The UK may not yet be in Norway’s EV league, but it is steadily moving to electrify its transport networks. A couple of weeks ago Albion announced plans to fund 484 new electric buses in 10 regions of England.

Now the Scots, not to be outdone by their southern neighbors, have confirmed £45 million in new funding under the third round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3). This pot of gold will support the deployment of 334 zero-emission vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.

All projects will be funded by a combination of public and private cash. Fleet operators will collectively contribute over £163 million, and public funding complemented by private investment contributions will come to over £118 million.

The ScotZEB3 allocation marks the final round of direct capital funding from the Scottish government aimed at helping large bus operators to electrify their fleets. Since 2020, cumulative investment through ScotZEB and the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) has reached £154 million, enabling the deployment of around 800 buses and related infrastructure.

The ScotZEB3 programme will deliver 227 buses and 107 coaches to several fleet operators:

• Rock Road will procure 14 Alexander Dennis double-deck buses, along with 69 single-deck units from Alexander Dennis and 10 from Wrightbus.
• First Bus will repower 15 double-deck buses, and acquire 22 new double-deck vehicles from Yutong.
• Ember will procure 100 Yutong coaches.
• Stagecoach will introduce 7 coaches, 21 single-deck buses and 16 double-deck buses, all from Yutong.
• Lothian will add 60 double-deck buses, built by Volvo/Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus.

“This final investment of £45 million from the Scottish Government through ScotZEB3 signals our commitment to a zero-emission future for Scotland’s bus sector,” said Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop. “Since 2020, we have invested over £154 million in zero-emission buses and infrastructure. With every £1 of public funding leveraging over £2.50 of private investment, ScotZEB3 has demonstrated that government and industry can work together to deliver transformative climate action.”

Source: Transport Scotland via Sustainable Bus

Iskraemeco eMobility, a European provider of EV charging solutions, has released a new-generation modular DC fast charging station.

The iFC240 is an all‑in‑one DC fast charger designed for public networks, commercial fleets and high‑demand charging corridors.

Configurations range from 120 kW to 240 kW, and the modular structure of the iFC240 is designed to enable operators to scale power or integrate additional features with minimal downtime.

Features include:

• CCS2 connector
• 15-inch sunlight‑readable display
• DC MID meter, ensuring precise energy measurement for billing and regulatory compliance
• Support for OCPP backend communication and RFID authentication
• Optional Plug & Charge capability
• Integrated load management
• Integration with Iskraemeco eMobility Datalink, a scalable platform for real‑time monitoring, analytics, network optimization and marketing management.

Source: Iskraemeco eMobility

Global Battery Materials Corp. (GBM) has shipped its first graphite samples to a US customer for qualification and opened a new processing lab in Quebec—two milestones the company says demonstrate its ability to build a North American graphite supply chain outside of Chinese production.

The samples came from GBM’s Kearney Mine in Ontario, one of North America’s only prior-producing natural graphite assets and one of the largest flake graphite deposits on the continent. The customer, not named in the announcement, will use the samples for qualification testing—a standard step before any commercial supply agreement is signed.

The GBM Graphite Lab in Quebec is designed to purify and upgrade natural graphite from raw ore, demonstrating carbon content of up to 97% at lab scale. The facility is ISO 9001 certified and can simulate full graphite plant processes. It’s managed by Benoit Briere, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the natural graphite industry. GBM describes itself as vertically integrated, combining the Ontario mine with patented anode processing technology validated at a pilot plant in South Korea. A mass anode production site in North America is planned as the next step.

“North America has very limited capacity to process critical minerals like graphite, and this announcement marks an important step in urgently closing this gap,” said Eric Miller, CEO of GBM. “Our lab-scale operations in Quebec are already producing graphite samples for qualifying customers, proving our ability to move quickly and meet urgent local demand.”

Graphite is the dominant active material in lithium-ion battery anodes, and both US and Canadian policy has prioritized developing domestic sources. China controls the vast majority of global graphite mining and anode material processing—a supply concentration that has pushed battery makers to seek alternatives.

Source: Global Battery Materials

Peak Nano and Advanced Conversion have announced a partnership to co-develop DC-link capacitor solutions engineered specifically for 800 V+ SiC inverter systems in electric vehicles and e-mobility platforms. Advanced Conversion is a wholly owned subsidiary of ETI, based in Clearwater, Florida.

The collaboration pairs Peak Nano’s NanoPlex LDF (Low Dissipation Factor) capacitor film with Advanced Conversion’s Power Ring capacitor platform. NanoPlex LDF maintains a dissipation factor below 0.0004 up to 150 °C—headroom that conventional biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film can’t match, as BOPP-based designs require significant derating at the temperatures typical in high-power SiC inverters. The Power Ring platform tackles the other key constraint: commutation loop inductance. Its ultra-low inductance architecture reduces voltage overshoot at SiC switching events, letting inverter designers avoid the derating and oversizing that higher-inductance capacitor packages typically force.

DC-link capacitors sit between the battery bus and the inverter in an EV powertrain, smoothing voltage ripple and absorbing switching transients. SiC MOSFETs switch far faster than the silicon IGBTs they replace, which drives both higher dV/dt and more heat into the capacitor—well beyond what BOPP-based designs were built to handle.

“Engineers designing 800 V+ inverter systems shouldn’t have to derate, oversize, or add cooling just so their capacitors can keep up,” said Edward Sawyer, CEO of Advanced Conversion. Peak Nano CEO Jim Welsh said the partnership “puts the right film and the right manufacturing platform together for the first time,” targeting “a new benchmark for DC-link performance in e-mobility on land, sea and air.”

Target applications include Formula E and high-performance automotive, electric buses and heavy trucks, off-highway vehicles and electrified aviation. Advanced Conversion’s US-based manufacturing positions the combined solution as a domestic supply chain option. Initial product releases are planned for late 2026.

Source: Peak Nano

Energy technology company Everged has launched a turnkey solution designed to help EV charging site hosts replace broken, outdated, out-of-warranty or unsupported charging stations with new equipment at zero up-front cost.

As is typical in the early years of any new technology, the EV charging industry has seen not only rapid technological change, but also waves of consolidation and bankruptcies among EVSE manufacturers and providers. First-generation chargers were often installed with no clear plan for future maintenance. Many site hosts find themselves with chargers that are non-functional for one reason or another, and that now need to be replaced at great expense.

With its new Zero Cost Swap Program, Everged aims to remove the financial burden of upgrading EV charging infrastructure. The company fully funds the removal, replacement, installation, activation and ongoing maintenance of new equipment.

Everged’s comprehensive, end-to-end solution includes:

• Zero CapEx—all hardware and installation costs are covered.
• Replacement of legacy or non-functional chargers with modern Level 2 or DC fast charging equipment.
• 24/7 monitoring, maintenance and driver support.
• Real-time alerts and remote diagnostics.
• Optional revenue-sharing opportunities.

“We created the Zero Cost Swap Program because it is simply unacceptable that site hosts who were innovative enough to be early adopters of EV charging infrastructure are now abandoned to navigate solutions to restore functionality,” said Jefferson Smith, CEO at Everged. “We owe them and our EV drivers a better experience.”

Source: eVerged

Silvaco has announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (APEC), a Taiwan-based developer of silicon and silicon carbide power devices. APEC has made a long-term commitment to Silvaco’s simulation tool suite to accelerate development of next-generation SiC devices for automotive, industrial and renewable energy applications.

APEC will deploy three Silvaco platforms: Victory Device, a 2D simulator for semiconductor process and device modeling; Gateway, which links TCAD output to circuit-level models; and SmartSpice, a SPICE simulator used for device characterization and circuit design. Together, they support Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) — iterating device physics and process parameters alongside circuit performance to hit system-level targets without burning fabrication runs. For SiC specifically, TCAD simulation is a practical necessity: SiC operates at higher electric fields and wider bandgaps than silicon, making device physics harder to predict empirically, and the cost of wafer-level iteration is significant. Simulation lets engineers optimize on-resistance, breakdown voltage and switching behavior before committing to process changes.

“Silvaco’s solutions are an integral part of our design flow, enabling us to explore complex device physics and optimize our SiC technologies,” said Dr. CS Chang, President of APEC. “The combination of Victory Device, Gateway, and SmartSpice provides us with a comprehensive solution that bridges the gap between process development and circuit design.”

SiC MOSFETs and Schottky barrier diodes have become the standard for high-efficiency EV inverters and DC fast chargers, where lower switching losses and higher frequency operation translate directly to smaller, lighter power electronics.

Source: Silvaco

German startup LadeSofort has launched a free platform dedicated to ad-hoc EV charging—stations that drivers can use without a contract or subscription. The service currently maps approximately 15,000 stations across Germany and neighboring countries, available as a free app on iOS and Android and at ladesofort.de.

Ad-hoc charging has been a persistent friction point for European EV drivers. Most public networks require a contract or network-specific membership, meaning a driver who doesn’t have the right account can arrive at a physically available charger and still be locked out. LadeSofort focuses exclusively on stations that require no pre-registration, pulling them into a single searchable map.

Every listing shows real-time availability, pricing (including parking and idle fees), connector types, charging power and community ratings. LadeSofort also covers smaller 11 kW and 22 kW stations at supermarkets and retail locations, chargers that often go uncatalogued in apps focused primarily on high-speed highway stops. A built-in route planner calculates optimal charging stops along any route based on vehicle range and consumption; LadeSofort offers this free, while most competing apps require a paid subscription for the same feature. A charging diary tracks sessions with CO₂ statistics.

The Lade-Wächter (fee alert) may be the platform’s most practically useful feature. It sends an automatic notification when a driver is at a station that charges parking or idle fees, with an optional reminder shortly before paid windows begin. Idle fees, charged when a car stays plugged in after the charge completes, are easy to forget and common at European public chargers.

“There are many charging apps out there — but none offers such a comprehensive view of ad-hoc charging stations as LadeSofort,” said Jan Graupner, Founder of LadeSofort. “From the small 11 kW charger at a supermarket to the fast charger on the highway, with a free route planner and fee alerts: we want to make spontaneous charging without a contract as simple as possible — whether in Germany or across the border.”

Source: LadeSofort

The FAA has published final special conditions for ZeroAvia‘s Model ZA601 electric engine, establishing the bespoke regulatory requirements the company must satisfy to certify its 600 kW propulsion system for commercial use in aircraft. The rule took effect March 18.

The ZA601 is an electric motor, controller, and high-voltage electrical system that powers the propulsion shaft in ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain. The ZA600 feeds DC power from a hydrogen fuel cell through bidirectional inverters to a direct-drive motor running at 2,200 rpm. It targets 10- to 20-seat turboprop-class aircraft certificated under Part 23 of FAA regulations.

In US aviation certification, special conditions are used when a technology has “novel or unusual design features” that existing rules don’t cover. Part 33—the FAA’s engine airworthiness standard—was written for turbine and reciprocating engines. It doesn’t address high-voltage electrical systems, motor controllers, or the failure modes specific to electric propulsion. Rather than apply rules written for fundamentally different hardware, the FAA writes bespoke requirements. Getting them finalized is a meaningful step: it defines what ZeroAvia must now prove in testing. The ZA601’s conditions cover ratings, operating limits, durability, fire protection, overspeed behavior, control systems, vibration, ingestion, containment and high-voltage electrical system safety.

The FAA proposed the conditions in January; it received no public comments and adopted them unchanged.

“Having special conditions for our electric propulsion system published by the FAA is an enormous achievement that underscores the aerospace maturity of our organization and illuminates our path forwards towards type certification,” said Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.

Full certification remains some way out. ZeroAvia has said it now targets certification of the fuel cell system alone in 2027, with the complete ZA600 powertrain potentially following up to two years after that.

Source: ZeroAvia

ROHM has added 17 CMOS operational amplifiers across two new series, TLRx728 and BD728x, targeting automotive, industrial and consumer precision applications. The lineup spans 1-channel, 2-channel and 4-channel configurations across multiple package options.

The TLRx728 achieves an input offset voltage of 150 µV (typ.), while the BD728x comes in at 1.6 mV (typ.). Both series share a noise voltage density of 12 nV/√Hz at 1 kHz and a slew rate of 10 V/µs. Rail-to-rail input and output extends the usable dynamic range to the supply rails.

In automotive and industrial signal chains, op amp offset voltage and noise floor are the primary limiters on measurement accuracy. At 150 µV (TLRx728) or 1.6 mV (BD728x) offset and a 12 nV/√Hz noise density, the series covers a range of precision requirements across sensor signal processing, current detection, motor driver control and power supply monitoring. The 10 V/µs slew rate supports fast output response, and rail-to-rail I/O is particularly useful in single-supply designs where output headroom is limited.

The devices are available now through DigiKey, Mouser and Farnell. Sample pricing starts at $2.00 per unit for 1-channel, $2.80 for 2-channel and $4.00 for 4-channel (excluding tax).

Source: ROHM

Hanon Systems is supplying a highly integrated thermal management module for electric vehicles, combining seven refrigerant-circuit components into a single 16 kg (35 lb) assembly. The module has been deployed in BMW’s fully electric iX3 SUV.

The unit integrates an eCompressor, electronic expansion valve block, water-cooled condenser, internal heat exchanger, chiller, A/C lines, and pressure and temperature sensors into one package. It dynamically regulates refrigerant flow and temperature to manage thermal demands across multiple vehicle subsystems simultaneously, including fast charging, high-performance driving and extreme weather operation. Hanon says the design reduces system complexity and packaging requirements while improving thermal performance and energy utilization, contributing to extended driving range.

EV thermal management is more demanding than in ICE vehicles because the battery introduces a third thermal system alongside cabin comfort and powertrain cooling—and all three interact. Fast charging and aggressive driving push significant heat into the battery that the refrigerant circuit has to handle in real time, while cold weather requires heating the battery efficiently without draining range. Consolidating the refrigerant-side components into a single module reduces the number of connections (each a potential refrigerant leak point) and shrinks the packaging footprint.

“Our solution transforms thermal management into an efficient and intelligent system. By unifying all critical refrigerant thermal management functions into one exceptionally compact module, we achieve savings in both packaging and materials,” said Soo Il Lee, CEO of Hanon Systems.

Source: Hanon Systems