Author: David Smith

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…

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…