GoBolt was named to Deloitte's 2022 Technology Fast 50 and Technology Fast 500 lists for the second year in a row. 

The Fast 50 program recognizes Canada's 50 fastest-growing technology companies based on the highest revenue-growth percentage over the past four years. GoBolt ranks 14th with a 2,267 per cent revenue growth from 2018 to 2021.

GoBolt ranked 74th on the Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech and energy tech companies in North America.

Founded in 2017, Toronto-based GoBolt is a last-mile delivery provider for businesses of all sizes. It says it is building the first sustainable and vertically integrated supply chain network.

By the end of the year, its electric vehicle (EV) fleet will be 170 strong, supported by 199 Level 2 chargers.

“Earlier this year we expanded into the U.S. market and we are looking forward to continuing to grow our fulfillment network and electric vehicle fleet as we get closer to reaching our goal of offering carbon negative deliveries by the end of 2023,” said CEO and co-founder Mark Ang.

In August, the inaugural Sustainable Property Technology Report revealed GoBolt was one of the top 10 funded proptech companies in Canada.

GoBolt has nearly 20 warehouses across North America.

TUGA forms Portuguese consortium

TUGA Innovations Inc. has signed a non-binding letter of intent to create a consortium with several Portuguese companies to produce the initial TUGA commercial line of three-wheeled, electric two-seat vehicles.

Vancouver-based TUGA’s (TUGA-CN) line of two-seater EVs, designed to be no wider than a motorcycle, are estimated to have a range of 160 km and a top speed of 140 km/h.

That consortium is made up of the Vancouver-based TUGA, VANGEST Group and Optimal Structural Solutions. VANGEST works on prototyping and production in a number of industries, including the automotive, aerospace, advanced electronics and medical device sectors.

The consortium will be focused on initiating the Portuguese sales and marketing efforts for the vehicles, and aid in the implementation of proposed mobility as a service ride-hailing and premium delivery services.

TUGA initially first partnered with VANGEST in January after switching focus from chassis and drivetrain studies to a focus on different body styles. Optimal Structural Solutions mainly produces components for the aviation and aerospace industries.

“We are honoured to work with such prestigious partners,” said TUGA CEO John Hagie in a statement. “With the proposed creation of our consortium, we aim to demonstrate the international nature of the TUGA project combined with a unified desire to leverage the very best resources here in Portugal to further our objective of bringing to market innovative, sustainable solutions to overcome significant urban mobility challenges.”

It also has anticipated regional production units within specified sales territories across the globe.

SustainableBiz previously reported on the company filing a patent for the TUGA Delivery Box and the Plume. The former is a module that offers environmental controls including heating and cooling, air filtration and weight distribution. It will also be designed to offer optional wheels that can be motorized, or drone attachments for airborne delivery. 

The latter is a technology designed to provide real-time emissions data from internal combustion engines.

E3 Lithium receives government funding

E3 Lithium Ltd. has received $27 million in funding to support the $87 million construction of its lithium production demonstration plant.

That Calgary facility is described as “the first step” towards a full-scale plant that will produce up to 20,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium annually. 

Headquartered in Calgary, E3 Lithium’s (EEMMF) proprietary lithium extraction technology quickly and efficiently reduces large volumes of brine into lithium concentrate. That concentrate can be further refined into lithium hydroxide, which is used in lithium-ion batteries.

The company states it has 24.3 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent inferred mineral resources in Alberta.

"The breadth of the development costs this funding covers contributes significantly to the de-risking of our end-to-end project development as we progress towards a commercial facility producing battery-grade lithium in Alberta,” Chris Doornbos, E3 Lithium’s president and CEO said in a statement.

Lithium demand is projected to increase 500 per cent by 2050 due to the growing domestic battery manufacturing and the changing transportation ecosystem.

The funding comes from the Net Zero Accelerator initiative.

Exro achieves certification for Calgary manufacturing centres

Exro Technologies Inc. has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification at its manufacturing centre and innovation centre, both located in Calgary. The certification is internationally recognized for quality, processes and safety.

It is a key step on the way to manufacturing its Cell Driver energy storage and Coil Driver inverter products for EVs in Q3 2023. SustainableBiz had previously reported on the development of both technologies.

Exro’s (EXRO-T) 37,000-square-foot, net-zero targeted manufacturing centre will be capable of producing 100,000 Coil Driver units per year using an eight-hour work shift. Its innovation centre in Calgary is 15,000-square-feet, largely focused on development of its core technologies. The company also has facilities in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Mesa, Ariz.

"This certification is a fundamental building block towards achieving IATF 16949 certification (Global Automotive Quality Management System),” said Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir in a statement. “Ensuring that Exro's systems and processes are focused on meeting the highest quality, safety and efficiency standards for our current and future automotive customers.”