Author: Shaun Williams

Tesla’s Lead Engineer for the Cybertruck, Wes Morrill, has shared a brief first look at the upcoming off-road armor for the all-electric pickup truck. In a recent post on X, Morrill revealed that the off-road armor was displayed at Johnson Valley during the King of the Hammers event. The area is also where Tesla’s team spent significant time testing and refining the Cybertruck’s accessories. Morrill highlighted that the new armor is “low profile, tough, and best of all, coming soon.” See also: Tesla Cybertruck Off-Road Accessories, Including Armor and Rockers, Expected by March Cybertruck off-road armor was on display at…

Tesla’s Model Y has lost its position as Europe’s best-selling car in 2024, according to market analysts at Jato Dynamics. While it remains the region’s top-selling electric vehicle (EV), it ranks fourth overall, trailing three combustion-engine models. The Model Y recorded 209,214 new registrations in Europe last year, marking a 17% decline from 2023. It was overtaken by the Dacia Sandero, Renault Clio, and Volkswagen Golf in the overall rankings. See also: EV Prices Drop 25% Since 2018, Narrowing the Gap with Combustion Cars Globally Jato did not pinpoint a specific reason for the drop but cited multiple factors, including…

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has secured three sites along major routes for the development of DC charging hubs, each set to feature 20 chargers upon completion. The new hubs are located on Chester Road in Erdington, Birmingham, Bristol Road South in Longbridge, Birmingham, and Coventry Road in Sheldon, near the airport. All three sites are expected to be operational by next year. See also: Blink Charging Expands EV Charging Network at Royal Farms Locations in Maryland and Delaware The hubs are partially funded by the region’s £1.3 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) from the UK government,…

Nissan is open to new partnerships, including with technology firms, after calling off merger discussions with Honda, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday, with Taiwan’s Foxconn among potential candidates. The Japanese automaker, which has been implementing a turnaround strategy, opted to withdraw from negotiations with Honda after the latter proposed making Nissan a subsidiary, a third source said. “A consensus was reached on Nissan’s side that the talks could not proceed under that proposal,” the person added. See also: Nissan Offers U.S. Buyouts, Cuts Shifts in $2.6 Billion Cost-Cutting Drive Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer…

Ferrari is set to launch its first fully electric vehicle (EV) on October 9, marking a significant departure from its tradition of high-performance combustion engines, CEO Benedetto Vigna said on Tuesday. The luxury automaker also forecast at least a 5% increase in revenue and core earnings for 2024. Vigna, speaking during the company’s earnings call, described the upcoming EV launch as “unique and innovative” but did not disclose further details. The model will be one of six new vehicles Ferrari plans to introduce this year. “We are confident in our ability to drive robust growth in 2025, ahead of most…

Testing of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on California’s public roads has significantly slowed, according to new data released by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The figures for 2024 show a sharp 50% drop in total autonomous vehicle test miles, with 4.5 million miles logged compared to 9 million in 2023. The decline is particularly marked in the driverless testing category, which fell by 83%, from 3.26 million miles in 2023 to just 552,895 miles last year. The DMV’s records also show that fewer companies are participating in the testing programs. As of 2024, only 31 companies hold permits for…

The reuse of lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles is emerging as an essential component of sustainability efforts in the automotive industry. As electric cars become more prevalent, the potential for conserving resources through upcycling used batteries has grown significantly. However, the process has not yet become mainstream due to technical and economic challenges. The QuaLiProM research project aims to address these barriers and improve the viability of battery reuse. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the QuaLiProM project brings together experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg,…

Blink Charging has deployed 76 EV charging points across 23 Royal Farms convenience store locations in Maryland and Delaware, with plans to exceed 100 charging ports across the two states, the company said on Thursday. The fast chargers are partially funded by the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Electric Corridors Grants Program and Delaware’s DNREC Division of Air Quality, Blink stated. See also: Blink Charging Partners with Stable Auto to Optimize EV Charging Network Using AI Solutions The company owns, operates, and maintains the charging stations, which are expected to include its all-in-one fast charger capable of delivering up to…

German energy firm E.ON announced plans to install new ultra-rapid EV charging hubs at six locations across Scotland, adding 42 high-powered chargers near key cities including Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirling, and Dunfermline. The expansion builds on E.ON’s existing presence in Scotland, where the company already operates an ultra-rapid charging hub in Aberdeen. The facility, which features 12 charging bays, is E.ON’s most northern EV charging site in the UK and is “strategically positioned at the gateway to the Granite City,” the company said. See also: E.ON and Fleggaard Group Expand Charging Infrastructure at German-Danish Border E.ON states its ultra-fast chargers can…

Tesla is preparing to introduce several new products in 2025, including a more affordable electric vehicle (EV) expected to launch in the first half of the year, Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja said. “We will be introducing several new products throughout 2025. We are still on track to launch a more affordable model in the first half of 2025 and will continue to expand our lineup from there,” Taneja stated. See also: Tesla Charts Path to Growth in 2025 After First Annual Delivery Decline in 2024 Tesla was previously expected to unveil a prototype of the lower-cost EV, informally referred…

Chinese automaker BYD sold 8,700 passenger vehicles in the UK in 2024, marking a 658% year-on-year surge and solidifying its position as the country’s fastest-growing car brand, the company said Thursday. BYD’s UK market share rose from 0.17% to 0.96% over the year, supported by a retail network expansion from 14 to 60 sites. Brand awareness climbed to 31%, boosted by sponsorship of the EURO 2024 football championship, which reached over 1 billion viewers globally. The ATTO 3 remained its top-selling model, while the DOLPHIN led in retail sales. BYD, which entered the UK market in March 2023, has introduced…

Connected Kerb, a leading UK charge point operator (CPO), has secured £65 million in funding to accelerate the growth of its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The investment is being provided by the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and Aviva Investors, with £55 million coming from the NWF and £10 million from Aviva. The company plans to significantly expand its network of EV charging points, aiming to increase the number of charging sockets from 9,000 by the end of 2024 to approximately 40,000 by 2030. While the exact timeline remains unspecified, the ambitious goal is in line with the UK’s broader…