Electric vehicles – Page 9311 – I wish I had more to offer

AV Maker Navya Ramps Up US Production

SALINE, MI – French autonomous-vehicle outfit Navya, which boasts of operating the first self-driving shuttle service in the world, begins production in North America after a successful IPO and brokers a supply agreement with a leading private-sector mobility services provider based in Cincinnati. Navya CEO Christophe Sapet says details about the partnership with First Transit,… Continue reading AV Maker Navya Ramps Up US Production

Daimler Mobility Services and Geely Group Company form premium ride-hailing joint venture in China

Daimler Mobility Services and Geely Group Company, Geely Holding Group’s new business entity, announced today that they will form a premium ride-hailing joint venture in China. The 50-50 joint venture (the “JV”) will be headquartered in Hangzhou. The JV will provide ride-hailing mobility services in several Chinese cities using premium vehicles including but not limited… Continue reading Daimler Mobility Services and Geely Group Company form premium ride-hailing joint venture in China

BASF And Norilsk Nickel Partner On New Battery Production In Finland

Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Batteries

Published on October 23rd, 2018 |

by Kyle Field

BASF And Norilsk Nickel Partner On New Battery Production In Finland

Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Facebook

October 23rd, 2018 by Kyle Field

Germany chemical giant BASF and Russian mining conglomerate Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) have inked a new deal for nickel and cobalt supply.

The deal will see BASF build a new factory to produce battery cathode materials in Harjavalta, Finland, adjacent to a Nornickel cobalt and nickel refinery. The deal seeks to capitalize on the potential transition of the German auto industry to electric vehicles, which will require an immense new supply of lithium batteries to power them.

“With the investment in Harjavalta, BASF will be present in all major regions with local production and increased customer proximity, further supporting the rapidly growing electric vehicle market,” president of BASF’s Catalysts division Kenneth Lane said.

To date, most of these batteries are sourced overseas from Chinese and Korean suppliers, leaving local companies out of the mix. The new partnership leverages proximity to turn raw materials from the mine straight into usable battery cathode materials that can be funneled directly to a local battery cell manufacturer at a lower cost than they might be sourced from remote suppliers.

Locally sourcing the very raw materials that are used in batteries was one of the key reasons Tesla built its Gigafactory 1 in Nevada, where there are plentiful lithium reserves.

“The agreement is an important element of Nornickel’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the global battery materials market and establish long-term cooperation with leading producers of cathode active materials,” said Sergey Batekhin, senior vice president at Nornickel.

When it starts production in 2020, the new BASF factory is expected to churn out enough cathodes to supply some 300,000 electric vehicles per year, which, at 60kWh per vehicle, translates to enough cathodes for 18 gigawatt-hours of battery cells per year.

Impressively, BASF said that the new Harjavalta factory will “utilise locally-generated renewable energy resources including hydro, wind and biomass.” As companies around the world ramp up global battery production in support of the electric vehicle transition, it is an opportunity for us to build smarter, more efficient factories.

That happens both by utilizing low-carbon renewables to power them and by building them in intelligent locations. Building factories in close proximity to either raw materials or customers reduces the amount of transportation required and, thus, shrinks the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. Manufacturing EVs is one of the areas where, according to analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists, electric vehicles have higher emissions than gas and diesel vehicles due to lower volumes and what have historically been inefficient manufacturing processes for batteries.

The new cathode factory is but a single cog in a greater machine spooling up at BASF that will see some €400 million ($462 million) being invested into building cathode materials for Europe.

From a pricing standpoint, the cathode is one of the more expensive parts of electric vehicle batteries, thanks to the concentration of cobalt in lithium-ion chemistries. As the sharp uptick in demand for cobalt has driven prices of cobalt up to new heights in recent years, battery cell manufacturers and electric vehicle builders are aggressively looking for ways to trim down the cobalt used in their batteries.

Tesla has committed to decrease its cobalt usage from 3% of the battery in June of this year down to 0% over the next 2–3 years, demonstrating that where there is a will, there is a way.

Source: Reuters

Support CleanTechnica’s work by becoming a Member, Supporter, or Ambassador.
Or you can buy a cool t-shirt, cup, baby outfit, bag, or hoodie or make a one-time donation on PayPal.

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor. Tesla referral code: http://ts.la/kyle623

CleanTechnica Clothing & Cups

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of our readers.

Mercedes-Benz Procurement scouting for suppliers in Korea

Seoul: Mercedes-Benz Cars procurement seeks direct contact with the trendsetters of consumer electronics with a focus on innovative ideas at the Korea Electronics Show (KES). The four-day show is the leading electronics- and IT event in Asia. Tomorrow’s technologies are presented at the KES, one would not expect in the automotive industry immediately. Mercedes-Benz Cars… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Procurement scouting for suppliers in Korea

Ford Reorganizes Asia Pacific Markets to Strengthen Performance; Establishes Stand-Alone China Business

As Ford Motor Company repositions its global business for long-term success, China is elevated as a stand-alone business unit, reporting directly to global headquarters Anning Chen returns to Ford and is named president and CEO of Ford China, a newly-created position focused on leading China’s turnaround plan, reporting to Jim Farley, president global markets Peter… Continue reading Ford Reorganizes Asia Pacific Markets to Strengthen Performance; Establishes Stand-Alone China Business

Here’s what Tesla Autopilot can see with the new v9 neural net

Some of our favorite Tesla hackers are back at it with new footage to help us understand what Autopilot can see with the new neural net that Tesla deployed in its version 9 software update. Earlier this summer, we already had a rare look at what Tesla Autopilot can see and interpret from Tesla hackers ‘verygreen’ and DamianXVI.… Continue reading Here’s what Tesla Autopilot can see with the new v9 neural net

Elon Musk says Tesla will eliminate some interior options for Models S and X

Mike Blake | Reuters
Newly manufactured Tesla vehicles are placed on transport trailers from a large inventory of newly made vehicles in Burbank, California, August 24, 2018.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday the company will eliminate some interior design options for the Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle to simplify production at Tesla's assembly factory.

The Model X is the company's most complex vehicle in production today, in part because it has unusual falcon wing doors. Customers have had the option to configure the interior of Model X with six or seven seats and a number of options for upholstery, wood and headliner materials.

Musk, who announced the news over Twitter, said some options won't be available after Nov. 1. “Order now to be sure of the one you want,” he said.

He's previously said the company may have been too ambitious when it designed the Model X, and intentionally adopted a simpler design for the subsequent Model 3 mid-sized sedan in order to help speed production.

Tesla has historically struggled to meet Musk's aggressive production targets. The company had planned to reach a Model 3 production rate of 5,000 cars per week by the end of 2017, but did not hit that target until the end of June 2018.

Shares of Tesla were up more than 12 percent Tuesday afternoon after a noted short seller, Andrew Left of Citron Research, said he's changed his mind and is investing in the company's stock. “Tesla is destroying the competition,” Left said in a research note.

The electric car maker reports third-quarter earnings after the bell Wednesday.

Nissan LEAF Is Germany’s First V2G-Approved Electric Car

3 H BY MARK KANE But is there a market for V2G already? Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) is the concept that enables bi-directional energy flow between an electric car and the electric grid (or building), which at scale could enable cars to become disposable energy storage systems (while connected) to help the grid at peak demand or emergency… Continue reading Nissan LEAF Is Germany’s First V2G-Approved Electric Car

UPDATE 3-Dyson chooses Singapore over Britain to build electric car

LONDON (Reuters) – James Dyson, the billionaire British inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has chosen to build his electric car in Singapore to be close to Asian customers, supply chains and a highly skilled workforce. The 71-year-old entrepreneur, who backed Brexit in the 2016 referendum, already manufactures products such as hair dryers, air purification… Continue reading UPDATE 3-Dyson chooses Singapore over Britain to build electric car

Tesla teardown redux, smaller fast chargers, dirty battery manufacturing: Today’s Car News

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

Munro & Associates teardown of Tesla Model 3 [Autoline]
A much-publicized Tesla teardown from earlier in the year reveals some lessons and missed opportunities. Battery manufacturing happens to be in places with dirty power sources. And DC fast chargers have the potential to downsize. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

The teardown (disassembly) analysis of a Tesla Model 3 earlier this year reached some conclusions about building this mass-production electric sedan and why its ramp-up has been so difficult. It seems that Tesla chief executive offiicer Elon Musk agrees with some of the points made.

Mercedes-Benz will be looking at real-world use patterns of leased GLC F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as part of a new test trial in Germany.

A new DC fast-charger design can be mounted on a pole, with a small footprint like a Level 2 charger. With reduced installation costs, better efficiency, and the potential for scalability, is it the future of fast charging?

Battery manufacturing itself may have more associated air pollution than previously thought. The problem, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is that battery production is focused in parts of the world with dirty energy generation—including China, Thailand, Germany, and Poland.

Ford has become the first automaker to test autonomous vehicle technology in Washington, D.C.—a clear sales pitch to lawmakers.

And Jaguar looked to guide dogs for help in developing its pedestrian warning sound in the new I-Pace electric crossover.