USA

The US is tightening transportation regulations with new measures for carrying lithium-ion cells and batteries on cargo planes “to address an immediate safety hazard”.

The federal government said airlines would be barred from carrying “potentially hazardous lithium-ion cells and batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft”.

And lithium-ion cells and batteries will have to be generally shipped with a state of charge of no more than 30% on cargo aircraft.

US-based lead-acid separator manufacturer Daramic has announced the opening of new polyethylene battery separator production lines in China and Thailand, to “support the growing demand” of customers primarily in Asia.

The introduction of one additional manufacturing line in Tianjin, China will double the company’s capacity at the location, while the new manufacturing line in Prachinburi, Thailand will increase capacity at the location by 20%.

As well as meeting Asian demand, the expansions will enable Daramic to balance operations globally in order to supply customers regionally, meaning that capacity that was previously “utilised to meet Asia demand can now be diverted to support customers in other global regions”.

Energy storage and support for advanced batteries research such as lead-acid has emerged as a rare issue to unite US legislators across the current political divide.

A Capitol Hill briefing organised by Battery Council International saw Republican and Democrat representatives stress the need for research into energy storage was a key “area of alignment” for both main parties.

Representatives Mark Takano (Democrat) and Chris Collins (Republican), who serve as co-chairs of the Advanced Energy Storage Caucus, were among those attending the briefing.

Tesla is to acquire Maxwell Technologies, in a deal that values the California-based ultracapacitor firm at around US$218 million.

Maxwell said on 4 February the companies had entered into a definite merger agreement under which Tesla would buy the company's 45.9 million shares for $4.75 a share in an all-stock transaction. The deal represented a 55% premium to the share price, which closed at $3.07 on 1 February.

The merger is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of 2019 or shortly after, subject to the successful tender and exchange of shares, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.