Electric Vehicles

Photovoltaics can wipe out 4.25 billion tons of carbon emissions every year this decade, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Even so, the actions announced so far remain way short of what is needed, with capital flows to fossil fuels still greater than the cash directed toward combating climate change.

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.

The International Renewable Energy Agency’s latest global outlook has spelled out just how ‘woefully’ far the world is from capping temperature rises at 1.5C, and lamented: ‘The stimulus and recovery efforts associated with the pandemic have also proved a missed opportunity.’

In other news, StoreDot’s extreme fast charging EV technology gets one step closer to commercial viability and Volkswagen resumes European production. Moreover, Japanese carmakers are gearing up to claim their share of the European EV market.

Analyst Wood Mackenzie has predicted soaring demand for electric vehicle devices will ensure supply will not keep pace with demand until some point in 2023.

The European Commission has alleged China offered cut-price finance to Indonesia, via Beijing’s Belt and Road drive, so Jakarta could develop domestic demand for stainless steel raw material nickel ore.

In other news, Ford has accelerated its EV push in Europe with seven new models, Samsung SDI is building a pilot line for solid state batteries, Northvolt is planning its third battery gigafactory in northern Germany, whereas Porsche has unveiled new electrification plans.

A conference about the UK’s electricity market showed organizations are considering the future of the country’s energy sector and how to achieve a net zero economy.

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.

Industry body Recharge says it would be absurd if the makers of small batteries were required by law to collect and recycle products the size of shipping containers, and claim a requirement individual battery cells be replaceable will pose a safety risk.