Clarios, a supplier of low-voltage energy storage solutions, has announced the acquisition of Maxwell Technologies, a manufacturer of supercapacitor cells and modules. Clarios says this acquisition will enhance its position in high-performance, short-duration energy storage. Specific terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Maxwell Technologies’ supercapacitors are engineered to provide rapid charging and discharging, handling up to 1 million cycles and operating across a temperature range from minus 40 °C to 65 °C. Clarios says that these modules require no maintenance or additional fire-risk mitigation, addressing reliability and longevity challenges in energy storage designs.

In 2019, Tesla acquired Maxwell Technologies, which many believed had less to do with its pioneering work with supercapacitors (aka ultracapacitors) than with its “dry electrode” technology—a far simpler way to make the anodes and cathodes that form a battery cell.

In 2021, UCAP Power, a San Diego-based developer of ultracapacitor-based power solutions, purchased the Korean-based ultracapacitor business of Maxwell Technologies, along with other related assets, including the Maxwell brand.

Clarios states that integrating supercapacitor technology supports its supply chain stability for both US and global original equipment customers, specifically within the EV and broader mobility sector. The acquisition also aligns with Clarios’ focus on battery circularity and low-voltage energy storage innovation.

In addition to applications in automotive systems, Maxwell Technologies’ supercapacitors are also used in grid stabilization, power for data centers, energy generation, military, transportation and industrial automation. Maxwell has shipped over 85 million supercapacitor cells to date, according to Clarios.

“Maxwell’s supercapacitors are designed to provide customers with high-power energy storage solutions that emphasize reliability, safety, and long life,” said Mark Wallace, CEO of Clarios. “This integration strengthens our ability to serve our automotive customers and creates a long-term opportunity to expand our presence in non-automotive sectors. Maxwell’s existing customer relationships in Data Centers, Grid, Military and Industrial applications will be maintained and actively developed under Clarios’ leadership.”

Clarios will operate Maxwell Technologies as an independent, US-based business unit.

Source: Clarios

Ubiquitous EV charging provider ChargePoint has announced plans to build a new public EV charging site in Canton, Michigan for the Dabaja Brothers Development Group, a metro Detroit real estate development company.

Dabaja Brothers will own and operate the new charging site, and plans to open ChargePoint fast charging stations at several more Michigan locations, including Dearborn and Lavonia. The sites will offer a total of over 40 charging ports.

Each site will feature ChargePoint Express Plus fast charging stations. Each Express Plus station can simultaneously charge two vehicles, and features a proprietary cooling architecture that’s designed to deliver peak charging speeds for sustained periods of time. All of the stations will be managed by the next-generation ChargePoint Platform.

“We started this project because we saw a gap in our community—there was almost nowhere to charge an EV in Canton, and a similar lack of charging across metro Detroit,” said Yousef Dabaja, Owner/Operator at Dabaja Brothers Development Group.

“This initiative will rapidly infill the fast charging deserts across the Detroit area, allowing drivers to quickly recharge their vehicles when and where they need to,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO at ChargePoint.

Source: ChargePoint

Wireless EV charging is about much more than convenience. The true benefits are seen in the commercial EV market. As InductEV’s then-president M. David Dealy explained to Charged in a 2024 interview, inductive charging can enable EV fleets to deliver the same service with smaller batteries, reduce vehicle costs, and extend battery life.

Now two major players in the wireless charging field are planning to combine. Dynamic wireless electric vehicle charging provider Electreon has signed an MoU to purchase the assets of InductEV.

The combined company will “bring together Electreon’s dynamic wireless charging and stationary high-power technology with InductEV’s ultra-fast static systems and charging platform, creating a full range of wireless charging solutions for every EV use case, from passenger vehicles to vans to buses, heavy-duty trucks and autonomous vehicles,” Electreon tells us.

Both companies already work closely with various vehicle OEMs. Electreon boasts “deep operational experience and highly cost-efficient manufacturing capabilities,” which are expected to add significant value to InductEV’s technology.

“Together with InductEV, we are working to [offer] wireless solutions for every charging scenario and for every type of customer and vehicle,” said Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon. “InductEV is the US market leader in ultra-fast stationary wireless charging, and Electreon is the world leader in dynamic wireless charging. This transaction will generate powerful synergies across our technologies, manufacturing capabilities, strategic partners and customer bases.”

“I’ve long believed that wireless charging will redefine how fleets operate,” said John F. Rizzo, CEO of InductEV. “Electreon shares that vision and brings the global reach and dynamic technology to make it a reality.”

Source: Electreon Wireless

Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology provider Lilac Solutions has released its fifth-generation ion exchange (IX) technology, which delivers improvements in performance and cost.

Gen 5 Lilac IX increases IX productivity and durability, enhances eluate quality and simplifies brine pretreatment, according to the company.

The IX system allows the passage of 70x larger particles, enabling the use of low-cost multi-media filtration and avoiding expensive ultrafiltration. The lithium production rate per volume of IX media is 20x higher than alumina adsorbent (AA) reducing the required number of reactors and first fill media volume. IX delivers up to 10,000 cycles before replacement, which is also higher than competing technologies, Lilac said.

The eluate has 7x higher lithium concentration and higher purity with a 100x lower boron:lithium ratio than AA, simplifying downstream concentration and purification.

Gen 5 uses the same equipment package as Lilac’s Gen 4 pilot and demonstration plants with a scalable, modular design, off-the-shelf components and 10x lower water consumption than AA.

Gen 5 expands the range of viable brine resources. It has been validated in recent field pilots with challenging brines, including the ultra-low-grade Great Salt Lake brine in Utah (70 mg/L Li) and oilfield brines in Europe.

The technology builds on field experience from seven completed pilot and demonstration plants in Argentina, Chile, the US and Europe, validating high lithium recoveries, strong impurity rejection and reliable operations across a range of brine grades and types, including salar, oilfield and surface lake brines.

Lilac is in the process of completing construction of a commercial-scale IX media manufacturing line in Nevada.

“Lilac’s Gen 5 technology represents a real opportunity for brine developers,” said Dave Snydacker, founder and Chief Technology Officer of Lilac Solutions. ​“Many brine projects have been trying for years to implement conventional adsorbents but struggling with low performance and high costs. This is an exciting moment to take a look at our data and rethink ion exchange.”

Source: Lilac Solutions

Harbinger, a manufacturer of medium-duty electric and hybrid vehicles, has raised $160 million in a Series C funding round co-led by FedEx, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, and RV manufacturer THOR Industries. With this round, Harbinger has raised $358 million to date.

Along with its investment, FedEx placed an initial order for 53 Harbinger electric trucks. Harbinger will deliver chassis—a mix of Class 5 and Class 6 models—ready for upfit by the end of this year.

Harbinger’s proprietary EV stripped chassis includes all major vehicle systems, which the company designs and manufactures in-house in the US. Harbinger’s vehicles are purpose-built from the ground up to be electric. As Chief Production Officer Gilbert Passin told Charged, this vertically integrated approach helps keep costs down, and delivers higher-performing, more durable vehicles than those built on legacy fossil fuel platforms.

“Any vehicle that holds up to our rigorous on-road testing and offers state-of-the-art safety features with lower total cost of ownership is win-win for drivers and for our business,” said Paul Melander, SVP of Safety and Transportation at FedEx. “As we work toward a goal to electrify the entire FedEx pickup and delivery fleet by 2040, this trifecta of performance, price and operational resilience is what we need to be able to continue to scale.”

“FedEx’s participation signals a demand for innovation in the medium-duty truck sector and for an electric model that helps advance business and sustainability goals at the same time,” said Dipender Saluja, Managing Partner of Capricorn Investment Group’s Technology Impact Fund. “Over the last two decades, medium-duty truck fleets have generally deployed small volumes of demonstration electric trucks. The industry is now ready to move to mass adoption, and Harbinger is leading that scale-up.”

Source: Harbinger

Coperion has announced a collaboration with High Performance Battery (HPB) aimed at enabling industrial-scale production of solid-state batteries. This initiative combines Coperion’s continuous extrusion processing expertise with HPB’s solid-state battery technology. According to HPB, its batteries demonstrate notable improvements over conventional lithium-ion technology in safety, lifespan, and environmental performance, with intellectual property protected in 96 countries and a claimed 50 percent better environmental balance compared to traditional lithium-ion cells.

Earlier in 2024, Coperion and HPB conducted joint trials at Coperion’s test facility in Stuttgart, Germany. The focus was on determining whether HPB’s proprietary battery slurry could be processed to target viscosity levels using Coperion’s continuous extrusion systems. The initial phase of testing was successful, with both companies reporting that the process achieved the required viscosity parameters for the battery slurry.

“Our primary goal was to validate that our proprietary slurry can be produced reliably and consistently at industrial scale,” said Markus Stichnote, Head of Development at HPB. “The successful trials using Coperion’s state-of-the-art equipment have confirmed that scaling up our technology is both feasible and efficient.”

The companies note that with initial viscosity targets met, plans are underway for additional scale-up trials, with the goal of advancing toward full industrial-scale solid-state battery production.

Source: High Performance Battery

Source: Coperion

Topics: High Performance Battery, Coperion, Batteries, Solid-State Batteries, EV Manufacturing

Thomas Built Buses, a division of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles, has announced the launch of the Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson, its first electric Type D, or “transit-style,” school bus. The new model is built on the existing HDX2 platform and is intended for school districts seeking to expand fleet electrification with a familiar, large-capacity vehicle. The company says it has incorporated customer feedback and its experience in electric vehicle manufacturing to create a bus suited for long-term fleet planning.

The Wattson uses Accelera’s 14Xe electric axle, a fully integrated unit that combines the electric motor, gearbox and power electronics. This design, previously featured in Thomas Built Buses’ Jouley Gen 2, aims to improve driving performance, minimize mechanical complexity and reduce maintenance requirements.

Technical specifications for the Wattson include a 246 kWh liquid-cooled battery system, peak output of 295 horsepower, 750 lb-ft of torque and a two-speed transmission. The bus has an estimated range of up to 150 miles per charge.

The bus features standard CCS DC charging capability, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) support, and an optional 20 kW onboard charger, providing additional flexibility for AC charging. Charging ports are located at the rear by default, with an optional front charging port available.

The bus is scheduled to be available for order by the end of 2025, with initial deliveries projected for late 2026.

Source: Thomas Built Buses

FEV has announced a collaboration with the Teaching and Research Area Mechatronics in Mobile Propulsion at RWTH Aachen University to develop a modular electric drive unit platform aimed at reducing reliance on rare-earth elements in EV motors.

The new platform minimizes the use of critical raw materials such as rare-earth magnets, with the goal of eliminating them entirely. The developed concept features a modular architecture comprising a shared stator, housing, cooling system, and converter, with interchangeable rotors.

FEV says that technical studies demonstrate rare-earth-free alternatives can achieve overall efficiencies up to 94 percent, while lowering cost volatility and reducing carbon dioxide equivalents over the motor’s lifecycle.

To evaluate performance and cost, engineers from FEV and RWTH Aachen University investigated electrically excited synchronous machines, ferrite-based electric machines and asynchronous machines as alternatives to traditional permanently excited synchronous motors with rare-earth magnets.

The platform targets mid-range (C segment) and luxury (D segment) EVs, supporting peak outputs of 160 kW and 250 kW, and can be adapted for lower vehicle segments through its modular design.

FEV says the platform’s oil cooling system with direct stator and rotor cooling enables a substantial increase in continuous power output. The ratio of continuous to peak power surpasses conventional systems by up to 75 percent.

“Our platform approach allows vehicle manufacturers to react faster and more flexibly to market shifts, raw material shortages, and cost fluctuations, “said Patrick Hupperich, President and CEO of FEV Group. “This is achieved without compromising efficiency or performance.” The modular platform allows original equipment manufacturers to accommodate different drive concepts simply by changing the rotor, streamlining development and improving supply chain diversification.

Source: FEV

Canadian mining and battery technology developer Focus Graphite Advanced Materials has announced that its Lac Knife graphite anode material has passed Phase I battery validation testing, conducted by Charge CCCV (C4V) and American Energy Technologies.

The concurrent US laboratory test programs confirmed that natural graphite from the company’s Lac Knife mine achieved near-theoretical electrochemical capacity of ~371 mAh/g, demonstrating high purity, crystallinity, and strong suitability for lithium-ion battery anode applications.

The completion of the evaluations marks a step toward commercial-scale qualification within C4V’s global supply-chain program and future OEM-level validation.

The testing was conducted using material refined at American Energy Technologies under Focus’s direction. American Energy Technologies performed control testing based on its established parameters for Focus’s graphite, while C4V carried out independent validation through its Digital DNA (DDNA) program, which applies industry-standard cell performance benchmarks.

Based on the results, C4V advanced the material to Phase II of its qualification program, which includes pouch-cell fabrication and large-format validation for commercial-scale evaluation. Focus also plans to explore additional large-format testing initiatives with the company to further assess scalability and performance consistency.

“The material has demonstrated strong electrochemical validation and purity characteristics that align well with our high-performance anode requirements.” said Baasit Ali, VP Supply Chain at C4V. “We look forward to advancing into pouch cell fabrication and validation, which will provide a clearer picture of its scalability for EV and ESS applications.”

Source: Focus Graphite Advanced Materials

Electric motor specialist InfiMotion has collaborated with “a global premium electric vehicle manufacturer” to develop the L700 PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) and to integrate it into the manufacturer’s new Gran Tourer EV.

InfiMotion, which was founded in 2021, operates five factories and R&D centers in China and Gothenburg, Sweden. Current customers include Geely, Polestar, Lotus and JLR.

“In just a few years, we’ve established ourselves as one of the leading suppliers of electric drive units,” says InfiMotion R&D Director Joakim Arnell. “The new product shows that we are able to develop an advanced new product in 12-18 months and produce it in a cost-efficient manner. With the L700, you get both sustainability and performance on a level previously reserved for the most exclusive sports cars.”

The companies call the new drivetrain, which also includes a custom-designed gearbox, “one of the most powerful and technically sophisticated electric drivetrains produced in the high-performance segment.” It generates up to 603 hp (450 kW) and more than 620 Nm of torque.

The unnamed electric GT features a lightweight aluminum structure and an 800 V architecture, which enables DC fast charging at up to 350 kW. It is currently in production and will begin deliveries in the EU in 2026.

“Beyond raw power, the L700 is specifically tuned for optimal vehicle dynamics,” says InfiMotion. “The advanced engineering ensures perfect torque delivery and slip control, dramatically enhancing the car’s responsiveness and stability under performance driving conditions.”

Source: InfiMotion