Author: Sibley Presley

Porsche, the renowned German automaker, is challenging the popular one-pedal driving feature that many electric vehicles offer today. Instead, they suggest a more efficient method to increase the range of an electric car – coasting. By disengaging the electric motors and reducing drag, the car can carry on without using much energy, making it a more natural process. One-pedal driving, on the other hand, recuperates energy first and only then converts it back into propulsion, resulting in twice the losses. Porsche claims that coasting is a more efficient way of driving as it keeps the kinetic energy in the vehicle,…

British electric vehicle (EV) fleet solutions provider, EO Charging, has secured approximately $80 million in equity investment from Vortex Energy and Zouk Capital to fund its US expansion. The company is known for its stronghold in the UK market, with clients including Amazon, DHL, Uber, and Tesco, and has been listed among the fastest-growing companies by the Financial Times. EO Charging says it has deployed over 80,000 chargers to businesses and consumers globally, and it takes a leading position in the UK. See also: Einride received total $500 Million in funding to Accelerate deployment of sustainable freight mobility Founded in…

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, Nio Inc, is planning to build a new factory in Chuzhou city in China’s Anhui province, to produce affordable electric vehicles (EVs) under a new brand, for export to Europe as early as next year. The move comes as EV sales in China, the world’s largest auto market, have weakened significantly following the end of state subsidies for EV purchases. According to insiders familiar with the matter, Nio intends to expand its product line-up and overseas sales with a series of new affordable EVs, to be developed under projects codenamed “Firefly” and “Alps”, and launched under…

Tesla has significantly reduced the price of the CCS Combo 1 (CCS1) charging adapter in the United States and Canada. This adapter allows Tesla drivers to charge their cars at CCS1 chargers operated by third-party charging networks. The adapter was launched in September 2022 in the US (and in October 2021 in South Korea), priced at $250. However, Tesla has now lowered the price to $175, a 30% reduction that will likely prompt more Tesla drivers to order one as a backup for using CCS1 chargers. See also: Tesla add new CCS Combo 1 Adapter, allowing access fast charging stations…

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is furthering its commitment to decarbonizing the construction industry by investing SEK 80 million (approximately €7.1 million) in battery pack production at its excavator plant in Changwon, South Korea. The investment will help add a 2,500-square-meter facility to produce various battery packs for the Volvo Group, with battery pack production scheduled to start in June 2024. The Volvo plant in Changwon is the biggest excavator factory in Volvo CE’s production network, manufacturing over half of the company’s global output. While a large electric excavator is not yet available as a serial vehicle, the Changwon plant…

Ricardo, a global environmental and engineering consulting company, has launched a project funded by the European Union to establish a single life cycle assessment (LCA) approach for zero emission vehicles (ZEV) and batteries across Europe. The project is part of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and has received funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Currently, there is no agreed European or international standard on vehicle life cycle assessment. This poses challenges in providing transparency and comparability of impacts from these products. To address this issue, Ricardo is leading a collaborative TranSensus LCA consortium, which includes 44 stakeholders from industry…

In 2023, General Motors (GM) plans to accelerate its electric vehicle (EV) strategy by introducing seven Ultium-based EVs, in addition to the Bolt EV and EUV, as part of its efforts to revamp its supply chain for the future. At the Wolfe Global Auto, Auto Tech, and Auto Consumer Conference, CEO Mary Barra emphasized GM’s transformation and investments, which she believes will give it an edge over rivals and bring it closer to overtaking Tesla. Barra highlighted GM’s dedicated electric vehicle platform, the Ultium EV architecture, which she believes is one of the company’s primary advantages over other legacy automakers.…

ServCity, autonomous driving project backed by Nissan and the UK government, has recently concluded after successfully completing 1,600 test miles in Greenwich, London. The project used a Nissan LEAF electric car to develop a “blueprint” for integrating self-driving vehicles into cities and testing the feasibility of “robotaxi” services. Robert Bateman, Nissan Project Manager for ServCity, said that the project’s completion marked a significant step towards the future deployment of autonomous mobility. “With more than 115 people involved and almost 16,000 working days clocked up across the consortia during the lifetime of the project, ServCity represents an important step towards future…

Ford has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that could enable multiple electrified vehicles to charge on a single charger. The technology aims to combine vehicle-to-everything communication with bidirectional charging, allowing battery-electric vehicles (BEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) to be charged at once, either individually or in order of preference. The patent proposes that future Ford electric vehicles be equipped with two charge port assemblies. One port would be used traditionally to replenish the vehicle’s battery pack, while the other would serve as a plug socket, allowing another vehicle to be charged. Alternatively,…

Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC) has recently announced the launch of a groundbreaking new chassis-cab, designed specifically for next-generation electric light commercial vehicles. Known as the WATT eCV1, this innovative and flexible 3.5-tonne cab and chassis unit represents the first in a line of multiple commercial vehicle offerings from WEVC. The eCV1 has been created using the company’s breakthrough, proprietary PACES architecture. This modular electric vehicle platform complies with ISO regulations and exceeds European Small Series Type Approval safety standards, allowing for a wide range of electric commercial vehicle designs that can be tailored to meet specific fleet requirements. See…

Regio, a leading Swedish property company, and IONITY, a high-power charging (HPC) network operator, have announced a strategic partnership to build 12 new charging stations with 108 public high-power charging points across Sweden. The stations will be located at retail sites on key highway junctions, making it easy for both long-distance travelers and EV owners to access fast, public charging. With charging capacity of up to 350 kW, EV drivers will be able to recharge their batteries to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes. The 12 new sites will provide a significant boost to Sweden’s rapidly growing EV charging…

Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco has reported a significant increase in its order book for 2022, with a total of 1,474 buses contracted, up from 325 at the end of 2021. The company has also provided some preliminary figures ahead of the release of its full-year results on 29 March 2023. In Europe, 78 Ebusco battery-electric buses were registered in 2022, and the company says it has made progress in transitioning the Ebusco 3.0 from prototype production to serial production. See also: Ebusco receives order for 19 Ebusco 3.0 electric buses from Nobina Group Despite challenges in the labour market…