British parcel delivery company Evri has announced that the DAF XB electric truck will be used at its depot in Southampton. Evri is part of an ‘early adopter’ program limited to 10 vehicles, marking the final testing phase before series production starts in 2025.
There are apparently several potential buyers for Lilium, the German developer of electric air taxis. It could be decided this week who wins the bid. At the same time, Lilium wants to cut every fifth job.
The British energy service provider Mitie has added the 6,000th electric vehicle to its fleet. A total of 73 per cent of the company’s fleet now runs on electricity.
Honda wants to create a production base for next-generation fuel cell systems in Japan. The facilities will be located in existing buildings in Mooka, where Honda ceased production of car drive components in October.
GKN Hoeganaes, a division of GKN Powder Metallurgy, is collaborating with First Phosphate toward establishing a North American supply chain for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for EVs.
The partnership follows GKN’s integration of First Phosphate’s magnetite into its proprietary Ancorsteel melting process. The process produces a high-purity iron powder, which serves as a precursor for LFP cathode active material (CAM) used in the production of LFP batteries.
First Phosphate will integrate high-purity Ancorsteel into its upcoming iron phosphate precursor (FP pCAM) and lithium iron phosphate cathode active material (LFP CAM) production facility in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, which is planned to reach 400,000 tonnes of annual output by 2032. GKN Hoeganaes is prepared to scale its Gallatin, Tennessee operations to supply the facility and will provide its research and development facilities in Cinnaminson, New Jersey for process enhancement and optimization.
“This partnership combines our high-quality phosphate resources with GKN Hoeganaes’ expertise in iron powder production, setting the stage for a robust North American battery ecosystem,” said John Passalacqua, CEO at First Phosphate.
Source: GKN Powder Metallurgy
Versinetic, a UK developer of EV chargers, has introduced its LinkRay Distribution Partner Program with distribution agreements in Australia and Canada. The program provides distributors with access to the company’s EV charging technology, exclusive regional distribution rights and technical support and training.
LinkRay is Versinetic’s load-balancing controller for EV charging stations. It is designed to distribute power among multiple charging points by dynamically adjusting power delivery according to real-time demand. The company says it optimizes electrical resources to reduce installation and operational costs, shortens charging times and maintains consistent performance across multiple EVs. It is suitable for AC and DC charger installers in multi-unit buildings such as apartment blocks, condos and office spaces.
Versinetic also plans to introduce Link Aggregation, a new scalable feature that tiers several LinkRay devices, enabling remote control and real-time monitoring of areas with multiple meters, switchboards or transformers. It is designed to dynamically balance loads, prevent power limits from being exceeded and optimize energy use.
“We are committed to forging strong partnerships that not only expand our reach but also enhance the capabilities of our partners through cutting-edge technology and comprehensive support,” said Versinetic Managing Director Dunstan Power.
Source: Versinetic
Not all desiccant dehumidifier providers are alike, and very few suppliers have the service network to support this technology. When sourcing dehumidifiers, it’s essential to consider your supplier’s ability to support your system through every phase of its life cycle.
Design, planning, and start up
Building a battery gigafactory is a long process, and there will likely be many changes along the way. For many projects, simply sourcing a system may not be enough. Working with a dehumidification supplier with in-house engineering and design support can help reduce unexpected costs and ensure that the system you are getting is the system your project actually needs.
German automotive and industrial systems manufacturer ZF has opened its third plant in Shenyang, China, known as ZF Electric Mobility Systems, to produce and sell products such as electric axle drives for EVs.
The transfer of production lines and equipment to the Shenyang plant is proceeding. The next stage will focus on refining the electric drive system assembly and inspection production line to reach volume production in 2025.
The core components of the electric axle drives are based on ZF’s modular kit electric drive platform and cover front and rear axles, including motors, power electronics and reducers.
The modular design can meet power requirements from 100 kW to 300 kW and offers the flexibility to switch between synchronous and asynchronous motors depending on customer requirements. The motor features a hairpin winding for higher power and torque density, higher efficiency and optimized power output. The power electronics incorporate ZF’s High 2.0 silicon carbide (SiC) technology and can be upgraded to the 800 V platform, improving function safety while optimizing cost. The reducer design has also been improved to ensure optimum efficiency.
ZF Electrified Powertrain Technologies started operations in Hangzhou in 2022 to manufacture 800 V electric drives and reducers. ZF Guangzhou Technical Center opened in 2023. Construction of a second facility, ZF Guangzhou Electronics Plant, started at the site and is also scheduled to be completed in 2025.
“ZF attaches great importance to the Chinese market and the opening of the new plant in Shenyang fully demonstrates ZF’s determination to continue to invest and innovate in China,” said Renee Wang, Executive Vice President, President of China and Operation Asia Pacific at ZF. “To adapt to the ‘China speed’ and Chinese efficiency, we are advancing our localization strategy, including raw materials, equipment, R&D and others to accelerate the localization process.”
Source: ZF
San Francisco-headquartered WeaveGrid, a developer of charging management software for integrating EVs into power grids, has raised $28 million in a funding round led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth fund.
The investment will be used to broaden collaborations with automakers and electric utilities. WeaveGrid’s EV management system is designed to enable grid-integrated EV charging, and offers utilities vehicle-to-grid capabilities and a patented approach to electric distribution optimization.
“Toyota is an invaluable collaborator in overcoming one of the most complex challenges of decarbonizing the auto industry: ensuring electric grid reliability by transforming EVs into grid-interactive assets,” said WeaveGrid CEO Apoorv Bhargava.
Source: WeaveGrid
Charging network operator EVPassport has announced it will deploy several hundred EV chargers at Daly Seven’s portfolio of 42 hotels.
Daly Seven operates a portfolio of 42 Hilton-, Marriott- and InterContinental Hotel Group-branded hotels in three states, namely North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. This is its first foray into offering guests access to EV chargers.
“Today’s environmentally conscious travelers expect hotels to provide sustainable options, such as convenient EV charging,” Joe Daly, the hotel chain’s CEO, said, adding that he found EVPassport’s solution both reliable and easy to use.
EVPassport will install the EV chargers in convenient locations at each hotel. In addition, the EVPassport reservation system will allow guests to reserve an EV charging station at the same time that they book a room.
The deal with Daly Seven will give EVPassport an opportunity to expand its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the US.
Source: EVPassport