Author: Christopher Harrison

The government of the Brussels Capital Region is investing 500,000 euros to install fast and ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles. 11 projects were chosen for funding, including four hubs with a total of 116 charging points for public parking areas, four hubs with four charging points each for ultra-fast charging, a project with 43 charging points for electric taxis, and two fast chargers specifically for vans and trucks. In this context, “fast” charging points refer to stations with power ratings between 22 and 50 kW, while “ultra-fast” charging points are those with power ratings of 51 kW or higher,…

Ram Trucks may beat out Tesla and Chinese companies by becoming the first car manufacturer to offer a widely-available factory original wireless charger for electric vehicles in the United States. This was revealed during the reveal of the Ram 1500 Revolution concept, which included a glimpse of the upcoming Ram Charger, an inductive charging robot unrelated to the Dodge Ramcharger truck. “We know from our Real Talk tour that our customers aren’t just concerned for how long a charge will last on the road, but also how easy it is to charge,” said Ram’s CEO, Mike Koval. “And with our…

Euro NCAP, the independent vehicle assessment organization, announced the top-rated cars for safety in 2022. The organization’s busiest year yet saw 66 new passenger cars tested. Among them, the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Electrified Streamliner received the award for “Best in Class” in the “Large Family Car” category, further solidifying Hyundai’s leadership in electric vehicles. The Euro NCAP “Best in Class” is determined by calculating the weighted sum of scores in the four areas of assessment: “Adult Occupant Protection,” “Child Occupant Protection,” “Vulnerable Road User Protection,” and “Safety Assist.” This sum serves as the basis for comparing vehicles. Cars are only…

Team Avalanche Andretti driver Jake Dennis won the opening round of the 2022-2023 Formula E season, held in Mexico. The event, officially opened at the Hernanes Rodrigues Autodrome in Mexico City on Saturday (1/14), was also the first race with the new Gen 3 Formula E car, replacing the previous Gen 2 car that had been used since the 2018-2019 season. From the qualifying session, Dennis dominated the Formula E race in Mexico and won the opening round with a significant gap, and also achieved the fastest lap. Dennis managed to lead by 7 seconds from Porsche driver, Pascal Wehrlein,…

The Dongfeng Nano Box is manufactured in the same factory as several other cars in China and shares similar specifications with them, such as the Dacia Spring, Renault City K-ZE, Aeolus EX1, Fengxing T1, Fengguang E1, and Venucia e30. The similarity to the Dacia Spring may make it appear familiar to you. The Dongfeng Nano Box was launched in July with great success, with a starting price of CNY 65,700 (approximately $9,750 at the time) and receiving over 10,000 orders on the first day. The Nano Box is now even more affordable in China, despite already being priced very reasonably.…

Nikola plans to relocate its battery production from Cypress, Calif to Coolidge, Ariz by early Q3. The move will centralize truck assembly, fuel cell power module assembly, and battery module and pack production at the Coolidge facility and will feature automated battery production to enhance quality and efficiency. The company will continue to operate in Cypress until the end of Q2 2023, as it establishes its production capabilities in Coolidge and implements a smooth transition plan to avoid any disruptions in manufacturing. “This decision reinforces our commitment to finding ways to optimize our cost structure and create a sustainable business…

Volvo will collaborate with Qualcomm to introduce subscription-based features in the electric EX90 SUV and upcoming models. Martin Kristensson, Head of Product Definition and Partner Management at Volvo, stated in an interview with Auto News Europe that the company is seeking to find new revenue streams through software as cars have a longer lifespan. “We will see cars that need to last longer and more of the value is driven by software, so we will need to find new business,” Kristensson said at CES 2023. “Certainly, there is an opportunity for subscriptions for some of features in the vehicle.” Kristensson…

Winnebago Industries, Inc. as a motorhome manufacturer from the United States, showed a teaser prototype of the eRV2 electric camper van. This will be the way Winnebago kicks off in 2023, with future plans for an electric camper van in the near future. As a follow-up to last year’s e-RV, the manufacturer is now developing an electric-powered camper van vehicle called the eRV2. Different from previous prototypes, the eRV2 has a shorter, sportier profile and a relocated charging port hinting at an overhauled powertrain. As was the case last year, Winnebago will reveal its EV prototype at the Florida RV…

Tesla’s cars are known in the industry for their incredible acceleration. Even for the S Plaid model is the electric car with the fastest acceleration. Tesla Model S Plaid is an electric car with the fastest acceleration from 0-60 mph or 96.5 km/h in 2.3 seconds ever tested by Motortrend. “When experiencing acceleration, it is very clear that the only force you feel is the back of the Tesla chair,” the publication wrote. Motortrend also tested it and several other electric vehicles to see which one was the fastest and determined the winner. Motortrend has published a list of the…

Dacia, the European automaker known for its affordable cars, has announced its first ever hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with the launch of the Jogger HYBRID 140. This seven-seat model aims to redefine its segment with its advanced petrol-electric drivetrain and competitive pricing. The Jogger HYBRID 140, which is already a success story with more than 83,000 orders and 51,000 registrations worldwide in under a year, is now available for UK customers to order. Priced at just £22,595 on-the-road, it is the best value seven-seat hybrid on the market. The Jogger HYBRID 140 Expression is also available for a low monthly…

South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Co. will hook Ford Motor Co. to build an electric car battery factory in Turkey. The negotiations took place after SK On was about to cancel a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ford Motor and Turkish conglomerate Koc Holding A.S. to build an electric car battery factory. If talks with Ford go well, LG Energy Solution will sign an MoU with Ford in the coming weeks. In March 2022, Ford, SK On and Koc Holding signed a preliminary agreement to manufacture electric vehicle battery cells near the Turkish capital, Ankara, which will begin…

Blink, a global EV charging network, announced the launch of five new charging products for both businesses and consumers at CES 2023. The offerings range from a residential charging cable to DC fast chargers that aim to provide EV charging options across various markets around the world. The company operates over 30,000 charging ports globally and utilizes proprietary, cloud-based software to manage and track charging stations and gather data. Blink has a presence in over 25 countries, including various South American territories, Greece, Belgium and recently entered in UK. Last year, Blink introduced several new charging products at CES, and…

In October 2021, UK-based electric truck manufacturer Tevva made a major breakthrough in the industry by unveiling the first British-designed 7.5 tonne battery electric truck. The company is now beginning the process of mass production and sales of the innovative vehicle in both the UK and Europe. Tevva is the first British company to receive European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval for its 7.5t electric truck, which serves as a major endorsement for the vehicle, allowing for large scale production and sales. This approval came as a result of the truck successfully passing a range of 30 system tests, including…

Sony Honda Mobility, a Sony and Honda joint venture, is already considering a wider production lineup for the Afeela electric car. After launching the first Afeela sedan prototype, Sony Honda Mobility followed up with SUV, second sedan and MPV models. “Not just one model, done. We are thinking about the second and third models. We need a line-up,” said CEO of Sony Honda Mobility Yasuhide Mizuno at the CES 2023 event. After the first sedan starts shipping in spring 2026, Sony Honda Mobility will likely follow up with an SUV, a second sedan, and even an MPV. Sony Honda Mobility…

In 2022, shipments of Audi electric vehicles will increase by around 44 percent compared to 2021. This increase is quite significant considering the global crisis that has occurred. In total, Audi sold more than 1.61 million vehicles last year, which is close to its 2021 sales numbers, despite the headwinds in the supply chain. “The strong numbers for the all-electric models show us that our clear focus on electric mobility is the right path,” says Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. Overall, Audi delivered 118,196 electric models to customers last year,…

As of now, it is not possible to customize a Model Y with 4680 cells on Tesla’s website. However, Tesla has added some all-wheel drive versions of the Model Y with 4680 cells to its online inventory. While Tesla announced its 4680 battery cells a few years ago, CEO Elon Musk had noted that these cells wouldn’t be used in vehicles for some time. Tesla has been producing the cells on a pilot line and working to perfect the manufacturing techniques before incorporating them into cars. While it was initially assumed that the Model Y produced at Giga Texas factory…

J.D. Power, a renowned data analytics and consumer intelligence company, has successfully completed its acquisition of ZappyRide, a leading electric vehicle (EV) data firm that specializes in creating white-label software and tools for various industries including automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), electric utilities, and other environmentally-focused organizations. This acquisition enables J.D. Power to offer a more extensive range of software and services, including strategic planning for EV programs, consumer shopping and cost analysis tools, regional and federal incentive data, and EV program administration resources. The acquisition also allows J.D. Power to leverage ZappyRide’s strengths in both automotive and utilities customer…

In Q1 2023, Leviton will unveil the EV Series Charging Stations, which feature compatibility with the My Leviton app. The new line-up comprises of Level 2 charging stations with capacities of 32, 48, and 80 Amps, capable of charging any electric vehicle on the North American market. With seamless integration into the My Leviton ecosystem, users can manage their entire home – including EV chargers, lighting, and load centers – through a single, convenient app. “We’re really excited about this EVSE launch. Not only is it expanding the portfolios for two of Leviton’s key brands, but it is also providing…

Hyundai Mobis, the division of the Korean car brand responsible for spare parts and autonomous driving technology, showcased a revolutionary in-wheel module at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The module, called e-Corner, is designed to be fitted on a wide range of plug-in vehicles and contains an electric motor, electric damper, brake by wire, and steer by wire, making it a compact and convenient solution for engineers. At the CES, the e-Corner module was demonstrated on a prototype Ioniq 5 electric vehicle, where it was fitted on all four corners of the car. The demonstration showcased…

VinFast, Vietnam’s electric vehicle manufacturer, has announced that it will be delaying the delivery of its first batch of cars to the US from December to January due to the holiday season in the country. The company stated that it is currently signing sales contracts with customers and will be delivering the VF8 models to them in January according to their needs. The VF8 and VF9 electric vehicles made their debut at the LA Auto Show in 2021, and VinFast has committed to ending the production of gas-powered models in the near future. The company delivered its first locally produced…