Researchers from China’s Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics recently unveiled a new EV battery technology aimed at delivering stronger performance in freezing conditions than traditional lithium-ion packs. The so-called “liquid-solid” battery is claimed to retain more than 85% of its capacity after operating for eight hours at -34°C (−29°F), with early tests conducted using industrial-grade drones showing promising results.

While this liquid-solid technology has yet to be tested in an electric vehicle, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has taken a similar step and tested a different EV battery technology designed for sub-zero temperatures using a production vehicle from automaker Geely. According to CarNewsChina, the researchers have successfully tested an aluminum-based wide-temperature lithium-ion battery in a Geely EX5 EV, claiming it can achieve over 92% discharge efficiency at -25°C (-13°F) and charge to 90% in around 20 minutes under extreme cold conditions.

Cold weather has long been a weak spot for regular lithium-ion batteries. In many EVs, including models from Tesla, low temperatures can reduce range and slow charging speeds unless the battery is carefully preconditioned. Even with advanced thermal management systems, performance typically drops as temperatures fall well below freezing.

The new aluminum-anode design is said to address this issue by widening the battery’s operating temperature range. In testing, it reportedly remained functional across a broad temperature window and managed heat effectively during fast charging without requiring complex insulation setups. If these results translate to large-scale production, it could mean less winter range anxiety and faster charging for drivers in cold regions.

Cold climates may no longer slow down EVs

Chinese battery giants like BYD and CATL have already been racing to push ultra-fast charging technology, with claims of adding hundreds of kilometers of range in just minutes under ideal conditions. However, maintaining that performance in below-freezing temperatures remains a challenge.

If commercialized, this aluminum-based battery could offer a meaningful edge by combining fast charging with strong cold-weather efficiency. It is still early days, and further validation will be needed before the new battery tech appears in mainstream EVs. But the development shows just how quickly battery innovation is moving, especially as automakers compete to close the gap between electric and ICE vehicles in all climates.

Lots of people cruise past brand new GMC Hummer EVs every single day without even giving it a second glance. This massive electric pickup fits in with traffic; its boxy design and silent functioning barely raise an eyebrow on the street. That is, until you place it up against a slew of exotic, high-end supercars, at which point everyone turns around and whips out their smartphones.

GMC recently released a video demonstrating this in action, with their 2026 Hummer EV Carbon Fiber Edition producing 1,160 horsepower and instant torque from its electric motors competing against five highly respected performers: a Ferrari F8 Tributo, a Ford GT, a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, and an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. Each test required them to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph from a complete stop, but what makes this even more interesting is that the Hummer functioned as both a competitor and a camera platform.

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The supercars were driven by professionals who understood their vehicles inside and out, but the Hummer managed to draw ahead and leave them in the dust on all 15 runs. The drivers were still chatting about how bizarre it seemed to watch a full-size pickup easily pass them. The truck’s ‘Watts to Freedom’ mode lowers it to the deck and allows it to unleash full power to all four wheels, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 in as little as 2.8 seconds under optimum conditions, and that launch advantage proved too much for the supercars to handle.

Because of its twin-turbo V8 and precision handling, the Ferrari F8 is always a strong challenger in straight-line races against heavier rivals. The Ford GT features race-bred aerodynamics and a powerful twin-turbo V6 engine. The Taycan is another EV that provides rapid torque and has a good performance just like the Hummer. The Hellcat, however, depends on old-school supercharged muscle, while the Aston Martin adds grand touring finesse, but none of them could match the Hummer’s initial surge.

The Hummer EV’s ability to leave the supercars in the dust in a straight line, despite the fact that these cars were valued twice as much as a Hummer EV, may be attributed to one factor: the unique distribution of electric power. There’s no buildup or fanfare, just pure, unadulterated energy that transforms this heavyweight into a sprinter in a matter of seconds, reaching 60 mph. In that small period, the Hummer EV entirely redefines the term ‘quick’.
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As India’s first AI company to IPO, Fractal Analytics didn’t have a stellar first day on the public markets, as enthusiasm for the technology collided with jittery investors recovering from a major sell-off in Indian software stocks.

Fractal listed at ₹876 per share on Monday, below its issue price of ₹900, and then slid further in afternoon trading. The stock closed at ₹873.70, down 7% from its issue price, lending the company a market capitalization of about ₹148.1 billion (around $1.6 billion).

That price tag marks a step down from Fractal’s recent private-market highs. In July 2025, the company raised about $170 million in a secondary sale, at a valuation of $2.4 billion. It first crossed the $1 billion mark in January 2022 after raising $360 million from TPG, becoming India’s first AI unicorn.

Fractal’s IPO comes as India seeks to position itself as a key market and development hub for AI in a bid to attract investment amid increasing attention from some of the world’s most prominent AI companies. Firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic have been engaging more with the country’s government, enterprises, and developer ecosystem as they seek to tap the country’s scale, talent base, and growing appetite for AI tools and technology.

That push is on display this week in New Delhi, where India is hosting the AI Impact Summit, bringing together global technology leaders, policymakers and executives.

Fractal’s subdued debut followed a sharp recalibration of its IPO. In early February, the company decided to price the offering conservatively after its bankers advised it to, cutting the IPO size by more than 40% to ₹28.34 billion (about $312.5 million), from the original amount of ₹49 billion ($540.3 million).

Founded in 2000, Fractal sells AI and data analytics software to large enterprises across financial services, retail and healthcare, and generates the bulk of its revenue from overseas markets, including the U.S. The company pivoted toward AI in 2022 after operating as a traditional data analytics firm for over 20 years.

Fractal touted a steadily growing business in its IPO filing, with revenue from operations rising 26% to ₹27.65 billion (around $304.8 million) in the year ended March 2025 compared to a year earlier. It also swung to a net profit of ₹2.21 billion ($24.3 million) from a loss of ₹547 million ($6 million) the previous year.

The company plans to use the IPO proceeds to repay borrowings at its U.S. subsidiary, invest in R&D, sales and marketing under its Fractal Alpha unit, expand office infrastructure in India, and pursue potential acquisitions.

Photo credit: Jace LeRoy
Denis Aminev, a Russian photographer, has spent years attempting to recreate the look of those magical film days that digital photography couldn’t quite replicate. It all started with movies shot on film, and how the stretched aspect ratio immediately draws your attention to them. Standard lenses and anamorphic adapters fell short, so he turned to something more direct: building his own camera from scratch.

Aminev began experimenting with pinhole cameras in early 2024, hoping to capture even just a respectable image. Not only was he able to capture that shot, but he also demonstrated how amazing the outcome could be with the correct instruments. Emboldened by his accomplishment, he set out to create a completely functional prototype camera by sifting through old cameras and replacing the parts with printed ones. It took him a few months to get the initial version operating, but once he did, things took off from there. By August 2024, he had versions 4 and 5 of the camera, which had all of the details locked in.

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All of these modifications lead him to build the Infidex 176 V, a name that accurately describes the camera’s infinite focus and double exposure capacity. It’s also quite neat because it’s all designed to be manufactured using a standard FDM printer and some PLA or similar material, so no fancy equipment is required. After you’ve printed all of the components, all you have to do is glue them together, add a few clamps, and some hardware such as brass inserts, wire springs, and hinges, and you’re ready to go.

Loading the film is simple because 35mm film is still available at most camera stores. Each roll contains 36 exposures, or approximately 19 of those super-wide panoramic shots (72 by 24mm). That’s a really extreme aspect ratio, around 1:2.7 or even 3:1. The lenses are quite easy to replace, and most people simply use an 80mm f/2.8 from a Mamiya C330, but he has used various lenses in prior iterations, such as Lomo Lubitel components. To focus, simply crank the lens, which has a typical helicoid mount that allows you to focus from infinity or up close.

As you might expect, following the instructions is simple: double-check the dimensions to ensure they’re correct, then sand or file each piece to smooth out any bumps from the supports, and that’s it. Aminev has also come up with some clever light trap solutions to prevent stray light from interfering with the illusion. Even with bad film, the visuals appear amazingly sharp.

Jace LeRoy, a photographer who knew Aminev online, was among the first to discover the project. Jace was one of the guys who actually built one of the cameras, and when he saw the results of the test film, he thought, “Yeah right,” but when the visuals showed as clear as a bell, he was pleasantly surprised. He tested it with a range of films, including some rather simple ones like Kodak Gold 200, Portra 160, CineStill 800T, and Kentmere 400, and the results were consistent each time. He emphasized that some lenses may produce vignetting, but the overall image quality is well worth the trade-off.
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