Author: Jonathan Collins

Kiepe Electric said on Friday it will showcase new drive and platform solutions for electric buses at Busworld Europe 2025 in Brussels, including its latest-generation traction inverter, a modular high-power platform and a trolleybus conversion package. The new Kiepe Traction Inverter (KTI), already in use with Turkish manufacturer BMC, will feature in the debut of the “PROCITY+ EV” series. The 12-metre PROCITY+ model, developed with Dresden-based motor specialist VEM, integrates the KTI with an energy control unit and electric motor. The vehicle offers up to 490 km of range, charging at up to 400 kW, and strong performance in the…

French startup WAAT has secured €100 million in funding to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in private settings, including residential complexes, social housing and commercial buildings. The financing round drew backing from the sustainable investment fund of DWS Group and from Bpifrance, with existing shareholder RAISE Impact also participating. The company did not disclose individual investment amounts or the updated ownership structure. WAAT, which has posted positive EBITDA for three consecutive years, reported annual revenues of €70 million, according to Le Figaro. The firm aims to operate 250,000 charging points by 2030, and plans to enhance…

Australian miner Fortescue said on Thursday it plans to order between 300 and 400 zero-emission 240-tonne dump trucks from China’s XCMG as part of its updated decarbonisation strategy, complementing an existing fleet deal with Liebherr. The agreement builds on a November 2024 contract between Fortescue and XCMG for more than 100 battery-electric mining machines, including loaders, bulldozers, water trucks and graders, worth around $400 million. Those vehicles are scheduled for delivery by 2030. Fortescue in September 2024 also signed a £2.8 billion contract with Germany’s Liebherr to supply about 360 autonomous dump trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 electric bulldozers.…

Volkswagen will halt vehicle production at its electric car plant in Zwickau during the week after next, the company confirmed to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). The site builds five EV models on its MEB platform, including the VW ID.3, Cupra Born, ID.4, ID.5 and Audi Q4 e-tron. The pause comes as the Zwickau plant faces a period of uncertainty following last year’s “Christmas Peace 2024” wage agreement, which included major model reallocations. Production of the ID.3 and Cupra Born is scheduled to move to Wolfsburg within two to three years, while the ID.4 will be consolidated in Emden. Volkswagen plans…

– Tesla has urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not to weaken existing vehicle emissions standards, setting itself apart from major automakers that have pushed for looser rules. The request comes as President Donald Trump signaled skepticism of climate change in remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, according to media reports. In a letter to the agency, Tesla also asked regulators to preserve the Endangerment Finding, a 2009 legal foundation for many environmental policies including emissions standards. The EPA opened a comment period in August on proposals to roll back such measures. Agency administrator Lee Zeldin has argued that…

Autonomous driving software developer PlusAI has established a Safety and Policy Advisory Council to provide strategic guidance as it targets the commercial rollout of its factory-built autonomous trucks in 2027. The council will focus on safety, operational practices, and regulatory frameworks, aiming to strengthen the company’s preparations for scaling autonomous freight operations. Members include former leaders from the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), and the U.S. Congress. The inaugural group features Andrew Boyle, former ATA chairman and trucking executive; Jeff Denham, former U.S. Congressman and member…

Spotlight Automotive, BMW’s joint venture with Great Wall Motor, has recalled a small number of Mini electric vehicles in China due to battery defects, marking the second such action this year. The recall, announced by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Thursday, affects seven vehicles — four Mini Cooper EVs produced between June 1 and July 16, and three Mini Aceman EVs manufactured between July 9 and August 1. According to the regulator, certain battery cells may contain bipolar plate defects that could trigger excessive self-discharge and, in extreme cases, overheating. Spotlight said it will replace the affected…

Lucid  appears to be successfully increasing production of its Gravity electric SUV, according to new drone footage of its Arizona factory showing a large number of vehicles staged for shipment. The Gravity, Lucid’s first SUV following the luxury Air sedan, targets a more popular vehicle segment in North America. While early reports raised questions about the rollout—one claim suggested only nine units were sold in six months—Lucid quickly dismissed the figure without confirming exact delivery numbers. Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff acknowledged past production challenges during the company’s recent earnings call. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyKKCT5OhvY The drone flyover, conducted on September 22, 2025, shows…

Deliveries from Xiaomi’s electric vehicle unit are expected to accelerate as factory output expands, with the company preparing to shorten waiting times for its models by several weeks. Cailian reported that Xiaomi EV plans to optimize delivery cycles through an upgraded version of its vehicle ordering app. Updated timelines for some models could advance by up to six weeks and in some cases as much as two months, compared with earlier schedules. Xiaomi EV delivered 36,500 vehicles in August, its second consecutive month above 30,000 units, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. The SU7 sedan accounted for…

Ampere’s Cléon plant in Normandy, France, has produced its one-millionth electric motor since 2015 and introduced the 7DL twin motor for the Alpine A390, a five-seat electric sport fastback scheduled for release in late 2025. The milestone highlights the facility’s role in Renault Group’s push for high-performance electric vehicle (EV) technology. The 7DL twin motor, a 250 kW dual-motor system, powers an all-wheel-drive setup with torque vectoring, enabling the Alpine A390 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. The motor complements the 6AM 160 kW front motor and is part of Alpine’s second fully electric model in…

MAN Truck & Bus and ABB E-mobility said they have completed new validation tests of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), including a successful trial that charged a nearly empty 480 kWh truck battery to 90% in 36 minutes. The three-day tests, conducted in Munich, examined system communication, power ripple, safety shutdowns and extended high-current charging. The partners reported that a MAN eTruck charged at nearly 750 kW and 1,000 amps, while emergency tests showed current dropped from 1,000 to zero amps in under three milliseconds. “As we move toward a larger scale deployment of electric trucks, these tests are not…

Aito, the automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres Group, has expanded its flagship M9 SUV lineup with the addition of four-seat variants, offering new configurations alongside the existing five- and six-seat models. The new four-seat M9 was unveiled on Monday evening during Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) fall product launch event. Aito introduced one extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and one battery electric vehicle (BEV) variant, priced from RMB 559,800 ($78,670) and RMB 589,800 respectively. Both share the same exterior styling and core specifications as current models, with the addition of a purple exterior paint option. The M9…