Author: Christopher Harrison

JCB has unveiled the redesigned S1932ED electric drive scissor lifts, aimed at enhancing ease of use and transportation efficiency. The updated JCB S1932ED scissor lift retains all the functionalities of its predecessor but now boasts a lighter design, shedding around 250 lbs. This reduced weight not only makes it easier to load and unload the lift onto trailers but also expands the range of vehicles capable of transporting it, including the Ford E-Transit Cargo Van 350, which has a maximum payload capacity of 3,553 lbs. Among the key updates is the addition of a standard leak containment system for the…

Porsche has clarified that the Taycan will not be replaced by a future electric version of the Panamera. The company intends to keep both four-door models in its lineup, emphasizing their distinct market positions and characteristics. Measuring 4,963 mm (195.4 inches) long, the Taycan is only slightly shorter than the Panamera, which recently entered its third generation. Despite the similarity in size, the Taycan is positioned as a sporty, performance-oriented model, while the Panamera focuses more on luxury and interior space. See also: Apple CarPlay+ Makes Its Debut in the 2025 Porsche Taycan Kevin Giek, Vice President of the Taycan Product…

Nikola Corporation has appointed Thomas Okray, a former executive from General Motors and Amazon, as its chief financial officer, the electric-truck manufacturer announced on Monday. Okray’s recruitment follows the naming of former GM executives Stephen Girsky as CEO in August and Mary Chan as chief operating officer in September. See also: Nikola Appoints Carla Tully, Energy and Infrastructure Expert, to Board of Directors “My connection with some of Nikola’s leadership spanning decades made the decision even more natural,” Okray stated in a press release, indicating that he will assume his new role immediately. Okray’s career includes a 14-year tenure at GM…

Gravity Mobility, a Google-backed EV infrastructure startup, has launched the fastest charging solution in the United States, aiming to attract fleet customers. The company has made 24 of its 500 kilowatt (kW) chargers available to major fleet operators in New York, capable of delivering a remarkable 2,400 miles of range per hour or 200 miles in just five minutes. “We can add as many or more chargers to grow our network compared to the number of (Tesla) Superchargers added per year. There’s nothing blocking that,” Gravity’s CEO Moshe Cohen told Reuters. See also: New York Ramps Up EV Charging with $1.24…

Ford is recalling over 200 F-150 Lightning units due to a loose or missing retention nut on the high-voltage battery, which could increase the risk of a fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall notice affecting up to 216 F-150 Lightning units produced between October 31, 2022, and August 2, 2023. The issue involves missing or loose retention nuts on the high-voltage battery junction box bus bars, which could lead to electrical arcing and increase the risk of fire. See also: Ford Performance Teases High-Performance F-150 Lightning for Pikes Peak According to the defect notice, “Missing or…

Hyundai has given its 2024 Ioniq 5 electric car a mid-life facelift, introducing a range of updates including a larger battery pack, styling changes, and improved technology. Originally unveiled in February 2021, the Ioniq 5 line-up is now three years old and is receiving its first major update. The new model also introduces a sportier N Line version, drawing design cues from the high-performance Ioniq 5 N. See also: Hyundai Kills ICE-Powered N Models In Europe, Shifts To Hot EVs: Ioniq 5 N Takes the Lead Key upgrades include a higher-capacity battery pack for the long-range version, now at 84kWh compared…

German battery manufacturer Lion E-Mobility AG has inked a significant deal with Turkish bus manufacturer Karsan to supply battery packs. The contract, valued at approximately six million euros, includes binding orders for deliveries slated to commence this year. The agreement, signed with Lion’s subsidiary Lion Smart Production, also includes an additional option worth another six million euros, with deliveries scheduled for 2024. This flexibility allows Karsan to adapt to evolving market demands in the rapidly expanding electric bus sector. See also: Karsan Secures Contract to Deliver 320 Electric Minibuses in Italy “This firm order underscores the confidence placed in Lion’s superior…

According to projections from Toyota USA, American consumers are expected to purchase significantly fewer electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates. This forecast has led the automaker to plan the procurement of emissions credits to meet U.S. regulations instead of allocating additional resources toward electric vehicle development, citing doubts about their marketability. The EPA had announced last year that it aimed for EVs to achieve a 60 percent market penetration by 2030, though it is believed that this number may be revised down to 54 percent by the time any rules are passed. See also: Toyota…

BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, is aggressively expanding its global footprint and is now setting its sights on Mexico for its next strategic move. Stella Li, CEO of BYD Americas, confirmed that the company is currently scouting locations within a 200 km (124-mile) radius of Mexico City for a new factory dedicated to producing vehicles for the local market. The decision on the factory’s location is expected to be made in the second half of this year. Li explained that sites near the U.S. border are being avoided to minimize transportation costs for Mexican buyers. See also: BYD Explores Mexican…

Beep has introduced its autonomous vehicle service at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), marking its first full-scale deployment at a Florida university campus. This initiative, launched in collaboration with the Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA), aims to enhance mobility options and safety in Jacksonville. The self-driving shuttles, equipped with self-driving software from Oxa and featuring lidar, radar, and high-fidelity cameras for 360-degree always-on sensing capabilities, will transport visitors, students, and faculty along a one-mile route connecting the university’s Advanced Technology Center with several buildings on campus. See also: Beep Unveils Beep AutonomOS Platform to Monitor and Enhance Autonomous Fleet Operations The…

Autonomous car company Cruise has seen its internal share price plummet by over half from a quarter ago, as repercussions from an October accident continue to impact the company’s valuation. Cruise employees were informed in an email, viewed by Reuters, that the share price had been estimated at $11.80 by a third party, down significantly from the prior estimate of $24.27 just one quarter ago. Craig Glidden, Cruise’s chief administrative officer, acknowledged the impact of this decrease, stating, “We cannot ignore that this estimate is significantly lower than we’ve seen before and that there are real-life impacts for each of…

In a strategic move to expand its Supercharger network, Tesla has announced that four additional automakers will gain access to the renowned charging infrastructure starting in Spring 2024. This development comes on the heels of Tesla’s recent collaboration with Ford, which saw Ford EV drivers gaining access to over 15,000 Superchargers across North America. Ford made history as the inaugural automaker to sign a groundbreaking agreement with Tesla, agreeing to adopt NACS (Tesla’s proprietary charge connector) for its future EVs. This move also granted Ford EV owners the coveted access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network. See also: Ford Rolls Out Free…

Toyota has finally launched its first electric car, the bZ4X, in Australia after an 18-month delay. Priced starting at $66,000 (plus on-road costs), Toyota aims to maintain its position as the best-selling car brand in the country, even as electric vehicle (EV) leaders like Tesla are gaining market share. The bZ4X electric SUV is available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) models. The base FWD model starts at $66,000 and offers a range of 332 miles (535 km) according to NEDC standards or 271 miles (436 km) according to WLTP standards. See also: Toyota Launches Enhanced Bozhi 4X,…

Li Auto is gearing up for the official launch of its first battery electric vehicle (BEV), the Li Mega (Multi-Purpose Vehicle), with CEO Li Xiang hinting at strong pre-order numbers and high expectations for its performance in the market. In a recent Weibo post, Li Xiang stated that pre-orders for the Li Mega, secured with a RMB 5,000 ($700) reservation fee, have surpassed those of the Li L9, the company’s previous model, during the same period in 2022. He expressed confidence that the Li Mega would be a “blockbuster product” and urged suppliers and partners to ensure an adequate supply…

In a strategic move to bolster its presence in the electric vehicle (EV) charging sector, Voltera Power has announced a substantial $150 million expansion plan for its commercial EV charging infrastructure. The expansion is set to double the number of managed charging depots operated by the company in 2024. Voltera Power has gained recognition for its innovative approach to managed charging depots, which it constructs, owns, and operates to serve local electric fleets. The company charges fleets for access to its chargers, providing maintenance and management services to ensure optimal performance and uptime. See also: Voltera Partners with Amerit to Offer…

Ford Motor Co is gearing up for a significant leap in its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, considering the adoption of an 800V fast charging system for its upcoming models to compete with rivals like Hyundai, Porsche, and Kia. The move comes as Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, acknowledged a “seismic change” in the EV market following the automaker’s Q4 earnings, attributing it to aggressive price cuts by EV makers like Tesla and increased competition in the two-row crossover segment, where Ford’s Mustang Mach-E dominates. See also: Ford’s NACS Connector for Tesla Superchargers in Final Testing Before Release Despite a 4.6% increase in…

Nissan Motor announced plans on Wednesday to launch a small-scale driverless ride service in Japan in approximately three years, aiming to offset the declining number of taxi drivers with autonomous technology. The automaker intends to introduce Level 4 autonomous driving services in three or four municipalities in Japan, including rural areas, by the financial year starting April 2027. See also: Nissan and UK Government Collaborate on Groundbreaking evolvAD Autonomous Driving Project To prepare for this initiative, Nissan will conduct a trial in Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, using up to 20 remodelled Serena minivans over the next few years. https://youtu.be/ZyHPghrvYVw Other manufacturers,…

A European research project, DigiCell, has been launched to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of electric vehicle (EV) battery production by integrating digital processes and data-driven analysis. The 13-member DigiCell project, initiated this week in Vienna, Austria, aims to improve battery cell and battery pack manufacturing and testing processes using digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI). The project will not only focus on lithium-ion batteries (LiB) but also explore “innovative cell solutions beyond lithium,” according to project researchers. See also: Tozero and Huayou Recycling Forge Partnership for Battery Waste Management in Europe Dr. Nawfal Al-Zubaidi-R Smith, deputy coordinator of the…

VinFast has inked a dealer sales agreement with Bahwan Automobiles Trading LLC (BAT) for distributing electric vehicles in the Oman market, marking its initial foray into the Middle East and a substantial stride in its global expansion efforts. BAT is set to become the official dealer of VinFast in Oman, with plans to establish and operate 13 VinFast stores and service centers from 2024 to 2027. The first store is slated to open in mid-2024, with vehicle sales to follow shortly thereafter. VinFast will collaborate with BAT to sell four e-SUV models: VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF…

Morrow Batteries, a key player in the battery industry, is teaming up with Stena Recycling to tackle the growing issue of battery production waste. The two companies have joined forces with the goal of establishing a fully circular battery value chain, where recycled materials are reintegrated into battery cell production. The collaboration will kick off with Morrow’s battery factory in Arendal, Norway, which is set to start test production later this year. Stena Recycling will play a pivotal role by receiving and processing scrap from the production process at its facility in Halmstad, Sweden. This partnership is expected to span…