Weekly News Roundup: 10/22-10/28

Headlines and links from all the news we didn’t cover in depth here on EVmeme.com this past week.

Most Consumers Not Embracing Robotaxis, says J.D. Power
Consumers aren’t comfortable with the testing and deployment of self-driving taxi services in their neighborhoods and communities, a J.D. Power survey found.

US, Canadian Researchers Find New Dry Air Stability Lithium-Based Electrolyte
A new research paper published in the journal Science Advances by a team of researchers in the U.S. and Canada has found that a new lithium-based solid-state electrolyte material demonstrates excellent qualities. The electrolyte is stable when exposed to the atmosphere.

China Restricting Export of Graphite
China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced export controls on certain kinds of graphite, including those used in lithium-ion batteries. The announcement could greatly affect the world’s lithium-based battery production, as China accounts for about 65 percent of total graphite production.

ChargePoint Increases NACS EV Charger Production
ChargePoint, one of the leading providers of public charging stations, has announced that it will be ramping up production of Tesla-compatible NACS charging stations.

EPA Proposes Ban On Trichloroethylene
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a ban on all uses of trichloroethylene. The chemical is documented as having serious health risks including cancer, neurotoxicity, and more. This solvent is used in many industries, including automotive repair.

California DMV Suspends Cruise’s Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has notified autonomous vehicle maker Cruise that it is suspending the company’s deployment and driverless testing permits. These affect only driverless testing and the decision was made due to what the DMV says are unsafe systems in the vehicles.

Hyundai Motors Orders High Nickel, Si-based Anode EV Batteries From Samsung SDI
Samsung SDI announced that it has signed a supply deal with Hyundai Motor Company for the first time. The deal has Samsung supplying prismatic batteries for European market use from 2026-2032.

First Maybach EV SUV Debuts At $180k
Mercedes’ Maybach arm has announced pricing for the Maybach EQS SUV at $179,900 for the U.S. market.

Mitsubishi Premiers D:X Concept MPV at Tokyo Show
Mitsubishi unveiled a new people mover concept called the D:X at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. The concept, an electric van, is aimed towards an Asian and Australian audience.

Stellantis Partners With Orano for EV Battery Recycling
The European arm of Stellantis and nuclear energy company Orano have partnered to recycle used electric vehicle batteries. The partnership is part of Stellantis’ goal to comply with European Union requirements for net-zero production and consumption.

Factorial Energy Opens Solid-State Battery Manufacturing Facility
The new facility is located in Methuen, Massachusetts and creates about 150 new jobs. The facility is in the greater Boston area, keeping it close to Factorial’s research and development offices. The plant has a 200 mWh assembly line, the largest solid-state battery assembly line in the U.S.

Krefeld Buys 10 Solaris Hydrogen Buses
Germany’s public transportation operator, Krefeld, has put in purchase orders for ten Urbino 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses from Solaris. The first three will be delivered to the city of Krefeld in western Germany by the end of next year.

Epsilon Advanced Materials To Build Graphite Anode Plant in North Carolina
Epsilon Advanced Materials, an India-based company, has announced plans to build a $650M graphite-anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County in North Carolina. The company plans to break ground in 2024 and be operational by 2026.

RIZON Medium-Duty EV Truck Gets EPA and CARB Certification
Daimler Truck’s RIZON sub-brand has received full certification from both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board. This opens sales of the battery-electric Class 4 and 5 medium-duty trucks on the U.S. market.

BP Orders $100M In Tesla SuperChargers for Its Charging Network
BP Pulse, the EV charging business arm of BP Energy, has purchased $100 million worth of SuperChargers from Tesla Motors. The chargers will be deployed on the BP Pulse network of electric vehicle chargers and marks the first purchase of Tesla-made chargers by a private EV fleet network.

CIP and Tenaska to Develope Giagawatt-Scale Hydrogen in U.S.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Tenaska have entered into an agreement to ramp up development of gigawatt-scale green hydrogen projects in the United States. The partnership has the intent of serving local and global demand for green hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, sustainable aviation fuel and other clean fuels in key US hydrogen markets.