Author: James Bryant

Indian electric two-wheeler start-up Ultraviolette has raised $21 million (about 18 million euros) in a fresh funding round aimed at accelerating research and development and expanding its international footprint, the company said on Wednesday. TDK Ventures, the corporate venture-capital arm of Japanese components manufacturer TDK Corporation, joined the round as a key investor, alongside existing backers including Indian software firm Zoho Corporation and Exor-owned Lingotto. “Our partnership with TDK Ventures fast forwards our efforts, from advanced battery platforms to intelligent vehicle systems,” Ultraviolette CEO and Co-founder Narayan Subramaniam said. “Through this partnership with TDK Ventures, Ultraviolette will continue to innovate…

The Canadian city of Calgary has announced plans to procure 120 electric buses from Volvo subsidiary Nova Bus, as part of its strategy to replace aging diesel buses and reduce emissions. The Nova LFSe+ electric buses will begin delivery in 2027, with the full fleet expected to be operational by the end of 2028. Calgary selected the Nova LFSe+ model for its advanced technical specifications, featuring an Akasol battery pack with a capacity of up to 564 kWh powering a 200 kW electric motor capable of producing 5,200 Nm of torque. The buses are estimated to have a range of…

B2U Storage Solutions, a Los Angeles-based energy storage provider, plans to install four large-scale battery storage facilities in Texas over the next year, using discarded electric vehicle batteries to provide a combined capacity of 100 megawatt-hours (MWh). The first facility is already under construction in Bexar County, near San Antonio, the company said. The new projects build on B2U’s earlier work in California, where the company operates a solar and battery storage system in Lancaster that uses 1,300 battery packs from retired Honda and Nissan electric vehicles, delivering 25 MWh of capacity. Additional smaller sites have since been added in…

Xiaomi’s newly launched YU7 mid-to-large SUV delivered 6,042 units in July, while its SU7 sedan posted 24,410 deliveries, according to the latest industry sales data. The YU7 entered the July statistics just five days after its June 26 debut. On launch day, Xiaomi Auto sold 200,000 units within three minutes and 289,000 within an hour, though its first month’s delivery figure was 6,024 units. The company’s Phase 1 factory, with an annual capacity of 150,000 units, has been in operation for a year, while its Phase 2 facility was completed in mid-June 2025 and is expected to match Phase 1…

Used Tesla vehicles in the U.S. have experienced a significant decline in resale value, bucking the overall trend of rising prices in the used car market. While the average price for used cars increased by 1.22% year-over-year, used Tesla prices dropped by 4.59% during the same period, according to recent market data from Car Gurus. Used Tesla car prices are now down 4.59% year-over-year, compared to the market average being up 1.22%: Make/Model Avg Price Last 30 days Last 90 days Year over Year CarGurus Index $28,039 +0.19% +1.22% +1.22% Tesla $27,814 -1.75% -4.59% -4.59% Tesla’s used car prices began…

Hyundai has further lowered the lease price for its 2025 Ioniq 5 N electric sports car, offering potential customers a savings of $150 per month compared to rates seen just last month. The new lease deal sets the monthly payment at $549 for a 36-month term, with $3,999 due at signing. This price cut follows Hyundai’s recent reductions across its electric vehicle lineup, including the Ioniq 5 SE Standard Range model, which is now available to lease for as low as $179 per month. The Standard Range version offers a driving range of 245 miles, while the Extended Range SE…

Ford Motor has unveiled its new EV Design Center in Long Beach, California, transforming a once-secretive “skunkworks” team into a full-fledged innovation hub focused on building the automaker’s next generation of electric vehicles. The 250,000-square-foot site officially opened on Tuesday and will serve as the company’s main base for EV design and development in Southern California. Originally constructed 95 years ago for production of the Ford Model A and later repurposed for military use during World War II, the facility now anchors Ford’s vision for a more competitive and cost-effective electric lineup. The expanded EV team, which includes engineers and…

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) will commence production at its Iracemápolis plant in Brazil on August 15, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and GWM Chairman Wei Jianjun expected to attend the opening ceremony, Brazilian automotive news outlet AutoIndústria reported on Monday. The first locally assembled model, the Haval H6 SUV, will be unveiled at the event. According to the report, GWM has already activated the factory’s welding and painting lines and hired 530 employees, including 145 administrative staff. The plant, formerly owned by Mercedes-Benz, is expected to begin double-shift operations later this year, employing around 1,000 workers.…

UK-based charge point aggregator Paua has expanded its electric vehicle (EV) charging network through a new partnership with E.on Drive Infrastructure (EDRI), adding 22 locations and 177 high-powered connectors. The integration brings Paua’s total network to over 65,000 connectors, as it continues to focus on supporting commercial fleet electrification. The newly integrated sites feature high-speed chargers and are designed to accommodate a range of fleet vehicle sizes. Paua has introduced a three-tier classification system—small, medium, and large—to help fleet operators identify appropriate charging stations based on vehicle dimensions. The ‘medium vehicle’ category includes models such as Luton vans and 7.5-tonne…

Huawei and Chery have signed a new cooperation agreement to deepen their joint venture Luxeed, marking the start of what the companies call “Phase 2.0” for the electric vehicle brand. The agreement was signed in Shenzhen on Wednesday, with Huawei’s consumer business head Richard Yu and Chery chairman Yin Tongyue in attendance. As part of the expanded collaboration, Luxeed said it will invest more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) and grow its research and development team to 5,000 members to strengthen its position in China’s competitive new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. The company has also established a dedicated NEV…

General Motors (GM) reported its highest-ever monthly U.S. electric vehicle (EV) sales in July, with more than 19,000 units delivered, marking a 115% increase from the same period last year. The Chevrolet Equinox EV accounted for over 8,500 of those sales, recording the strongest monthly performance for a non-Tesla EV in the country. The Equinox EV, with a range of 315 miles, has become a key driver of GM’s recent momentum in the EV market. Its combination of affordability and long range is attracting new buyers, including those switching from other brands. “The first thing for Equinox is the look…

General Motors has revealed images of the Buick Electra Orbit, a concept electric sedan developed by its China Advanced Design Center, as part of an effort to showcase potential styling directions for future Buick electric vehicle models. The Electra Orbit concept takes inspiration from the optimism of the 1950s space age while pushing what GM describes as the creative limits of electric aesthetics. It features a 2+2 seating layout and a cockpit with a futuristic design language, reflecting Buick’s vision of combining brand heritage with modern innovation. The unveiling comes as Buick accelerates its EV strategy in China, the world’s…