Market developments
Mangrove Lithium opens North America’s first commercial electrochemical refinery
A new lithium refinery in Delta, British Columbia, has brought Mangrove Lithium into commercial production, marking a step toward localising battery‑materials processing in North America. The facility uses the company’s proprietary electrochemical process to produce battery‑grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate, with an initial capacity of around 1,000 tonnes per year, sufficient for approximately 25,000 EVs annually. The site also serves as Mangrove’s headquarters and a demonstration plant for a scalable alternative to conventional chemical refining. The process is designed to reduce waste, emissions and physical footprint while handling multiple feedstocks. Mangrove plans a larger eastern‑Canada refinery capable of supplying lithium for up to 500,000 EVs per year.
EV economics highlight Colombia’s exposure to fuel imports
A new report from Carbon Tracker highlights Colombia’s reliance on imported refined fuels, with imports accounting for 25% of transport‑sector oil use in 2023. Under a business‑as‑usual scenario, road‑transport fuel imports could cost up to $226bn by 2050. Accelerated BEV adoption could cut consumption by around 600 million barrels of oil equivalent, saving approximately $40bn in imports, alongside health and climate‑related economic benefits. The analysis notes high lifetime costs for new ICE vehicles and fossil‑fuel subsidies of about $6.8bn in 2025. Falling battery costs, a clean power grid and lower electricity prices position Colombia favourably for faster EV uptake.
Infrastructure & policy
NSW secures renewable power for the entire public transport network
Transport for New South Wales has secured a 7‑year, A$1.9bn contract with Snowy Energy to supply renewable electricity for all public transport services from July 2027 through 2034. Covering buses, trains, metro, light rail and ferries, the agreement consolidates multiple energy contracts into a single supply arrangement and is expected to cut operating costs by about A$130m. Electricity demand will be matched with renewable generation from wind, solar and hydro assets, including the Uungula Wind Farm, using renewable energy certificates. The deal supports NSW’s net‑zero transport target for 2035, alongside rooftop solar installations and expansion of the electric bus fleet.
Deals
Hyfix raises seed funding to rebuild the drone technology stack
Hyfix Spatial Intelligence has raised $15m in seed funding to develop a US‑designed system‑on‑chip for drones, integrating flight control, navigation, communications and computing into a single secure platform. The approach aims to reduce dependence on foreign components and improve resilience in GPS‑challenged environments. Positioning accuracy is enhanced through a global network of ground reference stations combined with satellite data. The company plans to build reference hardware to demonstrate real‑world performance, though the funding also underscores the cost and complexity of chip development. Success will depend on timely silicon delivery, manufacturing partnerships and competitive performance in a market shaped by tightening regulation.
Sepion secures Series B funding for battery separator coatings
Sepion Technologies has raised $10m in Series B funding to scale its polymer‑based coatings for lithium‑ion battery separators. The ultra‑thin coatings improve energy density, enable faster charging and reduce battery weight while maintaining safety and thermal stability. Designed as a drop‑in solution, the technology integrates with existing separator manufacturing lines, avoiding costly retooling. Sepion is engaged in advanced qualification programmes with multiple global battery manufacturers across EV, grid‑storage and consumer‑electronics markets. The funding will support expansion of US‑based polymer production, fulfil early orders and advance manufacturing scale‑up as the company moves from pilot to volume deployment.
Wayve attracts strategic backing from semiconductor leaders
Autonomous driving developer Wayve has secured a $60m strategic investment from AMD, Arm and Qualcomm Ventures, following its $1.2bn Series D round that valued the company at around $8.6bn. Wayve’s approach centres on an end‑to‑end AI driving system designed to run across existing automotive processors rather than proprietary hardware. This hardware‑agnostic model allows automakers to deploy and upgrade autonomy features via software updates without committing to a single chip platform. The system also avoids reliance on high‑definition maps, supporting faster global scaling. The investment reflects growing alignment between AI‑driven autonomy software and long‑term semiconductor roadmaps.
Humble emerges from stealth with an autonomous electric freight vehicle
Humble has launched publicly with $24m in seed funding to develop the Humble Hauler, a fully electric, cabless autonomous Class 8 freight vehicle designed for controlled logistics environments. Optimised for dock‑to‑dock operations at warehouses, ports and rail yards, the vehicle is built around standard shipping containers and features full 360‑degree sensor coverage. Autonomy is powered by vision‑language‑action AI models rather than rule‑based systems, enabling operation in complex settings. Backed by Eclipse Ventures and Energy Impact Partners, the founding team includes veterans from Uber ATG, Apple, Tesla and Waabi. Pilot deployments with logistics partners are planned following rapid prototype development.
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