Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will build a US$27.5 million hydrogen refuelling station in Carson, California, to support the transition of public transit fleets to zero-emission fuel cell buses. The facility will be capable of dispensing up to 25,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day, making it one of the largest hydrogen bus refuelling stations in the United States. The project is expected to support California's clean transportation goals by providing hydrogen fuel for hundreds of fuel cell buses operating across the Los Angeles region.

In recent years, the official figures for NEV driving range and battery energy density have been continuously refreshed. However, many may not realize that these improvements do not entirely stem from breakthroughs in electrochemical systems—iterations in cathode materials, anode materials, and electrolytes often take years. More direct changes have occurred at the structural level inside battery packs. CTM, CTP, CTB, and CTC represent several technological routes where battery integration levels continue to increase. Their common logic is simple: reduce intermediate layers to "stuff" the battery more tightly into the auto body. But the trade-offs between space utilization, manufacturing cost, and repairability vary from one generation to the next. 1. CTM (Cell to Module): The Traditional "Layered Doll" Approach In the early stages of NEV development, battery pack assembly followed a relatively conservative approach. Battery cells were first assembled into modules, the modules were then arranged into a battery pack, and finally, the battery pack was fixed under the vehicle floor. Battery cell → module → battery pack → auto body formed four independent layers. The pros and cons of this solution were clear. The advantage was repair convenience—a faulty module could be replaced individually without touching the entire battery pack. Simultaneously, the module casing provided additional protection for the cells, leading to relatively mature structural safety. But the cost was just as direct: module casings, connectors, and cooling pipes took up significant space, resulting in a space utilization rate of only about 40% inside the battery pack. This meant that, for the same volume, the CTM solution could hold the fewest battery cells, limiting its driving range potential. CTM was the industry's default choice for a long time because it aligned with the traditional automotive supply chain's division of labor—battery enterprises supplied modules, and automakers handled integration. But this division also created a structural ceiling: the volumetric utilization rate of the battery pack was difficult to break through. 2. CTP (Cell to Pack): Eliminating the "Middleman" The core modification in CTP was skipping the module layer, allowing cells to directly form the battery pack; space utilization improved from around 40% to over 70%. Simultaneously, by reducing module casings, connectors, and fasteners, the number of battery pack parts decreased, leading to lower manufacturing costs. Two different technological choices for CTP implementation existed in the industry. One was the thoroughly module-free solution represented by BYD's blade battery. By shaping cells into long strips and arranging them directly into the battery pack, supported by a honeycomb-like structure, it enhanced space utilization while also assuming some structural functions. The other was the highly integrated solution represented by CATL's CTP 3.0 (Qilin battery). It combined cells with multi-functional elastic interlayers into integrated energy units and integrated components like crossbeams, longitudinal beams, water-cooling plates, and thermal pads to further optimize internal layout and thermal management. The Qilin battery achieved a volumetric utilization rate of 72% and a system energy density of 255 Wh/kg. From a market penetration perspective, CTP has achieved a dominant mainstream position. Mainstream NEV manufacturers in China have launched mass-produced car models equipped with CTP solutions, ranging from independent brands to joint ventures, covering a broad price range from entry-level to high-end products. Meanwhile, the market share of traditional CTM solutions continues to shrink, currently remaining only in some micro-vehicles or specific export models. Overall, CTP has become the most prevalent battery integration technology route at the current stage. 3. CTB and CTC: The Battery Becomes Part of the Auto Body The concept behind CTB (Cell to Body) is to merge the battery pack's top cover with the vehicle floor. Cells are installed directly onto the vehicle floor, eliminating the need for a separate battery pack top cover. One of the main benefits of this solution is freeing up vertical space, allowing for a more spacious cabin or creating conditions to lower the vehicle's stance. Simultaneously, when the battery pack participates in bearing vehicle loads, torsional stiffness can increase by over 70%. BYD's Seal series and Xiaomi's Pengcheng series are representative models featuring CTB solutions. BYD officially announced that the Seal's body torsional stiffness reached 40,500 N·m/°. Xiaomi Auto announced a CTB battery volumetric efficiency of 77.8%. CTC (Cell to Chassis) goes a step further, integrating the battery system more deeply with the chassis or underbody, further blurring the structural boundary of the battery pack as an independent assembly. In some solutions, the battery system is also integrated collaboratively with thermal management, electric drive, and high/low-voltage control modules. Representative examples of this approach include the Tesla Model Y (Texas factory version) and the Leapmotor C10 equipped with the CTC 2.0 Plus solution. The technical goals of CTB and CTC are aligned—exchanging space utilization and body stiffness through structural integration. The difference between the two routes is more apparent in engineering implementation: CTB simplifies on top of the existing body architecture, retaining a relatively independent chassis frame; CTC treats the chassis and battery as a single whole from the outset, placing higher demands on the vehicle platform's upfront definition. Market data indicates that while CTB and CTC are still in the relatively early stages of penetrating from the high-end to the mass market, this technological route has begun to filter down to lower price brackets. The 2026 MG4 brought CTB technology down to the price range of 60,000 to 100,000 yuan, showing that structural integration solutions are no longer exclusive to high-end car models. Concerns Over Structural Integration Solutions The most direct challenge facing CTB and CTC structural integration solutions is repair economics. In traditional CTM solutions, some faults could be repaired by replacing the module. After CTP eliminated modules, the battery pack could usually still be removed as an independent assembly, but the smallest repairable unit and repair difficulty on-site depended on the specific structure. CTB and CTC, however, further increase the degree of integration between the battery and auto body, potentially increasing the difficulty of disassembly, detection, and damage assessment. According to industry estimates, the single-occurrence repair cost for a CTB/CTC solution is 3 to 5 times that of a CTP solution under the same damage conditions. This poses new challenges for insurance companies, the repair system, and the residual value management of used cars. Currently, some automakers, when promoting CTB solutions, simultaneously launch supporting services like "battery-body integrated warranty" or "chassis armor" to alleviate consumer concerns, but this issue has not yet formed a standardized solution at the industry level. Additionally, CTB and CTC solutions demand significantly higher vehicle manufacturing precision and after-sales detection equipment. Once the battery is integrated with the body, the removal process involves disassembling and reassembling structural body parts, requiring potential upgrades to traditional 4S shops' repair equipment and technical capabilities, involving the restructuring costs of the entire after-sales system. Evolutionary Direction From CTM to CTP, and then to CTB and CTC, the evolutionary direction of battery pack integration technology is clear—fewer layers lead to higher space efficiency and greater body stiffness. This is a forward path driven by space efficiency and manufacturing costs. But this trend is not a linear acceleration. For CTB and CTC to achieve large-scale adoption, besides engineering breakthroughs, simultaneous progress is needed in supporting systems like repair standards, insurance pricing, and used car evaluation. Based on current industry data, CTP will continue to hold its mainstream position, while the penetration rate of CTB/CTC will depend on two variables: the degree of standardization in structural integration solutions and the pace at which repair costs and insurance systems adapt.

[Beijing's H1 Passenger Car New L2 Assisted Driving Penetration Rate Reaches 77.5%, L3 Mass-Produced Models First to Land] At the Media Roundtable of the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, Su Guobin, Deputy Director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, introduced that in H1 2026, the penetration rate of Level 2 combined assisted driving among new passenger cars in the city reached 77.5%, higher than the national average level of 70%; BAIC Arcfox Alpha S became one of the first L3-level conditional autonomous driving mass-produced car models nationwide, taking the lead in achieving legal road operation and commercial deployment of high-level autonomous driving; supported by the country’s first high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone, Beijing has cumulatively issued over 1,500 test licenses, with safe testing mileage exceeding 65 million kilometers. In terms of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaboration, Beijing is jointly building an intelligent connected NEV technology and ecology port with Tianjin and Hebei, which has attracted over 200 industry chain enterprises, with 53 signing and settling. Next, Beijing will focus on four aspects: industrialisation of high-level autonomous driving, “Dual Intelligence” 4 construction, core technology breakthroughs, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei industrial collaboration, to build a world-class industrial cluster.

Russia has officially lifted its rail transport ban on sulfur originating from Kazakhstan transiting through Russian territory for export. The Federal Agency for Railway Transport (Roszheldor) imposed the ban on May 24, 2026, suspending the shipment of Kazakh sulfur to Russian seaports and railway checkpoints. The restriction forced exporters to reroute shipments via alternative corridors, with logistics costs for Tengiz and Kashagan sulfur roughly doubling through the port of Batumi, according to sources. The lifting order was signed on July 24, 2026, following instructions from First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Russian Railways (RZD) has notified its subsidiaries to resume accepting railcars carrying Kazakh sulfur, with shipments directed to port stations on the Oktyabrskaya, Severnaya, Kaliningradskaya, Severo-Kavkazskaya, Privolzhskaya and Dalnevostochnaya railways. Kazakhstan is a major sulfur producer and exporter, with annual exports exceeding 4 million tonnes, the bulk of which traditionally flows through Russian ports. The lifting of the ban is expected to restore normal export routes for Kazakh sulfur.

SMM Cobalt Morning Briefing: The cobalt industry chain was generally in the doldrums this week. Refined cobalt prices drifted lower, affected by import data exceeding expectations, the demand off-season, and downstream summer breaks. Sellers and buyers of cobalt intermediate products had a wide psychological price spread, making it difficult to advance transactions, and prices remained temporarily stable. Market inquiries and transactions for cobalt sulphate, cobalt chloride, and Co3O4 were sluggish, with downstream users mainly pushing for lower prices and making just-in-time procurement. Cobalt powder prices continued to hit bottom, while cobalt carbonate was also under pressure.

Against the backdrop of ongoing automotive lightweighting, aluminum alloys are rapidly expanding into more application scenarios such as structural body parts, battery packs, and chassis systems. Among them, 6-series aluminum alloys, which combine strength, formability, corrosion resistance, and lightweighting advantages, have become one of the key directions for automotive aluminum development. As NEVs raise higher requirements for vehicle safety, driving range, and manufacturing efficiency, the market is posing new challenges to the overall performance of 6-series aluminum alloys. How can the balance between material strength and toughness be further improved? How can formability, joining performance, and service reliability be balanced? How can the new demands brought by the continuous upgrading of automotive manufacturing processes be met? These questions are becoming a key focus for the automotive materials industry... Against the backdrop of the continuous upgrading and iteration of automotive aluminum alloy materials, we are honored to have invited Dr. Zhu Xiao, R&D Director of Liaoning Xiangyu Aluminum Co., Ltd., to attend the SMM (8th) Automotive Supply Chain Conference and deliver a keynote speech titled —— " Performance Iteration Direction of 6-Series Aluminum Alloys in the Automotive Sector ," combining industrialization implementation experience to share solutions for the R&D, process optimization, and mass production of next-generation 6-series aluminum materials tailored for NEV complete vehicles. Dr. Zhu Xiao is a senior engineer, a high-end manufacturing talent recognized by the MIIT, and a high-end industrial talent under Liaoning Province's "Xing Liao Ying Cai" program. He is primarily responsible for the development of new products, new technologies, and new processes at Xiangyu Aluminum, the application of engineering technologies, science and technology projects, and intellectual property-related work . Over the past five years, he has led five national and provincial-level scientific research projects, including those under the National Key R&D Program and Provincial Science and Technology Major Projects, won the Liaoning Province Science and Technology Progress First Prize twice, obtained over 50 nationally authorized patents, and published more than 30 papers, achieving multiple technological breakthroughs in the forming and product processing of high-end aluminum alloy materials . Focusing on automotive lightweight material upgrades, secure this practical knowledge-sharing session, and explore with top aluminum material R&D experts the opportunities for the iterative development of 6-series aluminum alloys. Conference Agenda Overview The conference spans two days, featuring one main forum + three sub-forums + an automaker end-user procurement networking session + an automaker cost and new technology exchange meeting , each session packed with highlights. September 10, Full Day – Main Forum ▶ Main Forum & Automotive Globalization Session ▶ Lightweight Materials Session: Aluminum, Magnesium, Steel ▶ Commercial Vehicle Session: Battery, Intelligence, Lightweighting September 11, Morning ▶ Sub-forum 1: Automotive & Robotics Collaborative Forum ▶ Sub-forum 2: Automotive Chassis Development Forum ▶ Sub-forum 3: Automotive Lightweighting & High-End Steel Innovation Forum September 11, Afternoon ▶ Automaker Procurement Supply-Demand Networking Session (Scroll down for details) ▶ Automaker Cost Communication & New Technology Seminar Full Agenda September 10 – Main Forum & Automotive Globalization Session 9:00-9:15 Opening Remarks 09:15-09:40 Development Trends of China's Automotive Industry During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period Guest Speaker: Xu Haidong, Deputy Secretary-General, CAAM 9:40-10:30 Roundtable Dialogue: The Next Five Years of the Automotive Supply Chain – Going Global, Low Carbon, and Intelligence · Opportunities and risks of Chinese enterprises establishing factories overseas (Southeast Asia, Europe, Mexico) · Impact of carbon border taxes (CBAM) on aluminum/steel exports and response strategies · How AI and digitalization can assist with metal material R&D and supply chain management Companies to be Invited (TBD): Lizhong Group Jintuo Technology NIO Volkswagen 10:30-10:50 Coffee Break & Exhibition Tour 10:50-11:10 Under the Overlay of "Involution" and "Going Global": Changes and Strategic Choices in the Automotive Industry Companies to be Invited (TBD): SAIC, Chery 11:10-11:30 Redefining Materials for the Next-Generation Vehicle Platform: The Material Selection Logic for 2030 Car Models Companies to be Invited (TBD): NIO, XPeng Motors, Xiaomi Automobile 11:30-12:00 Safety First, Materials as the Foundation – The Metal Material Logic in the Design of Power Battery Safety Systems Guest Speaker: Jia Shuyuan, Battery Assembly Design Lead Engineer, R&D Institute, Dongfeng Motor Group Corporation 12:00-13:30 Lunch Buffet September 10 – Lightweight Materials Session: Aluminum, Magnesium, Steel 13:30-13:50 Applications and Development Trends of Composite Materials in NEV Lightweighting Guest Speaker: Shen Weidong, Senior Director, Professor-Level Senior Engineer, SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. 13:50-14:10 The Limited Volume of the Magnesium Alloy Industry – Can It Really Open the Automotive Market? Companies to be Invited (TBD): Shanxi Regal 14:10-14:30 New Opportunities for Magnesium Alloys in NEVs: Motor Housings, Electronic Control Cases, Instrument Panel Frames Presenting Company: Mao Mingzhi, Meridian Lightweight Technologies Co., Ltd. 14:30-14:50 Performance Iteration Direction of 6-Series Aluminum Alloys in the Automotive Sector Guest Speaker: Zhu Xiao, R&D Director, Liaoning Xiangyu Aluminum Co., Ltd. 14:50-15:10 Innovative Applications and Solutions of High-Strength and Tough Special Steel in Automotive Chassis Safety Components Companies to be Invited (TBD): Ansteel 15:10-15:30 Steel Auto Body and Integrated Solutions Companies to be Invited (TBD): Great Wall Motor, Rizhao Steel 15:30-15:45 Coffee Break September 10 – Commercial Vehicle Sustainable Development Session: Battery, Intelligence, Lightweighting 15:45-16:05 Commercial Vehicle Market Analysis and Outlook Invited: Lu Huaping, Secretary General, National NEV Commercial Vehicle Ecological Joint Committee (Commercial Vehicle Alliance) 16:05-16:25 BYD Commercial Blade Battery Fast Recharge Technology and Ecosystem Development Guest Speaker: Dr. Deng Qingming, Director, Global Commercial Vehicle Business Center Solutions, BYD Battery 16:25-16:45 Commercial Vehicle Battery Technology and Core Component Development To be Invited (TBD): REPT Battero Energy Co., Ltd. 16:45-17:05 Lightweight Material Technology and Development Trends for Commercial Vehicles To be Invited (TBD): Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. September 11 – Automotive & Robotics Collaborative Forum 9:20-9:40 Shared Supply Chain: When Automotive Parts Companies Build Robots – Downward Disruption or a World Apart? Guest Speaker: Huang Li, Senior Vice President, Huizhou Desay SV Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd. 9:40-10:00 Scenario Applications of Embodied AI Robots in Automotive Manufacturing Guest Speaker: Zhang Chaopeng, Embodied AI Robot Expert 10:00-10:20 Current Status and Outlook of High-Performance Aluminum Alloys in Humanoid Robot Applications Guest Speaker: Cheng Hanming, President, Hongjin New Materials Group Research Institute 10:20-10:40 Mid-Session Break 10:40-11:00 From Automotive to Embodied AI: Supply Chain Synergy and New Paradigm Leap Driven by Common Technology Origins Guest Speaker: Lei Xiong, General Manager, Ningbo Joyson Lingxi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. 11:00-11:20 Convergent Innovation and Industrialization Implementation Pathways for Automotive and Embodied Robotics Guest Speaker: Yang Shaoping, Purchasing Director, Humanoid Robot (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 11:20-11:40 Lightweighting Challenges and Material Selection Analysis for Automotive & Humanoid Robots Guest Speaker: Huang Jiaqi, Material Expert, lron Humanoid Robot 11:40-12:00 AI Robots – Frontier Technology and Outlook for Robotics Guest Speaker (TBD): Chen Weidong, Tenured Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Automation and Perception, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Executive Vice Dean, Medical Robotics Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University September 11 – Automotive Chassis Development Forum 9:00-9:30 The Process Route Debate: From Casting to Extrusion for Aluminum Alloy Subframes Companies to be Invited (TBD): ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Bosch 9:30-10:00 Exploring Integrated Die-Casting Chassis: Beyond the Rear Floor, How Far Can Chassis Structural Parts Be Integrated? Companies to be Invited (TBD): Seres Automobile, Guangdong Hongtu, ZEEKR, GAC Huadi 10:00-10:30 Application Prospects of Electromagnetic Thermal Control Technology in Large Integrated Die-Castings Guest Speaker: Renowned Industry Expert 10:30-11:00 The Way Forward for Integrated Die-Casting: From "Expansion" to a "Rational" Perspective Companies to be Invited (TBD): GAC Group, LK Group 11:00-11:30 Domestic Substitution of Aluminum Forgings for Chassis: Mass Production and Performance Validation of Steering Knuckles and Control Arms Presenting Company: Hangzhou Rima Precision Forging Co., Ltd. 11:30-12:00 The Deep Change of Skateboard Chassis on Vehicle Development Models: From "One Car, One Chassis" to "One Chassis, Multiple Cars" Companies to be Invited (TBD): Volkswagen September 11 – Automotive Lightweighting and High-End Steel Innovation Forum 09:00–09:30 Synergistic Development of Vehicle Corrosion Protection, Dual Carbon Goals, and Cost Reduction – Compliant Application of Green Coatings and Low-Carbon Automotive Steel Companies to be Invited (TBD): Institute for Carbon Neutrality in Steel, University of Science and Technology Beijing 09:30–10:00 Innovation in High-Performance Body-in-White Steel Technology and Vehicle Manufacturing Implementation Presenting Company: Zhang Honghong, Deputy General Manager, Suzhou Pressler Technology Co., Ltd. 10:00–10:30 Fatigue Performance Optimization and Long-Life Durability Technology for High-End Special Steel in New Energy Vehicles Presenting Company: Baowu Jufei Special Steel Co., Ltd. 10:30–11:00 Building a Multi-Dimensional Lightweight Material Selection System for Complete Vehicles and Multi-Material Collaborative Application Companies to be Invited (TBD): CITIC Pacific Group 11:00–11:30 Vehicle Engineering Adaptation and On-the-Ground Application of Advanced Joining Technologies for Automotive Steel and Dissimilar Metals/Heterogeneous Materials Companies to be Invited (TBD): Shougang Group Research Institute of Technology, Ansteel Iron & Steel Institute 11:30–12:00 Upgrading of High-Purity Special Steel Smelting Processes and Material Applications for Core Components of Electric Drive Systems Companies to be Invited (TBD): Dongbei Special Steel, Fushun Special Steel, Beijing Jianlong Heavy Industry Group September 11 – Automaker Procurement Supply-Demand Networking Session 13:30–16:00 Procurement Networking Session + Going Global Networking Session September 11 – Automaker Cost Communication and New Technology Seminar 15:00–16:00 Automaker Cost Communication and New Technology Seminar