Author: Shaun Williams

Seat and Cupra have appointed Joost Kessels as Chief Development Officer, a newly created position that will oversee research and development activities for the Spanish brands as they assume a larger role in the Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicle strategy. Kessels will take up the role on Aug. 1, 2026, succeeding Dr. Werner Tietz, who previously served as Seat’s Board Member for Research and Development. Tietz, who has also led Volkswagen Group-wide research and development since 2025, will now focus exclusively on his responsibilities at the group level. The appointment comes as Seat and Cupra prepare to take on additional technical…

Latin America and the Caribbean are approaching a milestone of 10,000 electric buses in operation, underscoring the rapid expansion of zero-emission public transport across the region, according to a new analysis by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The study, titled Electric Bus Market in Latin America, 2025, found that the region had 9,115 electric buses in operation at the beginning of the year, a 40% increase compared with 2024 and ten times the number recorded in 2017. More recent data from February showed the fleet had already grown to 9,909 electric buses, suggesting the 10,000-unit threshold may have…

Electric vehicle charging network operators are increasingly prioritizing profitability, reliability and operational efficiency over rapid infrastructure expansion, according to Driivz’s 2026 State of EV Charging Network Operators Report. The report, released by Driivz, a subsidiary of Vontier, is based on responses from 300 senior EV charging professionals across North America and Europe. It found that the industry is moving beyond a phase focused primarily on deploying charging stations and toward what the company describes as “intelligent profitability” — maximizing charger uptime, utilization rates and operational performance. According to the survey, 59% of respondents identified charger reliability and stability as the…

Swedish public transport operator Bergkvarabuss has ordered 47 Volvo 8900 Electric buses from Volvo Buses for use on regional transport routes in Skåne and urban services in Helsingborg. The new buses will support commuter and city transport operations across southern Sweden as Bergkvarabuss continues expanding its zero-emission fleet. Bergkvarabuss previously invested in battery-electric buses through orders from BYD and Daimler Buses. In 2021, the company ordered 79 electric buses from BYD, while in 2019 it introduced five Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses into operation in Kalmar. The operator currently manages a fleet of around 1,350 buses across several Swedish regions. Martin Spjern,…

Spanish public transport operator EMT Palma has presented 23 battery-electric buses supplied by BYD and Spanish bodybuilder Castrosua as part of a broader fleet renewal programme aimed at expanding zero-emission public transport services in Palma. The new 12-metre buses are based on the BYD Castrosua Nelec model, which combines BYD chassis technology with bodywork developed by Castrosua under a partnership agreement announced in 2022. The vehicles were officially presented on May 21 by Jaime Martínez Llabrés, mayor of Palma, alongside local and regional transport officials. EMT Palma said the buses are being progressively introduced into service across multiple urban routes.…

Chinese automaker Geely Auto said it conducted a beyond-compliance crash test of its Starray EM-i sport utility vehicle at a Euro NCAP-accredited testing facility in France, using a collision scenario designed to exceed current side-impact assessment standards. The test took place at the UTAC automotive testing centre and combined a side-impact collision with a far-side rigid pole impact, a sequence Geely described as the first live demonstration of its kind in Europe. According to the company, the vehicle was struck by a moving deformable barrier at 60 kilometres per hour before being pushed into a rigid pole positioned on the…

Fuel Transport and Kenvue are testing an electric freight delivery route in the Greater Toronto Area through a joint pilot programme aimed at evaluating electric truck performance in urban and winter operating conditions. The project, known as eLoop, began operating in January and uses an electric truck on a short-haul, multi-stop delivery route across the Greater Toronto Area, the companies said in a joint statement. The pilot is designed to assess operational performance, energy efficiency and emissions impacts of electric freight transport in dense urban environments and cold-weather conditions. “This is an exciting milestone and important step forward for our…

The global electric vehicle market is continuing its rapid expansion, with battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids reaching record sales levels and steadily increasing their share of new car registrations worldwide. According to data from the International Energy Agency, around 21 million battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were sold globally in 2025, more than double the level recorded in 2022 when worldwide EV sales first surpassed 10 million units. The figures mean that roughly one in four new cars sold globally now features an electrified drivetrain, pushing the combined global market share of EVs and plug-in hybrids to 25%, up sharply…

Diodes Incorporated has expanded its AH371xQ automotive Hall effect latch series with the introduction of the AH3711Q, a high-sensitivity component designed for brushless DC motor control and position-sensing applications. The company said the AH3711Q is intended for automotive applications including power window systems, sunroofs, tailgates and seat adjustment motors. According to Diodes Incorporated, the component operates with magnetic thresholds of plus or minus 10 Gauss, enabling the use of smaller magnets to help reduce overall system size and bill-of-materials costs. The company added that the increased magnetic sensitivity can also support duty-cycle reduction to lower power consumption. The AH3711Q operates…

Uber and JSW Group have entered into a partnership to explore the development and deployment of electric vehicles for India’s ride-hailing sector. The collaboration will be led through JSW Green Mobility, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Group. The companies said they plan to focus on EV solutions designed specifically for Indian riders, drivers and fleet operators, with an emphasis on high-usage urban ride-hailing applications. “JSW Group and Uber are coming together to support the growth of electric mobility in India,” JSW said in a statement posted on LinkedIn. “Through this partnership with JSW Green Mobility […] the two companies…

EMT Palma has received 23 battery-electric buses from BYD as part of a broader fleet electrification programme for public transport services in Mallorca. The buses will operate on multiple routes across Palma, the capital of the Balearic Islands, and form part of an initial batch of 68 electric buses included in a larger procurement programme covering 113 vehicles. In March 2025, EMT Palma approved a €117 million procurement plan for battery-electric buses and associated charging infrastructure. The programme includes 67 articulated electric buses measuring 18 meters in length and 46 standard 12-meter electric buses. Under the first partial tender for…

Stellantis and Applied Intuition have expanded their strategic technology partnership to support development of Stellantis’ STLA Brain software platform. The companies said the collaboration builds on existing work involving the STLA SmartCockpit system and will now include software development, simulation, validation and deployment across core vehicle systems. According to Stellantis, the partnership is intended to accelerate software development cycles, improve validation processes and support more efficient deployment of technologies across the automaker’s vehicle programs. The STLA Brain platform is designed to function as a unified software architecture across Stellantis brands as the company expands its software-defined vehicle strategy. “Speed, scalability…

Stellantis has introduced STLA One, a new modular vehicle architecture designed to support multiple propulsion systems and vehicle sizes as part of the company’s broader platform standardization strategy. The automaker said STLA One is engineered to support B-, C- and D-segment vehicles and is intended to reduce development complexity, improve scalability and enhance cost efficiency through modular interfaces and shared components. According to Stellantis, the platform is designed to deliver a 20% improvement in cost efficiency through modular engineering and expanded battery technology options. The company said the architecture forms part of its long-term strategy to consolidate production onto fewer…

Stellantis and Qualcomm Technologies have expanded their multi-year technology partnership, with Stellantis planning to integrate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis system-on-chips across its vehicle portfolio. The companies said the expanded collaboration will cover cockpit systems, connectivity features and advanced driver-assistance systems, including deployment of the Snapdragon Ride Pilot platform for Level 2+ hands-free automated driving functions. Under the agreement, Snapdragon Digital Chassis technology will be integrated with STLA Brain, Stellantis’ electronic and software architecture platform designed to support software-defined vehicles across the automaker’s brands. The companies also signed a non-binding letter of intent under which aiMotive could join Qualcomm Technologies, subject…

bp pulse said it has opened its first electric vehicle charging site in Michigan as part of the company’s ongoing expansion of its ultrafast charging network across the United States. The new site, located at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, features 20 charging bays equipped with chargers capable of delivering speeds of up to 400 kilowatts. The location supports both CCS and NACS charging connectors, allowing compatibility with a wide range of electric vehicles. bp pulse said the charging site was designed to provide drivers with access to nearby amenities while charging, including restaurants, coffee shops, restrooms and on-site retail…

Lithuania has become the first European Union member state to recognise the provisional type approval granted in the Netherlands for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance system. The Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Lithuanian Road Traffic Authority said they would accept the approval issued by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW under existing European Union regulatory rules. Authorities emphasized that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised), commonly referred to as FSD (Supervised), remains classified as an SAE Level 2 driver assistance system rather than a fully autonomous driving technology. https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/2057226337010745348 Under the classification, drivers must continuously monitor the road and…

Openreach said it has deployed its 7,000th electric van as part of an ongoing effort to electrify its fleet of approximately 23,000 vehicles across the United Kingdom. The company said the rollout has focused on ensuring battery-electric vans can meet the operational demands of engineers maintaining and expanding Openreach’s full-fibre broadband network in both urban and rural areas. Judy O’Keefe, director of fleet at Openreach, described the latest deployment milestone as significant but said the company’s transition strategy has centered on practical operational requirements rather than symbolic electrification goals. “That’s why our move away from diesel hasn’t been about making…

A European research consortium said passenger vehicles equipped with integrated solar modules could independently cover up to 55% of their annual energy demand in Central Europe and as much as 80% in Southern Europe, highlighting the growing potential of solar-assisted transportation technologies. The findings come from the EU-funded SolarMoves pilot project involving Dutch research organization TNO, Fraunhofer ISE, and companies Sono Motors, IM Efficiency and Lightyear. Since early 2024, the group has been studying the technical and operational potential of Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics (VIPV), a technology that incorporates solar modules into parts of a vehicle including the roof, hood and…

Japanese automaker Nissan is considering exporting vehicles produced through its Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor to Canada, as the company evaluates opportunities created by rising demand for lower-cost electric vehicles in the North American market. The potential move would expand the export footprint of Nissan’s China manufacturing operations beyond Latin America and into North America, according to a Bloomberg report published on Tuesday. “The Canadian government has opened the door for some China-made products, and Nissan is currently studying this seriously,” Christian Meunier, Nissan’s head of the Americas, said in an interview. Meunier did not identify which specific models…

ZF has decided to continue producing electric motors and inverters internally following a strategic review of its Electrified Powertrain Technologies division, known as Division E. The decision concludes a “Make or Buy” review launched by the company to determine whether core electric powertrain components should continue to be manufactured internally or sourced from external suppliers. ZF Chief Executive Mathias Miedreich said the company had opted to retain production of key electric mobility technologies in-house. “The decision to produce the core components of electric powertrains, namely motors and inverters, was made in close collaboration with our employee representatives,” Miedreich said. “This…