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US-based direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology developer Lilac Solutions has announced that its Generation 4 ion exchange (IX) technology is a key driver of improved results presented in Lake Resources’ updated definitive feasibility study (DFS Addendum) for the Kachi Lithium Project in Argentina.

Lilac says its Gen 4 technology delivers a 10% increase in lithium recovery, to 90%, and reductions in capital and operating costs, while maintaining impurity rejection of 99.9%.

It reduces DLE unit capital expenditure by $98 million and DLE unit operating expenditure by $508 per ton of LCE, resulting in total project capital savings of approximately $160 million, which includes secondary impacts from Lilac’s technology advancements.

The updated study also reflects an increase in the brine grade from 205 mg/​L to 249 mg/​L, further improving process efficiency and economics.

Lilac’s Gen 4 IX technology delivers higher lithium recovery and process efficiency. Recovery optimized for commercial-scale economics has increased to 90%, reducing feed and reinjection volumes by 30% combined with higher brine grade, supporting higher reserve estimates.

Greater durability doubles the operational life of IX media and reduces reagent consumption. Improved throughput and system design require 50% fewer IX modules, cutting package costs by 39%.

Power demand at the site has been reduced—from 82 MW to 57 MW—through enhanced process efficiency and implementation of the Gen 4 technology. This helps offset rising utility costs in a remote location where power accounts for over half of total operating expenses.

Gen 4 IX technology was successfully demonstrated at Lilac’s Jujuy plant in Argentina on similar brine chemistry.

Lilac is advancing its first commercial project at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The company continues to partner with resource developers to unlock lithium supply from brine resources that were previously considered uneconomic.

“The updated Kachi DFS is a strong validation of the advances we’ve made with our Gen 4 technology,” said Raef Sully, CEO of Lilac. ​“We’re really pleased with these results, which show how our technology can deliver the recovery, cost structure, and sustainability needed to make brine resources commercially viable. And we’re not stopping here — our team is continuing to push the boundaries of what our technology can achieve as we work to unlock new lithium supply.”

Source: Lilac Solutions

In today’s vehicle engineering landscape, every gram and every watt counts. Choosing the right cable can mean the difference between average performance and a system that’s efficient, lightweight, and reliable. This session explores how cable design—from cross-linked insulation materials to solutions for extreme high-temperature environments—directly impacts system efficiency, weight reduction, and powertrain performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Optimize Energy Efficiency: How advanced materials reduce electrical losses and improve system performance.
• Reduce Weight, Improve Response: How the right cable construction contributes to better energy economy and responsiveness.
• Durability Under Extreme Conditions: The role of thermal, mechanical, and chemical resistance in extending cable life.
• Enhance Reliability and Safety: How proper material selection prevents failures and protects critical vehicle systems.

Join this webinar at our September Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, presented by Champlain Cable, to understand why cable design is more than a technical detail—it’s a strategic decision in modern vehicle engineering.

September 16, 2025, 1:15 pm EDT
Register now—it’s free!

See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.

Broadcast live from September 15 to 18, 2025, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.

Discover how Henkel empowers OEMs and battery manufacturers to speed up their development cycles and make smarter material choices through a unique set of capabilities.

In this webinar at our September Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, we will explore:

• Mechanical modeling & simulation of cell-to-pack designs.
• Thermal management modeling & simulation for the best choice of thermal interface materials.
• Material application modeling & simulation for optimized manufacturing processes.

September 15, 2025, 11:00 am EDT
Register now—it’s free!

See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.

Broadcast live from September 15 to 18, 2025, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.

Public EV charging has a reliability problem. A constant stream of reports about chargers that are difficult to use, buggy, or just plain broken has surely affected the rate of EV adoption, especially among frequent road-trippers. Fortunately, charging operators are well aware of the problems, and by all accounts, reliability is gradually improving.

Automotive data and analytics J.D. Power has confirmed the good news with some user data. The company’s U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, now in its fifth year, measures EV owner satisfaction with public charge-point operators across 10 factors:

• ease of charging
• speed of charging
• physical condition of charging station
• availability of chargers
• convenience of the location
• things to do while charging
• how safe you feel at the location
• ease of finding the location
• cost of charging
• ease of payment

The 2025 study, conducted in collaboration with PlugShare, surveyed 7,428 owners of BEVs and PHEVs between January and June 2025. It breaks out the satisfaction ratings by region, and also provides a ranking of satisfaction levels for the leading charging providers.

The number of “non-charging visits” (when an owner visited a charger but was unable to charge their EV) has hit its lowest level in four years, J.D. Power reports, “a clear indicator that reliability and customer experience are steadily improving.”

Overall satisfaction has actually declined: satisfaction with DC fast chargers is 654 (on a 1,000-point scale), a 10-point decrease from the same period a year ago; satisfaction with public Level 2 charging has declined to 607, a 7-point decrease. However, satisfaction with charger reliability has improved. Only 14% of respondents said they had visited a charger without being able to charge their vehicle—a decrease of 5 percentage points from 2024.

The main factor in the decline in overall satisfaction is the cost of charging—respondents feel that both Level 2 and DC fast charging are too expensive.

“Part of the decrease in satisfaction is due to non-Tesla owners using Tesla Superchargers, which deliver a far less satisfying user experience relative to the costs incurred, in comparison to those of Tesla owners,” said Brent Gruber, Executive Director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “Also, in previous years, many DC fast charging networks kept prices low as they developed their market presence, while manufacturers regularly offered free charging incentives with vehicle purchases. However, as the infrastructure market evolves and electricity rates rise, charging prices have increased significantly in some cases.”

Gruber attributes part of the increase in reliability to the influence of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which established minimum reliability standards as a requirement for funding. NEVI has unfortunately become a political football (at the moment it appears to be moving down the field), but whatever happens next, the reliability and quality guidelines it established have had a positive effect on the industry.

“With or without the federal funding, NEVI guidelines have made their mark by establishing a playbook for industry success,” said Brent Gruber. “Our data shows clear improvement in the reliability and success of public charging—a promising sign of progress for the industry.”

It must also be said that the charging industry has been responsive to the tide of customer complaints—networks including EVgo have undertaken initiatives to improve their reliability, standards body SAE International is working to establish reliability standards, and organizations such as ChargerHelp and PlugShare are helping to keep consumers informed.

Source: J.D. Power

GOEVIN (Go Electric Vehicle Indiana), an Indiana public-private partnership supported by several electric utilities, has selected 36 EV charging projects from a pool of over 95 applicants to receive funding from a pool of $3.3 million.

The funding round will support 18 DC fast charging projects and 18 Level 2 charging projects.

The 18 awarded DCFC projects are located along Indiana’s Designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. All will all be publicly accessible with 24/7 access. Locations include travel centers, restaurants and shopping centers.

A comprehensive list of awardees is available on GOEVIN’s web site.

GOEVIN anticipates that all projects will begin construction this fall and be completed by the end of 2026.

“The GOEVIN awards build upon the currently deployed charging infrastructure in the GOEVIN program,” said Drive Clean Indiana’s Program Director Ryan Lisek. “Indiana has invested over $13 billion to support the development of electric vehicles and battery manufacturing facilities. The GOEVIN investments will support the next generation of Hoosier EV drivers.”

Source: GOEVIN