Author: Derick Munoz

BAIC Group, a major Chinese automobile manufacturer, is ramping up its efforts to catch up with its peers in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. On March 13, BAIC subsidiary Beijing Electric Vehicle Co. (BJEV) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), with the aim of jointly developing power battery products and tapping into the new energy vehicle (NEV) market. Under the agreement, CATL will participate in the vehicle development and production of BAIC-affiliated NEV companies, and provide power battery products and services. The two companies will build a close strategic partnership and cooperate fully…

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a major funding initiative to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen. The $750 million made available through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) first phase of the $1.5 billion plan aims to advance electrolysis technologies, improve manufacturing and recycling capabilities, and accelerate the widespread use of clean hydrogen. Clean hydrogen produced with net-zero carbon emissions is a crucial component of the emerging clean energy economy and a key pillar in reaching President Biden’s goal of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The funding will support research, development, and…

General Motors (GM) is taking a giant leap in revolutionizing the driving experience by collaborating with Microsoft to develop an AI-powered virtual assistant for its future electric vehicles (EVs). The tech giant recently invested billions of dollars in OpenAI, a nonprofit research company behind the popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. With the partnership, GM is looking to add more intelligence to its EVs by integrating ChatGPT’s AI models behind a virtual personal assistant. The advanced assistant is expected to be more capable than the voice command features currently available in cars on the road. According to sources familiar with the product,…

The highly anticipated all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup is back in production after a temporary shutdown due to a potential battery issue. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center resumed production on March 13, 2023, following a safety check and adjustments to the production process. The news was officially announced by Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, who praised the team’s commitment to quality and safety. “This is the engineering standard we aim to deliver consistently,” Farley wrote on social media. https://twitter.com/jimfarley98/status/1635320314199703553 The production pause was triggered by an assembled F-150 Lightning catching fire while charging during a quality inspection in mid-February. The root…

Rivian, the American electric vehicle (EV) maker, is reportedly in talks with Amazon to end the exclusivity clause in their commercial EV van deal. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, unnamed sources said that if successful, Rivian would be able to sell its electric vans to other customers. The discussions are still ongoing, but Amazon confirmed that the exclusivity agreement is still in place. However, an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement that the company has always been open to others benefiting from Rivian’s technology in the long run, as having more EVs on the road is…

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been a hot topic since its unveiling in 2019, and the electric vehicle has been shrouded in mystery since then. However, during Tesla’s recent Investor Day event, a few new details have surfaced about the Cybertruck. Matthew Donegan-Ryan, an investor who attended the event, claims to have spoken with Tesla executives who provided him with several new details about the vehicle. One of the most notable pieces of information is the confirmation of the Cybertruck’s dimensions. According to Donegan-Ryan, the vehicle is approximately 5% smaller than the original prototype, and its exterior dimensions are similar to those…

Renault Trucks has proclaimed that it has attained an impressive market share of 24.2 per cent in the medium- and heavy-duty electric truck sector in Europe for the year 2022. The Volvo Group-owned company sold a total of 379 units of the E-Tech D and E-Tech D Wide models in Europe throughout the previous year, a new release from the company states. The company’s market share figure in Europe is accompanied by a separate sales statistic for France, where Renault Trucks managed to sell as much as 75 per cent of the medium and heavy-duty electric trucks that were sold…

Ford is taking a bold step towards a sustainable future by introducing electric school buses. The automaker is now offering a Type A electric school bus package based on its top-selling E-Transit commercial van, and it is set to change the game for the electric van market. The E-Transit, which was introduced back in 2020 as an all-electric smart workhorse version of its best-selling cargo van, has quickly climbed the sales charts, and Ford has reported a massive 95% control over the electric van market since disclosing E-Transit sales last July. With the E-Transit remaining on top despite several competitors…

Volkswagen Group has reportedly halted its plans to establish battery plants across Europe, as it waits for the EU’s response to the Inflation Reduction Act in the US. The Act could offer the Group up to $10.5 billion in incentives. Volkswagen will now focus on selecting a site for a US battery plant, while it waits to see what sort of conditions and incentives will come into play in what is being called the “EU Green Deal.” Volkswagen Group has doubled down on electrification and has even increased its sales targets for passenger EVs. While other German automakers are at…

Ford has announced that it will increase production of its electric vehicles (EVs) at several of its manufacturing plants in North America. This decision comes as Ford’s EV sales have seen an impressive 68% increase through February, signaling the automaker’s continued commitment to electrification. To meet growing demand, Ford will produce more of its popular EV models, including the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit, at its manufacturing facilities in Cuautitlan (Mexico), Detroit, and Kansas City. In Mexico, Ford has already begun to increase production of the Mustang Mach-E, with changes made to the plant’s operations allowing for a near…

In the world of electric vehicles, range has always been a limiting factor, especially when it comes to electric scooters and motorcycles. To tackle this issue, several manufacturers have turned to battery swapping technology while also developing fast-charging capabilities. One of the pioneers in electric motorcycles, Taiwan-based Kymco, has introduced some intriguing models like the RevoNEX and SuperNEX, which wowed audiences at the EICMA motorcycle show. Kymco also has its own subsidiary called Ionex, dedicated solely to EV projects. One of the latest models to come out of the Ionex project is the i-One electric scooter, a lightweight commuter geared…

The Australian electric vehicle market continues to flourish as Tesla’s Model 3 maintains its position as one of the country’s top-selling electric cars. According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), Tesla sold 2,671 Model 3 vehicles in February 2023, making it the leading electric vehicle in sales. Despite tough competition from the likes of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hi-Lux, the Model 3 was the third highest-selling car in Australia last month, with 5,598 cars sold year-to-date. FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber praised the overall increase in vehicle sales, especially given the ongoing supply chain constraints, stating that…