Seattle-based Electric Era, a provider of battery-integrated electric vehicle charging solutions, has completed a rapid 54-day installation of six premium charging stalls at a Costco Wholesale warehouse in Northport, Florida. Each stall offers 200 kW capacity, capable of achieving an 80% state of charge within 20 to 60 minutes on average. The installation began with a contract agreement on April 7, 2025, permit submission by April 18, equipment arriving at the site in mid-May, and final completion—including construction, testing and inspection—by May 30, 2025.
Electric Era reports its expedited deployment timeline was possible due to its patented battery-backed architecture, which reduces peak grid input power requirements and installation complexity. According to the company, this technology reduces grid power consumption by up to 70%. Additionally, Electric Era manages engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and deployment processes internally, further contributing to shorter installation timelines.
The installed solution in Northport features three charger units, each equipped with one CCS and one NACS cable. Electric Era’s system includes a proprietary operating system designed to integrate directly into retailers’ existing IT infrastructures, including point-of-sale, loyalty, and CRM systems. Chargers are fitted with customizable 32-inch touchscreen displays allowing retailers to extend branding, promotions, loyalty programs, and personalized customer experiences directly to EV drivers outside the store.
“Our retail customers don’t want their lots torn up for years, they want fast, reliable EV charging systems to help them grow their business and boost their bottom line,” said Quincy Lee, CEO at Electric Era. “Because we manage the process from start to finish in-house, we’re able deliver a significantly more efficient process across the board and complete deployments at a fraction of the time it takes other EV charger manufacturers.”
Electric Era also stated that the speed of its installations helps retailers leverage federal and state EV infrastructure grants by eliminating the need for utility upgrades and simplifying project design, execution, and approval processes.
The company says its EV charging solutions currently achieve 98.5% per-port uptime and greater than 90% session reliability. Electric Era further provides automatic fault detection with remote over-the-air updates, significantly reducing operational disruptions, and maintains a 96% positive driver rating on PlugShare, meeting qualification criteria for the Tesla Third Party Charging program.
E-mobility technology supplier ENNOVI has introduced an adhesive-free lamination technology designed to achieve stronger, more sustainable cell contacting system (CCS) assemblies for various battery cell form factors, including prismatic, cylindrical and pouch.
ENNOVI’s technology positions the current collectors within the CCS between two insulation material foils and bonds them with a specialized joining process without the need for adhesive. This process creates a tight pocket around the current collector to secure its position for enhanced structural integrity and provides appropriate insulation between each other to enhance the battery’s lifespan.
The new process halves the insulation material cost, consumes less than 5% process energy and accelerates processing time by 80%, compared to conventional hot lamination, providing enhanced flexibility and manufacturing efficiency to global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, according to the company.
“Cold lamination presents the battery manufacturing industry significant savings in processing time and energy consumption during CCS assembly. Hot lamination, on the other hand, has other benefits such as robustness,” said Till Wagner, Product Manager for Energy Systems at ENNOVI. “Using our knowledge in joining technologies and CCS design, we innovated our adhesive-free lamination technology to eliminate trade-offs, while delivering both manufacturing efficiency and robustness. Moreover, this new process does not degrade the properties of the insulation material.”
Truck manufacturer Scania has announced that the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will be commercially available for its electric trucks beginning in early 2026.
MCS is an international standard that supports DC charging at a maximum current of 3,000 amps. Scania says its first iteration of MCS, featuring liquid-cooled connectors, will deliver up to 1,000 amps, which will enable charging at up to 750 kW—roughly double the speed of today’s CCS2 standard.
“Our new charging technology not only ensures operational efficiency and reliability over long distances but also supports our goal of making sustainable transport a practical reality,” says Daniel Schulze, Head of Scania eTruck Solutions.” With MCS-enabled trucks now available and a robust charging infrastructure across Europe, we are laying the foundation for a more efficient and environmentally friendly future in heavy-duty transport.”
“MCS technology allows both public and private charging infrastructure to meet the demands of high-capacity charging, ensuring that operators can recharge quickly and economically,” says Petra Sundström, Managing Director of TRATON Charging Solutions, the dedicated e-mobility service provider within the TRATON Group, which includes Scania. “This is essential for keeping operations efficient and competitive, while supporting broader sustainability goals within the transport sector.”
As truck OEMs and charging providers begin to roll out MCS solutions, efforts are underway to build out MCS charging corridors along key transport routes in Europe.
“Scania is working with partners in the Milence initiative to establish 1,700 high-performance charging points across Europe by 2027,” said Jorge Soria Galvarro, Senior Technical Adviser for Charging Infrastructure at Scania. “This infrastructure complements the existing mandate from the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation. Predictable and reliable charging allows drivers to take legally mandated rest periods without risking delays, an essential factor in making electric trucks a competitive alternative to diesel.”
American Resources, through its holding in ReElement Technologies, which is developing rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral refining capacity, has agreed to enter a joint venture (JV) with Exigo Battery Solutions to use ReElement’s rare earth oxide refining technologies within the US and India to produce purified rare earth oxides.
Exigo will initially source, process and supply rare earth concentrates to ReElement’s facility in Marion, Indiana to be refined to magnet-grade 99.5%+ neodymium-praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium and terbium oxides. The goal will be to then expand by deploying ReElement’s technology to India to refine REEs.
The goal of the JV is to produce at least 2,000 metric tons per year from recycled feedstock such as EV motors, hard disk drives, wind turbines, MRI machines and other permanent magnet-containing materials.
ReElement uses its technology for the separation and purification phase of rare earth and critical battery and defense material processing and refining that maximizes the surface area interface by using columns and resins, rather than the toxic acids and solvents typically used in hydrometallurgical processes.
“We believe collaboration and coordination are the key to developing a cost-competitive supply chain in the rare earth industry. The partnership is built to enable the combined JV to be able to compete head-to-head on cost, purity and scalability with the current supply chain. Utilizing ReElement’s technology to refine end-of-life magnets to separated, purified heavy and light rare earth oxides is a relatively straightforward process and something we have been doing in Indiana for over three years,” said Mark Jensen, Chairman of ReElement Technologies.
US-based Mack Trucks, a Volvo Group company, is donating a 2022 Mack LR Electric refuse chassis to Río Hondo College in Whittier, California, to support the college’s efforts to expand its electric vehicle training program into the heavy-duty sector.
The Mack LR Electric is Mack’s first fully electric refuse vehicle. The chassis will provide hands-on training opportunities for students learning to safely work on heavy-duty EVs, which operate at 400-600 V.
Río Hondo College previously collaborated with Volvo through the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project, an initiative demonstrating heavy-duty battery-electric vehicle technology.
“As the industry continues exploring alternative fuel solutions, including battery electric vehicles, this donation will help prepare the next generation of technicians for careers in sustainable transportation,” said Jonthan Randall, President, Mack Trucks North America. “This partnership aligns with Mack Trucks’ commitment to sustainability and technical education.”
Transport as a Service is an increasingly popular model for fleets that are going electric—not only do customers benefit from using an expert to handle their electrification projects, but they are often able to minimize upfront investments and convert capital expenditure into operational expense.
The latest major fleet to go this route is logistics giant DHL, which has agreed to obtain 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric trucks from German commercial vehicle rental provider hylane. DHL will not purchase the vehicles—instead, hylane will bill DHL based on the actual kilometers driven.
The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is aimed at the long-distance segment, and started customer deliveries in December 2024. Its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack has a capacity of 600 kWh, which delivers a range of around 500 km.
DHL will use the new electric trucks in its Post & Parcel Germany division, for transport between parcel centers. The trucks are expected to be delivered by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
DHL’s fleet already includes 16 electric trucks and 450 CNG trucks in transport, as well as 32,400 electric vans for last-mile delivery. The company operates 10 CNG fueling stations and 41,000 electric charging points.
“This solution provides us with the necessary flexibility to significantly expand our transport fleet with a substantial number of fully electric trucks without a long lead time,” said Marc Hitschfeld, COO of DHL’s Post & Parcel Germany division.
Continued optimization of battery design means addressing thermal runaway and other issues. Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes may be an important part of the solution.
By Max VanRaaphorst—Market Manager, Energy Storage for Avery Dennison North America.
This is a dynamic time for the electric vehicle (EV) marketplace. According to an April 2025 report by Cox Automotive, EV sales rose 11.4% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024. Many long-term forecasts predict continued double-digit growth.
The near-term outlook for the industry, however, is volatility. As of this writing, the Trump administration’s tariff plan remains in flux. Whatever their final form, tariffs seem likely to stir the global supply chains that manufacturers depend on.
Regardless, engineers tasked with making EV batteries safer, more durable, and more energy-dense must remain focused on the task at hand. Truly transformative technologies, such as solid-state batteries, are still years off. So, continued progress means further optimization of current technology platforms. Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes, integrated with functional materials, are a versatile, easy-to-use, and cost-effective material solution for many of today’s EV battery engineering challenges.
The thermal management ecosystem
A key challenge in this story of optimization is that of thermal management.
A battery is a complex ecosystem requiring temperature regulation for optimal cell performance during normal use as well as during extreme events. At the most basic level, that means cells should be warmed when they’re too cold and cooled when they’re too warm.
Batteries thus have three types of thermal requirements:
1. Thermal insulation Low thermally conductive (insulating) materials are used to protect normally operating cells from overheating, thus preventing thermal runaway events.
2. Thermal conductivity High thermally conductive materials, such as thermal interface materials (TIMs), are used to connect cells to cooling components and facilitate heat transfer.
3. Venting
Venting strategies allow hot gases to escape a malfunctioning cell while protecting adjacent cells. These strategies can incorporate various thermal materials.
To understand thermal conductivity … go for a hike in the woods
Compare the idea of thermal conductivity to a hike in the woods. Imagine trying to bushwhack through a dense forest of trees, low-lying scrub, roots and rocks, and perhaps some mud. It’s difficult, you’re breathing hard, sweating and maybe cursing a bit! Now compare that to a walk on a flat, well-maintained, tree-lined trail. It’s easier and probably more enjoyable. From heat’s perspective, a low conductivity material is like that dense forest — difficult to traverse. A high conductivity material is the gentle trail.
Another important consideration is the length of the hike itself. A short hike through a dense forest may not be much of an obstacle. It’s the long slog that ultimately slows you down.
That brings us to PSA tape solutions for thermal management. Tapes, by design, are very thin. So while they don’t tend to offer high thermal conductivity, they do offer just a short path for heat to travel. But due to their tremendous versatility, tapes can also be integrated with low thermal conductivity materials, thus making them suitable for a wide range of thermal management applications within a battery pack.
Thermal runaway barrier solutions
Thermal runaway starts when an overheating cell combusts. That fire grows to the point at which hot gases and materials burst from the cell. The escaping matter causes other cells to overheat, catch fire and burst in turn. A module-level thermal runaway event can then spread to other modules in a pack, causing complete destruction of the battery pack and likely the vehicle.
Tapes can be used to encapsulate insulating (low heat conductivity) barrier materials, such as mica, ceramic paper or aerogels. These can then be placed between cells, modules, and/or on the inside of the pack lid. Because of tapes’ thin profiles, they’re an ideal choice for these narrow spaces — providing the necessary bond while allowing for the maximum possible thickness of the insulating material given the space constraints.
In some circumstances, these PSA-based solutions can prevent cell- or module-level thermal runaway propagation. But in most cases, they can at least slow the spread of thermal runaway, providing valuable time for passengers to exit the vehicle.
Thermal runaway venting solutions
As noted above, thermal runaway is underway when hot gases and materials erupt from a single cell. Cell manufacturers thus integrate venting strategies into their designs.
A vent is simply a port that allows hot, expanding gases and burning material to escape the cell’s confines, creating a more controlled pressure release. The problem lies in the fact that as those escaped rush through the module, they can infiltrate other cells through their vent ports, and thus initiate a thermal runaway event.
What’s needed is a venting strategy that allows that pressure release while protecting healthy cells from those hot gases and materials. Again, PSA tapes offer an elegant solution: In this case, it’s tapes with an anisotropic carrier—just one side of the tape offers flame resistance.
These PSA tapes are applied to battery cells during assembly, covering the vent ports. The anisotropic carrier then allows flames to escape through the port of a burning cell. But as the flames then circulate through the module, the flame-retardant side of the tape protects the vent ports of healthy cells.
PSA-based anisotropic tapes can help protect healthy cells and inhibit thermal runaway.
Flame retardance isn’t permanent. Eventually, the tape is compromised, and flames can affect healthy cells. But again, this is about mitigating and delaying full thermal runaway, and giving passengers valuable time for a safe escape.
Dielectric protection solutions
Electrical arcing in a high-voltage environment can often lead to fire, and thus is another issue that can affect a battery ecosystem’s thermal management. Again, PSA tapes are stepping up to the challenge.
Polymer film tapes can be used within the pack and module for bonding or to encapsulate critical parts. These tapes offer high dielectric strength per unit thickness and tend to inhibit heat flow, making them a preferred alternative to many traditional dielectric coatings.
A new PSA tape technology is a dielectric tape that can be applied to flat metal blanks prior to stamping and forming. It’s an easy-to-use solution that optimizes both dielectric strength and assembly flows, as it eliminates curing and cleaning, and other processes needed for traditional coatings. Avery Dennison has recently published a whitepaper explaining how stampable dielectric PSA tape technology can benefit manufacturers.
PSA tape solutions are available now
All of the PSA tape solutions discussed in this article are currently available. In fact, the Avery Dennison EV Battery Portfolio contains a wide range of PSA tape-based solutions engineered to help manufacturers address issues such as thermal runaway and dielectric protection. And these tapes are easy to incorporate into either manual or automated assembly processes, helping EV battery manufacturers optimize both workflow and design.
Tape solutions can be cut and stamped to spec and provided at scale by local converters. These third-party providers work closely with Avery Dennison and the battery manufacturer to ensure the right solutions are provided at the volumes needed, even in a volatile time for the automotive industry.
A bright future for EVs
Whatever volatility the near term might hold, the future is bright for EVs. By using solutions such as PSA tapes, manufacturers can be confident their products will meet consumers’ needs for safety, reliability and durability.
