Author: James Bryant

Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, recently announced that the ride-hailing company is collaborating with car manufacturers to develop vehicles specifically designed for ride-sharing services. Speaking at an event hosted by the Wall Street Journal, Khosrowshahi stated that the company is working on vehicles optimized for urban use, as well as for transporting passengers and making deliveries. He emphasized that these vehicles will have lower top speeds and seating arrangements where passengers can face each other. He also mentioned that, “top speeds that many cars have are not necessary for city driving that’s associated with ride-share. That can reduce the specs and…

California is taking steps to prohibit the operation of older diesel trucks on its roads. A new regulation, which took effect on January 1, 2023, bans any diesel vehicle weighing over 14,000 pounds with an engine model year of 2009 or older from California roads. Implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2008, the rule affects approximately 200,000 trucks and buses, including 70,000 big rigs, according to SFGate. Exemptions will be granted to vehicles that have had their engines replaced with newer 2010 models or vehicles that travel less than 1,000 miles per year. In a recent memo,…

Volvo Trucks has delivered 15 refrigerated electric trucks to Spanish logistics company Grupo Primafrio as part of a joint effort to transition the company’s regional operations to 100% electric. The Volvo FH Electric trucks will be used to collect fruits and vegetables in the Spanish Murcia region and transport them to Germany’s Edeka supermarkets. José Esteban Conesa, President of Grupo Primafrio, highlighted that this was “a joint project that allows us to add value to the supply chain” Edeka, a logistics partner of Grupo Primafrio, helped fund the acquisition of the electric trucks and was present at the handover ceremony.…

Mercedes-Benz has announced the arrival of the all-electric EQE in the Australian market. The car went on sale on January 17th, with prices starting at AU$134,900. Three variants of the EQE have been released for the local market, each with its own unique features and specifications. At the base of the range is the EQE 300, which comes equipped with an 89 kWh battery pack and a rear electric motor that produces 180 kW of power and 550 Nm of torque. According to Mercedes-Benz, the EQE 300 can travel 626 km on a single charge and accelerate from 0-100 km/h…

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road increases, so does the amount of mining and raw material extraction required to support their production. This can have a significant impact on the environment. Redwood Materials, a pioneer in the battery recycling industry, aims to address these issues by creating a closed system for refining and recycling raw materials. According to Redwood’s CEO and founder, JB Straubel, electrifying all modes of transportation is the best way to address sustainability challenges. However, this requires a significant amount of batteries, which can only be sustainably produced through recycling. Straubel notes that…

Izera, a Polish company with plans to produce the country’s first electric vehicles (EVs), has revised its production strategy following a partnership with Chinese automaker Geely. According to recent reports, an Izera-branded EV based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) will enter production in late 2025 at a new factory in Jaworzno, Poland. The state-owned ElectroMobility Poland (EMP), which owns the Izera brand, will invest around €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the factory, set to begin construction in 2024 with the goal of being operational by the end of 2025. The factory will employ 2,400 people and rely heavily on…

Following Tesla’s decision to cut prices across its vehicle lineup by as much as $13,000, consumer interest in the company’s electric vehicles has seen a significant spike. According to data from Edmunds, on-site shopper consideration of Tesla pages more than doubled from 1.9% last week to 4% this week. This has led to the Tesla Model 3 moving up from 47th to 11th on Edmunds’ most-searched vehicle list, while the Model Y moved up a whopping 68 places from 70th to 2nd. Analysts are divided on the reasoning behind Tesla’s price cuts, with some believing it was a move to…

Oil companies are not sitting idly by as the electric vehicle (EV) revolution continues to gain momentum. Instead, they are actively investing in the EV charging market, a field they are already familiar with. For example, Shell recently announced its acquisition of Volta, a company that operates a network of EV charging stations across the United States and Europe. Volta’s current network includes 3,050 destination chargers in 31 states, with an additional 3,400 stations planned for the near future. Shell recently acquired Volta for $169 million, gaining access to satisfied customers and strategic charging station locations in retail parking facilities.…

Ebusco, a Dutch electric bus manufacturer, has secured a new customer in Germany. The public transport company KVS GmbH Saarlouis has awarded Ebusco a tender to supply 20 electric buses. The order includes 15 12-meter solo buses and five 18-meter articulated buses. The vehicles are set to be delivered in early 2024 and will be used in the Saarland region and the city of Saarlouis. The Ebusco 2.2 is a popular model from the manufacturer that is still frequently ordered. They also offer the newer Ebusco 3.0, which is designed to reduce energy consumption and costs through its lightweight construction.…

Leasing company Arval has pre-ordered 10,000 units of the Lightyear 2, a solar car from Dutch start-up Lightyear. This brings the total number of pre-orders for the Lightyear 2 from business partners to over 21,000 vehicles. The Lightyear 2 is set to launch at the end of 2025 in the USA, UK, and EU at a base price of €40,000. However, Lightyear has not disclosed how many private customers have also pre-ordered the vehicle. The reservation by Arval, a subsidiary of French bank BNP Paribas and leasing partner for companies such as Aiways and MG Motor in Germany, represents a…

Italvolt, a cell manufacturer, has partnered with StoreDot, an Israeli battery developer. Under the agreement, Italvolt will have access to StoreDot’s ultra-fast charging technology and manufacturing intellectual property rights through a license. The XFC batteries developed by StoreDot, which feature a silicon-dominant anode, can charge to 86% in just ten minutes and have shown durability through 1,000 fast-charging cycles. EVE Energy, a Chinese manufacturer, plans to begin producing these cells in series starting in 2024. Italvolt plans to produce XFC cells at its factory in Italy, which would be the first such production in Europe. However, the company has not…

The Volvo EX90, a full-electric SUV, made its debut at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Known for its emphasis on safety, the EX90 boasts a range of specific safety features. Scheduled for release in 2024, this article will explore all of the EX90’s safety features in detail. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or considering purchasing an electric vehicle, this article is worth reading to learn about the attention Volvo has paid to safety in the EX90. The greatest strength of the Volvo EX90 electric SUV is its advanced sensor system, providing a complete mapping of the vehicle’s…

ZEVcentric, an EV motorsports company based in California, has accused Tesla of using smaller and less capable brakes on their Model Y Performance vehicle. In a video shared on Twitter, ZEVcentric, a supplier of aftermarket Tesla performance parts, claims to have identified the new parts as being distinct from typical brakes. “It’s a smaller caliper and a smaller rotor which is the same on [the Long Range]. So now you are just paying for the same brakes, just red,” the shop commented. https://twitter.com/ZEVcentric/status/1611943616003600384 Tesla allegedly made changes to the brake system on their Model Y Performance last year, using oversized…

Lucid began 2022 with a setback by reducing its annual production forecast from 20,000 units to 14,000, and then further to 6,000 to 7,000 units. Despite initial challenges, the company ended the year on a positive note. In a recent press release, Lucid announced that it had boosted production by 53% in the fourth quarter, compared to the previous quarter, with 3,493 vehicles produced at its facility in Casa Grande, Arizona. Lucid’s 2022 production ended at 7,180 vehicles, slightly exceeding their revised target of 6,000 to 7,000 units. However, this number is still far below the factory’s capacity of 34,000…

Verge Motorcycle gave an interesting surprise at CES 2023 by presenting the Verge TS electric motorcycle. Has the appearance of a sport bike, rear-wheel drive which is quite unique. Shows a new revolution, a picture of the electric motor of the future. The Verge TS represents the future of motorcycle design. It challenges traditional design principles and conventional ways of thinking with the clear aim of designing the world’s best electric motorcycle from the ground up. Not a bike that looks like yesterday, but a bike that feels like the future. The end result of this thinking is the world’s…

At the Auto Expo 2023 in Greater Noida, Kia India unveiled their EV9 Concept electric SUV for the first time in India. This concept vehicle, powered by battery, will be the flagship model of the company’s electric lineup. The EV9 Concept serves as a preview of Kia’s upcoming electrification strategy, with a focus on sustainability. It is planned to be available for purchase in 2025. The Kia EV9 is a flagship, three-row electric SUV that is expected to have a long driving range of over 540 kilometers per charge, and support fast charging which could add up to 100 kilometers…

Suzuki showcased a concept electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) at India’s biennial auto exhibition on Wednesday. The President of the Japanese car manufacturer stated that the vehicle will be available for launch in 2025. “I’m delighted to unveil the eVX, a concept SUV of our first global strategic EV (electric vehicle). We plan to bring it to market by 2025,” said Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki, speaking at an auto show event on the outskirts of the capital city of New Delhi. According to Maruti Suzuki India, the upcoming mid-sized vehicle named ‘eVX’ will be powered by a 60 kWh…

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) announced plans to convert its fleet of company cars in the Netherlands to electric vehicles by the end of 2026. This follows similar efforts the company made in Belgium, where it began deploying Renault electric trucks for last-mile deliveries, becoming one of the country’s largest fleets of electric trucks. The move is part of CCEP’s commitment to become net zero by 2040 as part of its ‘This is Forward’ sustainability plan, which also includes converting all its cars and vans worldwide to electric or ultra-low-emission vehicles by 2030 when they are not viable. At the end…

Volkswagen’s ultimate goal is a “unified” software and electronics architecture for all VW group vehicles. It will rely on Qualcomm “system on a chip” semiconductors in Europe and North America, and in China will use super-chips developed with Chinese partner Horizon Robotics. “I call our program ‘triple jump’,” Hilgenberg told Reuters at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas. “You do one jump after another.” One of the next important steps in Volkswagen’s plan is the release of the Porsche Macan SUV in 2024, which will feature the company’s new premium software architecture. Volkswagen aims to eventually have a…

On January 8, the first production vehicle of Zeekr’s second model, the Zeekr 009, was officially launched and rolled off the production line at Zeekr’s plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. This marks the beginning of the delivery of the Zeekr 009, according to the company’s announcement today. Zeekr has released two versions of the Zeekr 009 in China: the WE version and the ME version, both of which were officially launched on November 1. The WE version has a starting price of RMB 499,000 ($73,600) and the ME version has a starting price of RMB 588,000. Both models come with…