Author: Christopher Harrison

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.…

Rivian has filed a patent for an air-conditioned electric vehicle (EV) charger that aims to tackle one of the biggest hurdles in unlocking faster charging for EVs: battery temperature. As an EV’s battery charges, particularly at high amperages, it begins to heat up. To maintain a safe operating temperature, the charging station reduces its power output to allow the battery to cool. To battle this issue, Rivian’s patented system would allow a charger to heat or cool a battery in conjunction with the vehicle, depending on ambient conditions. The air conditioning system would be built into the charging station and…

Sky, a leading media and entertainment company, has taken a step towards achieving its goal of being net zero carbon by 2030 by purchasing 11 new electric panel vans from Mercedes-Benz. The company selected the latest eVito van with a 66kWH battery and rapid DC charging for its range of 162 miles and versatility. The electric vehicles will be used by engineers to service TV and broadband customers across the UK. Bott, a Leicestershire-based firm, converted all 11 vehicles to include the bespoke racking and telematics systems required by Sky, along with impressive graphic wraps that are recognisable to the…

HiPhi is a brand that pushes the boundaries of what customers can accept. The company made a name for itself with the release of its first electric car, the HiPhi X MPV, which features suicide rear doors and falcon-type roof panels that lift up to ease entry. This bold and futuristic design caught the public’s attention and put HiPhi on the map. The HiPhi X MPV can be described as a Tesla Model X with a split rear door – the top part opens up while the bottom part opens rearwards. This design feature is unique and daring, and it…

Mack Trucks has teamed up with Heliox and Gilbarco Veeder-Root to promote the adoption of battery-electric vehicles (BEV), specifically its LR Electric, which is the company’s first fully electric Class 8 refuse truck. The partnerships with Heliox and Gilbarco Veeder-Root will provide end-to-end support for Mack customers and help them access mobile and fixed chargers. The strategic partnerships offer hardware installation services, on-hand inventory, and support resources focused on charger uptime. The partnerships enable customers to have better access to charging infrastructure upgrades as they make the transition to zero-emissions technology. See also: Mack Trucks starts production of Mack LR…

Tesla has recently updated its mobile app to allow owners to remotely activate climate control features like Dog Mode and Camp Mode when their vehicle has a state of charge (SOC) below 20%. The change was implemented in response to a request made by a Canadian Tesla owner on Twitter in October 2020, asking CEO Elon Musk to lower the threshold from 20% to 15%, or even as low as 5%. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1314113518921289728 Previously, Tesla only allowed owners to use the mobile app to warm up or cool down their cars when the battery was above 20% SOC, as a precaution…

According to the CEO of VinFast, the electric vehicle maker backed by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, there are currently no plans for Vuong to invest any more of his personal fortune into the company. Despite falling behind on its factory construction plans in the U.S. and reducing staff, the company will continue to rely on its existing funding. Vuong, whose net worth is estimated at $4.1 billion, serves as the chairman of Vingroup, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, leisure parks, and a university. VinFast was established by Vuong in 2017 and has since received investments from its owners…

Dachser, a German logistics company, has revealed plans to expand its emission-free delivery services to ten additional European cities by 2025. The company already operates delivery hubs with electric vehicles in major cities such as Berlin, Paris, and Madrid. Dachser aims to add ten more cities to this list over the next four years. In May 2021, the company announced its goal to provide zero-emission deliveries in eleven EU cities by the end of 2022. The company plans to increase this number to 22 cities by 2024, following the successful completion of a pilot project involving twelve cities in less…

Vulcan Energy Resources has revealed the outcome of its definitive feasibility study for the initial stage of its CO2-free lithium project located in the Upper Rhine Graben. The first phase of the project aims to produce 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) annually, a 60% increase from the preliminary feasibility study. This increase is attributed to the discovery of new production sites that will commence operation by 2025. The sites are estimated to generate more than 300 GWh of renewable electricity and over 250 GWh of renewable heat each year, with some of the geothermal heat and electricity potentially…