Smart plans to expand the #1 line-up with new entry-level trims in Europe soon. This revision will make the EV more accessible to customers on a low budget. Read more…
Category: Electrive
Equipmake to electrify more buses for Golden Tours
British bus retrofitting company Equipmake has secured a successive contract with Golden Tours, which specialises in London sightseeing and UK tourism. Equipmake is to repower a further ten Volvo B5 London Tour Buses, using its in-house developed Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED). Read more…
Dacia opens the order books for the Spring
Dacia has officially opened the order books for the Spring in the UK. It can be ordered online or from an official retailer. Deliveries of the electric SUV are planned to start later this year. Read more…
Plug&Charge: CharIn launches new API protocol OPNC for global standardisation
CharIN presents the API protocol Open Plug & Charge Network Communication (OPNC), which improves the plug & charge functionality of charging infrastructure and its interoperability. It is intended to be a decisive step towards global standardisation. Read more…
Neural Concept raises $27m for AI to reduce EV development time
Neural Concept, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), has developed an AI software platform that it says reduces the development time of an electric vehicle from four years to 18 months. Neural Concept has now attracted new investors. Read more…
Translink receives first electric buses from Wrightbus in Northern Ireland
Northern Irish public transport operator Translink is currently receiving the first of a total of one hundred electric buses that it has ordered from Wrightbus, another Northern Irish company. Read more…
Roaming platform Gireve raises 20 million euros
The French roaming platform Gireve has raised 20 million euros in fresh capital, which will be channelled into the expansion of the platform and the development of new services. In addition to existing investors, the US investment platform Partech has joined as a financial backer. Read more…
Following insolvency, Turkish investor buys Pepper Motion
The conversion specialist Pepper Motion is being sold to a strategic investor from Turkey. The sale of the Denkendorf-based company was preceded by insolvency in self-administration, as has been publicised. It is unclear what will become of the recently advertised plans for India. Read more…
Fortum and Marubeni launch battery recycling cooperation
The Finnish company Fortum Battery Recycling has signed a preliminary agreement and a letter of intent with the Japanese trading group Marubeni to jointly establish a sustainable recycling chain for lithium-ion batteries, focussing on the recycling of graphite. Read more…
First hydrogen Coast Guard ship hits the waters in the USA
The US Coast Guard has approved its very first hydrogen-fueled vessel to enter commercial service. It will now undergo a six month trial period. Read more…
Amazon funds support for European battery startups
Startups from all over Europe have qualified for the new Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, a funding programme for sustainability. Among them are Twaice and Circu Li-ion, two young companies from Germany that want to extend the life cycle of batteries. Read more…
Porsche 911 adopts hybrid, steers clear of full electrification
The new Porsche 911 has received a facelift, and along with the mid-cycle refresh, it has adopted hybrid technology. Hybrid is as far as Porsche is willing to go on the electrification front for the 911, however. Read more…
Rock Tech Lithium receives green light to build refinery in Guben
The German-Canadian company Rock Tech Lithium has received final approval from Brandenburg’s state government for its lithium hydroxide converter currently under construction in Guben. There is no mention of whether subsidies from state funds will also be provided. Rock Tech Lithium recently received a funding cancellation from the federal government. Read more…
Skywell presents electric SUV for the UK
Skywell has unveiled the BE11 as its first model in the UK. The Chinese electric SUV will be available to pre-order from August 2024 and the first models are expected to be delivered in September. Read more…
7,893 new electric cars registered in Norway in May
New electric car registrations in Norway fell slightly again in May to 7,893 vehicles.The growth in April therefore appears to be a small outlier, however the same model proved most popular:The Volvo EX30 remained the best-selling model in Norway in May. Read more…
China: Pre-orders open for Stelato S9 with 800 km range
The Stelato S9 that debuted at the Beijing Auto Show in April is now available to pre-order in China. Its domestic launch will take place in the coming months. Read more…
Audi considers building Q8 e-tron luxury SUV in Brussels
Following the decision to withdraw production of the Q8 e-tron from Europe and relocate it to Mexico, the search is on for alternatives for the Audi plant in Brussels. This could also have an impact on a German Audi plant. Read more…
Hyundai to build the Ioniq 5 in the USA from late 2024
Buoyed by strong demand for the Ioniq 5 in the US, Hyundai has decided to build it at an upcoming plant in the state of Georgia. The electric crossover is one of the brand’s most advanced models to date. Read more…
Volvo CE presents new electric construction machines
At its Volvo Days customer event, the construction machinery manufacturer Volvo Construction Equipment, or Volvo CE for short, presented new wheel loaders and excavators that are powered by electricity. Volvo CE also presented an off-grid charging station for construction sites. Read more…
BYD launches two sedans with new plug-in hybrid system
BYD has launched two new plug-in hybrid sedans in China, called the Qin L DM-i and Seal 06 DM-i. The company is heavily marketing their 2,100 km driving range, but there’s a catch. Read more…
