Tesla Refinery Project Advances in Texas

Tesla is currently working on a lithium refinery project that would be coming to Corpus Christi, Texas, and it sounds like the automaker is in the final stretch of its negotiations with the authorities.

In September, we learned that Tesla has a plan to build a lithium refining facility on the Gulf Coast of Texas. At the time, all we knew was that Tesla was planning on moving fast with hope to start building in Q4 2022.

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Redwood To Supply Cathode Materials To Panasonic

Guy Youngs
Guy Youngs

Panasonic Energy said it has agreed to purchase cathode active materials and copper foil for lithium-ion batteries from Redwood Materials.  The recycled cathode active materials will be used to manufacture batteries in the company’s new $4 billion factory located in De Soto, Kansas, starting in 2025, and the recycled copper foil will be used to make batteries at Panasonic’s facility in Sparks, Nevada, starting in 2024.

Recycling and a localizing supply chain are both essential to make the best use of limited natural resources,” said Kazuo Tadanobu, President and CEO of Panasonic Energy, in a press release.

This may amount to 50% of the cost of the battery and add around 900 new workers to Redwood Materials workforce once in full scale production

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BorgWarner To Produce Vehicle Batteries in Brazil

BorgWarner said it will start producing battery systems for electric vehicles in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil, by Q1 2023 with declared annual capacity of 1,000 electric units.

The plant in Piracicaba formerly belonged to Delphi and was acquired by BorgWarner in 2020. The plant will receive a production line from Akasol, another company acquired by BorgWarner.

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Alternative Power Report, December 2022

Read the expanded December 20222 Alternative Power Report produced by PSR’s Guy Youngs and other analysts at Power Systems Research. This month’s report includes articles on increased battery production in the US., Tesla’s plans for a recycling plant in Texas, increased merger activity in the EV Light/Medium commercial vehicle segment and new power sources being developed for cargo ships.

DATAPOINT: North America Terminal Tractors

Estimated 2022 Production: 3,800 Units

3,800 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Terminal Tractors to be produced in North America (United States) in 2022. Terminal Tractors are specialized heavy duty vehicles designed to move loads at container ports and container terminals. Generally, they are slow moving (under 30km/h) and employ a high torque diesel engine and 4×4 wheel drive which enables them to move very heavy trailer loads, sometimes up to 200 or 300 tons. PSR

Growth of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H-ICE)

Hydrogen ICE vehicles offer an alternative to traditional gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles and have the potential to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. These vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and more automakers are starting to offer hydrogen-powered options in their vehicle lineups.

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China To Push Adoption of New Energy CVs

CHINA REPORT
Jack Hao
Jack Hao

Pilot cities must embrace EVs in official vehicles, public transport, taxis, sanitation, postal express, urban logistics, airport vehicles, aiming to achieve 80% NEV proportion by 2025. A balanced and efficient charging infrastructure must be established, with public charging piles proportional to NEV promotion, and 10% charging facilities in expressway service areas.

Innovation in tech, green energy supply, and new information/communication networks must be applied to efficiently integrate NEVs with power grids and other fields. Innovations such as intelligent charging, high-power charging, rapid power change have been expanded, and vehicle-network integration verified.

Source: The QQ     Read The Article

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WEG Building Plant for EV Batteries in Brazil

Brazilian WEG has announced plans for a new 6,000 m2 plant in Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, to produce battery packs for EVs. With the investment, the annual capacity will be 1 GWh in battery packs. WEG plans a highly automated plant, with 140 direct employees; WEG’s timeline calls for completion of the plant in 1H 2024.

Source: Automotive Business    Read The Article

PSR Analysis: WEG aims to supply EV production for OEMs located in Brazil. With strong background in drives and industrial electrical components, WEG could be a natural selection for many OEMs in Brazil.    PSR

Fabio Ferraresi is Director of Business Development-South America for Power Systems Research

Alternative Power Report, May 2023

The May issue of the Alternative Power Report produced by Power Systems Research contains several articles that discuss plans for production of alternative power sources. These include articles on VW’s plans to build its largest battery factory in Canada, Cummins decision to invest $1 billion in a hydrogen fuel network plus a report Caterpillar and NMG joining forces.