Author: Sibley Presley

Copenhagen-based Spirii has partnered with AI startup Lumina to introduce Charger Health, an intelligent maintenance platform designed to improve the performance and reliability of electric vehicle charging networks. The platform is built on more than 3 billion data logs collected from thousands of chargers connected to Spirii’s charge point management system. Using predictive machine learning, Charger Health aims to detect, resolve and prevent technical issues before they affect drivers. Unlike conventional monitoring tools that typically respond after failures or complaints, the system continuously analyzes chargers for declining performance, connectivity issues and other hidden faults. “With Charger Health, we’re enhancing our…

Volvo Cars has unveiled the first official details of its upcoming EX60 electric SUV, a mid-size model set to replace or complement the XC60 in its lineup. The vehicle will debut on January 21, 2026, in Stockholm and enter production in the first half of that year at the company’s Torslanda plant in Gothenburg. The EX60 will be built on Volvo’s SPA3 platform, its latest modular and software-defined EV architecture, which incorporates a structural battery pack and megacasted rear underfloor to improve efficiency and production speed. The company said the SUV will deliver “a longer electric range than any Volvo…

Lucid said on Thursday that it had secured a $300 million investment from Uber to support the companies’ next-generation premium robotaxi program. The initiative, announced in July, will use Lucid’s electric vehicle technology platform and the Nuro Driver™ Level 4 autonomy system to operate fully autonomous robotaxis exclusively on Uber’s ride-hailing network. The vehicles will be manufactured at Lucid’s Arizona facility, with an initial launch planned for next year in a major U.S. city. “Lucid’s innovations and technologies are second to none, and Uber’s investment is just the latest example of a third-party validating our highly advanced technical platform,” said…

BASF has signed a new supply agreement for cathode active materials (CAM) at its Schwarzheide plant in Germany, the company said on Monday, adding to its recently announced framework deal with Chinese battery maker CATL. The identity of the new customer has not been disclosed. Dr Daniel Schönfelder, head of BASF’s Battery Materials division, said the agreement strengthens the company’s European operations. “With this strengthened customer setup for our European CAM operations, we feel well positioned for the future,” he said. BASF did not disclose the length of the supply deal. The Schwarzheide facility is the only production site for…

Electric Era has rolled out a new charging station network aimed at improving accessibility and reliability for electric vehicle (EV) drivers across the United States. The initiative is designed to make its high-performance DC fast chargers more visible on major navigation platforms, while also supporting retailers seeking to attract EV customers. The company’s chargers, which have achieved a 96% positive rating on PlugShare along with 90% session reliability and 98% per-port uptime, are now easier to locate under the Electric Era brand rather than only through retail partners. The network is already discoverable on PlugShare and Google Maps, with integration…

Rivian has issued a recall covering 23 of its R1S and R1T vehicles due to a potential electrical fault that could cause sudden power loss, according to a notice from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The issue stems from an improperly grounded connection inside the High Voltage Distribution Boxes, which regulate electricity flow from the battery pack to the motors. A faulty ground could cause the system to shut down, resulting in a loss of drive power. The affected vehicles were assembled between Sept. 25, 2024, and Feb. 19, 2025. Rivian determined that about a quarter of…

Chinese battery maker CATL has appointed Kenyan electric mobility company BasiGo as an authorised service partner in sub-Saharan Africa, the two companies announced. The collaboration will enable BasiGo’s service teams in Kenya and Rwanda to carry out on-site maintenance and repairs of CATL batteries used in electric vehicles, including BasiGo’s own buses. Under the agreement, BasiGo’s service centres will also act as collection points for used batteries, facilitating a second-life application for CATL batteries across the region. The partnership currently focuses on Kenya and Rwanda, although the cooperation framework covers the wider sub-Saharan African market. Jit Bhattacharya, CEO of BasiGo,…

Tesla  announced on Monday that its six-seat Model Y L will launch in China this fall, sharing a preview video on its official Weibo account. The company did not provide additional details on pricing or availability. The Model Y L, which appeared in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology regulatory filings last month, measures 4,976 mm in length, 1,920 mm in width, and 1,668 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,040 mm. See also: Tesla Model Y L Spotted on Public Roads Uncovered The dual-motor SUV produces peak outputs of 142 kW and 198 kW for its front…

Tesla showcased the capabilities of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system with a video posted on X, showing a Model Y completing a 362-mile (583 km) journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles without human intervention. The sped-up 56-second clip shows the vehicle navigating traffic stops, merging onto highways, overtaking vehicles, and completing a brief Supercharger stop along the way. The video concludes with a message promoting the convenience of long-distance driving with FSD Supervised. https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1955359809777344513 FSD Supervised allows a driver to remain hands-off the steering wheel and pedals while Tesla’s eye-tracking system ensures the driver maintains…

Albemarle’s La Negra lithium processing plant in Chile is operating normally following an “incident” last week, the company said on Tuesday, after a local lawmaker confirmed authorities had opened an investigation. The U.S.-based miner said there were no injuries and sales of lithium, a key component for lithium-ion batteries, are not expected to be affected. Albemarle did not provide further details, and it was unclear whether operations had been temporarily halted. “We can confirm the plant is operating normally,” the company told Reuters. Jaime Araya, a Chilean congressman representing the Antofagasta region where the plant is located, said last week…

BYD said on Tuesday it has developed its first fully in-house tablet, marking a further step in the automaker’s vertical integration strategy. The device will debut in the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 hybrid SUV, the second model in the Tai series after the Tai 3, which is aimed at urban driving. The tablet will connect with the Tai 7’s vehicle system to enable multi-screen collaboration, BYD said. The SUV is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter, following the first mass-produced unit rolling off the production line this week. BYD’s move comes as Chinese consumers increasingly value connectivity in…

A YouTuber known as “Quigs Quest” has set out on an 8,000-mile road trip from Michigan to the Arctic Ocean in a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt, an early-generation electric vehicle with a relatively short driving range and slow charging speeds compared with modern EVs. The car originally carried an EPA-estimated range of 238 miles but now reaches about 260 miles after receiving a replacement battery under a recall program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9aKnApJr1A While adequate for daily use, the range poses a challenge for crossing regions with limited charging infrastructure, particularly in remote stretches between the U.S. Midwest and northern Canada. “In a Bolt,…

Tesla is preparing to launch its Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised system in New Zealand, after confirming that it has cleared regulatory hurdles and entered the final stages of validation testing. The U.S. electric vehicle maker released a video this week showing its FSD technology navigating streets in Auckland, marking the company’s first public demonstration of autonomous driving on New Zealand roads. The move follows similar trials in Sydney and comes as part of Tesla’s broader efforts to expand its advanced driver-assistance features internationally. https://twitter.com/TeslaAUNZ/status/1953656383527956834 Tesla’s country director for Australia and New Zealand, Thom Drew, said the company had been working…

French EV charging provider Electra has extended its summer promotional pricing to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, offering app-based fast charging at €0.39 or CHF 0.39 per kilowatt hour from 13 August until 30 September 2025. The move follows a similar initiative launched in Italy earlier this summer. The discounted rate applies exclusively to users charging through the Electra app. Drivers not registered through the app will continue to pay the ad-hoc price of €0.69/kWh. Prior to the latest update, Electra had already reduced the rate for app users in Germany from €0.59/kWh to €0.49/kWh in early July. Electra’s Country Manager…

Li Auto is confronting a fresh wave of online criticism following the underwhelming debut of its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8. The company, said that a surge in what it described as misleading and repetitive negative comments targeting its vehicle owners has emerged on multiple social media platforms, prompting it to consider legal action. According to a statement posted by Li Auto’s legal department on Weibo, these attacks have been appearing around the clock, often with similar content, and are suspected of being organized. The company claims the posts have severely impacted the public image of its users and…

U.S.-based automotive semiconductor supplier Onsemi forecast a weak profit outlook for the third quarter on Monday after reporting a steep drop in second-quarter revenue, reflecting continued softness in the electric vehicle (EV) market, particularly in North America and Europe. The company’s shares fell more than 10% following the announcement, as Onsemi highlighted sluggish demand for battery electric vehicles amid economic uncertainty, rising global import tariffs, and high interest rates in the United States. These headwinds have prompted consumers to pull back on big-ticket purchases and forced automakers to reassess production targets and delay investment decisions. While Onsemi noted early signs…

Jeep has received more than 200,000 orders for the Avenger SUV in Europe since its launch, with the model ranking among the top 10 best-selling B-segment SUVs in the region over the past two years. Launched in 2023 following its 2022 debut, the Avenger is the brand’s first fully electric SUV developed specifically for the European market. The model lineup has since been expanded to include petrol and hybrid versions, contributing to broader market appeal. Jeep recently introduced an all-wheel-drive 4xe variant, including a limited-edition model developed in collaboration with outdoor brand The North Face. The special edition, limited to…

Cupra, the performance sub-brand of Spain’s Seat, has postponed its planned launch in the United States until after 2030, citing shifting market conditions and regulatory uncertainty surrounding electric vehicles. The decision also halts ongoing discussions with U.S. dealership group Penske Automotive. The announcement was included in parent company Seat’s second-quarter financial report, where the delay was described as a strategic move amid evolving industry dynamics. Cupra had originally intended to enter the U.S. market around 2030, with plans to establish a retail footprint through a partnership with Penske, first revealed in November 2024. Seat attributed the decision to a reassessment…

Tesla is enhancing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to account for a growing number of edge case scenarios, aiming to improve autonomous driving performance and prepare for a broader rollout of its unsupervised version by year-end. The latest developments in FSD include handling complex road conditions such as occluded reverse cut-ins, dynamic debris, and high-speed encounters with pedestrians. Tesla has also added the ability to navigate non-driving tasks, such as recognizing the end of a payment transaction at toll booths or parking stations. https://twitter.com/Tesla_AI/status/1949725198238036392 In one test, a Model Y vehicle using FSD version 13.2.9 was able to observe a…

Subaru is exploring the possibility of launching a smaller, more affordable electric vehicle (EV) to expand its lineup and meet growing demand in the lower end of the EV market, a company executive said. The consideration follows the unveiling of the Subaru Uncharted, the brand’s latest electric SUV. In an interview with Autocar, Subaru’s global EV product manager Inoue Masahiko said a smaller EV positioned below the Uncharted is “something that is up for consideration, because we need to prepare a wider range of BEVs to meet every customer’s expectation.” Subaru joins a growing list of global automakers pursuing lower-cost…