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

US-based silicon battery anode developer Amprius Technologies has formed a manufacturing partnership with lithium-ion battery developer Nanotech Energy to expand its production footprint from Asia into the US market.

Nanotech Energy is Amprius’ first US-based manufacturing partner and strengthens its ability to serve defense, aerospace, and other critical markets by providing secure, domestic production that meets stringent sourcing and compliance requirements. The partnership aligns with the recently updated National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), according to Amprius.

The partnership establishes a US supply chain for Amprius’s customers including L3Harris Technologies, which delivers end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea, and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

In recent months, Amprius and Nanotech have refined the design and manufacturing of the Amprius SA128 silicon-anode cell. The 21700 cylindrical cell has a capacity of 6.8 Ah and specific energy of 320 Wh/kg.

The contract manufacturing capacity from Nanotech increases Amprius’s global capacity beyond 2 GWh.

“Establishing a US manufacturing partner is essential to meeting the evolving requirements of our defense customers,” said Tom Stepien, CEO of Amprius. “Nanotech brings deep expertise in developing and manufacturing advanced lithium-ion cells. Their manufacturing skills and our industry-leading designs enable us to move quickly from development to production while maintaining the quality, security, and performance our customers expect.”

Source: Amprius Technologies

MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm focused on middle-market B2B industrial and specialty distribution companies, has acquired Pi Innovo from Powertrain manufacturer Dana.

MiddleGround will integrate Pi Innovo, which designs and develops open platform electronic control systems and control software for electrification, clean fuel and specialty mobility applications, into New Eagle, which it acquired in 2021. New Eagle provides hardware and software controls technology for the automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, aerospace and defense industries.

Pi Innovo’s OpenECU product portfolio includes off-the-shelf and project-specific controllers with embedded software as well as application and systems engineering services that support commercial and specialty vehicle OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers.

New Eagle’s platform focuses on mechatronic controls and supports developers with project management and supply chain coordination, its Raptor software toolchain and off-the-shelf hardware control solutions. The company’s engineering teams bring experience in designing and deploying electronic systems for EV propulsion and autonomy programs, guiding projects from initial concept through full production.

“As a long-standing partner to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in commercial transportation and specialty mobility, Pi Innovo delivers open platform, configurable ECU solutions with integrated functional safety and cybersecurity capabilities for electric vehicle charging, clean fuel propulsion, and hybrid applications—helping customers accelerate development timelines and reduce time to market,” said Adrian Carnie, Head of Business Development at Pi Innovo.

“We aim to enhance collaboration opportunities with customers in partnership with New Eagle by combining our next-generation ECU platforms with New Eagle’s flexible Raptor software toolchain and established controls capabilities. Together, we aim to broaden our range of functional safety and cybersecurity-enabled solutions, and to expand into new electrification programs, increasing the support we offer across the full lifecycle of controls development and integration,” Carnie added.

Source: MiddleGround Capital