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A young battery startup in China claims its latest cell technology is able to alleviate a major issue for EV owners today – the loss of charging performance and range in inclement weather, especially cold climates during winter. By utilizing superconducting materials, Greater Bay Technology says its new cells can charge and function as normal within six minutes, no matter the temperature outside.

Guangzhou Juwan Technology Research Co., Ltd. – better known as Greater Bay Technology is a battery startup spun out of GAC Motor as recently as 2020. In that short time, the company has already delivered what it calls an eXtreme Fast Charging (XFC) cell that can fully charge in 15 minutes.

GAC Aion has already implemented this technology into its EVs in China, beginning with its V Plus SUV. Its early success has helped the young startup become a unicorn or sorts, gathering over RMB 1 billion (~$155M) in Series A funding.

Not to be outdone, the Greater Bay is now touting a new cell it calls the Phoenix EV battery – promising a range of 1,000 km (621 mi) on a single charge and a level of performance fidelity that is unaffected by the temperature outside, even in winter.

EV battery Winter
Credit: Greater Bay Technology/WeChat

GBT’s new EV battery can fast charge in winter or summer

The startup recently shared impressive details of its new Phoenix battery cells in a video on its WeChat page, which can rapidly heat from -20℃ (-4℉) to 25℃ (77℉) in just five minutes.

This advanced thermal management helps stabilize the EV battery no matter if it’s the peak of summer, or the dead of winter, providing rates from 10-80% SOC in just six minutes (8C) on platforms ranging from 300V to 1,000V. Per the video:

Based on essence of battery heat exchange, GBT’s Phoenix battery takes full advantage of its original lightweight and ultra high-thermal conductivity low-dimensional materials, making best use of the cell’s heat exchange area, building up a 3-D thermal management system. Its heat exchange is increased by 18 times traditional solutions, realizes extreme fast cooling and heating, with a temperature control rate raised by three times.

Additionally, the EV battery cells combine for what Greater Bay calls a “magazine clip” style structure that not only enables the optimized heat exchange, but better protects against damage from collisions or cell penetrations.

Like many of these breakthroughs we often see, the Phoenix EV batteries have not reached mass production, but could be here by next winter. Greater Bay Technology states the Phoenix cells will be implemented in GAC Aion EVs next year, and it is currently in talks with other automakers as well.

Electrek’s Take

I don’t want to get my hopes up just yet for two reasons. For one, these battery breakthroughs appear to happening more and more often, and rarely involve the words “mass production” or “cost parity.”

To counter my own insecurities, Greater Bay has been innovating quite quickly and already has fast charging cells in EVs overseas. Remember, it’s only been in business for three years. Not to mention it’s financially backed by one of the largest automotive conglomerates in China.

Which brings me to my next question: When (if at all) will we see this tech implemented outside of China? If Greater Bay can in fact deliver an EV battery that charges the same rate as other cells in freezing winter weather, it could significantly expedite a global rate of EV adoption that is already snowballing.

I know my family and friends in the Midwest would be much more inclined to go all-electric knowing they won’t risk losing any range during the winter months. Still feels like a pipe dream at this point, but if it can scale, it could be a game changer for the entire industry.

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DHL picks Mercedes eSprinter as it expands its electric van fleet

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DHL picks Mercedes eSprinter as it expands its electric van fleet

DHL Express has more than 10,000 eSprinter vans in its global delivery fleet, but none of those have been deployed in North America – until now, that is! The company recently added 45 new Mercedes eSprinter panel vans, and they’ve got plans for plenty more!

While Mercedes offers its eSprinters with a promised 206 mile estimated range, DHL says it’s consistently seen them exceed 240 miles in stop-and-go delivery duty, making them the longest-range battery electric vehicles in DHL’s US fleet.

This extended capacity makes them ideally suited for urban logistics while expanding their potential use in longer delivery routes. The eSprinter vans also offer the same massive cargo capacity as their diesel-powered brothers, making them efficient last-mile delivery solutions that don’t compromise on payload or operational reliability.

And, of course, the eSprinter will do all of that without the noise, vibration, and harmful carbon emissions of diesel.

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“Electrifying our fleet is one of the most visible and impactful ways we are moving toward a more sustainable future,” explains Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express, US. “The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter brings an extended range and proven cargo capabilities that allow us to serve our customers with zero emissions, while also advancing our global goal of more sustainable logistics. These vehicles not only strengthen our operations in major US cities but also set the stage for future electric fleet growth across the Americas.”

The 45 eSprinters will see deployment in Chicago, Indiana, and Pittsburg, and will act as a first step DHL’s global Sustainability Roadmap, which will see the company electrify 66% of its last-mile US delivery fleet (and some of its long-haul fleet operations) by 2030.

Electrek’s Take


DHL reaches 50 electric truck milestone with Orange EV, plans to double down
Orange EV; via DHL.

In addition to these 45 vans, DHL is electrifying its European and Asian delivery fleets, ramping up its sustainable aviation fuel use, and even exploring electric semis, eVTOL and hybrid aircraft deliveries, and more.

In short, they’re doing the right thing – or seem to be, anyway. Whether or not that commitment to decarbonization will win them more American customers remains to be seen.

SOURCE | IMAGES: DHL, via PR Newswire.


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Environment

Enphase debuts a new US off-grid solar and battery system

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Enphase debuts a new US off-grid solar and battery system

Enphase Energy just launched a new off-grid system that lets homeowners power their homes without a utility connection – even for extended periods. The California-based Enphase says the off-grid setup delivers a seamless way to live independently from the grid while still using solar, batteries, and a standby AC generator.

A full off-grid setup

The new system combines Enphase’s IQ Battery 5P with embedded grid-forming microinverters, IQ8 Series Microinverters with Sunlight JumpStart, and a third-party standby AC generator. The components work together to supply power to a home and automatically manage energy sources to maximize efficiency and reliability.

If the batteries are drained and the generator runs out of fuel, the Sunlight JumpStart feature can automatically recharge the batteries the next morning once the sun comes up.

The IQ Battery 5P delivers 3.84 kVA of power per 5 kWh of capacity, and systems can be scaled up to 40 kWh and 15.4 kVA. That’s enough power to start big household appliances like HVAC systems or water pumps. The IQ System Controller 3G provides the backbone, managing solar, batteries, and generator inputs to deliver up to 46 kVA of off-grid power.

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Smarter control and connectivity

Each system connects to the cloud through Enphase’s IQ Combiner 5C HDK, which bundles solar interconnection, communications, and metering into one box. For homes without reliable broadband, the built-in 4G LTE Cat 4 modem keeps the system online for monitoring, firmware updates, and remote support.

Homeowners can manage everything from the Enphase App – from solar generation and battery status to generator integration and load control.

Why it matters

As grid outages become more common and homeowners look for ways to gain energy independence, off-grid systems like this are becoming more appealing.

“With the launch of our off-grid solution, we are giving homeowners a reliable path to complete energy independence,” said Nitish Mathur, Enphase’s SVP of customer experience. Enphase says over 100 homes are already operating entirely off-grid using its technology. The company plans to expand availability beyond the US in 2026.

Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Environment

Global offshore wind surges ahead as Trump sinks US progress

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Global offshore wind surges ahead as Trump sinks US progress

Global offshore wind targets are still strong enough to triple global capacity by 2030, despite the US’s offshore wind stagnation under Trump. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) shows that the rest of the world is charging forward, underscoring confidence in offshore wind as a cornerstone of future clean energy systems.

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