China, POLICE, EPA, MIT.

China opens battery market: The government announced that foreign battery makers and suppliers for other EV and PHEV components will no longer need to form joint ventures with Chinese companies. That will at first only be the case for the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Shanghai and Tianjin, but the government will keep a close eye on the development and possible extend or scrap the measure.
forbes.com, chinadaily.com.cn

Prolonging EVs’ operating life: The three-year research project POLICE (Prolonged Life Cycle for Electric Vehicles) is looking at how electric cars can become more competitive, focusing on multiplying the vehicles’ operating lifespan. The RWTH Aachen, StreetScooter, Dekra and DLR are part of the team. The German Federal Ministry of Economy is funding the project with 1.5m euros.
rwth-aachen.de

EPA criticises airplane emissions: The U.S. environmental agency has taken a closer look at emissions above the clouds. While regulatory limits have yet to be established, airplane manufactures are being asked to reduce their engines’ emissions.
greencarcongress.com

MIT makes progress: MIT researchers have found a new approach to engineering lithium-air batteries, keeping oxygen inside using nanoscale particles that hold both Li and O instead of pulling oxygen from the air. That reduces energy loss. Scientists say their prototype was able to hold twice as much energy a Li-ion battery of the same size.
engadget.com , mit.edu