The US government has announced a further 3.5 billion dollars in subsidies to boost domestic battery production. It is the second round of grants in this area. The first was in 2022. Read more…

Porsche has announced an investment of around 250 million euros in its plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The goal is to make Porsche’s main plant fit for the future – i.e. for the production of electric sports cars. Read more…

The mining group Eramet has opened a pilot plant for recycling electric car batteries at its research centre in Trappes near Paris. It is a 1:1,000 scale model of the large recycling plant that Eramet is planning with Suez in Dunkirk. Read more…

In China, sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids reached a new record last month. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) reached around 956,000 units in October. Read more…

Shortly after announcing a new electric model for less than 20,000 euros, Renault revealed the first images of the corresponding study. Although the model was initially labelled “Legend,” it is now clear that it is an electric Twingo – with many designs borrowed from the first-generation Twingo. Read more…

Renault’s mobility brand Mobilize has stopped marketing its electric saloon for ride-hailing and taxi services. While specifically designed for said market, the limousine has flopped, Renault admits. Read more…

Volkswagen has revealed UK prices for updated ID.4 and ID.5 electric cars. Both models based on the Group’s MEB architecture are now available to order from Volkswagen UK retailers. Read more…

ChargePoint just announced the first large-scale deployment of its latest and possibly fastest charging system. It claims charging speeds up to 500kW and will debut in the Mercedes-Benz high-power charging network in North America. Read more…

Bus operator Arriva announces news from London as it gains two new routes and retains contracts for another seven. This is alongside purchases of 87 new electric buses joining the growing fleet in the British capital, where Arriva is also busy building new charging depots. Read more…

Spain has extended the federal e-mobility funding scheme Moves III by seven months. The subsidies will now be available throughout July 2024 instead of running out this year. Read more…

More precise and comparable information regarding how fast an EV truly charges is the aim of a new global standard launched by the German Association of the Automotive Industry with international partners. ISO/SAE 12906 is to harmonise the measurement of range gains, charging time, maximum power and charging efficiency. Read more…

Germany’s BASF is planning a cooperation with the South Korean battery cell manufacturer SK On to focus on North America and the Asia-Pacific region. Initially, BASF and SK On will examine options to cooperate in producing cathode materials but could include the entire battery value chain eventually. Read more…

Polestar has started producing its latest electric car in China, where the Polestar 4 is rolling off the line at Geely’s plant in Hangzhou Bay. The dedicated electric SUV coupé is a China-first EV, yet scheduled to hit the global market in a few months. Read more…

The US start-up Forge Nano, specialising in defense, aviation and special electric vehicles, supported by Volkswagen, plans to build a gigawatt-hour-scale battery factory in Morrisville North Carolina. The factory will manufacture battery cells coated with its Atomic Armor surface technology, for which the company is establishing a spin-off called Forge Battery. Read more…

The government of Ireland has announced the development of a national centre for electric vehicle skills to ensure that Irish workers are fully equipped to handle the expanding skills requirements of electric vehicles. Read more…

The carmaker is expanding its ChargeForward service across the lower 48 states. With the launch of the first all-electric BMW 5 Series, the BMW i5, all drivers of BMW battery electric vehicles and PHEVs will be eligible to enrol in what used to be a mere pilot scheme. Read more…

This week, Volkswagen has cancelled one shift on the line producing the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born at its plant in Zwickau, Germany, due to low demand. The same may happen at the second production line if the market does not change. Read more…

Renault’s new electric car division Ampere has announced a new city car as part of its capital market day. The city electric car, known as the “Legend”, will be launched on the market from 2025 at an entry-level price of less than 20,000 euros (before deduction of possible subsidies). Read more…

UK geothermal energy company Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) has announced plans to produce significant quantities of lithium. GEL aims to produce enough carbon-free lithium as a by-product of its geothermal projects to power around 250,000 electric car batteries annually. Read more…

Automotive supplier ZF has presented a purely electromechanical braking system for the automotive industry that uses electric motors instead of hydraulics for deceleration. This should not only save energy and increase range but also reduce wear and tear – and therefore, cost. Read more…