Author: Sibley Presley

Fraudsters exploited state subsidies for electric buses in France, embezzling up to €12 million through fictitious vehicle registrations, according to an investigation by the French daily Le Monde. The irregularities occurred between November 2022 and January 2023, with over half of the 600 registered electric buses reportedly non-existent. The scam leveraged loopholes in France’s state registration system, allowing perpetrators to submit false vehicle registrations to claim subsidies. The environment ministry acknowledged the fraud, noting that authorities quickly detected the scheme and limited the stolen funds to “well below €10 million.” However, Le Monde claims the amount could reach €12 million.…

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has unveiled proposals for additional export restrictions targeting technologies used in the production of battery components and the processing of critical metals like lithium and gallium. The draft regulations, released on Jan. 2, focus specifically on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries, as well as lithium carbonate extraction processes. These restrictions would extend beyond raw materials to include technologies critical to their processing. Public consultations on the proposals will be open until Feb. 1, but the timeline for their potential implementation remains unclear. China currently dominates global lithium processing, with…

Polish bus manufacturer Solaris has entered the North American market with an order from Seattle’s King County Metro for four battery-electric buses, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion. The order, which includes two 40-foot solo buses and two 60-foot articulated models, is set for delivery in the second half of 2026. Additionally, the agreement includes an option for King County Metro to purchase 12 more units. The buses will be built on a platform tailored to the North American market, incorporating Solaris’ advanced battery and propulsion technologies. While specific details of the U.S. versions remain undisclosed, Solaris highlighted…

MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor, has revealed plans to commence local vehicle production in Egypt, furthering its global expansion efforts. The announcement follows the signing of a strategic cooperation technical agreement with Mansour Group, a multinational conglomerate, on December 29. The agreement, which was formalized in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and senior SAIC executives, marks the official launch of the project. Under the terms of the agreement, MG will produce the new generation MG5 model at a newly constructed factory in Egypt, built by Mansour Group. “This partnership signifies a key milestone in MG…

Toyota’s bZ4X saw a 99% increase in sales in 2024, reaching 18,570 units, but continues to trail behind competitors in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market. Despite the significant growth, Toyota’s EV performance is still behind that of brands such as Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia. In 2024, Toyota’s total U.S. electrified vehicle sales surpassed 1 million, largely driven by hybrid models. However, the bZ4X’s performance is modest in comparison to rivals. Honda sold over 33,000 Prologues, and Nissan’s Ariya and LEAF both outpaced the bZ4X. To enhance the bZ4X’s competitiveness, Toyota has reduced the price of the 2025 model…

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has introduced a new electric vehicle (EV) platform, the Bedrock chassis, designed to offer exceptional safety performance. The Bedrock chassis is built to absorb up to 85% of collision energy, a significant improvement over conventional chassis, which typically absorb around 60%. CATL claims the chassis can withstand a high-speed impact of up to 120 km/h without catching fire or exploding. The Bedrock chassis uses CATL’s cell-to-chassis technology, integrating battery cells directly into the vehicle’s structure to enhance rigidity and safety. This innovative design is said to make the chassis “virtually impervious” to damage, thanks to the…

Luxeed, the brand jointly established by Huawei and Chinese automaker Chery, has introduced extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants of its R7 coupe SUV, aiming to broaden its appeal to more consumers. The new models, Pro and Max, were launched on Wednesday with starting prices of RMB 249,800 ($34,230) and RMB 289,800, respectively. Deliveries will commence on January 5. The Luxeed R7 initially debuted on September 24 with battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants starting at RMB 259,800. As the first coupe SUV developed under Huawei’s HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) business, the R7 follows the brand’s S7 sedan, offering advanced mobility…

The 2025 Rivian R1S has achieved a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), marking it as the safest large SUV on American roads. This is an improvement over the previous iteration, which received a Top Safety Pick rating. The 2025 R1S earned “Good” ratings across all subcategories in the IIHS crash tests, with the exception of headlights, which were rated as “Acceptable.” The vehicle performed particularly well in the updated Moderate overlap front crash test, receiving “Good” ratings in all areas except for driver leg and foot protection, which was rated as “Adequate.” In…

Swedish airport operator Swedavia has entered into a partnership with Finnish EV infrastructure provider Virta to modernize and manage electric vehicle charging stations across its airports. The agreement will connect all 800 existing charging points at Swedavia airports to the Virta Hub platform, enabling streamlined management and advanced energy solutions. Virta’s platform will introduce features such as smart energy management, flexible billing, and tools for optimizing charging operations. One significant change is the implementation of a new charging payment system, separating charging fees from parking costs for increased transparency. According to Virta, these changes will improve the overall experience for…

Synopsys, a leading provider of chip-design software based in Silicon Valley, has entered into a partnership with startup SiMa.ai to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) chips tailored for the automotive industry. The announcement, made on Tuesday, marks a significant step in enhancing AI capabilities in vehicles, particularly electric vehicles (EVs), where chip energy consumption competes with the car’s drive systems for battery power. SiMa.ai, also headquartered in Silicon Valley, specializes in creating energy-efficient hardware and software designed to manage various AI functions critical for modern cars. These include technologies like computer vision, used in driver-assistance systems to prevent…

The U.S. Energy Department announced on Monday the completion of a $9.63 billion loan to Blue Oval SK, a joint venture between Ford Motor and South Korea’s SK On, to support the construction of three electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. This marks the largest loan ever issued under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program, surpassing the $9.2 billion conditional commitment announced in June 2023. Blue Oval SK’s facilities will enable over 120 gigawatt hours of annual battery production in the United States, significantly expanding domestic EV manufacturing capacity. The $9.63 billion loan will aid…

China FAW Group’s Hongqi brand has partnered with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) to advance battery swap technology, becoming the second automaker within a month to adopt CATL’s Choco-SEB battery swap system. The partnership, announced on December 14, includes CATL subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES). Under the agreement, the three companies will work together to integrate the Choco-SEB battery swap technology into Hongqi’s vehicle lineup and develop battery swap services and asset operations. “This collaboration aims to promote convenient and safe battery swap-enabled models while accelerating the transition to electrified mobility and low-carbon lifestyles,” Hongqi stated. The…