Swedish EV charging provider Milepost has acquired a network of AC charging stations from fellow charging provider Mer.

The acquisition comprises some 250 charge points across Sweden, from Åre in the north to Malmö in the south. Most offer charging power of 22 kW, but a few support speeds of up to 50 kW.

The two companies see the sale as a mutually beneficial agreement—Mer’s strategy is to fully focus on DC fast charging, while Milepost is strengthening its position in AC charging. Milepost aims to complete the integration of the acquired charging stations into its network by the early summer of 2026.

Following the acquisition, Milepost will have a presence in over 70 municipalities in Sweden, including new locales such as Malmö and Linköping.

“Mer has had an important role in the establishment of EV charging infrastructure in Sweden, and we are looking forward to further run and develop these sites,” says Milepost Head of Business Development and Operations Lars Isaksson. “At completion of the acquisition, we will have passed 1,000 charge points, and we will offer our services in an additional 37 municipalities.”

“Our strategy is to fully focus on [DC] ultra-fast public EV charging. We are therefore pleased to divest our AC charging stations to Milepost, who has the right focus to further develop these sites,” says Jesper Thyberg, Director of Network Management at Mer.

Source: Milepost

San Diego battery startup South 8 Technologies has executed a $9.2 million grant agreement under California’s PowerForward Battery Manufacturing program, funding expansion of its LiGas® liquefied gas electrolyte production at its San Diego headquarters. PowerForward is a $67 million California Energy Commission program, administered by CALSTART, aimed at attracting and retaining zero-emission vehicle battery manufacturing in California.

LiGas replaces conventional liquid electrolytes with a patented blend of liquefied non-toxic gases held under pressure. The technology delivers an effective operating range of –60 °C to +60 °C, with a freezing point below –100 °C — conventional electrolytes weaken at 0 °C and freeze at –20 °C. South 8 targets specific energy above 425 Wh/kg. The extreme-temperature performance is relevant both for cold-climate EV range and for defense and aerospace applications where standard cells fail.

Under the grant, South 8 plans to reach annual production capacity of 100 MWh of LiGas electrolyte and 2 MWh of battery cells at its San Diego facility. Cell manufacturing will be integrated with partner Nanotech Energy. The company is targeting gigafactory integration readiness for LiGas starting in 2028.

“We’re excited to scale production of our advanced LiGas electrolyte and high-performance, resilient battery cells,” said Jungwoo Lee, CEO of South 8 Technologies.

South 8 has drawn funding from backers with defense and extreme-environment interests, including Lockheed Martin Ventures, W. L. Gore & Associates and Porsche Ventures. It also holds a partnership with LG Energy Solution for aerospace battery applications.

Source: South 8 Technologies

The police are plugging in. The City of New York’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), which is in charge of procurement for municipal fleets, has announced that it now has over 1,000 plug-in vehicles assigned to law enforcement agencies.

Not all of these are cop cars. Yes, the NYPD has nearly 500 plug-ins in its portfolio, but the Big Apple has no less than 15 law enforcement agencies—including the Departments of Correction, Environmental Protection, Sanitation, Investigation and Homeless Services, as well as FDNY and NYC Emergency Management.

Collectively, these agencies operate around 11,000 vehicles: 781 are battery-electric vehicles, and 231 are plug-in hybrids. The agencies also operate 3,454 hybrid vehicles and 87 “off-road solar and electric units.” Law enforcement agencies currently have an additional 722 hybrids and 115 plug-in vehicles on order. The city as a whole operates nearly 10,500 electrified vehicles, including 5,780 plug-ins and 4,600 hybrids.

Law enforcement vehicles require specialized equipment, which can include bullet-proof shielding, light and siren packages, radio and computer outfitting, heavy-duty suspension and interior partitions. Agencies such as NYPD conduct rigorous testing to ensure vehicles can perform reliably in emergency response conditions.

The Chevy EV Blazer is the city’s first pursuit-rated electric vehicle. DCAS procured 58 Blazers in the first citywide order. The city’s fleet also includes the Chevy Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV and Ford E-Transit. The Department of Correction has also launched the city’s first electric K-9 enforcement unit.

DCAS has some 415 DC fast chargers in operation, and more are planned.

“NYC is leading the state in fleet electrification with the largest electric fleet and charging network,” states Keith Kerman, Chief Fleet Officer and Deputy Commissioner at DCAS. “As importantly, we are showing EVs can work in some of the most challenging applications and assignments including law enforcement and emergency response.”

Source: NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services

Sponsored by Chroma.

Lithium-ion batteries face increasingly severe challenges regarding safety and lifespan under high-rate charging. One of the most critical concerns is the phenomenon of lithium plating—when the charging current is too high or the temperature is too low, lithium-ions fails to intercalate effectively into the anode and instead deposit as metallic lithium on the surface of the graphite.

This leads to capacity degradation, thickening of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, and may even cause internal short circuits and thermal runaway. These safety risks, originating from microscopic electrochemical reactions, cannot be adequately investigated using the conventional two-electrode structure of lithium-ion batteries. As it provides only combined voltage-capacity data, this structure does not allow for distinguishing between the independent behaviors of the anode and the cathode. As a result, the mechanism of lithium plating becomes difficult to identify. This is where the advantages of a three-electrode testing setup become particularly significant.

Electra Battery Materials has restarted full-scale construction on what it describes as North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery, located near Temiskaming Shores, Ontario. Construction had been paused for roughly two years before the company completed a recapitalization and resumed site work in November 2025.

The refinery is designed to produce 6,500 tonnes of battery-grade cobalt sulfate per year—a key precursor for NMC lithium-ion battery cathodes. Electra has arranged US$82 million in total funding against a US$73 million construction budget: US$20 million from a US Department of Defense grant under the Defense Production Act, US$28 million in combined support from the Government of Canada and Invest Ontario and US$34 million in equity financing raised in October 2025. The company held C$39 million in cash at year-end 2025, rising to roughly C$41 million at the announcement date.

Early commissioning is expected in Q4 2026, with mechanical completion targeted for Q2 2027 and commercial production in Q4 2027. Electra is using a multi-package execution approach, engaging specialized contractors across discrete scopes rather than a single general contractor.

“With construction of our cobalt refinery now fully funded and our balance sheet reset, we are entering the execution phase with the resources and focus needed to deliver North America’s first cobalt sulfate facility,” said Trent Mell, CEO of Electra. “This marks a turning point for Electra and a critical step in reducing foreign dependence in the battery supply chain.”

Cobalt sulfate refining is currently concentrated in China, which processes the majority of global supply despite most ore originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo—leaving North American battery manufacturers heavily exposed on a critical input.

Source: Electra Battery Materials

Electric truck OEM Workhorse Group has received a purchase order for 100 battery-electric step vans from Purolator, a Canadian integrated freight, package and logistics solutions provider. This new order will double the number of Workhorse electric step vans in Purolator’s fleet, including the company’s prior purchases from Motiv, which merged with Workhorse in late 2025. Workhorse will deliver the step vans to Purolator throughout 2026.

Workhorse says ten of the largest medium-duty truck fleets in North America have deployed its vehicles, including Purolator, Vestis (formerly Aramark Uniform Services) and Cintas. The company has delivered more than 1,100 EVs, including electric step vans, box trucks and shuttles. Its manufacturing facility in Union City, Indiana, is capable of producing at least 5,000 vehicles per year on a single operating shift.

Workhorse sells its vehicles in part through a national dealer network, and post-sale support is bolstered by regionally deployed Workhorse-trained technicians.

“Purolator has a longstanding commitment to adopting new and innovative technologies to make their fleet more efficient and sustainable, and we are honored to continue to support them,” said Workhorse CEO Scott Griffith. “This is Purolator’s fourth order over a number of years and an important next step in our long-standing partnership.”

Source: Workhorse Group

The UK may not yet be in Norway’s EV league, but it is steadily moving to electrify its transport networks. A couple of weeks ago Albion announced plans to fund 484 new electric buses in 10 regions of England.

Now the Scots, not to be outdone by their southern neighbors, have confirmed £45 million in new funding under the third round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3). This pot of gold will support the deployment of 334 zero-emission vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.

All projects will be funded by a combination of public and private cash. Fleet operators will collectively contribute over £163 million, and public funding complemented by private investment contributions will come to over £118 million.

The ScotZEB3 allocation marks the final round of direct capital funding from the Scottish government aimed at helping large bus operators to electrify their fleets. Since 2020, cumulative investment through ScotZEB and the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) has reached £154 million, enabling the deployment of around 800 buses and related infrastructure.

The ScotZEB3 programme will deliver 227 buses and 107 coaches to several fleet operators:

• Rock Road will procure 14 Alexander Dennis double-deck buses, along with 69 single-deck units from Alexander Dennis and 10 from Wrightbus.
• First Bus will repower 15 double-deck buses, and acquire 22 new double-deck vehicles from Yutong.
• Ember will procure 100 Yutong coaches.
• Stagecoach will introduce 7 coaches, 21 single-deck buses and 16 double-deck buses, all from Yutong.
• Lothian will add 60 double-deck buses, built by Volvo/Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus.

“This final investment of £45 million from the Scottish Government through ScotZEB3 signals our commitment to a zero-emission future for Scotland’s bus sector,” said Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop. “Since 2020, we have invested over £154 million in zero-emission buses and infrastructure. With every £1 of public funding leveraging over £2.50 of private investment, ScotZEB3 has demonstrated that government and industry can work together to deliver transformative climate action.”

Source: Transport Scotland via Sustainable Bus

Iskraemeco eMobility, a European provider of EV charging solutions, has released a new-generation modular DC fast charging station.

The iFC240 is an all‑in‑one DC fast charger designed for public networks, commercial fleets and high‑demand charging corridors.

Configurations range from 120 kW to 240 kW, and the modular structure of the iFC240 is designed to enable operators to scale power or integrate additional features with minimal downtime.

Features include:

• CCS2 connector
• 15-inch sunlight‑readable display
• DC MID meter, ensuring precise energy measurement for billing and regulatory compliance
• Support for OCPP backend communication and RFID authentication
• Optional Plug & Charge capability
• Integrated load management
• Integration with Iskraemeco eMobility Datalink, a scalable platform for real‑time monitoring, analytics, network optimization and marketing management.

Source: Iskraemeco eMobility

Global Battery Materials Corp. (GBM) has shipped its first graphite samples to a US customer for qualification and opened a new processing lab in Quebec—two milestones the company says demonstrate its ability to build a North American graphite supply chain outside of Chinese production.

The samples came from GBM’s Kearney Mine in Ontario, one of North America’s only prior-producing natural graphite assets and one of the largest flake graphite deposits on the continent. The customer, not named in the announcement, will use the samples for qualification testing—a standard step before any commercial supply agreement is signed.

The GBM Graphite Lab in Quebec is designed to purify and upgrade natural graphite from raw ore, demonstrating carbon content of up to 97% at lab scale. The facility is ISO 9001 certified and can simulate full graphite plant processes. It’s managed by Benoit Briere, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the natural graphite industry. GBM describes itself as vertically integrated, combining the Ontario mine with patented anode processing technology validated at a pilot plant in South Korea. A mass anode production site in North America is planned as the next step.

“North America has very limited capacity to process critical minerals like graphite, and this announcement marks an important step in urgently closing this gap,” said Eric Miller, CEO of GBM. “Our lab-scale operations in Quebec are already producing graphite samples for qualifying customers, proving our ability to move quickly and meet urgent local demand.”

Graphite is the dominant active material in lithium-ion battery anodes, and both US and Canadian policy has prioritized developing domestic sources. China controls the vast majority of global graphite mining and anode material processing—a supply concentration that has pushed battery makers to seek alternatives.

Source: Global Battery Materials

Peak Nano and Advanced Conversion have announced a partnership to co-develop DC-link capacitor solutions engineered specifically for 800 V+ SiC inverter systems in electric vehicles and e-mobility platforms. Advanced Conversion is a wholly owned subsidiary of ETI, based in Clearwater, Florida.

The collaboration pairs Peak Nano’s NanoPlex LDF (Low Dissipation Factor) capacitor film with Advanced Conversion’s Power Ring capacitor platform. NanoPlex LDF maintains a dissipation factor below 0.0004 up to 150 °C—headroom that conventional biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film can’t match, as BOPP-based designs require significant derating at the temperatures typical in high-power SiC inverters. The Power Ring platform tackles the other key constraint: commutation loop inductance. Its ultra-low inductance architecture reduces voltage overshoot at SiC switching events, letting inverter designers avoid the derating and oversizing that higher-inductance capacitor packages typically force.

DC-link capacitors sit between the battery bus and the inverter in an EV powertrain, smoothing voltage ripple and absorbing switching transients. SiC MOSFETs switch far faster than the silicon IGBTs they replace, which drives both higher dV/dt and more heat into the capacitor—well beyond what BOPP-based designs were built to handle.

“Engineers designing 800 V+ inverter systems shouldn’t have to derate, oversize, or add cooling just so their capacitors can keep up,” said Edward Sawyer, CEO of Advanced Conversion. Peak Nano CEO Jim Welsh said the partnership “puts the right film and the right manufacturing platform together for the first time,” targeting “a new benchmark for DC-link performance in e-mobility on land, sea and air.”

Target applications include Formula E and high-performance automotive, electric buses and heavy trucks, off-highway vehicles and electrified aviation. Advanced Conversion’s US-based manufacturing positions the combined solution as a domestic supply chain option. Initial product releases are planned for late 2026.

Source: Peak Nano