Author: Robin Cannon

Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has appointed Paul O’Donnell, an expert in corporate restructuring, to lead its Northvolt Ett factory in Skellefteå as the company confronts mounting production setbacks and financial difficulties. This strategic move comes as the factory, Northvolt’s sole active cell production site, struggles to meet quality and output targets. Despite being operational since late 2021, the Northvolt Ett plant has faced significant hurdles in scaling up production. While an internal goal of 51,000 cells per week was circulated earlier this year, the factory has reportedly only achieved this output once in recent months. The company has since acknowledged…

The University of Warwick has teamed up with charging infrastructure company Zest to install 78 electric vehicle (EV) charging points across its campus. The collaboration is part of a 15-year agreement under which Zest will manage and maintain the facilities following an investment of £1.3 million. George Saxon, Head of Transport Systems & Operations at the University of Warwick, expressed enthusiasm for the project: “We have been delighted to partner with Zest on this significant step towards sustainable transport solutions on our campus. The new charging facilities align with our commitment to reducing carbon emissions and supporting those transitioning to…

Car plants under construction by China’s BYD and Germany’s BMW in Hungary are expected to commence production in the latter half of 2025, providing a potential boost to the country’s economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff stated on Thursday. Hungary has positioned itself as a major trade and investment partner for China under Orban’s leadership, diverging from the approach of some EU nations that are exploring ways to reduce dependence on the world’s second-largest economy. In Europe, Germany remains Hungary’s largest trading partner, with several car manufacturers already operating in the country. “The optimism for next year’s economic…

Tesla’s Model S Plaid has long been considered the benchmark for electric performance sedans, known for its remarkable speed and capability, often defeating traditional gas-powered supercars in drag races. However, a new competitor from Lucid Motors, the $250,000 Air Sapphire, has raised the stakes, prompting a showdown to see if it can best the Tesla in a real-world performance test. Edmunds Cars conducted the comparison, focusing on a U-styled drag race that not only measures straight-line acceleration but also challenges the vehicles’ braking and cornering abilities. This setup provided a more holistic view of the two sedans’ performance, testing not…

Ford Motor Company has announced a reduction in work hours at its electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing facility in Cologne, citing lower-than-expected demand for EVs in Germany. A spokesperson for Ford explained that the company is making temporary adjustments to production volumes at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Centre to align with the current market situation. Ford has applied for Germany’s short-time work scheme, a furlough initiative supported by the Federal Employment Agency, to implement reduced hours for three weeks at the plant. Under the scheme, workers will receive government support for a portion of their salaries while avoiding job cuts. The…

Xpeng announced on social media platform Weibo that it has commenced volume deliveries of its newly launched electric sedan, the P7+, across China, beginning November 11. Vehicles are arriving at Xpeng’s delivery centers nationwide, as the company seeks to meet robust demand following last week’s launch of the model. Unveiled on November 7, the P7+ starts at RMB 186,800 ($26,000), which is RMB 23,000 (11%) below its initial pre-sale price. Xpeng has streamlined its offerings for this model, providing two standard variants priced at RMB 186,800 and RMB 198,800. A limited edition, priced at RMB 218,800, sold out quickly with…

Waymo, Alphabet’s driverless ride-hailing division, has announced a new AI-based research model for autonomous driving, signaling its exploration into advanced multimodal approaches for self-driving vehicles. The model, named EMMA, is designed to process sensor data and real-world information for use in autonomous navigation. Currently, EMMA remains in the research phase and is not operationally deployed in Waymo’s vehicles, underscoring the company’s cautious approach to the technology. “EMMA is research that demonstrates the power and relevance of multimodal models for autonomous driving,” said Drago Anguelov, Waymo’s VP and Head of Research. EMMA leverages knowledge from Waymo’s Gemini language model, utilizing both…

Delta Electronics is providing around 800 UFC 200 ultra-fast chargers for an ambitious expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at McDonald’s locations across France, as part of a partnership with French charging network operator Izivia. The project, launched last year, aims to install over 2,000 charging points across 700 McDonald’s sites by 2025, bolstering France’s EV infrastructure. The charging stations, labeled as the ‘Izivia Fast’ network, were announced by Izivia, a subsidiary of French energy giant EDF, in November 2023. Delta’s UFC 200 chargers, each with a capacity of up to 200 kW, are equipped with two CCS and…

MojaEV is set to supply 100 NETA V electric vehicles to taxi drivers in Nairobi, marking a significant step in Kenya’s push toward electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This initiative is part of a broader plan by the company to deliver an additional 500 electric vehicles by mid-2025, contributing to the country’s ongoing efforts to electrify its transportation system. As of now, 20 of the 100 NETA V electric cars have been handed over to local taxi drivers, with the remaining vehicles expected to be delivered by the end of the year. This initiative comes at a time when Kenya is…

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have unveiled a new cathode design for lithium-ion batteries, potentially improving their performance and reducing production costs. This innovation builds on a previously developed NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) material, but with a key modification: the surface of the cathode is now enriched with cobalt, while the interior remains virtually cobalt-free. As a result, the use of cobalt has been significantly reduced, comprising only about two percent of the material compared to the typical ten to twenty percent. The new cathode design, known as the ‘dual-gradient’ structure, incorporates a composition gradient…

General Motors (GM) has officially surpassed 300,000 electric vehicle (EV) sales in the U.S. since 2016, announcing the milestone after recording its highest-ever quarterly sales in October. Across North America, GM has now sold over 370,000 all-electric vehicles, making significant strides in the growing EV market. In the third quarter, GM delivered a record 32,095 EVs in the U.S., overtaking competitors Ford and Hyundai to secure the position of the second-largest EV seller in the country. The increase in sales is attributed to a growing lineup of models across key segments, with options spanning from luxury vehicles, like the Cadillac…

Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, is set to launch its self-driving taxis in San Francisco and Las Vegas, as confirmed by CEO Jesse Levinson at a recent tech conference. Levinson announced that the purpose-built autonomous vehicles (AVs), which are unique in lacking traditional driving controls such as a steering wheel, will be ready for deployment in the “next few weeks.” The initial rollout will begin in the SoMa area of San Francisco, with plans to expand to other districts, while also introducing services on the Las Vegas Strip. The initial fleet will be small, comprising a few dozen Zoox…

Last Mile Solutions is taking a significant step forward by expanding its operations into the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, furthering its growth trajectory in Central and Eastern Europe. This move is complemented by a new initiative to strengthen their collaboration with Electra, a key player in the EV charging infrastructure sector. The company provides a robust management platform tailored for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and energy transactions, specifically designed for charging point operators (CPOs) and e-mobility service providers (eMSPs). Managing over 1 million active charge cards and processing approximately 3.5 million charging transactions each month, Last Mile Solutions…

The German Hydrogen Association (DWV) is set to undergo leadership changes in the wake of a lobbying scandal involving hydrogen project subsidies, with association head Werner Diwald slated to step down at the end of the year, according to a report by German business magazine Capital. Diwald has been implicated in the so-called “hydrogen affair,” which centers on Klaus Bonhoff, the former head of Policy Issues at Germany’s Ministry of Transport, who was dismissed earlier this year amid a political investigation. The scandal arose over approximately €1.5 million in funding granted to the DWV’s HyMobility innovation cluster. This allocation, intended…

Ford is planning a seven-week production halt for its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck, with the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center set to idle from November 15, 2024, through January 6, 2025, according to a report from Automotive News. The production pause will impact about 800 workers, including 750 hourly employees, as Ford recalibrates its output strategy. In a statement shared via email, Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch explained, “We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability.” Ford has previously adjusted F-150 Lightning production, reducing its hourly workforce by two-thirds earlier in 2024 to align with…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Li Auto posted strong third-quarter financial results, achieving record revenue and vehicle deliveries. However, fourth-quarter guidance seemed to underwhelm investors, despite the positive momentum. For the third quarter, Li Auto reported revenue of 42.9 billion yuan ($6.1 billion), surpassing analyst expectations of 41.27 billion yuan and exceeding its own forecast range of 39.4 billion to 42.2 billion yuan. This marks a 23.6% increase from the same period in 2023 and a 35.3% rise from the previous quarter. Vehicle sales contributed 41.3 billion yuan to the total revenue, up 22.9% year-on-year and 36.3% from the prior quarter,…

Denza, the premium brand under BYD, has shared interior design sketches of its anticipated Z9 sedan, set to go on sale next month. The sketches, released on Weibo, provide an initial glimpse into the vehicle’s interior layout, highlighting a center screen oriented in landscape mode and an elongated dashboard display situated in front of the steering wheel. Comfort features in the Z9’s rear seating include wide leg rests in two of the three rear seats, although it remains uncertain whether the final interior will match the depicted designs. Denza has already begun pre-sales for the Z9GT, another model in its…

Daimler Truck and Volvo Group have formally agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture aimed at developing a standardized, software-defined vehicle platform, with plans to launch the company in Gothenburg by mid-2025, pending regulatory approval. The joint company will focus on a standardized truck operating system and software development tools to support future commercial vehicles with enhanced digital capabilities. The joint venture will handle the specification and acquisition of high-performance control units designed to process large volumes of data for commercial vehicles. This platform is intended to allow other vehicle manufacturers to develop their own digital functions, which can be…

Mining group Eramet and its partner Suez have suspended plans for a battery recycling plant in northern France, citing an insufficient ramp-up in European battery production as a major constraint. The project, which was set to be located in Dunkirk’s Grand Port Maritime, included a dismantling facility and a hydrometallurgy plant, with a planned annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes of battery modules. Construction had been slated to begin in 2024. Eramet explained that without a sufficient supply of battery components like cathode materials, the plant’s operations would lack the raw materials needed to sustain battery recycling. “The required conditions for…

Uber has announced a partnership with Lotus to introduce a fleet of the Lotus Eletre Hyper Electric Vehicles (EVs) in London, promoting emissions-free transportation. From now until the end of November, users can book rides in an Eletre by selecting the Uber Green option in their app. Additionally, the rider who saves the most emissions during this period will be awarded free Uber Green rides for ten years. The Lotus Eletre is an all-electric Hyper SUV that debuted in 2022 after being teased in 2021. Following its launch, Lotus began production and deliveries in China and started taking orders for…