Author: Floyd Hawkins

Elon Musk’s recent visit to China has sparked surprise and speculation in India, where his postponed trip was expected to include a firm commitment regarding Tesla’s operations in the country. Musk cited “very heavy Tesla obligations” as the reason for delaying his visit to India, leading to questions about the nature of these obligations. While the specifics of Musk’s obligations were not disclosed, it is believed that discussions with Chinese government officials regarding the rollout of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite were a key focus of his visit to China. This development has left some in India puzzled, with news…

Stellantis, the Netherlands-based automotive giant known for brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroën, and Maserati, announced a 12% decline in revenue for the first quarter of the year. The company attributed this decrease to lower sales and foreign exchange effects, despite maintaining firm net pricing. Shares of Stellantis were down 2% at the market open on Tuesday following the announcement of these results. Chief Financial Officer Natalie Knight explained that year-over-year shipment and net revenue comparisons were challenging due to the company’s transition to a “next-generation product portfolio manufactured on new platforms.” Stellantis has ambitious plans for the year,…

Nio has initiated trial operations of its 150-kWh semi-solid battery pack, with official operations of the ultra-long-range battery pack set to commence in June, the company announced today. The trial operations of the 150-kWh battery pack will be conducted from May 1-31 exclusively for Nio Destination, the company’s destination car rental service, according to a statement posted on the Nio App. Customers renting a Nio vehicle for three days or more during May 1-31 will have the opportunity to experience the 150-kWh battery pack, with availability randomly distributed among different models in various cities. Lucky customers who are assigned a…

Nissan has announced a strategic partnership with the Spanish Acciona Group to handle the distribution of vehicles from the Silence micromobility brand in Europe. The collaboration will see Nissan take over the distribution of Silence’s product portfolio, including the four-wheeled Silence S04 Nanocar light vehicle and electric scooters, in France and Italy starting in June. The partnership will expand to the German market in September. Nissan’s role will extend beyond distribution to include introducing financing, service, and insurance options for Silence vehicles through its dealerships. The move is part of Nissan’s broader strategy to strengthen its competitiveness, tap into new…

SWO Mobil, a subsidiary of Osnabrück’s municipal utility, has chosen Daimler Buses as the supplier for 19 new Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric buses, marking a significant step towards the complete electrification of its fleet. The new eCitaro buses, to be delivered gradually from 2025, will increase the proportion of electric buses in Osnabrück to 94 per cent, making it one of the leading cities in Germany for electric buses, according to Daimler Buses. These twelve-metre-long solo buses feature two axles and three doors, with a capacity to carry up to 69 passengers, 30 of whom can be seated, and 39 standing.…

BMW has announced a substantial investment of $2.8 billion in its plant in Shenyang, China, to prepare for the production of electric cars from its Neue Klasse (New Class) model family. The investment follows the signing of a letter of intent between BMW and the province of Liaoning, where the BMW plants are located. Approximately a year ago, BMW revealed its plans to manufacture the Neue Klasse electric cars in China. The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) in Shenyang will produce a model based on the Neue Klasse from 2026, along with the necessary battery packs featuring large-volume…

Tesla is advancing its ambition to undercut the cost of battery cells supplied by external manufacturers with its proprietary 4680 format, slated to achieve cost parity by the end of 2024. The 4680 cell, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as tabless designs, was unveiled in 2020 with the promise of delivering superior affordability, extended range, and faster charging capabilities. Venturing into cell production marked a significant departure for Tesla, pitting it against industry behemoths like LG, Panasonic, and CATL, which currently serve as Tesla’s primary cell providers. Despite this competitive landscape, Tesla has maintained a cooperative relationship with its suppliers, continuing…

Nikola Motor has unveiled its production and delivery figures for the first quarter of 2024, ahead of its official Q1 financial result presentation. The company produced 43 Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and wholesaled 40 of them during the same period. The delivery numbers are noteworthy, surpassing the total number of deliveries Nikola made in the entire year of 2023. This achievement is particularly significant considering the challenges the company faced, including the legal issues involving former CEO Trevor Milton. Nikola’s CEO, Steve Girsky, expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory, stating, “We are on track for a successful…

In a recent forecast, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts a significant rise in electric car sales in 2024, reaching 17 million compared to 14 million in 2023. This surge, according to the IEA, is driven by various factors, including concerns about climate change, improving technology, and government incentives. However, the IEA also highlights key challenges that could impact future growth, such as affordability and the availability of charging infrastructure. The IEA expects more than one in five cars sold globally to be electric this year, which would have a notable impact on reducing oil demand for road transport. China…

Rivian has introduced a special trade-in discount in celebration of Earth Day, offering $5,000 off for customers who trade select gas vehicles for a new R1T or R1S. In an email sent to prospective customers on Monday, Rivian announced the “Electric Upgrade” offer, which not only provides a $5,000 discount but also includes one year of free charging on the Rivian Adventure Network (RAN). “Today is Earth Day—a time to celebrate the planet we call home and think about ways to preserve it for generations to come,” Rivian wrote in the email. “We want to help you get into a…

Tesla has started rolling out the newest point version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised) software, marked as FSD v12.3.5, to owners as part of the 2024.3.20 software update, following the recent deployment of v12.3.4 earlier this month. This release comes after Tesla officially replaced the term “beta” with “supervised” for its FSD software at the end of last month. The FSD v12 software is a crucial component of Tesla’s autonomous driving strategy, as it shifts to utilizing end-to-end neural network control for functions like steering, acceleration, and braking, which were previously governed by human-written code. This latest update eliminates…

Neta Auto, a subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company Hozon Auto, has officially introduced the Neta L, the latest SUV option in the Chinese EV market. The launch event for the Neta L, currently available only in extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants, was held today, with plans to offer battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants in the future. The Neta L EREV is offered in four variants with starting prices ranging from RMB 129,900 ($18,000) to RMB 159,900. Notably, the lowest-priced version will be officially launched in August, with only the price announced today. Built on Neta’s Shanhai platform, the…