French group, UTAC CERAM and British test engineering group, Millbrook Proving Ground Ltd, both key engineering partners to automotive customers in Europe and around the world, plan to merge operations to create a market leading group in vehicle testing, homologation, and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected, and electric vehicles.

Johnson Matthey Plc, a specialist chemicals company which manufactures catalysts, pharmaceutical materials, and pollution control systems, has confirmed its new battery cathode materials plant which is under construction, is to be powered solely by electricity from renewable sources from the very start of production.

Daimler Buses is to supply five Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses equipped with solid state batteries to public transport provider, Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG) in the city of Bremen.

Electric bus builder, Proterra Inc has opened a new battery production line at its electric bus manufacturing facility in City of Industry, Los Angeles County.

CV manufacturer, Scania AB, is investing EUR15.5m in a new battery laboratory at its research and development facilities in the grounds of its headquarters in Södertälje.

Forsee Power, the specialist in smart battery systems for electric mobility, has a new supply agreement with Wrightbus.

Scania AB is to invest over SEK1bn (EUR98m) in a purpose-built battery assembly plant at its HQ in Södertälje.

It is being claimed the world’s largest development and test centre for high-voltage batteries for passenger and commercial vehicles was opened by the FEV Group in Aachen on September 25.

Horiba MIRA Ltd has invested GBP1.5m installing a new Large Climatic Vibration Laboratory and Battery Abuse Facility at its Nuneaton Proving Ground.

The new all-electric Mercedes-Benz articulated bus eCitaro G can now be ordered with the option of being equipped with solid-state batteries.

Electra Commercial Vehicles Ltd, a company established in 2017 to convert medium and heavy trucks to be fully battery electric, has announced it is to fit a real-time battery monitoring system to all its vehicles as they come off the production line in Blackburn.

Microvast GmbH - a subsidiary of fast charging traction battery producer, Microvast Inc - says it plans to build a battery and e-powertrain R&D/production plant in Ludwigsfelde for the EMEA market.