Cork composite developed for EV battery thermal management
Amorim Cork Solutions has developed ETP058, a cork-based composite combining insulation, flame resistance and compressibility for EV and stationary battery modules, and has reported UL94 V-0 compliance for samples over 2 mm and has not disclosed commercial availability.
Somerset gigafactory underpins £700m manufacturing push
The UK has confirmed a Somerset gigafactory that has secured £380m of government funding and has underpinned over £700m of combined public and private investment, which has been projected to create about 4,200 jobs and supply‑chain activity.
BYD Denza N8L enters pre-sale with 75.26 kWh battery
BYD has opened pre-sales for the Denza N8L Flash Charge Edition, a six-seat plug-in hybrid SUV with a 75.26 kWh battery, 430 km electric range, rapid flash-charging claims and a pre-sale price range of 350,000–400,000 yuan.
Hyundai recalls 4,880 EVs in Australia over battery fault
Hyundai has recalled 4,880 Kona and Ioniq electric vehicles in Australia after identifying a battery-management software fault that may cause fires while charging; dealers have been instructed to assess batteries and provide software updates or hardware fixes.
AI Deployment in Waste Operations
Fleets have adopted AI-driven camera systems that have enhanced safety, contamination detection and overload monitoring, and have integrated with workflows to deliver objective incident records, improve operational efficiency and support regulatory compliance.
Nio ES9 SUV begins China presales with BaaS
Nio has begun presales in China for the ES9, offering BaaS from ¥420,000; the 5,365mm SUV has been specified with a 900V dual‑motor 520 kW powertrain, a 102 kWh battery and a 620 km range.
Arteco expands low-conductivity EV coolant range
Arteco has added two patented coolants to its Freecor EV Milli range and has completed a three-product line of low-electrical-conductivity formulations for indirect battery, motor and power-electronics cooling, each maintaining conductivity below 100 μS/cm.
Regulatory filing indicates lower-cost Xiaomi YU7 variant
Regulatory filings have shown a new Xiaomi YU7 variant with a 235kW rear‑drive motor, CATL LFP battery and 2200kg curb weight; design changes and a smaller battery have suggested a potential lower‑cost positioning.
Denza Z9 electric sedan listed in MIIT filings
China's MIIT has added BYD's Denza Z9 electric sedan to its catalogue and has recorded weights, top speeds and a tri-motor 990 kW output; battery suppliers and optional equipment have also been listed.
Geely Galaxy opens M7 pre-sales with 1,730 km range
Geely Galaxy has opened pre-sales for the M7 compact SUV, priced from 139,800 yuan, and has announced a plug-in hybrid powertrain with up to 1,730 km combined range and a 225 km pure-electric range.
Purem to produce 100,000 steel EV battery housings in China
Purem by Eberspächer has begun series production in China at over 100,000 units annually and has co-founded a European consortium to develop a stainless-steel battery housing alternative to aluminium, citing lower cost, weight and manufacturing CO2 intensity.
SWTCH introduces NFC one-tap offline EV charging
SWTCH Energy has added SWTCH Tap to its Cortex platform, enabling NFC one-tap EV charging with local authorisation and OCPP-based UID caching for offline operation; transactions have been configured to sync when connectivity is restored.
RoboTwin enables factory workers to teach robots
RoboTwin has developed a handheld, no-code system that has converted human demonstrations into robot programmes and has sought to simplify automation for SMEs; it has secured EU grant support and has expanded commercial trials across Europe, North America and Mexico.
Solar reactor makes hydrogen from plastic and battery acid
Cambridge researchers have developed a solar reactor that has used recovered car-battery acid to photoreform hard-to-recycle plastics into hydrogen and chemicals; an acid-stable photocatalyst has sustained continuous operation for 260 hours and the acid has been shown to be reusable.
Chinese carmakers pivot to HEV with 2–3 L/100 km claims
Chinese carmakers have refocused on hybrid electric vehicles in 2026, having announced new HEV architectures and 2–3 L/100 km fuel claims, and have cited cost and export considerations while Toyota has maintained hybrid sales leadership.
BYD: progress and constraints in solid-state batteries
BYD has said solid-state batteries have reached a critical breakthrough stage, but commercialisation has been constrained by technical and industrial barriers; the company has targeted small-batch production around 2027 and has been pursuing multiple concurrent battery chemistries.
Kodiak pilots driverless trucks on I-70 in Ohio and Indiana
Kodiak AI has completed a driverless trucking programme on Interstate 70, partnering with DriveOhio and Ohio and Indiana transport departments, and has demonstrated Level 4 capabilities on northern freight corridors through real-world scenarios and stakeholder briefings.
U Power completes Thailand truck build, targets HK launch
U Power has completed production of the first batch of battery-swapping heavy-duty trucks for Thailand and has secured partnerships for deployment, while its Hong Kong taxi swapping project has met vehicle certification and has targeted commercial launch in Q2 2026.
Rimac to build BMW i7 battery system in Zagreb
Rimac Technology has been contracted to manufacture the high-voltage battery system for BMW's i7 using Gen6 4695 cylindrical cells; production has been established at Rimac's Zagreb campus with dedicated lines and capacity allocated to BMW programmes.
Cagliari adds three hydrogen buses to electrified fleet
CTM Cagliari has deployed three hydrogen fuel-cell buses as part of a 15-vehicle procurement and has increased its electrified fleet to 236 vehicles, including 203 battery-electric buses and 30 trolleybuses, supported by 50 Level 2 and 22 DC fast chargers.
Denza N9 Flash Charge PHEV opens for pre-sale
Denza has opened pre-sales for the N9 Flash Charge Edition, which has been equipped with a 75.264 kWh second-generation Blade Battery offering a CLTC pure electric range of 420 km and 18 months of complimentary flash-charging benefits.
U Mobile expands ULTRA5G indoor 5G coverage in Malaysia
U Mobile has adopted an 'Indoor First' strategy and has deployed ULTRA5G across over 80 key sites, has committed to 600 in-building sites by H2 2029 and has used Huawei's DIS to support enterprise 5G-A and mobile AI applications.
GAC to launch Aion RT battery-swap model on 8 April
GAC has scheduled the Aion RT battery-swap variant to launch on 8 April; it has supported both conventional charging and a 99-second swap, and has adopted CATL LFP magazine batteries with 520–650km CLTC ranges.
Denza says Z9 GT has received tens of thousands of orders
Denza has reported tens of thousands of Z9 GT orders, has increased production with continuous 24-hour shifts and daily output above 100 units, and has cited four-to-six week delivery lead times amid ongoing capacity constraints.
Sodium-ion cell achieves thermal-runaway suppression
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a polymerisable non‑flammable electrolyte that has suppressed thermal runaway in 3.5 Ah sodium‑ion cells, has retained performance and has passed 300°C abuse tests, supporting prospects for commercial scaling.
South 8 secures $9.2m California grant for LiGas scale-up
South 8 Technologies has secured a $9.2m California grant to expand LiGas electrolyte production at its San Diego site, has planned 100 MWh electrolyte and 2 MWh cell annual capacity, and has targeted gigafactory integration readiness by 2028.
Electra restarts North American cobalt sulfate refinery
Electra has resumed construction on a Temiskaming Shores cobalt sulfate refinery, has secured US$82 million in funding and has targeted early commissioning in Q4 2026 with commercial production in Q4 2027.
Europe's digital infrastructure: fibre and resilience
Reports have highlighted that Europe's digital backbone has been identified as critical to 5G and 6G performance, with policy focus having shifted to fibre, interconnection, resilience and measures to address regional connectivity disparities.
GAC Trumpchi to unveil T75 PHEV off-road SUV
GAC Trumpchi has teased the T75, an off-road SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and a digital chassis, which has been approved for development and has been slated to debut at the Beijing Auto Show on 24 April 2026.
China standardises lithium-ion battery recycling policy
China has issued a policy to standardise lithium-ion battery recycling and has expanded collection infrastructure, has encouraged major recyclers and has introduced digital tracking to integrate production, use and recycling data into a centralised lifecycle framework.
Peak Nano & Advanced Conversion 800V+ DC capacitors
Peak Nano and Advanced Conversion have announced a partnership to co-develop 800V+ DC-link capacitor solutions combining NanoPlex LDF film and Power Ring technology, aimed at high-power SiC inverter applications and domestic US manufacturing, with initial products scheduled for late 2026.
Leapmotor delivers 110,155 EVs in Q1; BYD sales drop
Stellantis-backed Leapmotor has delivered 110,155 new-energy vehicles in Q1, its fourth consecutive quarter above 100,000, while BYD has recorded a 30% year-on-year sales decline despite a 55% rise in exports; other Chinese EV makers have shown mixed results.
Chery unveils Rhino battery targeting 1,500 km range
Chery has unveiled its Rhino battery, has said it can add up to 500 km of range in eight minutes, has targeted more than 1,500 km total range, and has committed RMB 10 billion to solid‑state R&D.
U Mobile deploys ULTRA5G indoor 5G network in Malaysia
U Mobile has adopted an "Indoor First" ULTRA5G rollout with Huawei, and has deployed over 80 indoor sites; it has pledged 600 in‑building coverage sites by H2 2029 and has targeted 90% populated‑area coverage by H2 2027.
Intelligent networks for Europe's digital infrastructure
Europe has invested heavily in connectivity but has seen flat telecom revenues and value has accrued outside operators; European telecoms have begun embedding AI into networks to enable real-time services, efficiency gains and new monetisation models.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks opens orders for eArocs 400
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has opened orders for the battery-electric eArocs 400 in 13 EU markets and has outlined production and technical details, including 414 kWh battery capacity, 800-volt architecture, up to 400 kW charging and planned 2026 production.
Kia EV3 and Subaru Getaway debut at New York Auto Show
Two battery-electric models have been unveiled at the New York Auto Show media preview: the compact Kia EV3, positioned as a low-cost North American entrant, and Subaru’s three-row Getaway, presented as a US-assembled, 300-plus-mile range SUV.
Route optimisation in corporate employee transport
Enterprises have adopted route optimisation to reduce costs, improve billing accuracy and strengthen safety and compliance through GPS-validated data, dynamic re-rostering and real-time monitoring across multi-city employee transport operations.
Apollo Go robotaxis stalled in Wuhan
Multiple Apollo Go robotaxis have stalled in Wuhan, local traffic police have said, and preliminary investigations have attributed the incidents to system malfunctions while authorities and Apollo Go staff have been managing the response and investigations have been opened.
Sodium-ion batteries projected to reach cost parity by 2027
Manufacturers have narrowed sodium‑ion and lithium‑ion cost differentials with forecasts of parity by 2027; truck trials have reported roughly 20% greater range and energy efficiency, and commercial deployments and scaling plans have advanced.
China launches national power battery traceability platform
China has launched a national power battery traceability platform and has mandated industry integration from 1 April, centralising lifecycle data and requiring manufacturers, vehicle producers, maintenance firms and recyclers to report production, sales, maintenance and recycling information.
GMV showcases ground-segment solutions at SATELLITE
GMV has presented ground-segment control, operations centres and data-processing capabilities at SATELLITE, emphasising cybersecurity and lifecycle operational readiness to support secure, scalable space operations.
Dash-cam Evidence for Fleet Traffic Defence
Mid-sized fleets have adopted network-connected dash-cams that have produced timestamped video and telematics, and have established chain-of-custody processes that have improved defence of traffic citations and reduced regulatory and insurance risk.
ENNOVI patents adhesive-free battery lamination
ENNOVI has secured a German patent for an adhesive‑free laser lamination for battery cell contacting systems, which has been validated and has offered OEMs a pre‑qualified alternative that has reduced engineering risk and has supported multiple cell formats.
Inlyte, Ervin to localise iron battery supply chain
Inlyte Energy has agreed with Ervin Industries to develop domestically sourced iron powder for iron‑sodium batteries and has sought to expand US materials supply while reducing reliance on overseas battery processing.
Indosat pursues AI strategy to build sovereign capabilities
Indosat has repositioned as an AI-native operator, has deployed GPU-based infrastructure and the Sahabat AI platform for Bahasa Indonesia, and has partnered with global cloud vendors to develop domestic data‑centre and sovereign cloud capabilities.
Virgin Media O2 selects Nokia for UK 5G RAN upgrade
Virgin Media O2 has selected Nokia for a multi‑year UK 5G Radio Access Network modernisation programme, under which Nokia has been appointed to supply AirScale RAN equipment, Massive MIMO radios and AI‑enabled baseband platforms to improve capacity and efficiency.
BMW reduces Australian prices for iX1 and iX2
BMW has reduced Australian pricing for its fully electric iX1 and iX2, has introduced an iX1 xDrive30 Sport Collection variant and has repositioned entry prices below A$80,000, reflecting discounts of roughly A$7,000.
