Author: Andy Williams

The US government has released a comprehensive update on the progress of electric fleet and charging infrastructure projects in the country. The announcement not only highlights the activities of federal agencies, but also includes self-commitment statements by large corporations. One of the main takeaways from the fact sheet is that federal agencies have procured 13,000 light- and medium-duty electric vehicles in the fiscal year 2023, which is four times the number compared to the previous fiscal year. Furthermore, from 2027, US authorities will only be allowed to purchase zero-emission passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. From 2035, this will also…

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust has taken a unique approach to sustainable off-roading in Africa by modifying an electric utility vehicle to serve as a zero-emissions, open-air safari vehicle. The organization converted a Rivian R1T by removing its roof and adding a windowless lofted unit to accommodate two extra rows of seating, bringing the total to eight seats. The vehicle was also converted to right-hand drive, making it the only Rivian vehicle with this feature. The modified truck features a brush guard up front and a spare tire mounted to the tailgate. Although the extra seats remove the bed’s functionality,…

Chinese electric vehicle maker NIO has opened its second NIO House in Europe, located in the heart of Frankfurt, Germany. The new NIO House covers an area of more than 1,600 square meters and is designed to offer visitors a unique experience that combines relaxation, culture, entertainment, knowledge, and business functions. The showroom is strategically located in Frankfurt’s Groβe Eschenheimer StraBe, a vibrant area that lies between the city’s traditional old town and business district. Visitors to the NIO House can enjoy stunning views of the city’s iconic Eschenheimer Tower and Eschenheimer Tor square. The NIO House is more than…

Factorial, a solid-state battery technology company, has announced the establishment of a European subsidiary in Germany, with the aim of serving its automotive partners and customers more efficiently. This move follows the company’s joint development agreements with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Hyundai to speed up the production of their solid-state battery technology. The company believes their technology is safer and more energy dense than current lithium-ion battery technology. According to Siyu Huang, CEO and Co-founder of Factorial, this expansion is an exciting step in the company’s strategic global expansion, and the local presence will enable them to be on the ground…

Chinese autonomous driving start-up, WeRide, has announced its plans to test self-driving cars in Singapore as it expands its reach into Southeast Asia. The company will be collaborating with Strides, a subsidiary of Singapore’s biggest public transport operator, SMRT, to pilot and test its autonomous vehicles in the country. WeRide established its Singapore branch in September 2022 and signed a memorandum of cooperation with Strides in November of the same year. WeRide’s office in Singapore will serve as a regional development center for its Asia Pacific operations, according to its founder and CEO, Han Xu. Singaporean investors, SMRT and K3…

Audi is shaking up its model names in a major way. As previously rumored, the German carmaker has confirmed that it will reserve odd numbers for its combustion engine models and even ones for those with electric powertrains. Additionally, Audi plans to introduce a new model below the Q4 e-tron. In an interview with German magazine Auto Bild, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann revealed that the successor to the current A4 will be called the A5, and the current A6 will be called the A7. The A4 and A6 will then become electric. However, Audi will continue to use the name…

Helixx, a UK-based startup, is revolutionizing urban mobility with its low-cost mini electric vehicle (EV) models designed for cities. With the company’s franchise model, businesses can build their own EVs using licensed Helixx Mobility Hubs, creating a unique opportunity for innovation in the mobility industry. The company is offering four EV models: the TUK and RIDE models are designed for urban ride-hailing with open and closed-door bodies, respectively. The CARGO model is a commercial goods vehicle for last-mile delivery with ample cargo space, a max payload of 500 kg, and the ability to carry the majority of ISO pallets in…

Porsche has announced that it will produce the upcoming battery-electric Cayenne at Volkswagen Slovakia’s multi-brand site in Bratislava, where the combustion engine and plug-in hybrid variants are already being produced. According to Albrecht Reimold, Board Member for Production and Logistics at Porsche, “The plant in Bratislava has done outstanding work in recent years and has received several awards. The future Cayenne will be the first all-electric SUV to be manufactured there.” While Porsche has not disclosed any specific details about the upgrade or the launch date, it did confirm that the Cayenne will become the fourth model series with an…

The Polestar 2, the first fully electric vehicle from Polestar, is shaking up the auto industry and making a name for itself in some of the most popular vehicle markets. In fact, in 2022, the Polestar 2 became a top-selling electric company car and placed among the top ten overall company cars in Germany, home of luxury vehicles and auto innovation. LeasePlan, the world’s largest fleet management service company, reported that the Polestar 2 was its most popular company car in 2022 in Germany. This impressive feat is especially noteworthy as the Polestar 2 beat out the Tesla Model 3…

The joint venture between PowerCo, a battery company from the Volkswagen Group, and Belgian materials technology group Umicore, announced in September 2022, has now received all regulatory approvals. The partnership aims to quickly begin preparations for large-scale industrial production of cathode materials and precursor materials in Europe. The joint venture’s headquarters will be in Brussels, near Umicore’s headquarters, but the search for a production site is still ongoing. Volkswagen says the name and location of the joint venture will be announced “in due course.” By the end of the decade, the partners plan to produce cathode materials for 160 gigawatt-hours…

According to a new report by EV payment specialist Mina, thousands of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the UK could save hundreds of pounds on their home charging bills by switching to specialist EV tariffs, but most are missing out. Mina’s data showed that the average pence per kWh cost for home charging was only slightly lower than the average cost of all home electricity, suggesting that drivers were not taking advantage of lower off-peak or EV-specific tariffs. The data, which analysed over 60,000 plug-in events, found that there were more than 800 different home tariffs, leading to customer confusion…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recently updated its moderate overlap front crash test to include a rear passenger dummy positioned behind the driver, and only four out of 13 midsize SUVs tested earned good ratings. The Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Subaru Ascent and Tesla Model Y were the only vehicles to receive a good rating, while three others received marginal ratings and six more were rated poor. The updated test was launched last year to address the fact that front-seat safety gains have not been matched in the rear, with research showing that the risk of…

The future of superyachts is here, and it goes by the name of Domus. Created through a collaboration between Rob Doyle Design and Van Geest Design, this 40-meter solar electric sailing yacht promises to deliver the interior volume of a 60-meter yacht while emitting zero carbon emissions. What’s more, it’s fully sustainable and can propel itself using wind, solar, hydro regeneration, and hydrogen fuel cells to deliver “unlimited range.” Pieter Van Geest, the Dutch-born yacht designer and project manager, utilized 2D and 3D computer aided design (CAD) to accomplish the detailed modeling of this trimaran. His company boasts a large…

Aptera Motors, the solar electric vehicle start-up, has just announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs, and although the reservation is non-binding, it represents the potential for millions in future revenue for the company. What’s more, it could be just the start, as SustainabilitySooner aims to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs. Aptera Motors is one of the few remaining solar EV start-ups in the world and the closest to reaching scaled vehicle production. To ensure it can deliver its potentially revolutionary technology to its…

Two of the world’s biggest automakers, BMW and Continental, have invested in the Munich-based start-up, DeepDrive, which has developed a groundbreaking electric motor technology for production vehicles. The €15 million Series A financing round also included existing investors UVC Partners and Bayern Kapital with its Bavarian Growth Fund, and former Audi development board member Dr Peter Mertens. DeepDrive’s patented radial flux dual rotor motor technology can be installed as a central drive or a wheel hub drive. Its architecture allows for a higher torque and power density, resulting in 20% more range or 20% smaller batteries than other drive technologies.…

The European Commission has proposed a new law, the Critical Raw Materials Act, aimed at ensuring the EU’s access to a “secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials”. The proposal outlines specific quotas for the mining, further processing, and recycling of these materials, with the aim of meeting 10% of demand through its own mining operations in 2030, 40% from local processing, and 15% from EU recycling capacities. The EU also aims to reduce its dependence on a single third country, limiting imports to no more than 65% of annual demand for any given material. To achieve…

Volkswagen has announced that its upcoming entry-level electric vehicle (EV) will offer the same spaciousness as a Golf, but at an affordable price point similar to the Polo. The new EV will receive a performance version, much like its combustion-engine counterparts. Kai Grünitz, VW’s Board Member for Technical Development, revealed in an interview with Top Gear magazine that a “sporty version” is already in the works, with front-wheel drive and an impressively potent front-mounted electric motor. While the decision hasn’t been made yet, the hot hatch is likely to be badged as a GTI or GTX. The recently unveiled ID.2all…

Volkswagen Group’s PowerCo SE has announced the construction of its second electric vehicle (EV) battery gigafactory in Valencia, Spain. With an initial annual production capacity of 40 GWh, the plant has the potential to expand up to 60 GWh in the future. The cell factory will cover an area of approximately 130 hectares and supply unified cells to vehicle plants in Martorell and Pamplona, among others. The facility will operate on green electricity generated by solar and wind power. Since its launch in July 2022, PowerCo has chosen three sites for cell factories, with Valencia and Salzgitter already under construction.…

Autoflight, a Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startup, has secured a deal with EVFLY for the purchase of 205 electric air taxis. The agreement initially covers the Prosperity I and Prosperity Cargo Aircraft, with the first 10 AutoFlight Cargo aircraft to be operated by EVFLY in the Middle East, specifically in promising markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The eVTOLs will subsequently be deployed in Asia and Africa. The partnership highlights the commitment of both companies to the Middle East region, which they believe has great potential for eVTOL services. See also: AutoFlight’s Prosperity…

Lancia, the Italian automaker owned by Stellantis, has given car enthusiasts a glimpse of its upcoming electric concept set to be unveiled on April 15th. While there is not much information available, the teaser image suggests that the iconic Stratos may be the inspiration behind the brand’s first EV. Lancia has only confirmed that the concept will be revealed at the Emozione Pu+Ra press event, where the company’s brand manifesto for the next ten years will also be discussed. Before you dismiss Lancia going electric, it is worth noting that the automaker currently only sells one car – the Ypsilon…