Author: David Smith

GM announced that it has started pre-production of the Buick Electra E5, the first Buick-branded Ultium platform-based EV at its factory in Wuhan, China. Developed, customized and built in China, the Buick Electra E5 is a fully electric crossover SUV. GM has already laid out the specifications, but the crossover is expected to enter full production in early 2023, with deliveries to customers in China scheduled for the first half of 2023. “Building on GM’s more than 25 years of expertise in EV development and advanced technology, the Electra E5 will harness the full potential of the Ultium platform to…

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited, has started the process of acquiring the Ford factory in Sanand, India. Tata Motors will take control of all the land and buildings, the vehicle manufacturing plant and the machinery and equipment located therein and all employees. Both parties have decided to proceed with the settlement of the transaction on January 10, 2023. As part of the transaction, all eligible employees of the Ford India Private Limited vehicle manufacturing plant have been offered employment with TPEML with terms, conditions and service benefits similar to those currently available to…

One of the enemies of electrification vehicles is temperature. It is common knowledge that low temperatures can reduce cruising range. However, how big is the impact? Recent studies from Recurrent get the percentage reduction. Tests were carried out on 13 electric cars. They compared the mileage when the car was driving at normal temperatures, in these conditions at 21 degrees Celsius with operating at -1 to -7 degrees Celsius. The 13 cars: Audi e-tron, BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Kona, Jaguar I-Pace, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model S, Model 3 , Model X and…

British conversion specialist Everrati has unveiled a new package that turns the classic Land Rover Defender into an electric car. The electric car conversion package for the Land Rover Defender was introduced alongside the package for the classic Range Rover. Of course, to turn the classic Defender and classic Range Rover into electric cars, consumers must prepare a fairly large pocket. Everrati retails the classic Defender restoration and conversion package starting at £185,000. Meanwhile, for the classic Range Rover, the price tag is more expensive, which is 230,000 pounds sterling. “We are proud to announce our plans for a classic…

General Motors’ electric vehicle department has again been plagued by a problem with the battery system that could start a fire at the Chevrolet Bolt. The 2017-2023 model year Chevy Bolt was recalled due to a potential fire risk, but for a different reason. In this case, the fire risk has nothing to do with the battery due to the fact that the Bolt is an electric vehicle. Surprisingly, the risk of burning actually comes from the seat belts and carpets in the Chevrolet Bolt. Car manufacturers must recall around 140,000 units of the Chevrolet Bolt EV in North America,…

In the midst of the incessant era of electric vehicles, various manufacturers are racing to launch new electric car variants. In addition to passenger electric cars, electric offroad type vehicles that look dashing will soon be launched and sold on the market. The car comes from a Scottish manufacturer, Munro Vehicles. This electric SUV is named Munro MK1, this car is designed and distributed as a 4×4 electric utility vehicle and will be the first paved in the United States. The Munro is a body-on-frame, five-door, five-passenger all-purpose electric SUV. Aluminum body panels are laser cut, shaped, and folded in…

WN VTech has secured a multi-million-pound deal with Lombard, the asset finance division of NatWest Group, enabling the business to support its mission of increasing the number of electric vehicles on roads. The £2m deal will allow WN VTech to fund a fleet of its innovative Mellor Sigma electric demonstration buses, meaning prospective customers will have the opportunity to trial the new electric model and experience the benefits of a more sustainable transport option before choosing to purchase. The zero-emission, battery-electric bus range, which comprises six distinct models between seven- and 12-metres in length, has already proven to be a…

Traditional car shows may be past their prime, but other types of events are gaining traction in the auto industry. Not only talking about the Goodwood Festival of Speed as the CES/Consumer Electronics Show is also gradually becoming more relevant for many automakers. With today’s technology-laden vehicles, it’s no wonder that Las Vegas is now a place to present the latest developments in the automotive sector. For example, Peugeot will be bringing the Inception concept to CES next month, although the French brand won’t be returning to the United States anytime soon. To stir up the hype surrounding its new…

Autonomy, the nation’s largest electric vehicle subscription company, today announced that its service is now available in Austin, Texas. The debut in Texas comes after a successful launch in California earlier this year and a recent expansion into Florida and Washington. Texas, ranked third in EV registrations behind California and Florida, is showing great promise for electrification, with nearly 30,000 new EVs on the road between 2020 and 2021. This growth and natural demand makes Texas a compelling state for Autonomy to expand operations into. About 46% of Texans under age 45 say they are considering purchasing an electric car,…

Hyundai Motor Group has started two pilot delivery service programs using autonomous robots based on its Plug & Drive (PnD) modular platform at a hotel and a residential-commercial complex located in the outskirts of Seoul. The delivery robot consists of a storage unit integrated on top of a PnD driving unit. Alongside the loading box used to deliver items, a connected screen displays information for customers. First shown at CES 2022, the Group’s PnD modular platform is an all-in-one single wheel unit that combines intelligent steering, braking, in-wheel electric drive and suspension hardware, including a steering actuator for 360-degree, holonomic…

Honda recently revealed Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) plans for the upcoming 2023 season, including for the motorcycle and automotive racing series. HRC also announced its plans for major world motorcycle racing championships, such as MotoGP, WorldSBK and WorldSSP. Apart from that, the announcement also revealed that this Japanese automotive manufacturer is also developing an electric motorcycle that will be used for racing. According to Honda managing director and senior executive officer Shinji Aoyama, Honda is pursuing a new mission in the motorsports arena. “Meanwhile, Honda has another important mission to pursue in the field of motorsport. This is the realization…

As usual, at the end of each year Tesla rolls out a new software update known as a “holiday update”. And this time Tesla is bringing a major update by bringing with it Apple Music, Mahjong, and more features. Holiday updates usually bring a few features that are generally more fun than functional. Tesla regularly pushes new features to its electric vehicles via software updates whenever they’re ready, but occasionally bundles them together for larger step-change updates, what people call “holiday updates.” This year, the biggest new feature is the Apple Music app integrated into the vehicle – joining other…

Honda presents an electric version of the small kei car N-Van which will be sold in Japan in 2024. Previously, this vehicle had been sold since 2018 in a petrol engine version and this time it was introduced with a fully electric engine. This electric Honda N-Van is said to be the same model as the petrol engine, the boxed model then has sliding doors on the right and left of the car, as well as seats that can recline equally from the front passenger seat to the rear seats. According to Honda, this electric car can be used for…

Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, has expanded its partnership with Munich-based startup Chargylize. Webfleet EV.connect is an integration of both platforms designed to support businesses as they transition to an electric fleet. Chargylize leverages Webfleet’s telematics data to analyse the current vehicle usage of a business. This, along with information on the available charging infrastructure in the fleet’s service area, enables Webfleet users to request fleet electrification advice from Chargylize, helping them understand how many vehicles in their fleet could be switched with electric models based on their actual driving behaviour. From a list of proposed EVs, users…

VinFast announces the launch of its official U.S. VinFast Community – an online forum for VinFast electric car owners and enthusiasts in the US. To celebrate the new milestone, VinFast organizes a series of VF 8 test drive events for consumers in California from December 8 – 11, prior to the first customer deliveries. An exclusive launch ceremony of the U.S. VinFast Community will take place on December 10, with the participation from 500 anticipated guests who are VinFast reservation holders along with experts and influencers in the automotive and technology field. The Official U.S. VinFast Community is an online…

Elon Musk has reportedly moved as many as 17 senior executives from Tesla, SpaceX, and Boring to work on Twitter, reports CNBC. There are at least 11 senior leaders at Tesla who have been authorized for the job, added CNBC. Elon Musk cut about 70% of Twitter’s workforce of 7,500 in the weeks after he bought the company. Of the more than a dozen senior executives switching roles, there was SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen, and Tesla’s chief information officer, Nagesh Saldi, according to CNBC, which cited internal records and company sources. They are believed to be among some 150 employees…

FREYR Battery  and Nidec Corporation have announced that they have established a downstream joint venture, now called Nidec Energy AS (“Nidec Energy”). The newly established Nidec Energy aims to develop and supply highly competitive, integrated battery energy storage solutions (“BESS”) and products with low environmental impact. Mass production is expected to commence in 2025, with the ambition to manufacture more than 8 GWh per year of battery modules and packs from 2027, and 12 GWh per year by 2030. “The official incorporation of the joint venture with Nidec is a significant milestone in our journey to bring speed, scale, and…

ADS-TEC Energy announced a strategic partnership with sustainable mobility solutions company GP JOULE CONNECT, a leading systems provider for new mobility. As part of the collaboration, GP JOULE CONNECT will be deploying 30 ADS-TEC Energy ChargePost and 10 ChargeBox systems in 2023. Both companies aim to actively drive the expansion of charging infrastructure as well as the transformation of energy systems and jointly plan to build numerous battery storage-based, ultra-fast charging stations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. GP JOULE CONNECT projects, plans, installs and operates e-charging parks as well as charging and energy management services for the real estate…

VinFast and T-Mobile announced an agreement for the Un-carrier to be the exclusive provider of connectivity for VinFast’s smart electric vehicles in North America and Europe. This long-term, multi-million-dollar deal will deliver more personalized in-car experiences and the ability to leverage near real-time telemetry data for more informed and timely maintenance and service decisions. Under the agreement, T-Mobile will provide connectivity for VinFast’s electric vehicles in North America and Europe, including the VF 6, VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9. These vehicles will come with built-in capabilities that power connected services such as remote vehicle services; streaming media and…

The latest electric car from MG has passed a series of safety tests, carried out by Euro NCAP. MG4 managed to get a 5-star rating, which means that the car has a qualified security system and is able to protect passengers when an accident occurs. Testing was carried out in order to test various safety features in MG4. As a result of all tests, Euro NCAP rated 83% adult passenger protection, 80% child protection, 75% pedestrian protection and 78% safety features. During the front crash test there were 2 parts, namely the full front, at 50% the front. With an…