Author: Jonathan Collins

Researchers at RWTH Aachen University have reached a critical milestone in their ongoing development of a modular autonomous electric bus that can transition onto a cable car system to glide over traffic congestion. The project, called upBUS, is designed to merge the strengths of electric buses and cable cars into a unified, intermodal transport solution. A key test setup has now been completed by the university’s ‘Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components’ (PEM) department, enabling prototyping work to move into a new phase. The first trial using a so-called “primotype” is planned for August 2025. The upBUS project, backed by €3.2…

China’s CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, has taken a significant step beyond its core business by co-founding a joint venture aimed at developing Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. The new venture, Shanghai Zaofu Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., has a registered capital of 1.3 billion yuan ($180 million) and brings together CATL, fintech giant Ant Group, and mobility platform Hello. The venture, formally registered on June 23, plans to build a fully integrated Level 4 autonomous platform, combining software, intelligent hardware, and data-driven services. Under the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) levels of driving automation, Level 4 autonomy enables vehicles…

BYD has introduced the B13.b electric intercity bus, an upgraded version of its B13 model, featuring the company’s proprietary Blade Battery Chassis and offering a range of up to 700 kilometres on a single charge. The new model made its European debut at the UITP Summit in Hamburg. The B13.b is BYD’s latest zero-emission solution for long-distance passenger transport and follows the B12, which premiered at Busworld Europe in 2023. The bus is based on a cell-to-chassis platform that integrates the LFP battery directly into the vehicle’s structural frame. This design allows for a maximum battery capacity of 560 kWh…

Jeep will open UK orders for its new Compass First Edition in the third quarter of 2025, offering customers a choice between hybrid and fully electric drivetrains as part of the brand’s broader electrification strategy. The Compass First Edition will debut in two configurations: a 145-horsepower e-Hybrid powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine paired with a 21kWh electric motor, and a 213-horsepower all-electric variant with 345 Nm of torque, drawing energy from a 74kWh battery. The battery-electric model supports 160kW DC fast charging, enabling a 20–80% charge in about 30 minutes. A 22kW AC onboard charger will also be available…

Volvo Cars has issued a recall for 14,014 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the United States after discovering a software defect that could result in total loss of braking under certain driving conditions. The recall affects a range of 2020–2026 model year vehicles using software version 3.5.14, which can disable both regenerative and traditional braking systems during extended coasting in energy recovery modes. According to Volvo and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the flaw manifests when a driver coasts downhill for more than 100 seconds in One Pedal Drive mode (used in pure electric models) or…

Estonian energy provider Elektrum Eesti and fuel station operator Olerex have announced a joint initiative to deploy 170 high-power charging stations at 62 locations across Estonia by the end of 2027. The rollout aims to create one of the country’s most extensive and powerful EV charging networks, supported by €1.9 million in EU funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The first wave of deployment is already underway, with rapid charging stations now operational in Paide, Tartu, Rakvere, Võru and Türi. Each site currently hosts two 300 kW charging columns, each equipped with dual CCS connectors, offering the potential to…

China’s BYD has launched a new car carrier, the BYD Xi’an, to support its growing global new energy vehicle (NEV) exports, with a second vessel, the BYD Changsha, scheduled to begin operations later this week. The BYD Xi’an—delivered on June 21 in Yizheng, Jiangsu province—marks the company’s fifth cargo ship and is one of the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel car carriers in operation worldwide. It boasts 9,200 standard vehicle loading spaces, 16 decks, and a service speed of 19 knots. Named after the city of Xi’an, home to one of BYD’s major auto manufacturing hubs, the vessel will…

Volkswagen is preparing a performance variant of its upcoming ID.2 electric vehicle (EV), potentially named the ID.2 R, according to a new leak that outlines ambitious specifications and engineering upgrades for the automaker’s next-generation compact EV lineup. The ID.2 R is expected to debut as a high-performance all-wheel-drive (AWD) model, offering as much as 400 brake horsepower (bhp), a significant step up from the previously rumored 286bhp front-wheel-drive ID.2 GTI variant. Both models are based on Volkswagen’s forthcoming MEB Plus platform, which is set to underpin the ID.2 series targeting the sub-$35,000 market starting in 2026. According to the leak,…

Uber Technologies has begun offering autonomous ride-hailing services in Atlanta in partnership with Waymo, a unit of Alphabet, the companies said on Tuesday, marking their second deployment after Austin, Texas. The service will allow Uber users in Atlanta to book fully autonomous Waymo vehicles through the Uber app across a 65-square-mile (168-square-kilometer) area of the city. The rollout is part of a broader strategy to expand robotaxi offerings as competition intensifies in the self-driving space. “We’re excited to bring this innovative experience to Atlanta following our successful launch in Austin,” the companies said in a joint statement. “This is just…

China’s BYD, which has already surpassed Tesla in sales across the UK and Europe, is intensifying its push into the region with a bold rollout of new electric and plug-in hybrid models, including its most affordable EV yet, the Dolphin Surf. Launched earlier this month, the Dolphin Surf is a rebadged version of BYD’s Seagull city car, priced from £18,650 ($25,000) in the UK. The model enters a highly competitive entry-level segment dominated by cars like the Dacia Spring, which starts at £14,995. At a UK launch event, BYD’s special advisor for Europe, Alfredo Altavilla, emphasized the scale of the…

Spy images of Onvo’s upcoming L80 model have surfaced online in China, offering an early glimpse of the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s third model as it gears up for a fourth-quarter debut. The heavily camouflaged SUV appears slightly smaller than the flagship L90, which was officially unveiled at the Shanghai auto show in April and is slated for release in the third quarter. According to Chinese auto publication Auto Home, the L80 will be a large five-seat SUV developed for family use and built on Nio’s advanced NT 3.0 platform. Design cues for the L80 suggest a close resemblance to…

Samsung plans to launch its commercial solid-state batteries in 2027, aiming to compete directly with Toyota and CATL by integrating breakthrough manufacturing techniques designed to significantly reduce costs, the South Korean tech conglomerate said. The company has adopted a dry electrode production method similar to the one Tesla has promoted for its 4680 batteries. This method eliminates the need for energy-intensive solvent-based coating and drying processes, potentially halving production costs, a critical barrier to scaling solid-state battery technology for electric vehicles. Samsung said it has achieved high energy density levels—up to 500 Wh/kg—for its solid-state cells, offering fast charging times…