Volvo Cars has hired a new head of design with Jeremy Offer joining Volvo from British electric vehicle developer Arrival and will take over as Global Head of Design from 1 May 2023, succeeding Robin Page. According to a statement by Volvo Cars, Jeremy Offer brings with him 35 years of design experience in various […] More…

The TwinVECTOR project aims to pool European expertise in the development of next-generation batteries. The EU is funding the project with €1.3 million over a period of three years. The centre of excellence at Tomas Bata University (TBU) in Zlín, Czech Republic, is to be expanded with the support of the consortium partners so that […] More…

British bus manufacturer Mellor has received an order from Sweden. Public transport operator Connect Bus orders 42 elecztic buses of the Sigma line, which Mellor debuted in 2021. The minibuses on order are headed for Gothenburg. Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and is on the west coast. Connect Bus will deploy the Mellor […] More…

The Canadian city of Calgary is preparing to transition public transportation to zero emission. Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and the city just announced investing $165 million towards purchasing 259 zero-emission buses by 2027. The new electric buses will replace the same number of diesel vehicles, with Calgary expecting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more […] More…

German public transport operator VAG Nuremberg has ordered 46 eCitaro from Mercedes-Benz. The 16 electric solo buses and 30 articulated models will gradually go into service this year, turning almost half of VAG’s fleet to zero-emission. Nuremberg’s public transit company is already running e-buses across town. The new Daimler eCitaros will meet 39 electric buses […] More…

The EU-funded TranSensus LCA project aims to develop the basis for a harmonised life cycle assessment approach for electric vehicles across Europe. According to the organizers, such a uniform LCA approach is a key element for achieving the goals of the Green Deal. The project is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institutes LBF and IST. It […] More…

Renault UK has announced an update for the all-electric Megane E-Tech with the introduction of the new top-of-the-range ‘Iconic’ trim.  It features a new heat pump, among other upgrades, and prices start at £41,995. The new Iconic trim features the extensive specification of the limited version Launch Edition, but included a new heat pump and […] More…

The Austrian Post has put its 3,000th electric vehicle in service. This also marks the kick off for the “Green Vienna” initiative, as the postal service plans to deliver all letters and packages with zero emission in the Austrian capital by 2025. By 2030, it wants to make deliveries across the country zero emission. The […] More…

Powered by four electric motors with a total output of 100 kW, the Pelican Cargo is said to be the largest autonomous electric aircraft do date. The model has a payload of 400 pounds and a range of 200 miles, or 181 kilograms up to 320 kilometers. The four electric motors are mounted on the […] More…

Fertilizer and salt producer K+S is testing, whether electric vehicles are cut out for work in its mines. According to the company, conditions there – such as uneven roads, large inclines and temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius – could be possible hurdles for technology. A current project at the Hattorf-Wintershall mine of the […] More…

Due to high battery material costs, Nissan informed dealers in the U.S. that they will only be able sell a limited number of Ariya models this year. Nissan declined to say exactly how many units of the EV will be available, but a person familiar with the matter told news outlets that about 6.000 were […] More…

Chinese carmaker Zeekr published the first images of its third model, the Zeekr X. The SUV will first be shown at the Auto China in Shanghai in April and will probably be available in China before the end of the year. It will most likely also be sold in Europe, but at a later date. […] More…

In Europe, the materials technology and recycling group Umicore and the Finnish state mining company Terrafame have signed a long-term supply agreement for nickel sulphate. According to both companies, deliveries have already started and are to be increased further in the course of this year. The supply contract entails Terrafame providing a substantial part of […] More…

US electric car startup Rivian is apparently planning more job cuts. Rivian plans to lay off six per cent of its workforce to cut its ongoing costs, according to a leaked email from CEO R.J. Scaringe to employees. According to the statement, the company plans to lay off about 840 of its roughly 14,000 employees […] More…

In Los Angeles, USA, the electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Xos and cash handling company Loomis have signed a purchase order for 150 additional armoured electric vehicles. Loomis, which is a large provider of cash and high-value item transportation services, began using electric vehicles in 2019 when it added 20 Xos armoured electric vehicles to its […] More…

Berlin-based electric scooter sharer Emmy has acquired the German business of competitor Felyx. Emmy says this will make it the largest sharing provider for e-scooters in the German market. Felyx decided to sell its operations in Germany to focus more on growth in the Benelux region for the time being, according to the statement released […] More…

US battery startup Our Next Energy (ONE), backed by BMW, among others, has closed a $300 million funding round. The Series B funding round resulted in a company value of over $1 billion. The Series B round, led by Fifth Wall and Franklin Templeton, also saw participation from existing investors from the Series A round. […] More…

In Europe, the energy group TotalEnergies and the hydrogen gas manufacturer Air Liquide have decided to set up a joint venture to build hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy-duty vehicles in France, Benelux and Germany. The corresponding joint venture is to be established before the end of 2023. The partners plan to build more than 100 […] More…

The Oxford Bus Company, which is part of the Go-Ahead Group, has ordered 104 electric buses from Irish manufacturer Wrightbus. The order comprises five single and 99 all-electric double-decker buses. Eight double-decker will have an open top and can be used as sightseeing buses. All buses will hit the road by late 2023. They will […] More…

Citizens in the Swiss cities Zurich and Bern will receive their letters and parcels by electric vehicle. The Swiss Post fully electrified its delivery fleet in the two cities and announced that by the end of 2024, all delivery vehicles in Geneva and Basel, as well as some 50 other locations will also be 100 […] More…