The US government is providing $1.7 billion in funding to convert eleven closed or troubled car production and assembly plants in eight US states to EV production. It will benefit US manufacturers and a German company. Read more…
Category: Electrive
Plummeting battery prices in China may normalise EVs globally
Battery prices in China are falling rapidly with no end in sight. Analysts view the trend as a catalyst in the mass-level decarbonisation of road transport worldwide. Read more…
Smart #3 Premium: A Mercedes without a star
Smart is the first western brand to switch completely from combustion engines to electric cars. However, Smart has moved far away from its roots, the small two-seater car, during the transition. The #3 is Smart’s second electric car on the market and impressed us in many respects – but not in all.
South Korea to have 1,000 hydrogen buses on the roads this month
South Korea expects to have 1,000 hydrogen buses on its roads this month. The country is taking a multi-energy approach towards achieving carbon neutrality in the transport sector and seeing a growing demand for these commercial vehicles. Read more…
VW allegedly sets up task force on Northvolt problems
Following the loss of a billion-euro order from BMW, battery cell manufacturer Northvolt is now also facing a problem with VW. The reason cited is the battery cell production being behind schedule. Read more…
bp pulse & Simon Property to build charging infrastructure across the US
BP charging subsidiary bp pulse & the Simon Property Group have announced a partnership to install HPC stations across the USA. The first of the planned 75 locations will open in early 2026. Read more…
VW to postpone ID. Golf launch until 2029
The launch of the VW ID. Golf will be postponed by 15 months to 2029. The background to this is that large parts of the SSP vehicle architecture are to be rolled out later than planned. Read more…
Toyota joins North American fast-charging alliance Ionna
First there were seven, now there are eight. Toyota is the latest carmaker to join the charging joint venture Ionna to set up fast-charging infrastructure in the US and Canada. Read more…
E.On and MAN to expand truck charging infrastructure in Germany
MAN and the energy supplier E.On have entered into a cooperation agreement to install fast chargers for electric trucks at 170 locations in Europe. The first site is due to go into operation this year, with 80 planned by the end of 2025. Read more…
Singapore announces stop sale date for diesel cars and taxis
Singapore will ban the sale of diesel cars and taxis in the country from 1 January 2025. The country says eco-friendly alternatives are now widely available. Read more…
VW considers cancelling Northvolt battery supply contract
Following the loss of a billion-euro order from BMW, battery cell manufacturer Northvolt is now also facing a problem with VW. The reason cited is the battery cell production being behind schedule. Read more…
Volkswagen’s BEV business in China outweighs European drop in sales
The Volkswagen Group sold a total of 180,800 electric cars worldwide in the second quarter of 2024, roughly the same number as in the same period last year. However, geographical sales are shifting: the Group is losing ground in Europe and the USA, while it is clearly growing in China. Read more…
India’s ChargeZone to invest $360 mn in EV charging network
ChargeZone, an Indian EV charging solutions startup, plans to invest $360 million (€333 million) over the next four years to expand its network. The company is installing ‘superchargers,’ which are essentially ultra-fast chargers, to cater to electric cars and heavy-duty electric vehicles like buses and trucks. Read more…
Renault Trucks is getting ready for electric long-distance freight transport
Renault Trucks wants to be at the forefront of the electrification of road haulage in Europe. In fact, the manufacturer has already delivered more than 1,000 electric vehicles to customers. So far, these have been used exclusively for regional distribution transport with a maximum range of 300 kilometres, but that could change in two years. We visited the head office in Lyon and the lorry plant in Bourg-en-Bresse in France to see for itself. Read more…
Final test drives with the Mercedes eActros 600 across Norway
It is supposed to be nothing less than “the biggest test drive in the company’s history.” Mercedes-Benz Trucks has sent two units of the all-electric eActros 600 long-haul truck on a Europe-wide tour ahead of its market launch to prove its operational capability, even with today’s charging infrastructure. Electrive accompanied the engineers on one stage. Read more…
TU Graz receives funding for battery research centre
TU Graz has received funding for a major project in the field of battery technology as the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG has approved the application for the new COMET K1 centre ‘Battery4Life.’ Read more…
US DOE could help finance Entek’s separator manifacturing plans
Entek could receive 1.2 billion dollars from the US Department of Energy (DOE). If finalised, it will finance Entek’s planned separator production facility in the US state of Indiana. Read more…
Stellantis starts groundwork for Leapmotor launch in South Korea
Leapmotor International, a 51/49 Stellantis-led joint venture, could launch electric cars in South Korea. Stellantis may leverage its existing dealer network to help the JV smoothly set up shop in the new market. Read more…
Audi considers restructuring factory in Brussels
It was already known that Audi wanted to relocate production of the next generation of the Q8 e-tron to Mexico. However, Audi is now considering withdrawing production from Belgium ahead of schedule. Discussions have now begun – which could even end with the closure of the plant. Read more…
