VW has started the pre-sales of the new Touareg R eHybrid in Germany. According to VW, the hybrid SUV features the most powerful drive of all series models by the company so far. Prices in Germany start from €93,870. The visually and technically refreshed top model of the luxury class series comes onto the market […] More…

GM associate Lightning eMotors kicked off production of its next generation GM-based Lightning ZEV4 work trucks. According to the company, the platform’s versatility will accelerate fleet vehicle electrification efforts. “Success in the commercial vehicle electrification market frequently revolves around providing customised products to meet the specific use cases of customers. This is where we have […] More…

Trafford Council in Greater Manchester has announced installing a new wave of EV chargers in partnership with charging network Be.EV. Two dozen state of the chargers are set to go live across Trafford throughout the summer. In terms of income and costs for the construction of the new charging stations, all are to be funded […] More…

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is collaborating with semiconductor company STMicroelectronics to develop advanced power electronics for electrified aircraft powertrains. The collaboration will focus on developing components for Airbus’ hybrid and all-electric aircraft powertrains. According to the aircraft manufacturer’s announcement, the components will be both silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) based semiconductors. SiC semiconductors are […] More…

The German defence company and automotive supplier Rheinmetall has presented a new heat pump for electric vehicles that is offered as a plug-and-play solution. The compact component is completely pre-assembled and filled. The system solution is designed for 400-volt as well as 800-volt applications and was developed for precise air conditioning of the interior and […] More…

British supermarket chain Asda now offers more home delivery using electric vehicles. The retailer wants to be carbon net-zero by 2040. Specifically, three stores in and around London and Sheffield now offer grocery deliveries using EVs only: Gillingham Pier, Old Kent Road and Sheffield Chaucer. Two more stores in Cardiff Bay and Leith will follow […] More…

Hamburg and Rotterdam The Hague airports are cooperating to explore the feasibility of a flight route for hydrogen-powered aircraft between Hamburg and Rotterdam. The MoU also includes cooperation on the development of a hydrogen infrastructure. The cooperation assumes 2026 as a possible date for the first hydrogen flight, and the airports assume that there will […] More…

Volvo Group subsidiary Nova Bus is exiting bus production in the US market. Consequently, the company has decided to close its Plattsburgh manufacturing and delivery facility by 2025. For orders from the North America market, Nova Bus plans to utilize its Canadian facilities located in Saint-Eustache and Saint-François-du-Lac (Quebec). “The strategic decision to end bus […] More…

The Chinese electric car manufacturer Aiways is apparently in financial difficulties. According to Chinese media, vehicle production at the Aiways plant in Shangrao in Jiangxi province has been suspended since February because neither suppliers nor employees were paid. The main investor Chen Xuanlin had invested several hundred million US dollars in Aiways at the beginning […] More…

Umicore has officially opened its newest facility in Olen, Belgium, where it plans to produce solid-state battery prototypes. It is said to be a “large-scale prototyping centre for solid-state battery materials”. Umicore’s involvement in this field comes as no surprise. The Belgian company has been working on solid-state battery chemistries since 2017 – supported, among […] More…

Smart has announced another variant of its Smart #1 electric model. The #1 Pulse is planned to hit German roads in 2023. Orders can be placed now at prices starting at 46,490 euros. Other European markets will follow soon. In the Smart #1 Pulse, the 200 kW rear-wheel drive is supplemented by another engine. As […] More…

The British bus operator First Bus will offer charging for all types of electric vehicles at its Summcourt depot in Cornwall. It is the first operator in the UK to offer such a charging hub. The goal is to “provide the local community with direct access to rapid electric charging infrastructure for electric cars and […] More…

Tesla is said to be interested in buying a German specialist for inductive charging technology. According to a media report, the company in question is Wiferion from Freiburg. Apparently, the deal is already close to being finalised. As the German portal Gründerszene first reported with reference to a commercial register document, the shareholders intend to […] More…

Japanese electric air taxi developer SkyDrive has signed an agreement in principle with Suzuki to build eVTOLs. Specifically, a Suzuki Group production facility in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture will be used to build SkyDrive’s electric aerial taxi VTOL starting in the spring. The e-air taxi, which will also be called SkyDrive, is a further development of […] More…

The Circle K petrol station chain has opened 20 new charging points for heavy-duty electric trucks in Sweden, each with a capacity of 360 kW. These are spread over five locations along strategically important traffic routes in the country. Specifically, the five locations are Varberg Nord, Laholm Snapparp Östra, Jönköping Hyltena, Gävle Bro and Ljungby. […] More…

The transport company HTM in The Hague, Netherlands, announced the procurement of 95 electric buses and the associated charging infrastructure from Daimler subsidiary EvoBus. And the latter will get a new name in July. The order is preliminary and will officially be awarded on 7 July, after all parties have formally approved. It includes the […] More…

MTU Aero Engines is working on fuel cell systems for aviation that run on liquid hydrogen under the project name ‘Flying Fuel Cell’. MTU plans to use their fuel cell from 2035 initially on shorter routes in the feeder and regional aircraft sector. For further development, MTU plans to use the aircraft on short- and […] More…

The Chinese battery giant CATL plans to invest €1.27 billion to develop Bolivia’s large but largely untapped lithium deposits. And CATL has the backing of the Bolivian government to build two plants to extract lithium from brine. Bolivian President Luis Arce confirmed that CATL could extract minerals from the country’s salt lakes in Uyuni and […] More…

Nikola Motor has released an update on its “business optimization efforts”, which may otherwise run under emergency measures. In “sharpening focus”, Nikola is laying off nearly 300 staff in Europe and the US and will decrease spending. In the company’s terms, the measures will result in streamlined operations. Says CEO Michael Lohscheller: “We are proactively […] More…

The British EV charging solutions provider PlusCharge presents a monitor specially designed for DC charging stations. It can display customised messages or advertisements for operators to generate additional income. The so-called Media Screen Chargers have a 55-inch screen that – even in direct sunlight – is said to have “excellent visibility”. By partnering with ATEM […] More…