News Roundup: 4/14 – 4/20

...

Headlines and links from all the news, including things we didn’t cover in depth here on EVmeme.com this past week. Follow the links for more on each.

Voltpost Debuts Lamppost Retrofit Charging Station Solution
Voltpost has unveiled a new lamppost electric vehicle charging system. This commercially-available solution retrofits existing lampposts with a Level 2 charger and is being deployed in major metro areas in the U.S.

BMW Will Build X5 PHEV In Brazil
Record sales for electrified vehicles in Brazil has prompted BMW to move production of the X5 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) to the country. The Araquari plant also builds the X1, X3, X4, and 3 Series for the South American market.

Smoltek Material for Hydrogen Electrolysis Successfully Passes 1k Hour Durability Test
Smoltek Nanotech, a part of Smoltek Hydrogen, has completed a long-term test of a newly-developed material for electrolyzer cells. The system produces hydrogen without degradation of the nanostructure and with only 0.2mg of iridium/cm2.

Green Li-ion Launches North America’s First Commercial Lithium Recycling Plant
Green Li-ion has launched its first commercial-scale plant to produce battery-grade materials by recycling used lithium-ion batteries. The plant, located within a larger recycling plant that recycles other materials, is producing battery-grade cathode and anode materials from spent batteries.

Maserati Unveils GranCabrio Folgore Concept and An EV Boat
Maserati unveiled its electrification plans, which include a production-ready GranCabrio Folgore as an EV convertible, an electrified household, and an electric-powered boat.

BASF Prototyping Metal Refinery for Battery Recycling
BASF has started operating its prototype metal refinery for battery recycling in Germany. The plant is designed to develop and optimize procedures in battery recycling technology to process end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and production scrap.

2025 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Introduces 81 kWh Battery
Mercedes-Benz is expanding the offerings for the eSprinter electric commercial van for the 2025 model year in the U.S. This will include the launch of the 81 kWh (usable capacity) battery option and added safety and assistance systems.

2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 Gets Improved Range Pre-Launch
The 2024 Sierra electric pickup truck will enter the market with more range than originally estimated. Optimizations to the GM Ultium Platform the truck utilizes added a 10 percent increase in range, from 400 to 440 miles per charge.

Sion, Muhlbauer Creating Manufacturing Line for Lithium Metal Cells
Sion Power and Muhlbauer Group have announced a partnership to create an automated manufacturing line for Sion’s large format lithium metal cell. The manufacturing line will be in Germany and will be capable of producing 75 MWh of 56 Ah lithium cells annually.

AVL, Red Bull Partner for High-Power-Density Fuel Cells
AVL and Red Bull Advanced Technologies have partnered to develop the next generation of ultra-high-power-density fuel cell technology. Solutions are expected to be two thirds lighter than conventional fuel cell systems.

Nissan Shows All-Solid-State Battery Pilot Line
Nissan has showed its all-solid-state battery pilot line, currently in construction in Japan. The Yokohama Plant pilot line is aimed to promote development and innovative manufacturing technologies for new batteries.

Honda Unveils Ye Lineup of Next-Gen EVs for China
Honda has unveiled its 烨 (Ye) Series of electric vehicles for the Chinese market. The first of the models are the P7 and S7 while the third is the GT Concept, a conceptual for an upcoming addition for the EV series. The three models are being exhibited at the Beijing Auto China show.

Daimler India Announces Battery-Electric eCanter Truck
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has announced market launch for its new all-electric light-duty eCanter truck. The Next Generation eCanter, aimed at the Indian market, continues the company’s push into the light-duty truck market in India.

Daimler RIZON Class 4-5 Trucks Enter Canadian Market
Daimler Truck’s newest all-electric vehicles for the Canadian market now include class 4-5 RIZON models. Introduced at Truck World Toronto, the trucks will be available to Canadian buyers via pre-order in June.

Toyota Camry Becomes Exclusively Hybrid In Both FWD and AWD Models
The new 2025 Toyota Camry will be hybrid in every model with an on-demand all-wheel drive system available in every trim level. Price will start at $29,000, before delivery, and a full suite of advanced safety systems are standard.

GM Energy Adds V2H To Its Product Suite
General Motors’ GM Energy for plug-in vehicles, including electric vehicles, has rolled out a vehicle-to-home (V2H) bi-directional charging option.