The British energy service provider Mitie has ordered 650 VW ID. Buzz Cargo. One of these ID. Buzz Cargo is also the 4,000th electric vehicle that Mitie has added to its fleet. The fleet is to be completely electric by the end of 2025. Read more…

In Germany, a development partnership called XProLas has begun that is to look into using compact X-ray sources to improve the durability and performance of electric car batteries. The project involves collaboration from a network of 12 companies and institutes led by the machine manufacturer Trumpf. Read more…

The Geely brand Zeekr has launched a revised version of its Zeekr 001 in China, which is also available in Europe. The new edition of the electric model, which has sold more than 160,000 units to date, has been technically improved and costs less than its predecessor. Read more…

A Nordic battery recycling alliance has been formed between Finnish battery recycler Fortum, and the Swedish-Norwegian battery recycling joint venture Hydrovolt. The two companies have agreed to support each in a cooperation that is part of a larger push for Northern Europe to become a model region for battery circular economy. Read more…

New battery cells from CATL with lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) chemistry are already being used in a Chinese electric model. The new batteries will also be used by Tesla in the future, where the new cells are already being validated. Read more…

ZF is opening its first “zero-emission factory” after a conversion period of almost one and a half years at the production site for power electronics in Klášterec, Czech Republic. The location of the Electrified Powertrain Technology division is considered a blueprint for all ZF plants worldwide. Read more…

Polestar has secured 950 million US dollars in external financing. The credit line is intended to cover a large part of Polestar’s estimated capital requirements to finance its next stage of development. Read more…

VW and Xpeng have concluded a framework agreement on their cooperation in the development of electric cars. A step that had become apparent after the basic agreement last summer. There are also initial details on the planned electric cars for the Chinese market. Read more…

Honda has unveiled the fuel cell version of its CR-V compact SUV, which was announced at the end of 2022. A special feature: the on-board battery can be charged externally. Sales of the Honda CR-V e:FCEV are set to begin this year in Japan and California. Read more…

The supplier Vitesco Technologies has presented a so-called “high-voltage box”, in which several individual components for charging, converting and distributing electricity in electric cars are combined in a single unit. Two car manufacturers have already ordered this product. Read more…

Tesla plans to unveil the production version of the new Roadster, which was first shown at the end of 2017, at the end of 2024. However, the model will no longer have much in common with the electric sports car that the electric car manufacturer unveiled a good six years ago. Read more…

Tesla has introduced the new ‘Charge on Solar’ function in various countries, which is currently being made available via a software update for the Tesla app. However, there is an important hardware requirement for the feature to be used with Tesla vehicles. Read more…

In California, the use of heavy-duty electric trucks has taken another major step forward. The logistics company NFI has taken delivery of 50 new electric trucks. The purchase of electric trucks and provision of suitable charging infrastructure is embedded in the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI). Read more…

Volkswagen Group UK has joined forces with Ecobat to recycle batteries from electric cars. VW UK and Ecobat have been working together since 2014 and have now agreed to extend their partnership. Read more…

Aston Martin is postponing the market launch of its first electric car by one year, citing low customer demand. Instead of 2025 as previously planned, the first BEV from Aston Martin will not be launched until 2026. Read more…

A European research project called DigiCell has been formed to create more efficient, reliable and sustainable value chains in the production of electric vehicle batteries through the integration of digital processes and data-driven analysis. Read more…

The Hyundai Motor Group will start production at its new electric car plant in the US state of Georgia earlier than planned. Production is to start in the fourth quarter of 2024 instead of the first half of 2025. Read more…

In a new German recycling project called DiLiRec, researchers from nine institutions and companies are developing and comparing processes for the recovery of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for the first time. The project is being coordinated by EAS Batteries based in Thuringia in central northern Germany. Read more…

BMW plans to build a battery factory in Rayong, Thailand, this year to support its sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The plan is also justified by the activities of Chinese companies in the region. Read more…

The location for the Tata Group’s first battery cell factory outside India has been finalised. Tata’s battery subsidiary Agratas has announced the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater in the south-west English county of Somerset as the exact location and has purchased the land there. Read more…