Author: Andy Williams

Australian battery company, Recharge Industries, has acquired insolvent British battery startup, Britishvolt, in a deal that has saved Britishvolt’s planned battery cell factory in Northumberland. Recharge Industries plans to focus on batteries for stationary energy storage and high-performance sports cars, rather than producing battery cells for major car manufacturers. The purchase price for Britishvolt’s assets remains undisclosed, but it is known that the remaining employees will transfer to Recharge as part of the deal. Work on the UK plant is expected to start within the next six to twelve months, with the first products from the manufacturing facility coming to…

During Fisker’s Q4 2022 earnings release, the company revealed some exciting new images of its upcoming Fisker PEAR. This innovative EV has been turning heads with its unique features, and the latest images showcase its impressive exterior design like never before. With production set to begin in the second half of 2024, the Foxconn factory in Lordstown is expected to produce 250,000 units per year at peak production. The Fisker PEAR is priced at $29,900 before government tax incentives, and the company has already received over 5,600 reservations for this EV model. See also: Up close with the Houdini Trunk…

The UK Department for Transport and Innovate UK are supporting an initiative that will see police officers on electric three-wheeled motorcycles on the streets. The new motorcycles, developed in a partnership between Mahle Powertrain and White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC), will replace the combustion engine of the Yamaha Tricity 300 with an all-electric powertrain from Mahle. Mahle is using advanced simulation technology to determine the best powertrain specifications for the motorcycles, and is investigating the use of traction motors and charger systems, slow-charging and ultra-fast charging technologies. The company is considering integrating a traction motor and transmission into the rear swing-arm…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, is gearing up for the launch of its 2023 Han EV in mid-March. The highly anticipated release has already created a buzz in the EV market, with some details about the car having already been leaked. According to reports from BYD dealers, the starting price for the 2023 Han EV will be approximately 225,000 RMB (32,600 USD). One of the most significant upgrades to the 2023 BYD Han EV is its appearance. The new model will be available in a stylish Glacier Blue color, and its 506 and 605 km range versions will feature the…

Hyundai Motor Co. has started production of its first all-electric vehicle in the United States, following the passage of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2021, which disallows subsidies for imported EVs. The South Korean carmaker has begun assembling the Genesis GV70 SUV at its Alabama plant to qualify for up to $7,500 in tax credits under the IRA. This move aims to counter concerns that Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. could lose market share in the U.S. market as they produce EVs at domestic plants for export to the U.S. See also: Genesis GV70 EV…

Automotive supplier Webasto has recently opened a new production plant in Guanajuato, Mexico, dedicated to charging solutions to meet the increasing demand in North America. With current production lines, the new plant is producing around 10,000 chargers per week, and this is expected to double by the end of the year. Webasto plans to boost its production capacity by increasing the workforce and adding more production lines. The company aims to increase the workforce to enable a production capacity of 20,000 chargers per week and expand the plant by a further 10,000 square meters by 2025. Webasto’s relocation to the…

In the world of modern-day automobiles, the way companies address issues with their vehicles has evolved. Tesla, one of the pioneers of the electric vehicle industry, has been at the forefront of this revolution. Tesla has demonstrated time and again that it can fix most of its vehicle issues with over-the-air software updates that can be downloaded directly to a vehicle with an internet connection. Despite this, the term “recall” continues to be used to describe such fixes, causing confusion and negative connotations among consumers. Tesla has long argued that its software updates should not be referred to as “recalls.”…

SK Nexilis, a subsidiary of South Korea’s SK Group, has signed a supply agreement with Swedish battery maker Northvolt for copper foil worth up to 1.4 trillion won ($1.08 billion) over five years. The deal is set to come into effect next year and is expected to cover around 80% of Northvolt’s copper foil needs for battery production. The volume is estimated to be sufficient for the batteries of around 1.7 million electric vehicles. SK Nexilis is currently building a copper foil factory in Poland, which is scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2024. The plant will…

Ford is set to introduce its Mustang Mach-E electric model with LFP battery cells in Europe by the end of 2023. The manufacturer has not yet disclosed technical specifications or prices for the SUV with the new battery variant, but has made a surprising statement regarding charging performance. The move follows Ford’s announcement for North America, with both versions of the vehicle being built in Mexico. The availability of the LFP batteries will determine how many vehicles Ford can produce, with the supplier being CATL. See also: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E is no longer available for retail order in US…

As part of its mission to achieve a zero-emission public transport system, the German carrier Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg Verkehrs GmbH has chosen Solaris to produce 12 hydrogen buses. The order includes 10 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses and 2 Urbino 18 hydrogen buses, which will be deployed in one of the larger towns in the Lower Franconia region. This February, the carrier signed a contract for the purchase of these buses, which are expected to hit the streets of the city as early as 2024. The order is also Solaris’s first for the articulated version of the hydrogen-powered buses. See also: Solaris…

Electrify America has announced the groundbreaking of its 75 MW “Solar Glow 1” photovoltaic project in San Bernardino County, California. The plant, built by Terra-Gen, is expected to be operational by the end of the summer and will generate an estimated 225,000 MWh of energy annually. As part of a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement, Electrify America will purchase and retire all bundled environmental certificates associated with the solar project, deviating from the typical practice of purchasing certificates from a third-party supplier. According to Rob Barrosa, Vice President of Technology at Electrify America, the company’s investment in Solar Glow 1…

Enteligent, a technology firm specializing in solar power optimization and electric vehicle (EV) solar charging technologies, has launched the world’s first DC-to-DC solar hybrid bi-directional EV charger at Intersolar NA 2023 event in Booth 2460. The new charger is a game-changer in the EV charging industry, providing three times faster charging than AC Level 2 EV chargers, with the ability to deliver 25 kW of fast DC charging directly from the sun. It is also designed to support vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) home energy resilience, offering significant energy savings. Historically, electric vehicle owners have relied on home chargers that…