Metals recycling and refining firm Aqua Metals has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell manufacturer American Battery Factory (ABF) proposing a strategic collaboration focused on advancing the US battery materials supply chain through recycling and circular manufacturing.

The companies intend to evaluate the co-location of a commercial Aqua Metals lithium-ion battery recycling facility adjacent to ABF’s planned battery cell manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona.

The facility would be capable of processing up to 10,000 metric tons of lithium-ion battery materials annually, including manufacturing scrap and third-party feedstock.

Aqua’s AquaRefining technology replaces high-temperature furnaces and chemical-intensive hydrometallurgical processes with an electricity-powered, closed-loop system. The proposed collaboration would enable Aqua Metals to recycle lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap generated by ABF and supply battery-grade lithium carbonate back into ABF’s supply chain or to downstream partners.

By integrating recycling directly into battery manufacturing, the companies said they aim to improve cost competitiveness, reduce logistical complexity and strengthen domestic supply chain resilience.

The companies also expect to evaluate how domestic manufacturing incentives, including the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit, could further support the economic competitiveness of US-based battery materials production.

Any definitive agreements would be subject to financing, permitting, and regulatory approvals and would target the start of commercial operations in 2028, the companies said.

“This strategic collaboration reflects our belief that domestic battery recycling must be economically viable, not just environmentally preferable,” said Steve Cotton, President and CEO of Aqua Metals. “By working alongside American Battery Factory, we are evaluating a model that would keep valuable materials in circulation, support US manufacturing jobs, and offer a realistic alternative to exporting battery scrap overseas for processing methods that simply do not translate well to the United States.”

Source: Aqua Metals

Mitra EV, provider of a commercial fleet electrification platform, has closed a $27-million financing round including equity funding from lead investor Ultra Capital and a credit facility from S2G Investments. Mitra will use the new funding to expand its shared charging network, deploy additional fleet solutions, and scale its electrification model into new markets.

 “The way we structured this financing matters as much as the amount,” said James Tong, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Mitra EV. “It gives us the flexibility to deploy the right mix of vehicles, overnight charging and shared fast-charging hubs to address real fleet needs now and scale responsibly over time.”

“Commercial electric vehicles are already economical for a growing set of use cases,” the company explains. “For many fleet operators, the challenge is not whether electrification can work financially, but whether they have the time, expertise and resources to navigate the complexity of vehicles, charging, incentives and financing.”

Mitra EV offers a fully managed electrification model designed to serve both smaller and larger fleets. The offering includes no-upfront-cost leasing of EV s from OEMs including GM, Ford and Mercedes-Benz, dedicated overnight charging, and access to a network of shared DC fast charging hubs. Mitra claims to deliver immediate reductions of up to 75% in operating costs, driven by lower fueling costs and reduced maintenance.

“Fleet electrification makes economic sense when you focus on the right use cases and remove operational friction,” said Galina Russell, co-founder and CEO. “Our customers want solutions that work for their business today, not five years from now. By managing the entire process and delivering guaranteed cost savings from day one, we provide fleets with a fast path to lower operating expenses, improved reliability and advanced data on their entire fleet operation.”

“Mitra plugged directly into our existing fleet cycle—no disruptions, no heavy lift on our end,” said Jason Hanson, CEO of Sierra Pacific, a California-based home services company. “As a business owner operating a midsize, mixed fleet, I’m always looking for ways to optimize performance and reduce operating costs.”

Source: Mitra EV

AMETEK Programmable Power has appointed Transcat as its exclusive distributor, certified calibration partner, and rental provider for its programmable power and test systems portfolio across the US and South America.

AMETEK says the agreement is intended to improve product availability and delivery speed, while expanding integrated service support for regulated, test-intensive markets including automotive.

Under the agreement, Transcat will distribute AMETEK Programmable Power’s precision AC and DC power supplies, electronic loads, power subsystems, and compliance test solutions. The portfolio is sold under the Sorensen, Elgar, and California Instruments brands. Transcat will also support modular instrumentation and data acquisition systems offered through VTI Instruments.

AMETEK says Transcat will serve as its exclusive calibration partner in addition to AMETEK Programmable Power’s existing calibration services. AMETEK describes this as an option intended to provide short lead times and established service performance for customers needing calibration and compliance support for precision power and test equipment.

“Partnering with Transcat strengthens our ability to deliver faster lead times, stocked inventory, and integrated calibration, rental, and distribution services,” said Sam Hughes, Vice President – Business Unit Manager for AMETEK Programmable Power. “By combining our comprehensive power and test portfolio with Transcat’s accredited calibration expertise and technical support, we’re providing customers with a cohesive, end‑to‑end solution that simplifies access to advanced technologies and ensures dependable compliance and lifecycle performance.”

AMETEK says the distribution and service expansion targets aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, industrial, data center, and renewable energy markets. Transcat notes the partnership also aligns with its strategy to use distribution to drive calibration service and rental growth for customers operating in complex, highly regulated environments.

Source: AMETEK Programmable Power

Theft of EV charging cables is a serious problem. For thieves, cables are an attractive target, thanks to the high price of copper. For charging operators, the damage can result in expenses of thousands of dollars to repair and recommission charging stations, and weeks of lost revenue.

DeterTech, the maker of SmartWater, has partnered with Formula Space to integrate SmartWater forensic marking technology into Formula Space’s CableGuard. The goal is to deter theft and to ensure that offenders are traceable and prosecutable.

CableGuard is a patented EV cable protection system that makes cables significantly harder to cut than standard EV charging cables. Designed for quick and easy installation on both new and existing EV charging infrastructure without affecting charger performance, CableGuard is designed to act as a visible deterrent and a robust physical barrier.

In case bold thieves manage to breach this protection, SmartWater forensic liquid provides a second line of defense. When a cable is cut, it releases a powerful jet of SmartWater onto the miscreants and their tools, allowing police to identify them and connect them to the protected site. The system is already in use by EV charge point operators.

SmartWater has been available for over 30 years—Formula Space says Toyota used it to reduce catalytic converter thefts by 57%, and saw a 100% conviction rate in contested court cases.

“Our crime intelligence analysts have identified a sharp rise in EV cable theft, and we expect this trend to accelerate as charging networks expand globally,” said Gary Higgins, DeterTech’s Director of Security & Risk. “By integrating SmartWater with CableGuard, we’re giving operators a highly effective solution to protect critical assets.”

“CableGuard was developed to address the growing issue of cable theft,” said Vern Pollard, Director of Client Relations at Formula Space. “Combining it with SmartWater takes protection to the next level.”

Sources: DeterTech, Formula Space

Elevated Materials is focused on scaling production this year to meet increasing customer demand.

The company closed 2025 with record output of ultra-thin lithium metal films, shipping to more than 30 customers worldwide. It delivered more than 100 kilometers of lithium film to a single customer, which it said reflects strong market demand for high-quality, scalable lithium metal solutions.

Elevated Materials was carved out of Applied Materials in February 2025, enabled by an investment from the TPG Rise Climate Fund.

The company’s roll-to-roll vacuum deposition platforms produce ELi, its ultra-thin lithium metal films, that enable anode architectures across electric vehicles, consumer electronics, aviation and grid-scale energy storage.

“The industry has long been seeking a reliable source of high-quality, ultra-thin lithium films to improve battery performance,” said Jim Cushing, CEO of Elevated Materials. Demand has been particularly strong for lithium metal anodes, where ELi significantly improves both safety and performance.”

“As we move into 2026, Elevated Materials will continue ramping to true gigawatt-hour scale manufacturing,” Cushing added. “With accelerating customer demand, we are tripling production capacity to support the commercial battery programs of our key customers.”

Source: Elevated Materials

Commercial EV and mobile charging firm Xos has expanded its Hub lineup with three new capacity options to deliver fast mobile charging across Classes 1-2 through to heavy-duty fleet operations.

The 210 kWh, 420 kWh and 630 kWh configurations are designed to make rapid-deployment charging infrastructure accessible to fleets of all sizes and duty cycles.

The Hub platform is designed to enable simple installations to be completed in days, rather than months or years. Traditional fixed charging infrastructure often requires 6-18 months for utility interconnection and installation, Xos noted.

The entry-level 210 kWh Hub delivers an optimized, cost-effective solution for Class 1 and Class 2 vehicle applications, including delivery vans, service trucks, and light-duty commercial fleets. The model features two CCS1 charging heads that are NACS compatible, providing flexible charging for multiple vehicles per deployment cycle. The Hub is designed to make mobile charging economically viable for a broader range of fleet operators who previously faced prohibitive infrastructure costs.

The 420 kWh Hub represents a 50% capacity increase over the previous 280 kWh generation, enabling fleets to charge 15-20 commercial vehicles per cycle while maintaining the critical sub-10,000 lb weight threshold. The unit remains towable by standard 3/4-ton pickup trucks without requiring a commercial driver’s license. The 420 kWh variant has four CCS1 charging heads and expanded cable configurations, delivering higher throughput while maintaining portability and ease of relocation.

The 630 kWh Hub configuration addresses medium-duty and heavy-duty electric trucks that require substantial energy in the same compact form factor as lower-capacity variants. This enables fleet operators to deploy maximum charging capability in space-constrained environments, while maintaining full portability for seasonal or project-based operations.

For the largest fleet operations, the Hub’s modular design enables up to 10 units to be connected using a single tie to the grid, providing total capacity exceeding 6 MWh. This scalable architecture allows fleet operators to expand charging capacity as their electric fleet grows, while using a single utility interconnection point to minimize infrastructure costs and complexity.

All three Hub configurations will hold UL 9540 A certification in 2026. When deployed as permanent infrastructure, the Hub delivers DC fast charging capability without the need for trenching, electrical service upgrades, and extended permitting timelines.

Xos plans to start customer deliveries of all three capacity options during the first quarter.

“We are expanding charging access, supporting diverse fleet types, and making it more flexible to rapidly deploy charging infrastructure as the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow every year,” said Aldan Shank, Director of Mobile Charging Products at Xos. “The expanded Hub lineup reflects direct feedback from fleet operators who need solutions tailored to their specific operational requirements. By offering three distinct configurations at competitive price points, we’re removing the barriers that have prevented many fleets from transitioning to electric.”

Source: Xos

CharIN has validated comemso’s EVCA (Electric Vehicle Communication Analyzer and Simulator) as a Conformance Test System for DC EVSE (Charging System Basic and Extended) under the CharIN Conformance Testing System (CCTS) program. comemso reports that this validation matters because it is intended to confirm standard-compliant, reproducible test results that support interoperability across different laboratory configurations.

According to comemso, the CCTS validation confirms that the EVCA provides “reliable, reproducible and comparable test results, regardless of the laboratory configuration.” The validation scope includes verifying system performance and correct implementation of relevant test cases as defined by CharIN.

The validated test coverage includes IEC 61851-1, IEC 61851-23, DIN 70121, ISO 15118-2, and ISO 15118-3. The system covers the official CharIN test cases specified in the CharIN Umbrella Documents for DC EVSE (Basic and Extended).

The EVCA is designed for manufacturers and testing laboratories working on DC charging systems and interoperability, with additional offerings beyond conformance test libraries. comemso says it also provides solutions and fully automated functions for advanced interoperability testing, aimed at analysis, error localization, and verification in development, commissioning and field service.

Source: comemso

EV charging provider Emobi has closed a $3.4-million seed funding round led by Florida Funders. The company will use the new capital to support the expansion of its proprietary seamless EV charging solution, JustPlug.

EV drivers badly need a seamless charging system like the one Tesla drivers have long enjoyed. The good news is that help is on the way. The ISO 15118 standard enables (among other things) a feature called Plug & Charge, which handles authentication and payment automatically—drivers simply plug in and walk away.

The bad news is that not all EV models support Plug & Charge, and several charging experts have told Charged that a substantial amount of work remains to be done before the system comes into widespread use.

Emobi says: “The majority of existing chargers and vehicles lack the necessary hardware and firmware to support traditional Plug & Charge functionality, leaving about 80% of chargers and vehicles unable to adopt this capability. JustPlug removes this long-standing barrier by extending Plug & Charge functionality across both modern and legacy infrastructure.”

Emobi’s JustPlug “enables secure, automatic EV charging with no special hardware, software or setup required.” It uses ISO 15118 digital certificate infrastructure for cloud-based authentication.

Emobi plans to market its JustPlug system through partnerships with automakers, fleets and charging operators. The company says it’s now doing pilot programs with 3 of the top 10 EV automakers in North America. The company has also partnered with infrastructure providers Flipturn, ElectricFish and Curo.

“For over a decade, the EV industry has promised seamless charging but drivers are still fumbling with apps, RFID cards and closed ecosystems,” said Lin Sun Fa, CEO of Emobi. “We’re not waiting for another round of network upgrades or regulatory alignment—JustPlug breaks that stalemate.”

Source: Emobi

Midwestern Wheels, a licensee of Avis Budget Group, is working with EV charging provider ChargePoint to deliver EV charging to its rental car customers and local residents.

New public charging hubs at Midwestern Wheels’ airport and local market rental car branches in Appleton and Madison, Wisconsin are open to the public.

Multiple stations feature the ChargePoint Omni Port, the company’s adaptable charging solution that allows any new EV to be charged without adapters. All stations are managed by the new ChargePoint Platform, ChargePoint’s next-generation software solution.

“By opening their chargers up to the public, Midwestern Wheels has maximized utilization and accelerated their return on investment while increasing their brand awareness in the local community,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO at ChargePoint. “Midwestern Wheels’ deployment of ChargePoint solutions, particularly our Omni Port, has futureproofed their infrastructure by ensuring its customers and communities can charge when and where they need to, without having to dedicate parking spaces to specific EV connector types.”

“As EV adoption continues, we have created a unique win-win experience by offering EV charging to the public and our rental car customers in addition to our internal fleet charging needs,” said Bill Wallschlaeger, President, Midwestern Wheels. “Our Appleton and Madison charging stations not only simplify the process for our rental EVs, but will serve public EV drivers in each community.”

Source: ChargePoint

Emerson has released an updated version of NI Nigel AI technology for its NI LabVIEW+ Suite. This iteration of Nigel AI introduces code completion and contextual awareness of test projects and local hardware to further accelerate test development. Nigel AI is available through the LabVIEW+ Suite, a complete set of purpose-built tools created to aid test engineers with built-in expertise at their fingertips.

Nigel AI now has a code completion feature that suggests several next-step options during development, helping engineers select the best choice for their workflow while saving programing time. Nigel AI also gains contextual awareness of NI LabVIEW projects, and the ability to review NI TestStand sequences and access local hardware, giving engineers context-rich support that can accelerate development and improve accuracy.

Additional features in this release of LabVIEW+ Suite include:

• Modern user interfaces using new web technologies in LabVIEW and TestStand.
• Improved debugging workflows in LabVIEW with better source code control integration.
• Containerization through Docker Desktop support for Windows, improving CI/CD pipelines.

“We recognize that the role of an engineer is far more than just programming,” said Rudy Sengupta, VP and General Manager, NI Test and Analytics Software. “That’s why we created the LabVIEW+ Suite, to serve test professionals in a more comprehensive and intuitive way. The suite lets engineers carry context, configurations and data with them as they switch from task to task, saving significant time and empowering them to focus on the most valuable parts of their role.”

Source: Emerson