Author: Shaun Williams

German grocery chain Rewe has expanded its electric delivery service with 64 new Mercedes‑Benz eSprinters, deploying 40 vehicles in Berlin and preparing to launch 24 more in Neuss in September. The company said the move supports its wider goal of reaching net‑zero emissions by 2050. Rewe is investing about €5 million in vehicles and supporting infrastructure. At its Fulfilment Centre in Berlin’s Tempelhof district, 42 charging stations with up to 22 kW capacity have been installed to support the fleet. The eSprinters are expected to handle local delivery routes while maintaining zero tailpipe emissions. “In terms of their efficiency and…

Honda Motor reported a 50% drop in first-quarter operating profit on Thursday, citing the combined effects of a stronger yen and elevated U.S. import tariffs, but raised its full-year forecast as the estimated impact from trade duties eased. The Japanese automaker posted an operating profit of 244.2 billion yen ($1.66 billion) for the April-June quarter, down from 489.5 billion yen a year earlier and below the 311.7 billion yen average estimate from a poll of seven analysts by LSEG. The 27.5% tariff on U.S. vehicle imports, which includes the previous 2.5% rate and an additional 25% levy introduced by U.S.…

Hyundai Motor said on Monday its U.S. electrified vehicle sales jumped 50% in July from a year earlier, making up 32% of the company’s retail sales for the month, as strong demand for the Ioniq 5 electric SUV pushed volumes to record levels. The South Korean automaker sold 79,543 vehicles in the United States in July, up 15% year-on-year, marking its best July since entering the market in 1986. Electrified models, which include battery electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, drove much of the growth. Sales of the Ioniq 5 rose 71% to 5,818 units, its best monthly result to date.…

Hesai Technology said it is supplying its JT series 3D lidar sensors to California-based Agtonomy and Austria’s Alpha Werke for use in autonomous farming robots, aiming to improve precision and efficiency in agricultural operations. The partnerships are part of Hesai’s push into the agriculture sector, which is facing labor shortages, rising costs, and climate-related challenges. The JT series lidar is designed to deliver wide-area 3D perception, compact integration, and durability in harsh environments, the company said. The sensors, 70% smaller than similar products, offer an ultra-wide field of view covering the equivalent of two football fields and have no minimum…

Scientists at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratory for Material Science and Technology, are developing graphene-based supercapacitors designed for industrial-scale production, aiming to deliver higher energy density and conductivity than current carbon-based devices. The project seeks to create printable electrodes suitable for roll-to-roll manufacturing for applications such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and industrial machinery. Supercapacitors store energy electrostatically, enabling rapid charge and discharge cycles, but typically offer lower energy density than batteries. “Supercapacitors store energy electrostatically by depositing as many charged particles as possible on the surface of the electrode,” said Jakob Heier, head of Empa’s Functional Thin Film…

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has partnered with U.S.-based sensing technology company Aeva to develop next-generation collision mitigation systems for commercial vehicles, with an initial focus on Class 8 trucks in North America. The collaboration will combine Aeva’s 4D LiDAR technology with Bendix’s Fusion advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) to deliver SAE Level 2+ active safety capabilities. The system is intended to improve performance in challenging scenarios such as nighttime operation, low-visibility conditions, and pedestrian detection. Bendix, a subsidiary of Germany’s Knorr-Bremse, supplies ADAS platforms for most major Class 8 truck manufacturers. Aeva’s 4D LiDAR, which measures both 3D position and…

A major ultra-fast charging park has opened in Madrid’s Nuevos Ministerios car park, offering 40 high-capacity electric vehicle (EV) charging bays. The upgraded facility includes chargers ranging from 175kW to 350kW and marks a significant expansion of Spain’s EV infrastructure. Of the 40 charging bays, 22 are operated by Iberdrola and BP Pulse, while the remaining 18 are Tesla Superchargers. The site features two 3200kW-capacity transformers to support the high power demands of the new infrastructure, which began installation in May 2024. Originally initiated in 2020 by Porsche Ibérica and Melfosur with just two 50kW public chargers, the project has…

Yangwang, the ultra-luxury sub-brand of BYD, opened pre-sales on Thursday for its latest model, the U8L SUV, as it expands its footprint in China’s high-end automotive segment. The pre-sale features a single configuration—the Dingshi Edition—priced at RMB 1.3 million ($180,700). Chinese customers can reserve the model with a deposit of RMB 20,000 and receive a RMB 30,000 optional feature fund as part of the pre-sale offer. The U8L is a longer and more luxurious version of the Yangwang U8 off-road SUV, boasting dimensions of 5,400 mm in length, 2,049 mm in width, and 1,921 mm in height, with a 3,250…

Xiaomi’s electric vehicle division reported deliveries of more than 30,000 units in July, marking a new monthly record as the company expands its lineup and accelerates production to meet rising demand. The performance was largely driven by the YU7, Xiaomi’s first electric SUV, which officially launched on June 26. The model, positioned as a competitor to Tesla’s Model Y, attracted significant consumer interest, with hundreds of thousands of orders placed within hours of launch. Deliveries of the YU7 began on July 6. See also: High-Performance Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Spotted at Ferrari Grounds in Italy In response to the strong reception,…

California-based startup Morelle plans to launch an electric bicycle in early 2026 featuring a silicon anode battery that can charge in under 15 minutes, the company said, highlighting rapid-charging capability and high energy efficiency as its key innovations. The e-bike, which is expected to retail from around $3,000, is equipped with a high-power battery system compatible with Level 2 EV chargers and capable of charging at 1000 to over 1500 watts. Morelle attributes the fast-charging performance to its use of a silicon-based anode, diverging from traditional graphite cell architecture, and advanced machine learning algorithms to optimize battery longevity. “Our technology…

Leapmotor will introduce a new flagship model under its upcoming D-series lineup, marking a strategic move into the higher-priced segment of China’s competitive EV market. Two senior executives confirmed on social media platform Weibo that the first model in the D-series will be a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV). It will become Leapmotor’s most expensive product to date, priced around RMB 300,000 ($41,840), and is expected to offer both battery electric vehicle (BEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) options. The announcement follows a post by automotive blogger @拉面师傅Design, who shared renderings of the new model, calling it “the largest full-size…

Audi, the premium brand of German automaker Volkswagen, lowered its full-year revenue and margin forecasts on Monday, citing increased U.S. import tariffs and the financial burden of ongoing restructuring. The Ingolstadt-based company now anticipates annual revenue between 65 billion and 70 billion euros ($76 billion–$82 billion), down from its earlier projection of 67.5 billion to 72.5 billion euros. Audi also trimmed its operating margin guidance to a range of 5% to 7%, compared with the previous estimate of 7% to 9%. The revised outlook follows the trade agreement reached between the United States and the European Union on Sunday, which…