Automotive components supplier, BorgWarner has reached agreement to buy Darmstadt-based battery producer, Akasol, stating the acquisition will expand its commercial vehicle electrification capabilities significantly.

Forsee Power is launching a new generation of extra-thin batteries called SLIM. They are said to compose the thinnest modular range in the world and will be equipped with a liquid cooling system and can be applied for use in all types of heavy vehicle.

Paris-based Forsee Power, producer of smart battery systems for electro-mobility markets, has secured a loan of EUR50m from the European Investment Bank (EIB) taking finance borrowings in 2020 and to date to EUR105m for investment and in support of its growth into new electromobility markets and geographies.

Grande West Transportation Group Inc, manufacturer of mid-sized multi-purpose transit vehicles for Canadian and United States markets, has launched an electric version of its Vicinity model, called the Vicinity Lightning Electric Vehicle.

The Canadian Vancouver-based manufacturer of mid-sized multi-purpose transit vehicles, Grande West Transportation Group Inc has now entered the electric bus market with the launch of the Vicinity LT EV.

Volvo Energy, is the name of a new business area within the Volvo Group in Gothenburg, which aims to strengthen the business life cycle of batteries as well as benefitting the customer by using ‘used batteries’ as a way of charging infrastructure.

Subsidiaries of NFI Group Inc, New Flyer Industries Canada ULC, Manitoba, and New Flyer of America Inc, have successfully completed a battery recycling pilot with lithium-ion battery recycler, Li-Cycle Corporation.

Solaris Bus & Coach SA has joined a consortium including battery system manufacturer and supplier to Solaris, and power generation and energy distributor, TAURON Polska Energia SA to implement a project titled ‘Second Life ESS’ aimed at creating a prototype system to store electric energy based on used bus batteries.

Li-Cycle Corporation which claims to be America’s largest capacity lithium-ion battery recycling company, in December announced its Spoke 2 facility at Eastman Business Park in Rochester, New York - a second li-ion battery recycling centre was now fully operational.

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.