Author: Harding Greenwood

Italian fast-charging station manufacturer Alpitronic has officially launched its US headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking a pivotal step in the company’s North American expansion strategy. Celebrations accompanied the operational launch as Alpitronic reaffirms its $9.3 million investment plan, with the ambitious goal of creating up to 300 jobs in the United States. The new headquarters spans over 6,000 square meters and includes advanced facilities such as a diagnostics lab, a repair center, a spare parts warehouse, and a training center to support its growing presence in the region. Philipp Senoner, CEO of Alpitronic, expressed the company’s excitement about the…

Mercedes-Benz announced plans to upgrade its cars equipped with the DRIVE PILOT automated driving system, enabling them to drive autonomously at speeds of up to 95 kilometers per hour on German motorways under certain conditions. Pending certification by Germany’s motor transport authority, expected by the end of 2024, the new system will be available for sale starting next year. This Level 3 autonomous system will allow the vehicle to take over driving when another car is in front and visibility is clear, giving drivers the freedom to remove their hands from the wheel, though they must remain ready to take…

Horace Luke, CEO of Taiwanese electric scooter maker Gogoro, has stepped down amid ongoing financial difficulties and allegations of subsidy fraud involving the use of Chinese-made components instead of locally sourced parts. The company has faced mounting losses, with second-quarter figures rising from US$5.6 million last year to US$20.1 million this year, and gross margins dropping from 15.2% to 5.2%, according to the Taipei Times. Gogoro’s board of directors has appointed Tamon Tseng, general counsel of Ruentex Group, as the new chairman. Ruentex Group is the company’s largest shareholder. In an internal email to employees, Luke said, “After much reflection,…

Electric scooter giant NIU has launched two new models just in time for the back-to-school season. The NIU KQi 100P and KQi 100F scooters offer a budget-friendly option for urban commuters, with price tags that are surprisingly low for a company known for its high-quality electric vehicles. The KQi 100P debuts at a competitive $349 MSRP, while the more compact KQi 100F is priced at $449. Both scooters share many of the same core features, including 48V 252 Wh battery packs, 600W peak-rated rear motors, and top speeds of 28 km/h (17.4 mph). They also boast a maximum range of…

Turkish electric vehicle manufacturer Togg has entered the test phase for its second model, the T10F electric saloon, with deliveries expected to commence in April 2025. The T10F, which follows the T10X SUV, was first unveiled as a near-production prototype at CES in Las Vegas in January, where its technical specifications were also revealed. The T10F will be available in three versions: Standard Range RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD. The rear-wheel-drive (RWD) models feature a 160 kW engine, while the all-wheel-drive (AWD) version, equipped with a second engine, offers a combined output of 320 kW. Battery capacities…

Lion Electric, a US commercial electric vehicle manufacturer, announced plans to lay off an additional 300 employees and reduce production in response to rising costs and waning demand. This decision follows a nearly 50% year-on-year decline in revenue for the second quarter of 2024. The company’s ‘Action Plan’ aims “to streamline its operations, further align its cost structure with current demand and improve its liquidity position and ability to reach its profitability goals.” The layoffs, affecting approximately 30% of the workforce across the US and Canada, will impact “all areas of the organization.” The move is expected to save Lion…

Volkswagen-backed US battery startup Forge Nano has started shipping prototypes of its high-energy 21700-format cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells, which feature the company’s ‘Atomic Armor’ surface technology, to existing customers and potential partners. Forge Nano plans to ship thousands of these prototype cells to current customers later this year, representing several gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year of confirmed offtake. Since announcing its large battery factory in North Carolina in November 2023, the company has received letters of intent to purchase a total of 24 GWh per year. The company’s first commercial product, the ‘Gen. 1.1 Supercell,’ boasts an energy density of 300…

Xpeng saw a rise in vehicle deliveries for July, though figures remain significantly lower compared to the end of last year. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer delivered 11,145 vehicles in July, marking a 1.24 percent increase from the same month last year and a 4.47 percent rise from June 2024. This represents the fifth consecutive month of sequential delivery growth for Xpeng, but still falls short of the over 20,000 units delivered monthly during the fourth quarter of 2023. The Xpeng X9 MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) accounted for 1,459 units delivered in July, a decline of 13.52 percent from 1,687 units…

US-based Air Products has announced plans to establish a network of hydrogen refuelling stations across Europe. These stations will be strategically located along major transport corridors near the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The company has not yet disclosed the exact number of planned stations, as this will likely depend on available subsidies. The proposed network aims to support fuel cell trucks and buses, enhancing reliability and convenience for hydrogen-powered heavy-duty transportation. Air Products has already secured subsidies from the EU Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding programme for some existing and planned hydrogen filling stations in Belgium, the Netherlands, and…

General Motors (GM) remains confident in its electric vehicle (EV) investments but acknowledges the need for flexibility to respond to changing consumer demand, according to outgoing executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability, Gerald Johnson. In an interview with Automotive News, Johnson highlighted the importance of agility in the automaker’s strategy. “We’re still confident in those investments, but we do have to be agile enough to time and/or retime some of our startup dates so that we are hitting the market with the right product at the right time frame. The plans that we laid out a year ago,…

EVgo has appointed three former executives from Tesla and General Motors (GM) to key positions, the company announced in a press release last week. Martin Sukul, a former Tesla Lead Architect and Senior Management of Charging Systems, Jeff Inhofer, a former Tesla Mechanical Engineer for Residential Solar, and Alex Keros, the former GM Director of EV Infrastructure Development, have joined the EV charging company. Sukul will serve as Executive Vice President of Engineering at EVgo. Inhofer and Keros have been named Vice President of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and Senior Vice President of Product, respectively. Sukul, who spent over…

John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City is set to launch a pilot program featuring self-driving shuttles, confirmed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Starting mid-July, two autonomous buses manufactured by Ohmio, based in Auckland, New Zealand, will transport passengers within one of the airport’s expansive parking lots throughout the summer. Equipped with advanced cameras, sensors, and GPS trackers enabling autonomous navigation, each shuttle will also include a human safety monitor onboard to ensure passenger reassurance. These monitors, familiar with the area, will accompany the self-driving buses during operations. Operating at Parking Lot 9,…