Author: David Smith

A recent incident involving a collision between a semi-trailer and a Rivian R1T has shed light on the potentially exorbitant costs of repairing the rugged electric truck. The owner, seeking repair at a certified shop, was presented with a staggering bill totaling $21,149.16, exceeding the cost of a brand-new Kia Soul. Details surrounding the accident remain unclear, but the damage to the rear quarter of the R1T is substantial, including a broken light housing, a large dent in the bed’s side, a gash in the body’s corner, and a seemingly buckled tailgate. While such repairs can be costly for any…

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently disclosed that the company had software-locked the range of its cheapest Model Y, the Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) variant, and intends to offer an upgrade that could add 40 to 60 more miles of range for $1,500 to $2,000. Tesla has a history of periodically offering vehicles with shorter ranges at lower prices. Rather than manufacturing new vehicles with smaller battery packs, the company opted to utilize the same battery packs capable of higher ranges and software-lock the excess range. The revelation came after Tesla ceased taking orders for the Standard Range…

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has reached a significant milestone in electric truck charging technology by successfully charging a prototype of the eActros 600 at a one-megawatt charging station at the in-house development and testing center in Wörth am Rhein. The eActros 600 was first presented last year. The company has been deeply involved in the development of the new industry-wide MCS charging standard, which is particularly crucial for public charging along major transport routes. Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering, commented on the achievement: “Our developers have implemented the newly defined MCS Standard into the e-truck in record time, achieving…

DHL Freight has launched its first fully electric tractor-trailers from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, signaling a significant step towards more sustainable transport solutions. The eActros 300 vehicles are now operational at the Koblenz and Hagen sites in Germany. The electric trucks are already making an impact on DHL’s operations. The Hagen-based truck is reducing emissions on round trips between the DHL branch and the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel. Meanwhile, the second truck is enabling carbon-free deliveries to customers in the Koblenz area. These eActros 300 trucks, with a maximum weight of 19 metric tons, represent DHL Freight’s inaugural heavy battery electric tractor-trailers…

Zeekr is set to make waves as it targets a valuation of up to $5.13 billion in its upcoming U.S. initial public offering (IPO). This move marks a significant event, being the first major flotation of a China-based company in over two years. Zeekr plans to raise up to $367.5 million by offering 17.5 million American depositary shares (ADSs) priced between $18 and $21 each. The IPO comes at a crucial time, testing investor sentiment towards Chinese companies amidst ongoing tensions between the world’s two largest economies over trade, intellectual property, and the future of Taiwan. In the first quarter…

Volvo’s EX30 small SUV has been honored with the prestigious Red Dot award for Best of the Best Product Design 2024, highlighting its excellence in design and innovation. The Red Dot award recognizes products that excel in design based on four fundamental principles: the quality of function, seduction, use, and responsibility. A jury of 39 experts from around the world selected the EX30 as the winner, giving it a total score of 93 out of 100 in a competitive field. Jim Rowan, CEO at Volvo Cars, expressed pride in the EX30’s achievement, stating, “The Volvo EX30 embodies Volvo Cars’ design…

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Friday the closure of its engineering analysis regarding the loss of rear-view cameras in approximately 158,716 Tesla Model X and Model S vehicles. According to the safety regulator, Tesla’s recall efforts seem to adequately address the risk posed by the rear-view camera failure. NHTSA stated it will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the recall. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) at NHTSA determined that the component responsible for the malfunction has a limited lifespan. Once this lifespan is reached, the component ceases to function. ODI expressed concern, stating, “ODI…

Ford, despite discontinuing the Fiesta hatchback and heading in a similar direction with the Focus, is not adhering strictly to an SUV-only strategy. The automaker is considering smaller non-SUV additions to its electric vehicle (EV) lineup in Europe, although final decisions about future models are pending. After the Focus is discontinued in 2025, the only non-SUV offering in Ford’s lineup will be the Mustang. However, Martin Sander, General Manager of the Ford Model e division in Europe, suggests that this could change. He stated that there is ‘definitely’ room for low-slung models in their future EV lineup, potentially catering to…

Despite Tesla’s announced slowdown in Supercharger installations, automakers aligned with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) show no signs of changing their charging strategies. Ford, General Motors, and other major players in the electric vehicle (EV) market have committed substantial resources to EV development but lacked an extensive public charging network. Tesla’s Supercharger network, with thousands of locations across North America, provided a solution. However, recent developments have cast uncertainty over these plans as Tesla parted ways with key executives responsible for Supercharger development and let go of lower-level charging team employees. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, confirmed a shift in…

Tesla’s Semi was recently spotted in use by Sysco, a major food distributor in the United States. This development marks a notable shift from the program’s previous limited scope, primarily involving internal use and a single major customer, PepsiCo. Despite entering production over a year ago, the Tesla Semi program has been characterized by its constrained rollout. Initial reports in October 2023 indicated that Tesla had produced approximately 70 Semi trucks, primarily for internal use and deployment with PepsiCo, its main customer for the vehicle. Tesla’s plans to scale up production were expected to materialize at its Gigafactory Nevada expansion,…

CATL and Beijing Hyundai have announced an extension of their strategic partnership at Auto China, outlining plans to collaborate on electric vehicle (EV) projects in China. The partnership aims to equip new electric models from Beijing Hyundai with CATL batteries, showcasing a commitment to advancing EV technology and expanding their market presence. The new agreement will see Beijing Hyundai introduce more than ten new models equipped with CATL’s latest battery technology, including “CTP and NP.” CTP, short for “Cell to Pack,” involves inserting battery cells directly into the battery housing without grouping them into modules first. This approach aims to…

British autonomous vehicle startup Wayve has unveiled its latest AI system, LINGO-2, which combines language and visual data to enhance autonomous driving capabilities. This vision-language-action model (VLAM) aims to improve driving behavior and decision-making while providing real-time explanations for its actions. LINGO-2 builds upon the previous LINGO-1 model, released in November 2023, by integrating language with vision capabilities. It processes images from vehicle cameras and road speed rules to provide a continuous commentary on its driving decisions. For example, it can explain why it is slowing down for pedestrians or executing an overtaking maneuver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU3TFv9Zi4I During a recent test in…