Nissan, NEC, ETH Zurich, NASA, Google.

Nissan to discharge battery business? The Leaf maker may sell its stake in a battery manufacturer co-owned by NEC, Nikkei reports. Talks with Panasonic are on-going as Nissan believes it could buy power packs for its EVs from other makers cheaper, sources said. Nissan officially dismissed such talks as “speculation.” In any case, the idea alone is food for thought for German manufacturers only now trying to get a foot into the Li-ion battery market.
asia.nikkei.com, reuters.com

All-solid battery: Researchers at ETH Zurich developed a battery that contains neither liquids nor gels but is made of solid materials only. The electrolyte is of Lithium-garnet and cannot ignite.
ethz.ch

NASA to fund eco-flying: The American space agency announced five projects that look into making aircrafts more sustainable. Research ranges from Lithium-Air batteries over improved fuel cells to 3D printing. So far, NASA is only following up on ideas to see if they are feasible.
nasa.gov, techcrunch.com

Moving on his own: Google’s self-driving car CTO Chris Urmson if off to seek new ventures. He leaves the company after seven years, just as the Google car is close to commercialisation. He did not say what he will be working on next but it seems he has parted on good terms as Google wishes him the best.
medium.com (Urmson blog) via forbes.com