Author: Sibley Presley

Indian conglomerate JSW Group is preparing to debut a new electric vehicle (EV) brand by 2027 and is in talks with China’s Chery Automobile for technology support, though both firms stress the collaboration will be limited to component supply, amid regulatory sensitivities over Chinese investment. According to a Bloomberg report, JSW plans to license EV technology from Chery through an upfront fee and ongoing royalties, without offering equity participation in the new EV venture. The move comes as India maintains strict curbs on Chinese capital inflows into key sectors following the 2020 border clash in Galwan Valley. Chery, however, denied…

Tesla said it has begun production of its long-anticipated affordable electric vehicle, marking a significant step toward expanding its product lineup and appealing to a broader market segment. The company confirmed the development during its second-quarter 2025 financial update, stating that the first units were completed in June, with volume production scheduled to begin later this year. “We continue to expand our vehicle offering, including first builds of a more affordable model in June, with volume production planned for the second half of 2025,” Tesla said in a shareholder update. Tesla did not disclose the model name, technical specifications, or…

Hawaii’s Department of Transportation (HDOT) will deploy new battery-electric buses in four counties as part of a broader effort to decarbonise public transport across the state by 2035. The new electric buses, manufactured by Gillig, will replace 12 aging diesel buses on routes across Kaua’i, Maui, and Hawaii Island. The $16.6 million project is being funded primarily through an $11.2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, with additional support of $3.53 million from the Hawaii State Energy Office. The remaining costs are being covered by the counties. “These new electric buses are a significant step toward reducing our emissions…

Hydrogen-electric propulsion firm ZeroAvia has entered a partnership with Canada-based Horizon Aircraft to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by hydrogen, marking the latest step in expanding the application of ZeroAvia’s ZA600 engine. The collaboration aims to integrate ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain into Horizon’s Cavorite X7 aircraft, which features a fan-in-wing design with 14 lift fans for vertical takeoff. The fans retract during flight to enable wing-borne cruising, allowing for both vertical and conventional landing capabilities. The ZA600 is a 600kW-class hydrogen-electric engine that uses compressed hydrogen fuel cell tanks to drive electric propulsion. Horizon said it…

Tesla has settled a lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s ban on direct-to-consumer vehicle sales, ending a multi-year legal dispute that pitted the electric carmaker against state regulators, dealership groups, and auto industry officials. In a motion filed Monday in federal court in New Orleans, Tesla and the defendants stated the matter had been “fully and finally resolved.” The settlement concludes a case that began in August 2022, when Tesla sued members of the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission, several dealerships, and the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association. Tesla alleged that officials with ties to competing dealerships used their positions on the commission to obstruct…

Troy Jones, Tesla’s head of sales for North America, has reportedly exited the electric vehicle manufacturer, marking another high-level departure as the company contends with declining demand and internal restructuring. Jones, who had been with Tesla for 15 years and led U.S. sales operations for the past five years, is said to have left the company recently, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. It remains unclear whether the departure was voluntary or the result of internal decisions. As of this week, Jones still lists his Tesla position on LinkedIn. The leadership change follows the dismissal of Omead…

BYD sub-brand Fang Cheng Bao will introduce the Tai 7 hybrid SUV in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking the second model in its Tai series following the Tai 3. The upcoming vehicle will expand the brand’s offerings in the family SUV segment with a focus on urban utility and extended range. The Tai 7 will be the first hybrid SUV from Fang Cheng Bao to use a unibody chassis, which enhances interior space and driving comfort. The vehicle measures 4,999 mm in length, 1,995 mm in width, and 1,865 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm. The…

Lucid Motors will begin rolling out a software update on July 30 that enables hands-free highway driving on its Air sedans, marking a significant milestone for the electric vehicle startup’s advanced driver assistance capabilities. The feature will be available to customers who opted for the $2,500 Dream Drive Pro package, which includes a suite of 32 sensors — lidar, radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors — designed to support semi-autonomous features. According to the company, the hands-free system will initially be limited to pre-mapped, divided highways and will require drivers to keep their eyes on the road via an infrared camera…

Horizon Fuel Cell Group has announced a partnership with Shanghai Wuliu Automotive Technology to supply 100 fuel cell systems for use in Z Truck Automotive Technology’s 42-ton hydrogen-powered trucks. The agreement is part of a broader effort to advance zero-emission heavy-duty transport solutions in China. The vehicles, equipped with Horizon’s VL-III Series fuel cell systems and integrated hydrogen storage, are expected to achieve a range of more than 1,500 kilometres on a single fueling. The long-range capability is aimed at addressing operational challenges in commercial logistics, particularly concerns around range limitations in zero-emission vehicles. Since 2022, Horizon’s VL-III systems have…

ArcBest, an Arkansas-based logistics company, has completed a pilot of the Tesla Semi truck, concluding that the electric vehicle “generally” performed on par with traditional diesel-powered counterparts. The evaluation was conducted by its subsidiary ABF Freight over a total of 4,494 miles. The battery-powered Semi achieved an energy efficiency of 1.55 kilowatt-hours per mile, surpassing Tesla’s own projections. On average, the truck covered about 312 miles daily during the trial. The route included challenging terrain, including the 7,200-foot Donner Pass, with drivers reporting favorable impressions of the vehicle’s visibility and cabin comfort. Dennis Anderson, ArcBest’s chief innovation officer, emphasized the…

Tesla has initiated contact with transportation officials in Arizona to certify its autonomous Robotaxi service, signaling a potential expansion of its driverless ride-hailing operations beyond Texas and California, Bloomberg News reported. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, the electric vehicle maker has formally reached out to begin the certification process required for operating a Robotaxi fleet in the state. While specifics of the regulatory discussions were not disclosed, the move highlights Tesla’s ambition to scale its autonomous mobility service across multiple U.S. regions. Tesla launched its Robotaxi pilot program on June 22 in Austin, Texas, using a fleet of…

Anhui Anwa New Energy Technology, partially owned by Chery New Energy and Gotion High-Tech, has completed the production of its first batch of engineering samples for solid-state batteries (SSBs), according to a report by Dawang News. The rollout took place at Anwa’s facility in the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone and marks a significant step toward large-scale SSB production in China. Founded in June 2020, Anwa is 9.89% owned by Chery New Energy and 5.89% by Gotion High-Tech. The new batteries—described by Anwa as meeting the “No Fire No Explosion” safety benchmark—deliver an energy density of 300 Wh/kg. The…