A robotic charging consortium with mighty players such as Ionity, Porsche, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, TÜV Süd and others has formed in Germany. Under ROCIN-ECO, they want to drive standards for automated charging and deliver demonstrators at test sites. According to project partner Rocsys, already a provider of autonomous charging solutions, the consortium’s vision is to […] More…

Tesla wants to assemble battery modules at its electric car plant in Fremont, California, at least according to an application filed with the city of Fremont. The extension appears in line with other plans to expand production. The company has filed for permission to install a battery production line on the second floor of the […] More…

As of today, Oliver Blume acts as CEO of both Porsche and the Volkswagen Group. He succeeds Herbert Diess as announced and sets the course right from the start. German media has learnt that Blume will reduce the Board of Management to take decisions more quickly. Specifically, this concerns Hildegard Wortmann (sales) and Murat Aksel […] More…

BMW has started its own production of fuel cells for the iX5 Hydrogen at the Hydrogen Competence Center in Munich. The reason for this is the small series of the iX5 Hydrogen, which is to be used worldwide for testing and demonstration purposes from the end of this year. Preparations for small-scale production have already […] More…

Roborace will be the world’s first racing series for autonomous electric vehicles. The electric racing vehicles are controlled by an AI and are operated without a driver in the vehicle. Originally announced as a global framework series for Formula E, Roborace has instead become a racing series in its own right. The British company Kinetik […] More…

Automotive supplier Mahle is receiving a loan of 300 million euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the development of new technologies related to zero- and low-emission technologies such as battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Mahle’s projects include investments in technologies such as electric motors, battery components, power electronics, […] More…

SVOLT has followed up on its recent success in solid-state batteries. The company now produced a prototype batch of 20 Ah cells with a solid electrolyte based on sulphide. SVOLT also delivers the first promising numbers. The prototype solid-state cells have an energy density of 350-400 Wh/kg. This is in line with SVOLT’s earlier tests, […] More…

Mining group BHP and construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar have signed an agreement to electrify BHP’s entire truck fleet at the Escondida copper mine in Chile. The first Caterpillar 798 AC electric dump trucks are to be delivered in the second half of 2023. The agreement is part of the strategic equipment renewal process developed by […] More…

Dutch operator Watertaxi Rotterdam has launched its first hydrogen boat. The H2 water taxi dubbed MSTX 22 integrates components from various providers, including EKPO and the so-called SWIM consortium of Enviu, Flying Fish and zepp.solutions. The MSTX 22 has room for up to twelve passengers, and Watertaxi Rotterdam will use it in regular ferry services. […] More…

British Garden Centres have selected British charge point operator Osprey Charging to provide ultra-rapid EV charging (150 kW) at its UK stores. Twelve high-power charging hubs are confirmed, with sizes varying on each site. The British Garden Centre in Carmarthen, Wales, will be the first to offer Osprey fast-charging with a hub comprising eight ultra-rapid […] More…

Toyota has decided to invest up to 730 billion yen (approximately $5.6 billion) in battery production for battery electric vehicles in Japan, and the US, which should start between 2024 and 2026. With these investments, Toyota aims to increase its battery production capacity by up to 40 GWh in total. Toyota and Lexus plan to […] More…

The Flemish government has commissioned TotalEnergies to install and commercially operate a charging network for electric vehicles. France’s oil corporation will establish 4,400 AC charge points in the West Flanders and Flemish Brabant regions over the next two years. Flanders has further contracted TotalEnergies to operate the 22-kW charge points under their brand for twelve […] More…

Skoda is accelerating and expanding its electric car plans. The Czech VW brand will launch three new purely electric models by 2026 brought forward from 2030. The new models will be a compact car, a compact SUV and a seven-seater SUV. The Vision 7S show car that has just been unveiled not only provides a […] More…

British transport company First Bus has ordered 193 electric buses worth £81 million from Northern Irish bus builder Wrightbus. The order is part-funded through the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme. First Bus had successfully worked with five municipalities to rack up the combined order of 193 electric buses. The […] More…

The French government is planning to subsidise electric vehicle leasing. Thanks to government support, all-electric vehicles could become available for as little as 100 euros per month. Bloomberg broke the news with reference to a television appearance by Minister Gabriel Attal. Such an EV leasing scheme would also follow an election promise by President Emmanuel […] More…

Irish energy supplier ESB has launched an e-bike pilot project in Dublin called ESB eBikes. The trial will run for ten months and includes 112 bikes with 14 charging stations in some of Dublin’s busiest commuter locations. ESB also won experienced partners. Micro-mobility providers Bleeper and Moby will maintain and operate the electric bikes with […] More…

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is awarding $68 million to purchase 227 electric public transit buses to replace diesel buses in 13 counties across the state. There are further grants given to school districts. The DEP wants to support the districts in purchasing 218 electric school buses. The funding of $57 million comes […] More…

General Motors has signed a binding off-take agreement for cathode active material (CAM) with Posco Chemical. Under the agreement, which runs from 2023 to 2025, Posco will supply the material from its plant in the South Korean city of Gwangyang to Ultium Cells. The GM-LG Energy Solutions joint venture will then use the cathode active […] More…

Two journalists from the British magazine What Car? say they set a new (unofficial) world record by driving a Porsche Taycan through 14 European countries within 24 hours. When the pair started out, Google Maps calculated that they could drive through 13 countries in 19 hours and 30 minutes. Starting in the Netherlands, they cruised […] More…

Freyr has found its first major customer for battery cells from its debut factory in Rana, Norway. The Norwegian battery company struck a deal with the Japanese Nidec Corporation to supply 38 GWh of LFP battery cells from 2025 to 2030, with the option to increase the volume. The binding cell sales agreement includes an […] More…