HEVO, ORNL & BMW Polyphase Wireless Charging
HEVO Inc. is now working alongside Oak Ridge National Laboratory and BMW to evaluate a new generation of wireless charging systems for electric and autonomous vehicles. The program uses HEVO’s circular coil designs to bench-test ORNL’s polyphase coil technology, with the goal of improving power density, efficiency, and vehicle packaging. As a licensee of ORNL’s technology, HEVO is bringing real-world deployment experience to the table, aiming to push wireless power transfer toward readiness for autonomous fleets and software-defined vehicles.
Xeal’s Laitent Make Idle Charger Capacity Edge AI Compute
Xeal has introduced Laitent, a network that repurposes unused electrical headroom at Level 2 EV charging sites to power edge AI inference. The platform spans more than 200MW of permitted capacity across 1,600 properties and plans to install upward of 100,000 Nvidia GPUs alongside existing charging equipment. Proprietary power-orchestration software is designed to tap the roughly 90% of site capacity that typically goes unused during charging cycles — avoiding the need for new utility interconnects or water cooling infrastructure.
Each Laitent Pod packs up to 48 Nvidia Hopper or Blackwell Ultra GPUs into a parking-space-sized outdoor enclosure rated for low noise. The company is targeting sub-20ms latency for metro-area workloads, with partners including Rafay Systems for orchestration and Spectrum Business for fiber backhaul. A 5MW commitment from a Tier 1 inference provider is already in place, and JVM Realty will host the first pod deployment before year’s end.
Otovo & InCharge Energy Partner 4 Maintenance
Otovo and InCharge Energy have launched a joint maintenance partnership covering solar, battery storage, and EV charging equipment for commercial customers, starting in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida before expanding nationally. The deal links InCharge’s InControl platform — which oversees more than 40,000 charge points — with Otovo’s Endurance AI monitoring system, giving both companies a shared operational view that combines ticketing, diagnostics, and field scheduling for multi-asset energy sites under single service agreements.
GM’s & Cirba Solutions’ Battery Recycling
General Motors and Cirba Solutions have completed a pilot that produced GM’s first battery cells built entirely from recycled nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Retired GM battery packs were broken down at Cirba’s Ohio recovery facility, refined to virgin-material specifications, and turned into new cathode active material. That material went to Ultium Cells — GM’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution — and ultimately into vehicles like the GMC Sierra EV now shipping to dealers, demonstrating a viable domestic alternative to newly mined battery materials.
Autel Energy’s Fremont Hub, Uses Modal on Charging Amenities
Autel Energy has opened a new Experience Center in Fremont, California, for live charging demonstrations, interoperability testing, and technician training. The site hosted Autel’s 2026 North American Partner Summit in late September, where topics included OCPP integration, Buy America compliance, and deployment economics for fleet and public charging.
Separately, Autel announced a partnership with Modal to embed modular amenity pods at charging locations — an “amenity-as-a-service” approach meant to keep drivers occupied during dwell time while helping site hosts boost monetization.
PG&E and GM Energy Bundle Smart Charging at Dealerships
PG&E and GM Energy have rolled out a Smart Charge Bundle that lets buyers of new Chevrolet, GMC, or Cadillac EVs select a home charger — either a standard Level 2 unit or a bidirectional-ready model — at no added cost, a subsidy worth close to $2,000. The bidirectional hardware supports vehicle-to-home power transfer during outages.
The program is tied to enrollment in PG&E’s EV Charge Manager, which offers a monthly bill credit plus additional potential savings from off-peak charging incentives. Participation requires an active telematics subscription and at least one verified home charging session per billing cycle, though drivers can override managed charging at any time. The underlying grid-balancing software comes from WeaveGrid, which coordinates charging to ease strain on local transformers without disrupting scheduled charge levels.
Qnovo Tests Battery “Genome” Tool
Qnovo has begun OEM pilots of a predictive tool built on its Battery Genome platform, aimed at improving the accuracy of digital battery passports required under EU rules taking effect in February 2027. Running on vehicle edge hardware, the software tracks detailed electrochemical data — charge cycles, cell-to-cell variation, thermal history — to flag hidden degradation and generate more reliable residual-value estimates for OEMs, fleets, and insurers.
Tesla Semi Volume Production in Nevada
Tesla has started full-scale commercial deliveries of its Semi Class 8 electric truck from a dedicated plant next to Gigafactory Nevada, with capacity ramping toward 50,000 trucks a year. Early customers include PepsiCo, DHL, US Foods, and Einride, alongside a new 2,500-unit order from the ZET SCALE shipper coalition.
The production version carries structural 4680 battery cells for a total 822 kWh of capacity, bringing energy use down to about 1.7 kWh per mile at full 82,000-pound weight. Changes from the earlier pilot trucks include a lighter chassis, steer-by-wire steering for a tighter turning radius, cab windows that roll fully down, and support for Tesla’s 1.2 MW Megacharger stations.