Author: Andy Williams

Tesla has submitted an application to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for a massive expansion of its Gigafactory Texas in Austin. The factory, which is already sizable, is set to undergo a $700 million expansion that will add 1.4 million square-feet of space to the facility. Currently, the factory is being used to produce Model Y vehicles, but the expansion will allow for the production of the Cybertruck and other vehicle models, as well as battery production. Tesla is known for moving quickly, and construction is expected to begin at the end of the month. The Austin Business Journal listed…

StoreDot, an Israeli developer of high-speed charging battery technology for electric vehicles, has opened its first research facility in the United States in Irvine, California. The new lab will focus on accelerating the company’s development of semi-solid battery technology and materials research. The location was selected to take advantage of the abundance of talent on the West Coast and to strengthen ties with American EV manufacturers. Dr. David Lee, StoreDot’s Chief Science Officer, will lead the US team, working in conjunction with the company’s R&D headquarters in Israel. This move will allow the company to scale its operations globally and…

Volkswagen is making significant strides in the shift to electric mobility, as evidenced by the 23.6% YoY increase in global deliveries of all-electric vehicles (BEVs) to around 330,000 units. Despite this growth, total deliveries of all drive types by the Volkswagen brand were slightly lower than the previous year due to supply constraints, with 4.56 million vehicles (-6.8%) delivered to customers worldwide in 2022. However, the demand for Volkswagen vehicles remains high, as reflected by the high order backlog. In Europe, orders for Volkswagen models across all drive types have risen 18% to around 640,000. Volkswagen’s ID. electric models are…

Tesla’s recent price cuts in China have reportedly led to an increase in deliveries. According to a mid-level executive at the company, Tesla delivered over 10,000 vehicles in China on the day of the price cut. Additionally, over the weekend, more than 200 Tesla vehicles were delivered each day in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The price cuts, which affected the full Model 3 and Model Y lineup, were Tesla’s second in China in three months and have sparked protests from some recent buyers. Tesla has recently reduced the prices of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China, in an…

“Tesla has implemented a new punishment for drivers who are not paying attention while using the Full Self-Driving Beta feature. If a driver receives five ‘Forced Autopilot Disengagements’ in a two-week period, they will be banned from using the Full Self-Driving Beta for two weeks. Forced Autopilot Disengagements occur when the system detects that the driver is not paying attention and gives multiple warning signals, such as audible alerts and visual alerts. If the driver does not respond to these warnings, the system will automatically disengage and the driver will have to take control of the vehicle for the remainder…

BMW’s CTO, Frank Weber, stated that the Neue Klasse project, which will debut its first vehicle in late 2025, is the most expensive in the company’s 106-year history. “First off, [Neue Klasse] is the most expensive project in BMW history,” said Weber. “Not only are the cars new but also all of the technologies: architecture, battery cells, high-voltage battery systems. Not a single component is being taken from a previous generation [of vehicles]. Everything is new.” The new platform, which will be used for a sedan and SUV, features entirely new technology including architecture, battery cells, and high-voltage battery systems.…

Eysing, a Dutch company that produces premium electric mopeds, has unveiled the PF40, a new model with a retro aesthetic that has been redesigned by Pininfarina, an Italian design firm known for its work on classic Ferrari cars. Pininfarina has recently been branching out into designing various forms of electric mobility, including the Vmoto Soco concept. The Eysing PF40 is an updated version of the company’s Pioneer e-moped. It features a hand-crafted 1.5kW direct drive hub motor and is available in two different versions, one with a top speed of 15.5 mph and the other with a top speed of…

CAKE, the Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles today unveiled the Bukk, a new off-road platform, designed for trail and track use. The Bukk performance is equivalent to the A2 classification and continues CAKE’s commitment to accelerate the transition towards a zero emission society, combining excitement with responsibility. The Bukk is a category-leading motorcycle, weighing in at 85 kg and offering a top-notch power-to-weight ratio. It has been entirely engineered and manufactured from the ground up, including the creation of new and unique tooling. CAKE Bukk specifications The frame, suspension, and components are all brand new and made from…

The VF 7 is 1.7 inches longer than the latest BMW X1, with dimensions of 178.9 inches in length and 111.8 inches in wheelbase. It also has an additional 5.8 inches of space between the wheels, despite not being significantly larger overall. The interior of the VF 7, an all-new model from a rising automaker, is familiar to anyone who has been in a modern SUV. The exterior’s simple design is reflected in the clean cabin, which is highlighted by a large 15.6-inch touchscreen display. The VF 7 Eco comes with cloth upholstery, while the Plus model is equipped with…

Goodyear and Gatik have successfully demonstrated that Goodyear’s intelligent tires, equipped with SightLine technology, can accurately estimate tire-road friction and provide real-time information to Gatik’s automated driving system. This proof-of-concept represents a significant step towards the use of autonomous transportation for safer and more sustainable goods movement. Goodyear and Gatik have recently implemented a system in Canada for continuously measuring road friction using tire sensor data and other vehicle information. This data is processed using Goodyear’s proprietary cloud-based algorithms to optimize vehicle performance. The friction estimates provided by Goodyear’s SightLine solution were able to detect slippery conditions, such as snow…

The Project Arrow concept vehicle was unveiled to the world this week at the Consumer Electronics Show by Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association (APMA). This project was first announced at CES in 2020 and featured an open competition for students across Canada to submit designs. The winning team was from Carleton University in Ottawa. After a few sketches and a brief teaser were released last year, the full vehicle was finally revealed at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. “Today at CES, we reveal Project Arrow to the world with 25 new technologies. The Prime Minister dared us to imagine…

Slovenian electric motor specialist Elaphe has entered into a strategic partnership with McLaren Applied to develop a powertrain combining Elaphe’s in-wheel motors and vehicle control with McLaren Applied’s inverter technology. The companies claim their joint electric drive will offer automakers significant space and weight savings, resulting in reduced vehicle energy consumption and five times faster torque response compared to current systems. In addition, Elaphe and McLaren highlight the design freedom offered by the smaller installation space of their drive. Elaphe’s current in-wheel motors have torque densities of up to 460 Nm/liter and 100 Nm/kg and allow customers to customize the…