Author: Shaun Williams

Polestar is looking to lure Tesla owners with a new trade-in promotion that offers up to $20,000 in incentives for leasing its Polestar 3 SUV, the automaker announced on its website last week. The deal includes a $5,000 Polestar Conquest Bonus for customers who currently own or lease a Tesla vehicle, along with a $15,000 Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive. The promotion is set to expire on Feb. 28, and interested buyers are encouraged to contact local retailers for details. See also: Polestar 3 Rolls Out Digital Key and Free NVIDIA Processor Upgrade The Polestar 3 features an estimated range of…

Austrian EV charging technology firm Easelink has secured €11.5 million ($12.4 million) in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support the standardization of its Matrix Charging system, the company said on Monday. Easelink described the grant as part of the “most competitive EIC funding round to date,” noting that only 71 companies were selected from 1,211 applications. “We are delighted about the EIC support. It underlines that our standardisation efforts are in line with the EU’s electrification strategy,” said Hermann Stockinger, founder and CEO of Easelink. “When it comes to automated charging, interoperability is key.” See also: Verbund…

Volvo Penta is set to unveil its latest modular and scalable battery energy storage system (BESS) platform at Bauma 2025, aiming to support off-grid power needs in construction and mining. The system is designed to help industry operators transition towards electrification while maintaining productivity and efficiency. See also: Ästad Vingård Adopts Volvo L25 Electric for Sustainable Vineyard Operations The company’s new BESS platform builds on a previous concept and is intended to integrate seamlessly with electric power solutions for construction and mining applications. “Our modular and scalable battery-electric platform is designed to support the electrification ecosystem—combining high-performance drivelines with the…

Aito, the new energy vehicle (NEV) brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres Group, has filed an updated version of its flagship SUV, the M9, signaling a possible facelift for the luxury model. The filing appeared in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) catalog released for public comment on February 20, marking the final regulatory step before a vehicle can be sold in the country. The latest filing includes three variants of the Aito M9—two extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models and one battery electric vehicle (BEV) model—produced at Aito’s manufacturing bases in Chongqing. The SUV retains its existing…

Rock Tech Lithium has announced the formation of a new company, NewCo, in partnership with Swiss mining firm Arcore. The joint venture will oversee Rock Tech’s planned lithium refinery in Brandenburg, Germany, as part of a broader strategy to establish a fully integrated European supply chain from raw material extraction to battery-grade lithium production. NewCo will manage both Rock Tech’s refinery project in Guben, Germany, and Arcore’s lithium mining operation in Lopare, Bosnia-Herzegovina. A binding agreement for the venture was signed this week, under which the two companies will merge their subsidiaries. Rock Tech plans to contribute its wholly-owned subsidiary,…

Tesla has expanded its Model Y lineup in Europe, introducing three standard variants after discontinuing the limited-edition “Launch Series.” The updated range includes the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (LR RWD), and Long Range All-Wheel Drive (LR AWD). The Performance version remains unavailable at this stage. The changes come less than a month after Tesla debuted the facelifted Model Y, codenamed “Juniper,” with a special “Launch Series.” While this edition is no longer available in most European markets, it remains listed in the UK configurator. The Launch Series was essentially a Long Range AWD model with…

Renault’s budget brand Dacia has begun developing a new electric city car for Europe, targeting a price below £15,000 (€18,000). The vehicle, closely related to the upcoming Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric, is expected to launch by mid-2026, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo told Autocar. “I defy any competitor in the world to do that,” de Meo said, highlighting the aggressive 16-month development timeline. The new Dacia EV will be based on the same AmpR Small platform as the Renault 5 and Renault 4, with production set to take place in Europe to avoid EU tariffs on Chinese-built imports, such…

Ionna, the North American fast-charging joint venture backed by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota, has announced plans to integrate Hubject’s Plug&Charge ecosystem into its network. The move follows the official opening of Ionna’s first charging park in Apex, North Carolina, earlier this month. By adopting Plug&Charge technology, Ionna aims to streamline the charging process, enabling vehicle-based authentication for compatible electric vehicles. The system operates on the ISO 15118-2 standard, which allows for automated communication between the vehicle and charging station, eliminating the need for physical authentication methods such as RFID cards or mobile apps. See…

Danish furniture retailer Jysk has introduced electric trucks in Denmark for the first time, replacing diesel vehicles for container transport between the port of Aarhus and its distribution center in Uldum. The two electric trucks, operated by logistics partner Dania Connect, complete eight round trips daily, moving more than 50 containers filled with products such as mattresses, bed linen, and garden furniture. “We are pleased that we now, together with Dania Connect, have electric trucks on the Danish roads to transport our goods,” said Ole Thomsen, Jysk’s Executive Vice President of Logistics. “Even though our global logistics network requires different…

Norwegian bus operator Vy Buss has placed an order for three Solaris Urbino 9 LE electric buses, marking the model’s debut in Norway. The electric midibuses will enter service in Slemmestad, a suburb of Oslo, in July 2025, Polish manufacturer Solaris said in a statement. The Urbino 9 LE electric, a nine-meter-long bus introduced in 2021, is the shortest electric model in Solaris’ lineup. The vehicle features a central electric motor with a peak output of 220 kW and is powered by batteries with a capacity of up to 350 kWh. See also: MPK Poznań Expands Zero-Emission Fleet with Nine…

Rivian is recalling 17,260 units of its R1T pickup and R1S SUV due to a headlight defect that may prevent the low beams from illuminating in cold temperatures, the company said. The issue, traced to incorrectly configured parts installed during manufacturing, affects vehicles built between April 29, 2024, and February 3, 2025. See also: Rivian Unveils California Dune Edition of Tri-Motor R1 with Off-Road Upgrades According to Rivian, the malfunction occurs when the vehicle starts in cold weather, potentially leaving one or both low beams inactive. Affected vehicles display a warning message: “Low beams might not be working. Service low…

Payment solutions provider GLS Mobility has joined forces with Gireve’s roaming platform to broaden the reach of its cloud-based direct payment system, aiming to simplify transactions at electric vehicle charging stations without requiring extensive hardware upgrades. The GLS Mobility solution enables charge point operators (CPOs) to offer direct payments via a central terminal at charging locations, supporting credit and debit cards, girocards, and mobile payment services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. See also: Fuuse Partners with Gireve to Expand EV Charging Accessibility and Network Reach While some additional hardware is necessary, the system reduces the need for individual…