Penn State University, Kia, Tesla, 3M.

Preheated battery: Researchers from Penn State University have developed the all-climate battery (ACB), a Li-ion battery that warms itself in cold environments to keep performance steady. When temperatures drop below zero, an integrated temperature sensor reroutes current through nickel foil, warming the battery through resistance heating. Once it reaches non-freezing temperatures, the heating switches off. The amount of energy used for the warm-up is said to be very small.
nature.com, gizmag.com, greencarcongress.com

Ahead of its Chicago debut, Kia revealed new details about its dedicated Niro PHEV. The on sale date is set for late 2016. It will be powered by a 1.6-liter gasoline engine coupled with a 32 kW electric motor. A plug-in hybrid variant will follow at a later stage.
autonews.com

Inconclusive: A recent fire of a Tesla Model S in Norway was not caused by the Supercharger it was connected to, an investigation concludes. Yet, what exactly has sparked the EV to go up in flame remains unclear, as the car burnt to the ground.
autoblog.com, ecomento.com

Tape a magnet: 3M introduced a new magnet bonding adhesive system designed to provide electric motor designers and engineers with a less sticky tool for attaching magnets to rotors and stators in permanent magnet electric motors. The new adhesive is a tape rather than liquid glue.
greencarcongress.com