The mobility rEVolution: Hybrid lithium-ion battery capable of recharging within a minute
In other news, Volvo has invested in fast-charging battery tech firm StoreDot, Tesla has reported record profits in Q1, and Dutch start-up behind the world’s first commercial grid-independent solar car Lightyear has entered a carsharing partnership.
The mobility rEVolution: Nissan moves forward with in-house all-solid-state battery production
In other news, GM and Honda are jointly developing affordable EVs, the Biden administration holds an EV industry meeting, and Mercedes-Benz Energy agrees to supply EV batteries to BatteryLoop for its scalable, circular energy storage products.
Tesla falls from top of US residential solar installer rankings
In Wood Mackenzie’s solar installer Leaderboard, Freedom Forever overtakes Tesla in the top three spot for the first time.
The mobility rEVolution: Second-life battery applications with ‘pick-n-mix’ cells connected in series
In other news, the UK charging infrastructure is in for a major boost, Volkswagen aims to catch up with Tesla, and the first all-electric Rolls-Royce completes winter tests near the Arctic Circle.
Tesla opens gigafactory in Germany
The first Model Y electric cars have rolled off the assembly line at the US electric car manufacturer’s first European factory.
Tesla to supply Megapacks for new 150MW/350MWh Australian big battery
Following the early success of its solar integrated Gannawarra Energy Storage System, Edify Energy has again opted for Tesla Megapack as its preferred battery energy storage system for its combination of storage projects totalling 150MW/300MWh in the Australian state of New South Wales.
The mobility rEVolution: Swappable lithium ceramic solid-state battery for two-wheelers
In Taiwan, Gogoro has unveiled what is said to be the world’s first swappable lithium ceramic solid-state battery for two-wheelers. Furthermore, a new study tackled a long-held assumption that adding some liquid electrolytes to improve performance would make solid-state batteries unsafe and found them to be more powerful and safer than the conventional lithium-ion chemistry. In the UK, Aston Martin and Britishvolt have inked a deal to develop a new high-performance battery cell technology. Meanwhile, concerns surrounding the EV supply chain continue to grow.
The mobility rEVolution: An electric car integrating an autonomous cinematic drone
Developed by Swedish manufacturer Polestar, the hard-top convertible incorporates a drone that can be launched from its dock behind the rear seats whilst driving to capture footage of the journey. In other news, Sony and Honda tie-up to make electric vehicles, Ford splits gas-powered and EV businesses, Stellantis unveils a strategic plan to reach net-zero by 2038, and Tesla offers free supercharging near Ukraine. Panasonic has also unveiled plans for two new production facilities for its large-format cylindrical battery cells.
Europe’s gigafactory boom in full swing with another plant announcement
The list of planned gigawatt-scale battery cell manufacturing plants in Europe has grown, with Anglo-Korean battery maker Eurocell announcing plans for a gigafab in Western Europe to start manufacturing at scale within 12 months.
Tesla Energy results up, but mixed, for 2021; solar makes nary a sound on quarterly call
On the company’s Q4 earnings call, the world-leading EV manufacturer again prioritized delivering cars over growing low-margin energy storage products, while solar products were barely noted. Both verticals grew though, solar by 68% and storage by 32%.
