StoreDot announces the availability of its first-generation 5-minute charge battery engineering samples. This represents a significant milestone for the company in its mission to eliminate the range and charging anxiety of electric vehicles, demonstrating the commercial viability of XFC batteries for the first time via a small form-factor battery cell.

Trade association LEVA-EU, the sole voice for the light electric vehicle sector in Europe, says companies that solely assemble e-bikes are confronted with discrimination that is threatening their existence. The discrimination makes it almost impossible to start up new companies and could severely hinder the EU's net-zero emissions target.

Redefining sustainability, THE LINE will comprise carbon-positive urban developments powered by 100% clean energy, providing pollution-free, healthier and more sustainable environments for residents. Mixed-use communities will be built around nature, instead of over it.

Cruise and General Motors announced they have entered a long-term strategic relationship with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles. The companies will bring together their software and hardware engineering excellence, cloud computing capabilities, manufacturing know-how and partner ecosystem to transform transportation.

PACCAR and Aurora have signed a global, strategic agreement to develop, test and commercialize autonomous Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks. This collaboration will integrate PACCAR's autonomous vehicle platform with the Aurora Driver to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of PACCAR's customers.

The Global EV Battery Technologies & Management Systems 2021 was held online from 12-13th Jan 2021. The event hosted speakers from OEMs, tier 1 suppliers and more. Key topics addressed were the challenges to electric vehicle (EV) adoption with a focus towards fast charging and thermal management.

Range anxiety, the fear of running out of power before being able to recharge an electric vehicle, may be a thing of the past, according to a team of engineers who are looking at lithium iron phosphate batteries that have a range of 250 miles with the ability to charge in 10 minutes.

Flexitricity and ev.energy have partnered with an intent to register the first domestic electric vehicle aggregated unit in the Balancing Mechanism. Utilising ev.energy's smart charging platform with over 10,000 electric vehicle assets, Flexitricity will be able to trade this domestic flexibility as a Virtual Lead Party.

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For 6G communications, the upload/ download of maximum reach is satellites. Here the incumbent, geosynchronous equatorial orbit GEO at around 35k km compete with the new arrival, low earth orbit satellites LEO at 160-2000km vs only 20km for communications drones.

The new IDTechEx report, "Transparent Electronics Materials, Applications, Markets 2021-2041", describes a market increasing fivefold from 2021-2031. By 2041 it will be over $23 billion.

CPI announced its participation in a collaborative project - termed the Quantum Sensors project - to develop sensors for revolutionising quality assessment and battery grading in the manufacturing line. This project will advance electric vehicle battery manufacturing in the UK and overcome cost barriers to enable the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

The BMW Group has now increased the number of electrified vehicles (fully-electric and plug-in hybrid) in its line-up to 13 models, available in 74 markets around the globe. The BMW Group plans to virtually double the number of electrified vehicles it offers to 25 models by 2023: More than half of these will be fully electric.

Nornickel announces that it is joining the Responsible Sourcing Blockchain Network, an industry collaboration among members across the minerals supply chain using blockchain technology to support responsible sourcing and production practices from mine to market.

UK Power Networks Services announced that it is undertaking detailed modelling and analysis of Port of Tyne's electricity network, which will enable the port to begin its journey to decarbonisation through electrification.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), organized by the Consumer Technology Association, is the biggest consumer electronics event in the world. Vehicle technology has become an increasingly important topic at CES: from concept cars to production-ready vehicles, from components to infrastructure, from sensors to the fully autonomous driving solutions. This IDTechEx premium article summarizes trends and announcements from the electric vehicle and autonomous mobility keynotes held virtually this year.

Fiber optic backhaul is fine for most of 5G but the intended wider deployment and greater granularity and reach of 6G will call for much greater deployment of free space optical FSO and GHz links with only modest changes to the end transceivers incurred.

General Motors has announced a new business, BrightDrop, which will offer an ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software and services to empower delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently.

Drones are the key technology of the coming two decades. They are used in many different aspects of industry, and commercial use of this technology has never been higher.