The usual suspects swept up accolades at the Emmys overnight.Succession took home Best Drama for the third time for its final season, along with five other awards, and joined the ranks of shows that wrapped up their run with critical acclaim such as The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones.

The Bear beat out Ted Lasso for best comedy and took home an award in every category it was nominated for, including Best Actor in a comedy for Jeremy Allen White (the stressed-out chef who probably developed a heart condition). Finally, wrapping up the same trio that triumphed at the Golden Globes, Beef snagged five awards including Best Limited Series.

History was made: 76-year-old Elton John is now finally an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner), which only 19 people have ever managed to achieve, for the live stream of his farewell tour. Quinta Brunson took home the Best Actress in a comedy for Abbott Elementary, making her the first Black woman to earn the award since 1981 and adding to her long list of accolades. For Beef, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun were the first Asian Americans to ever be named Best Actress and Actor in a limited series.

An unusual year for the Emmys: Due to the tumultuous screenwriter and actor strikes last year, the ceremony was pushed to last night from the standard September slot, marking the first postponement since 9/11. Because of the shift, shows that are no longer on air or already working seasons ahead were nominated. The Bear earned its array of awards for its first season after doing well at the Golden Globes for their second season, while The Daily Show took home Best Talk Show over a year after host Trevor Noah parted ways with the network. (New York Times | Variety | Associated Press | Reuters)

Your electric car won’t be getting a large battery boost soon. EV giants have been trying to develop a revolutionary — and so far hypothetical — battery that was at one point expected to increase an EV’s driving range by 50-80%. The range boost expectation now stands at 14-48%, dispiriting manufacturers after decades of research and bns of USD, according to Reuters.

What you need to know: The solid-state battery, if produced, promises more energy storage, longer driving range, and faster charging. Six major automakers, including Volkswagen, are relying on US startup QuantumScape for delivery. The startup shipped its prototypes in 4Q 2022, which VW reported gave cars a driving range of 640-800 km and charging time to 80% capacity within 15 minutes.

The race for first-mover advantage: A competitor, Blue Solutions, is working to convert the solid-state battery they manufacture for buses to one compatible with cars and boasts a potential 1k km driving range and a full charge within 20 minutes. The company aims to build a gigafactory dedicated to battery manufacturing by 2029, signing a joint development agreement with BMW, explains the article.

Toyota joined the race last June, saying that a durability breakthrough meant they could go to market in 2027/2028 with a battery capable of reaching a range of 1k km and a charging time of 10 minutes.

VW is holding talks with Blue Solutions, potentially leaving QuantumScape in the dust, Reuters reported earlier this morning. VW seems to be casting a wider net in search of the solid-state battery after an array of technical hurdles but stopped short of accepting that its venture with QuantumScape had come to an end. The private talks with Blue Solutions are expected to come to a head within the coming months.

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