Audi, with its joint-project MaterialLoop, is taking the next step toward closing more material cycles in the automotive industry. Together with 15 partners from the research, recycling and supplier sectors, the brand with the four rings is looking into the reuse of so-called post-consumer materials. These materials are taken from customer vehicles at the end of their life cycle from the automotive sector for the production of new cars, a company release dated March 3 said. ...

German automaker Mercedes-Benz has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hunan Brunp to jointly undertake an electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling project, Hunan Brunp announced in a press release on 27 February. Under the partnership, Hunan Brunp will recycle the spent EV batteries of Mercedes-Benz and use key materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium to remanufacture battery-cathode materials. Hunan Brunp said that CATL, its parent company, will make battery-catho...

German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz marked the groundbreaking ceremony for a new battery recycling factory in Kuppenheim, Germany, cutting resource consumption and establishing closed-loop recycling of battery raw materials, a company press release dated 3 March said. The first stage of the plant—the mechanical dismantling of electric vehicle (EV) batteries—is scheduled to start ramping up at the end of 2023. If discussions with the public sector go as planned, then a hydrometallurgy p...

In a bold move toward its commitment to sustainable mobility, Tata Motors launched the first Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, called Re.Wi.Re – Recycle with Respect, the new facility is developed and operated by Tata Motors’ partner Ganganagar Vaahan Udyog to scrap end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles of all brands. The modern Re.Wi.Re. facility is designed to dismantle end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles of all brands and ensures depol...

The e-commerce giant Amazon has surged ahead in filling the highest number of patents in the new generation automotive technologies compared to rivals. While it has made key acquisitions in the autonomous driving space, the patient has surged rapidly, surpassing Google, an early leader.  According to Nikkei research, the Seattle-based e-commerce firm filed the most patent applications for next-generation automotive technology among five major US tech giants over the past two decades...

Honda Motor has signed an agreement with Ascend Elements under which the companies will collaborate towards a stable procurement of resources from recycled lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in North America for Honda electric vehicles (EVs), according to a company press release dated 27 February. Honda will look for a consistent supply of nickel, cobalt, and lithium that Ascend Elements reclaims from recycled Li-ion batteries and use these resources in its battery supply chain for electrified ve...

Mercedes-Benz Energy and Lohum have entered into a strategic partnership that entails a multiyear supply contract agreement for second-life batteries, the two companies said in a joint announcement on 4 January 2023. The agreement includes Mercedes-Benz Energy and Lohum committing to a minimum offtake schedule of 50MWh per annum across multiple second-life battery module variants. According to the official note, the agreement will enable Lohum to secure high volumes of second-use battery modu...

Vancouver-based NEO Battery Materials updated on 22 December 2022 that it expects to receive the construction permit to build a silicon anode plant in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea by the end of January 2023. It can be recalled that on 30 November 2022, NEO Battery Materials had announced submitting the proposed plant’s construction permit application to the relevant authorities through its South Korean subsidiary named NBM Korea. The company said that its management and commercial...

CATL announced on 19 December 2022 that the production operations at the first phase of the CATL – Geely EV battery manufacturing plant in Yibin, which is situated in southwest China's Sichuan Province, has started with a planned capacity of 15 GWh. The battery manufacturing facility is set up with a total investment of up to CNY8 billion (USD1.15 billion) and is spread across a planned area of more than 30 ha. According to the company, CATL-Geely’s Yibin project’s construction work beg...

Mainland China’s largest EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited (CATL) has signed an agreement with AVATR Technology to deepen its strategic cooperation with the EV maker in Chongqing, Southwest China, the company said on 20 December 2022. “The signing of the agreement will further deepen the cooperation between the two parties,” CATL said in an official statement. It mentioned that it, along with AVATR, will build an industry-leading battery supply chain ecosy...

South Korean EV battery maker SK Innovation and material recycling company SungEel HiTech have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a joint venture (JV) focused on battery metal recycling operations, SK Innovation said on 13 December 2022. “The two companies decided to collaborate in a business of recovering lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and other cathode materials from used batteries, and signed an MOU to establish a JV at SK Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul,”...

Umicore, a circular materials technology company, and Nano One Materials Corp., a clean technology company, have signed a nonexclusive joint development agreement (JDA) on production process technologies for cathode active materials (CAMs) for lithium-ion batteries, Umicore said on 21 December 2022. Under the agreement, Umicore will evaluate Nano One’s patented M2CAM One-Pot process technology to integrate it with its proprietary process technology to produce high-nickel NMC (nickel, mangan...

Swedish premium electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US recycling startup Cyclic Materials to create closed-loop recycling pathways for rare earth elements (REEs), the carmaker announced on 15 December 2022. Under the MoU, the two companies will work to see the development of recycled magnets for use in Polestar cars, as well as explore ways to efficiently recycle existing magnets. “This means that, rather than mining for new raw materials...

Michigan-based global automotive component supplier BorgWarner plans to reduce its absolute Scope 3 emissions by at least 25% by 2031 from a 2021 baseline, the company announced on 15 December 2022. The company said that it has formally submitted its Scope 3 target, along with the previously announced target to achieve 85% absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reduction by 2030 (from a 2021 baseline), for validation to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). BorgWarner added that these s...

Battery recycling company Redwood Materials plans to invest USD3.5 billion on building a battery material recycling facility near Charleston, South Carolina, US, the company announced on 14 December 2022. The factory, which will be spread across an area of more than 600 acres, is termed by Redwood as its next ‘Battery Materials Campus’ that will be located in the heart of the ‘US Battery Belt’. According to Redwood, a new electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing corridor from Michigan to G...

ACE Green Recycling (ACE), a global recycling technology and supply chain platform, and Glencore plc, one of the world’s largest producers and recyclers of battery metals, have entered a long-term supply agreement for recycled lead as well as key battery metal-based end products from recycled lithium-ion batteries, according to a media note released by Glencore on 5 December 2022. The strategic partnership between the two companies will create a circular supply chain on a global scale for t...

Leading electric vehicle (EV) battery maker Envision AESC has commenced construction work at the site of its second gigafactory in Sunderland, UK, according to a news report published by North East Automotive Alliance on 9 December 2022. The report mentioned that the said Gigafactory is slated to have an annual production capacity of 12GWh and will employ more than 1,000 people at peak capacity in 2025, The upcoming facility will be powered by renewable energy, the report said, adding that th...

Redwood Materials, a battery company founded by former Tesla executive JB Straubel, has received an approval for over USD105.6 million in US tax incentives for its battery recycling and materials processing plant in Northern Nevada, according to a news report published by the Reno Gazette Journal on 1 December 2022. The report stated that Redwood Materials was awarded tax credits and multiple abatements on by the state of Nevada in exchange for USD1.1 billion in capital investments ...

Global steelmaking giant ArcelorMittal announced via a press release on 6 December that it had acquired Dutch state-of-the-art ferrous scrap metal recycling business Riwald Recycling. According to the press release, Riwald currently processes 330,000 tons of ferrous scrap metal annually, sourced from OEMs, demolition companies, traders, car dismantling companies, and regional and national governments. The company also uses high-specification technical equipment in the separation of materials ...

French aluminum company Constellium announced via a press release on 2 December that it was leading a consortium of automakers and suppliers as part of a project to develop lower carbon, lower cost aluminum extrusion alloys. According to the press release, the GBP10 million CirConAl (Circular and Constant Aluminium) project, sponsored by a grant from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), aims to maximize application of post-consumer scrap in the production of next-generation ...

TotalEnergies has announced the construction of a new production line of high-performance recycled polypropylene for automotive in its polymer plant in Carling, France, according to a press release on 25 November 2022. The Carling – Saint-Avold petrochemical platform has been manufacturing compounds with added value for the automotive industry since 2016. The launch of a new line dedicated to hybrid compounds will strengthen the platform's position as Europe's premier polymers site. ...

German luxury carmaker BMW Group plans to build a high-voltage battery assembly facility in Debrecen, Hungary, BMW announced on 25 November 2022. The planned battery assembly unit will be located on the site of the Debrecen vehicle plant, which started construction about six months ago, the company said, adding that the new facility is expected to will create more than 500 additional jobs and invest over EUR2 billion (USD2.07 billion) in the construction and launch of the entire plant by the ...

LG Chem has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea Zinc Inc., a major South Korean smelter of nonferrous metals, on securing a stable supply of battery materials in North America, according to a news report published by Yonhap News Agency on 23 November 2022. The report stated that the two companies have forged a comprehensive business partnership that will also include joint exploration of metals that can be used in the manufacturing of cathode materials. The partnership entai...

Audi has launched plastic covers for seatbelt buckles in its Q8 e-tron models; the casings are partially manufactured from mixed automobile plastic waste using a chemical recycling process, according to a press release by Audi on 23 November 2022. It is the first time the company has installed safety components manufactured in such manner, and in collaboration with the PlasticLoop project, LyondellBasell and the company have established an innovative procedure based on the results of a pilot ...

EV battery technology company InoBat Auto has signed protocols and declarations of intent with the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the construction of a new gigafactory in Serbia, InoBat said on 14 November 2022. InoBat said that the company completed a detailed review of several European countries and has selected the Republic of Serbia, alongside other locations with suitable criteria for setting up a gigafactory and the associated value chains for the manufacturing and recycling o...

Battery recycling company Redwood Materials announced on 15 November 2022 that it will supply battery cathode materials to Panasonic, which will use the same for battery cell production at its new Kansas plant in the US. Panasonic’s new Kansas battery production plant is expected to commence operations in 2025. Redwood Materials claims that this would be the first time that cathode will be produced in North America at Gigafactory scale and used in US battery cell manufacturing, a critical m...

American aluminum company Novelis announced via press release on 6 November that it had broken ground on a new USD50 million Ulsan aluminum recycling center in South Korea. According to the press release, the new site will have an annual casting capacity of 100,000 tons of low-carbon sheet ingot and will reduce the company’s carbon emissions by more than 420,000 tons each year. Sachin Satpute, president of Novelis Asia, discussed the investment strategy, stating, "As the world leader in ...

Automotive component major Bosch and IBM have announced on 9 November 2022 that the two companies are partnering on a strategic quantum computing engagement focused on battery materials, fuel cells, electric vehicle propulsion systems, advanced sensor materials, among other areas. According to the official media announcement by IBM, Bosch will also join the IBM Quantum Network as part of this engagement, wherein experts from both the companies will work jointly to investigate and further deve...

French manufacturer of aluminum rolled products Constellium announced via press release on 10 November that it will be supplying aluminum automotive body sheets for the new Maserati Grecale sport utility vehicle (SUV) from its Neuf-Brisach, France plant. According to the press release, the products being supplied by Constellium will include: Surfalex® high surface quality sheets  with specific hemming and roping properties for the outer surface of the hood and liftgate High perf...

Cisco has announced its plan to launch a center for the design of next generation semiconductor devices in Spain, according to a press release on 10 November 2022. The European Union unveiled a plan to strengthen Europe's competitiveness in semiconductor technology and applications to facilitate the digital and green transitions in 2021. As part of this aim, the EU Chips Act provides the groundwork for a new innovation ecosystem in the European Union by connecting research, des...

Accelerating its electric vehicle (EV) offensive in China, Audi plans to set up Audi Charging Stations for its customers in the world’s largest electric car market, the German luxury carmaker’s Chinese arm announced on 5 November 2022. The planned Audi-branded EV charging stations are slated to go live before the end of the year. It said that the rollout of Audi Charging Stations in China is part of its larger ‘Vorsprung 2030 China Strategy.’ The carmaker said that the first...

US-based manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs) Canoo has signed an agreement to acquire a vehicle manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City, the company announced on 9 November 2022. Canoo said that the newly acquired production unit, which is strategically located with easy access to road and rail, is slated to produce LDV and LV vehicles for delivery to customers in 2023. The facility will also accommodate a dedicated training center, and the site is expected to employ more than 500 people....

Upstream has announced that it was accepted as a support member in General Incorporated Association Japan Automotive ISAC (J-Auto-ISAC), in a press release dated 8 November. “Upstream has been working closely with Japanese OEMs, tier-1s, and strategic partners to deliver a robust detection and response platform, purpose built for the automotive industry. This is a great opportunity for us to liaison with J-Auto-ISAC and the Japanese community and share from our experience. We look forward t...

Italian industrial equipment supplier Danieli announced via press release on 8 November that Chinese steel manufacturer Baowu Masteel had equip its Changjiang, China steel mill with a new electric arc furnace (EAF) as part of its industrial decarbonization initiative. According to the press release, the new 140-ton ultra-high-power (UHP) EAF equipped features An Endless Charging System for continuous scrap-charging and preheating A dedicated pouring system to charge 85% of hot metal ...

US steel producer Steel Dynamics (SDI) announced via press release on 2 November that it had selected Columbus, Mississippi as the location for its previously announced greenfield state-of-the-art, recycled aluminum flat rolled mill. According to the press release, the location was selected due to its proximity to the company’s existing steel mill in the area, major US highway systems, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, natural gas, water, and renewable power sources, recycled material ...

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOS) has launched a new 750V silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET platform for automotive applications, according to a press release on 10 November 2022. The AEC-Q101 qualified 750V SiC MOSFET line is targeted for the high-reliability needs in electric vehicle (EV) systems such as the on-board charger (OBC) and the main traction inverter. The new AOM015V75X2Q 750V SiC MOSFET expands on the existing second-generation 1,200V SiC MOSFET and diode products with low RDS...

Independent technology company focused on digital transparency Everledger announced on 25 October that it has launched the world-first battery passport pilot with Ford Motor Company with an aim of promoting responsible recycling of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. According to a media release issued by Everledger, the pilot project leverages its technology platform to track electric vehicle (EV) batteries throughout their lifecycle to ensure responsible management during use and recycling at ...

The Foxconn-initiated MIH Consortium announced Project X, an open and agnostic electric vehicle (EV) Platform, on 8 November 2022. The project is part of MIH’s larger aim of making it easier for partners and potential customers to understand the open and agnostic nature of the work done by the consortium members. According to the official note, MIH released the Project X timeline and exterior design for the first time. The project, an A-segment three-seater demo car, is expected to be ...

Covestro has announced a partnership with mainland Chinese premium electric vehicle brand HiPhi, under which the companies will jointly develop solutions for future models, it said in a press release on 6 November. HiPhi will use Covestro products including carbon dioxide (CO2)-reduced polycarbonates, bio-based clearcoat hardeners, and mass-balanced, bio-attributed adhesive solutions. “We’re delighted to join HiPhi, a partner bringing forth more innovations. Together we will create more s...

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group, popularly known as Foxconn, has reached an agreement with Lordstown Motors Corporation (LMC) wherein it will make additional equity investments in the latter to the tune of USD170 million, according to a press note issued by Lordstown Motors on 7 November 2022. Foxconn will invest in the form of USD70 million of LMC’s Class A common stock and up to USD100 million of a newly created Series A convertible preferred stock, it said, adding that upon Comple...

Norwegian waste tire recycling company Wastefront announced via press release on 1 November that it had, in collaboration with Swedish chemical engineering company Hulteberg, received a EUR2 million (USD2 million) grant from Eureka Eurostars, the Norwegian Research Council, and the Swedish Innovation Agency to commercialize its recycled tire oil purification project HYFUEL. According to the press release, the HYFUEL project is aimed at developing a catalyst approach that will pre-treat the py...

Renault Group and Qualcomm Technologies has announced a collaboration to deliver a centralized compute architecture for Renault’s next-generation of software defined vehicles, according to a press release by Qualcomm on 8 November 2022. Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) platforms, the high-performance automotive platforms would be based on Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions from Qualcomm Technologies, and support digital cockpit, connectivity, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADA...

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is partnering with Drive TLV to expand its footprint into the Israeli mobility ecosystem, an official press release dated 8 November read. Drive will help drive partnerships between Goodyear and their network of start-ups and potential investment opportunities in Drive’s startup network. “Israel is a hot spot for innovation, with many cutting-edge technology companies working to advance the future of mobility. Goodyear has already invested and collaborat...

TE Connectivity has reported a 9.1% year-on-year (y/y) growth in net sales for the fiscal year 2022, according to a company press release on 2 November. Net sales came in at USD16.28 billion versus USD14.92 billion a year earlier. Net income was USD2.43 billion compared to USD2.26 billion a year earlier. Research and development (R&D) costs rose to USD718 million for the year, up from USD677 million last year. “For the full year, we delivered double-digit organic growth, including ...

US sustainable rubber and plastic solutions provider Bolder Industries announced via press release on 3 November that it had formed partnerships with sustainability consulting firm Antea Group, project management company Cyclops, and architecture firm OSQB to set up its upcoming tire recycling plant in Antwerp, Belgium. According to the press release, the new plant will be based on Bolder’s existing US sites in Missouri and Terre Haute, Indiana and will produced BolderBlack® and BolderOil�...

American steel company Steel Dynamics announced via press release on 2 November that it had selected Columbus, Mississippi as the location for its SDI Biocarbon Solutions project that will produce carbon bioproducts using sustainably sourced biomass. According to the press release, the biocarbon will be used to replace anthracite at the company’s nearby electric arc furnace mill in the area to reduce the Scope 1 greenhouse gas emission intensity of the steel produced by 20–25%. The com...

Huawei Cloud has formed a strategic alliance with Caocao Mobility, AAStocks reported on 4 November. Caocao Mobility is an online ride-hailing platform owned by Geely Holding Group. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will cooperate across multiple areas, including user growth, map and mobility, intelligent vehicle cabin, Internet of Vehicles, and autonomous driving. Significance: The two companies will also explore hardware solutions, new-generation vehicle-to-everything (V2X) sol...

The newly introduced electric vehicle (EV) tax credits in the US could deter further investment by the Japanese companies, Japan's government warned in a response submitted to the US Treasury Department, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on 5 November 2022. The report stated that the Japanese government has raised several concerns about the pre-conditions set to qualify for the tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. It is known that the US IRA 2022 is desi...

Navya announced in a press release on 3 November 2022, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Red Sea Global, the developer of regenerative tourism and construction projects. THE RED SEA is one such destination, being developed on the north-western coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. THE RED SEA aims to be a real example of sustainable tourism. With an archipelago of more than 90 untouched islands, pristine beaches, dormant volcanoes, sweeping sand dunes, mountain canyons, a...

VinES Energy Solutions, a Vingroup company that specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of advanced batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), has forged a global battery recycling partnership with Canada-based Li-Cycle Holdings Corporation, the two companies said in a joint announcement on 3 November 2022. Under the new partnership, the two companies are exploring global recycling solutions for VinES and VinFast, a Vietnam based EV maker that is rapidly expanding its global fo...

Brazilian mining company Vale announced via press release on 1 November that it had signed agreements with local authorities and clients in in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman to study the development of hot briquetted iron (HBI) production sites in the three regions. According to the press release, the three agreements involve the future development of HBI facilities at the Ras Al Khair Industrial City in Saudi Arabia, at the Khalifa Economic Z...

5GAA has announced that 16 5GAA members participated in a C-V2X event in Malaga, Spain on 20 October. In a press release dated 2 November, 5GAA said the companies showcased ready-to-deploy C-V2X technology, for vulnerable road user protection. “C-V2X continues to drive the automotive transformation—and is now the new reality. Our key asset, the C-V2X technology, became an important part of the worldwide V2X ecosystem. The live demonstrations we have seen here, in Malaga, show us repeatedl...

The Mobility House has raised USD50 million in its Series C funding round, it said in a press release on 3 November. The round was led by Mercuria and co-led by Ventura Capital and Green Gateway Fund. Other investors included Mercedes-Benz, Alliance Venture, Mitsui, and SP Group. The funds will be used to expand the company’s market position in the field of electric vehicle (EV) smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration across Europe, North America, and Asia. “We are delighted ...

Taiwan’s technology company Hon Hai Precision Industry, more popularly known as Foxconn, has partnered with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund to build electric vehicles in the middle east country, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on 4 November 2022. The development is seen as part of Saudi Arabia’s larger strategy to create new industries while reducing its economic dependence on oil. According to the announcement by the Saudi Public Investment Fund on Thursday, the ...

Absolics, a subsidiary of SKC, broke ground on a planned USD600 million investment in Covington, Georgia, for a new manufacturing facility that will supply advanced materials to the US semiconductor industry, according to a press release on 3 November 2022.  A glass substrate, which is a thin layer of glass on which memory and processing chips can be stacked together to form the brains of a computing system, will be produced at Absolics' Georgia facility. More chips can be packed in...

The Volkswagen Group has entered into a partnership with car sharing company MILES Mobility to sell UMI Urban Mobility International GmbH and WeShare car sharing business, according to Volkswagen’s press release on 1 November 2022. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Also in the context of the new partnership, MILES has ordered more than 10,000 all-electric vehicles from the Audi, Seat/Cupra and Volkswagen Passenger Cars brands, which are scheduled for delivery from...

Covestro has announced that it will showcase smart and sustainable material solutions for vehicle interiors at the Automotive Interiors Expo in Stuttgart, Germany, it said in a press release on 3 November. Significance: Covestro will showcase Makrolon Ai polycarbonate edge-lit composite color material that may range from transparent to translucent, allowing for a variety of possibilities for ambient and dynamic automotive interior lighting. The combination of this material with the lightweigh...

Faurecia, a FORVIA company has launched a new brand MATERI’ACT dedicated to developing and manufacture state-of-the-art sustainable materials, it said in a press release on 3 November. Rémi Daudin, VP, Sustainable Material Division, Faurecia, said, “Rethinking the way we design, manufacture, and use our products is a necessary step in the fight against climate change. Sustainable transformation of businesses is not just about reducing the negative impacts on the environment but also abou...

INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe and Plastic Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct a commercial-scale plant based on the chemical recycling technology developed by Plastic Energy to produce 100,000 tons per annum of recycled raw materials from plastic waste, INEOS said in a press release on 31 October. Rob Ingram, CEO, INEOS O&P Europe North, said, “Advanced recycling is an essential part of the solution for turning plastic waste into materials that can ...

The CASE megatrends – connected, autonomous, shared and electric – in case you’ve not been paying attention, have been the hot topics of the automotive industry in the past decade. They’ve even given rise to talk of the industry in the whole as the mobility industry rather than the more prosaic automotive industry. But is the CASE narrative running into trouble? Hot on the heels of the news that Ford and VW were exiting their Argo AI autonomous driving technology venture came news out...

TomTom has announced a new Maps Platform which is expected to improve its portfolio of maps products, according to a company press release on 2 November. The new maps offer broader geographical coverage, an extended set of supported data types, and faster update cycles. “The new Maps Platform combines TomTom’s own data with new ‘super’ sources such as sensor-derived observations and open-source data. We are also opening our technology to others to map their own data against a consiste...

US-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Canoo plans to set up a battery module manufacturing facility at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma, US, the company announced on 2 November 2022. While the upcoming plant will expand Canoo’s manufacturing footprint and workforce in the region, the company said that the facility will be capable of producing approximately 3,200 MWh of battery module manufacturing capacity. The company, however, did not disclose the amount it plans to invest in ...

UK-based battery technology company Britishvolt has managed to secure enough funds to stay afloat in the short to medium term, according to a news report published by the BBC on 1 November 2022. The news cited unnamed sources who are aware of the matter at Britishvolt. The news report also did not provide details of the new sources from where the company has secured emergency funds. Earlier on 31 October 2022, the Financial Times reported that Britishvolt was on the brink of bankruptcy aft...

Belgium-based semiconductor research organization Interuniversity MicroElectronics Centre (IMEC) has agreed to provide technical support to create a semiconductor ecosystem in India, according to reports published by Business Standard on 31 October 2022. The government has signed an agreement with IMEC, which will provide the technology to manufacture chips of 28 nm and above, for which the user has to pay a royalty. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) official s...

Invest in Spain announced via press release on 25 October that Chinese tire manufacturing company Qingdao Sentury Tire Co. will be setting up an EUR477 million (USD472.7 million) tire manufacturing facility in Galicia, northwest Spain. The new tire manufacturing site will reportedly be set up at the location of an existing thermal power plant operated by Endesa that is set to be dismantled in line with the region’s energy transition strategy. Endesa will reportedly also partner with Italian...

Japanese battery maker Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., plans to commence the construction work of its second battery plant in the US in November 2022, the company announced on 31 October 2022. While Panasonic’s second battery plant is being built in De Soto, Kansas, US, the company’s first battery manufacturing facility is situated in Sparks, Nevada. The plant operates under an official name of Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA). Panasonic said in a statement Monday that its new plan...

Multinational steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal announced via press release on 27 October that it was partnering with Australian mining and metals company BHP and engineering company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG) to trial a carbon capture technology at its Ghent steel mill in Belgium. According to the press release, the three companies plan to sign a joint funding agreement and eventually conduct a feasibility and design study that will help support progress of MHIENG’s pr...

GAC Group has announced the opening of GAC Research and Development Center Europe (R&D Center Europe) in Milan, Italy, according to a press release on 31 October 2022. As part of GAC's ongoing mission to go global, the launch of R&D Center Europe marks another milestone in the company's expansion strategy, the company said. The hub pools together the industry resources including leading suppliers and R&D institutions, forming an ecosystem of global excellence to strengthen overall...

Jaguar Land Rover and Wolfspeed have announced a strategic partnership to supply Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductors for next-generation electric vehicles (EVs), delivering increased powertrain efficiency and extended driving range, according to a press release on 31 October 2022. Jaguar Land Rover is evolving into an electric-first company as part of its Reimagine plan, with the goal of becoming carbon-neutral across its supply chain, products, services, and operations by 2039. Wolfspeed...

Finnish companies Epsilon Advanced Materials, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Epsilon Carbon Private Limited, and Finnish Minerals Group have agreed to set up a framework for assessing the possibilities of establishing an anode material production plant in Vaasa, Finland, according to a media note released by the Finnish Minerals Group on 28 October 2022. Epsilon Advanced Materials and Finnish Minerals Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further this cooperation, it...

Electric vehicle (EV) charging network operator Blink Charging and charging technology and service provider Hubject have announced a collaborative agreement wherein the latter plans to provide Blink customers in the United States and Europe with its Plug&Charge functionality to grow the Plug&Charge ecosystem, Hubject said in a media note on 27 October 2022. Interestingly, the Plug&Charge feature is based on the ISO15118 protocol, which allows a fully automated charging process, an...

Shanghai-based electric vehicle (EV) maker Aiways plans to launch recycling program for its end-of-life EVs, batteries and other components, the company said on 27 October 2022. To do so, Aiways is getting into partnerships to create a suitable electric vehicle recycling ecosystem. For example, in order to adhere to the strict regulations in Europe, Aiways has entered into a cooperation agreement with vehicle recycling company Priorec for the German market. Elaborating on the partnership with...

Japanese chemical company Zeon Corporation announced via press release on 25 October that it had signed an MoU with oil and gas company Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd. to manufacture and supply biomass-derived butadiene for application in Zeon’s solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) manufacturing activities. According to the press release, Zeon’s S-SBR rubber will be primarily used for the manufacturing of fuel-efficient tires for passenger vehicles. Significance: Sw...

The biennial Paris Motor Show (Mondial de l'Automobile in French) alternates with the Frankfurt Motor Show. The 2022 edition, which took place from 17–23 October 2022 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, returned in four years after the last one planned in March 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. The 2022 edition of the show also indicated that automotive shows are becoming a diminishing affair. The list of no-shows included Stellantis’s Fiat, Maserati and Alfa-Romeo brands; VW and ...

Qualcomm conducted its first automotive investor day on 22 September 2022. In the past, the automotive industry was considered a minor part of the multiple sectors Qualcomm covers. As a result of ongoing trends in the automotive industry, such as connected mobility and autonomous driving, Qualcomm's technologies are in high demand, and their adoption is accelerating. The automotive sector generates predictable long-term earnings growth and diversification for Qualcomm and is growing into an impo...

Luxoft has opened a new headquarter and Automotive Center of Excellence in Turin, it said in a press release on 27 October. The company invested USD5 million for the establishment. Luxoft also announced plans to hire 400 software engineers over the next two years. “The move to software-defined vehicles is a revolutionary and unstoppable force in today's automotive industry. In this new business model, automakers are able to engage customers directly with digital services, while reducing th...

China-based battery maker Gotion High-Tech plans to invest a total of CNY11.5 billion (USD1.6 billion) in setting up two new battery plants in an attempt to expand its manufacturing capacity in China, according to a news report published by CNEVPOST on 26 October 2022. The planned investment includes a CNY6.7 billion (USD928 million) project in Xinzhan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Hefei, Anhui province, and another CNY4.8 billion (USD665 million) project that is slated t...

The progressive rise in vehicle electrification has driven a massive increase in demand for lithium products applicable in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. While capacity expansions of the base chemical have largely stayed ahead of demand, geographical concentration of the chemical’s upstream extraction and midstream processing sectors in Latin America and mainland China respectively combined with logistical freight issues caused by the pandemic have driven an exponential hike in spot prices (...

Battery recycling company Ascend Elements announced via press release on 26 October that it had raised USD200 million in Series C equity investments from a range of international financial investors. According to the press release, the investment round was led by Los Angeles-based private fund Fifth Wall Climate and Korean construction engineering company SK ecoplant. New investors in the round reportedly included Oman Investment Authority, Lithium Americas Corporation, GLy Capital Management...

German steel company Salzgitter announced via press release on 25 October that it had signed an MoU with Detroit automaker Ford to support a cooperation on issues of sustainable green steel production and green steel products. Sales Director at Salzgitter Flachstahl Phillip Meiser discussed the strategic importance of the partnership, stating, “This collaboration also shows that customers have confidence in SALCOS® as a route to green steelmaking, and perceive value added in the transforma...

JERA has partnered with Toyota Motor Corporation to construct a large-capacity Sweep Energy Storage System, it said in a press release on 27 October. The system was built using batteries reclaimed from electrified vehicles and is connected to the consumer electrical power grid. Toyota's new storage system has a function called sweep, which allows the use of reclaimed vehicle batteries, which have significant differences in performance and capacity, to their full capacity regardless of their l...

Lear has announced that the company will supply its premium and fully recyclable ReNewKnit sueded material for use in seating and door panel applications to a global automaker in 2024, it said in a press release on 26 October. Frank Orsini, Executive Vice President and President of Lear's Seating business, said, “At Lear, we are positioning our surface material offerings to what we believe is the future—a global circular economy where repurposed textiles can be infinitely recycled to beco...

Japanese supplier DENSO has inaugurated third expansion at its manufacturing plant in Guanajuato Puerto Interior, Mexico, Mexico Now reported on 26 October. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, The Governor of Guanajuato, said, “Today we can say with pride and satisfaction that Guanajuato is an industrial power, thanks to the cooperative alliances we have built over the years with world-class companies such as DENSO.” Significance: Denso will invest USD9.8 million as part of the expansion ...

Scandinavian tire recycling company Enviro announced via press release on 20 October that its planned 60,000-ton-per-year tire cycling facility in Uddevalla, Sweden had received an environmental permit necessary for construction. According to the press release, the final decision on setting up the new plant will depend on factors including secured access to end-of-life tires as well secured offtake agreements for the sale of the produced recovered materials. Significance: With global tire ...

Dutch steelmaker Tata Steel Nederland announced via press release on 25 October that it had signed an MoU with automaker Ford for the supply of its Zeremis low-carbon footprint steel. According to the press release, the Zeremis steel will be supplied from Tata Steel’s Ijmuiden mill that is currently being transitioned to manufacture hydrogen-based low emission material. The carbon intensity of the steel produced at the site will be verified by independent assurance expert DNV. Ford Purch...

Foretellix and aiMotive have announced a partnership to enable verification and validation solutions of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles perceptions and planning functions for vehicles, according to a press release by aiMotive on 26 October 2022. The joint solution combines Foretellix's Foretify and aiMotive's aiSim platforms to empower engineers with an end-to-end virtual solution. Central to the joint solution is the native support of the recently approved ASAM ...

Zvision Technologies, an automotive-grade MEMS lidar provider has announced a cooperates with NVIDIA, it has joined the NVIDIA Jetson ecosystem as a lidar sensor partner in the NVIDIA Jetson platform, according to Zvision’s WeChat account press release on 16 October 2022. The NVIDIA Jetson hardware platform enables Zvision Technologies's lidar products to significantly reduce prototype testing times and research and development (R&D) cycles, increase productivity, and meet the rapi...

British mining company Anglo American announced via press release on 20 October that it had signed an MoU with German steelmaking company Thyssenkrupp to collaborate towards the development of new pathways for decarbonization of steelmaking. According to the press release, the collaboration between the two companies will focus on developing high-quality iron ore feedstocks suitable for application in low-emission blast furnace and direct reduction iron (DRI)-based steelmaking processes. Th...

German steel manufacturer Thyssenkrupp announced via press release on 20 October that it had entered into an agreement with German cold rolled steel parts manufacturer Waelzholz for the supply of high-precision hot strips made from its carbon dioxide (CO2)-reduced bluemint® steel. According to the press release, the steel will be supplied to Waelzholz as picked and unpickled precision strips up to a width of 720 mm. Supply volumes are expected to start from 2023 and will increase incremental...

Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled all-new Grandeur sedan, badged as Azera in markets outside Korea equipped with environment friendly in-vehicle materials, the automaker said in a press release on 19 October. SangYup Lee, EVP and Head of Hyundai Design Center, said, “The seventh-generation Grandeur expresses our respect for the past and commitment to move on to the future. We are creating a new standard for the premium sedan market through emotive design and a refined customer experience.�...

The race for driverless vehicles and robo-taxis continues with several companies now offering autonomous taxi services in the US and China. Among them are Waymo (Alphabet), General Motors (GM) Cruise, Baidu, and a few smaller private startups. Similar to Baidu's driverless shuttles and GM’s Cruise Origin, the next technological advancement will likely be an all-electric, autonomous vehicle. However, there are several obstacles keeping autonomous cars from becoming a reality, including ...

Elektrobit has introduced an automotive-grade, embedded, real-time operating system (OS), and hypervisor for the new AURIX TC4x microcontroller (MCU) from Infineon Technologies, according to a press release by Elektrobit on 24 October 2022. The EB tresos AutoCore OS and new EB tresos Embedded Hypervisor enable OEMs and tier-1s to more easily develop and deploy automotive E/E architectures based on the AUTOSAR Classic standard, helping accelerate the development of next-generation vehicles. ...

NI has announced its latest advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD) offering, a unified test system architecture to move iteratively between data replay and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, according to a press release on 24 October 2022. NI will showcase its system at the Automotive Testing Expo in Novi, Michigan. The development of safe and dependable automobiles depends on the validation of the perception, planning, and control algorithms used by the ADAS e...

XPENG has unveiled a series of technical achievements at its fourth annual Tech Day held at its headquarters in Guangzhou, China, according to a press release on 24 October 2022. Showcasing XPENG’s next-generation neural network-based perception architecture, closed-loop artificial intelligence (AI) and data management platform, voice, and smart cabin technologies, and the latest developments in its mobility ecosystem, including the latest robo-taxi, and flying car. “Our rollout of City N...

Faurecia announced that the company has been testing new bio-based materials as a lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions alternative to animal or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) synthetic leather for use in trim solutions on seats and to cover surfaces of the vehicle interior such as the instrument panel, door panel, or center console, it said in a press release on 11 October. Nicolas Michot, Faurecia Seating Technology Director, said, “Our customers are extremely interested in new materials that su...

INEOS Styrolution has announced that the company is showcasing its sustainable styrenics solutions for automotive exterior and interior applications at K 2022 in Germany, it said in a press release on 19 October. Christophe Ginss, Automotive sales director said, “With the upcoming end of life vehicle (ELV) regulation, we encourage our customers to explore our sustainable ECO grades. They are drop-in solutions for many applications and contribute therefore to a significant footprint reductio...

Cadence Design Systems, a collaborative partner in the Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE), has announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Samsung Foundry to accelerate 3D-IC design, according to a press release by Cadence on 17 October 2022. The reference flow of the Cadence Integrity 3D-IC platform has allowed Samsung Foundry to enhance its 3D-IC approach due to the ongoing partnership. Customer building; next-generation hyperscale computing; mobile, aut...

Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solutions (LGES) announced via press release on 20 October that it had signed a non-binding agreement to evaluate application of Syrah Resources’ natural graphite anode material in its battery manufacturing operations. According to the press release, LGES and Syrah will apply Syrah’s natural graphite anode material that is produced at its facility in Louisiana, US, in its battery manufacturing applications. If the graphite material meets LGES’ ...

Korean industrial company Posco announced via press release on 17 October that it had signed an MoU with Korean battery manufacturing company LG Energy Solutions (LGES) to collaborate in business aspects related to battery materials. According to the agreement, the two companies will set up new mid- and long-term supply/sell contracts for battery cathode and anode materials as well partner in technical aspects associated with battery recycling and development of next-generation battery anodes...

German luxury carmaker BMW Group plans to invest USD1.7 billion to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) in the US, the company announced on 19 October 2022. “BMW Group Chairman of the Board of Management, Oliver Zipse, announced a USD1.7 billion investment in its US operations, including USD1 billion to prepare for the production of EVs at the company’s existing US manufacturing facility in South Carolina, and USD700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly facility in nea...