Author: Sibley Presley

Panasonic, a prominent player in the electric vehicle (EV) battery industry, has ambitious plans to boost its annual production capacity for EV battery cells to 200 GWh by March 2031. This target represents a quadruple increase compared to its current production capacity. To achieve this goal, Panasonic has set its sights on expanding its production operations in North America. According to a spokesperson from the company who spoke with Reuters, Panasonic intends to construct a minimum of two new factories dedicated to the production of 4680 battery cells by the year 2030. During a strategy presentation, Panasonic’s CEO, Yuki Kusumi,…

Audi has announced the availability of its new high-performance flagship model, the SQ8 e-tron, in the UK. The starting price for the vehicle is £97,500 (OTR). As part of the Q8 e-tron lineup, the SQ8 e-tron comes in both SUV and Sportback body styles, with the options of ‘Black Edition’ and ‘Vorsprung’ versions. It features a standard triple electric motor setup that delivers 370 kW of power and 973 Nm of torque. Both the SQ8 e-tron and SQ8 Sportback e-tron are equipped with a 106kWh (net) battery, offering a range of up to 276 miles (WLTP). The SUV variant can…

BluSmart Mobility, an Indian ride-hailing startup focused solely on electric vehicles (EVs), has secured a significant investment of $42m to expand its fleet and infrastructure. The funding round was led by BP Ventures, the investment arm of British oil and gas company BP, and included support from existing investors Mayfield India Fund, Survam Partners, and 9Unicorns. BluSmart aims to more than double its fleet and bolster its position in the Indian market with the cash injection. BluSmart made headlines earlier this year when it signed an agreement with Tata Motors to buy up to 10,000 T EV sedans. The vehicles…

Electric car manufacturer Fisker is teaming up with US battery exchange start-up Ample to offer its debut model, the Fisker Ocean, with replaceable batteries. The joint development is already underway, and the goal is to have the first Fisker Ocean with a battery swap system available by the first quarter of 2024. The Fisker Ocean recently received sales approval for Europe, and the first models will be delivered soon, but they will not yet have the exchangeable battery. However, the partnership with Ample will broaden the vehicle use case for Fisker’s customers, according to Henrik Fisker, chairman and CEO of…

ZeroAvia, a company specializing in electric aircraft propulsion, has teamed up with Absolut Hydrogen, a Grenoble-based company that develops liquid hydrogen systems for mobility, to evaluate liquid hydrogen production, storage, and refueling at airports. The partnership will work together to build and demonstrate liquid hydrogen liquefaction and storage in an airport context. The aim is to explore the technological developments, operational concepts, safety procedures, and standards for large-scale deployment to deliver liquid hydrogen on aircraft. See also: Oregon State University and Daimler Partner to Develop Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Heavy-Duty Truck ZeroAvia’s first certified powertrains for an aircraft with up to…

Skoda has recently unveiled a new entry-level version of the Enyaq iV electric SUV in Europe, priced under $44,000 (40,000 euros). Skoda’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Martin Jahn, explained that the move was partly aimed at countering Tesla’s price reductions that began in January. Jahn stated that “Of course, it is in response to Tesla price cuts, but also some markets were asking us to bring a cheaper car with a shorter range.” Tesla’s Model Y, which is the best-selling EV on the continent and the best-selling car overall in Q1 2023, now has a starting price of around…

Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained popularity in recent years as a cleaner and more efficient mode of transportation. The Tesla Model Y is one such EV that has garnered a lot of attention due to its sleek design and advanced features. However, a recent study published by iSeeCars suggests that the Model Y may not be as reliable as its reputation suggests. The study analyzed data from over 30 million cars sold between 1981 and 2021 and estimated the number of recalls each vehicle model is likely to experience over a 30-year lifespan. The results were surprising, with the Tesla…

The automotive industry has been shifting towards electric vehicles (EVs) for years, with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) serving as a bridge between internal combustion engines (ICEs) and fully electric cars. Popular automakers such as Toyota, Volvo, and BMW have developed numerous PHEV models, allowing drivers hesitant to go fully electric to experience EV technology. However, the latest report from the US Department of Energy indicates that battery-electric vehicle (BEV) models have surpassed PHEVs for the first time since 2014. The number of available BEV models increased from 20 to 38 in just one year, while the number of PHEV models dropped…

Tesla has recently re-enabled remote and automatic window functions in vehicles after previously removing them to comply with NHTSA regulations. The update, which is being pushed to affected vehicles, does not require an actual software update to be installed. Earlier this year, Tesla removed certain remote and automatic window functions in nearly 1.1 million vehicles following an over-the-air recall to correct an issue with the automatic window reversal system. These features included the ability to remotely control windows through the app, automatic window closure upon locking the vehicle, and automatic window closure during Car Wash Mode. However, not all owners…

XPeng, a leading smart electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in China, has unveiled its SEPA 2.0 architecture, which is expected to accelerate the inclusion of its smart technologies. These include the XNGP Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), Xmart OS in-car operating system, and X-EEA electrical and electronic architecture. With the SEPA 2.0 architecture, XPeng aims to increase the overall R&D efficiency of its in-house developed full-scenario ADAS solution, XNGP, by 30 percent. In addition, the cost of ADAS software model adaptation is expected to be reduced by 70 percent. XNGP is the ultimate form of driver assistance, and all of XPeng’s…

Proterra Inc has made a significant breakthrough in the adoption of sustainable energy solutions with the launch of its new fleet and energy management software platform, Valence. The Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) has become the first customer of the innovative platform that will optimise commercial electric vehicle fleet deployments. Valence is a cloud-based, software-as-a-service platform that offers comprehensive solutions to commercial electric vehicle fleet operators, including tools for data analytics and reporting, vehicle and charger diagnostics, charger optimisation, and energy management. By leveraging smart energy management capabilities, Valence aims to improve the total cost of ownership for electric vehicle fleet…

XPeng, the Chinese EV manufacturer, has unveiled its new vehicle technology architecture, SEPA (Smart Electric Platform Architecture) 2.0, in a bid to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market. The company’s latest platform was unveiled at a launch event in Shanghai, ahead of the city’s annual auto show. The automaker said the new architecture would support XPeng’s full-stack in-house development from autonomous driving software to vehicle engineering. The introduction of SEPA 2.0 will shorten the R&D cycle for future models by 20%, while optimizing development efficiency significantly. One of the key benefits of the new architecture is the interoperability and…