Author: Joshua Morris

LG Energy Solution said it will establish a joint venture with French metal waste specialist Derichebourg to build a battery recycling plant in northern France, marking the South Korean firm’s first recycling partnership in Europe. The plant, located in Bruyères-sur-Oise in the Val-d’Oise region, is scheduled to begin construction in 2026 and enter operations by 2027. It will focus on pre-processing tasks including discharging, dismantling, and shredding battery production waste and used electric vehicle (EV) batteries. See also: LG Energy Solution Withdraws from $8.45 Billion Battery Investment in Indonesia Once fully operational, the facility will be capable of processing over…

Scout Motors, the U.S.-based electric vehicle brand owned by Volkswagen (VW), has appointed Oliver Wollinsky as its new Chief Production Officer (CPO). Wollinsky will lead the company’s manufacturing efforts, including overseeing the completion and ramp-up of its production facility in Blythewood, South Carolina. Additionally, former Bentley executive Jan-Henrik Lafrentz has been hired as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Wollinsky, who previously served as Scout’s Vice President of Production, has a long history in the automotive industry. He was previously the Plant Manager at SAIC Volkswagen, where he played a key role in the construction of manufacturing plants, including Volkswagen Group’s first…

Construction has officially commenced on the second and largest phase of the Fraunhofer Research Fab Battery Cells (FFB Fab) in Münster, Germany, marking a significant step toward industrial-scale battery cell production research. With a total floor space of 20,000 square metres, the expanded facility aims to enable gigawatt-level R&D capacity by the end of 2027. The ground-breaking follows the successful commissioning of the smaller FFB PreFab in April 2024, which offers 6,800 square metres of pilot-scale research space. The new FFB Fab will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the testing and scaling of advanced battery technologies across the value chain,…

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has appointed Aidan Gomez, co-founder and CEO of generative AI firm Cohere, to its board of directors, expanding its leadership as it seeks to deepen its role in software and artificial intelligence. According to a regulatory filing, Gomez’s term will run through 2026. The appointment signals Rivian’s increasing interest in AI applications within its operations and vehicle offerings. See also: Rivian Aims to Expand EV Options Below $50,000 as Market Evolves Gomez, a noted AI researcher and co-author of the influential 2017 paper Attention Is All You Need, previously worked at Google Brain before founding Cohere…

Terawatt Infrastructure has opened its first medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) charging truck stop in California, located in Rancho Dominguez, just 12 miles north of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The private, multi-fleet site is designed to support electric truck operations servicing the country’s largest container ports. The Rancho Dominguez charging site features 20 pull-through and bobtail DC fast charging stalls and offers a total capacity of 7 megawatts. The company says the hub can support charging for up to 125 trucks per day through a reservation system. See also: Terawatt Opens First Full-Build EV Fleet…

BMW will introduce integrated Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology in its all-new 5 Series sedan in China beginning January 2025, marking a significant step forward in connected vehicle development. The German automaker partnered with intelligent automotive systems supplier JOYNEXT to implement the new technology, which is designed to improve road safety and traffic efficiency while supporting the transition toward smart urban infrastructure. The V2X system allows vehicles to communicate with traffic lights, nearby cars, pedestrians, and cloud services in real time. According to BMW, this connectivity enables features such as early collision warnings, traffic flow optimization, and alerts for hazardous driving conditions.…

Volvo Group plans to lay off between 550 and 800 employees at three U.S. facilities over the next three months, citing weakened demand and ongoing market uncertainty, the company said on Friday. The layoffs will impact the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and two additional Volvo Group sites in Dublin, Virginia, and Hagerstown, Maryland. The company, a subsidiary of Sweden’s AB Volvo, employs nearly 20,000 people across North America. See also: Volvo Cars Plans U.S. Production Expansion to Offset Tariffs “Heavy-duty truck orders continue to be negatively affected by market uncertainty about freight rates and demand, possible regulatory changes,…

U.S.-based bidirectional charging technology developer Fermata Energy has laid off most of its staff and is engaged in preliminary acquisition discussions with rival firm Nuvve (NVVE.O), according to a source cited by Axios. The talks reportedly center around Fermata’s software and intellectual property, as the company faces mounting financial difficulties. “They’re focused on the core IPs. Fermata clearly wasn’t going to sell its way out of this moment. So it trimmed the sails and they’re doing more of an IP-based merger,” the source told Axios. Nuvve, which also specializes in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, has confirmed it is in discussions with…

ABB E-mobility and MAN Truck & Bus have completed a successful megawatt charging trial using Ethernet-based communication protocols, marking a significant step toward commercial implementation of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The test, conducted in Munich, featured communication based on the ISO 15118-20 and ISO 15118-10 standards, departing from earlier trials that relied on CCS-based communication methods. The trial demonstrated MCS charging at over 700 volts and 1,000 amps using a proof-of-concept charger developed by ABB and based on its Terra platform. According to ABB and MAN, the test validated the system’s stability during extended, high-power charging sessions—key for commercial…

British electric vehicle charging network Be.EV said on Tuesday it would invest £4 million to build a new high-powered charging hub on the site of a disused petrol station in Failsworth, near Oldham in Greater Manchester. The company aims to turn the location into what it calls a “green electric forecourt and community hub.” The facility will include 12 parking bays, with six ultra-rapid chargers capable of delivering up to 300 kilowatts, allowing users to add up to 523 kilometres (325 miles) of range in just 20 minutes, according to Be.EV. An additional four bays will accommodate vehicles waiting to…

U.S. ride-hailing firm Lyft said it will acquire European mobility platform FREENOW in a move aimed at expanding its global presence and increasing its total addressable market to over 300 billion personal vehicle trips annually. The deal marks Lyft’s first major push into the European market and comes months after FREENOW reported 13% year-on-year growth in its taxi business and achieved break-even. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. See also: Lyft Plans to Deploy Mobileye-Powered Robotaxis in Dallas by 2026 “We’re on an ambitious path to build the best, most customer-obsessed mobility platform in the world, and…

British battery technology company Nyobolt has secured $30 million in new funding to accelerate the deployment of its ultra-fast-charging battery systems, particularly in sectors such as autonomous warehouse robotics and heavy-duty vehicles, with plans to expand into mainstream electric vehicles. The funding round was led by venture capital firms IQ Capital and Latitude, and included participation from Scania Invest, the investment arm of Scania, the truckmaking division of Volkswagen. With this latest investment, Nyobolt’s total capital raised now stands at $100 million. See also: Nyobolt Demonstrates Breakthrough Fast-Charging Technology for Electric Sports Cars Based in Cambridge, Nyobolt has concentrated much…

InstaVolt has introduced a new security measure called ‘CableGuard’, designed to protect electric vehicle (EV) charging cables from theft and tampering. The system, which can be retrofitted onto both new and existing cables, offers a range of physical and technological safeguards aimed at deterring theft and ensuring better security for the EV charging infrastructure. The ‘CableGuard’ protection system includes a tough, flexible sheath constructed from high-wearing material, designed to be both durable and resistant to abrasion. Additionally, the sheath is integrated with forensic traceability technology. According to InstaVolt, each cable contains a forensic liquid that creates a unique, traceable mark…

UK transport operator First Bus said on Friday it would invest £70 million to procure 160 zero-emission buses in the West of England, following a public funding boost aimed at accelerating the region’s clean transport transition. The investment follows a £19.89 million grant secured by the West of England Combined Authority under the second round of the UK government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) programme. The combined funding will support the rollout of electric buses across the operator’s network. See also: Wrightbus Delivers 24 New Electric Buses to First Bus in Aberdeen The addition of the 160 electric…

A new car brand jointly developed by Huawei and SAIC Motor is expected to debut its first model as early as mid-year, according to a report by China Securities Journal citing sources familiar with the matter. The new brand, likely to be named Shangjie (尚界), has confirmed plans to launch its first vehicle in 2025. The model will reportedly be aimed at younger consumers and is expected to be priced between RMB 150,000 and RMB 250,000 ($20,500–$34,300), depending on configuration. See also: Huawei and SAIC Motor Form New Automotive Brand Targeting Young Consumers SAIC president Jia Jianxu said at a…

Chinese automaker BYD is preparing to bring its premium Denza brand to Europe this year, with executive vice president Stella Li boldly claiming its first model, the Z9 GT, is “ten times better” than legacy competitors in the region. The Denza brand, originally a joint venture between BYD and Daimler, is now fully under BYD’s control. It is positioned to bridge the gap between BYD’s mainstream offerings and its ultra-premium YangWang line. The move places Denza squarely in competition with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and potentially Porsche — a bold ambition that reflects BYD’s growing confidence after recent…

U.S. bus manufacturer ENC has announced a partnership with wireless charging firm InductEV to incorporate high-power inductive charging systems into its battery-electric buses, enhancing operational flexibility and charging efficiency for transit agencies across North America. The system, developed by InductEV, delivers up to 450 kW of wireless power via ground-embedded charging pads that automatically activate when aligned with a compatible underbody pad on the vehicle. “This intelligent approach to electrification reduces infrastructure footprint, maximizes fleet uptime, and enhances overall transit system reliability,” InductEV said in a statement. See also: InductEV Moves to New Headquarters and Establishes Innovation Center for Wireless…

Spanish energy utility Endesa has inaugurated Catalonia’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) charging hub, located 27 kilometres from Barcelona at the Parc Vallès shopping centre. The new facility offers a total installed capacity of 1.6 megawatts and is now the second-largest charging location in Spain. The charging hub includes 30 bays spread across three areas of the shopping centre’s carpark. Among the charging points are eight ultra-fast 300kW units, six 60kW fast chargers, and 16 semi-fast 22kW chargers. The first phase of the project saw ten 22kW chargers installed in 2023, while the second phase added the remaining 20 bays,…

Volkswagen Group reported a sharp rise in battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales in Europe during the first quarter, while deliveries in China dropped by over a third, underscoring diverging trends in the global EV market for the German carmaker. Volkswagen’s BEV sales more than doubled in Europe, supported by rising demand and the expansion of its electric model lineup. Orders across Western Europe rose 29% year-on-year for both electric and combustion vehicles, the company said. See also: Volkswagen Previews $22,000 ID.1 EV in New Video Ahead of 2027 Launch In contrast, the group saw total sales in China fall by 7.1%,…

Zoox, the autonomous vehicle unit of Amazon.com Inc, said it has launched testing operations in Los Angeles, its sixth U.S. city, as it moves forward with plans to deploy its purpose-built robotaxis in urban environments. The company will begin by operating a small fleet of retrofitted vehicles equipped with LiDAR and other sensors, alongside safety drivers, in a limited area of the city, focusing initially on Hollywood. Fully autonomous testing is expected to begin later this summer following preliminary mapping missions. See also: Amazon’s Zoox Recalls 258 Self-Driving Vehicles Over Braking Issue “Similar to our efforts in Austin and Miami,…