Author: James Bryant

US electric vehicle maker RIvian plans to cut 5 percent of its workforce because it is seen as growing too fast in some areas, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter and said hundreds of layoffs could be announced in the coming weeks. But layoffs are still in the planning stages and no final decision has been made, the report said. In total, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer has about 14,000 employees. If the report is confirmed, it means that around 700 employees will experience layoffs. Rivian shares were down about 7% in afternoon trading after…

At first glance, the Cupra UrbanRebel looks like a Tesla Model 3. Carrying a sporty and futuristic concept, this Cupra UrbanRebel has a very aggressive body curve. Starting from the curve of the front bumper and tapered side skirts, to the looks of a frightening rear bumper with a set of diffusers in the middle. Not only that, to maximize aerodynamics, a jumbo spoiler is also installed at the rear and looks in harmony with some additional fin accents on the body of this EV car. The exterior appearance of the Cupra UbranRebel is truly urban and futuristic, as evidenced…

Electric vehicle manufacturers from China are now starting to grow more rapidly. Chinese manufacturers are even reportedly starting to dominate the electric car market in Thailand. Great Wall Motor China is reported to have become the most famous electric vehicle manufacturer in the land of the white elephant, GWM is known to have sold more than 2,000 cars to the Thai people, and that’s not all because there are still 3,000 customers who are currently pivoting on electric cars from GWM. See also: Tesla is coming to Thailand market with EVs, batteries, and solar This record is indeed very surprising…

A surprising news came from two automotive companies from South Korea, Hyundai and Kia. The two sister manufacturers are suspected of cheating on emission test results for vehicles sold in Germany and are currently being investigated by local authorities. Authorities searched about 8 properties belonging to Hyundai and Kia located in Germany and Luxembourg. In this investigation, an organizational body named Eurojust which was sent directly by the European Union was also involved in the investigation of the misuse of emission tests by these two manufacturers. A prosecutor from Frankfurt said that the emission test violation involved about 210,000 units…

Tianqi Lithium, a major component supplier of electric vehicle batteries from China, has set the price for its IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange. At the offered price, Tianqi will raise around US$ 1.7 billion which is the largest listing of shares in Hong Kong so far in 2022. This share offering is the first offering with a value of more than US$ 1 billion in Hong Kong this year. This IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange is a secondary listing for Tianqi Lithium. Previously, the company, based in Chengdu, had traded its shares on the Shenzhen stock…

South Korean electric vehicle battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution (LGES) announced its first offtake agreement with a US-based lithium supplier. The agreement between LGES and Compass Minerals, is still non-binding, and makes the electric vehicle battery manufacturer from South Korea to be supplied with lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide starting in 2025. LGES has secured up to 40 percent of the lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide produced by Compass Minerals over a seven year period. The two companies now want to work towards a binding supply contract. It is not clear from the memorandum of understanding when this should be…

Bank of America’s annual study predicts General Motors and Ford Motor Company will be able to outpace Tesla’s electric vehicle sales by 2025. John Murphy, the automotive analyst who led the research, said Tesla’s more than 70 percent market share in electric vehicles (EV) could fall to close to 11 percent in the next three years, due to increased competition from both incumbents and newcomers. Meanwhile, General Motors and Ford Motor Company are expected to approach 15 percent this year with a number of new electric vehicle or EV offerings. “Tesla doesn’t have a complete product portfolio, so there’s a…

Rivian boosts production of electric vehicles in the second quarter by building 4,401 vehicles in the period. This achievement gives electric vehicle makers momentum as they work to address parts and supply chain issues. Rivian produced 4,401 vehicles at its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois and delivered 4,467 vehicles during the same period. This year’s second quarter results were up from 2,553 in the first quarter. This increase in production keeps Rivian on track to produce 25,000 units this year across its three products. RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian, tweeted that production has increased and is keeping the company on…

A software update at Tesla allows vehicles to scan for potholes, damaged pavement, and other defects, Electrek reports. The scan data is used to generate “rough road map data”, and makes the vehicle activate the adaptive suspension to adjust the height for a more comfortable driving experience. Elon Musk tweeted the feature back in 2020 and this seems to be the first step. “This adjustment may occur at various locations, subject to availability, as the vehicle downloads rough road map data generated by Tesla cars,” the release notes state. The road scanning capability only works for Tesla Model S and…

US engine manufacturer Cummins and Japanese construction equipment maker Komatsu have agreed a partnership to develop zero-emission trucks for use in mining operations. As an initial stage, Cummins and Komatsu have now carried out a study on mining transportation vehicles that can run on various future energy sources such as hybrid diesel-electric drives, battery energy and hydrogen fuel cell drives. The first objective of this alliance was to further develop the existing Komatsu concept. Last year, Komatsu and several of its customers from the mining industry established the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas Alliance to promote electrification in the mining sector. Amy…

Onto, a British company with a focus on electric car subscription services, added 600 electric cars from Peugeot to its fleet this month. Orders from Onto consisted of 300 units of e-208 and 300 units of e-2008, respectively. Both models ordered by Onto rely on electric drives commonly used by car brands under Stellantis. Both models use front wheels driven by a 100 kW e-motor supplied by Vitesco. It uses a 50 kWh battery installed as a power store, of which about 45 kWh can be used. For the e-208, the paired battery delivers a range of 225 miles according…

Transdev Canada has announced an order for 30 electric school buses from Lion Electric. The addition of 30 new electric school buses means Transdev Canada electrifies its electric bus fleet by nearly 40% in Quebec. The 30 electric school buses will be operated in Montérégie and Eastern Townships in the spring of 2023. Previously, Transdev Canada has also ordered 27 electric school buses from Lion Electric which are now operational. Lion Electric has grown rapidly in recent years with many orders for electric buses from their customers. Lion Electric has also branched out into electric trucks, which have seen an…