Author: Michael Khan

Daimler Trucks has completed construction of the electric truck charging station (eTruck Charging Park) of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, together with its project partner, the service division Netze BW near the Application Information Center (BIC) in Wörth am Rhein, Germany. At the eTruck Charging Park, electric truck customers can now test charging stations and charging concepts from various manufacturers and work with experts from Mercedes-Benz to develop tailor-made charging solutions for applications from all electric truck brands. The charging technology on these charging stations is provided for testing and combined with a comprehensive suite of consulting services to help customers move smoothly…

The US Department of Energy announced that it will provide a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of General Motors Co (GM.N) and LG Energy Solution for the construction of a lithium-ion battery cell production facility. The loan comes from the government’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The program previously provided low-cost government loans to Tesla, Ford and Nissan. President Joe Biden’s administration is targeting 50% of US car production by 2030 to be hybrid or all-electric vehicles. “We have to have vehicle manufacturing capacity but also battery manufacturing capacity,” said Jigar Shah, who…

After the success of the launch of the Mercedes-Benz eActros as its first electric battery truck, Daimler Trucks has now officially released the second model of its electric battery truck, the Mercedes-Benz eEconic. The Mercedes-Benz eEconic is a testament to Daimler Truck’s seriousness in accelerating the electrification transition in the commercial vehicle segment. Dr. Ralf Forcher as Head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks said that from design sketches to actual builds, from prototypes to officially entering the production line, eEconic is a new line of Mercedes-Benz electric battery trucks that are ready to lead the commercial vehicle industry on city streets.…

MAN Truck & Bus as a leading manufacturer of trucks and buses from Germany announced that it has extended its cooperation contract with one of the giant German football clubs, FC Bayern Munich until 2024. In the agreement, FC Bayern Munich will contribute to the CO2 decarbonization mission by using the MAN Lion City E electric bus as its transportation fleet to the airport. Marketing Director of FC Bayern Munich, Andy Jung, said that together with MAN, FC Bayern Munich is now standing on a responsible approach to the environment and clean mobility. “With MAN Truck & Bus, we have…

Maruti Suzuki has officially launched the new Suzuki Grand Vitara in India (20/7). The Suzuki Grand Vitara was launched as a new car in India to coincide with NEXA’s seventh anniversary. The Suzuki Grand Vitara was also introduced as one of Suzuki’s new cars developed in collaboration with Toyota. “With the global launch of the Grand Vitara, we bring an SUV that represents Suzuki’s best design, technology and performance,” said Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki. “We believe the Grand Vitara will set a new benchmark for SUV lovers in India and redefine the Joy…

Volkswagen confirmed on Monday, July 18, that a cheaper version of the ID.4 crossover is on its way to launch to the public. The cheaper ID.4 will be powered by a 62 kWh battery, a decrease when compared to the currently offered ID.4 with an 82 kWh battery, which has an EPA range of 275 miles. With the smaller battery option, this will also significantly reduce the price of the ID.4 which should be less than $42,000. There is no definite price for the latest version of this EV. But it is estimated to be priced at 30,000 US dollars…

Solaris, a bus manufacturer from Poland, received an order for 20 electric buses from the public transportation company MPK Kraków. MPK Kraków ordered seven articulated Urbino 18 electric buses and 13 single Urbino 12 Electric buses to be delivered within the next year. The electric buses ordered by MPK Kraków will complement Solaris’ previous fleet of zero-emission buses that debuted on city roads in 2016. The electric buses ordered by MPK Kraków use Solaris High Energy batteries with a total capacity of almost 300 kWh on solo buses and more than 400 kWh on articulated buses. Each bus will also…

The first race of the Formula E New York City ePrix series was held on Saturday afternoon (16/7/2022). In the race that took place at the Brooklyn Highway Circuit, Envision Racing team racer, Nick Cassidy came out as the winner of a race full of drama with the presence of 2 Red Flags and rainy weather in the middle of the race. The first race of the New York City ePrix series is planned to last 45 minutes. After the start, Nick Cassidy who started from pole position immediately shot and maintained his leading position. Meanwhile, the exciting duel involved…

BYD announced it has secured an order for 15 electric buses from Spanish public transport company Arriva. The 15 electric buses that Arriva ordered will be delivered by 2023 and will be operated in Alcorcón, a municipality in southwest Madrid. The buses ordered by Arriva consisted of 12 low-floor 12-meter pure electric buses and three low-entry 13-meter pure electric buses. All of them use a new generation of lithium iron phosphate batteries developed by BYD. The 13-meter bus ordered by Arriva was the first to enter the Iberian Peninsula. The electric bus comes with a reinforced interior and has an…

Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) from brands under the Volkswagen Group show a positive trend. In the first half of 2022, all brands under the Volkswagen Group have delivered 217,000 BEV to their customers. The number is up from 170,900 BEV units during the same period last year. This means that their BEV shipments increased by 27% year over year (YoY). Volkswagen Group said it was able to overcome supply chain constraints that affect the production of most of the world’s automotive manufacturers. BEVs of the entire Volkswagen Group now accounted for 5.6% of the automaker’s total sales in…

Solectrac and Nolan Manufacturing announced a partnership to build an electric tractor production facility on the east coast. Solectrac is known as a maker of electric tractors. The new production facility was built to meet the growing demand for electric tractors across the country. The electric tractor production facility is located on 10,000 square feet of land in Denton, North Carolina. This production facility is projected to serve customers on the east coast and strengthen the company’s growth nationally. Main production is the Solectrac e25 electric tractor, with additional models planned for future production. Soletrac was acquired by Ideanommics in…

California electric car start-up Canoo has announced a large order from Walmart. The US retail giant has signed a partnership with Canoo to purchase 4,500 electric vehicles, starting with the Lifestyle Delivery Vehicle (LDV) model and the cargo variant of the Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle. According to a statement Canoo contract the agreement to buy up to 10,000 units. However, these vehicles are just getting into production: Canoo plans production of LDV vehicles to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022. Starting in 2023, the US retail giant will then use electric carriers to deliver online orders “on an ongoing basis”,…