Author: Harding Greenwood

Fiat has launched a pilot program in Madrid in collaboration with technology firm Ample and mobility provider Free2move to test battery-swapping technology for electric vehicles. The initiative features a dedicated fleet of Fiat 500e models equipped with Ample’s modular battery system, aiming to reduce vehicle downtime by enabling full battery replacement in under five minutes. The project marks an effort to address common barriers to EV adoption, such as long charging times and limited infrastructure. The pilot includes a single battery-swapping station in Madrid, where the integrated system automatically replaces depleted batteries with fully charged units. The fleet is currently…

Vietnam’s largest city has unveiled plans to transition approximately 400,000 ride-hailing motorcycles to electric vehicles (EVs), in a move aimed at reducing air pollution, improving urban mobility, and aligning with the country’s long-term climate goals. The conversion effort will focus on two-wheeler fleets operated by digital platforms such as Grab, Be, ShopeeFood, and Ahamove, which rely heavily on motorcycles to transport passengers and goods across the city’s dense urban landscape. Of these, only Xanh SM currently operates an all-electric two-wheeler fleet. The city has already conducted preliminary studies to identify rest stops and charging points tailored to the needs of…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday it is streamlining the process for reviewing petitions by automakers seeking to deploy self-driving vehicles without traditional human controls such as steering wheels, brake pedals, or mirrors, in an effort to speed up the adoption of autonomous driving technologies. NHTSA currently has the authority to approve up to 2,500 such vehicles per manufacturer each year, but the agency has been criticized for taking years to act on some exemption requests. The new approach is aimed at accelerating decisions and reducing regulatory bottlenecks. “The exemption process has been bogging developers down…

U.S. electric truck manufacturer Xos has teamed up with virtual power plant (VPP) operator Leap to enable commercial fleet operators to monetize their charging infrastructure by participating in California’s grid support programs. The partnership combines Xos’s mobile charging solution with Leap’s software-driven platform to provide flexible energy resources during times of high grid demand. The collaboration integrates Leap’s VPP technology with the Xos Hub, a mobile and battery-integrated charging system designed to accelerate fleet electrification without the cost and delays of permanent infrastructure. The joint offering allows fleet operators to participate in California’s Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) program by…

German energy storage startup Voltfang has raised €15 million in a Series B funding round, just eight months after closing its Series A, as it looks to accelerate the expansion of its production capacity and deploy an additional 250 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage by 2026. The Aachen-based company, founded in 2021 as a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, said the new capital would help scale operations and support its long-term goal of reaching an annual production capacity of 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) by 2030. The startup claims to have tripled output over the past year and is now intensifying efforts at…

Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai Motor Co., will enter four additional European markets — France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands — as it seeks to strengthen its presence with a growing lineup of electric vehicles (EVs), the company said on Friday. The expansion will feature the launch of the GV60 electric SUV, along with the electrified GV70 SUV and G80 luxury sedan, with deliveries targeted to begin in early 2026. Genesis said the move is part of its strategic growth plan as Europe pushes toward a ban on new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. “Our entry into these…

KG Mobility (KGM) has begun exporting its Musso EV and Torres Hybrid models, signaling the start of a broader global push for the South Korean automaker’s electrified lineup. The company held a shipment ceremony on June 12 at Pyeongtaek International Automobile Terminal, where 983 vehicles were loaded for export, including 184 Musso EVs and 799 Torres Hybrids. The vehicles are being shipped to several European markets including Germany, Spain, Hungary, and Norway, with retail sales expected to begin in August. “The Musso EV and Torres Hybrid have already received positive reviews when introduced at new product launch events in Germany,…

Irish energy management firm Eaton and Swiss software company AMP IT have partnered to launch a new electric vehicle (EV) charging model in Switzerland that integrates solar power, energy storage, and intelligent load management. Branded as “Charging-as-a-Service,” the offering is designed for building owners seeking scalable EV infrastructure without high upfront investment. The initiative combines Eaton’s ‘Buildings as a Grid’ concept with AMP IT’s software to optimise local renewable energy use and reduce pressure on the public grid. According to the companies, the solution can increase solar self-consumption by up to 30 percent while enhancing grid stability and lowering energy…

UK-based Aegis Energy has partnered with Estonian platform provider Cloudics to digitally manage its planned network of 30 multi-energy refuelling hubs for commercial vehicles by the end of the decade, the companies said in a joint announcement. The project, backed by €119 million in funding from global investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, aims to support the decarbonisation of the UK’s commercial transport sector. Each hub will offer ultra-rapid EV charging along with hydrogen, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) fuelling, and include facilities tailored to long-haul logistics operations. The first location is scheduled to open in 2026,…

A senior executive at BYD said the ongoing price war in China’s electric vehicle (EV) market is unsustainable, describing the current competitive climate as extreme and damaging to long-term industry health. “It’s not sustainable. This is like very extreme, tough competition,” said BYD executive vice president Stella Li in an interview with Bloomberg News in London. “You have to survive, but this is not healthy.” Li criticized rival automakers for replicating BYD’s vehicle launches and undercutting them on price. “We launch this model today, and two months later our competitors launch a similar model that is bigger but priced 10,000…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng said on Thursday that its newly launched G7 SUV received over 10,000 pre-orders within just 46 minutes after pre-sales opened, signaling strong early demand for the mid-size electric SUV. The G7, officially unveiled at a launch event Wednesday evening, is now available for display at 530 retail locations across 214 cities in China, the company said via its Weibo account. Positioned between Xpeng’s existing G6 and G9 SUVs, the G7’s pre-sale price begins at RMB 235,800 ($32,810). Built on Xpeng’s next-generation 800-volt high-voltage platform, the G7 comes in two variants: Max and Ultra. Both models…

Ford Motor has started assembling high-voltage battery packs at its Cologne plant, marking a significant step in localising production for its all-electric Explorer and Capri models. The move is expected to improve logistics, quality control, and integration with vehicle assembly, the company said on Thursday. The Cologne site, which has produced only electric vehicles since last year, now assembles three battery configurations—52 kWh, 77 kWh, and 79 kWh—for the Explorer and newly launched Capri, both based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. Previously, the battery packs were manufactured by Skoda in the Czech Republic. Ford has converted a former engine factory at…

Austrian battery diagnostics specialist Aviloo is rolling out an upgraded version of its battery health assessment platform, aimed at setting new standards in the second-hand electric vehicle (EV) market. The revised tools, including a faster ‘Flash Test’ and a redesigned battery certificate with real-world benchmarking, will be available starting June 23. The upgrades promise faster results, improved transparency, and greater ease of use. Central to the rollout is a reengineered battery certificate now accompanied by the ‘Aviloo Certified’ seal. Aviloo says the new tools are designed to “instil confidence in used EV transactions” through a more intuitive and independent evaluation…

Kia has begun taking orders in Germany for the PV5 Passenger, its first electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) built on the company’s new PBV platform. With seating for five and up to 400 km of WLTP range, the all-electric model is aimed at both private drivers and commercial customers. The PV5 Passenger is also the first model to use Kia’s next-generation E-GMP.S architecture, an evolution of the E-GMP platform, tailored for scalable electrified vehicle solutions. The German version starts at €38,290, with deliveries expected to begin in November 2025. The PV5 Cargo variant, already available since late May, starts at around…

U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has partnered with charging software provider WeaveGrid to offer smart home charging capabilities to its EV owners by the end of 2025, aiming to cut charging costs and support grid stability. Through the collaboration, Rivian drivers will be able to access WeaveGrid’s energy management software, which shifts EV charging to times when electricity is cleaner and less expensive. The system coordinates with utility grids to enable smart, grid-responsive charging—particularly at home, where over 80% of EV charging takes place. “Working with partners like WeaveGrid across the country will allow us to help customers participate in…

Vietnamese automaker VinFast has introduced its Green GSM electric taxi service in the Philippines, offering zero-emission rides across ten cities and districts within Metro Manila. The initiative marks the company’s fourth market entry following launches in Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia. The new fleet consists exclusively of Nerio Green EVs, the commercial variant of VinFast’s VF e34 subcompact SUV. These vehicles are equipped with 110 kW electric motors and 42 kWh lithium batteries, delivering an estimated range of 285 kilometres per charge. Each unit features the Secure to Safe (S2) system, offering real-time monitoring and AI-based safety functions. Rides can be…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Leapmotor has officially launched operations in Hong Kong, opening its first local store and marking a milestone as its 1,500th store worldwide. Company founder, chairman, and CEO Zhu Jiangming described the Hong Kong entry as both symbolic and strategic. “Although Hong Kong’s annual vehicle market is just 40,000 to 50,000 units, it serves as an international window for our brand and a bridge for global capital to better understand Leapmotor,” Zhu was quoted as saying by local media outlet Jiemian. Market expansion in Hong Kong and Macau will be managed by the company’s mainland China…

Battery manufacturer AESC has commenced production at its new 10 GWh gigafactory in Douai, France, a key milestone in France’s push to bolster domestic electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. The facility will supply lithium-ion batteries for Renault and is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs as operations ramp up. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the official start-of-production ceremony and praised the initiative as central to France’s ecological and industrial transformation. “The inauguration of the AESC gigafactory—launched as part of Choose France in 2021—is the culmination of eight years of determined effort,” Macron said. “This flagship project reflects a uniquely French…

Toyota GAZOO Racing has introduced its GR LH2 Racing Concept, a prototype vehicle powered by liquid hydrogen, at the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The vehicle is being exhibited at the H2 Village, organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, as part of Toyota’s continued efforts to explore alternative propulsion technologies in motorsports. The GR LH2 Racing Concept builds on Toyota’s recent work in hydrogen combustion engine development. This began with the use of gaseous hydrogen in the Japanese Super Taikyu Series in 2021 and later progressed to a liquid hydrogen-powered variant in 2023. Toyota has…

Kodiak Robotics, a provider of autonomous vehicle technology, has delivered two additional driverless trucks to Atlas Energy Solutions, expanding the company’s autonomous fleet to four vehicles. The trucks, equipped with Kodiak’s AI-powered Driver system, have now begun operating in a near-continuous 24/7 service model, pausing only for refueling and maintenance. The deployment forms part of a broader order for 100 trucks placed by Atlas and reflects its ongoing strategy to automate its logistics operations. Since the launch of the autonomous service in December 2024, the fleet has delivered more than 800 loads and logged over 1,600 hours of driverless service…