Author: Christopher Harrison

General Motors Co and LG Energy Solution Ltd will add a US$275 million investment in the Tennessee joint venture’s battery cell plant to increase production by more than 40 percent. The additional investment in Spring Hill’s Ultium Cells plant will increase battery output from an annual capacity of 35 gigawatt-hours to 50 GWh, when the plant is operational in late 2023. It is one of at least four joint US battery plants planned to supply GM electric vehicles as the manufacturer the largest US automaker increased its production. This additional investment follows the US$2.3 billion announced in April 2021 and…

Polestar has ambitious plans to launch a new model every year until at least 2026. The performance-oriented Swedish manufacturer launched 3 SUVs with large 111.0 kilowatt-hour battery packs in October this year and is also looking to expand into the smaller utility segment. . A subcompact crossover is believed to be in development and they released new preview renderings that give an early look at the upcoming electric vehicle. What you see in the images is a small, battery-powered crossover with a coupe-inspired roofline, muscular side profile and a distinctive Polestar front fascia. It’s too early to predict what will…

After signing a contract in July 2022 with the United States ministry of defense, Canoo is now starting to fulfill its promise to be able to provide electric cars specifically for the United States army. Electric vehicle startup Canoo began delivering special electric vehicles for the United States Army. The first electric car sent to the United States Army is presented in the form of an electric pickup, the same as the one that will be marketed in 2023. However, there are significant differences between the two. This electric pickup is part of the first contract agreed, which is to…

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk unveiled the company’s first heavy-duty electric Semi truck on Thursday at an event at the company’s Nevada production facility. The event was also streamed live via the company’s YouTube Channel and marked Tesla’s first foray into the trucking industry. Musk said the semi’s heavy-duty electric truck successfully completed a 500-mile test on a full charge on November 15 between Fremont and San Diego. The Semi electric truck is a Class 8 vehicle, meaning it has weight limits that allow it to carry more than 33,001 pounds of cargo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtOqU2o81iI&ab_channel=Tesla The Tesla Semi was originally going…

Ahead of its premiere in early February 2023, Mercedes-Benz is providing an update for the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van which is currently entering the end of its trial period. Launching the official Mercedes-Benz Vans website on Thursday (1/12/2022), the new generation of eSprinter with a body version that is longer, taller and the largest of all its variants has managed to cover a distance of up to 475 km. Departing from Stuttgart for Munich, Germany, the new eSprinter manages to run round-trip on just one charge of its electric battery and produces a power consumption of…

Opel / Vauxhall have revealed their portfolio of electric vehicles namely hatchbacks and compact estates. The portfolio is named Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer Electric, which at first glance are identical to the internal combustion engine version. Outwardly they are identical to the ICE version but both adopt a fully electric powertrain like the mechanically linked Peugeot E-308. Spec-wise, the recently revealed EV sports a single front-mounted electric motor that develops 154 hp (115 kW / 156 PS) of power and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque. Power output is identical to the Peugeot E-308 / E-308 SW, torque…

Tesla will officially launch in Thailand next month after preparing for this for more than a year. The launch announcement was published on Tesla’s LinkedIn page, with the post visible only to Thai users. One Tesla fan, Daren Yoong shared a post on Twitter regarding the announcement. https://twitter.com/darenyoong/status/1597165962008358913 Signs of Tesla getting ready to launch in Thailand emerged when the company was officially registered with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Commerce. Tesla is coming to Thailand market with EVs, batteries, and solar. Tesla added its app to the Apple App Store in Thailand, and started recruiting for positions based in the…

The future Rivian R1T electric pickup truck and R1S SUV model will get a new suspension. Rivian has selected Tenneco which will supply the automaker with an intelligent suspension system. It looks like the ride quality of the already impressive Rivian vehicles will get even better. Rivian will integrate CVSA2/Kinetic® H2 semi-active suspension technology in its EV skateboard chassis. The suspension system originally developed for sports and hypercar models. Tenneco itself supplies parts to a number of manufacturers including McLaren. CVSA2/Kinetic® H2 semi-active suspension technology developed by Rivian, Tenneco and other automakers. The aim is to improve the driving performance…

Lordstown Motors begins delivering Foxconn-manufactured Endurance electric pickup trucks marking a milestone in the company’s history. Lordstown Motors, which has been in financial troubles, said Tuesday that its full-size Endurance electric pickup truck received full homologation with certification from the EPA and CARB which gives the company the green light to begin deliveries to customers. Production of the Endurance electric pickup truck is carried out by Foxconn as a contract manufacturer. The first batch of 500 Endurance electric pickups is on its way to fleet customers, according to the company. “I am very proud of the Lordstown Motors and Foxconn…

CEO Tesla Inc. Elon Musk announced that the Beta version of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software is now available to everyone in North America. Elon Musk announced this latest news via his Twitter account which was posted on Thursday (24/11/2022) morning. Tesla has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the announcement. “Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to anyone in North America who requests it from their car screen, assuming you have purchased this option,” Tesla’s CEO tweeted. Musk said in October that Tesla’s advanced driver assistant software would not get regulatory approval this year. The world’s…

Many have questioned the ability of the Tesla Semi electric truck to carry a full load. Will Tesla’s upcoming Class 8 electric truck really have a range of 500 miles (804 km), especially when fully charged. In October Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Tesla Semi electric truck’s range is calculated by cargo – “Just to be clear, 500 miles with cargo at ground level.” Elon Musk in a recent tweet wrote that the Tesla Semi electric truck completed a 500 mile journey weighing 81,000 lbs, which is almost 100% of its 82,000 lbs (37,195 kg) Gross Combined Weight…

Mercedes-Benz International Finance B.V. successfully issued its first Green Panda Bond on November 24, 2022 with a size of RMB 500 million (approx. EUR 68 million), a term of two years and a coupon rate of 2.9% in the Chinese Interbank Bond Market. The bond, which was 3.1 times oversubscribed is guaranteed by Mercedes-Benz Group AG (ticker symbol: MBG). The issuance was arranged by Bank of China and HSBC. It is Mercedes-Benz’s first Green Bond outside of the European market and Mercedes-Benz is the first automotive company to issue a Green Panda Bond in China. “The first Mercedes-Benz Green Panda…