Principal Battery Design Engineer

Amazon leads funding round for US silicon solid-state battery maker. Blue Current, which has a pilot production line in California, will use funding from an $80 million financing round led by Amazon to advance commercialization of its silicon solid-state battery technology for stationary storage and mobility applications in the United States. Tech giant Amazon is backing United States' domestic battery manufacturing efforts, taking a lead role in the latest funding round of California-based silicon solid-state battery maker, Blue Current. Blue Current announced it closed a more than $80 million Series D extension funding round led by Amazon, with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Piedmont Capital, Allen & Company, and Rusheen Capital Partners. From its pilot line facility in Hayward, California, Blue Current produces silicon solid-state batteries and it is now gearing up for commercialization, according to the company's CEO, Susan Stone. "Our technology platform fundamentally addresses the mobility and stationary storage sectors' unique needs on an accelerated timeline to safely and reliably power the world. This commercialization phase will enable multiple high-value use cases that will allow us to quickly move to a safe and effective commercially available next-generation battery," said Stone, calling for a "de-risked approach to solid-state battery commercialization that unlocks domestic manufacturing capacity." Their proponents say silicon solid-state batteries are inherently safer than lithium-ion batteries because they cannot catch fire. Kevin Wujcik, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Blue Current, acknowledged the technology's safety advantages. "Our team has dedicated more than a decade of research and development into creating an industry-leading battery that sets our technology apart from other approaches. By prioritizing battery safety as our north star from day one, we came to our silicon-based design, not only drastically reducing fire risk but greatly improving energy density, cycle life, and charging speed," he said. To continue reading, please visit its ESS News website. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with PV Magazine Group and would like to reuse some of its content, please contact: [email protected]. Blathnaid o'dea. Blathnaid is Features Editor with pv magazine Global. Prior to joining the team in 2024, she specialized in writing feature-length articles about STEM careers.

EV, battery & Charging news: Blue Current, Lucid, Emobi, Flipturn, Scania, XCharge, UNIGRID, AmpUp, & Gilbarco Veeder-Root. In EV, battery and charging news are Blue Current, Lucid, Emobi, Flipturn, Scania, XCharge, UNIGRID, AmpUp, and Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Blue Current secures $80M+ for solid-state batteries. Blue Current, a leader in silicon solid-state battery technology, has raised more than $80 million in a Series D extension round led by Amazon, with additional investment from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Piedmont Capital, Rusheen Capital Partners, and Allen & Company. The funding will speed the company's transition from R&D to full commercial deployment of its silicon composite solid-state battery platform, designed for both mobility and stationary storage markets. Charging Battery charger As part of the investment, Amazon Senior Vice President and Distinguished Engineer James Hamilton will join Blue Current's board. Blue Current's platform uses earth-abundant silicon and elastic polymer anodes with fully dry electrolytes - an approach that aims to deliver higher energy density, faster charging, enhanced cycle life, and significantly improved safety by eliminating flammable liquid electrolytes. The design is compatible with existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines, enabling cost-effective scale-up and U.S.-based production. CEO Susan Stone said the company's de-risked, scalable architecture positions it to meet urgent energy-storage needs across industries. CTO Kevin Wujcik highlighted more than a decade of research that led to the company's inherently safe, high-performance battery chemistry. Amazon's Hamilton emphasized the importance of scalable, affordable solid-state solutions for long-range EVs and stationary energy storage as demand surges. Battery charger The new funding marks Blue Current's entry into its next phase: commercializing safer, higher-performance batteries for a wide range of energy-reliant applications. Lucid exec files "Nazi" Slur lawsuit. Former Lucid senior VP of product and chief engineer Eric Bach has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the EV automaker, alleging he was fired after reporting discrimination and a hostile work environment. Bach claims an HR director called him a "German Nazi," that Lucid confirmed the slur, and that he was subsequently marginalized, pressured to resign, and then terminated. The complaint argues Bach's performance record contradicts Lucid's justification for firing him, citing major product launches, raises, bonuses, equity, and an informal promise of promotion. Bach alleges the company protected colleagues accused of disparaging him and used him as a scapegoat for product struggles. A Lucid source disputes the allegations, calling them "baseless" and claiming Bach's management caused cascading product development issues as Lucid restructured leadership. Bach plans to file charges with the EEOC and California Civil Rights Department and is seeking a jury trial. Emobi and Flipturn plug-and-charge EV charging sites. Emobi, North America's largest EV charging roaming and JustPlug infrastructure provider, has partnered with Flipturn to integrate Emobi's roaming and authentication technology into Flipturn's managed charging ecosystem. The collaboration allows multifamily properties, fleet operators, workplaces, and other site owners to offer drivers secure, seamless access to a wide network of charging partners while maintaining full control over their own charging assets. Battery Flipturn's platform - used for energy management, uptime monitoring, payments, billing, and diagnostics - now connects directly to Emobi's roaming hub, making chargers easier to discover, access, and monetize. In the first phase, Flipturn-managed chargers will join Emobi's roaming network, enabling drivers to authenticate and pay through participating automaker apps, fleet tools, and consumer charging apps with reduced operational complexity for site owners. The partnership lays groundwork for Flipturn sites to become eligible for Emobi's JustPlug cloud-based Plug & Charge solution, which brings ISO 15118 authentication to both new and legacy infrastructure without hardware upgrades. The collaboration strengthens Emobi's role as a unifying digital backbone for EV charging and supports Flipturn's mission to help organizations scale dependable, cost-efficient EV operations. Scania debuts electric 8x4 heavy tipper. Scania and Swedish mining company LKAB are deepening their collaboration with the launch of Sleipner, a fully electric 8x4 heavy tipper now operating at LKAB's Malmberget mine. The truck - named after Odin's eight-legged horse - is Scania's first electric model equipped with two steerable front axles, engineered for higher payload capacity, improved stability, and the demanding conditions of mining roads. Built on Scania's modular electric platform, Sleipner carries a 60-tonne total weight with a 38-tonne payload and runs on two MP20 battery packs (416 kWh total) paired with a 400 kW electric motor. It replaces its combustion equivalent and could deliver major CO[2] reductions as LKAB moves more than 5 million tonnes of waste rock each year. The vehicle expands on experience gained from Scania's electric 6x4 tipper introduced at the same site in 2022. Scania and LKAB continue to co-develop and refine electric heavy-duty solutions through real-world operation, with both companies emphasizing that each new deployment advances large-scale electrification for some of the world's toughest industrial environments. XCharge Vermont's fastest EV charging with Cellerate Power. XCharge North America announced that Cellerate Power has selected its 400kW C7 Ultra-Fast Chargers for Vermont's fastest EV charging site, now open in Winhall. The installation delivers charging speeds 2 - 3 times faster than competing stations and supports both NACS and CCS connectors, enabling service for nearly all EV models in the region. Cellerate Power chose XCharge NA for its reliability, speed, and strong technical support - key factors in overcoming Vermont-specific range challenges, including cold winters and mountainous terrain. The C7 units include 21.5-inch digital displays to enhance the charging experience and promote local businesses. As the first deployment of C7 chargers in North America, the project strengthens grid resilience and expands equitable access to high-speed charging in underserved areas. UNIGRID launches Na[+] Fleet, a sodium-ion 12V starter battery. UNIGRID Inc. has unveiled Na[+] Fleet, a 12V starter battery platform built on its NaCrO[2] sodium-ion cell technology, enabling OEMs to integrate NCO sodium-ion cells directly into new 12V packs. Targeting the $50B global lead-acid replacement market, the platform offers a lighter, smaller, safer, and longer-lasting alternative to traditional lead-acid batteries, which dominate today's starter batteries but suffer from weight, maintenance needs, and short lifespans. Sodium-ion's advantages include no thermal-runaway risk, BMS-less operation, strong cold-cranking performance, and more than 5,000 cycles across extreme climates. Na[+] Fleet supports multiple form factors for vehicles and equipment ranging from cars and motorcycles to forklifts and EV/HEV 12V systems. UNIGRID says the technology is available now to OEMs, integrators, and distributors. AmpUp launches Pricing Recommendation Engine. AmpUp has introduced its new Pricing Recommendation Engine, a core feature of its Pro Plan designed to help EV charging site operators set optimal, competitive pricing without guesswork. The tool combines five essential data sources - local utility rates (including TOU and demand charges), historical site behavior, and nearby competitor pricing - into one unified recommendation. It delivers site-specific accuracy, supports all compatible hardware without extra subscriptions, and automatically updates as tariffs and regulations change. With an intuitive color-coded interface and no complex onboarding, AmpUp aims to set a new industry standard for smart pricing. CEO Tom Sun says pricing uncertainty has been holding operators back, and this engine puts comprehensive, real-time insights directly in their hands. By enabling consistent, data-driven pricing, the system boosts both host revenue and driver satisfaction. Insights from AmpUp's 150,000+ driver network show predictable costs lead to higher utilization and stronger long-term retention across the ecosystem. Gilbarco Veeder-Root launches Konect 400 kW All-in-One EV Charger. Gilbarco Veeder-Root has unveiled the Konect 400 kW All-in-One EV Charger, the first ultra-fast charging platform designed specifically for fuel stations and convenience retailers. The system integrates charging performance with unified payment, loyalty, and software management, giving drivers and operators the same seamless experience they expect from traditional fueling. Retailers today face fragmented hardware, multiple apps, and inconsistent vendor systems. Konect addresses these challenges with integrated hardware/software, rapid deployment via custom APIs, and 400 kW charging backed by a 98% uptime target through its Uptime Assurance service. The platform simplifies operations, boosts driver confidence, and enables forecourts to enter EV charging without reinventing their business model - making the future of charging not only fast, but familiar.