Author: Joshua Morris

Tesla turned down a $60 million settlement offer in a lawsuit over a 2019 fatal crash involving its Autopilot system before a jury this month handed down a $243 million verdict, according to a court filing. Lawyers for the plaintiffs disclosed the settlement proposal on Monday in federal court in Miami as part of their request for legal fees, arguing Florida law entitles them to recover costs accrued since May 30, when the offer was made. The case centered on an April 2019 accident in which a Tesla Model S using Autopilot struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe on a highway…

German charging solutions provider Wirelane has acquired Ladegrün, adding the green-focused charging operator’s infrastructure to its network in a move that underlines further consolidation in the country’s electric vehicle charging market. The integration will take place gradually, with all existing customer contracts retained and transferred to Wirelane. While the announcement referred to a merger, Wirelane confirmed it had acquired Ladegrün, though financial details were not disclosed. Munich-based Wirelane is best known for its AC charging points and its operator platform WirelaneOS, which offers municipalities, companies, hotels and commercial sites services spanning planning, installation and operations. Ladegrün, founded in 2020 by…

Dubai’s leading paid parking provider Parkin has signed a 10-year agreement with charge&go to install 200 ultra-fast direct current (DC) chargers across the city, the companies said. The rollout is scheduled to begin in October 2025. The network will be located at key residential, retail, and leisure sites to improve accessibility for electric vehicle (EV) owners. In the first phase, 20 stations will be installed in high-traffic areas, with full deployment of all 200 chargers expected within the following 12 months. The service will integrate with Parkin’s mobile app, offering real-time updates and secure in-app payments. “This 10-year partnership with…

Startup Voltfang has officially inaugurated its new factory in Aachen, Germany, which repurposes used electric vehicle (EV) batteries and surplus production cells into stationary battery storage systems. Production at the facility has been running since April. The plant, named “Voltfang Future Fab,” occupies the former halls of insolvent EV manufacturer Next.e.GO. The company aims to reach an annual production of 250 MWh by the end of 2026 and 1 GWh by the end of 2030. The announcement follows a recent €15 million funding round to support production expansion. North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), who attended the opening ceremony,…

U.S. charging network operator ChargePoint (CHPT.N) said it is expanding the reach of its modular Omni Port technology with a new conversion kit, allowing older charging stations to be upgraded without full replacement. The Omni Port, first introduced last year, combines J1772 and NACS connectors in a single plug and maintains compatibility with CCS1 fast charging. The new kit enables station owners to retrofit existing hardware, ensuring broader compatibility as the industry shifts toward the North American Charging Standard (NACS). “As many automakers shift toward the NACS charging port, charging providers need to serve all of their customers – regardless…

Swiss solar aviation pioneer SolarStratos said it has achieved a new altitude record for an all-electric aircraft, reaching 9,521 metres over the Valais Alps, surpassing the previous mark of 9,235 metres set by Solar Impulse in 2016. The flight, carried out on Aug. 12, was piloted by Raphaël Domjan in a SolarStratos HB-SXA plane departing from Sion Airport, the company said in a statement. Powered by a double electric motor delivering 50 kilowatts of continuous output and a peak of 70 kW, the aircraft relied on lithium-ion batteries and 22 square metres of solar cells to sustain the climb. “This…

Nio is preparing to roll out a special edition of its Firefly electric vehicle in China, as production at its Chuzhou plant rebounds following recent upgrades, according to a report by local media outlet AutoPix. The new Firefly variant is expected to launch in September, around the same time Nio formally unveils its third-generation ES8 SUV at its annual Nio Day event. The model will feature a stiffer suspension and a black paint option not currently available, while pricing is expected to remain close to existing versions. “With the completion of production line upgrades at Nio’s factory in Chuzhou, Anhui…

Tesla has integrated Chinese-developed artificial intelligence into its in-car voice assistant for customers in China, according to recently filed documentation, highlighting the automaker’s adaptation to local data laws. The system now uses two large language models: Doubao, developed by ByteDance, for standard voice commands such as navigation and climate control; and DeepSeek Chat, a conversational AI from Beijing-based startup DeepQuest, for more advanced interactive dialogue. Tesla said the integration ensures functionality while complying with Chinese cybersecurity and data localization regulations. The automaker introduced a wake word feature for the system, with the default “Hey, Tesla” but allowing users to create…

Toyota and Mazda said on Thursday they have started field tests of Toyota’s “Sweep Energy Storage System” at Mazda’s plant in Hiroshima, using retired batteries from Toyota electric vehicles. The trial connects Mazda’s main campus power supply system with Toyota’s unit through their respective energy management systems. Mazda said it is the only automaker in Japan operating its own power generation facilities and grid, combining conventional power with solar photovoltaic systems. Neither company disclosed specifications of the storage system under test, including size, capacity or performance. Both confirmed only that the unit uses cells from Toyota’s electrified vehicles. The companies…

Chinese electric truck startup Windrose, which has promoted global expansion plans, is reportedly insolvent, with one senior executive claiming the company is months behind on wage payments and has lost access to proper offices. Kyle Maki, Director of Customer Success and Operations at Windrose, criticised the company in a LinkedIn post, saying the team has been “working out of a caravan for two months” due to a lack of premises. He alleged that wages “have not been paid for three months” and blamed founder and CEO Wen Han for the situation. Maki added that the company is “90 days behind…

Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) market continued to contract in June 2025, with sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—including fully electric and plug-in hybrids—falling 35.2 percent year-over-year to 14,090 units, according to Statistics Canada. This marks the fifth consecutive month of declining EV sales and the second quarter in a row of steep drops. In contrast, overall new vehicle sales in Canada increased 6.2 percent to 177,313 units, leaving ZEVs with just a 7.9 percent market share, down sharply from nearly 20 percent in December 2024. Analysts attributed the downturn to the elimination of federal and provincial purchase incentives earlier this year.…

Kodiak Robotics, a provider of AI-powered autonomous vehicle technology, has integrated NXP Semiconductors’ automotive processors and in-vehicle networking solutions into its autonomous system, aiming to improve the performance, robustness, and reliability of its self-driving trucks. The integration includes NXP’s S32G3 vehicle network processor, S32K3 microcontroller, VR5510 high-voltage power management integrated circuit, and PF53 core supply regulator, all embedded in Kodiak’s Actuation Control Engine (ACE). The ACE is designed to manage vehicle actuation independently from the main autonomous system, allowing Kodiak’s AI system to perform safe fallback maneuvers and bring vehicles to a controlled stop in case of safety-critical failures. Kodiak’s…

Xpeng Motors, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer specializing in AI-powered mobility solutions, will participate in the IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich from September 8 to 14, showcasing its latest technology and European market-focused innovations. Under the theme “AI Transforms the World,” Xpeng will occupy Booth C20 in Hall B1, where it will present its AI Tech Tree ecosystem alongside a lineup of advanced full-electric vehicles. Highlights include the European premiere of the Next Xpeng P7 sports sedan and the debut of the company’s humanoid robot IRON. Other models on display will include the Xpeng X9 MPV, the flagship SUV…

Volkswagen AG has secured €30 million ($35 million) in state aid from the Portuguese government to produce its new ID.1 electric vehicle at the Autoeuropa plant, the company said on Tuesday. The ID.1 is expected to start at approximately €20,000 ($22,000), making it the smallest and most affordable EV in Volkswagen’s lineup. Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer described the ID.1 as “the last piece of the puzzle” in the company’s expansion into entry-level electric vehicles. The model follows the unveiling of the ID.EVERY1 concept in September, which previewed a €20,000 electric Volkswagen. Thomas Hegel Gunther, president of Autoeuropa, confirmed that…

ast-charging hubs for electric vehicles (EVs) in Los Angeles County have been found to emit levels of fine particulate matter twice as high as surrounding urban areas, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. The research, published in the paper ‘Fine particulate matter emissions from electric vehicle fast charging stations’, analyzed filter samples from 50 DC fast charging stations across 47 cities. Daily PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 39.0 micrograms per cubic meter, significantly higher than urban sites without fast chargers, which showed concentrations of 3.6 to 12.4 micrograms per cubic meter. PM2.5…

Ford and SK On’s battery joint venture, BlueOval SK, has officially started production at its first plant in Glendale, Kentucky, marking a key step in the U.S. automaker’s push into domestic battery manufacturing. The facility will supply NMC batteries for the Ford F-150 Lightning and, later this year, the E-Transit electric van. “We are proud to be producing batteries at our Kentucky 1 plant that will power the next generation of electric vehicles,” BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams said, describing the start of production as a milestone for the company’s position in the EV battery market. https://twitter.com/BlueOval_SK/status/1957887799811797010 The Glendale site…

Nio said it will release unaudited second-quarter financial results before U.S. markets open on September 2, followed by an earnings call later the same day. The company delivered 72,056 vehicles in the quarter, meeting its forecast of 72,000 to 75,000 units. That marked a 25.6% increase from a year earlier and a 71.2% rise compared with the first quarter. Nio’s main brand delivered 47,132 vehicles, down 17.9% year-on-year but up 72.6% from the prior quarter. Its Onvo sub-brand delivered 17,081 vehicles, a 15.6% increase from the first quarter, while Firefly contributed 7,843 units after launching its first model, the Firefly…

Nissan Motor said it has entered a partnership with U.S.-based LiCAP Technologies to co-develop production process technology for cathode electrodes used in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). The collaboration will focus on dry electrode technology, which removes the need for drying and solvent recovery compared to conventional solvent-based electrodes, lowering manufacturing costs and reducing environmental impact. However, scaling up to mass production remains a challenge, particularly in achieving high production efficiency. LiCAP’s Activated Dry Electrode® process offers advantages in both efficiency and performance over traditional methods, Nissan said, adding that the partnership marks a step toward accelerating development of ASSB production processes.…

Sofia-based Ampeco and Autel Europe have completed the integration of the latest Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 2.0.1, combining Ampeco’s charging management software with Autel’s MaxiCharger DH480 to enhance electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Europe. The collaboration is designed to give charge point operators (CPOs) advanced tools for building scalable and secure charging networks, with features including high-level cybersecurity, load balancing, and remote management. Autel’s MaxiCharger DH480, a 480 kW DC charging system, is tailored for high-demand locations such as motorways, public hubs, and commercial depots. Ampeco said the protocol supports Level 2 TLS encryption and certificate-based authentication, meeting…

Hamburg has introduced the first HOLON autonomous urban minibus, a barrier-free vehicle designed to carry up to 15 passengers, as part of efforts to advance sustainable and inclusive public transport. Test operations will begin later this summer, with passenger services expected to start in 2026. The vehicle, measuring five meters in length and capable of reaching 60 km/h, will initially undergo technical tests before its autonomous driving functions are gradually implemented. The project is supported under Hamburg’s ALIKE initiative, which is backed by €26 million in funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport. “The HOLON urban marks a new phase…