CEC & Mobility House for CA Schools
The California Energy Commission (CEC), through its Clean Transportation Program, has granted a $2.9 million award to a project team led by The Mobility House to implement 12 bidirectional chargers at four California school locations. The project, termed “Replicable V2X Deployment For Schools (RVXDS),” will utilize school bus fleets to mitigate regional grid emergencies – especially during peak summertime windows.
The project will use replicable, open standards throughout the vehicles, hardware, and software. The Mobility House has assembled an industry-leading team of partners including World Resources Institute, Center for Transportation and the Environment, and Polara Energy USA to support Pittsburg Unified School District, Fremont Unified School District, and the Napa Unified School District.
Sigma Ships Lithium
Sigma Lithium Corporation (“Sigma Lithium” or the “Company“) (NASDAQ: SGML, BVMF: S2GM34, TSXV: SGML), a leading lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicles with carbon neutral, Quintuple Zero Green Lithium concentrate, is proud to cap off an incredible year for the Company by loading one last shipment of 22,000 tonnes of concentrate to Glencore at the Port of Vitoria. Sigma Lithium’s fifth shipment is expected to leave port by year-end.
Glencore will prepay 50% of the fifth shipment’s value upon completion of loading. The 50% prepayment reflects a provisional premium price for the Company’s unique Quintuple Zero Green Lithium concentrate.
Sigma Lithium has completed an incredible journey over the past twelve months, having gone from commissioning the crushing unit in December of 2022 on schedule and on budget, to sustaining nameplate production levels at its Greentech lithium concentrate plant in December 2023. Operating rates at these levels would support a monthly shipment cadence of roughly 22,000 tonnes through the course of 2024, annualizing approximately 270,000 tonnes of Quintuple Zero Green Lithium concentrate.
Ionic Minerals Nano-Silicon Visit
Ionic Mineral Technologies (Ionic MT), a leader in advanced battery materials, welcomed Congressman John Curtis (UT-03) this week to discuss the rapidly evolving electric vehicle battery market, the domestic minerals supply chain, and the company’s next-generation nano-silicon Ionisil™ products. Ionic MT’s proprietary nano-silicon anode material can substantially increase anode capacity by up to eight times and significantly reduce charging times. Ionic MT also showcased its new 37,000 sq ft advanced processing facility in Provo, UT. Ionic MT is collaborating closely with leading battery manufacturers to supply domestic nano-silicon, enabling the industry to meet growing demand for domestic content.
“We were honored to host Congressman Curtis at our new state-of-the-art processing facility located in Provo to showcase our company and its role in bringing critical materials to market. Our efforts help to secure America’s EV battery supply chain, enhance national security, and support economic development throughout the region,” said Andre Zeitoun, Founder and CEO of Ionic MT.
Ionic MT’s anode battery materials, Ionisil, are derived from naturally occurring deposits in Utah. With its vertically integrated production, the company is on course to supply 2,000 metric tons of nano-silicon annually by mid-2024 with significant cost advantages. Considering over 90% of the world’s anode processing and distribution occurs outside the U.S., Ionic MT is well positioned to help localize next-generation anode materials addressing range anxiety with its drop-in nano-silicon.///
No More Electric Chevy Blazers for Now
Sales of the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV are temporarily paused due to software quality issues. GM has not specified the exact nature of the issues however reviewers have noticed screens blanking.
Audi/VW/Porsche Recall
The portable 220V/240V charger that came with electric Audi and Porsche vehicles has been recalled. The charger can overheat. The cars can still be charged using other kinds of chargers and public chargers.
Dealerships will replace the 220V/240V cable and plug, free of charge. The replacement will contain a temperature sensor that can detect overheating.
Vehicles Recalled
• 2022-2024 Audi E-Tron and RS E-Tron GT sedans
• 2020-2021 Audi A8 PHEV sedans
• 2019-2024 Audi E-Tron Quattro SUVs
• 2020-2024 Audi E-Tron Sportback Quattro SUVs
• 2022-2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback SUVs
• 2021-2022 Audi A7 PHEV sedans
• 2020-2024 Audi Q5 PHEV SUVs
• 2019-2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid PHEV SUVs
• 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid PHEV SUVs
• 2020-2023 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid PHEV SUVs
• 2021-2023 Porsche Panamera 4, 4S, and Turbo S E-Hybrid PHEV sedans
• 2021-2024 Porsche Taycan sedans
• 2022-2024 Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo and Sport Turismo wagons
• 2020-2024 Porsche Taycan 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S sedans
• 2021-2024 Porsche Taycan 4S, Turbo, and Turbo S Cross Turismo wagons
• 2022-2024 Porsche Taycan GTS sedans
The problem: Plugging a Compact Charging System or Porsche Mobile Charger into an improper or overburdened 220V power outlet could cause overheating and damage the cable or the outlet.
The fix: Audi and Porsche dealerships will replace the 220V/240V charging cable with an updated cable that contains a temperature sensor. These cables are expected to be available in mid-2024, according to the automakers.
How to contact the manufacturer: Owners may contact Audi at 800-253-2834 or Porsche at 800-767-7243.
NHTSA campaign number: 23V842 for Audi, and 23V841 for Porsche. Audi’s own numbers for this recall are 93U6 and 93U8. Porsche’s number is APB6.