Month: June 2025

The State of California has awarded $500 million for educational agencies to buy electric school buses and chargers.

The Zero-Emissions School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) project has selected 133 educational agencies to receive 1,000 school buses and related charging infrastructure. The grants are expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

The incentive program is a collaboration between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC). It is administered by nonprofit transportation organization CALSTART.

In California, all school bus purchases made by school districts will need to use zero-emission technology by 2035. Frontier local educational agencies in rural communities have an extension until 2045.

California has provided more than $1.3 billion in incentives to school districts to date, funding more than 2,300 school buses, of which 1,100 are already in use. More than 300 California school districts and local education agencies have purchased at least one zero-emission school bus, and a few have made the switch to a 100% clean fleet.

Awardees receive up to $375,000 to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) school buses, in addition to awards up to $95,000 per school bus to purchase and install associated charging infrastructure. Awardees are required to scrap an old internal combustion engine school bus for every new school bus purchased.

Priority for the funding was given to small or rural school districts, as well as local educational agencies that have a large proportion of students who receive free or reduced-price meals, are in foster care, or are English-language learners. Local educational agencies located in low-income or disadvantaged communities received secondary priority.

“California has set important benchmarks for removing internal combustion vehicles from our roads and replacing them with clean transportation,” said CEC Chair David Hochschild. “CEC is helping school districts move in that direction by funding ZESBI.”

Source: California Air Resources Board

Truck manufacturer Scania has announced that the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will be commercially available for its electric trucks beginning in early 2026.

MCS is an international standard that supports DC charging at a maximum current of 3,000 amps. Scania says its first iteration of MCS, featuring liquid-cooled connectors, will deliver up to 1,000 amps, which will enable charging at up to 750 kW—roughly double the speed of today’s CCS2 standard.  

“Our new charging technology not only ensures operational efficiency and reliability over long distances but also supports our goal of making sustainable transport a practical reality,” says Daniel Schulze, Head of Scania eTruck Solutions.” With MCS-enabled trucks now available and a robust charging infrastructure across Europe, we are laying the foundation for a more efficient and environmentally friendly future in heavy-duty transport.”

“MCS technology allows both public and private charging infrastructure to meet the demands of high-capacity charging, ensuring that operators can recharge quickly and economically,” says Petra Sundström, Managing Director of TRATON Charging Solutions, the dedicated e-mobility service provider within the TRATON Group, which includes Scania. “This is essential for keeping operations efficient and competitive, while supporting broader sustainability goals within the transport sector.”

As truck OEMs and charging providers begin to roll out MCS solutions, efforts are underway to build out MCS charging corridors along key transport routes in Europe.  

“Scania is working with partners in the Milence initiative to establish 1,700 high-performance charging points across Europe by 2027,” said Jorge Soria Galvarro, Senior Technical Adviser for Charging Infrastructure at Scania. “This infrastructure complements the existing mandate from the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation. Predictable and reliable charging allows drivers to take legally mandated rest periods without risking delays, an essential factor in making electric trucks a competitive alternative to diesel.”

Source: Scania

German chemical manufacturer WACKER Chemie has introduced a new thermally conductive gap filler for applications in vehicle power electronics.

Commercially available as SEMICOSIL 9649 TC, the silicone product can withstand high thermal stresses. It ensures that electronic components have a lasting bond with a vehicle’s active and passive cooling systems, efficiently dissipating the heat generated when a vehicle is in operation.

SEMICOSIL 9649 TC was specifically developed for power electronics applications in electric and hybrid vehicles. The silicone-based compound consists of a 2K system that cures at room temperature through an addition reaction to form an adaptable and repairable elastomer. It is an electrically insulating product with a thermal conductivity of approximately 4 W/mK.

In testing, SEMICOSIL 9649 TC consistently withstood temperatures of up to 150° C without any significant change in its thermal conductivity or other material properties. The product can also deal with thermal shocks that involve rapid temperature changes ranging from -40° C to 150° C, ensuring that bonds between power electronics components and cooling systems remain intact.

SEMICOSIL 9649 TC is a non-sag material before cure. Its viscosity decreases with increased shearing, for example during mixing and metering. Its shear-thinning property is adjusted so that the compound can be fed by machine and applied as a bead so that processors can achieve a high metering rate and high dosing accuracy.

A dispenser is used to apply the gap filler to the heat sink and then the power electronics circuit board is applied. During compression, a continuous film forms that conforms to the surfaces of the two joining parts, evening out surface irregularities and tolerances. The film hardens between the joining parts to form a thermally conductive layer, which, thanks to its soft and flexible consistency, also absorbs vibrations and impacts. The product meets all relevant automotive industry quality standards and specifications.

WACKER has also introduced a new product to insulate busbars in high-voltage EV batteries. The ELASTOSIL R 531/60 is extrudable, which makes sheathing busbars particularly cost-effective. The silicone rubber also improves EV safety. In the event of a fire the product ceramifies, enveloping the busbar in a stable ceramic layer that provides electrical insulation and prevents an undesirable short circuit.

Source: WACKER Chemie

Mining giant Rio Tinto has been confirmed as the preferred partner for the Salares Altoandinos lithium project in the Atacama region of Chile by Empresa Nacional de Minería (ENAMI), a state-owned Chilean mining company.

Under the terms of the proposal, Rio Tinto would acquire an initial 51% stake in the project, while ENAMI would hold the remaining 49%.

Rio Tinto is advancing its lithium business as it aims to become established in the supply of energy transition commodities. The company has built a strategic pipeline of Tier 1 lithium assets and options, including those from its recent acquisition of Arcadium Lithium.

Rio Tinto’s expanding Latin American pipeline complements its projects in Canada and Serbia. This includes Altoandinos and Maricunga in Chile as well as Rincon, Olaroz, Fenix, Sal de Vida and Cauchari in Argentina.

“In Chile, the enormous potential of the Atacama region will enable it to develop, subject to studies, a world class copper and lithium district, which could benefit from synergies through its partnerships to unlock the potential of the region. The vision in Argentina is to develop its existing operations into super-hubs at significant scale and competitiveness,” the company stated.

Source: Rio Tinto

Electric aviation firm H55, a technological spin-off from the Solar Impulse project, has concluded the Arizona segment of its Across USA Tour.

Arizona was the third of eight states on the national tour and demonstrated the Bristell B23 Energic aircraft’s performance in high-temperature, high-traffic environments.

Over five days, H55 conducted demo flights, static displays and engagements with flight schools in the state.

On May 22, 2013, Solar Impulse—among the world’s first electric solar-powered aircraft—departed Phoenix Sky Harbor as part of its pioneering Across America mission. Three years later, the second Solar Impulse aircraft returned to the city during its around-the-world flight. A decade on, H55’s electric Bristell B23 Energic is flying from the same state with a commercial product.

“Crossing our 104th landing here—the city where I earned my instrument and commercial pilot certifications, and the same city where Solar Impulse landed twice—is symbolic. It reflects the progress we’ve made, from early possibilities to practical, everyday electric aviation,” said Kristen Jurn, H55’s North American Sales Manager.

Source: H55