Author: Moira Shortle

Tesla has unveiled its latest Megapack project in Monterey County, California on its YouTube channel. The 240 MW Megapack system offers storage capacity to Arevon’s California Flats renewable energy project. The California Flats project is one of the largest solar farms in the state, spanning over 2,900 acres with a variety of 280 MW of solar panels that can supply renewable energy to 100,000 homes annually. Tesla’s Megapack project is designed to store excess energy and provide it to the grid during high-demand periods or in the event of a grid outage. The project was completed a few months ago,…

Suzuki, the Japanese automobile manufacturer, has announced its partnership with Australian company Applied EV to develop an autonomous electric vehicle platform. The collaboration was solidified in September 2022 when Suzuki invested in Applied EV in a funding round that raised $21 million. The latest announcement states that Applied EV’s autonomous vehicle platform, Blanc Robot, will be integrated into the ladder frame of Suzuki’s four-wheel-drive Jimny, electrified by Applied EV and operated by its central control system, Digital Backbone. The companies intend to bring Blanc Robot to production and develop business models to expand the adoption of autonomous electric vehicles. In…

Tesla is facing a potential class action lawsuit filed by a California-based Model Y owner, Henry Yeh, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla violated the privacy of its customers, allowing employees to access highly invasive videos and images recorded by the customers’ car cameras between 2019 and 2022. The lawsuit claims that the employees accessed these videos for “tasteless and tortious entertainment” and “the humiliation of those surreptitiously recorded.” Yeh’s attorney, Jack Fitzgerald, stated that Yeh was outraged at the idea that Tesla’s cameras could be used to violate his…

BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has officially launched its premium Yangwang brand just three months ago, and now it is set to showcase one of its models at the Shanghai Auto Show, which is scheduled to run from April 18-27. The U9 electric supercar will be on display at the event and will be available for viewing by the general public from April 22-27. The Yangwang U9, which will be priced in the range of RMB 1 million ($145,400), has the capability of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. BYD had revealed earlier…

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has made it clear in a recent podcast interview that the company has no plans to adopt Apple’s CarPlay platform. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, known for its highly anticipated R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, is one of the most notable CarPlay holdouts alongside Tesla. During the podcast interview with Marques Brownlee, Scaringe was asked about Rivian’s decision to not offer CarPlay support. Brownlee highlighted a statistic shared by Apple at WWDC 2022, which stated that 79% of US car buyers only consider CarPlay-capable vehicles. Scaringe explained that Rivian’s decision was driven by its desire…

ALD Automotive, the leasing and mobility subsidiary of Société Générale, and ChargePoint, a US-based electric vehicle (EV) charging network, have announced their plans to create an electric Mobility Service Provider (eMSP) dedicated to corporate fleet electrification. The new joint eMSP will be headquartered in the Paris region and aims to offer charging solutions across Europe for company fleets from the ChargePoint portfolio, including billing options. “This agreement expands our relationship with ALD Automotive and enables more businesses to electrify their fleets,” said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. The partnership between ALD Automotive and ChargePoint dates back to 2019 when the…

Sila Nanotechnologies, a California-based battery material specialist, has developed a breakthrough anode material called Titan Silicon, which is expected to provide electric vehicles with an additional 20% range today and double that advantage in the future. The new material will also significantly improve battery charging times, with charging periods potentially reduced to as low as 10 minutes, compared to the current 60 minutes required for a 10% to 80% charge. Sila also reports that Titan Silicon will reduce battery weight and size by 15% and 20%, respectively, compared to standard electric car batteries. Sila claims that its new material is…

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (Evergrande NEV), the electric vehicle (EV) division of China Evergrande Group, has released an over-the-air (OTA) update for its Hengchi 5 EV, despite announcing production risks two weeks ago. The update, which became available on April 3, includes the H-Pilot assisted driving system, 12 controller optimizations, 14 new features, and 25 functional optimizations. The H-Pilot system offers full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping on city streets and highways, as well as automatic emergency braking, cornering speed assist, and other safety features. The OTA upgrade is part of Evergrande NEV’s commitment to providing a better driving…

General Motors’ BrightDrop is making waves in the electric vehicle industry with its announcement that it has produced more than 500 Zevo 600 all-electric vans during the first quarter of 2023 at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada. What’s more, the first Canadian-built vehicles have already started shipping to customers just a few months after the manufacturing facility opened in December 2022. This is a significant milestone for BrightDrop, which initially produced a small number of vans in Michigan to jump-start the new brand. To make this achievement possible, GM invested $800 million to convert the plant in Canada…

IONETIC, a UK-based start-up specializing in electric vehicle (EV) battery pack technology, has announced the appointment of Dr. Andy Palmer as its Chairman. Dr. Palmer brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as COO and Chief Planning Officer of Nissan Motor Corporation, as well as President & Group CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda. During his time at Nissan, Dr. Palmer oversaw the development and introduction of the world’s first mass-market EVs, the Nissan LEAF and Nissan e-NV200. Now, he joins IONETIC to help the company drive innovation in the EV battery pack sector. IONETIC’s EV battery…

Fastned, a European fast charging station operator, has reported impressive growth in its charging-related revenues for the year 2022. According to its latest financial results, the company’s revenues almost tripled to €36 million in 2022, representing a 191% increase from the previous year. However, Fastned’s net loss for the year was €22.2 million, slightly less than the previous year’s loss of €24.6 million. Fastned attributed the net loss to its high investments in the expansion and improvement of its charging network. The company expanded its network by 59 locations to reach a total of 244 locations with 1,237 DC chargers.…

The Faraday Institution has awarded a total of £29 million to six research projects in Birmingham, all of which focus on battery recycling research. This funding will enable researchers to develop new, sustainable methods for recovering critical materials from used batteries. One of the funded projects is the Reuse and Recycling of Lithium Ion Batteries (ReLIB) project, which is working on developing a method for recovering valuable materials from electrodes using ultrasonic waves. According to the researchers involved in the project, this method is not only 100 times quicker than current separation methods, but also greener and leads to higher…