Author: Benedict Mcdaniel

Tesla has recently revealed some exciting details about its Gigafactory in New York and its Prefabricated Supercharger Units (SPUs) during the Investor Day event held in 2023. With a 2,000-strong team in Buffalo, Tesla Giga New York is responsible for manufacturing the next generation Superchargers and Semi chargers. Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s head of charging infrastructure teams, briefly discussed the SPUs and how they are made at Giga New York. Tinucci mentioned that Tesla has extended its manufacturing expertise to the construction of Supercharger sites. At Giga New York, Tesla pre-builds four post Supercharger units, loads them onto a truck, transports…

German luxury car manufacturer BMW is set to launch at least six new electric cars in the “New Class” range within the next 24 months, with additional plants being converted to support production of the new vehicles. The company has described the new vehicle architecture as “BEV-only,” indicating a complete shift to electric powertrains. The new plant in Debrecen, Hungary will begin producing electric cars from the second half of 2023, while production of the New Class will also begin at BMW’s main plant in Munich from 2026 and at the Mexican plant in San Luis Potosi from 2027. The…

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has recently released its latest round of midsize SUV crash test ratings, and the results are mixed. Out of the thirteen midsize SUVs tested, only four received the top rating from the IIHS. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Ford Explorer, and Subaru Ascent were the only vehicles to receive a “good” rating, while the Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas were given “marginal” ratings. The IIHS found that most midsize SUVs offer “inadequate front crash protection for passengers seated in the rear,” with six of the thirteen vehicles tested receiving…

Honda has announced its plans to shift the production of its Accord model from its Ohio factory, where it has been built since 1982, to its Indiana Auto Plant in Greensburg by 2025. The move comes as part of the company’s broader strategy to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and consolidate its production facilities. The Marysville plant was the first Japanese automaker plant to open in the United States, and it has produced over 12.5 million Accords to date. However, as Honda prepares for the future, it will be retooling the facility for EV production in early 2024, consolidating internal…

Volta Trucks, a London-based commercial EV startup, has announced that it has received certification from the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), allowing the company to produce and sell its all-electric trucks in volume throughout Europe. The 16-ton version of the Volta Zero, the company’s first commercial truck, has met the stringent environmental, safety, and security standards required for the certification, paving the way for the start of series production in Europe by Q2 of 2023. The Zero, which was originally a mere concept drawing, has undergone prototype testing in extreme conditions and has gone from drawing board to…

Around 525,000 New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) were sold in China last February, showing a 55.9% increase from the same month last year and 28.7% increase from January of 2023. BYD had the largest amount of NEVs and pure battery-electric cars sold. January’s sales slumped compared to December and the previous year’s January. However, February’s sales bounced back to 525,000 NEVs where 376,000 were BEVs and 149,000 were PHEVs. Fuel cell vehicles only sold 40 units in February 2023 in China. Although the recent results show promise, February’s numbers are still one of the lowest months in 2022. From June to…

Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturing corporation, has announced that it will manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) based on the BEV-centric STLA Large platform at its Cassino assembly plant, located in central Italy. The plant, which currently produces Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, as well as Maserati Grecale, is the second facility to be publicly named as a location for STLA Large-based EVs, following the Windsor factory in Ontario, Canada. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares made the announcement while visiting the Cassino plant, located 80 miles south of Rome. The automaker did not reveal when the first STLA Large vehicles would enter production…

Lion Electric (LEV) has filed a civil lawsuit against electric vehicle (EV) maker Nikola Motors (NKLA) in the US District Court for Arizona on March 2, accusing the company of attempting to steal its customers. The filing claims that Nikola attempted to poach Lion Electric’s clients after breaking its battery pack purchase agreement with the company. Lion Electric designs, manufactures, and assembles various components for its vehicles, but sought a partner to supply battery packs for its new Lion 8T (class 8) truck. In November 2020, Lion Electric entered into a $234 million purchase agreement with Romeo Power to supply…

The Toyota bZ3, the automaker’s first all-electric sedan, is now available for pre-order in China after being unveiled last October. FAW Toyota, Toyota’s joint venture in China, revealed the model’s pricing with a starting price range of RMB 169,800 ($24,500) – 199,800. The electric sedan is a product of a collaboration between BYD and Toyota and is based on the e-TNGA all-electric vehicle platform. Measuring 4,725 mm in length, 1,835 mm in width, and 1,475 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,880 mm and a wind resistance coefficient of 0.218 cd, the Toyota bZ3 is equipped with a single…

Solectrac Electric Tractors, a subsidiary of Ideanomics, is set to make its mark on the “Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience,” a grassroots alliance of farmers, farmworkers and farmer allies who are heading to Washington D.C. during the week of March 6, 2023, with a singular ask for policymakers: make climate change policy a priority in the 2023 Farm Bill. The event, led by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), Farm Aid, and supported by a host of other organizations, aims to bring a mass mobilization of producers to the Capitol, reminiscent of the 1979 Tractorcade. And this time,…

Rivian is aiming to manufacture up to 62,000 EVs in 2023, according to sources familiar with the matter. This figure is an increase from the 50,000 vehicles that the company announced in February 2023 during its earnings call. The increase in production target was communicated to employees during an all-hands meeting on Friday, according to insiders. Rivian’s internal projection is in line with the estimates offered by analysts prior to the initial disclosure of the 50,000-vehicle production target, indicating that the company is still on track despite the production delays and supply chain issues that have plagued the industry in…

Admiral Global DMCC, a leading provider of e-mobility and energy solutions in the Middle East, has awarded Hitachi Energy a significant contract to provide charging infrastructure for electric truck fleets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The move is aimed at delivering a scalable, grid-to-plug fast-charging solution that will enable fleets of commercial trucks in the middle-mile category to recharge simultaneously. The charging infrastructure, which is set to be operational by the end of 2023, will be used by multiple fleet operators that lease electric trucks from the Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba Group. This will be the first-of-its-kind charging infrastructure…

A German consortium, led by Orten Fahrzeugbau, is spearheading the H2Kit project, which aims to develop a fuel cell-based conversion kit for commercial vehicles with energy-intensive auxiliary consumers, such as refrigerated trucks. The objective is to transform these vehicles into more efficient electric vehicles. Over a period of two years, the partners involved in the project aim to achieve a lower battery weight and a more flexible regulation of the power supply by incorporating a fuel cell range extender. The project has a total volume of around three million euros and is being funded by the German federal government. It…

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has announced plans to purchase ten fuel-cell electric buses from New Flyer of America, a move that is expected to help the transit authority evaluate the technology and eventually move towards a fully zero-emission bus fleet. The contract includes not only the delivery of ten 40-foot low-floor fuel cell electric buses, but also fueling infrastructure, training aids, and tools and equipment. The new vehicles are expected to be implemented by the summer of 2024. SEPTA has been a leader in the transit industry for over two decades, having already transitioned over 90% of its…

The Ford Transit has been a staple of the European commercial van market since its introduction in the 1960s. The second-generation model was launched in 1986, featuring a new design and upgraded platform. Over the years, it received new powertrains and equipment levels, and in 1994 underwent a major facelift with updated styling and even more new engines. Production for the European market ended in 2003, but the original model continued to be produced in China until 2017. It was eventually replaced by the JMC Teshun, which is essentially the same vehicle with a new front fascia and interior. See…

UL Solutions has announced plans to open a new battery testing laboratory in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in mid-2024. The laboratory will feature state-of-the-art equipment and offer testing capabilities at the battery cell, module, and full-pack level for thermal propagation, fire testing, design verification, and product validation, as well as electrical, mechanical, abuse, and environmental testing based on various UL and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, United Nations (UN) goals and initiatives, and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and OEM specifications. The new facility will be located in the Auburn Hills Oakland Technology Park complex, near Detroit, the world’s automotive capital.…

Hyundai Motor America has reported record-breaking sales figures for February 2023 in the United States. The automaker sold 57,044 vehicles, up almost 9% from the same period the previous year. This year, Hyundai has sold 109,045 units, a 9% increase from the previous year. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, which recorded sales of 2,074 in February 2023, saw a 19% decrease compared to the same month last year. However, it was the model’s best performance since June 2022, without the inclusion of the $7,500 federal tax credit. The Ioniq 5 represented 3.6% of the total sales volume. See also: Hyundai Updates…

VinFast has officially entered the North American market with the first deliveries of its VF 8 electric SUV in California. Forty-five examples were delivered to customers across the state, marking a milestone for the automaker. VinFast had originally planned to have 21 more showrooms in California by the end of 2022, but encountered setbacks. All 999 units of the VF 8 City Edition were exported to the US from their origin of manufacture in Vietnam last December. VinFast hopes to eventually open a production plant in North Carolina that can produce up to 150,000 vehicles per year, with the factory…

Segway, the American transportation company, has just unveiled its latest creation, the E300SE Launch Edition electric scooter at MWC 2023. With its impressive specifications, this L3e-A1 e-scooter promises to revolutionize urban commuting and leisure rides. The E300SE is equipped with a 10 kW peak power motor, delivering up to 200 Nm of torque, which allows riders to reach speeds of up to 105 kph (~65 mph) and accelerate from 0 to 50 kph (~31 mph) in just 2.9 seconds. To make riding even more enjoyable, the vehicle offers five different ride modes, including an assist mode for pushing the scooter…

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is set to make a significant stride in its quest for sustainability. On Tuesday, the agency announced its plan to purchase 9,250 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from Ford E-Transit, starting later this year. Furthermore, USPS intends to deploy over 14,000 charging stations at its facilities across the country to support the electrification of its fleet. This move follows USPS’s announcement in December last year, where it revealed plans to double its electric delivery vehicle purchases and procure at least 66,000 BEVs by 2028. With this latest development, USPS continues to cement its commitment to…