Volvo Buses is changing its business model in Europe and will apply the same successful model as it has in several other markets. This means that Volvo Buses will focus its production on chassis and together with external bodybuilders offer customers in Europe a complete range of city and intercity... Read more →

Honda announced key next steps in the establishment of its EV Hub in Ohio. In October 2022, Honda announced that it would invest $700 million to retool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants to establish the new EV Hub in Ohio, to prepare for the production of battery... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group and its battery company PowerCo have selected St. Thomas in Ontario, Canada to establish Volkswagen’s first overseas gigafactory for cell manufacturing. The plant will produce sustainable unified cells, with start of production planned for 2027. The decision to expand the PowerCo cell production ramp-up from Europe to... Read more →

Toyota has developed new electrolysis equipment to produce hydrogen from electrolyzing water using the fuel cell (FC) stack and other technology from the Mirai. The equipment will be put into operation this March at a DENSO Fukushima Corporation plant, which will serve as a technology implementation venue to promote its... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) unveiled its next Mid-Term Business Plan (MTP). This three-year plan, dubbed “Challenge 2025”, sets out MMC’s corporate direction in reinforcing the company’s environmental commitment toward a carbon-neutral future, laying the foundation for how MMC will work within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and other global alliances, and discussing... Read more →

Honda began operation of a stationary fuel cell power station on its corporate campus in Torrance, Calif., marking the company's first step toward future commercialization of zero-emission backup power generation. The initiative leverages Honda's hydrogen fuel cell technology expertise and contributes to the company's global goal to achieve carbon neutrality... Read more →

Ford Motor Company has established Latitude AI, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on developing a hands-free, eyes-off-the-road automated driving system for millions of vehicles. With the formation of Latitude, Ford adds a team of machine learning, robotics, software, sensors, systems engineering and operations talent as the automaker grows and expands... Read more →

Tesla and its affiliates have signed a $2.9-billion order for high-nickel cathode materials with South Korea’s L&F Company, according to an L&F regulatory filing. The contract runs for two years, from 1 Jan 2024 through 31 December 2025. The value of the deal is calculated on the basis of L&F’s... Read more →

Volvo Cars plans to open a brand new Tech Hub in Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city. It will be a key software development center and play a crucial role in the company’s strategic ambitions to be a fully electric brand by 2030 and a leader in new technology, not least through... Read more →

The BMW Group presented the first BMW iX5 Hydrogen vehicles in a pilot fleet that will go into service this year. The fleet of less than 100 vehicles will then be employed internationally for demonstration and trial purposes for various target groups. This active driving experience will therefore be the... Read more →

Geely Auto Group officially launched a new high-end electrified product series:Geely Galaxy. The first car from the Geely Galaxy range, the Galaxy L7 long-range PHEV SUV was unveiled along with a fully electric concept model, the “Galaxy Light.” Galaxy light electric concept At the launch ceremony, Geely Auto also unveiled... Read more →

As part of Nissan Ambition 2030, Nissan announced its plan to 23 electrified vehicles, including 15 EVs, by 2030. In response to changes in customer needs and the business environment, Nissan has revised its plan to accelerate electrification further. Nissan will increase the number of models to meet the growing... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz outlined its plans as the architect of its own operating system MB.OS, which will be introduced mid-decade with the new MMA platform (Mercedes Modular Architecture). MB.OS is designed and developed in-house to retain full control over the customer relationship, ensure data privacy, and to leverage the unique integration of... Read more →

Renault and Nissan announced a new long-term vision for India, increasing production and R&D activities, introducing electric vehicles, and transitioning to carbon-neutral manufacturing. From their base in Chennai, the companies will collaborate on six new production vehicles for domestic and international customers, including two new fully electric vehicles, uplifting the... Read more →

Ford will invest $3.5 billion to build the country’s first automaker-backed LFP battery plant, offering customers a second battery technology within Ford’s EV lineup. Ford is now commited to build both nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the US. This all-new battery production facility in... Read more →

Hyundai Motor America, in partnership with Hyundai Capital America, announced its new Evolve+ electric vehicle subscription service at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show. This new service provides flexibility and affordability to the consumer who wants to drive Hyundai’s newest electric vehicles without committing to a purchase or longer-term lease. Evolve+... Read more →

General Motors (GM) and GlobalFoundries (GF) have entered a strategic, long-term agreement establishing a dedicated capacity corridor exclusively for GM’s chip supply. Through this first-of-its-kind agreement, GF will manufacture for GM’s key chip suppliers at GF’s advanced semiconductor facility in upstate New York bringing a critical process to the US.... Read more →

Hyundai Motor America launched a connected car services program called Bluelink+, which eliminates nearly all subscription fees for new owners. All services included in the previous Bluelink Connected Care, Remote and Guidance subscription packages are now offered complimentary on a non-trial basis for new buyers with Bluelink+ (4G LTE network... Read more →

Volvo Cars reported global sales of 48,520 in January, up 2% compared to the same month last year. Sales of Volvo Cars´ Recharge models of fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars increased by 31% in January year-on-year, accounting for 40.7% of all Volvo cars sold globally during the month. The... Read more →

Australia-based Liontown Resources has begun open pit mining operations at the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia (earlier post); the first blast was successfully fired at the Mt. Mann Open Pit by mining services provider Iron Mine Contracting. (Liontown has already secured offtake agreements with Tesla, Ford and LG... Read more →

The Pole to Pole expedition team and Nissan unveiled an adventure-ready version of the new Ariya electric SUV (earlier post), which will undertake a 10-month, 27,000km trip from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole. (Earlier post.) British adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey will cross 14 countries, through Canada,... Read more →

BMW Group Plant Leipzig’s first cell coating line has gone into series operation as e-component production at the site continues to gain momentum. By 2024 the two existing module assembly lines will be complemented by a third, as well as four more cell coating lines and two more high-voltage battery... Read more →

Honda held a press briefing in Tokyo on its hydrogen business initiatives. Honda said that it will take a proactive approach to increase the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier and strive to expand its hydrogen business, in addition to continuing to electrify its products. As the core of... Read more →

Nissan Motor will hold Nissan Futures at its Global Headquarters Gallery from 4 February to 1 March. As part of the event launch, Nissan unveiled a physical concept model of its Max-Out EV convertible. The model was previously shown in virtual form as part of the Nissan Ambition 2030 vision... Read more →

General Motors and Lithium Americas will jointly invest to develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, which is the largest known source of lithium in the United States and the third-largest in the world. (Earlier post.) Under the agreement, GM will make a $650-million equity investment in Lithium Americas, which... Read more →

With its new EV supply chain coming online, Ford says it is significantly increasing production of the Mustang Mach-E this year to help reduce customer wait times and to take advantage of streamlined costs to reduce prices across the board, making Mustang Mach-E even more accessible to customers and keeping... Read more →

onsemi signed a strategic agreement with Volkswagen AG to provide modules and semiconductors that enable a complete electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter solution for VW’s next-generation platform family. The semiconductors are part of an overall system optimization and provide a solution that will support the front and rear traction inverters... Read more →

Audi has presented the activesphere crossover study with electric drive and quattro. As the fourth model in the series, the Audi activesphere concept marks the culmination of sphere concept vehicles, following on from the Audi skysphere roadster in 2021, and both the Audi grandsphere sedan, and the Audi urbansphere space... Read more →

Nikola Corporation has created a new global brand, HYLA, to encompass the company’s energy products for producing, distributing and dispensing hydrogen to fuel its zero-emissions trucks. The HYLA brand represents Nikola’s hydrogen-focused energy business by supporting our fuel cell electric vehicles and those of other OEMs. Hydrogen energy is the... Read more →

Lightyear, the developer of solar electric vehicles, will redirect its focus and resources completely towards the development and production of Lightyear 2, its intended mass-market model. This means the suspension of the production of Lightyear 0, the first production solar car. Accordingly, Lightyear has submitted the request to the court... Read more →

Geothermal lithium producer Vulcan Energy Resources signed a Binding Term Sheet (BTS) with Stellantis for the first phase of a multiphase project aimed at decarbonizing the energy mix of the Rüsselsheim manufacturing site in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany, by developing new geothermal projects. In June 2022, Stellantis made a... Read more →

Under an expanded Joint Development Agreement, BMW Group and Solid Power have added a research and development license as a basis for their common next steps. This license enables BMW to establish an all solid-state battery (ASSB) prototype line in its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf near Munich.... Read more →

Stellantis N.V. and Terrafame Ltd. signed a supply agreement for nickel sulfate to be used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Beginning in 2025, Finland-based Terrafame will supply Stellantis with nickel sulfate over the five-year term of the agreement. The Terrafame agreement is a part of Stellantis’ aggressive strategy and will... Read more →

On 31 January, Mazda North American Operations will reveal the 2024 Mazda CX-90, which will be offered with a new 3.3L Inline Six e-Skyactiv Turbo engine. The available 3.3-liter inline six turbo will deliver 340 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque when using the recommended premium fuel— the highest horsepower... Read more →

Exactly 70 years after the Corvette made its original debut at Motorama in New York City, Chevrolet returned to the city to introduce the first electrified Corvette featuring all-wheel-drive and a powerful 6.2L LT2 Small Block V-8: the 2024 E-Ray. The new E-Ray—available in removeable roof coupe and hardtop convertible... Read more →

As part of a new package of product updates, Volvo Cars has improved both the range (WLTP) and charging for the all-electric XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge compared with the outgoing model year, increasing range by as much as 60 kilometers on some variants. Furthermore, three new powertrains are offered... Read more →

Despite supply constraints and temporary production stops, the Volkswagen Group handed over 572,100 all-electric vehicles to customers around the globe in 2022—up 26% compared to 2021. The BEV share of total deliveries thus reached 6.9%, up from 5.1% a year earlier and 2.5% in 2020. The Volkswagen Group remains the... Read more →

LG Energy Solution and Honda Motor announced the formal establishment of the joint venture (JV) which will produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EV) produced by Honda. (Earlier post.) The JV will begin construction of a new battery plant early this year with the goal of completion by the end... Read more →

Stellantis and Australia-based Element 25 signed a binding agreement for Element 25 to supply battery-grade, high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) to Stellantis for use in electric vehicle (EV) battery packs. The five-year agreement calls for shipments to begin in 2026, a total volume of 45 kilotons, and options to extend... Read more →

At CES 2023, Stellantis N.V. announced the establishment of Mobilisights, an independent business unit fully dedicated to growing the company’s data as a service (DaaS) business and to developing and licensing innovative B2B products, applications and services. Mobilisights products will be available to a diverse set of entities, including private... Read more →

In the fourth quarter 2022, BMW sold 8,689 electric vehicles, surpassing the totals achieved in the previous three quarters combined. For the full year 2022, BMW sold 15,584 fully electric vehicles in the US, accounting for approximately 4.7% of total US sales. In March 2022, the fully electric BMW iX... Read more →

Volkswagen of America reported total 2022 sales of 301,069 units. Sales of the ID.4 accounted for 20,511 units, or 6.9% of total sales. Overall, VWoA sales declined 19.7% in 2022 compared to the previous year. SUVs accounted for 83% of sales in 2022, although the total was down 9% from... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch a global high-power charging network across North America, Europe, China and other key markets. It will begin to be built this year in the US and Canada, followed by other regions around the globe. The aim is to have the full network in place before the... Read more →

China-based EV maker NIO delivered 15,815 vehicles in December 2022, a new record-high monthly delivery, representing an increase of 50.8% year-over-year. The deliveries consisted of 6,842 electric SUVs including 4,154 ES7s, and 8,973 electric sedans including 1,379 ET7s and 7,594 ET5s. NIO delivered 40,052 vehicles in the fourth quarter of... Read more →

As of 2026, Audi will only launch all-electric models onto the global market, gradually phasing out production of its combustion models by 2033. Based on this clear decision made as part of its Vorsprung 2030 corporate strategy, Audi is now taking steps to prepare its global facilities for the production... Read more →

Solid Power, a developer of all-solid-state battery and sulfide-based electrolyte technology, has deepened its partnership with the BMW Group. (Earlier post.) Under an expanded Joint Development Agreement, Solid Power has granted the BMW Group a research and development license to Solid Power’s all-solid-state cell design and manufacturing know-how. The broadened... Read more →

European Lithium signed a binding long term lithium offtake agreement via its wholly-owned Austrian subsidiary ECM Lithium AT GmbH with BMW to secure the company’s first offtake of battery grade lithium hydroxide (LiOH) from its Wolfsberg Lithium Project underground mine in Austria. ECM has granted BMW the first right to... Read more →

Hyundai unveiled an EV-derived, futuristic design for its new generation KONA subcompact SUV. The upscaled model will be available in four variants, including all-electric (EV); hybrid-electric (HEV); internal combustion engine (ICE); and sporty N Line, with a universal architecture for all and unique styling for each. The all-new KONA has... Read more →

Nissan Motor and Kobe Steel announced that Nissan plans to use Kobenable Steel for Nissan models from January 2023 onward. Kobenable steel, commercialized by Kobe Steel, reduces CO2 emissions in the blast furnace process. (Earlier post.) Kobe Steel will also supply Nissan with aluminum sheets made from green-aluminum raw materials.... Read more →

Many new vehicles that leave the Audi plants in Germany are delivered with R33 fuel—a blend comprising one-third renewable components. Audi plants’ filling stations transitioned to R33 Blue Diesel (earlier post) last year; Audi has now introduced the gasoline counterpart, R33 Blue Gasoline. R33 Blue Gasoline (earlier post) now replaces... Read more →