Author: Floyd Hawkins

Joby Aviation, a developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, said on Friday it plans to participate in the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which allows mature aircraft designs to operate in select markets before receiving full Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. The pilot program, established under a recent Executive Order, seeks to advance the deployment of eVTOLs for passenger transport, cargo delivery, and emergency response by partnering private companies with state, local, and tribal governments. Greg Bowles, Joby Aviation’s Chief Policy Officer, said the company is prepared to demonstrate its technology and operational readiness. “We’ve…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor has revealed additional specifications for its Lafa 5 hatchback following a regulatory filing, ahead of its planned launch in China later this year. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) included the Lafa 5 in its latest catalog of vehicles pending public comment, which will be open from Sept. 11 to 17. Inclusion in the catalog represents the final major regulatory step before a model can be sold in China. The all-electric hatchback, produced at Leapmotor’s Jinhua facility, measures 4,430 mm in length, 1,880 mm in width, and 1,520 mm in height, with a…

LG Energy Solution (LGES) has suspended construction of its battery factory in Georgia after U.S. immigration raids led to the arrest of hundreds of workers at the site and at Hyundai Motor’s nearby electric vehicle plant, the South Korean company said. The raids, conducted last Thursday by nearly 500 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal authorities, resulted in 475 arrests, including more than 300 South Korean nationals. The sweep targeted Hyundai’s U.S. electric vehicle plant, known as HMGMA, and the battery facility it is jointly developing with LGES. LGES had already pushed back the start of…

Volkswagen on Sunday unveiled the ID.CROSS, a concept for a compact electric SUV aimed at bringing more affordable battery-powered vehicles to market, as Europe’s largest carmaker faces pressure from rising competition, weak demand, and global trade tensions. Priced between 28,000 and 30,000 euros ($32,780–$35,121), the ID.CROSS is positioned above the ID.Polo hatchback and joins a wave of new models Volkswagen expects to launch through 2025. “We’ve always faced major challenges,” Chief Executive Oliver Blume told reporters ahead of the Munich auto show. “But we didn’t hold back,” he said, highlighting the group’s plan to bring about 60 new vehicles to…

UK-based EV charging manufacturer Rolec has partnered with Scottish charging funder Connekt to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the country, the companies said on Monday. The collaboration is supported by a multi-million-pound investment from the GF1 Growth Fund. The partnership focuses on the UK’s destination charging sector, including hotels, universities, marinas, and leisure sites, where fewer than 1% of nearly 70,000 potential locations currently have EV chargers installed. By combining Connekt’s funding and advisory services with Rolec’s manufacturing and installation expertise, the companies aim to remove financial barriers for businesses considering EV infrastructure deployment. “By…

Rivian is preparing to roll out Apple’s Car Key functionality to its second-generation R1 vehicles through an upcoming over-the-air (OTA) software update, as the electric vehicle maker looks to expand its digital ecosystem. Apple first introduced Car Key in 2020, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch owners to use their devices as digital car keys. The system uses near-field communication to lock, unlock, and start supported vehicles, and it can operate in Express Mode, enabling access without unlocking the device. Automakers can choose which elements of Car Key to enable, tailoring integration to their own systems. See also: Rivian CEO Says…

The UK government has introduced a £42,000 price cap on its Electric Car Grant (ECG), tightening eligibility rules to ensure subsidies are directed at more affordable zero-emission vehicles. Previously, higher-priced trims could qualify for discounts as long as the entry-level version of the same model was priced below £37,000. The revision, which takes effect immediately, affects models such as Nissan’s Ariya, where the £44,500 Evolve trim will no longer be eligible despite cheaper variants qualifying under the earlier rules. “If a vehicle is part of the same interpolation family as a variant-version that has an RRP below £37,000, then the…

Chinese robotics and home appliance maker Dreame Technology said on Wednesday it is entering the automotive industry, with plans to launch an ultra-luxury pure-electric vehicle in 2027 designed to compete with high-end models such as the Bugatti Veyron. “Today, Dreame officially announces its entry into automotive manufacturing to build the world’s fastest car,” the company said in a statement. It added that the vehicle will leverage Dreame’s proprietary high-performance motors and integrate with users’ smart homes and mobile devices. Dreame has assembled an automotive team of nearly 1,000 people and plans to continue expanding. The company said its decision to…

Volvo has unveiled the all-new XC70 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), built on the company’s new Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) platform. The crossover will be offered in two trims, with prices starting at 299,900 yuan ($41,900) for the two-wheel drive long-range variant and 329,900 yuan ($46,100) for the four-wheel drive ultra-long-range model. The XC70 is available in seven exterior colors, including white, black, two shades of gray, brown, blue, and green. The vehicle measures 4,815 mm long, 1,890 mm wide, and 1,650 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,895 mm. Volvo retains its signature “Thor’s Hammer” LED daytime running lights…

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Berlin (HZB) said they have uncovered a new storage mechanism for sodium-ion batteries that could enable faster charging and more efficient performance, challenging long-held assumptions about battery stability. The study, led by Professor Philipp Adelhelm, found that the co-intercalation of sodium ions and solvent molecules into cathode materials can be both reversible and rapid, offering a pathway for high-rate sodium-ion cells with minimal capacity loss. Traditionally, co-intercalation was considered detrimental to battery function and prone to causing rapid failure. “The process of co-intercalation could be used for developing very efficient and faster-charging batteries. This is…

Tesla has introduced its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in Australia, marking the first time the advanced driver assistance technology is available in a right-hand drive country. The feature, first released in 2020, had previously been limited to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and China. Australian customers can now access the service for AUD 10,100 ($6,560), with new vehicle buyers receiving a 30-day free trial. Tesla will also offer Enhanced Autopilot—covering lane changes, overtaking, automated parking and highway navigation—for AUD 5,100. The rollout will begin with Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with Tesla’s latest Hardware 4 system.…

Tesla said it will begin offering its Cybertruck in South Korea, marking the electric pickup’s first availability outside North America and the automaker’s fourth market overall. The move comes as the U.S. company faces slowing demand for the vehicle at home. The Cybertruck, first unveiled in 2019, has so far only been available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While Tesla initially accepted global reservations, it had not confirmed international launch plans until now. In South Korea, existing reservation holders have been asked to confirm their orders within a week as the company begins converting reservations into finalized purchases.…