BERLIN—Volkswagen plans to invest 180 billion euros ($193 billion) over five years in areas including battery production and raw material sourcing in a bid to cut electric vehicle costs and protect its market share, it said on Tuesday. Over two-thirds of the company’s five-year investment budget announced on Tuesday is allocated to electrification and digitalization,…

Australian researchers have worked out how to make electricity out of thin air with the help of an enzyme that could leave batteries for dead. The hero at the centre of the Monash University discovery is a hydrogen-munching enzyme from a common bacterium found in soil. And it brings the holy grail of battery-free, air-powered personal devices…

Besides buying a house, the average person’s biggest purchase is a car. So when you go to make that large purchase, shop around. Many factors, like cost, maintenance, gas mileage, depreciation, etc., are considered. You want the best deal that will make sense financially. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the news and are touted…

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Energy Department said on Monday it had finalized a $2.5 billion low-cost loan to a joint venture of General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution to help pay for three new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities. Reuters first reported in July the planned loan to Ultium Cells LLC from the government’s Advanced Technology…

WASHINGTON—General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution Ltd said Friday they are investing another $275 million in their Tennessee joint venture battery cell plant to increase production by more than 40 percent. The new investment in the Ultium Cells Spring Hill plant will boost battery output from an annual capacity of 35 gigawatt-hours to 50…

News Analysis A Taiwanese chipmaking giant is doubling down on a sprawling factory it’s building north of Phoenix, adding to a wave of Asian investment that is boosting employment in the resurgent U.S. manufacturing sector. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Apple’s exclusive chip supplier, aims to make silicon chips using its advanced 5-nanometer production process…

BlackRock-backed battery storage company Akaysha Energy has been chosen to build a “Super Battery” in Australia’s most populous state New South Wales. Its partnership with the U.S. investment giant began in August after BlackRock invested A$1 billion (US$701 million) into the Melbourne-based energy firm. The firm already has nine projects underway across Australia, including the…

A fire outbreak at PG&E Corp.’s energy storage facility that uses battery packs made by Tesla Inc. has been fully controlled, the Monterey County sheriff’s office in California said late on Tuesday night. The shelter-in-place advisory and all road closures have also been lifted, the county sheriff’s office and the North County Fire Department said….

Battery systems can be problematic. Here, Jeff takes us through some simple yet effective battery setups while explaining how to find your power needs. – Credit: Expedition Overland – youtube.com/channel/UCiyiTqpss-ihtLHz-juFxIQ * Click the “Save” button below the video to access it later on “My List.” Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth…

FRANKFURT, Germany—German carmakers Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz struck battery materials cooperation agreements with mineral-rich Canada on Tuesday, intensifying efforts to secure access to lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The move comes as automakers roll out their electric-vehicle expansion strategies globally in a bid to challenge sector leader Tesla. These strategies depend on sufficient supplies of vital battery…