Author: Christopher Harrison

South Korean company SK On, in partnership with EcoPro and GEM, is set to construct a new production plant for precursors for electric car batteries. The plant will be located in Saemangeum, South Korea, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, with an annual capacity of 50,000 tons of precursors. The companies are investing a total of 1.21 trillion South Korean won (about $931 million) in the plant’s construction, which is set to begin this year. While the plant’s initial capacity has not been disclosed, the companies plan to increase its production capacity sequentially. See also:…

Ideanomics has consolidated its charging solutions and services under a new brand called WAVE Charging. This consolidation aims to streamline manufacturing and distribution, resulting in better returns and an even stronger offering for customers. The new brand, WAVE Charging, will offer a comprehensive range of technologies and services, including inductive charging, DC fast chargers, mobile charging solutions, end-to-end infrastructure solutions, and charge management software. With this consolidated offering, customers can access a single touchpoint for their charging needs, making the transition to electric fleets more seamless than ever before. According to Robin Mackie, Chief Operations Officer at Ideanomics, “Consolidating our…

Luxury electric vehicle maker, Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O), is reportedly planning to lay off approximately 18% of its workforce, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo cited by Insider on Tuesday. With around 7,200 employees at the end of last year, the company is expected to communicate the details of the layoffs within the next three days. Lucid, which produces the Air luxury sedan, has recently reported a major drop in orders during the fourth quarter, and forecasted 2023 production to fall well short of analysts’ expectations. This is likely due to a combination of high…

Oxbotica, the British-based autonomous vehicle (AV) software developer, has announced a new strategic collaboration with Google Cloud, marking a significant milestone in the development and deployment of autonomous driving solutions globally. The partnership will combine Google Cloud’s expertise in cloud infrastructure with Oxbotica’s AV software, with the aim of creating scalable, safe, and reliable autonomous driving solutions for any business with transportation in its value chain. The businesses that stand to benefit from this partnership include those in last-mile logistics, light industry, and public transport, among others. Oxbotica plans to use Google Cloud products such as compute, storage, networking, and…

Pony.ai, a self-driving startup, recently announced the departure of its CFO, Lawrence Steyn, who left in early March to join private equity firm American Industrial Partners. The company has confirmed that Wang Haojun, one of its founding members, will take over Steyn’s position. As a seasoned finance executive, Steyn previously held positions at Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan, where he worked with organizations such as General Electric, United Technologies, and Ford, as well as private equity firms like Blackstone and Carlyle. Meanwhile, Wang, who holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California, has played…

Autel has recently opened a new training center in Munich, Germany. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with a range of Autel MaxiChargers, including both AC and DC chargers for electric vehicles, and is designed to help technicians gain a better understanding of Autel’s products through hands-on exercises. The new training center features a showroom and a practical training area where technicians can learn how to install and operate Autel’s EV chargers directly on vehicles. This practical approach is a departure from the traditional training methods of relying solely on Powerpoint slides. See also: Autel’s Expansion into Asia and Australia’s New…

BMW’s new electric sedans, the New Class, are set to feature round cells from Chinese supplier, Eve Energy, with a higher energy density than Tesla’s cells, according to a recent report by German technology news site Golem. The cells, with a format of 4695, are 15mm longer than Tesla’s cells with the same diameter, and are available in two variants with energy densities of 260 and 280 Wh/kg, compared to Tesla’s current 4680 cells, which have an energy density of only 234 Wh/kg. “This would mean up to 19.6% more energy content per kilogram of battery for the BMW round…

Volkswagen’s ID.3 has been making waves in the electric vehicle (EV) world since its world premiere, and now the revised version of the EV is available for order in Germany. The ID.3 Pro with the 58 kWh battery starts at list prices of €39,995, while the ID.3 Pro S with the 77 kWh battery starts at €47,595 for the four-seater model. Pre-sales for the ID.3 in other European countries will begin in April, according to Volkswagen. The new model boasts some improvements, including the introduction of Functions-on-Demand, which allows customers to book software afterwards. However, the prices for these Functions-on-Demand…

China’s lithium prices have taken a sharp tumble this year, falling by 34% in the last four weeks alone. The decline has been driven by a slump in demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the world’s biggest market, which has led to an excess of the metal. Spot lithium carbonate prices assessed by Fastmarkets have dropped to CNY 260,000 ($38,079.06) per tonne this week, less than half the price quoted in November 2021. The falling prices come as China’s EV market faces slowing demand, following a cut in subsidies to the sector this year. In addition, EVs are facing stiff…

California, known for its progressive environmental policies, is on track to have cleaner air than the rest of the United States. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to approve plans that will allow the state to phase out diesel trucks earlier than the rest of the country and introduce stricter emission regulations. According to sources cited by The Washington Post, state regulators have already approved the rules, despite industry protests. The new “waivers” will enable California to enforce environmental regulations that are significantly stricter than those required nationwide. These regulations will include tighter pollution limits on heavy-duty vehicles…

Unico, an EV test solution provider based in Wisconsin, has recently introduced its latest innovation – the Quantum Drive Platform. While the name might evoke thoughts of drive systems, the platform is actually designed to assist companies in developing and validating batteries for electric vehicles. The goal of the platform is to reduce installation costs and operating expenses while simultaneously increasing testing efficiency. The Quantum Drive Platform, according to Unico, enables multiple pack, module, and cell test channels to be used in a single system for “back-to-back” battery testing. Furthermore, the discharge energy generated can be used as the charge…

Italian automaker Maserati is taking a significant step towards electric mobility with the launch of its new GranTurismo Folgore. The luxury car manufacturer has partnered with German supplier Bosch to offer access to the Bosch charging network, which includes approximately 700,000 charging points worldwide, by mid-2023. The Bosch charging network provides access to 450,000 charge points in 30 European countries alone, with the recent agreement explicitly mentioning the Asia-Pacific region. Maserati drivers who register for the service will be able to access charging information via the in-car navigation system or in the app. Bosch has promised to integrate and display…