Optimus Energy Solutions acquires South Carolina EV charging network

Optimus Energy Solutions has acquired an EV charging network in South Carolina. Originally developed through a Duke Energy pilot program, the network includes 52 DC fast chargers at 26 locations throughout the state, many of them located along major travel corridors.

As Duke Energy’s pilot program reached its planned conclusion, Optimus Energy Solutions assumed ownership and operation of the infrastructure, and the stations were migrated to the ChargePoint network.

This transition illustrates an interesting dynamic that’s playing out in various regions as the public EV charging industry matures. In the early days, some private charging operators objected that public utilities shouldn’t be allowed to operate charging networks, arguing that their monopoly status gave them an unfair advantage. In the event however, utilities’ rollout of charging networks doesn’t seem to have discouraged automakers (IONNA), retailers (Walmart) and independent operators from getting into the game. In some cases, utilities have used ratepayer money to build large networks, then handed them off to private companies.

Headquartered in Central Florida, Optimus Energy Solutions has spent a decade building and supporting EV charging and renewable energy projects across Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama and the Carolinas.

“We are dedicated to expanding and maintaining the US’s critical energy infrastructure,” said Ben Pauluhn, President of Optimus Energy Solutions. “This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to and long-term investment in EV charging access. These stations provide charging access across South Carolina, particularly in rural areas where reliable infrastructure is essential for EV drivers.”

Source: Optimus Energy Solutions

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Chase credit card adds EV charging to its list of 5% cash-back categories

In time for the summer travel season, financial giant Chase has announced that its Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on gas, EV charging, public transit and selected live entertainment purchases.

Hurrah! Yet another perk of driving electric. But before we start planning a transcontinental road trip, let’s look at the fine print. Chase Freedom cardholders already earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases, and the special 5% goodie only applies from July 1 through Sept. 30 of this year.

Furthermore, as our ICE-driving friends are probably tired of hearing, charging up an EV isn’t that expensive anyway. A round trip between Tampa and New York might cost me around $400 in public charging fees (tops), in which case Chase’s generous summertime special would save me a whopping $14.

No, the significance of Chase’s announcement is the fact that the company saw fit to include EV drivers in its marketing scheme. A few years ago, when EV drivers were thin on the ground, most marketers wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of courting us. As public charging sites proliferate along the highways, EV drivers are becoming more visible, and businesses that cater to travelers are taking notice.

Also, as every marketing maven knows, it isn’t the amount of savings, but rather the warm glow of getting a special deal that really matters.

“When cardmembers earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases, like filling up the tank, hopping on the subway or catching a live concert, it can feel really meaningful,” said Wittney Rachlin, General Manager of Chase Freedom. “That’s the idea behind our Q3 categories: we want to reward routine spending cardmembers are already doing this summer so they can put more toward the moments that make the season special.”

Source: Chase

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GM’s bidirectional EV charging system enables vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid features

Bidirectional EV charging, which supports vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functions, is gradually moving from the pilot stage to commercial availability. EVs from automakers including Ford and Kia now offer bidirectional features.

GM’s Chevrolet Equinox EV, GMC Sierra EV and Cadillac Lyriq now offer bidirectional capability, and the automaker recently released a primer on how it works.

As GM explains, its vehicle-to-home (V2H) feature can turn a compatible GM EV into a source of backup power. In case of an electrical outage, the vehicle can send electricity to a properly equipped house to operate appliances and other electrical loads.

Enabling these nifty features isn’t as simple as plugging an EV into a wall socket.

Using V2H requires a compatible GM EV and the GM Energy V2H system, which includes the GM Energy PowerShift Charger and GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit, as well as a suitable grid interconnection. The system needs to be installed by a licensed electrician.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology connects an EV to the local electrical grid through participating utility programs, where available, allowing the vehicle to send energy back to the grid.

V2G can help EV owners reduce electricity costs by charging an EV’s battery from the grid during off-peak times (late at night), then releasing energy to the home during peak usage periods (evening get-home-from-work time), if the local utility offers time-of-use pricing. In some regions, participating utilities may compensate customers for supplying energy from their EVs to the grid during periods of high demand. As GM notes, such programs remain limited.

Source: GM

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Mexico launches a new domestically developed EV

The biggest EV story of 2026 is the explosive pace of EV adoption in the countries auto analysts tend to call “Rest of World.” From Africa to Asia to Latin America, drivers are increasingly choosing EVs. However, the vast majority of the EVs (along with a lot of gas-burners) are made in China.

In Mexico, some 20% of the cars sold in 2025 were made in China. Now Mexico, which has long been a center for offshore vehicle manufacturing, has taken a step towards developing its own auto industry.

Olinia, Mexico’s first homegrown electric vehicle, was designed and built by a consortium of national technological institutes and research centers (with a little help from the Chinese embassy, as Electrek’s Peter Johnson reports).

“We were told that innovation was reserved for other places, that Mexico was only made for assembly plants, that our role was to receive technology, not develop it. To receive ideas, not create them. But that is false,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a recent ceremony to introduce the new EV.

Olinia’s performance specs are in line with what we would call a “low-speed” or “neighborhood” EV—62 miles of range and a 31 mph maximum speed—but it is designed to be an affordable city car that can compete with Chinese EVs such as the BYD Dolphin Mini, which is popular in the Mexican market.

Olinia sports six seats, and can accommodate a wheelchair. It has a 14.7 kWh LFP battery and a single 13.5 kW electric motor. It’s scheduled to go on sale in 2027, with a starting price tag under $9,000. At the launch ceremony, Sheinbaum said the new EV’s fuel cost is expected to be half that of a motorcycle, and a small fraction of that of a small gas-burning car.

Source: Electrek

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Source partners with Radius to expand EV charging access for UK fleet drivers

EV charging provider Source has partnered with business mobility provider Radius, giving Radius cardholders access to Source’s DC fast charging hubs across the UK and Ireland.

Radius customers can now charge at Source’s EV charging hubs using their existing RFID cards, with no need for new accounts or apps. Costs are consolidated through Radius’s Velocity management platform, giving managers full visibility of charging expenditures.

Source plans to open 300 fast EV charging hubs across the UK and Ireland by 2030. All Source’s chargers deliver at least 150 kW of power.  All are powered by renewable energy and use technology from TotalEnergies and infrastructure from SSE.

Radius is a fleet mobility provider that has some 500,000 cards in circulation, providing access to EV charging stations across the UK motorway network.

“Fleet operators who have chosen a roaming provider want charging that fits seamlessly within their existing setup—no fuss, no disruption to how they already operate,” said Alice Aprile-Smith, Head of Partnerships and Business Development at Source. “Radius cardholders can pull into any Source hub and charge as they normally would, while their fleet manager gets the same consolidated billing they’re used to.”

“Our partnership with Source further strengthens the Radius EV network, giving businesses greater access to fast EV charging across key routes in the UK and Ireland,” said Andy Higgins, EV Network Manager at Radius. “As a strategically located network, Source helps fleets and long-distance drivers move between destinations with convenient charging where it’s needed.”

Source: Radius

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ProLogium and OPmobility to develop solid-state battery modules from 900 Wh/L cells

ProLogium and OPmobility have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop solid-state battery modules for EV applications, pairing ProLogium’s lithium ceramic cells with OPmobility’s battery module and pack engineering capabilities.

ProLogium will provide cells for electrical performance testing under agreed protocols, while OPmobility will develop modules around those cells, with the goal of producing a system-level solution OEMs can evaluate for future EV platforms.

ProLogium’s stated cell specs for its Superfluidized All Inorganic Solid-state Lithium Ceramic Battery are 900 Wh/L energy density and 380 Wh/kg specific energy. Cycle life exceeds 1,200 cycles, and the cells retain more than 95% discharge performance at -20 °C.

These are cell-level figures; the module-level equivalents are what the collaboration intends to establish. Cell-level metrics don’t translate directly to pack-level performance once thermal management, structural design, electrical interconnects and BMS requirements are factored in. OPmobility’s C Power business group has industrial module and pack development experience across multiple OEM programs.

ProLogium says it has shipped more than 800,000 cells from its GWh-class gigafactory in Taoyuan, Taiwan, opened in 2024. Its first overseas production facility in Dunkirk, France is expected to begin construction in 2026. Ramp-up is planned for Q4 2028-Q1 2029 and mass production for Q2 2029.

“For solid-state batteries to be truly adopted by the market, the key is system integration and validation—from cells to modules and packs,” said Vincent Yang, founder and CEO of ProLogium. “Our shared goal is an OEM-adoptable module solution.”

Source: ProLogium

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UP Catalyst plans 20,000-tonne battery-grade graphite facility in Finland using CO₂ molten salt electrolysis

Estonian deep-tech company UP Catalyst has signed a Letter of Intent with Finnish energy company Oulun Energia to explore establishing a large-scale battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotube production facility in Oulu, Finland. The planned facility would use captured CO₂ from Oulun Energia’s operations as feedstock, targeting annual output of approximately 20,000 tonnes of sustainable battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes, with operations targeted for 2031.

UP Catalyst’s process—Molten Salt Carbon Capture and Electrochemical Transformation—passes captured CO₂ through a molten salt electrolysis cell to produce solid carbon in battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotube form. The approach converts an emissions stream into a critical raw material rather than sequestering or releasing it. The company holds Strategic Project designation under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, which is intended to accelerate permitting and financing for European supply chain buildout in battery materials where the continent is heavily import-dependent.

The LoI covers joint evaluation of industrial integration and energy infrastructure requirements, including how CO₂ captured at Oulun Energia plants could feed the production process at Oulu Industrial Park. Finland’s clean energy grid and existing industrial base are the stated rationale for the site selection. Business Finland has already granted UP Catalyst a €47 million tax credit under its investment credit scheme for large climate-neutral economy investments, providing early-stage financial support for the planned expansion.

“Finland offers a very strong foundation for industrial scale-up, with a reliable energy grid, competitive clean energy, strong industrial infrastructure, and clear support for clean transition technologies,” said Rait Maasikas, CEO of UP Catalyst.

Source: UP Catalyst

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