CEC Rural Charging Funding
The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved $2.5 Million for the first phase of a two-phase, $27 Million “Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals” (REDWDS) grant for the “Rural Electrification And Charging Technology” (REACT) project to deploy charging technology on farms and at other rural locations that is responsive to dynamic grid signals.
Incentives from the grant will help customers to transition their on-farm fleets to the Monarch MK-V, the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, and other electric vehicles–together, Electric Farm Vehicles (EFV)–by reducing the cost to deploy charging infrastructure while responding to dynamic prices and participating in demand response programs will increase customers’ financial returns on investing in electrification. The grant also helps to fund Gridtractor and Monarch software systems and customer success teams that will help customers to manage charging in response to grid signals while prioritizing the work that their tractors and vehicles need to do.
Vehicle-to Everything, EVSE and charge management technology developed by consortium partners under ‘On Farm Mobile Microgrids,’ a second CEC-funded project, will enable customers to not only charge at the most beneficial times but export power to the grid or local loads when energy is scarce or expensive, greatly expanding their financial opportunities and the value provided to the grid and the state.
The consortium will not only help customers respond to the existing slate of rates and programs, but will also work to increase and improve them. Valley Clean Energy, whose successful AgFIT pilot led regulators to initiate a large, statewide expansion of dynamic rates, will engage with Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) to help them develop win-win programs for their members and participating customers.
CAMX Cathodes for Panasonic
– CAMX Power LLC (CAMX) and Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Energy), a Panasonic Group Company, announce that Panasonic Energy has taken a license from CAMX to the latest GEMX® platform of cathode active material for lithium-ion batteries.
The GEMX® platform is based on fundamental inventions of CAMX for which more than 30 patents have been granted globally, including the US, EU, Korea, Japan and China. The GEMX inventions, through molecular engineering, place cobalt, aluminum, etc. at the critical places of the cathode particles resulting in the use of less cobalt, yet with greater stability, higher performance and lower cost for all classes of nickel-based cathode materials including high-manganese. Its derivative products have been branded as gNMC®, gNMCA®, gNCA®, and gLNO®.
Denali EVs at Dealers
The Denali of EVs is here. Customers can now purchase the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 from dealers across the country. This all-electric pickup offers 440 miles of GM-estimated range1, GMC-exclusive CrabWalk3 mode, MultiPro MidGateTM and 10,000 pounds max towing4, combining true truck capability with EV performance.
“Alongside the HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV, GMC is now the only brand with three electric trucks,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick and GMC. “The Sierra EV is the ‘Denali of EVs’ and the best truck ever made. Period.”
To bring customers the best EV truck experience possible, GMC’s engineers used both state-of-the-art virtual techniques as well decades of real-world experience. General Motors’ electric pickup program, which includes the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, was developed and tested for 17.5 million virtual miles and the equivalent of nearly a million real world road miles.
Features include:
Next-gen power
- GM-estimated range of 440 miles (640 km) on a full charge
- GM-estimated 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque in Max Power mode2
- Onboard Power Station Pro turns Sierra EV Denali into a mobile power source, with up to 10.2kW of off-board power that can be used in a variety of situations5
- 800 Volt DC public fast charging-capable at up to 350kW, enabling up to 100 miles of range in approximately 10 minutes6
Purposeful technology
- 16.8-inch-diagonal freeform infotainment touchscreen — the largest ever in a Sierra
- Trailering-capable available Super Cruise7 hands-free driver assistance technology. This technology is expected to be available on about 750,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada by the end of 2025.
- Customizable drive modes, including Max Power mode, which enables 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 4.5 seconds2 (GM estimate)
- Air Ride Adaptive Suspension that both enables a more comfortable ride as well as the ability to raise or lower the truck by approximately 2 inches
- EV-enabled propulsion technologies including Regen on Demand Braking, One-Pedal Driving8 and 4-Wheel Steer with CrabWalk3
“Grille-to-gate” versatility
- Versatility and next-generation GMC functional design enabled by Ultium Platform
- GMC-first MultiPro MidGate™ expandable bed offers room for hauling longer items nearly 11 feet in length, while still leaving room for a rear-seat passenger
- eTrunk™ increases cargo room capability with lockable, weatherproof compartment at the front of the vehicle
- Up to 10,000 lbs. max towing capacity4
Luxury appointments
- Premium materials including grain-matched open-pore wood (including a wood veneer wireless induction charger9), dark aluminum accents, etched stainless steel speaker covers and more that customers have come to expect from the Denali name
- Bold, all-new design features including a panoramic fixed glass roof and 24-inch wheels
- A sleek, modern interior crafted with exceptional attention to detail — from seat stitching that invokes the bold lines of the truck’s profile to a streamlined dashboard — lays the foundation for the future of the brand.
SOURCE: GMC
LG Energy Battery Diagnostics
– LG Energy Solution announced today that it is venturing into the battery safety diagnostics software business. With interest in the safety of EVs at an all-time high, the company has decided to explore new business opportunities and provide the best customer value not only in battery manufacturing but also in BMS (Battery Management System) solutions, promoting the safe use of batteries.
- Safety diagnostics software detects battery defects with an accuracy rate of over 90%
LG Energy Solution boasts unrivaled technological leadership in the battery safety diagnosis sector with its BMS design capabilities and empirical battery data gathered over 20 years.
With over 8,000 BMS-related patents, the company has developed a safety diagnostics software based on empirical data obtained by disassembling and analyzing more than 130,000 battery cells and 1,000 battery modules. This reliable software has already been applied to more than 100,000 EVs, recording an impressive detection accuracy rate of more than 90%.
Based on its leading technological prowess, LG Energy Solution’s safety diagnostics software analyzes various battery defects including voltage drop during charging, battery tab failure, micro internal short circuit, abnormal degradation, abnormal discharge, deviation in specific cell capacity, and excessive lithium precipitation.
Until now, most battery diagnostics software solutions were based on technologies developed by predicting virtual conditions, leading to low accuracy when applied in real environments.
- Software preemptively detects abnormal signs that could lead to potential future issues
The growing interest in the safe use of EVs highlights the importance of developing a sophisticated battery condition management, prompting automakers to pay more attention to the BMS’ ability to effectively measure and analyze battery information and detect various problems in advance.
LG Energy Solution’s safety diagnostics software, which will be mounted on the automotive BMS, will provide functions that preemptively diagnose various battery abnormalities. In fact, it is already being applied to vehicles from nine global automakers.
Based on a safety diagnosis detection accuracy rate of over 90%, the software can detect and alert abnormal signs indicating potential future issues, such as thermal incidents, in advance, ensuring driver safety and peace of mind. In addition, LG Energy Solution’s software is receiving attention for its compatibility with EVs equipped with batteries from other manufacturers.
LG Energy Solution has decided to expand its safety diagnostics software business in collaboration with global automakers based on its proven safety diagnosis accuracy and accumulated technological prowess.
“Although automakers are starting to shift their attention to safety diagnosis technology, it takes time and resources to develop and apply reliable software,” said Hyuksung Chung, Vice President of the Business Development Group at LG Energy Solution. “LG Energy Solution has already developed diagnostics software with capabilities that overwhelm the competition. Backed by various battery patents and vast amounts of empirical data, this leading vehicle software can be applied to an automotive BMS today. This move aligns with our commitment to actively collaborate with our clients to ensure EV batteries are safe to use.”
- Precise diagnosis and degradation prediction with 1% range error rate
In addition to a safety diagnosis function, LG Energy Solution has developed a technology that precisely diagnoses and predicts battery degradation.
Through this technology, the software can predict a battery’s future capacity and degradation based on data gathered on various information such as driving patterns. Based on LG Energy Solution’s expertise in battery electrochemistry, the software has applied a battery physics model which includes various and complex degradation mechanisms such as lithium precipitation and degradation of cathode and anode.
The software also diagnoses battery conditions more accurately by continuously upgrading its algorithms via AI computing technology. By continuously applying and supplementing battery cell information from various EVs to the algorithm, the error rate of battery degradation diagnosis has been reduced to the 1% range, top-level in the industry.
In addition, LG Energy Solution is using cloud technology to analyze vast amounts of battery data in real time, with data from a total of 12,000 vehicles analyzed as of last year.
Also, BMS software optimized for SDVs (Software Defined Vehicle) is being developed to target the future mobility era, where vehicles will become lifestyle platforms. By utilizing the vehicle’s SoC (System-on-Chip) computing performance, computational capabilities can be enhanced and more sophisticated battery algorithms can be implemented. This will also unlock new battery services for customers by utilizing information obtained directly from the vehicle.
LG Energy Solution has been working to strengthen its BMS capabilities in recent years through various collaborative efforts, including its cooperation with Qualcomm Technologies to develop advanced BMS diagnostic solutions based on SoC, and an MOU with Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a global semiconductor leader, for the supply of high-performance battery management integrated circuit and joint technology development.
“We will continue to provide irreplaceable and differentiated customer value, not only in battery manufacturing but also in the field of BMS solutions to ensure the highest levels of safety and performance,” said David Kim, CEO of LG Energy Solution.
California American Water announced its partnership with Paired Power, a leading U.S. solar microgrid manufacturer, to deliver resilient renewable energy to its company’s San Diego District electric vehicles without relying on the grid.
The company recently installed Paired Power’s PairTree, a U.S.-made solar canopy that combines solar power with available grid power and battery storage to deliver day or night charging for electric vehicles. As a fully resilient source of electricity, PairTree can also provide emergency backup power during grid outages and help reduce dependence on the grid.
EV Connect & BlueSnap
To streamline the global expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in preparation for a projected 1.5 billion charging sessions by 2026, EV Connect, a leading EV charging business platform, today announced a strategic partnership with BlueSnap, the payment orchestration platform of choice for businesses around the world. The collaboration introduces a streamlined payment processing solution, providing charge point operators (CPOs) and charging network operators access to top-tier payment services, transaction underwriting, and exclusive benefits. The BlueSnap integration is available through the EV Connect white label solution or via the API platform, accommodating charging operations of all sizes.
Through integration with BlueSnap, network operators that leverage the EV Connect platform will experience a streamlined onboarding and implementation process that enables rapid deployment and shortens the time needed to collect revenue. EV Connect platform customers also unlock preferred pricing models with reduced processing fees and personalized concierge service as standard from support to implementation at no additional cost
“Through our collaboration with EV Connect, we are establishing a new standard for the charging industry that makes premium payment processing simple and accessible,” said Henry Helgeson, CEO at BlueSnap. “Our joint endeavor goes beyond mere transactions—it’s about empowering businesses of all sizes with the tools to compete globally and to unlock their full revenue potential. By removing growth limitations, we’re not just facilitating payments; we’re catalyzing innovation and driving economic progress across diverse markets. Together, we are reshaping the intersection of EV infrastructure and financial technology.”
In addition to advanced technical support and customizable payment solutions, the collaboration with BlueSnap offers API-level integration into existing business systems. As such, EV Connect and BlueSnap reduce operational complexity and deliver advanced features like real-time fraud detection and multi-currency processing to simplify payment processing. EVBOLT, an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) hardware manufacturer, exemplifies the benefits of this integration, using the enhanced capabilities to deliver powerful, scalable turnkey EV charging solutions to a wide range of businesses.
“As a company committed to the highest-quality EVSE, this collaboration between EV Connect and BlueSnap allows us to spin up charging sites with far fewer hurdles compared to the typical onboarding and approval process, and that alone is incredibly valuable,” said Ali Haider, strategic business development, at EVBOLT “In addition to the reduced fees through BlueSnap and the advanced features of the EV Connect platform, the support these two platforms provide together helps us greatly enhance our operations and improve the experience of our EV driver customers.”
EV Connect equips charging networks with a comprehensive suite of tools to manage the entire financial life cycle of EV charging. From establishing pricing strategies to streamlining billing processes, facilitating seamless payments, and managing revenue sharing with relevant stakeholders, the EV Connect platform empowers charging networks to optimize financial performance and drive growth in the evolving EV charging landscape.
“The premium features now offered by EV Connect and BlueSnap were once exclusive to high-volume charging businesses, but this strategic collaboration allows our customers to take advantage of preferred pricing and dedicated account management,” said Bassem Ammouri, Chief Operating Officer at EV Connect. “The goal is to grow the availability of EV charging worldwide by removing as many barriers to entry as possible. For the large networks, this means powerful integration options and deep support. For the smaller networks, this means streamlining and accelerating revenue collection, regardless of transaction volume. Ultimately, this partnership empowers businesses of all sizes to focus on core operations and accelerating growth, which is what the EV