Author: Benedict Mcdaniel

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.…