Author: David Smith

BrightDrop is expanding its operations internationally by manufacturing electric vans in Canada. The company also announced production of its BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric delivery van has started at GM’s CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, making it Canada’s first large-scale EV factory. BrightDrop is also presenting its first launch customer in Canada: DHL Express Canada. By 2025, the site in Ingersoll is expected to be producing 50,000 electric carriers annually. BrightDrop’s parent company GM is converting the factory into an electric vehicle factory in early 2021, with an investment of nearly $800 million. The Ingersoll plant is GM’s first Canadian electric…

BMW recently started production of the hydrogen-powered BMW iX5 SUV in Munich, Germany. The initial version of the SUV will be used for testing and demonstration purposes from next spring, and will not be available for sale. Based on the X5 SUV, BMW is adding a new “floor” to the SUV to house the vehicle’s hydrogen tanks, which will be located under the SUV’s center tunnel and rear seats. These hydrogen tanks have a total capacity of about 16 pounds and provide a fuel cell stack located under the hood, which is paired with the electric motor and battery at…

Ford CEO Jim Farley confirmed that 1,920 of 2,968 Ford US dealers (~65%) agreed to become Model e certified dealers and starting in 2023, those dealers will enjoy exclusive perks to continue selling fully electric cars. That still leaves about a third of its dealer network without the ability to sell one fully electric Ford vehicle from January 1, 2024 to at least January 1, 2027. The news comes at a time when many dealers and officials are opposing the program. The Model e certification program comes in two levels of commitment. https://twitter.com/jimfarley98/status/1599901881329160192 The first, Model e Certified, whereby each…

Mercedes-Benz and Robert Bosch have received approval for fully automated parking software that will allow cars to drive themselves to pre-reserved parking spaces in Stuttgart Airport car parks. The software relies on communicating with sensors at parking locations to detect obstacles in its path and is currently only approved by Germany’s KBA transport authority for use in one parking lot at Stuttgart Airport equipped with the technology, Bosch said in a statement. statement. Mercedes-Benz says that the feature will be available to Mercedes customers who have an S Class or EQS produced from July 2022 onwards. The two companies received…

Jaguar TCS Racing unveiled the I-Type 6 that will be used for the 2023 season of ABB FIA Formula E. Jaguar calls the I-Type 6 “the most advanced and efficient all-electric Jaguar race car ever”. The Jaguar I-Type 6 will make its racing debut in January. This is a Gen3 Formula E race car with front and rear powertrains. The front motor-generator provides 250 kW of regeneration, while the rear unit provides 350 kW for a total of 600 kW. That’s more than twice the regenerative capability of the Gen2 cars and eliminates the need for conventional rear brakes. In…

The Tesla Model 3 is reportedly undergoing a major overhaul by Tesla. The Model 3 transformation project is codenamed ”Project Highland” and will be released at the end of next year. Tesla revealed, the main focus of this redesign is to reduce the number of components and complexity in the Model 3’s interior while focusing on the features that Tesla buyers value, including its appearance. The overhaul of the EV sedan may also include some changes to the exterior performance and powertrain of the Model 3. The new Model 3 will begin production at Tesla’s Shanghai plant and the company’s…

Two industry giants, Airbus and Renault, have announced a partnership to develop the next generation of batteries for electric vehicles and aircraft. Engineering teams from Airbus and Renault will join forces to develop technologies related to energy storage, which is one of the main obstacles to the development of long-range electric vehicles, Airbus said in a statement. “For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft”, said Gilles Le Borgne, Renault’s EVP for engineering. “Aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption,…

The Yutong E-11 electric bus has a design that attracts the attention of the global community. This can be seen from its simple boxed appearance but has a modern and futuristic impression. The E-Shape style full matrix LED headlights not only make it elegant but also help to provide broad visibility lighting as a metropolitan city electric bus coupled with projector LED lights. The Yutong E-11 electric bus has overall dimensions of 11,200 mm in length, 2,550 mm in width and 3,290 mm in height and a wheelbase of around 5,000 mm and a turning radius of approximately 20 m.…

BAIC and Huawei have teamed up to make electric vehicles under the BAIC brand. Huawei is taking on driver assistance technology and infotainment and it looks like this partnership will spawn another automotive brand. According to a report from IT Home, the two companies will again collaborate with Huawei to take on distribution responsibilities. The new brand will be available exclusively through Huawei’s network of showrooms. Huawei will be in charge of technology through the Huawei DriveONE platform while BAIC will supply manufacturing. The platform used is called Jihu and is the same platform used on the Wenje and Jihu…

The Italian manufacturer known for its rally cars, Lancia, has finally been reborn. Acquired by Stellantis, Lancia seems to be getting back on its feet after producing only one model, the Ypsilon for years. In preparation for the electrification era, Lancia recently unveiled a brand new logo that takes inspiration from the 1957 Lancia logo. This logo design change also changes Lancia’s future direction towards the electrification era. Lancia itself is rumored to be launching the latest version of Ypsilon in 2024, as well as the latest Aurelia and Delta in 2026 and 2028 respectively. These new models are part…

Hyundai Motor Group recently signed a memorandum of understanding with SK On Co., Ltd to supply electric vehicle batteries in North America. The signing of the MOU took place at the SK Group Head Office in Korea, attended by Heung-soo Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Future Growth Planning Division & EV Division of Hyundai Motor Group and Young-chan Choi, Chief Administrative Officer SK Pada. Through the agreement, SK On will provide electric vehicle batteries to the Group’s US factories after 2025. Further details on the cooperation will be disclosed at a later stage. “Through the EV battery…

FREYR announced the selection and purchase of a site in Coweta County, Georgia for its planned Giga America battery plant. The company selected the Bridgeport Industrial Park site through a rigorous evaluation process based on key operational, logistical, and financial criteria, including the suitability of the site to co-locate modular upstream and downstream projects with the Giga America cell manufacturing facility. FREYR is planning to initiate detailed project engineering of Giga America in the coming months. The initial phase of Giga America is planned to be a cell production module of approximately 34 GWh based on the next-generation of 24M’s…

Ford has revealed the all-new E-Tourneo Custom – the next generation of its Tourneo portfolio of multi-activity vehicles and featuring a state-of-the-art all-electric powertrain. The E-Tourneo Custom raises the bar in the multi-activity vehicle segment, combining a new platform designed for maximum versatility and comfort with a high-efficiency battery-electric drivetrain that can provide a driving range of up to 370 km. This MPV type car is one of four new all-electric Ford Pro models launching in Europe in 2024, Ford targets both personal and business customers, offering spacious accommodation for up to eight passengers. The new model introduces a full…

BasiGo announced $6.6 million in new funding led by Mobility54, the corporate venture capital arm of Toyota Tsusho; Trucks VC, a transportation-focused venture capital fund in Silicon Valley; and Novastar Ventures, a global VC supporting entrepreneurs transforming markets in Africa. The round also includes investment from Moxxie Ventures, My Climate Journey (MCJ), Susquehanna Foundation, Keiki Capital, and OnCapital. The new round brings BaisGo’s total funding in 2022 to $10.9 Million and will enable the company to begin commercial delivery of locally manufactured electric buses and charging infrastructure through the company’s unique Pay-As-You-Drive financing model. “BasiGo is thrilled to have the…

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar officially started last Sunday, November 20, 2022. Qatar wants to host the first carbon neutral World Cup by deploying various electric vehicles. Hyundai is the main sponsor of the 2022 Qatar World Cup by supplying 10 Hyundai Elec City electric buses for the transportation of athletes, staff and coaches. A total of 226 electric cars and 10 Hyundai electric buses for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The Korean manufacturer provides vehicles for referees, FIFA staff and VIPs, namely the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Sonata HEV, Hyundai Tucson HEV, Kona HEV and Genesis G80 EV. KIA…

SENTRY MODE AND DOG MODE Your vehicle and pets can be kept safe by activating Dog Mode and Sentry Mode at the same time. Sentry Mode alarms are silenced if Dog Mode and Sentry Mode are both enabled. Mobile app notifications will still be sent and video footage will still be saved. IMPROVED CHARGING EFFICIENCY During DC fast charging, the thermal system controls have been optimized for each charging station’s power capability, improving both charging and on-route battery preconditioning efficiency. This results in faster charge times and reduced energy costs. RADIO STATION LOGOS3 The Media Player now displays radio station…

Toronto-based autonomous truck startup Waabi has unveiled a self-driving system for commercial vehicles. The launch signifies that Waabi is ready to verify and validate its self-driving system and is open for business. Company founder and chief executive Raquel Urtasun said the system, called Driver Waabi, combines AI-driven navigation with an array of sensors including laser-based lidar, cameras and radar to help orient the trucks. According to Raquel Urtasun, the system can be integrated into vehicles at the factory level without disrupting OEM assembly lines. Urtasun said one of the big advantages of the company’s self-driving system is the high-fidelity simulators…

Nidec, a Japanese maker of electric motors will build an electric motor factory in Mexico with an investment of $715 million, its chief executive said in an interview with the Nikkei newspaper. Construction of the electric motor factory is expected to start during or after the next business year from April. Nidec CEO, Shigenobu Nagamori said his company focuses on making products in a region to be sold in that region. Nidec is known for producing the traction motors used for electric vehicles, known as “e-axles,”. The E-axle is an integration of an integrated motor, decelerator and inverter system that…

Nissan Ariya along with several other electric vehicle models have just been tested by Euro NCAP for the safety aspects of the vehicle. As a result, the Nissan Ariya gets a top five star rating indicating the electric electric SUV does not disappoint and is safe to drive. This bodes well for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance production electric vehicles using the CMF-EV platform such as the Megane E-Tech. Testing was carried out for the Ariya 63 kWh battery version. In terms of Adult Occupant Protection and Child Occupant Protection, the electric SUV earned 86% and 89% respectively. While not the highest…

Sondors had something of a shock when it first announced the Metacycle electric motorcycle in January 2021. The highlights at the time were its promising roads and $5,000 price tag. Since then, though, the ride hasn’t been smooth for Sondors for the Metacycle electric motorcycle. In September 2021, Sondors announced a production delay due to supply chain issues and a shortage of resources. The company pushed the shipping date back to Q4 2021. Sondors made a comeback in June 2022, with news that they had already taken delivery of the early model and would be sending available units to customers…