Author: Benedict Mcdaniel

Our Next Energy (ONE), a US-based battery start-up, has secured $300 million in funding through a Series B round. The funding round, led by investors Fifth Wall and Franklin Templeton, saw participation from existing Series A investors and valued the company at over $1 billion. In addition to the funding round, ONE will receive a $220 million grant from the state of Michigan for its upcoming LFP battery cell factory set to commence operations in 2027 with a yearly capacity of 20 GWh. Despite its plans to expand, ONE has already signed ten contracts with customers for a total of…

Nissan has quietly been making strides in the solid-state battery field, as the electric car industry focuses on a select few players. The automaker is confident in its progress and has begun preparations for a trial factory where the production process will be fine-tuned. This facility is expected to be operational within the next two years. Nissan’s goal is to master large-scale manufacturing of solid-state batteries by 2026 and then increase production in the following years. The company plans to introduce an electric vehicle powered by its own solid-state battery to the market by 2028. David Moss, Nissan’s senior vice-president for…

Tesla has recently made changes to the prices of two of its electric vehicles: the Model Y crossover and the Model 3 sedan. The Model Y Long Range has gone up $1,500 from $53,490 to $54,990 and the Model Y Performance has increased $1,000 from $56,990 to $57,990. On the other hand, the Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive vehicles have received a price decrease of $500, now priced at $43,490, down from $43,990. These price changes are the latest in a series of adjustments for the Model Y. Earlier in January, Tesla lowered the prices of its vehicles, including the Model Y,…

Tesla is cutting prices globally, with the latest cuts taking place in Taiwan and South Korea. According to the Taipei Times, the company is looking to boost demand in Taiwan by reducing the cost of its vehicles, including the Model Y Performance edition, which saw a price drop of NT$220,000 (US$7,402) to NT$2.38 million. The Model Y Long Range also saw a price reduction of NT$180,000 (US$6,056) and now retails for NT$2.12 million. Meanwhile, the Model 3 RWD has been lowered by NT$60,000 (US$2,020) to NT$1.7 million, while the Model 3 Long Range and Performance are now selling for NT$2.08…

The Lexus RZ 450e is the company’s latest addition to its line of electric vehicles and is set to hit U.S. showrooms this year. With a starting price of $59,650, the RZ 450e Premium boasts an aggressive front design, complete with a fully enclosed grille, LED headlights and a panoramic glass roof. Other standard features include rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, hands-free power liftgate and 18-inch two-tone wheels. The interior of the RZ 450e is elegantly designed, featuring a minimalist style with a heated steering wheel, digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch Lexus Interface system with support for wireless Android Auto…

XPeng has resumed its international expansion by launching its two latest models in Europe. The company has made its G9 flagship SUV and the P7 sports sedan available for ordering in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The vehicles were showcased at the recent eCar Expo held in Stockholm from February 3rd to 5th, giving European customers a glimpse of XPeng’s cutting-edge technology and sleek design. This move marks a significant step for XPeng in its pursuit of establishing a strong presence in the European market. “XPeng G9 and P7 bring a combination of superior styling, quality, performance and comfort,…

Nio, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker, has made a surprising move by offering discounts for its ES6 and ES8 models for the first time. This announcement created a buzz on the Chinese social media, with some speculating if Nio is following the trend set by Tesla or if there is something else at play. The new incentive packages, however, are only available for cars in stock and these are the older versions of the ES6 and ES8 that are based on the 1.0 EV platform, which Nio is upgrading to the 2.0 version. For buyers of the ES6 and…

The Rivian R1T and R1S vehicles, both current and future, will soon have the ability to charge other EVs or homes in case of a power outage. This new bidirectional charging feature will allow Rivian vehicles to provide power to other electric vehicles if their battery runs out. An upcoming over-the-air update will enable the capability, as reported by the Twitter profile @rivianupdates, which is not officially linked to the company. The account cites a Rivian spokesperson in tweets and says more information on bidirectional charging will be disclosed at a later time. https://twitter.com/rivianupdates/status/1620826587158704128 Bidirectional charging is a revolutionary technology…

LG Energy Solution, a leading manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells, stated during a recent conference that it is in discussions with Tesla and several electric vehicle startups to supply batteries from its Arizona factory, as reported by Reuters. LG Energy Solution has remained tight-lipped about the details of its planned battery factory in Queen Creek, Arizona. The company had previously announced its intention to invest $1.39 billion to build a facility for cylindrical batteries for EVs and electric tools with an annual capacity of 11 GWh. The factory was set to be a wholly-owned subsidiary and construction was slated to…

A historic journey was recently made by a Volvo FH Electric 40-ton semi-trailer truck, traveling a distance of 1,864 miles (3,000 km) between Zurich, Switzerland, and Valencia, Spain. This was the longest trip ever completed by a commercial electric truck. The round-trip was undertaken by Swiss logistics firm Krummen Kerzers, with driver Balint Schnell at the wheel. Schnell was tasked with picking up 20 tons of oranges from Casa del Mas grocery store’s citrus orchard in Canals, near Valencia, for delivery back to Küsnacht, on Lake Zurich. As this was Schnell’s first time driving an electric semi, he had to…

The Mercedes-AMG One, formerly known as the Project One, has finally begun deliveries to customers. The highly anticipated hypercar was first unveiled as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show five and a half years ago, with the production version revealed in June 2022. Only 275 of the F1-engined vehicles will be produced, making it a rare and exclusive sight on the roads. The first customer car was revealed in a trio of images shared by Mercedes-AMG, showing the mostly black exterior with Petronas green accents, white three-pointed stars in the rear, a red tip on the roof scoop, and…

Taiwan’s Foxconn, the electronics manufacturer, announced on Monday that it has hired Jun Seki as its Chief Strategy Officer for Electric Vehicles. Seki, a former executive of Nissan and Nidec, brings a wealth of experience and industry expertise to Foxconn. Seki was previously seen as a top contender for the CEO position at Nissan, where he spent three decades, including a role as head of the China division. Despite his impressive career, he was eventually passed over for the position and went on to join motor maker Nidec in 2020. See also: Nidec invests $715 million to build Mexico plant…