Author: Moira Shortle

Zeekr, a luxury electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer owned by Chinese company Geely, is set to make its European debut in 2024. Having sold an impressive 71,941 vehicles in China last year alone, Zeekr is well-financed and able to invest heavily in its rapid expansion. Currently, Zeekr offers two EV models: the 001 wagon and the 009 MPV, with the upcoming Zeekr X crossover set to enter production later this year. The Zeekr 001 is particularly impressive, as it can be equipped with a massive 140 kWh battery that delivers a staggering 641-mile range. The standard 86 kWh battery is also…

The UK government has announced an additional investment of over £380 million in the development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles as part of a major energy package. This is a significant step towards achieving the government’s target of a zero-emission transport system by 2050. In addition, the UK government has launched the final consultation on the “ZEV mandate,” which is aimed at enshrining in law the planned combustion vehicle phase-out for new cars in the UK from 2035. The consultation will run until 24 May 2023 and is intended to pave the way for the transition to a zero-emission…

BYD, one of the world’s largest producers of electric vehicles, has decided against entering the highly competitive U.S. automotive market, despite having ample funds at its disposal. Wang Chuanfu, the founder of the Chinese automaker, stated that the company is in a “full expansion phase” for new energy vehicles, including electric, hydrogen, and plug-in hybrids. Although BYD has quintupled its net income in 2022 and sold a record number of EVs, the automaker does not plan to challenge Tesla in its home market. Reuters reports that BYD controls 41% of new energy vehicle sales in China, while Tesla, which only…

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer NIO has begun delivering its ET5 electric sedan in Europe, marking the latest expansion in its efforts to gain a foothold in the global EV market. According to the company’s Chinese and European versions of the NIO App, the first deliveries of the ET5 were made in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands on March 31. NIO co-founder and president Qin Lihong was present in Germany to witness the first ET5 deliveries there. However, the company has not yet released any information on delivery figures. NIO first launched the ET7, ET5, and EL7 (known as the…

In a significant step towards sustainable battery recycling, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a process that recovers up to 70% of lithium from used batteries without the use of corrosive chemicals or high temperatures. The groundbreaking process involves a mechanochemical reaction that takes place at room temperature using aluminium as a reducing agent. This eliminates the need for prior sorting of materials and allows for the cost-effective and environmentally friendly recycling of different commercially available lithium-ion batteries. Lead author of the publication, Oleksandr Dolotko, explains that the method is suitable for recovering lithium from cathode…

ZSW, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Baden-Württemberg, has made a groundbreaking discovery in the production of cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. The researchers have replaced toxic solvents with water in the production process, making it a safer, more environmentally-friendly and cheaper process. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles, rely on materials with a high proportion of nickel in the cathode mass to increase their energy density. However, the production of these cathodes requires toxic solvents and chemicals, which can have a negative impact on both the environment and human health. The use of water and…

Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturer, in partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE), has launched the ‘Battery Workforce Challenge’, a three-year engineering competition that aims to inspire budding engineers at vocational schools and universities across North America to design and develop advanced electric vehicle batteries. The competition seeks to foster STEM degrees by providing participants with valuable hands-on experience in advanced battery design, simulation, controls development, testing, and vehicle integration and demonstration. The Battery Workforce Challenge invites eleven teams to participate, with applications being accepted by the Argonne National Laboratory from colleges and universities. The educational institutions must have…

Lilium, a German air taxi developer, announced on Tuesday that it is actively seeking new funding as it accelerates its battery-cell production. The company is competing in a crowded market for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles, hoping to replace road trips or short hops by aircraft or helicopters. Lilium’s innovative design includes a system of tilting electric turbofans embedded in the wings, which it claims will be quieter than open rotors from rivals. The company plans a cruise speed of 250 km or 155 miles per hour, making it an attractive option for those looking for faster and…

VinFast has recently delivered the first batch of 27 VF 9 all-electric SUVs to customers in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. This comes almost a year after the VF 9 was first introduced to the public, and marks an important milestone for VinFast in its efforts to expand globally. The initial batch of VF 9s delivered to customers in Vietnam features a 6-seat configuration with two captain’s seats in the second row. The vehicle boasts a host of premium features including a panoramic glass roof (Plus version), integrated massage function with heated and ventilated front seats (Plus…

Spain is set to launch two simultaneous tenders in July to select recipients for 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) of EU funds for electric vehicle (EV) and battery production that were not allocated last year. This decision comes after the Spanish government failed to allocate 27% of its 2.9 billion euro ($3.12 billion) budget for the aid programme, known as PERTE. The initial programme had many restrictions, including the need to submit a joint bid of large and smaller companies and a short timeline to use the funds. The revamped programme is more flexible, allowing for individual bids with simpler…

Akima Intra-Data, a subsidiary of the Alaskan native-owned Akima LLC, and its partner CBRE, a leading provider of commercial real estate services, have been awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the General Services Administration (GSA) to support the installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and related infrastructure improvements at federal agency locations in the Western United States. This announcement comes after a recent executive action that set a goal of acquiring 100 percent zero-emission vehicles by 2035, which includes the installation of a zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure for the federal fleet. The Akima-CBRE partnership aims to…

Tata Motors, the Indian car manufacturer, has announced a major fleet order for its electric cars. OHM E Logistics, a taxi company based in Hyderabad, has ordered 1,000 units of Tata’s XPRES T EV compact electric car, which will be delivered in stages. This order is the latest in a series of large fleet orders that Tata has received for its electric cars. Tata Motors launched its subsidiary, XPRES, in July 2021 to cater to fleet customers. The XPRES T EV was the first vehicle model launched by the subsidiary. According to Tata Motors’ own figures, it has already delivered…