From 1 April 2025, Shanghai, a metropolis of millions, will subsidise the construction of battery exchange stations in the city. Hefei is also introducing a subsidy for such exchange stations. Electric car manufacturer Nio is the biggest beneficiary of the subsidy. Read more…

A number of pilot programs featuring autonomous electric buses are to run in a number of European cities this year, including Barcelona, Valence, and Zurich. Renault Group says this will include the launch of a commercial automated shuttle bus service with ‘level 4’ automation. Read more…

With the ‘smallBOX’, Mahle subsidiary chargeBIG has presented a new wallbox. It is characterised by its particularly compact size and will be available in two versions. The catch is that the, according to Mahle, ‘world’s smallest wallbox’ cannot be used independently. Read more…

The two companies have announced the launch of their first co-branded public HPC stations in Baldwin Park and Sacramento, California. The charging stations will be owned and operated by EVgo in partnership with Toyota’s ‘Empact’ strategy. Read more…

Four hydrogen innovation and technology centres are being established in Germany. Two of these centres – Chemnitz and the northern German cluster consisting of Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Stade – are now receiving public funding totalling 154 million euros. Read more…

Renault has presented the revised Mégane E-Tech Electric, which can be ordered immediately. Although the drive remains unchanged, there are some interesting technical and equipment updates. Read more…

VEV, a Vitol subsidiary, has just announced that work is complete on Stagecoach’s electric bus hub in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 57 electric buses are now set for deployment in Spring 2025, replacing over two-thirds of Stagecoach’s existing diesel fleet in the area. Read more…

The battery manufacturer CustomCells is part of the ‘Innovation and Future Agenda’ of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. To that end, CustomCells is a corporate partner in a practical research project to build expertise in the field of next-generation round cells. Read more…

The Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania is expanding its range of electric buses with a new e-machine and a new battery option. In addition, a new charging interface at the rear of the electric buses accelerates power consumption. Read more…

Northvolt has announced more bad news. The parent company Northvolt AB and several subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, despite the ongoing restructuring process under US law. Northvolt Germany and Northvolt North America are not affected in their respective jurisdictions. Read more…

Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume has confirmed that the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) will be manufactured at the Kassel-Baunatal component plant in central Germany. The plant will produce components for up to one million vehicles per year. Read more…

Japanese carmaker Toyota has presented three electric models for Europe. The debut bZ4X electric car has been given a facelift and updated technology. The new C-HR+, an electric SUV coupé, will be built on the same platform. And the Urban Cruiser, an electric SUV built in India, is also coming to Europe. Read more…

The Polish transport operator MPK Poznan recently withdrew all 25 hydrogen buses from service after the on-board diagnostic systems of some vehicles detected unexpected malfunctions. In Antwerp, five H2 buses are being permanently removed from the fleet. Read more…

The haulage company Duvenbeck took delivery of its first MAN eTruck in December, a tractor unit configured as a lowliner. The Duvenbeck model is now being used in VW’s plant logistics. Read more…

The crisis-stricken carmaker has decided on a change in leadership. The current CEO Makoto Uchida has to leave at the end of the month. Ivan Espinosa, previously head of planning, will take over as CEO from 1 April. Read more…

ZF has received authorisation from the regulatory agency KBA to test a Level 4 system for autonomous driving on public roads throughout Germany. Previously, the individual authorisations granted applied to clearly defined stretches of road or urban areas. Read more…

Ultraviolette, an Indian performance-oriented electric two-wheeler manufacturer, is stepping into mass-market segments to become a mainstream brand. The company recently launched two new models—Tesseract and Shockwave—and will introduce ten more products by 2028. Read more…

From now on, MB.CHARGE will be the umbrella for Mercedes-Benz digital charging solutions. The first step is the integrated charging service MB.CHARGE Public, which replaces the previous Mercedes me Charge service. Charging prices and tariffs will remain unchanged under MB.CHARGE Public. Read more…

Daimler Buses is now temporarily offering a digital service package as a free option for all newly delivered buses and coaches. Read more…

The South Korean carmaker Hyundai wants to set up a fuel cell production facility at its existing plant in Ulsan. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with production set to start in 2028. So far, Hyundai has manufactured fuel cells in China. Read more…