectionally-enabled EV,… Read more »

DOE requests information about non-functional public EV chargers


The DOE may get more replies than it bargained for to its recent Request for Information (DE-FOA-0002797, PDF) regarding “the prevalence of and solutions to electric vehicle no-charge events.” As every frequent user of public charging knows, the uptime performance of public chargers can be abysmal—the doggone things seem to be out of order a… Read more »

Li-Cycle opens battery recycling facility in Alabama


Battery recycler Li-Cycle has announced that its Alabama Spoke plant in Tuscaloosa has started commercial operations. The Alabama Spoke uses Li-Cycle’s patented technology to recycle and directly process full EV battery packs without any dismantling through a submerged shredding process that produces no wastewater. Li-Cycle says its full pack processing capability improves efficiency, and can… Read more »