Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emission drivetrains, introduced “Lightning On Tap” charging solutions, a comprehensive offering of AC and DC fast charge charging stations. Lightning Systems’ lineup of new chargers includes both AC and DC fast charge options, ranging from affordable 7.2kW AC chargers to high-end 100kW DC fast... Read more →

The 2019-2020 California State Budget authorizes $3 million for two studies focused on the state’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), in consultation with the Energy Commission, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the... Read more →

Navigant Research forecasts that e-buses will make up nearly one-third of all buses on the road worldwide by 2030. The global medium- and heavy-duty bus market has been dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles. However, Navigant says, the adoption of electric buses (e-buses) will continue to rise as battery prices... Read more →

ExxonMobil has launched its Mobil EV offering—a full suite of fluids and greases designed to meet the evolving drivetrain requirements of battery electric vehicles. In combination, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles are predicted to exceed 20% of the world’s light-duty fleet by 2040. Mobility is changing and... Read more →

Lightning Systems, a developer of zero-emission powertrains for commercial fleets, has received an Executive Order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for the Lightning Electric Transit Bus Repower, with HVIP approval expected within the next several weeks. The Transit Bus Repower is a full-featured powertrain conversion of an existing... Read more →

In Michigan, Ann Arbor and Roseville public schools have selected the Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus powered by Proterra electric vehicle technology (earlier post) and the Proterra 60kW charging system for a five-year pilot program, in partnership with DTE Energy and Hoekstra Transportation. The pilot program,... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $95-million plan for critical clean transportation investments to expedite the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and help the state reach its climate, air quality and other goals. The plan also focuses on closing an anticipated gap in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, and... Read more →

Delphi Technologies is the first in the industry with volume production of an 800-volt silicon carbide (SiC) inverter—a key component of highly efficient next-generation electric and hybrid vehicles. The new inverter enables electrical systems up to 800 volts, significantly extending electric vehicle (EV) range and halving charging times when compared... Read more →

As part of a new £500-million (US$617-million) investment in green technologies, the UK government will set up a £400-million (US$494-million) fund to help develop rapid charging infrastructure points for electric vehicles. The first £70 million is allocated for 3,000 charge points—more than doubling the number across the UK to 5,000.... Read more →

BMW Group Thailand has inaugurated local high-voltage battery production plant in partnership with the DRÄXLMAIER Group, one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers and a partner of BMW Group since 1966. BMW Group Thailand launched the local assembly lines in July 2019 at the DRÄXLMAIER Group plant. The high-voltage battery... Read more →

Audi is showcasing an electric off-roader concept at IAA 2019: the Audi AI:TRAIL quattro. The AI: TRAIL joins the other three exploratory use case vehicles—the Audi Aicon, AI:ME, and AI:RACE—on Audi’s stand. The performance specifications for the Audi AI:TRAIL are markedly different from those for conventional automobiles, because the car’s... Read more →

Since the beginning of 2018, Bosch has won electromobility orders worth roughly €13 billion (US$14.4 billion), including production projects for electrical powertrains for passenger cars and light trucks. The Mobility Solutions business sector is again developing better than global automotive production in 2019. Despite the market’s current significant downward trend,... Read more →

Volkswagen’s ID.3 electric vehicle, the first model from the MEB product line for electric vehicles, is making its debut at IAA 2019 in Frankfurt. The ID.3 will not go on sale in North America. The ID.3 1ST special edition enables electric ranges of up to 420 kilometers (261 miles) (WLTP)... Read more →

Delphi Technologies PLC, a global provider of automotive propulsion technologies, and Cree, Inc., a leader in silicon carbide semiconductors, are partnering to utilize silicon carbide semiconductor device technology to enable faster, smaller, lighter and more powerful electronic systems for future electric vehicles (EV). Cree’s silicon carbide-based MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor)... Read more →

According to the American Public Transit Association (APTA), alternative fuels and advanced hybrid drivetrains powered more than half of all transit buses in 2017 and 2018. In the ten-year period from 2008 to 2018, the share of conventional diesel buses dropped from 70% to 42%. Natural gas and diesel hybrid... Read more →

Silicon Mobility and AVL Software and Functions GmbH will collaborate to increase the energy efficiency of electric and hybrid vehicles. Silicon Mobility offers a complete solution that includes the hardware, software, development platform, and a suite of application specific software modules for a wide range of hybrid and electric vehicle... Read more →

Wensink Automotive, fleet operator Willemsen-de Koning and Mercedes-Benz Vans have signed a contract for the delivery of 80 eVito Tourer vans (electricity consumption combined: 24.2 – 20.2 kWh/100 km; CO2-emissions combined: 0 g/km) vehicles. The fully electric fleet is used for group transports in Utrecht and Rotterdam. Among other things,... Read more →

Kia Motors Company and Hyundai Motor Company,affiliated automotive companies for Hyundai Motor Group, have invested in IONITY, a joint venture established in 2017 between BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, and Volkswagen Group with Porsche AG. The Hyundai Motor Group will obtain equal shares in IONITY as those of... Read more →

UK-based electrification company Equipmake has begun the final testing phase of an all-new electric bus powertrain. UK-based performance and durability development is set to finish at the end of the year. In-service trials of the vehicle will then begin in Q1 2020 by Brazilian commercial vehicle manufacturer, Agrale, which will... Read more →

StreetScooter GmbH, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post and market leader for electric light commercial vehicles (eLCV), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese automobile manufacturer Chery Holding Group (Chery) establishing a joint venture between the two companies. Total investment could be up to €500 million. Chery is... Read more →

Series production of Volkswagen’s ID.3 electric vehicle will start at the Zwickau vehicle plant in November. Currently, the last robots are being installed and the assembly line is being commissioned. At Zwickau, Volkswagen is converting an entire vehicle plant from 100% internal combustion engines to 100% electric vehicles for the... Read more →

Porsche has increased its stake in technology and sports car company Rimac Automobili to 15.5%. In June 2018, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer purchased a 10% stake in Rimac. Porsche is now strengthening the established partnership. The Croatian company develops and produces electromobility components and also produces electrically powered super... Read more →

Volkswagen AG and Northvolt AB have created a 50/50 joint venture to build a factory for lithium-ion batteries. Construction of the production facility is scheduled to start in Salzgitter (Lower Saxony) in 2020. Start of production is planned for the end of 2023/beginning of 2024. The initial annual output is... Read more →

Volkswagen Group Components, with its partner eClassics, is presenting a holistic concept for the subsequent electrification of the historic Volkswagen Beetle. The conversion exclusively uses new parts they have mutually agreed on from the series production of Volkswagen Group Components. The electric drive, the 1-speed gearbox and the battery system... Read more →

Volkswagen will introduce the new e-up! EV at the IAA next week. The energy capacity of the battery has been increased from 18.7 kWh to 32.3 kWh, giving the model a range of up to 260 km (162 miles) in everyday driving situations. Expected power consumption totals 12.7 kWh/100 km.... Read more →

Porsche’s first all-electric sports car, the Taycan, made its world premiere at three simultaneous events in Canada, China and Germany. The most important sales markets of the new electric sports car are on these three continents. The event locations also symbolized three forms of sustainable energy: the Niagara Falls at... Read more →

Just before the beginning of the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Volkswagen has already received more than 30,000 reservations for the ID.3 EV, which will make its world premiere at the event. Most of the pre-bookers live in Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. More than... Read more →

Solaris has signed a contract for the supply of 50 zero-emission and low emission buses to bus operator Vy Buss AB: eight electric buses and 42 natural-gas-fueled units. Ultimately, the bulk of the ordered buses (48 vehicles) will be in operation in Gävle. This Swedish town located at the Gulf... Read more →

Japan and France have agreed to share information and explore deeper cooperation on the automotive industry. In a Memorandum of Cooperation, the two governments said they had “decided to establish a policy dialogue aimed at sharing information, supporting significant transformations of the environment of the automotive industry, and exchanging opinions... Read more →

CNH Industrial N.V., the owner of IVECO and FPT Industrial, intends to enter into a strategic and exclusive heavy-duty truck partnership with Nikola Corporation to accelerate industry transformation towards emission neutrality of Class 8 heavy-duty trucks in North America and Europe through the adoption of fuel-cell technology. Nikola’s zero-emission Heavy... Read more →

The CUPRA Tavascan Electric Concept—the first road CUPRA to use a 100% electric powertrain—will make its world debut at this year’s IAA Frankfurt International Motor Show. CUPRA is a brand of SEAT (earlier post), a member of the Volkswagen Group. Based on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, the electric vehicle is... Read more →

The new MINI Cooper SE electric vehicle (fuel consumption combined: 0.0 l/100 km; electric power consumption combined: 16.8 – 14.8 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km) will make its show debut at the IAA in Frankfurt next week. Also highlighted will be the latest version of the MINI Cooper... Read more →

Piloting the ID.R electric racer, Romain Dumas (F) completed the 99 tight corners on the Tianmen Mountain road in China in 7:38.585 minutes—a record for the ascent. So far, the 99 corners have been tackled with drifts, in either SUV or sports cars with conventional combustion engines—but never with an... Read more →

Bosch is developing e-stroller systems—an assistance system for strollers with a range of comfort and safety features including push support and an automatic braking function; connectivity via a smartphone app; an alarm function, and a variety of high-tech sensors. The variable Bosch system is equally suitable for single, twin, or... Read more →

Andreas Pinkwart, the Economics Minister of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Tobias Meyer, the Board of Management member who oversees Post & Parcel Germany, presented the 10,000th StreetScooter that will be used in DHL’s parcel-delivery operations at an event in Cologne. The DHL Group’s e-fleet has now traveled... Read more →

Polestar, the electric performance brand jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and Zhejiang Geely Holding, opened its first production facility. Polestar also announced its World Manufacturing Identifier, which officiates the brand as a standalone car company. The new Polestar Production Center in Chengdu, China will produce the Polestar 1—a carbon... Read more →

Despite continuing economic uncertainty and diminishing consumer confidence, the European car market registered growth in July 2019, as registrations were up by 1.2% to 1,325,600 units, according to JATO Dynamics. Although the growth was marginal, it marks a significant improvement on the drop seen in June, when registrations fell by... Read more →

Cummins Inc. has entered a multi-year partnership with the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and its battery validation lab to analyze viable business and technical approaches revto reuse and repurpose electric vehicle batteries effectively. Under the agreement, UC San Diego will perform accelerated testing and real-world application testing, and... Read more →

technotrans SE will be presenting their e-battery battery coolers at this year’s Busworld Europe in Brussels from 18 to 23 October. In addition, the provider will also show cooling solutions for charging stations. The temperature of the lithium-ion batteries installed in e-vehicles is crucial for their performance and service life.... Read more →

Dana Incorporated has acquired Nordresa Motors, Inc., an integration and application engineering expert for the development and commercialization of electric powertrains for commercial vehicles. Two Nordresa systems are now available: the W Series, a walk-in van based on Ford’s E-450 chassis, and the T Series, for cab forward trucks. Terms... Read more →

In June 2019, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were responsible for 91% of all passenger electrified vehicle battery capacity deployed globally (in GWh) versus just 84% in June 2018, according to Adamas Intelligence’s latest ‘EV Battery Capacity Monthly’ report. There are two causes for the increase in capacity deployed by BEVs... Read more →

Researchers at MIT and the Ford Motor Company have found that depending on the location, lightweight conventional vehicles could have a lower lifecycle greenhouse gas impact than electric vehicles, at least in the near term. Their paper is published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. Assessments of GHG... Read more →

Sales of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in California during the second quarter of 2019 were largely stable from the prior quarter with a slight increase to 26,754 units from 26,053, although with a slight drop in market share from 5.6% to 5.5%, according to an analysis of new vehicle sales... Read more →

On the eve of its 50th anniversary earlier this month, Embraer unveiled images of a demonstrator aircraft with 100% electric propulsion technology, which is currently under development in collaboration with WEG. The first flight of the prototype is scheduled for 2020. The electric prototype is based on the EMB-203 Ipanema.... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group has developed a new prototype electric scooter. Building on its initial concept presented at CES 2017, the new model features rear-wheel drive, a lithium-ion battery and stylish front and rear lights. The latest concept features in future Hyundai Motor Group plans to enable first- and last-mile mobility... Read more →

On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced $15 million in funding to Evie Networks to roll out the largest ultra-fast battery electric vehicle (EV) charging network along Australia’s highways. The funding will support the first phase of the $50.2-million intercity highway charging network with... Read more →

The Volkswagen brand is systematically driving its electric offensive and will be installing some 4,000 charging points at its German sites by 2025. The Volkswagen Group is investing some €250 million in expanding the charging infrastructure at its European sites. When combined with the activities at dealerships, this means the... Read more →

Electrify America and EVgo announced an interoperability agreement that increases access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the US. The roaming partnership allows drivers to charge their EVs on both EVgo and Electrify America public chargers without additional fees. Drivers will be able to access public chargers on either... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Vans presented the Concept EQV as a study at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019. Now the series version of the Mercedes-Benz EQV (combined power consumption: 27.0 kWh/100 km, provisional figure) is making its debut. The Mercedes-Benz EQV will be displayed to the public for the first time... Read more →

More than 100 electric school buses, powered by a Cummins fully electric drivetrain, have been ordered to date from Blue Bird Corporation, a school bus manufacturer highly focused on alternative fuel technologies. Blue Bird electric buses are already operating in California, North Dakota and Washington. Additional buses on order will... Read more →