FPT Industrial, the powertrain division of CNH Industrial, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with battery producer, Microvast, aimed at an industrial and commercial co-operation to enable FPT Industrial to design and assemble battery packs in-house, at its facility in Turin, which would be then be offered on CNH Industrial vehicles and to third-party customers.

Nikola Corporation has released details of its new battery technology, which is claimed to have a record energy density of 1,100 watt-hours per kg on the material level and 500 watt-hours per kg on the production cell level.

Battery producer, Akasol, which recently opened a new European HQ in Darmstadt, said its future flagship high-energy battery AKASystem AKM CYC, will be produced at Darmstadt, with start of production in 2021 and at its new US headquarters in Detroit starting in 2022 as part of a recently agreed production order from a global commercial vehicle manufacturer.

At Battery Show Europe 2019, Akasol AG presented a wide portfolio of new options for battery cells.

Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Corporation have concluded contracts for business-integration and for a new joint-venture company for automotive battery R&D and manufacture.

Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation, global manufacturer of petrochemicals, fertilisers, industrial polymers and metals, headquartered in Riyad, has taken a majority stake in Black Diamond Structures LLC, a nanotechnology company from Austin, Texas, established in 2014.