Author: Christopher Harrison

Ride Share Bulgaria, an electric car rental service under the Spark brand, announced on Tuesday that it has added 100 Dacia Spring electric vehicles (EVs) to its fleet. This move brings the company’s total number of electric vehicles to 650, according to a Facebook post by Spark. The Dacia Spring EV can travel between 150 and 200 kilometers on a single charge, according to Spark’s website. The company plans to offer the vehicles at the lower end of its rental service’s price range. In addition to expanding its fleet, Spark partnered with French energy management and automation corporation Schneider Electric…

Nissan announced on Monday its plan to increase its production of power trains in the United States and raise its sales targets for electrified cars, as it tries to catch up in a market currently dominated by newer and more agile automakers, including Tesla. Despite being one of the pioneers in electric vehicles with the all-battery-powered Leaf, Nissan has struggled to keep up with its competitors in the industry, which is experiencing increasing competition from new players in the market. See also: Brussels gets €475 million in funding to procure 94 electric buses (plus 90 trams and 43 metro trains)…

Mercedes-Benz has announced that its autonomous driving system, DRIVE Pilot, will soon be available in China, directly competing with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving offering. Markus Schaefer, the Mercedes CTO, confirmed the news to Reuters, but did not reveal the launch date. Earlier this year, Mercedes became the first automaker certified to operate level 3 autonomous driving vehicles in the US, starting in Nevada, and it plans to expand nationwide with an 80mph top speed. While the regulatory environment in the US has varied by state, it is unclear how China will handle the new technology. See also: Mercedes-Benz Becomes First Carmaker…

UK-based electric vehicle manufacturer Arrival has secured up to $50m of new equity capital through the sale of new common stock to Antara Capital Master Fund LP, marking an important milestone in the company’s fundraising process. The funds will be used to support the development of Arrival’s electric vans and buses. As part of the agreement, Arrival will exchange $121.9m of 3.50% convertible notes due in 2026 held by Antara for additional equity. This will significantly reduce the company’s debt and improve its liquidity position. The face amount of Arrival’s remaining principal of convertible notes outstanding will be reduced by…

BMW has announced the acquisition of a 105-hectare plot in Straßkirchen and Irlbach, Lower Bavaria, for its battery assembly plant. The plant will be responsible for providing high-voltage batteries to all of BMW’s car plants in Bavaria for the “New Class” electric car model series, with production set to begin in 2026. However, battery cell production is not planned, and instead, BMW will be sourcing cells from Hungary, where it previously commissioned CATL and Eve Energy to build two gigafactories each. Following Tesla’s lead, BMW will be using round cells for its “New Class” vehicles from 2025, and it plans…

Hyliko, the French fuel cell truck developer, has entered into an agreement with Toyota to supply fuel cell modules for its first H2 trucks. The deal covers a 44-tonne tractor unit and a 26-tonne truck, both of which will be available in 6×2 and 6×4 variants. Under the agreement, each vehicle will be fitted with two 2nd generation fuel cell modules from Toyota. In addition, Forsee Power was contracted to provide battery systems for the H2 trucks, while the hydrogen tanks will be supplied by Plastic Omnium. According to Hyliko, its hydrogen fuel cell trucks will have a range of…

Mitsubishi is set to begin production of the Minicab-MiEV electric commercial Kei car in Indonesia starting in 2024. While this might not seem like groundbreaking news, there is a bigger story behind this vehicle that speaks to the resilience of old electric vehicles and their technology. First introduced in Japan in 2011, the Minicab-MiEV is a 12-year-old design that will go into production as a brand-new vehicle in a facility capable of producing up to 220,000 units per year and employing about 3,300 people. What makes this van even more interesting is that it uses more or less the same…

Mercedes-Benz has high hopes for its luxury electric vehicles, with expectations of a surge in sales for their high-end products in the coming year. Despite an overall stabilization in deliveries, the German automaker is betting on its new business strategy, emphasizing high-end vehicles such as the EQS SUV and Maybach models, to drive growth. The EQS SUV, with a starting price of $104,400, is expected to generate significant business for the brand and compete with capable rivals like the Tesla Model X and BMW iX. Mercedes-Benz aims to double EV sales this year, despite increasing competition in the luxury EV…

GreenPower has partnered with New England Truck Solutions (NETS), a full-service dealer of class 4 through 8 vehicles, to expand its market reach in Boston and Rhode Island. As per the agreement, NETS will now offer GreenPower’s medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles to its customers in the region. NETS, with its two locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, is strategically placed to introduce GreenPower’s all-electric EV Star, EV Star Cab and Chassis, and EV Star Cargo vehicles to its diverse customer base. These vehicles are ideal for small to mid-sized businesses operating in the middle and last-mile delivery sectors, as…

Stellantis, the Netherlands-based automaker formed through a merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot S.A (PSA), is preparing to expand its electric vehicle (EV) offerings in North America. After a successful 41% year-over-year increase in EV sales to 288,000 units in Europe last year, the company is now targeting the North American market with its Ram and Jeep brands. Despite initial resistance to the electric trend in the auto industry, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares now acknowledges the value of EVs, particularly after the company’s record-breaking results in 2022. The company was #1 in commercial EV sales in the EU30 and #2…

SOLiTHOR, a Belgian solid-state lithium battery technology company, and Sonaca, a leading aerospace company, have announced a partnership to jointly develop safe, high-density rechargeable solid-state lithium battery systems for regional aircraft, urban air mobility, satellite systems, and defense systems. This partnership aims to provide the industry with low noise and energy-efficient solutions to power aircraft, allowing for more effective use of smaller regional airports and addressing under-utilization issues. See also: SOLiTHOR and Punch Powertrain NV to establish a European Centre of Excellence for solid-state lithium batteries at Belgium Under this bilateral Memorandum of Understanding, SOLiTHOR will be responsible for cell…

Lotus has made good on its promises with its revolutionary electric hyper-SUV, the Lotus Eletre, which has taken the prestigious GQ Magazine SUV of the Year award. The British sportscar maker had a lot to live up to when it announced the Eletre, but thanks to the investment from Geely Motors, Lotus was more than prepared to electrify its ultra-premium offerings. The dedication paid off as the Lotus Eletre was recognized for its remarkable performance and stunning design. “The premium electric SUV sector is filling up faster than you can say ‘recession-proof’ with all the big automotive beasts vying for…

Tesla’s highly anticipated electric pickup truck, the Cybertruck, is set to hit the market soon, and Tesla fans are eagerly awaiting its arrival. The Cybertruck has been undergoing various tests both inside and outside the Texas Gigafactory, where the first retail batches will be assembled. A recent video has surfaced of one of the alpha prototypes of the Cybertruck with its standard air suspension equipment in lifted mode, making the rounds at Giga Texas. While the default Cybertruck air suspension doesn’t provide as high of a distance from the ground as some lift kits, it still provides an impressive 16-inch…

Subway, the world-renowned restaurant brand, has teamed up with GenZ EV Solutions to create Subway Oasis charging parks, a new initiative aimed at providing a seamless charging experience for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. The charging parks will be equipped with canopies featuring multiple charging ports, Wi-Fi, picnic tables, restrooms, green space, and playgrounds. The smaller-format, fast EV charging stations will be piloted at newly remodeled and new restaurants across the United States, starting in 2023. GenZ EV Solutions will work alongside RED E Charging, a fast-growing EV charging network, to provide proprietary software, operating expertise, and network uptime and reliability…

Capacity Trucks, a manufacturer of trucks designed for port, intermodal, and distribution/warehouse applications, is set to unveil its new Zero Emissions Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric terminal truck at the upcoming Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. This advanced terminal truck is the result of Capacity’s ten-year journey towards zero emissions, during which it partnered with leading suppliers of alternative fuel powertrains to engineer new products that could meet the needs of the industry. See also: Orange EV Brings Electric Commercial Vehicle to Canada “We applied our nearly 50 years of industry leadership and worked closely with…

As the world rapidly shifts towards sustainable and electric mobility, Europe’s largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen, is taking crucial steps towards the production of electric vehicles. The brand has already converted its Zwickau and Emden passenger car plants to electric vehicles, and now it’s Wolfsburg plant, the largest of its German sites, is set to become an electric vehicle factory in the coming years. The new production line for ID.3 and the new Tiguan will be installed in the Wolfsburg factory over the next few months. Volkswagen’s eMotionDay training program, which will run until 2025, is part of the brand’s push…

Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has signed a decree to nationalize the country’s lithium resources, effectively restricting the extraction and sale of the mineral for electric vehicle (EV) batteries to state-run companies. The move comes after the government established Litio para México, a state-owned entity, in August 2022, tasked with overseeing the extraction and marketing of lithium. Under the decree, the energy ministry is directed to begin the nationalization process, with the Li-MX 1 mining zone, covering 2,349 square kilometers, set aside for lithium mining. See also: Mexican President Identifies Nuevo Leon and Hidalgo as Potential Sites for Tesla’s…

Electric vehicles had a remarkable year in the United States in 2022, accounting for 5.6% of new light-vehicle registrations. This represents a significant increase from 3.1% in 2021, as 756,534 new EVs were registered, a 57% rise despite an overall market sales decline of 11% to 13.6 million, according to data from Experian. While new carmakers entered the EV race, Tesla continued to dominate the market, registering 484,351 new vehicles, a 41% increase from 2021, with its Model Y leading the way. Of the five best-selling EVs in the US, four were Tesla models. Ford came in second with a…

OK, Denmark’s largest fuel retailer, has ordered more than 300 fast-charge columns from Australian hardware manufacturer Tritium. Tritium has already delivered the first charge of 75 kW stations. The new chargers will be installed at pit stops and serve corporate fleet customers. The partnership between Tritium and OK began last summer with the first successful installations. OK’s wider plan is to support the expansion of Denmark’s public charging infrastructure in large and small Danish cities. This is in line with the Danish government’s goal of having at least 775,000 electric or plug-in hybrid cars on the country’s road network by…

Ford Motor Company is aiming to secure 8% margins on its next-generation electric vehicles, due in mid-decade. The company’s executives have acknowledged, however, that it could take years to close an overall cost disadvantage of up to $8 billion compared to its competitors. The automaker’s chief financial officer, John Lawler, announced at an auto conference that the company can save up to $2.5 billion this year by better managing production schedules and taking advantage of lower commodity prices. Ford’s poor quarterly results earlier this month were attributed to chip shortages, supply chain disruptions, and production “instabilities,” adding to its costs.…