Author: Casper Benedict

The incentives provided by the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are expected to help Nikola by lowering the cost of his electric truck and hydrogen energy business. The IRA, which was passed in August, provides incentives for battery and electric vehicle manufacturing in the United States. The IRA allows the Nikola semi-trucks to be competitive for cost of ownership compared to diesel-powered trucks. Nikola aims to build up to 60 hydrogen delivery stations by 2026 and allow access to up to 300 metric tons of low-carbon hydrogen supplies. Incentives from the IRA will lower hydrogen costs, delivery infrastructure and…

Arriva ordered electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach to strengthen its zero-emission bus fleet in the Netherlands. Arriva has ordered 64 electric buses to enter service in the company’s North Brabant East concession. 40 VDL Citea buses of type LF-122 and four articulated buses of type LF-181 will be used for public transport in Tilburg. The order also includes 20 Citea LE-135s to run on the overhead line between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch. VDL introduced the new Citea line in May 2021 with lengths of 12.2 meters (“LF-122” with low entry), 13.5 meters (LE-135), 14.9 meters (LE-149) and 18.1…

In the Paris Motor Show which will take place October 17-23 2022. The host manufacturer Renault displays an electric concept car that is fairly compact but sophisticated. The model is the same as the hatchback 5 which will be the second car based on the CMF-BEV architecture developed by the company. This four-wheeled vehicle is named 4EVer which looks to have a strong character. This eco-friendly vehicle will enter the larger crossover segment. For propulsion, this model is equipped with a nickel cobalt manganese battery with a capacity of 42 kWh. In appearance, the size of this car has a…

Kia provides a software update or software for the Kia EV6 which serves to make the battery charge faster in cold temperatures. With an 800 volt platform and 240 kW DC fast charging capability, the Kia EV6 is one of the fastest EVs for charging on the market. It does have one major problem, and that is its inability to exceed 70 kW in cold temperatures, when the battery is not at a temperature deemed suitable for fast charging. A software update resolves this issue and allows the vehicle to get closer to a claimed 10 to 80 percent charge…

Tesla just released Q3 2022 results with unexpected results. Tesla shares are down nearly 6% in pre-market but there is a lot of good news especially regarding the company’s upcoming plans. Elon Musk says his engineering team is working on a next-generation EV platform. The company’s upcoming vehicle platform will be the third after the large ones supporting the Model S and X and the compact ones used by the Models 3 and Y. Musk said that the next platform will be smaller than the Model 3/Y platform and about half the cost. Musk said there was no firm date…

Cadillac is back to enliven the ultra-luxury car segment by launching the Cadillac Celestiq electric car (17/10). Yup, the Cadillac Celestiq electric car is here not only to continue the CT6 as the most luxurious sedan but also to rebuild Cadillac’s image as a standard of luxury. The Cadillac CT6 is also the second dedicated electric car in the Cadillac lineup, accompanying the Cadillac Lyriq which launched in 2021 ago. “The Celestiq is the purest expression of Cadillac, acknowledging our amazing history and also propelling us towards a brighter future,” said Rory Harvey, Global Vice President of Cadillac. “This car…

Waymo announced the expansion of robotaxi to residents in several central districts of Los Angeles, according to a post on the company’s website. Waymo had previously expanded outside of Arizona to San Francisco earlier this year. The company has charted roads in many LA neighborhoods since 2019, including Downtown and Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West Hollywood. The initial launch will see a dozen Waymo vehicles roam the streets of LA. The company plans to expand their fleet from there to take advantage of what it calls “one of the world’s largest ride-hailing service areas and the world’s…

The new Volvo EX90 will launch on November 9, but the company has already teased potential customers by publishing the interior of the new electric flagship from Sweden The Volvo EX90 promises the most advanced technology ever seen in any Volvo car and now interior details have been introduced in the company’s latest video. From the published video, the company decided to prioritize aspects of sustainability and recycled materials. For example the new Nordico material is made of PET bottles and pine resin from certified sources and replaces many plastic parts in cars. The Volvo EX90 will use wood panels…

Hopium is a new French automotive company that produces luxury passenger vehicles powered by hydrogen. The Machina was Hopium’s first car with a €120,000 price tag. The Hopium Machina, which was recently showcased at the Paris Motor Show, uses a hydrogen fuel cell with two electric motors driving all four wheels. Hydrogen is stored in two large tanks in the middle. In addition there is an additional, smaller tank under the front seats. Hopium doesn’t give details of the electric motor or fuel cell used, but claims the Machina has a total output of 486 HP. With that much power,…

Tesla is reportedly planning to build the batteries for the Cybertruck electric pickup truck at their Fremont plant, while the vehicles will be assembled in Giga Texas. In late August Tesla submitted an application for a permit to the City of Fremont to build a new battery manufacturing line at the Fremont plant. Under the permit application submitted, Tesla will construct a new ‘CTA Battery B-Build’ line on the second floor of the main assembly building. According to sources familiar with the plans who spoke to Teslarati, Tesla will take battery cells manufactured in other locations and assemble the Cybertruck’s…

Tesla launched the new J1772 wall connector for charging electric vehicles, whether Tesla or non-Tesla electric vehicles. The J1772 wall connector with 24 feet cable is priced at 550 US dollars. Called it is perfect for homes, apartments, hotels, even the workplace. The J1772 wall connector will provide a range of up to 44 added miles per hour. Tesla also says that this wall charger is perfect for indoor and outdoor use “It can also share power to maximize existing electrical capacity, automatically distribute power and allow you to charge multiple vehicles simultaneously,” Tesla wrote in a product description on…

Micro Mobility for the first time publicly demonstrated the relaxed Microlino Lite for younger customers and the Microlino Spiaggina beach buggy at the Paris Motor Show. As a variant of Microlino 2.0, the top speed of Microlino Lite is limited to 45 kph, so drivers don’t need a full SIM, just use an AM class SIM. The Microlino Lite is supposed to offer the same range as its larger counterpart and is designed as an alternative to cars, so does the company. At the Paris Motor Show, the regular Microlino 2.0 was also showcased at speeds of up to 90…

As part of the Stellantis group, Peugeot seems to want to show that it is serious about penetrating the market, especially electric cars. The Peugeot 308 PHEV, which was launched, is claimed to help shift 70% of all models offered by Peugeot electric. The 70% gain is a combination of the line-up of passenger cars and commercial cars offered by Peugeot. The target is that by 2023, 85% of the entire Peugeot line-up will be electrified and will reach 100% by 2025 for the European region. “The electrification range will allow our customers to choose the type of engine they…

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to increase the electric vehicle subsidy for low-income households from 6,000 euros to around 7,000 euros. This subsidy is given in order to help underprivileged families buy electric cars and encourage more local production. Macron made this statement in an interview with French business daily Les Echos before visiting the Paris Motor Show. The more affluent electric car buyers will only receive a subsidy of 5,000 euros. Subsidies are given to all residents to immediately switch to using electric vehicles that are more environmentally friendly. The French government also provides a low installment program…

Rolls-Royce has officially begun the transition from internal combustion engines to electric cars. The British luxury car manufacturer has launched its first electric vehicle portfolio, the Spectre. Spectre is referred to as Phantom’s “spiritual successor” due to its very similar appearance to its counterpart. The Spectre is built on Rolls’ all-aluminum Architecture of Luxury, the automaker’s latest platform designed to use both ICE and electric powertrains. Dimensionally, the Spectre measuring 5,453 mm / 214.7 inches long, 2,080 mm / 81.9 mm wide, and 1,559 mm / 61.4 inches high has an attractive visual appearance. Technical specifications haven’t been revealed yet,…

Fisker accelerated the search for a US factory location for the Ocean electric SUV after the US government announced plans to subsidize purchases of electric vehicles made in North America. CEO Henrik Fisker said his company had several options including buying an existing factory or expanding its partnership with Magna International as a contract manufacturer. Production of the Ocean electric SUV will begin next month at Magna International production facility in Austria. “I am looking at bringing Ocean production over to the U.S., and we are looking at some opportunities to produce as early as 2024,” Fisker said in an…

The world’s largest contract electronics maker Foxconn unveiled two prototype electric vehicles on Tuesday (October 18) namely a sporty hatchback dubbed the Model B and a pickup, the Model V. At the launch, it said commercial production on the other two designs would begin later this year. Foxconn has been known as a gadget assembler for a number of international brands including the Apple iPhone. Now, the company is diversifying beyond its core business and into the competitive but fast-growing electric vehicle business with the launch of three concept electric vehicles last year. Foxconn elder Young Liu showcased two more…

Canoo received an order for 9,300 electric vans from Kingbee, a US car rental company. In the agreement signed an option to double the order to 18,600 electric vehicles. This is the third deal Canoo has announced in about three months. Kingbee will lease Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles (LDV) Canoo as part of the fleet solution. Kingbee is known to specialize in fleets for small and medium-sized businesses with a customer base in 27 US states. This deal is Canoo’s third in three months. Previously Canoo also received orders for 4,500 electric vehicles from retail giant Walmart with an option of…

French President Emmanuel Macron has said his country is ready to produce one million electric vehicles by 2027. Macron made the statement at the opening of the Paris Motor Show, which starts on Monday, October 17, 2022 and runs until Sunday, October 23, 2022. Quoted from Teslarati, Tuesday (18/10/2022) Macron also stressed that the French people need to support their own manufacturers. Although the price of electric cars is more expensive than fossil fuel vehicles, Macron also explained that the use of EVs will actually save more fuel. “Over the past five years, we have distributed 1 million conversion bonuses…

The trend of vehicle electrification is growing rapidly. But now hydrogen-powered cars or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEF) are starting to steal the spotlight. One of them is a vehicle made by a French startup manufacturer, Hopium Machina. In its debut at the Paris Motor Show, it was revealed that the Hopium Machina specifications have a fairly long range, around 1000 km (620 miles) and a very fast recharging time of only 3 minutes. Priced at €120,000 (£104,000), this car falls into the luxury car category. As for the cabin, the Hopium has seating for four people and an infotainment…