Chronickels

Nickel news, views, commentary and insights

JANUARY 24 - 2024

Charging ahead: navigating the transforming landscape of the EV Market in the US

With global EV sales approaching 14 million cars in 2023 with a year-on-year growth rate of 35% it is clear that EVs are gaining acceptance rapidly.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES REGULATION
AUGUST 25 - 2023

Battery state of health, giving consumers confidence in used EVs for an affordable electric transition

In the drive towards a net-zero emission scenario, the market for Electric Vehicles has boomed over recent years. And this has resulted in a burgeoning used electric vehicle market.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
AUGUST 08 - 2023

The EU Battery regulation: what does it mean for nickel producers?

The new EU Battery regulation has implications for nickel producers both inside and outside Europe. If they are supplying material to the EU battery chain destined for the European market all producers need to comply with the new rules.

BATTERIES EU POLICY SUPPLY CHAIN ELECTRIC VEHICLES REGULATION
JULY 12 - 2023

Impact of high temperature on EV batteries and options for users

This is the second article in a series on the impact of temperature on electric vehicles. Given the delivery waiting time for electric vehicles, you may be expecting to receive your EV in summer or next winter. This series has been developed to help you understand the implications of temperature.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
DECEMBER 08 - 2022

Energy Crisis: can electric vehicles be game changers?

Just as the EV revolution was gearing up to become consumer driven, there was an increase in raw material prices, semi-conductor shortages and recently a steep rise in electricity prices. At a time of energy crisis, are EVs still a game changer?

SUSTAINABILITY BATTERIES RENEWABLE ENERGY
NOVEMBER 30 - 2022

Product passport legislation and the growing role of secondary legislation

The European Commission published its proposed EU battery regulation in December 2020. After almost two years of discussion, the EU institutions are now in the final stages of negotiating the details. It could be adopted in December 2022, with entry into force to follow in 2023.

BATTERIES EU POLICY REGULATION
OCTOBER 20 - 2022

Electric vehicles in winters: range related concerns and considerations

Given the delivery waiting time for electric vehicles, you may be expecting to receive your EV in winter or next summer. What are the implications of temperature on your vehicle?

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
JULY 06 - 2022

Will the EU’s Sustainable Products Initiative get the balance right?

What is a “sustainable product”? Is it more sustainable to continue using my old washing machine or to buy a new, more energy efficient one? Are single use products always unsustainable? What criteria should I use to judge whether a product is sustainable or not? What measures can we take to promote sustainability in products?

SUSTAINABILITY EU POLICY RECYCLING REGULATION
JUNE 01 - 2022

The new San Giorgio bridge: stronger and more durable

Awareness about robustness and durability of bridge design has grown since Morandi’s time. The new San Giorgio Bridge (its successor) in Genoa was designed by Renzo Piano and inaugurated in 2020.

NICKEL MAGAZINE NICKEL STEEL STAINLESS STEEL ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
APRIL 04 - 2022

What differentiates China’s EV market from the others?

In 2021, China recorded the strongest growth in the EV market with around 3.2 million EVs sold. This was an increase of 2 million EV units compared to 2020 which was more than the combined increase of all other regions taken together.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES CHINA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
MARCH 10 - 2022

Will the EU’s proposed battery regulation drive the global ESG agenda for battery raw materials?

Batteries, notably those used in electric vehicles, play an essential role in the plans of the European Commission to deliver the EU Green Deal. They are considered as a critical and strategic technology to achieve Europe´s ambitious climate change mitigation targets and to move towards green and sustainable mobility.

SUSTAINABILITY BATTERIES EU POLICY SUPPLY CHAIN REGULATION
FEBRUARY 03 - 2022

EU Batteries Regulation: Where do we stand?

The proposed Regulation will introduce a wide range of sustainability requirements and promote the recycling of key battery raw materials like nickel. EU legislative work is entering a crucial phase.

REGULATION BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES EU POLICY
DECEMBER 07 - 2021

Electric trucks and buses – no longer second fiddle to electric cars

Electrification of light-duty vehicles is trending in many parts of the world and is on track to become a consumer driven phenomenon but let’s not forget the heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
NOVEMBER 16 - 2021

Stainless steel: a lifetime of savings

While it may require an initial higher investment when compared with other materials, stainless steel’s unique properties deliver long-term performance and economic benefits including minimum downtime, reduced maintenance costs and reduced environmental impacts.

LIFE CYCLE COSTING STAINLESS STEEL ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SUSTAINABILITY RECYCLING
JULY 13 - 2021

Leading the charge

Charging Infrastructure is the backbone of the EV revolution. Parul Chhabra explains how the transformation in road transportation brought about by a shift towards E-mobility is causing pathbreaking changes along the value chain.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
MAY 10 - 2021

Producing green hydrogen

The many new and innovative applications of hydrogen as fuel show great promise for a greener future.

NICKEL MAGAZINE SUSTAINABILITY BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
MARCH 05 - 2021

Electric vehicle safety : concerns and considerations

As electric vehicles (EVs) trend from being niche to mass scale and the lines between EVs and their combustion engine (ICE) counterparts get blurred in terms of usability, consumers, automakers, governments and fire departments continue to have some apprehensions.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
JANUARY 26 - 2021

A wealth of knowledge

A new generation of designers, materials specifiers, architects and engineers is being introduced to the wealth of technical information curated by the Nickel Institute. An archive of technical guides and know-how for working with nickel-containing materials, including stainless steel, that has been built over thirty years is now being updated and made freely available.

NICKEL ALLOYS NICKEL STEEL STAINLESS STEEL TECHNICAL HELP ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
DECEMBER 11 - 2020

The shift from pump to plug - Consumer readiness and EVs

Parul Chhabra argues that attaining mass scale potential of electric vehicles will be determined by satisfying consumer concerns which go beyond pro-environment government policies.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
SEPTEMBER 25 - 2020

Investment strategy of automakers and auto-battery alliances

The present-day principal driver in the Li-ion industry is the large batteries required for electric vehicles. Due to the size of these batteries and the relative growth of electric vehicles it is predicted that the total Li-ion energy capacity will exceed one tera watt-hour by 2030. This anticipation for a dramatically rapidly expanding industry has stakeholders all along the value chain very motivated to be ready.

BATTERIES SUPPLY CHAIN
AUGUST 21 - 2020

Headwinds and tailwinds facing EVs

Although market analysts believe that low oil prices will not derail the shift that has started towards clean mobility, the automobile sector including EVs has not been immune to the impact of Covid-19.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
JULY 27 - 2020

Is nickel sustainable in electric vehicle batteries?

The short answer is: yes, nickel can be a sustainable material throughout the entire value chain, from mining, manufacturing, to use and end of life – if all actors throughout the value chain step up and take their responsibility. Now let's look at the longer answer...

SUSTAINABILITY BATTERIES EU POLICY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
JUNE 10 - 2020

Battle of the batteries - Cost versus Performance

The last three months have been unprecedented. But amidst the chaos and despite the drop in global GDP, there has still been a considerable amount of activity in the electric vehicle (EV) and battery world.

CHINA ELECTRIC VEHICLES BATTERIES
FEBRUARY 29 - 2020

Why Europe’s battery value chain needs regulatory certainty – now

European nickel producers need a consistent regulatory framework. There must be coherence between different EU policy objectives with rules based on principles of sound science, risk-based approaches, full life-cycle thinking and impact assessments.

BATTERIES EU POLICY RAW MATERIALS SUSTAINABILITY
FEBRUARY 21 - 2020

Competitive technologies to high nickel Li-ion batteries – The pros and cons

The electric vehicle market is expected to be by far the largest and most dominant market for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Despite the strong desire to increase EV sales by all involved in the value chain, proliferation has been curbed due to the high cost to the consumer and the perceived disadvantages of owning an EV. Range anxiety, a lack of charging stations and fire safety worries, are among the top concerns.

BATTERIES ELECTRIC VEHICLES
JANUARY 06 - 2020

Is there enough nickel? Reserves, resources and recycling

Should we be worried about there being enough nickel to supply the transition to electric vehicles and cleaner energy sources? Given its wide range of uses in important existing and emerging technologies, this is a frequently asked question.

SUSTAINABILITY RAW MATERIALS RESOURCES AND RESERVES SUPPLY CHAIN RECYCLING