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Verdek and Andromeda Power Launch MotorTransformer Bidirectional Platform
Verdek LLC and Andromeda Power LLC have formed a strategic technology partnership to commercialize the patented MotorTransformer bidirectional power platform, aimed at the expanding vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-building (V2B) sectors. Introduced at the Vehicle-to-Grid USA summit, the system leverages an electric vehicle’s existing traction motor as a galvanically isolated transformer during stationary periods. This architecture eliminates the need for expensive offboard DC charging hardware, enabling native high-power AC bidirectional operation up to 133 kW while maintaining compliance with J3068 and J3068-2 standards.
The onboard vehicle Bill of Materials is projected at $1,500, delivering a reported 90% reduction in infrastructure deployment costs compared to conventional legacy systems. The platform achieved a 97.9% round-trip efficiency rate during 50 kW bench testing. Under the joint commercial strategy, Andromeda Power manages the core intellectual property and engineering roadmap, while Verdek utilizes its 18-year deployment footprint and existing tier-one hardware channel integrations to scale the technology across commercial fleets and depot infrastructure.
The commercial roadmap outlines prototype validation using a Nissan Leaf platform funded by the California Energy Commission, with initial fleet integration partnerships scheduled for Q4 2026. The companies target first commercial fleet deployments in early 2027 to capture share in a projected $50 billion total addressable V2X market. Technical demonstrations detailing the conversion of the Nissan Leaf EM57 powertrain into a high-frequency isolation transformer have been released alongside the commercialization timeline.
Electrify America Opens Large-Format 20-Charger Fast Charging Hub in Santa Barbara
Electrify America has opened a large-format electric vehicle fast charging station at 36 West Carrillo Street in downtown Santa Barbara, California, on the site of a former Greyhound Bus depot. The location features 20 Hyper-Fast DC chargers, each capable of delivering up to 350 kW of power. The infrastructure deployment is designed to alleviate charging congestion in high-demand urban areas and represents the network’s second operational footprint within the municipality.
To manage peak electrical demand and optimize grid integration, the facility incorporates a 1.9 MW battery energy storage system, marking the largest public BESS deployment in the company’s network portfolio. The storage system buffers power during low-demand periods or high solar availability and discharges during peak utilization to reduce grid stress. The station launched exclusively with CCS connectors, though Electrify America plans to convert select units to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) later this summer under its ongoing pilot framework.
This installation brings Electrify America’s total count of large-format facilities with 20 or more stalls to four within California, adding to existing sites in Santa Monica, San Diego, and San Francisco. The expansion aligns with state-level zero-emission vehicle infrastructure funding goals. Electrify America continues its broader mandate to invest over $2 billion in nationwide open DC fast charging infrastructure across 47 states.
European BEV Market Share Hits Record 23.6% in May Amid Structural Momentum
European battery electric vehicle registrations achieved a record 23.6% market share in May 2026, with 212,387 units sold across 17 key regional markets. The volume represents a 34.4% year-on-year increase, bringing year-to-date regional BEV sales to 962,010 units, a 31.8% expansion compared to the equivalent 2025 period. Data from E-Mobility Europe indicates that regional automotive manufacturers are capturing the majority of this volume, with domestic European brands securing seven of the top ten best-selling electric vehicle slots.
France led the volume expansion among major European automotive markets, securing a 29.5% BEV market share in May, while German registrations reached a 25% market share with 59,969 units, reflecting 41.5% year-to-date growth. Italy recorded the highest rate of market acceleration, with year-to-date registrations increasing 100.8% following the implementation of localized vehicle purchase subsidies, yielding an 8.8% market share in May. High-penetration regions sustained elevated market presence, led by Norway at 97.8%, Denmark at 78.7%, Finland at 49.6%, and Belgium at 36.8%, counterbalancing marginal year-to-date registration contractions in Sweden and the Netherlands.
Honda R&D and QuantumScape Execute Joint Solid-State Battery Development Agreement
QuantumScape entered a multi-year joint research agreement with Honda R&D to co-develop and establish manufacturing processes for solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. The transition from initial exploratory evaluation to a joint engineering program follows Honda R&D’s completion of an independent technical assessment and competitive benchmarking of the QuantumScape solid-state platform. The collaboration aims to leverage the energy density and safety profiles of solid-state cells across Honda’s automotive, motorcycle, and power equipment divisions.
The agreement diversifies QuantumScape’s commercial footprint beyond its anchor partnership with Volkswagen Group, validating the platform’s performance metrics through a secondary tier-one automotive OEM procurement pipeline. The technical evaluation verified the operational parameters of QuantumScape’s proprietary ceramic separator technology under standardized automotive load cycles. While the programmatic shift signals a technical transition toward scaled manufacturing engineering, the operational path from joint development to high-volume automotive assembly line integration remains subject to long-term industrialization timelines.
Volvo Cars Integrates Plug & Charge for EX60 and EX90 Platforms in United States
Volvo Cars introduced automated Plug & Charge functionality for its EX60 and EX90 electric vehicle platforms within the United States market. The system eliminates manual authentication protocols, mobile application interactions, and physical credit card processing by executing cryptographic vehicle-to-grid communications for automatic payment processing directly between the vehicle and participating charging infrastructure. The capability is deployed immediately for EX90 models and will launch concurrently with the commercial rollout of the EX60 later this year, provisioning access across 35,000 public charging stations.
The software integration operates over compatible public networks, specifically including Tesla Supercharger and IONNA charging installations, with navigation routing and location tracking handled via the native Google Built-in infotainment architecture and the Volvo Cars mobile app. To support the secure authentication required for Plug & Charge, model year 2025 EX90 vehicles necessitate the integration of Volvo’s updated core computing platform powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin system-on-chip architecture. The convenience upgrade targets scaled user retention as the automaker expands its electric vehicle infrastructure partnerships ahead of broader vehicle platform rollouts.
ROHM Introduces AEC-Q101 Compliant 80V MOSFETs for Automotive 48V Architectures
ROHM Semiconductor launched the AG16xFNxx Series, a specialized lineup of 80V power MOSFETs engineered for high-efficiency automotive 48V electrical subsystems. Developed to optimize power loss margins relative to legacy 100V discrete components, the semiconductor devices target mild-hybrid and advanced vehicle architectures experiencing escalated power demands. Mass production commenced in April 2026 for the initial reference models, including the HPLF5060-packaged AG160FNS4FRA and the DFN3333-packaged AG166FNH7FRA, with global distribution provisioned via DigiKey and Farnell channels.
The product suite enables footprint minimization over conventional TO-252 packages by leveraging HPLF5060 (4.9 x 6.0mm) and DFN3333 (3.3 x 3.3mm) form factors. To ensure mechanical and thermal reliability under AEC-Q101 testing parameters, the HPLF5060 uses gull-wing leads, while the DFN3333 integrates wettable flank technology to facilitate automated optical inspection on printed circuit boards. The silicon layout utilizes internal copper clip junction technology to mitigate thermal resistance and increase peak current density capabilities. ROHM is expanding the roadmap to include a TOLG (9.9 x 11.7mm) package variant to support higher-power automotive applications.
Rivian Partners With ChargeScape for North American Vehicle-Grid Integration
Rivian Automotive entered a strategic partnership with ChargeScape to enroll its high-capacity electric vehicle batteries into utility-managed charging and demand response programs across North America. The collaboration allows Rivian drivers to opt into localized utility incentive programs using existing native in-app digital interfaces, creating an automated link between the vehicles and power providers to defer charging cycles during peak system demand. The integration utilizes Rivian’s large pack capacities to act as flexible load assets, optimizing charging costs for vehicle owners while lowering operational stress on regional distribution grids experiencing heightened load from infrastructure expansion and data center deployment.
ChargeScape operates as an industry-owned, shared vehicle-grid integration infrastructure platform founded by BMW, Ford, and Honda, with subsequent investment from Nissan and platform utilization by Tesla and Stellantis. Rivian becomes the latest pure-play EV manufacturer to integrate with the system, backing an open-standard approach designed to achieve uniform interoperability between automotive OEM software stacks and legacy utility power management networks. The software architecture supports one-way managed smart charging (V1G) configurations alongside bidirectional vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and vehicle-to-home capabilities, enabling enrolled vehicle systems to execute millisecond-level load balancing actions based on real-time grid telemetry.