Author: Harding Greenwood

Genesis, the luxury brand owned by Hyundai Motor Group, is planning to step up its game in the high-performance electric vehicle (EV) market in order to compete with European and American rivals. In a recent interview with Autocar, Mark Choi, the head of Genesis Global Advanced Design, confirmed that the brand would not simply rely on rebranding and reoutfitting models from its parent companies, but instead focus on differentiation to truly compete. According to Choi, the brand’s X concepts released over the past few years will serve as the inspiration for the upcoming high-end performance EVs, with influences already evident…

As the automotive industry becomes increasingly digitized, concerns about cybersecurity are on the rise. In a new report by Omdia, author Hollie Hennessy notes that with the rise of connectivity in cars, the industry now faces increased risk of vulnerability from bad actors. In the past few years, cars have evolved from being a mode of transportation to providing entire experiences. Today, automakers are equipping vehicles with a range of digital tools, including in-car gaming and entertainment, and autonomous navigation and driving capabilities. However, with the rise of digitization comes the increased risk of cyber attacks. “The digitization of the…

BMW is stepping into the future of vehicle production, as it is already manufacturing its next-generation all-electric Neue Klasse (new class) vehicles using advanced virtual computing technology. This week, BMW announced that it has opened the world’s first entirely virtual factory in the NVIDIA Omniverse platform to produce its Neue Klasse EVs. The platform is essentially the closest thing to the real world, using artificial intelligence to allow you to create and operate applications in the metaverse (virtually). The technology, created by NVIDIA, allows BMW to create physically accurate, large-scale demonstrations bringing concepts to life in a new way, or…

Ford Motor Company announced on Friday plans to develop its second electric truck, code-named Project T3, which is set to be produced at the company’s BlueOval City EV mega-campus. Ford is aiming to begin production of Project T3 in 2025, with the truck being touted as a platform for endless innovation and capability. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, described Project T3 as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize America’s truck” and said it would meld “100 years of Ford truck know-how with world-class electric vehicle, software, and aerodynamics talent.” He also said the new truck would be “like the Millennium Falcon…

Lucid Motors, the electric car manufacturer, is set to integrate LG Display’s 30-inch range OLED panels in their upcoming models. According to industry sources, the supply timeline has been delayed due to financial difficulties faced by Lucid. However, LG Display is expected to start producing the panels in the fourth quarter. The OLED panel that Lucid plans to use will be based on a two-stack tandem model, featuring two layers of red, green, and blue emission layers. This technology offers improved picture quality and lower power consumption compared to existing liquid crystal displays. Lucid’s existing electric car models currently use…

Ford is making bold investments in its second-generation new energy vehicles, but at a cost. The automaker has announced that its electric vehicle unit, Model e, will lose around $3 billion more than it makes in 2023. This is on top of the $2.1 billion loss incurred in 2022 and $900 million loss in 2021. Despite this, the losses are being offset by the profitability of its two other divisions, Ford Blue and Ford Pro, which handle its combustion vehicles and commercial vehicles, respectively. While Ford’s electric ambitions have not yet been profitable, the company plans to spend a total…

Ford was forced to suspend production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck for over a month after a vehicle caught fire during a routine quality check. The automaker later revealed that the issue was related to the battery pack’s high voltage, but it did not disclose the root cause. However, the incident had also affected 18 F-150 Lightning trucks that had already been delivered to customers, forcing Ford to recall them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now published the recall notice, identifying the exact cause. The defect occurs when the battery is fully charged or almost…

Mercedes-Benz, one of the world’s leading luxury car manufacturers, is investing heavily in upgrading its production network to make it fit for the new platforms being introduced from 2024. According to a recent report from a German media outlet, the company will start converting its plant in Rastatt this summer to build its first model based on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA). However, the Rastatt plant is not the only one that will be upgraded. Mercedes is also converting plants in Kecskemét, Hungary, and Beijing. Jörg Burzer, Head of Production at Mercedes-Benz, revealed that the carmaker was investing a “three-digit…

Nova Bus, a transit bus manufacturer in North America and a member of the Volvo Group, has secured a contract to supply five LFSe+ electric buses to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). The LFSe+ is a 40-foot long-range battery electric bus model that will be assembled at the Nova Bus facility in Plattsburgh, New York State. These buses will be part of Metro’s Battery-Electric Bus Test and Evaluation program, a critical milestone towards achieving Metro’s zero-emission bus goals. The program aims to phase out Metro’s fleet of over 1,500 buses to a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2045,…

Ouster and Fieldin have joined forces to deploy over 100 autonomy retrofit kits on tractors throughout the United States. This wide-scale project aims to enable autonomous navigation and operation of tractors through the implementation of advanced lidar technology. With several hundred additional sensors expected to be added through 2024, this partnership marks the largest deployment of retrofit autonomy kits for autonomous tractors in the agricultural industry to date. The autonomy kit comes equipped with several capabilities including auto-steering, autonomous spraying, and fully autonomous driver-out functionality. The OS1 sensors from Ouster provide vehicle localization, navigation, and object detection, while Fieldin’s autonomous…

Leonart, a Barcelona-based motorcycle manufacturer, has been producing stylish and unique small-displacement motorcycles since 2004. Their latest addition to the lineup, the Rigger, is an electric motorcycle that showcases the brand’s commitment to creating bikes with a distinctive personality. The Rigger boasts a sleek design that combines refined elegance with rugged durability. It features a 4.5-kilowatt electric motor, which provides instantaneous response and a maximum speed of approximately 60 miles per hour. The motorbike is powered by a high-capacity 72V battery that can cover up to 94 kilometers on a single charge, making it a practical and dependable choice for…

Electra Battery Materials Corporation, a Canadian company formerly known as First Cobalt, has achieved a major breakthrough in its efforts to recover lithium from expired batteries through its proprietary hydrometallurgical process. The company recently completed a black mass recycling trial at its refinery north of Toronto and has successfully recovered lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, and graphite. The successful recovery of lithium in a plant-scale setting validates Electra’s efforts in commissioning its larger refinery complex, and the company has decided to extend its black mass processing and recovery activities through June 2023, beyond its initial target of 75 tonnes. The…