Volkswagen’s supervisory board has given the go-ahead for plans to build a new electric car plant in the Warmenau district of Wolfsburg. The company says it will invest around two billion euros in the new factory, where the electric flagship Trinity will be built. The board had previously given the go-ahead for the project. Construction […] More…
Author: electrive.com
VinFast joins forces with LeasePlan for Europe
LeasePlan is to support Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast in its market entry in the Netherlands, Germany and France. According to a memorandum of understanding just signed by both companies, LeasePlan is to become VinFast’s preferred partner in leasing, fleet management and remarketing. LeasePlan intends to include VinFast in its offering for corporate and private […] More…
Workhorse to build vans on GreenPower chassis
Workhorse and GreenPower Motor have signed a multi-year supply agreement to facilitate the manufacturing and delivery of medium-duty Class 4 electric step vans into the North American market. GreenPower and Workhorse have confirmed a 21-month schedule during which GreenPower will deliver 1,500 EV Star cab and chassis to Workhorse starting in July 2022. The chassis […] More…
Electric boat chargers for Catalan coastline
In Spain, the Catalan Association of Sports and Tourist Harbours ACPET has entered into a cooperation with the British company Aqua Superpower to create charging infrastructure for electric boats along Catalonia’s 580 kilometres of coastline. Under the partnership, Aqua Superpower will supply and install its smart grid chargers free of charge for owners or operators […] More…
eActros electric 4×2 & 6×2 trucks launched in the UK
Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK has now begun sales of the all-electric eActros. UK truck operators are being invited to place the first orders for right-hand drive versions of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros. The electric truck is now available to order as a 4×2 or 6×2 chassis, with deliveries to UK customers beginning in May. Mercedes Benz […] More…
Environmental approval granted for Giga Berlin
Brandenburg’s Minister President Dietmar Woidke has given Tesla the final environmental permit for Giga Berlin in Grünheide. The permit states that production can only start when Tesla fulfils the conditions set out in a 536-page document. Woidke announced the granting of the permit at the State Chancellery in Potsdam along with together with Brandenburg’s Environment […] More…
Rivian raises prices and backtracks a bit
US-based electric car startup Rivian has raised prices for its first two models, the R1T and R1S, by up to 20 per cent; initially not only for new customers but also for existing reservation holders. The communication was probably anything but happy: In an email to customers, Rivian presented it as if only some features […] More…
Equipmake announces next-gen silicon carbide converter
British electric drive specialist Equipmake has launched a next-gen silicon carbide inverter, which can deliver a step-change in the performance of electric vehicles. Equipmake advertises that the new HPI-800 inverter delivers such efficiency gains that not only does it have the potential to reduce the size of an EV’s battery by around 10 per cent, […] More…
Volvo tests inductive charging in Gothenburg
Volvo Cars is working with partners to test wireless charging of electric cars: In Gothenburg, a small fleet of Volvo XC40 Recharge cabs equipped with an inductive charging solution from Momentum Dynamics is now on the road. The electric cars used by cab company Cabonline, can be charged at selected stations without cables. The trial […] More…
Volocopter closes financing round with €153 million
German electric aerial taxi developer Volocopter has raised €153 million in the first signing of its Series E funding round led by South Korean investor WP Investment. Volocopter expects that the new capital will accelerate the certification of Volocopter’s electric passenger air cab and its launch in initial cities. Volocopter had closed its Series D […] More…
Panasonic planning battery production in the USA
Panasonic wants to buy land in the USA for a ‘mega-factory’ to produce the new 4680 cells for Tesla. According to media reports, two states are under consideration. The information was reported by the Japanese broadcasting company NHK. According to their unnamed sources, Panasonic plans to acquire land in either Oklahoma or Kansas and invest […] More…
Panasonic plans battery production in the USA
Panasonic wants to buy land in the USA for a ‘mega-factory’ to produce the new 4680 cells for Tesla. According to media reports, two states are under consideration. The information was reported by the Japanese broadcasting company NHK. According to their unnamed sources, Panasonic plans to acquire land in either Oklahoma or Kansas and invest […] More…
Volvo presents updated XC40
Volvo Cars has given its XC40 Recharge electric SUV a facelift. Among other things, a new front bumper and a frameless radiator grille ensure that XC40 Recharge is visually aligned with the Volvo C40 Recharge. In addition, the C40 Recharge gets a new engine. Previously, the XC40 only had a closed grille to distinguish it […] More…
Volkswagen is realigning their technical development
Volkswagen has announced that it is realigning the focus and working methods of Technical Development (TD) to shift towards electromobility and digitization. According to Chief Development Officer Thomas Ulbrich, this will also have a massive impact on future electric cars such as the Trinity. To that end, Ulbrich has given the R&D unit he heads […] More…
Sony & Honda announces plans for EV joint venture
Sony and Honda are planning a joint venture to develop and sell electric cars. The partners plan to launch their JV this year, with sales of the first electric model planned for 2025. The two Japanese companies have stated that the new company will develop and sell the vehicle. The vehicle itself is to be […] More…
Sony & Honda plan to produce electric cars together
Sony and Honda are planning a joint venture to develop and sell electric cars. The partners aim to launch their JV this year, with sales of the first electric model planned for 2025. The two Japanese companies have stated that the new company will develop and sell the vehicle. Honda said they would produce the […] More…
Segway unleashes highspeed standing scooter
Segway just released a powerful standing electric scooter approaching 70 kph. Their GT2 delivers 3,000 watts and a range of up to 90 kilometres. However, Segway suggests the highest speed mode was only for “race tracks and private grounds” in a footnote on the product page. “Coming with 11-inch tubeless pneumatic self-healing tyres, adjustable hydraulic […] More…
Opel/Vauxhall to release Insignia & Crossland as EV
Opel has confirmed that they will offer the successors to the Crossland SUV and Insignia sedan only as pure EVs. On the way to becoming a 100% EV brand, the cult Opel Manta will also return by mid-decade as an electric car. Opel, also known as Vauxhall and now part of Stellantis, reportedly wants to […] More…
EKPO to build FC stacks for logistics vehicles
EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies, the joint venture between ElringKlinger and Plastic Omnium, has signed a development and supply agreement with Globe Fuel Cell Systems for fuel cell stacks to power logistics vehicles. Starting in 2023, EKPO will exclusively supply the stack modules for Globe’s fuel cell system, according to the company. The term of the […] More…
Polestar presents electric convertible concept
With the project name Polestar O2, the Swedish electric car brand has presented the concept of an electric convertible. The Polestar O2 takes up the design language of the Precept. The brand is not yet making any statements about possible series production. The O2 is a 2+2-seat hardtop convertible that looks “incredible,” according to Polestar […] More…