World's biggest battery to be ready this week in Australia

Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk is on track to deliver on a promise by building the world's biggest lithium-ion battery in the Australian Outback within 100 days, an official said on Tuesday.

FILE - In this July 26, 2016, file photo, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., left, discusses the company's new Gigafactory in Sparks, Nev. Tesla Inc. chief executive Musk is on track to deliver on a promise by building the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery in the Australian Outback within 100 days, an official said on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Musk promised to build the 100-megawatt battery within 100 days of the contracts being signed at the end of September or hand it over to the South Australia state government for free.

Audrey Zibelman, chief executive of Australian Energy Market Operator Ltd., which manages the Australian electricity grid, said on Tuesday she expected the battery would be ready by Friday, the first day of the Australian summer when power use on air conditioning soars.

"We're in the process of testing that battery right now and we expect it to be ready on Dec. 1," Zibelman told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

"That's the end of this week and so we've done an incredible amount of work and I have to say I'm very pleased and delighted with Elon's staff. They've worked incredibly hard have done numerous things to get ready for the summer," she added.

State Premier Jay Weatherill announced last week that Tesla had finished installing the battery power packs near Jamestown, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of the state capital Adelaide.

"The world's largest lithium-ion battery will be an important part of our energy mix, and it sends the clearest message that South Australia will be a leader in renewable energy with battery storage," Weatherill told reporters on Thursday.

Tesla partnered with French renewable energy company Neoen to build the battery, which is more than three times larger than the previous record-holder at Mira Loma, California.

South Australia, which relies heavily on solar and wind-generated energy, has been scrambling to find a way to bolster its fragile power grid since the entire state suffered a blackout during a storm last year. Further blackouts plagued the state over the next few months.

The battery farm is part of a 550 million Australian dollar ($420 million) plan announced in March by Weatherill to make the state independent of the nation's power grid. The cost of the battery has not been made public.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has warned of potential shortages of gas-fired electricity across southeast Australia by late next year. The shortage is looming as Australia is expected to soon overtake Qatar as the world's biggest exporter of liquid natural gas. Australia is also a major exporter of coal, which fires much of its electricity generation and makes the country one of the world's worst greenhouse gas polluters on a per capita basis.

The South Australia battery will store energy from Neoen's Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown. It will deliver energy during peak usage hours to help maintain the state's supply, and could power 30,000 homes, Tesla said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power, increasing crash risks.

According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the body and power train control modules for these cars may fail to detect changes in battery charge. And when undetected, a low battery charge can cause an unexpected loss of drive power — including sudden stalling or inability to restart — and the use of other electric capabilities like hazard lights.

The recall covers about 403,000 model year 2021-2024 Bronco Sports produced between February 2020 and March 2024, as well as more than 53,000 model year 2022-2023 Mavericks manufactured from February 2021 to October 2022, a recall report dated Friday notes.

To remedy this issue, dealers will recalibrate the impacted vehicles' body and power train control modules at no cost. Owner notification letters are set to be mailed out on May 13, a Tuesday NHSTA recall acknowledgment letter notes.

The software update is not available yet, a Ford spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press Wednesday, but should arrive by later in the second quarter. In a statement, the spokesperson added that “safety is a top priority, and we are taking proactive measures to address this issue promptly and effectively.”

As of February 8, the NHSTA recall report notes, Ford was not aware of any injuries tied to the issue — but the Dearborn, Michigan-based the company noted 917 related warranty reports, 11 field reports and 54 customer complaints. There were also two property damage claims and three unverified fire reports.

This isn't the only recall impacting Bronco Sport owners.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last week that it was investigating the remedy Ford had proposed after the recall of nearly 43,000 select Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs, in which gasoline can leak from the fuel injectors onto hot engine surfaces, increasing the risk of fires. The NHTSA said remedy did not include repairing the fuel leaks.

FILE -A Ford Bronco is displayed at a Gus Machado Ford dealership on Jan. 23, 2023, in Hialeah, Fla. Ford is recalling more than 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)