Chalmers researchers model reconfigurable EV battery packs that bypass weak cells

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have assessed how much reconfigurable battery packs could extend EV battery life and reduce lifetime cost. The study, published in Nature Communications, was carried out with PHINIA and Scania.

Battery packs in EVs consist of many interconnected cells that do not age in the same way. In a conventional pack, the weakest cell can therefore set the limit for the entire pack.

Albert Škegro, a doctoral student at Chalmers and the study’s first author, explains the problem by picturing the cells connected by a rope while they all try to move forward. “Since they are bound to each other, everyone has to keep the same pace as the slowest cell and stop when that cell stops,” said Škegro. “With the solution in our study, the battery can instead bypass the cell that is causing problems and continue forward.”

In a reconfigurable pack, switches and control systems can change the connections between the cells. The researchers say that in their models, controlling each cell separately could extend battery life by over 20% in some high-voltage vehicles, such as electric trucks and long-range cars. In practice, groups of cells are more likely to be controlled together, so that figure is a theoretical upper limit.

In one example, the researchers modeled a typical 80 kWh battery in a car driven 12,000 km per year and assumed a conventional pack would be replaced after 10 years. In the model, the reconfigurable pack reached that replacement point after about 11 years, roughly 14 months later. It also had a higher residual value because it had degraded less.

The technology is not yet available in series-produced vehicles but has been tested in research and industrial prototypes. Reconfigurable packs require additional electronics, which raise their upfront cost.

“The results show that the architecture can already be cost-effective under a wide range of real-world usage conditions,” said Changfu Zou, Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Chalmers. “Based on a component-level analysis using automotive-grade hardware, the additional hardware would increase the total pack cost by approximately nine percent.”

Source: Chalmers University of Technology

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Russians snap up Chinese EVs as Ukrainian attacks make fuel scarce

The front lines of electrification have spread to some seemingly-unlikely parts of the world, for various reasons. In Russia, the country’s war on Ukraine has resulted in major disruptions to the supply of refined oil products, boosting the demand for EVs. And, as elsewhere in the world, it’s mostly Chinese automakers that are meeting that demand.

The New York Times reports that the number of electrified vehicles (including hybrids), sold in Russia grew from 43,000 in the January-to-August period of 2025 to more than 83,000 over the same period this year, according to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Tthe share of plug-in vehicles (EVs and PHEVs) recently reached 11.5 percent of the Russian car market, up from about 5 percent at the beginning of the year, according to auto research agency Avtostat. The EV market share in Russia is now slightly higher than in the US—but a mere fraction of China’s 45 percent.

Russian auto industry expert Sergei Tselikov told the Times that in July, as Ukrainian drone strikes against oil refineries left drivers across the country waiting for hours at gas stations, he bought a Chinese electric hatchback.

“I tried to fill up one of my cars and drove around to five nearby gas stations, but they had only diesel or lower-grade petrol,” he said.

To try to address the shortages, the government is allowing the sale of lower-grade gasoline and diesel—which are not healthy nourishment for cars. The manager of a Moscow repair shop told the Times that he had recently serviced 15 vehicles with clogged diesel soot filters, a problem caused by the cheap fuel.

Mr, Tselikov is not the only one who has seen the electric light. As the fuel crisis continues, EVs are selling out at dealerships, and online listings for used EVs are scarce.

At a huge dealership complex near Moscow, a manager at Evolute, a brand of Russian-assembled electric vehicles based on Chinese designs, said there was no inventory left on his lot. The complex houses more than 40 dealerships, most of which used to sell brands from the West, Japan and South Korea. When the Times visited, they counted 25 Chinese showrooms.

Lines are starting to appear at public charging stations—but shorter ones than seen at gas stations.

The Russian government has been interested in promoting EVs for over a decade, but actual adoption has been slow until now. EVs are generally exempted from transport tax and in Moscow and other big cities, from parking fees. Russian-made EVs are eligible for government subsidies.

In 2015, the government decreed that all gas stations must be equipped with public EV chargers by November 2016. That plainly didn’t happen—the Times reports that the number of public charging stations grew from around 1,500 in 2022 to 8,000 this year.

Moscow began replacing diesel buses with electric buses in 2018. In 2021, the city announced plans to electrify its entire fleet by 2032.

Source: New York Times

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Blaguss and FlixBus deploy 8 Yutong electric coaches on Vienna-Bratislava route

Carrier Blaguss and FlixBus have deployed eight electric coaches made by Chinese manufacturer Yutong on a cross-border route connecting Vienna, Vienna Airport and Bratislava. The vehicles are being used in daily scheduled service between Austria and Slovakia— 90% of the scheduled kilometers on the service are now operated electrically.

The eight vehicles deployed with FlixBus form part of a wider electric coach rollout underway at Blaguss. In April 2026, the Austrian operator introduced 12 Yutong T12E battery-electric coaches.

Charging infrastructure has been installed in both Vienna and Bratislava to support the operation. According to Blaguss, the charging system uses renewable electricity generated by the company’s own photovoltaic installations.

“The future of bus transport must be climate-friendly, and electromobility will play a central role in this. Together with FlixBus, we are now consistently bringing it into everyday mobility in cross-border coach transport,” said Paul Blaguss, Managing Director of the Blaguss Group.

Source: Sustainable Bus

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Forum Mobility to open four new electric truck charging depots in California

Forum Mobility provides EV charging and electric truck leases to fleets, and is developing a network of charging depots in key freight corridors and port-adjacent locations. The company has announced plans to break ground on four new electric charging depots across California, bringing an additional 30 MW of heavy-duty charging capacity online.

Truck charging depots require special features not found at passenger EV charging hubs. Forum’s four new depots feature pull-through lane configurations, which let drivers keep their trailers attached while charging, as well as the new high-power charging solution, MCS, in addition to CCS charging ports.

Tesla will operate public Megacharging sites at three of the locations—FM Francis in Ontario, California, and FM Adeline and FM Coliseum in Oakland. At FM Santa Fe in Rancho Dominguez, Forum Mobility has contracted fleet offtake for over 330 Tesla Semis, while maintaining open public access for the broader commercial drayage community.

Forum has added two Tesla Megachargers at FM Harbor, its depot at the Port of Long Beach, which has been operational since December 2024 (with 44 CCS charging ports and 9 MW of overall capacity). Forum’s next tranche of depots will include more in the Inland Empire and Central Valley in California, as well as sites near Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Seattle/Tacoma and Chicago.

“The highly favorable total cost of ownership for battery-electric Class 8 trucks has driven rapid motor carrier adoption,” said Matt LeDucq, CEO and co-founder of Forum Mobility. “We are delivering competitively leased trucks and dedicated charging facilities that allow our customers to fuel quickly, at a lower cost per mile than diesel.”

Source: Forum Mobility

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LG Energy Solution signs MoU to explore 46-series cell supply for indiGOtech EVs

LG Energy Solution has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with indiGOtech, a commercial EV startup based in Woburn, Massachusetts, to explore battery supply and technical collaboration.

The two companies will work toward a final agreement under which LG Energy Solution would supply 46-series NCM cylindrical cells from 2027 to 2030 for indiGOtech's upcoming Flow Ride and Flow Cargo. indiGOtech is developing the Flow Ride for ride-hailing and describes the Flow Cargo as a Class 1 cargo van.

The spec sheets on those product pages list an LFP battery of 80–100 kWh for both models and a range of more than 200 miles. The announcement doesn't give pack capacity or range figures for the NCM cells.

The partners plan joint vehicle-battery integration and performance verification work, and both intend to review ways to extend driving range and reduce charging times.

indiGOtech specializes in electrifying commercial van platforms for the North American market and is also developing charging infrastructure and digital services. Its Chairman and CEO, Will Graylin, says most urban ride-hail trips and deliveries are made in gas vehicles because existing EVs aren't designed for that work and are severely limited by local charging infrastructure.

LG Energy Solution reported that its cylindrical battery shipments increased by 1.5 times year on year as of the second quarter of 2026, supported by mass production and expanded deliveries of 46-series cells.

"Leveraging this partnership, we plan to enter the diverse commercial vehicle market in the US, including logistics, last-mile delivery, and ride-hailing," said Sunghwan Oh, LG Energy Solution's Mobility & IT Battery Marketing Group Leader.

Source: LG Energy Solution

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GM and PG&E offer an incentive package for managed EV charging program

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and GM Energy are offering an incentive package for PG&E customers who buy or lease a new Chevrolet, GMC or Cadillac EV and choose to sign up for a managed charging program.

The Smart Charge Bundle, available at participating dealerships, includes a GM Energy PowerShift or PowerUp 2 home charger at no additional cost, and $15 in monthly bill credits on customers’ PG&E bills after installation.

The PowerUp 2 charger delivers everyday Level 2 charging, while the PowerShift Charger can be paired with GM Energy equipment and a compatible EV to support bidirectional charging.

Through PG&E’s EV Charge Manager program, participating customers can receive a $15 monthly bill credit, and may save up to an additional $50 per month, by shifting charging to periods when electricity costs and demand are lower. Managed charging automatically schedules charging during lower-cost periods. Customers can override a managed-charging session when necessary.

WeaveGrid supplies the grid orchestration software that optimizes charging and helps prevent localized strain on the grid.

“Customers don’t want to think about when their car charges,” said Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and cofounder of WeaveGrid. “They just want it to be ready and affordable. This bundle makes everything simple and easy.”

Source: Pacific Gas and Electric

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ABB E-mobility and elexon partner to offer EV charging infrastructure for commercial fleets in Germany and Austria

ABB E-mobility and elexon are collaborating to offer EV charging infrastructure for commercial fleets in the German and Austrian markets.

ABB offers a vast variety of EV charging solutions, including systems for the electrification of electric bus and truck fleets. elexon focuses on integrating efficient energy and load management systems and supplying electricity from renewable energy sources.

As a certified ABB E-mobility channel partner, elexon is qualified to install, commission and service ABB’s charging solutions. Together, the companies offer fleet operators a single source for hardware, software and services, from analysis and strategic consulting to technical planning and implementation to operation, service and long-term support of the charging infrastructure.

“The depot decides whether an electrified fleet makes economic sense,” said Bruno Bourguet, President EMEA at ABB E-mobility. “Operators have to coordinate hardware, construction, grid connection and operation themselves, and that is exactly where projects fail. With our charging technology and elexon’s on-the-ground experience, they instead get one point of contact for a dependable depot.”

“Fleet operators need more than charging hardware—they need a reliable, integrated solution that works seamlessly from grid connection to daily operation,” said Marcus Scholz, CEO, elexon. “By partnering with ABB E-mobility, we combine world-class charging technology with our expertise in planning, energy management, implementation and long-term service.”

Source: ABB E-mobility

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