Author: Moira Shortle

Metlink, the public transport provider for Wellington, New Zealand, has added 16 new battery-electric buses (BEBs) to its fleet, replacing 10 older diesel models. This expansion brings the total number of electric buses in the fleet to 119, marking a significant step towards Metlink’s 2030 goal of full electrification. With the addition of these buses, Metlink’s fleet is now 25 percent electrified. See also: Gijón’s EMTUSA Orders Four Irizar Electric Buses as Fleet Electrification Expands The new BEVs will be in service by the end of April and will operate on several routes around the city, including route 2 and…

Volkswagen said on Wednesday it will keep vehicle prices unchanged through the end of May, becoming the latest automaker to reassure consumers amid growing concerns that potential tariffs could drive up prices. The announcement follows similar commitments from other car manufacturers seeking to ease shopper anxiety and sustain sales momentum. Earlier this month, Hyundai Motor said it would maintain current sticker prices on its vehicles through June 2. See also: Volkswagen Q1 Profit Falls 40% on Emissions Fines, U.S. Tariff Impact U.S. carmakers have also responded with pricing strategies aimed at boosting demand. Ford Motor and Stellantis introduced significant discounts…

Waste management firm PreZero has placed an order for 35 battery-electric trucks from Volvo Trucks, marking the company’s largest investment in electric vehicles to date. The order follows earlier deployments of Volvo electric trucks by PreZero in 2022 and an additional batch of 30 units ordered in 2024. The new order includes 24 Volvo FM Low Entry Electric trucks, 10 Volvo FM Electric trucks, and one Volvo FL Electric vehicle. All trucks will feature Volvo’s Dynamic Steering (VDS) system, designed to enhance maneuverability and reduce driver fatigue. Delivery timelines for the vehicles were not disclosed. See also: DFDS Expands Electric…

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann warned on Tuesday that escalating tariffs in the United States and stringent emissions regulations in the European Union pose significant risks to the automotive sector, as the company continues its search for a new chief executive. Speaking at the group’s annual shareholders’ meeting, Elkann said that current policy directions in major Western markets could jeopardize the competitiveness of local car manufacturers. “With the current path of painful tariffs and overly rigid regulations, the American and European car industries are being put at risk,” Elkann said. See also: Stellantis Narrows CEO Search to Five Candidates Amidst Industry…

Norwegian battery materials company Vianode has secured a 400 million Norwegian kroner (€33.4 million) loan from Innovation Norway, aimed at accelerating the company’s expansion of sustainable anode graphite production. The financing will support Vianode’s first large-scale industrial facility, “Via ONE”, at Herøya Industrial Park, as well as a technology centre in Kristiansand and its Oslo headquarters. The loan is part of Innovation Norway’s Green Industry Financing program and is granted under market terms, ensuring compliance with EFTA regulations. It will be supplemented by additional investment from Vianode’s co-owner Altor. Vianode, which started operations in 2021, is now jointly owned by…

The Singapore Police Force will begin using electric vehicles for the first time with the deployment of 19 Polestar 2 units scheduled for the second half of 2025. The introduction of the EV fleet marks a significant step in the country’s broader efforts to adopt sustainable transportation within public sector operations. The dual motor, all-wheel-drive Polestar 2 models were selected through a public tender process in 2023, with Wearnes Automotive, Polestar’s local distributor, securing the contract with a winning bid of S$3.8 million (approximately €2.5 million). Competing bids included models such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, BYD Seal, and BMW…

Pony.AI, an autonomous driving technology company, has been granted a permit by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works to test its Level 4 Robotaxi. This development also marks the launch of the company’s first European research and testing hub in Luxembourg. The permit allows Pony.AI to conduct tests on vehicles that operate autonomously without the need for a human driver in certain conditions. To facilitate its entry into the European market, Pony.AI has partnered with Emile Weber, a major Luxembourg-based transportation company, to adapt its technology to local infrastructure and regulations. See also: Pony.AI Opens European R&D Center in…

Scania, the Swedish truckmaker owned by Volkswagen (VOWG.DE), has agreed to acquire Northvolt’s battery systems division for heavy industry, marking the first asset sale following Northvolt’s recent bankruptcy, the company said. The acquisition revives a deal first announced in February, when Scania had offered $6 million for Northvolt Systems Industrial. That transaction was delayed after Northvolt, once hailed as Europe’s answer to Asian electric vehicle battery makers, filed for bankruptcy last month in one of Sweden’s largest corporate collapses. See also: Scania, DHL to Deploy Extended Range Electric Truck for Parcel Transport in Germany Scania, a stakeholder and long-time customer…

Iveco Bus will supply a total of 13 hydrogen-powered buses to two French municipalities, with deliveries scheduled for completion by 2026, the company said on Wednesday. The Urban Community of Dunkirk has ordered ten units, while the Grand Annecy Agglomeration will receive three. All vehicles are the Heuliez GX 337 H2 Linium model, a 12-metre-long hydrogen bus first introduced in 2023. See also: Iveco Bus Secures Largest Electric Bus Order in Germany with 580-Bus Deal Each bus can accommodate up to 110 passengers and is powered by a 100 kW Hyundai fuel cell in combination with a 69 kWh battery…

Lucid has acquired select assets from Nikola Corporation’s bankruptcy proceedings, including a manufacturing plant in Coolidge, Arizona, and Nikola’s former headquarters in Phoenix. The electric vehicle manufacturer said it will offer employment to more than 300 former Nikola staff as part of the acquisition. The $30 million transaction, comprising cash and non-cash considerations, is subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Lucid noted that the purchase does not include Nikola’s business operations, customer relationships, or technology related to hydrogen fuel cell trucks. See also: Lucid to Add Android Auto to Gravity SUV by September,…

Four Volvo electric vehicles have delivered electricity back to the local power grid in Gothenburg, Sweden, marking the successful completion of a pilot project exploring vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The project, launched in November 2023 by Volvo Cars and local energy provider Göteborg Energi, aimed to demonstrate how electric vehicles can support grid stability. The four Volvo EVs, including at least one EX40, supplied a total of 111 kWh of energy during two events in March, according to a joint statement from the companies. The vehicles were connected using AC wallboxes, selected for their accessibility and cost-effectiveness for everyday users. See…

Taiwan’s Foxconn is looking to deepen its presence in Japan’s electric vehicle (EV) market and hopes to establish partnerships with Japanese automakers in the near term, a senior executive said on Wednesday. “Automakers are scattered all over the world,” said Jun Seki, Foxconn’s Chief Strategy Officer for EVs, at a seminar in Tokyo outlining the company’s EV strategy. “We will of course work with all of these customers, but there are several points where we feel we have a strong affinity with Japan,” Seki added. See also: Foxconn to Outline EV Strategy in Japan Amid Mitsubishi Deal The electronics manufacturing…

The Canadian province of Manitoba has announced a C$500,000 (€458,000) investment through its Climate Action Fund to install 51 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the province. The funding aims to expand charging infrastructure in both urban centres and underserved regions, in a bid to support the growing number of EV users and promote emissions reduction. According to the provincial government, 39 of the new chargers will be located in cities such as Brandon and Morden, as well as in various rural, northern, and Indigenous communities. A further 12 chargers will be installed at three multi-unit residential developments, improving…

Ford has rolled out a suite of new incentives for electric vehicle buyers in the UK, including free home chargers and installation, as it seeks to regain momentum in the European EV market and support the launch of its electric Puma model. The initiative, known as the “Ford Power Promise,” mirrors a program first introduced in the United States last year and has now been extended to other markets, including Canada and the UK. Under the UK scheme, Ford is offering a complimentary wall box charger with standard installation, a home energy credit of up to 10,000 miles, and an…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Li Auto has made its debut in the Philippines, marking its first official presence in Southeast Asia as the company steps up its global expansion strategy, according to reports from several Philippine media outlets. Li Auto is showcasing two of its extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) — the mid-size Li L7 and full-size flagship Li L9 SUVs — through local distributor HomeAuto Inc. The display is being held at SM Mall of Asia from April 4 to April 10, ahead of the planned opening of a showroom in Bonifacio Global City. See also: Li Auto Sets 700,000…

Swiss company Libattion has opened what it says is Europe’s largest facility for upcycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries into stationary energy storage systems, aiming to meet rising demand and reduce reliance on raw materials through local production. The new 7,000-square-meter facility, located in Biberist between Bern and Basel, is designed to reach an annual capacity of 500 megawatt-hours (MWh) by 2026, with the potential to scale up to 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh), the company said on Sunday. Current output levels were not disclosed. See also: Libattion Raises 14 Million Euros to Expand Sustainable Energy Solutions Libattion specializes in repurposing used or…

Carbon Robotics has introduced the Carbon AutoTractor, a new autonomous tractor system that combines artificial intelligence with real-time remote oversight. Designed as a retrofit for existing John Deere 6R and 8R Series tractors, the solution allows farmers to automate routine field operations while retaining the ability to supervise and intervene remotely. The AutoTractor is intended to address labor shortages and operational inefficiencies by minimizing downtime and enabling continuous work. It is compatible with Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder and can be used for a range of agricultural tasks including plowing, mowing, and tilling. Installation can be completed in under 24 hours without…

South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, a key electric vehicle (EV) battery supplier to General Motors and Tesla, projected a 138% increase in its quarterly operating profit on Monday, though it reported an underlying loss when excluding U.S. tax credits. The company estimated an operating profit of 374.7 billion won ($255.2 million) for the January-March period, up from 157.3 billion won a year earlier and significantly higher than the 29 billion won forecast by LSEG SmartEstimate, which prioritizes the most accurate analysts. However, without the benefits of tax credits from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, LG Energy Solution said it would…

Wayve, a British startup specializing in Embodied AI, has unveiled GAIA-2, a next-generation generative video model designed to simulate complex driving environments for the development and testing of assisted and autonomous driving systems. GAIA-2 produces synthetic driving data that mimics real-world conditions while offering high levels of control and realism. The model aims to reduce dependence on real-world data collection by enabling developers to generate diverse and safety-critical scenarios on demand. See also: UK’s Wayve to Open Self-Driving Tech Hub in Germany, Expands Testing Fleet “GAIA-2 provides a way to systematically and controllably test safety-critical edge-case data in a virtual…

Drive-by-Wire and Safety-by-Wire® systems developed by Arnold NextG and NX NextMotion are gaining ground in the mining sector as companies seek to improve operational safety and efficiency in high-risk environments. The technology enables autonomous and teleoperated control of heavy machinery, reducing exposure of workers to dangerous conditions such as high temperatures, toxic gases, and unstable terrain. The systems are already being deployed in a variety of applications, including self-driving haulage trucks from manufacturers like Caterpillar, Komatsu, and Liebherr; teleoperated drilling rigs from Epiroc and Sandvik; and remote-controlled bulldozers and loaders used in stockpile management by Komatsu and Hitachi. These solutions…