The public transport operator Transdev has ordered 15 electric buses from Daimler Buses for use in England. With the 15 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric solo buses, Transdev intends to convert a line between Keighley and Bradford in West Yorkshire to locally emission-free operation from the end of 2024. Read more…

Nio wants to significantly expand the use of battery packs with semi-solid-state cells in its electric cars – potentially to eleven more models, according to documents from China’s regulatory agency. Read more…

The BMW Group has won the Belgian company Umicore as a further partner for developing a battery supply chain in North America. Umicore will supply cathode active battery materials from a new plant in the Canadian province of Ontario to BMW’s battery cell partner AESC. Read more…

The EU states are entering the current legislative process with their own ideas for CO2 standards in the truck and bus sector. For city buses, for example, they want to postpone the de facto end of combustion until 2035. In the Commission’s original draft, the target was 2030. Read more…

Smart has announced a new basic version of the #1. The new variant is called #1 Pro and costs 5,000 euros less than the previous entry-level model #1 Pro+ – in Germany, 37,490 euros to be precise. In terms of technology, however, the difference is much greater than the ‘+’ in the model name. Read more…

According to a media report, Kia plans to build a second plant in South Korea for electric “Purpose Built Vehicles” (PBV), special vehicles for taxi services and ride-hailing providers. It still depends on an agreement with the trade unions whether cars will be built there from 2028 or not. Read more…

Kia’s new electric SUV EV9, which has room for up to seven passengers and a range of up 304 miles, can now be ordered in the US. The EV is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms before the end of the year. Read more…

American Battery Solutions (ABS) has signed a battery supply contract with bus manufacturer NFI Group. ABS will deliver custom battery packs for NFI subsidiary New Flyer’s latest battery-electric buses. Read more…

Quantron has delivered 50 light electric trucks with partner Electromin in Saudi Arabia. The Qargo 4 EV Light Truck vehicles have been earmarked for use by customers such as PepsiCo and Red Sea Global. Read more…

ALD Automotive and Leaseplan have unveiled a new global mobility brand called Ayvens, which unites the two companies under a “common identity”. The background is the acquisition of Leaseplan by former competitor ALD Automotive, which was completed this year. Read more…

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has declared EHang’s uncrewed passenger drone fit to fly in commercial operations, making it the first eVTOL to obtain such approval. Ehang considers the license an ”epoch-making milestone” for commercial UAM operations and is likely correct. Read more…

Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) is cooperating with Volvo Cars. Through this partnership, Volvo Cars customers will have access to over 590,000 charging points in Europe. The joint offer is scheduled to be launched in mid-November. Read more…

Vietnam’s Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) is about to launch its electric taxi service, Green SM, in Laos. Vingroup owns green SM and plans to introduce 1,000 electric cars by their subsidiary Vinfast this year. It has plans for broader services and more markets. Read more…

Stellantis is reportedly close to signing an investment agreement with Chinese electric car manufacturer Leapmotor. According to a media report, in addition to the financial participation, it is also about access to an electric car platform. Read more…

State Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a corresponding bill to transitins the state’s school bus fleets to zero-emission. California estimates that it will cost five billion dollars over the coming years. Read more…

Sweden’s largest battery storage system was commissioned in Gothenburg. Stena Recycling’s subsidiary Batteryloop installed its BLESS III system, storing 2.8 megawatts in reused Mercedes EV batteries and already helping power a whole new neighbourhood. Read more…

Siemens is investing an unknown amount in the Estonian supercapacitor company Skeleton Technologies. Both sides are already cooperating on the construction of a large production factory – near Leipzig, Germany. Read more…

In Europe, Pedelecs are not covered by compulsory motor vehicle insurance because they are not exclusively mechanically driven. This was decided by the Court of Justice of the EU. The ruling came after an accident in Belgium. Read more…

Since supply chain issues are still putting a damper on production, the US automaker will temporarily cut one shift at the EV production plant where it builds its Ford F-150 Lightning. But that is only part of the truth. Read more…

The EV maker kicked off deliveries of its newest EV in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway. It is not clear exactly how many units have been delivered so far. Read more…