Daimler, Sony, battery production, Tianqi Lithium Industries.

Vision van: Daimler presented its idea for future transportation. The Vision Van has 75 kW power and a modular battery system that can deliver up to 270 km of range. It connects all involved in the delivery chain and comes with integrated delivery drones. The EV is part of the ‘adVANce’ initiative, which will receive 500m euros investment over the next five years. The new unit called Future Transportation Systems also works with start-ups in Germany and the USA.
media.daimler.com

Sony to make EV batteries: The Japanese are to enter the electric car market “soon” with the small VC7 cell. Sony were the first to commercialise a lithium-ion battery back in 1991. The firm also applied to deliver batteries for the 2018 Formula E season along with other competitors.
hybridcars.com

As the battery business gears up so do suppliers like Sumitomo Chemical. The firm will invest 20bn yen (195m USD) to increase production capacity for its separators to be able to supply batteries for 500,000 electric cars. Toray Industries also plans to spend 20bn yen as it raises separator production by 70 percent for delieveries to Panasonic and LG Chem.
asia.nikkei.com

Chinese battery plant Down Under: Tianqi Lithium Industries is to produce material for EV batteries in Australia comes 2018. The 306m dollar plant will take ore from the Greenbushes mine and would be able to produce 24,000t of lithium hydroxide annually, thus doubling Tinaqi’s processing capacity.
fortune.com