Author: Floyd Hawkins

FLO has launched FLO Ultra, a highly advanced charger designed to optimize energy transfer with cutting-edge performance and intelligent design for an unparalleled electric vehicle charging experience. The FLO Ultra is a high-speed electric vehicle charger that boasts maximum energy transfer, future-proof performance, and a smart design. With two powerful charging ports housed in a durable aluminum casing, it can charge most EVs to 80% in just 15 minutes, offering up to 320 kW using dynamic power sharing and up to 500 kW with multiple stations connected. Available from 2024, the Level 3 chargers offer flexible parking solutions for drivers…

Tesla is preparing for a potential launch of its insurance service in Europe by seeking a Legal Counsel to handle its European insurance operations. Tesla established its insurance branch in Malta in December 2020, but it has yet to offer specific insurance services to European drivers. However, Tesla’s recent job posting for the Legal Counsel role and its recent registration with Companies House to move its European Insurance operations to its London headquarters, located at 109 Devonshire Road, suggests that the automaker is moving closer to launching its insurance service in Europe. See also: BYD Plans Acquisition of Seized Insurer…

European materials technology and recycling group Umicore has signed a long-term supply agreement with Finnish state mining firm Terrafame for nickel sulphate. The agreement will see Terrafame providing a significant portion of Umicore’s nickel requirements for its cathode materials plant in Nysa, Poland. The details of the purchase quantities, contract period, or order value have not been disclosed. Umicore selected Terrafame as its nickel supplier due to the Finnish company’s low carbon footprint in its nickel sulphate manufacturing process, which reduces the carbon footprint of battery-grade nickel by more than 60% compared to the industry average. Umicore CEO Mathias Miedreich…

The Austrian Post has put into service its 3,000th electric vehicle, marking the beginning of the implementation of “Green Vienna.” The latest addition to the yellow-green electric fleet is stationed in Vienna, where the Post aims to deliver completely CO2-free by 2025. By spring, the Post will deliver all letters, advertisements, printed media, and small packages in Vienna without emissions. The Post is investing around 20 million euros to replace its conventional vehicles with new electric vehicles and to expand the charging stations in its logistics locations in Vienna. See also: Canada Post plans to convert its fleet to all-electric…

Volvo Cars announced its January sales results, with a total of 48,520 cars sold, a 2% increase from the same month in the previous year. The Swedish automaker saw a significant rise in sales for its Recharge line of electric and hybrid vehicles, with a 31% YoY increase and accounting for 40.7% of all Volvo sales globally. The fully electric models alone represented 16.2% of the total sales. Europe had the strongest sales growth, with 21,436 cars sold, a 14.7% increase from January 2022. The UK, Italy, and Belgium were among the leading markets. Recharge models made up 59.8% of…

In 2022, Rivian marked its first full year of production and achieved remarkable results. As per a video shared by the company’s VP of Manufacturing Tim Fallon, Rivian produced 25,051 electric vehicles, with 24,337 being “factory gated” and 20,332 delivered to customers. The company’s manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois runs two shifts and has already reached a daily production record of 200 vehicles. If this rate were to be maintained throughout the year, Rivian’s annual production would exceed 70,000 vehicles. In 2023, the company plans to add a night shift to further increase production of its electric vehicles including the…

NIO  has launched European deliveries of the EL7, previously known as the ES7 in China. The name was changed due to a lawsuit with Audi just prior to its launch. The first local customers in the Netherlands received the EL7 on January 31, according to a post by the General Manager of NIO Netherlands on the company’s mobile app. The delivery took place at NIO Space Mobile, near the Zandvoort race track. Kees, one of the first to receive a NIO delivery, chose the brand for a new experience and future access to more options through a subscription model, as…

General Motors (GM), one of the Big Three automakers, has made a historic move in securing a $650 million investment in lithium development. GM will be working with Lithium Americas to develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, which is the largest source of lithium in the US and the third largest globally. As the automotive industry shifts towards electric vehicles (EVs), the demand for battery materials will continue to rise, and the development of lithium mines will become critical for automakers. This massive investment by GM makes it the largest investor in Lithium Americas and positions the automaker as…

BAK Battery, a Chinese battery manufacturer, is set to construct a factory for cylindrical cell production with an annual capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours. The facility, which will also include a research and development center, will receive an investment of 13 billion yuan (approximately 1.8 billion euros). The complex will occupy a 300,000 square meter area in the city of Changzhou, Jiangsu province, however, a timeline for construction has not been disclosed yet. See also: CATL to supply BMW with EVs cylindrical battery cells from 2025 The cylindrical cells that will be produced at the facility are currently unknown. In 2021,…

Avis Budget Group and EverCharge have teamed up to bring a large number of EV charging stations to George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas. The stations will cater to the fleet of EVs and PHEVs offered by Avis and Budget for rental at the airport. EverCharge’s patented SmartPower technology will be used to manage and control the electric loads, ensuring optimal charging for each vehicle and allowing for more stations to be installed without straining the energy grid. See also: EverCharge Unveils COVE, Its First Single-Family Home Charging Solution The Houston airport partnership serves as a model for fleet…

GMC announced that production of the 2024 Hummer EV SUV started Monday, and customers will receive deliveries by end of Q1. The automaker announced the start of production during a GMC business update event, where the Hummer EV was described as the “most sought-after vehicle in the world”. The Hummer EV was first introduced in 2020 as a truck and later that year, an SUV version was revealed. The truck version began production later in 2020 and the first unit was delivered by GM just before the end of 2021. Both the truck and SUV versions have seen strong demand,…

Audi is planning to launch a new all-electric 4×4 SUV, aimed at competing with the Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, according to a recent report. The upcoming vehicle will feature a boxy design and will be built on the same ladder platform that is being used for the revival of the Scout brand. As reported by Autocar, Audi executives are close to giving the green light for this new project, which will be separate from the Activesphere concept. The company’s Head of Design, Marc Lichte, has confirmed that the new SUV will not be built on the Porsche…