News Roundup: 5/5 – 5/11

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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.

IRS Releases Final Rules On Clean Vehicle Credits
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service have released final rules on the clean vehicle provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. The rules address requirements for Foreign Entity of Concern restrictions that were added to the clean vehicle component requirements.

California Vehicle Registrations Show Tesla Drop, Legacy Gains
Electrified vehicle sales are dropping in California, to the tune of almost 18 percent in the past two quarters. Most of the losses are in battery electrics, offset by some gains in other options, with hybrids gaining significant share.

Tokyo IT, NYMCT University Develop Hydrogen Production Photocatalyst
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University have developed an innovative Au@Cu7S4 yolk@shell nanocrystal photocatalyst that is responsive to both visible and near infrared wavelengths. It’s produced remarkable efficiency in solar hydrogen production.

U Michigan Team Develops CO2 to Renewable Fuels Catalyst
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a catalyst material that converts carbon dioxide into renewable fuels such as methanol. The catalyst, cobalt phthalocyanine, was the focus of a study published in ACS Catalysis.

Balis 2.0 Project To Develop, Test 350 kW Fuel Cell System for Aircraft
The German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has announced the launch of its BALIS 2.0 Project. The project aims to develop and test a high-performance fuel cell system with an output of at least 350 kW for use in commercial aircraft.

BMW Using Boston Dynamics Spot Robot (spOTTO) To Scan Equipment in UK
The BMW Group’s Plant Hams Hall in the United Kingdom is using a four-legged Spot robot from Boston Dynamics to scan the plant in support of maintenance. The spOTTO robot, one of several owned by BMW, is deployed to use visual, thermal, and acoustic sensors to monitor equipment. It’s also gathering data for the virtual twin of the factory, which is used to digitally test flow processes and other plant changes.

DOE Issues RFI for Off-Road Transport Decarbonization
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a request for information to understand the off-road sector and alternative propulsion technology preferences for it. Along with key barriers to adoption. 

New Way, Hyzon Unveil New Hydrogen Fuel Cell Refuse Truck
New Way Trucks and Hyzon have revealed North America’s first hydrogen fuel-cell-powered electric refuse truck. The truck will be part of pilot programs throughout California, starting with Recology, a solid waste and recycling hauler in San Francisco.

Archer Installs High-Volume Battery Pack Manufacturing Line in California
Archer Aviation has completed installation of its high-volume battery pack manufacturing line in its San Jose, California facility. Archer will begin production of its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft at its Georgia plant, using batteries from this new line.

Daimler Unveils Battery-Electric Autonomous Freightliner eCascadia Demonstrator
Daimler Truck unveiled the battery-electric autonomous Freightliner eCascadia technology demonstrator. The truck is based on a production battery-electric Freightliner eCascadia and is equipped with Torc’s autonomous driving software and the latest Level 4 sensor and compute technology.

USDOT Seeks Input On AI Development for Transportation
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking input from interested parties on the potential applications of artificial intelligence in transportation. As well as input on emerging challenges and opportunities in creating and deploying AI in transportation applications.

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New Electric Vessel Shipyard To Open in Moscow
A new shipbuilding cluster in the Nagatinsky Zaton District of Moscow is set to open at the end of 2024. The shipyard is focused on electric river transport vessels.

Motiv Completes Delivery of 55 Electric Trucks to Purolator in Canada
Motiv has completed delivery of 55 electric trucks to Purolator, a logistics, freight, and package delivery provider in Canada. The vehicles were ordered last year following a successful pilot of the trucks in 2021.

Cummins Accelera To Power BMC Otomotiv Buses in Europe
Accelera by Cummins is collaborating with BMC Otomotiv to provide battery solutions for transport bus operations.

ComEd Adds Electric Bucket Trucks to Fleet
ComEd has announced the addition of two all-electric bucket trucks to its fleet. The new trucks were sourced through Altec.

Ryder Says Switching From Diesel to EV Increases Costs
Ryder System has released a quantitative analysis of the potential economic impacts of converting commercial diesel vehicles to electric vehicles in today’s market. Ryder says its customers frequently ask about transitioning to zero-emission vehicles in fleets.