Author: Joshua Morris

Tesla’s Giga Texas plant has reached a production milestone of 500,000 vehicles, highlighting the facility’s central role in the company’s U.S. operations and its push into more affordable electric vehicles. The milestone includes both Model Y and Cybertruck production, with the Model Y representing the vast majority of output. Tesla congratulated its team, saying, “Congratulations to the Giga Texas team for building 500k vehicles.” See also: U.S. Regulator Probes 2.9 Million Tesla Vehicles Over Full Self-Driving Safety Concerns Giga Texas officially opened on April 7, 2022, with a launch event dubbed the “Cyber Rodeo.” Production began with the Model Y…

Be.EV  has launched a new tariff of 39p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in an effort to make public electric vehicle (EV) charging more affordable and reduce the cost gap faced by drivers without access to home charging. The company said the new tariff makes Be.EV one of the few operators in the UK offering public charging that is cheaper than refuelling with petrol or diesel. Drivers can access the 39p/kWh rate in two ways: through The Mega plan (£9.99 per month), which provides the rate at any time, or through off-peak hours (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) for all users. A…

XCharge North America, the North American subsidiary of XCHG Limited, has partnered with Arrowhead Travel Plaza to launch Oregon’s first solar-plus-storage DC fast-charging site. The project features four dual-dispenser GridLink chargers and represents a key milestone in expanding XCharge’s clean energy network across 18 U.S. states. The installation, enabled by NetZero Energy, LLC, integrates 215kWh GridLink units with 40kW of solar power, providing charging speeds of up to 194kW per unit. Located along Interstate 84—a vital corridor serving over 1.7 million vehicles annually—the site offers a sustainable, high-speed charging solution for EV drivers, including those navigating the steep and weather-prone…

Stellantis announced a $13 billion investment in the United States on Tuesday, a move it said will bring five new models to market and create 5,000 jobs at plants across the Midwest over the next four years. The plan, which includes some previously disclosed investments, comes as the automaker seeks to strengthen its footing in one of its most critical markets and navigate the impact of new tariffs. Chief Executive Antonio Filosa said the investment — the largest in the company’s history — would help Stellantis manage U.S. President Donald Trump’s recently imposed tariffs, which the automaker estimates could cost…

French mining group Imerys and Chinese battery materials producer Shanshan New Material have announced a strategic partnership to produce synthetic graphite anodes for lithium-ion batteries in Europe, targeting electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage systems (BESS). The collaboration involves Imerys Graphite and Carbon Switzerland, a Swiss subsidiary specializing in conductive additives, and Shanshan New Material from Shanghai, which produces synthetic graphite for battery anodes. The partnership aims to establish a European supply chain for high-performance synthetic graphite, supporting local battery cell manufacturers. Commercial-scale products are expected from the fourth quarter of 2025, with samples available on request. See also:…

StarCharge has achieved full compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) for its Titan Series DC fast charging products, enabling participation in federal and state infrastructure projects. The milestone underscores the company’s manufacturing capabilities and commitment to supporting the growth of U.S. electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. See also: Electric Era Expands EV Charging Network with Love’s Travel Stops Partnership The Ohio facility, established three years ago as a research, development, and manufacturing center, handles complete assembly, metal enclosure and busbar processing, and charging adapter assembly. All equipment undergoes thorough quality inspections prior to shipment. Currently, the site operates…

Australia is developing a critical minerals reserve that will prioritize sales of future production over creating a large physical stockpile, according to industry sources, as Australian and U.S. leaders prepare to meet next week. The country’s critical minerals task force has been consulting miners and project developers across a range of metals to finalize policy recommendations for a A$1.2 billion ($782 million) reserve targeting minerals considered vulnerable to supply disruption, with an emphasis on rare earths. The reserve is expected to be operational by the second half of 2026. See also: China Tightens Export Controls on Rare Earths Used in…

Bollinger Innovations has signed an agreement with Ariel Fleet Holdings to deliver 34 commercial electric vehicles to two FedEx Independent Service Providers (ISPs) — Advanced Logistics Systems (ALS) and Springbok Holdings — for last-mile delivery operations across North Carolina, Virginia, and the mid-Atlantic region. Under the deal, Bollinger will supply 30 Mullen THREE Class 3 electric trucks and four Mullen ONE Class 1 cargo vans. Ariel Fleet Holdings, based in Huntersville, North Carolina, will oversee the deployment and performance evaluation of the vehicles. See also: Bollinger Motors Secures Over $1 Million In Commercial EV Sales Jim Connelly, chief revenue officer…

Wacker Chemical Corporation (WCC) has introduced a new line of thermally conductive (TC) adhesives engineered for modern electric vehicle (EV) battery designs, featuring its proprietary hybrid technology that enhances thermal management, structural integrity, and overall safety. The products were showcased at The Battery Show North America in Detroit, Michigan. The company said its latest TC adhesives are tailored to meet the needs of evolving EV battery architectures, such as cell-to-pack (CTP) and cell-to-chassis (CTC) systems. These designs demand advanced materials that can effectively dissipate heat while maintaining structural performance. Wacker’s adhesives are formulated to be isocyanate-free, solvent-free, and tin-free, which…

Nio’s budget sub-brand Firefly has introduced a new limited-edition version of its only current model, the Firefly EV, as part of efforts to sustain market momentum amid fierce competition in China’s electric vehicle (EV) sector. The new variant, called the Night Creature Special Edition, is priced at RMB 136,800 ($19,170) including the battery pack, with deliveries set to begin on October 23, the company said. Under Nio’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) plan, the vehicle starts at RMB 96,800, accompanied by a monthly battery rental fee of RMB 399. See also: Nio’s Firefly Launches Limited-Edition Firefly EV in China The Night Creature Special…

The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) has approved a £5.4 million investment from the UK government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to install at least 930 new public charge points across the region. The project aims to significantly boost accessibility for residents, especially those without access to private driveways. The expanded charging network will include a mix of overnight, fast, and rapid chargers located on residential streets and key transport hubs. A large proportion of the installations are expected to be overnight AC chargers, designed to serve neighbourhoods where off-street parking is limited. See also: Blink Charging Secures…

RWTH Aachen University’s Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) has developed a virtual configuration method for battery production facilities, designed to support the setup of cell manufacturing at the Fraunhofer Research Production Battery Cell FFB in Münster. The new modelling approach, focused on digitalising cell finishing processes, was first presented at a conference in New York State in July and has now been published in the journal Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing under the title “Modelling Flexible Configuration of Cell Finishing for Future Battery Production Research.” See also: RWTH Aachen Researchers Develop ‘LIMA’ Melt Coating Process for Ultra-Thin Lithium…

Several senior members of Nio smart driving team have recently left the company as the Chinese electric vehicle maker undergoes a restructuring of its intelligent driving division, local media Yiu reported on Thursday. Among the departures is Bai Yuli, head of Nio’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform, who left shortly before China’s National Day holiday, according to a report by Yiou. Bai joined Nio in August 2020, reporting to Ren Shaoqing, the company’s vice president of autonomous driving, and since March 2023 had also led Nio’s cloud engineering department as senior director. His responsibilities included building cloud infrastructure for smart driving…

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday it has opened an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system after receiving more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes. The auto safety regulator said the FSD driver-assistance system — which still requires drivers to remain attentive and ready to intervene — has at times “induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.” Reported incidents include vehicles running red lights and traveling against traffic flow during lane changes. See also: Tesla Halves FSD Strike Forgiveness Window in…

Ionity has introduced two new annual subscription plans, offering electric vehicle drivers the ability to lock in charging rates for 12 months while paying lower base fees compared to its monthly tariffs. The new plans—Ionity Power 365 and Ionity Motion 365—extend the existing monthly offers but reward customers who commit to a full year. Both annual subscriptions retain the same per-kilowatt-hour charging rates as their monthly equivalents: €0.39/kWh for the Power plan and €0.49/kWh for the Motion plan. The difference lies in the discounted base fees. Customers choosing Power 365 pay €11.99 per month or €143.88 per year, but can…

Dutch carsharing company MyWheels is expanding its bidirectional charging network with 50 new units in Eindhoven, allowing its shared electric vehicles to store and release solar energy to the local grid. The move builds on earlier pilots in Utrecht and aims to make car charging cheaper while helping balance electricity demand. MyWheels, in partnership with We Drive Solar, will install the new charging stations across 14 initial locations in Eindhoven and inform nearby residents about the rollout. The bidirectional system allows excess solar power to be stored in car batteries during the day and fed back into the grid when…

Tesla has begun deploying Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Version 14.1, marking one of the most significant updates to its advanced driver-assist system in nearly a year. The latest release introduces vision-based navigation capable of handling real-time detours and adds an “Arrival Options” feature designed to simulate Robotaxi-style drop-offs. With Version 14.1, Tesla has integrated navigation and routing into its vision-based neural network, enabling vehicles to dynamically adjust to road closures, obstacles, and other changing conditions. See also: Tesla Launches New Model Y and Model 3 Standard Variants Starting at $36,990 in U.S. https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1975546630570189232 The system’s detection of emergency vehicles has also…

U.S. President Donald Trump is considering significant tariff relief measures for domestic auto production that could reduce much of the costs currently borne by major automakers, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno and industry officials told Reuters on Friday. The proposed plan would extend and expand tariff offsets for U.S.-assembled vehicles, potentially offering a 3.75% import adjustment credit for up to five years, according to people familiar with the matter. The offset, which currently runs through April 2026, could also be broadened to cover U.S. engine production, the sources said. See also: U.S. Automakers Brace for Sharp EV Sales Decline as $7,500…

Blink Charging said it has been awarded a contract by the City of Richmond to build and manage a network of charging stations across the city. The initiative is part of Richmond’s efforts to expand reliable EV infrastructure for residents, visitors, and fleet operators, while supporting its long-term sustainability and climate goals. Blink was selected alongside four other vendors to help provide public charging solutions in the region. See also: Blink Charging Installs DC Fast Chargers at New Chicago EV Hub Under the agreement, Blink will work with city officials to identify and deploy charging infrastructure across key locations. The…

Go Zero has partnered with Rolec to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the United Kingdom’s hospitality and destination sectors, backed by a £100 million debt financing facility. The collaboration will focus on installing multi-bay EV hubs at leisure destinations, hotels, resorts, and other venues. The financing will allow businesses to adopt charging solutions without upfront costs through Go Zero’s VendEx model, aiming to address a significant shortfall in destination charging options. See also: Rolec and Connekt Join Forces to Expand EV Charging Infrastructure in the UK Industry data shows that although more than 1.3 million…