Author: David Smith

Tesla’s latest move in the automotive industry has garnered significant attention and anticipation. Reports indicate that the company has secured an extensive order of interior parts for its highly anticipated Cybertruck, which is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Cybertruck production program is closely watched, as it is expected to have a profound and long-lasting impact on both the electric vehicle (EV) industry and the pickup truck market. Tesla has been diligently working on bringing this innovative electric pickup truck to production, installing advanced manufacturing equipment and even providing glimpses of the production line through rare…

German multinational engineering and technology company Bosch has announced plans to acquire parts of TSI Semiconductors’ business in Roseville, California, and convert the site’s production to silicon carbide (SiC) chips. The move is part of Bosch’s plan to invest more than $1.5bn in the site over the coming years and expand its range of SiC chips globally. The SiC chips are a key component for electrified mobility and enable longer ranges and more efficient charging processes in electric vehicles. According to Bosch, SiC chips have up to 50% less energy loss, and up to 6% more range is possible on…

Porsche and Norsk Hydro are collaborating to reduce the carbon footprint of aluminium in the automotive supply chain. The goal is to achieve a CO2-free supply chain of aluminium supplied to Porsche and its suppliers by 2030. To achieve this, Porsche will use Hydro Reduxa 4.0, a low-carbon primary material produced with renewable energy, to reduce the production of the aluminium used by 60% less CO2 emissions by 2025. Barbara Frenkel, Member of the Executive Board for Procurement at Porsche AG, stated that “Aluminium and materials for battery production play a key role in our sustainability strategy. See also: Evonik…

Motiv Power Systems, a leading provider of electric trucks for medium-duty fleets, is launching the second generation of its innovative vehicles. Building on the previous generation, the new electric trucks will be “engineered to meet today’s fleet needs while embracing the latest EV technology. According to Motiv, the second-generation electric trucks will feature a new motor and battery system. The company worked with Nidec to design and patent a six-phase motor, which is said to offer torque that surpasses that of combustion engine vehicles. The battery system will use LFP batteries, which are capable of reaching a 200-mile range on…

Despite being exclusively available in North America, the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck has surprisingly made several appearances in Europe in recent months. This has naturally sparked speculation about the US EV startup’s intentions to expand to the European market. However, Rivian has not yet made any official announcements regarding its plans in this direction. Interestingly, the number of R1T sightings in Europe has been on the rise, adding fuel to the rumors. Over a year ago, the Rivian R1T was spotted at an airport in Belgium, followed by a sighting in Spain in November 2022, and most recently at…

General Motors (GM) has announced that it will stop production of the Chevrolet Bolt electric model by the end of this year. The Bolt and its larger counterpart, Bolt EUV, have been the company’s main electric vehicle (EV) sales drivers to date. Although GM plans to produce over 70,000 Bolt models this year and sell over 400,000 EVs in North America next year, the company will no longer prioritize the Bolt. Initially positioned to rival the Tesla Model 3, the Bolt had similar pricing and range capabilities. However, a recall last year may have solidified the decision to discontinue the…

Electric vehicles are gaining increasing popularity and becoming more affordable with each passing day. This trend has received a significant boost from the introduction of the MG Comet. However, prudent Indian consumers should be aware that despite its “no-nonsense” approach to modern transportation, this new compact car comes with some real-life limitations. The MG Comet is priced at a modest starting point of INR 798,000 (~US$9,768). Nevertheless, buyers will find its design reminiscent of an AI’s interpretation of the “Fiat 500 but cuboid,” despite MG’s claim that it is aesthetically appealing and Instagram-worthy. This unique design translates into a wheelbase…

Hyundai Motor Group and SK On have announced a joint venture to produce battery cells for electric vehicles in the USA, with a total investment of five billion dollars. The companies will each invest 2.5 billion dollars in a battery cell factory in Bartow County, Georgia, which is set to begin operations in the second half of 2025, with an annual production capacity of 35 GWh. This production capacity will be enough for 300,000 electric cars, which is crucial as Hyundai is currently constructing a new electric car plant, called Megaplant, in Bryan County, Georgia, which will have an annual…

Blink Mobility, an all-electric carsharing subsidiary of Blink Charging, has acquired Envoy Technologies, a company that provides shared electric vehicles as an amenity for real estate developers. The move is expected to create one of the largest all-electric carsharing companies in the United States by combining Blink’s existing EV carsharing service with Envoy’s fleet, which includes all Tesla models, the Rivian R1T, Porsche Taycan, Polestar 2, Audi e-tron, Chevy Bolt, and the Nissan Leaf. Envoy has deployed over 300 electric vehicles at more than 150 multifamily properties and office buildings, as well as installed over 150 charging stations. The company’s…

Mini may soon be building electric cars in North America, specifically in BMW’s Mexican plant in San Luis Potosi, according to a recent media report. While the carmaker has not confirmed the news, the electric crossover from Mini could go into production in the second half of the decade, joining the internal combustion sedans of the 2 and 3 series that are currently produced there. BMW announced plans in February to invest €800 million in its Mexican plant for the integration of all-electric New Class models, but has not named any specific models until now. According to Automotive News, Mini’s…

Siro, a battery joint venture between Farasis Energy and Turkish electric vehicle manufacturer Togg, has commenced series production at its Gemlik site in Turkey. The plant has an annual capacity of 3 GWh and produces battery modules and packs based on Farasis’ technology. Siro plans to increase production capacity to 20 GWh annually by 2031, and will supply customers of Farasis Energy Europe as well as its own customers in the automotive, industrial applications, and stationary storage solutions sectors. According to Farasis, the new plant was completed in just one and a half years, employs 300 people, and covers an…

Volkswagen’s ID.4 now qualifies for the full $7,500 federal subsidy for electric vehicles in the United States, becoming the first foreign manufacturer to make it onto the list of eligible models. The US Treasury Department updated its list of eligible models on April 18, and VW was not initially included. However, the German automaker’s investment of $800 million in local assembly and sourcing in Tennessee paid off, and now all variants of the VW ID.4 assembled in the USA (model year 2023) are eligible for the full federal tax credit. The ID.4 was already the fourth best-selling electric vehicle in…

Spain’s Mondragon University has launched a European research and development project called HEFT, aimed at developing cost-effective and efficient permanent magnet electric drive systems with higher power density for the mass production of next-generation electric vehicles. The project, funded by the European Commission, is worth four million euros and will involve eight partners from Belgium, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK. GKN Automotive will join as an industrial partner to cover the manufacturing process and assembly, ensuring that the final design of the electric drive system meets the industry’s needs and requirements. Other members of the consortium include Magneti Ljubljana,…

Stellantis, the automotive giant behind brands such as Jeep, Dodge, and Peugeot, is taking a bold step in the fight against global warming. The company has announced that it is testing 28 of its engine families to ensure they can run on synthetic fuels, also known as efuels. Stellantis has been testing engine families from as far back as 2014 and plans to continue testing up to 2029. The protocol covers both petrol and diesel powertrains, which could enable combustion-powered vehicle owners to decarbonize their vehicles without having to replace them with an electric vehicle or upgrade the fuel system.…

Volkswagen and the Canadian government announced on Friday a joint investment of over C$20 billion ($14.8 billion) in a battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario. This marks the biggest-ever investment in Canada’s electric-vehicle supply chain. Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is committing up to C$7 billion to build the plant. Canada’s federal government will provide up to C$13.2 billion in manufacturing tax credits through 2032, matching the production subsidies offered by the U.S Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of $35 per kWh. The Canadian government will also provide a C$700 million grant. Ontario’s provincial government will provide C$500 million in direct investment…

Audi is preparing to launch its next-generation A8 model in 2024, which is set to become the company’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) and overall vehicle. The release of the A8 EV is a key part of Audi’s transition to an all-electric future, offering unparalleled range and performance. According to Autocar, the A8 EV will use the largest version of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, which has been co-developed by Porsche and Audi. The platform will also power the upcoming Porsche Macan EV and the new Q6 e-tron, which will be the first to showcase the architecture designed for…

Swiss eMobility specialist Designwerk has announced that it will be using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells in its electric trucks from next year. The company has also revealed details about the LFP battery and the vehicle in which it will be installed. The LFP cells, with an energy density of 141 Wh/kg, will be used in Designwerk batteries with a capacity of 170 kWh of energy from the beginning of 2024. This battery system will power the High Cab Semi Lowliner 4x2T, which can carry up to 15% more volume capacity or a third level of cage pallets for…

Aral, the German oil company now owned by BP, is investing up to 100 million euros to double its ultra-rapid charge points from 1,500 to 3,000 by the end of this year. The company aims to expand to over 5,000 charge points in the medium-term, and it has already registered one million charging processes at its columns. Alexander Junge, Aral Board Member for Electromobility, states, “With our expansion targets for this year, we are well on the way to achieving our medium-term goal.” The company will also focus on fast chargers with up to 300 kW and install charging stations…

Tesla  recently released its business figures for the first quarter of 2023, revealing a decrease in revenue by $1 billion compared to Q4 2022 but an increase of 24% compared to Q1 2022. The company generated $23.33 billion in revenues, with $19.96 billion coming from the automotive division. The GAAP net income for Q1 was $2.51 billion, while the adjusted earnings per share reached 85 cents. The lower revenue was attributed to the worldwide price cuts implemented by the company, which led to an increase in demand but less money per car. However, Tesla’s profitability increased considerably despite the lower…

ABB E-Mobility has announced an investment in London-based “deep-tech startup” Switch EV, to unlock integrated charging experiences. The partnership plans to combine the Switch system with ABB’s own hardware solutions to fix and restructure the EV charging ecosystem. Both companies believe that an integrated digital solution, starting from the vehicle and the EV charger to the grid, should facilitate new business models and offer a better charging experience for the driver. See also: ABB E-Mobility Secures €326 Million in Final Round of Pre-IPO Private Placement The Switch platform offers “deep insights into the complete charging process” by analysing the harmonised…