Author: Michael Khan

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia with plans to open an office in Malaysia. The announcement came after Malaysia’s trade ministry approved Tesla’s application to import battery-powered EVs into the country. Tesla’s expansion into Malaysia is expected to create a range of new skilled jobs and increase the participation of local companies in the Tesla ecosystem. The company will also establish a network of charging stations for its vehicles, as well as showrooms and service centers. See also: Tesla Delivers Model 3 and Model Y Electric Vehicles in Thailand, Expanding Presence in Asia While no…

In a video recently released by Nissan Japan, a Nissan Leaf EV won a drag race against a Soviet-era Aero L-39 Albatros fighter jet by less than a car length. The video went viral, with many people wondering why Nissan even bothered. After all, the Leaf is a forgettable car, and Nissan now has the more exciting and expensive Ariya EV. The Leaf, however, has a history. It was one of the first mass-market EVs, and it remains the most affordable EV in the US market, qualifying for a substantial tax credit. While the Ariya overshadows the Leaf in terms…

Volvo Cars is making strides towards becoming an entirely electric vehicle (EV) brand by 2030. The company has shared plans to establish a new “Tech Hub” in Krakow, Poland, which will serve as a key software development centre for the automaker’s EV technology. The new hub will be responsible for developing complete key features for new EVs, including core safety, perception, driver assistance, and autonomous driving capabilities. The automaker is aiming to attract top talent globally to fill the expected 120 initial positions, with plans to expand the team to between 500 and 600 staff by mid-decade. The company believes…

Tesla has been named the winner in seven categories at the 27th annual Automotive Loyalty Awards by S&P Global Mobility. The awards, which analyze 11.7 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. during 2022, recognize automotive manufacturers and models for their ability to retain customers and inspire repeat purchases. The biggest win for Tesla was in the “Overall Loyalty to Make” category, where it dethroned Ford for the first time in 12 years. This marks a significant achievement for Tesla, as it demonstrates its ability to create a loyal customer base and maintain it over time. See also: Tesla’s…

Arriva Group has secured the Twente-ZHO concession in East Netherlands for both bus and rail services, following a competitive tender process. The contract, valued at €300 million, has been awarded for four years with an option to extend for another year. Arriva will operate over 100 brand new zero-emission buses and around nine trains from its existing fleet, and will also welcome 450 new colleagues to service the contract. Arriva’s success in winning the concession was due to its innovative approach to public transport. The company plans to introduce changes to the timetable to ensure faster journey times on inter-city…

Octopus Electric Vehicles (OEV), the electric vehicle’s arm of Octopus Energy’s parent company, is seeking a £100m funding boost to fuel its growth amidst the rising production of eco-friendly vehicles. The company is collaborating with bankers to secure fresh funds from external investors over the next few months. OEV is a subsidiary of Octopus Energy Group, a British residential energy provider that received a $5bn valuation in 2021. However, its recent acquisition of Bulb, which collapsed last year, has been challenged by competitors such as Centrica, the owner of British Gas, in a judicial review. According to the Society of…

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, a leading semiconductor manufacturer, announced on February 26th that it has developed a new automotive semiconductor substrate for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The company plans to expand its lineup of high-end automotive semiconductor substrates to target the electric vehicle market and become the global leader in this area. As autonomous vehicles require high-performance semiconductors, an autonomous driving system needs a high-performance and high-reliability semiconductor substrate that can optimize the performance of the semiconductor, process large amounts of data at high speed, and operate reliably even in extreme driving conditions. Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed a flip chip ball…

Lucid and Nikola, two of the most highly anticipated electric vehicle (EV) startups, have had a rocky start to 2023. Both companies have struggled to meet delivery expectations, and their Q4 revenue fell short of projections. Lucid produced 3,493 Air sedans in Q4 but only delivered 1,932, a sign that the company is facing a demand challenge. Meanwhile, Nikola produced just 133 electric trucks and delivered only 20 to dealers. These struggles underscore the challenges that young automakers face in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving market. See also: Lucid Motors Reports Disappointing Q4 2022 Results but Remains Optimistic for…

Tata Motors, the Indian car manufacturer, is in talks with private equity investors and sovereign wealth funds to raise up to $1 billion through a stake sale in its electric vehicle business. According to local publication, The Economic Times, the company plans to sell a significant minority stake in the business at a valuation of around $10.5 billion. The proceeds from the sale will be primarily used to retire part of the outstanding debt, with a small portion being infused into the EV business as primary equity. Tata Motors has already secured investments from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia’s…

Automobili Pininfarina has broken yet more world records with its all-electric hypercar, the Battista Hyper GT. The Munich-based automaker’s latest feat occurred during its first-ever trip to India, where it secured two more world records for quarter- and half-mile sprints in a production vehicle. The handcrafted, $2.5 million hypercar has already set a total of seven world records, including the fastest acceleration time of any production car. Each of the 150 Battista Hyper GTs planned for production requires up to 1,340 hours of handcrafting to achieve the unique vision of each client. Moreover, the company boasts that there are 128…

Electra Vehicles, a B2B electric vehicle AI software company based in Boston, has raised $21 million in an oversubscribed investment round. The round was led by United Ventures, a digital technology-focused venture capital firm from Italy, through the fund UV T-Growth. The investment also included participation from Stellantis Ventures, the venture capital fund of Stellantis, as well as existing investors LIFTT S.p.A., Club degli Investitori, and BlackBerry Limited. The company, founded in 2015 by energy storage expert Fabrizio Martini, specializes in producing cloud and onboard software to optimize the performance of electric vehicle battery systems. Electra Vehicles has seen strong…

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, an eye-catching electric vehicle (EV), has been making waves for its unique design and impressive features. However, following a recent software update, the car’s Eco mode has been causing significant performance issues. Owners have reported that the car has become so slow in this mode that it can barely keep up with modern traffic. The issue reportedly arose after a software update was released to improve the pre-conditioning battery warming function. Unfortunately, this update also introduced a bug that drastically reduced the power of the Eco mode, causing significant delays in acceleration. While it is common…