ABB E-mobility has enhanced its customer offering with the acquisition of Vourity, a Swedish start-up with award-winning cloud-based technology for payment of EV charging. Vourity’s technology simplifies the driver’s life at the charging station, eliminating the need for numerous phone apps or payment tags. Its technology enables rapid, secure payment... Read more →

Qmerit, North America’s leading installer of home and business EV chargers and other clean energy technologies, is now harnessing a trained proprietary AI model to streamline and speed the process of bringing EV charging, battery storage, and other clean energy systems to single and multifamily residences. Qmerit has amassed a... Read more →

GreenPower Motor Company announced orders for 35 Type D all-electric, purpose-built school buses for the California market. (Earlier post.) GreenPower received the orders from its exclusive California dealer Model 1 (formerly Creative Bus Sales) for 25 of the newly introduced Mega BEAST school buses for the Montebello School District and... Read more →

BMW of North America announced the national expansion of its smart charging service, ChargeForward, in conjunction with the launch of the first all-electric BMW 5 Series, the BMW i5. All BMW battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) model years 2018 and up will be eligible to enroll... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), a Southern California-based public utility that serves 3.7 million people, will collaborate on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) research for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) using a Toyota bZ4X. The V2G research will explore bidirectional power flow technology that enables BEV... Read more →

Ava Community Energy, the local energy provider for Alameda County and the City of Tracy, and EV Realty, an EV infrastructure development platform purpose-built to maximize electric power availability for critical commercial fleets, have executed a long-term services contract that will enable the construction of Oakland’s largest public EV fast-charging... Read more →

Volkswagen’s premium midsize sedan ID.7—the brand’s new flagship EV (earlier post)—will be launched around the world. The new Volkswagen can now be ordered in Europe; a 282-hp ID.7 Pro with 82kWh (gross) battery offers a Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) range of up to 386 miles (621 kilometers).... Read more →

At its Next Generation Mobility Day in Shanghai, ZF presented a new, purely electro-mechanical brake system for the first time. Braking force is generated at each wheel by an electric motor—i.e. without a hydraulic system and brake fluid. The brake system was developed at ZF’s development centers in China, the... Read more →

EG Group, one of the world’s leading independent convenience retailers with an extensive network of sites across international markets, has agreed to a deal to acquire Tesla’s latest ultra-fast charging units for EG’s rapidly growing evpoint business across the UK and Europe. The chargers will be branded “evpoint” and will... Read more →

4 Gen Logistics, a trailblazer in sustainable logistics solutions, is making remarkable progress towards its commitment to operating a 100% zero-tailpipe emissions drayage fleet by 2025. The company is excited to announce the launched of construction for the first phase of the installation of 60 350 kW chargers at its... Read more →

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will enter into a strategic partnership with Nexperia B.V. jointly to develop silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors for the power electronics market. Mitsubishi Electric will leverage its wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies to develop and supply SiC MOSFET chips that Nexperia will use to develop SiC discrete devices. The... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new electric vehicle (EV) plant at its complex in Ulsan. The new EV-dedicated plant will be the hub for Hyundai Motor’s mobility production in the era of electrification. The EV-dedicated facility will be Hyundai Motor’s first new plant in Korea in... Read more →

Volvo Cars has unveiled the EM90 electric minivan, Volvo’s first minivan. The multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment has gained considerable popularity in recent years, especially in many parts of Asia. This is one of the main reasons why the EM90 is coming first to China, the world’s largest car market. The... Read more →

In a paper published in the Journal of Power Sources, a team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) investigates the changes in electrochemical performance of Li-ion battery cells after conventional cycling and intermittent overcharge cycling and the causes of the changes. Intermittent overcharging occurs during the long-term operation of cells... Read more →

The start of MINI Countryman production marks a number of firsts and milestones for BMW Group Plant Leipzig: for the first time, a MINI model is being made in Germany—on the same production line as the BMW 1 Series and 2 Series. It’s all made possible by the plant’s flexible... Read more →

VinFast Auto announced its aggressive plans for expansion across the US with more than 70 dealer applications in hand. Updates on dealer agreements are expected to be announced in the coming months, which should allow VinFast to start distributing its EVs through 125 points of sales nationwide. This is a... Read more →

Yokohama Tire has introduced its first ultra high-performance all-season tire specifically designed for EVs: the ADVAN Sport EV A/S. The Sport EV, which will be offered in 10 sizes ranging from 18 to 20 inches, officially goes on sale 1 January 2024 in the United States, according to Andrew Briggs,... Read more →

After launching its own hybrid range in 2024, Renault Korea Motors (RKM) announced the next step in enlarging its role as hub for exports while reaching an agreement with Polestar. Polestar 4, a pure electric vehicle, will be manufactured in Busan plant by second half of 2025. The agreement—reached between... Read more →

Polestar is joining stakeholders in the electricity grid sector with a large-scale vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project in Gothenburg, Sweden, funded by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova and piloting a large fleet of Polestar 3 cars. Together with Swedish National Grid authority Svenska kraftnät, local grid owner Göteborg Energi Nät, regional energy... Read more →

Kongsberg Maritime has selected Leclanché to provide a 5.2 MWh battery system for the newest Cadeler A/S F-class, jack-up vessel for offshore wind farm construction. The F-class vessel is being constructed in Qidong, China, by COSCO Heavy Industries and will sail under the Danish flag. The unnamed vessel will serve... Read more →

Impact Clean Power Technology has unveiled battery systems tailored to the next generation of Alexander Dennis buses—the Enviro100EV and the double-decker Enviro400EV. Production of both vehicle types has already commenced, with deliveries to customers in the UK and Ireland planned for the early months of 2024. In response to our... Read more →

Although battery-electric vehicles are getting closer to price parity with their internal combustion siblings, the affordability factor is the main reason consumers are holding back on adopting electrification, according to a recent survey by S&P Global Mobility. Pricing is still very much the biggest barrier to electric vehicles. Almost half... Read more →

According to the newly released J.D. Power 2023 US Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, growing new-vehicle inventory on dealers’ lots and accompanying moderating prices have combined to propel customer satisfaction in an upward trajectory in 2023. This year, overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase experience increases to 793 (on... Read more →

Rio Tinto completed the acquisition of PanAmerican Silver’s stake in Agua de la Falda and entered a joint venture with Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to explore and potentially develop the company’s assets in Chile’s prospective Atacama region. (Earlier post.) The acquisition, announced on 1 August 2023, comprises... Read more →

GM and Niron Magnetics (earlier post) have completed a strategic partnership agreement to co-develop Clean Earth Magnet motor technology that can be used in future GM EVs. GM Ventures has also made an investment in Niron, which will join the ranks of its 30-plus portfolio companies. The investment will support... Read more →

Blue World Technologies and AGCO Power have developed a range extender concept and prototype for an electric Fendt e100 Vario tractor based on Blue World’s HT PEM fuel cell platform enabling long operation time using liquid methanol as fuel. Field demonstration of an early concept electric Fendt tractor with a... Read more →

NXP Semiconductors is expanding its scalable S32 vehicle compute platform with the introduction of the S32M2. The purpose-built motor control solution is optimized for efficiency improvement across vehicle applications such as pumps, fans, sunroof and seat position, seat belt pretensioners, trunk openers and more. Building on the success of the... Read more →

Audi is beginning production of electric motors for the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) in its plant in Győr, Hungary. The newly developed electric motors will be used for the first time in the Audi Q6 e-tron series. Production of the fully electric Audi model is scheduled to start at the... Read more →

Archer Aviation, a developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company developing electric aircraft and charging systems, have announced an industry-first agreement to accelerate the roll out of an interoperable fast-charging system across the electric aircraft industry. Archer is utilizing two of... Read more →

Ram unveiled the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger featuring a series hybrid powertrain that will deliver a targeted range of up to 690 miles. The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger features a 92 kWh battery pack, paired with an on-board 130 kW generator, sending power to 250 kW front and 238 kW... Read more →

Korea-based SK On signed a battery cell supply agreement with the Swedish EV maker Polestar, securing another long-term growth engine in the global battery market. Under the agreement, SK On will supply battery cells to Polestar for its Polestar 5 flagship EV 4-door coupe from 2025. Polestar 5 is set... Read more →

Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. reported total October sales of 9,581 units, a year-over-year increase of 15.0%. The Kona (1,896 units), Venue (1,669 units), and Tucson (1,650 units) were October’s three best-selling Hyundai models, respectively. October was a strong month for the IONIQ 5 (564 units, 5.9% of total), a YoY... Read more →

Nippon Steel Corporation has dropped its lawsuits over electrical steel sheet patents against Toyota Motor Corporation brought in 2021, resulting in these cases being closed. Electrical steels (earlier post) are special steels optimized for specific magnetic properties, including a small hysteresis area for low power loss per cycle, low core... Read more →

In late October, the Albanese Government in Australia announced a A$2 billion (US$1.3 billion) expansion in critical minerals financing to solidify Australia’s position as a world leading provider, help the transition to net zero, boost the economy and support more jobs and opportunities for Australians. Critical minerals, including rare earths,... Read more →

The rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles will move the nation close to an 80% or more drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2019 level according to researchers from the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). An open-access paper on the work is... Read more →

The BMW Group posted a solid increase in sales in Q3 to 621,699 premium automobiles and 1,836,563 units over the nine-month-period (Q3 2022: 587,744 units/+5.8%; 2022: 1,747,838 units/+5.1%). The biggest increase was in deliveries of battery-electric models. Between July and September, the BMW Group sold a total of 93,931 fully-electric... Read more →

Volvo Cars has launched Volvo Cars Energy Solutions—a completely new business unit that will offer energy storage and charging-related technologies and services, including bi-directional charging. For example, bi-directional charging is a technology that allows an electric car to give back extra battery power to a compatible grid, helping to balance... Read more →

Wallbox announced a partnership with Bidirectional Energy, a bidirectional EV energy management software platform, that has culminated in both companies being selected to receive significant funding from the highly competitive California Energy Commission (CEC) REDWDS grant. The companies plan to offer Wallbox’s second-generation DC bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, with the... Read more →

TeraWatt Infrastructure announced the groundbreaking of its heavy duty electric vehicle (EV) charging site based in Rancho Dominguez, California. (Earlier post.)Located less than 15 miles north of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the site is strategically positioned to support sustainable trucking fleet operations in and out of... Read more →

Infineon Technologies AG and Eatron Technologies are partnering to bring advanced machine learning solutions and algorithms to the AURIX TC4x microcontroller (MCU). The partnership is aimed at advancing automotive battery management systems (BMS). With the state-of-the-art machine learning capabilities of the MCU family with integrated parallel processing unit (PPU), Eatron... Read more →

MAHLE Powertrain, the specialist engineering services provider, has opened a new state-of-the-art battery development center in Stuttgart, Germany, specifically to cater for the needs of its European clients. The facility spans more than 1,300 m2 and it can accommodate all aspects of battery development, from initial prototyping through to small-scale... Read more →

Globally 58,423 tonnes of graphite were deployed in newly-sold electrified cars in August 2023, representing a 53% increase compared to August 2022, according to data from Adamas Intelligence. Full-electric passenger cars (BEVs) registered during the month were responsible for 43,396 tonnes of graphite deployed globally, an increase of 48% year-on-year.... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz HPC North America LLC and Simon, a global provider of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations, announced a strategic relationship that will result in expanding the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network to Simon locations. Key initiatives will include: Deployment of Mercedes-Benz branded EV fast chargers at no less than 55... Read more →

Through the first two months of Q3 2023, Chinese OEMs made up a record 37% of the nation’s EV exports to Europe (by GWh deployed), up from 22% in Q1 of this year, 8% in Q1 of last year, and just 6% in Q1 2021, according to data from Adamas... Read more →

Munro Vehicles, a manufacturer of all-electric 4x4s and Scotland’s only volume car company, has completed its first pre-production model. The white Series-M Utility, a hard top five-seater 4x4, leaves the factory in East Kilbride just ten months after Munro unveiled the MK_1 prototype model in Edinburgh in December 2022. The... Read more →

Subaru of America announced that its parent company, Subaru Corporation, reached an agreement with Tesla, Inc. to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for the charging ports of its battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to be launched in North America beginning in 2025. To provide customers with access to the... Read more →

Polestar has published the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Polestar 4. The LCA ahows that Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date—as low as 19.4 tons of CO2e at launch. Polestar 4 is produced in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China,... Read more →

Loblaw Companies Limited, the largest food and pharmacy retailer in Canada with well-known consumer brands and banners including President’s Choice, No Name, No Frills and Maxi, has deployed two Volvo VNR Electric trucks to service its grocery stores in the Greater Montréal Area. The Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric was... Read more →

China-based Evoke Electric Motorcycles has launched its all-new grand tourer (GT) electric motorcycle in North America. The new Evoke Motorcycles 6061-GT is the longest-range electric motorcycle on the market, with more than 600+ km (370 miles) on a single charge. The name is derived from Evoke Motorcycles’ aerospace Twin-plate Exo... Read more →

Lotus unveiled Type 136, a new performance bike model featuring the lightest e-bike motor from HPS to deliver dual-use functionality that will allow riders to go further, faster and higher. The new bike harnesses design and engineering excellence from more than 30 years of road and track cycling success, while... Read more →