Author: Shaun Williams

Jim Chen, Vice President of Public Policy at Rivian, is set to depart the electric truck maker at the end of February. Prior to joining Rivian in 2018, Chen held a similar role at Tesla, where he led the automaker’s efforts to secure direct-to-consumer sales in various states. As a proponent of direct sales, Chen was responsible for advocating for changes to laws requiring car companies to sell vehicles through franchised dealerships during his tenure at Rivian. He also oversaw the company’s federal lobbying and regulatory affairs. In a statement, a Rivian representative said that Chen’s departure was a mutual…

Amogy, a company that specializes in ammonia-based power solutions with high energy density and zero emissions, has successfully tested an ammonia-powered, zero-emission semi truck. This achievement follows the company’s previous successes with integrating its technology into a 5 kW drone in July 2021 and a 100kW John Deere tractor in May 2022. The company’s ammonia-to-power technology was scaled to 300 kW for the semi truck, which, after an eight-minute fueling, was tested for several hours on the campus of Stony Brook University in New York. The truck had 900 kWh of total stored net electric energy. The Amogy team will…

The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Luxembourg have called on the European Union to set a date for when all new trucks and buses sold in Europe must have zero carbon dioxide emissions. The European Commission is expected to propose stricter CO2 standards for heavy goods vehicles next month in an effort to comply with the EU’s climate change goals. The EU has already set more ambitious targets for cars, including a deadline of 2035 for all new cars sold in Europe to have zero CO2 emissions. The four countries have urged the EU to set a 100% zero emissions target…

Honda and GS Yuasa have announced they have reached a basic agreement to collaborate on a high-capacity, high-output lithium-ion battery. The companies plan to establish a joint venture by the end of 2023, to address the growing demand for batteries in the global market. The joint venture will focus on the research and development of lithium-ion batteries and production methods that will be highly competitive in the global market, as well as the establishment of a supply chain for key raw materials and a highly-efficient battery production system. The companies will discuss collaborations including R&D of high-capacity, high-output lithium-ion battery,…

Arcimoto, a US-based electric vehicle manufacturer, has halted production of its three-wheeled vehicles and may seek bankruptcy protection if it cannot raise more funds to sustain operations. The company disclosed this in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17th. Arcimoto is currently looking to sell new shares and warrants to raise funds, but this may not be enough as the company’s stock has dropped 60% to $2.52 per share. This decline in value follows a strong year for Arcimoto in 2021, during which the company acquired Tilting Motor Works and opened a new manufacturing site in…

The Canadian government has committed $350 million (240 million euros) to the city of Ottawa to purchase 350 electric buses and install the necessary charging infrastructure. The Ottawa City Council will consider the budget proposal on February 25th, and if approved, procurement of the zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure will begin. The plan includes building a new electric bus depot and equipping two existing depots with charging stations. The city aims to have 450 electric buses in operation by 2027 and to fully convert its public transportation fleet, operated by OC Transpo, to electric buses by 2036. “Any investment in…

Energica Motor has announced impressive 2022 turnover estimates, with unit sales up by approximately 52% and motorcycle revenues increasing by 67% compared to the same period in 2021. The company attributes this success to its fast-growing certified dealer network, which saw the addition of 15 certified dealers in the US and 33 new certified dealers across the rest of the world. One of the key drivers of Energica’s growth is its Energica Inside program, which partners with other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to solve fleet electrification challenges. The company has unique expertise in electric automotive engineering, allowing for all high-voltage…

The Tesla Model Y has been awarded the Safety Award by What Car? for its 2023 Car of the Year Awards. The judges took into account both active and passive safety features, as well as the purchase price, given the significant impact large volume sales have on overall road safety. Safety has always been a priority for Tesla, and the company’s vehicles have consistently received well-above-average collision ratings from agencies such as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which awarded the Model Y a five-star rating for crash safety. Tesla has also collected numerous top safety awards and ratings since…

The recent global price reduction for electric vehicles (EVs) by Tesla has been a topic of much discussion, as it has the potential to significantly impact other manufacturers. While some have referred to this move as a “war” initiated by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it is important to understand that market conditions likely played a significant role in this decision. As of the end of December 2022, Tesla’s estimated order backlog for EVs had dropped to less than 100,000 units. Additionally, a Reuters analysis found that Tesla has been able to earn significantly more per vehicle than other major car…

General Motors (GM) is reportedly exploring the development of a compact electric pickup truck to rival current gas-powered options in the segment, such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. During a tour of GM’s affordable EV design studio in Warren, Michigan, Automotive News reported that a two-door electric pickup with a low roof and a bed measuring approximately 4-4.5 feet long was shown. The Maverick’s bed is 4.5 feet. This design is reminiscent of former GM vehicles, such as the Chevrolet El Camino and Holden Commodore Ute, rather than a traditional pickup truck. Marketing images displayed alongside the…

BMW plans to build a large high-voltage battery assembly plant in Bavaria, with construction set to begin in 2024. The plant will supply all Bavarian plants, including Munich, Regensburg, and Dingolfing, according to a BMW spokesperson. The company is currently in final talks with the location’s owners and aims for series production to start in 2026. BMW plans to begin operation of a new assembly plant in 2026 where round cells for electric cars of the New Class will be assembled into packs. BMW has previously announced their use of round cells in their new electric cars starting in 2025…

Britishvolt, a battery start-up, has filed for insolvency and has laid off most of its employees. Negotiations with potential investors to save the company have been unsuccessful. The company has applied for the appointment of an insolvency administrator and EY will take on the task of valuing the company’s assets to pay creditors and wind up the business. The planned battery factory in Blyth is unlikely to be completed due to the winding up of the company and the layoffs of most of its employees. Reports of financial difficulties at Britishvolt had been circulating for months. In August, the CEO…

Kia announced a 14% increase in global vehicle sales for December, with a total of 236,874 units sold. Additionally, the company reported a 4.6% year-over-year growth in 2022, with 2,903,619 vehicles sold. Despite the challenges of the past year, Kia’s sales have remained strong. The all-electric Kia EV6 also saw positive results, with 7,628 wholesale sales, including 1,237 in South Korea and 6,391 exported. This represents a 36% increase compared to the previous year. In contrast to the EV6, the retail sales of the Kia Niro EV and Kia Soul EV have decreased, resulting in a decline in overall volume…

The British government announced a £16 million ($19.6 million) investment in smart charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs) on Monday. The goal of the investment is to enable EV drivers to charge their vehicles during times of low energy costs or high renewable energy availability. Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said, “We aim to make smart charging a convenient option for EV drivers, whether at home, work or on the street, by building new infrastructure quickly with the latest technologies.” The government will collaborate with energy regulator Ofgem to fund projects that promote efficient EV charging, including making bi-directional…

NIO, a Chinese electric vehicle company, has signed a five-year strategic partnership agreement with CATL, its current sole battery supplier. The agreement involves technical cooperation for new brands, projects, and markets and is intended to deepen and upgrade their existing strategic partnership. Additionally, NIO has announced plans to bring in a new battery supplier and increase its own battery development efforts. The partnership will include coordinating supply and demand, expanding business overseas, and collaborating on business models utilizing long-life batteries. Zhu Wei, executive president of CATL’s passenger vehicle division, and Zeng Shuxiang, senior vice president of NIO, signed an agreement…

Xpeng announced plans to open four XPENG Delivery and Service Centers in key European markets, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark in the first half of 2023. These centers will focus on providing a positive customer experience with pre-delivery inspections, aftersales, and repairs. Additionally, XPeng will offer a comprehensive service agreement, an eight-year warranty for the vehicle’s battery, tire storage, and easy access to vehicle information through the XPENG app. “We’re establishing our first tier of XPeng Delivery and Service Centers in Europe to help realize our goal of creating a seamless yet unique XPeng customer journey, with customer experience…

The BYD Seal electric sedan has achieved a five-star rating in the C-NCAP safety and crash test, surpassing the performance of the NIO ET7. However, it should be noted that the Seal has some safety drawbacks. Here is an overview of the Seal’s test results. The BYD Seal has received a five-star rating in the C-NCAP assessment program with a performance score of 88.6%, surpassing the NIO ET7’s score of 87.3%. In the vehicle occupants segment, the Seal scored 92.27%. Overall, these results demonstrate the vehicle’s high level of safety. However, it should be noted that the Seal received a…

BYD Auto Co, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to construct a factory in Vietnam for producing car components. This move aims to diversify the company’s supply chain in Southeast Asia as part of its global expansion strategy, and to decrease its dependence on China. The investment in Northern Vietnam for this project is expected to exceed $250 million. This move will also expand the presence of BYD Co, the parent company, in Vietnam, where its electronic division currently produces solar panels. BYD Auto Co, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to construct a factory in Vietnam for producing car…

Great Wall Motors (GWM), one of the world’s leading automakers, has released its latest sales report showing that its global sales reached 1,067,523 units in 2022, exceeding one million for the seventh year in a row. A total of 173,180 vehicles were sold in markets outside of China, up 21.28% year on year, hitting a record high. GWM has consolidated its advantages in new energy and intelligence in 2022, with the proportion of new energy models increasing steadily. The automaker has laid a solid foundation for achieving higher sales by expanding its global network and optimizing its products. The GWM…

A US District Court dismissed a lawsuit against Lucid in which the company was accused of defrauding investors by overstating its production outlook in a public offering SPAC. The class action lawsuit was filed by Churchill Capital Corp IV shareholders, and alleged that Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson made false statements during an interview on February 5, 2021 on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” During the interview, Rawlinson stated that Lucid anticipated producing between 6,000 and 7,000 units of the Air sedan in 2021 and that the company had already constructed a factory. The Judge in the case found that the…