The Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ) is renewing its trolleybus fleet and, following an international tender, has awarded the Swiss bus manufacturer Hess a contract worth CHF 330 million (€336 million). The order volume exceeds 150 battery-electric trams. In the first batch, Hess shall supply 13 articulated trolleybuses and 13 double articulated trolleybuses with battery-electric drives […] More…

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has exclusively licensed patents for a drop-in additive for Li-ion batteries that prevents explosions and fire from impact. The startup Safire, formerly known as BTRY, plans to locate facilities in East Tennessee to commercialise the liquid-to-solid battery technology. The renaming refers to the technology the company just got from ORNL; […] More…

The Californian carmaker Drako Motors presented a nearly 1.5-megawatt electric SUV with gullwing doors at the LA Auto Show. But not only is the drive power enormous, the company also promises a high charging capacity. Powered by four electric motors and with an estimated EPA range of 675 kilometres, the Drako Dragon is said to […] More…

Buick is getting ready to enter China with a new EV model. An application to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology contains the first pictures and info. The battery supplier surprises while other technology comes from GM. The electric SUV based on GM’s Ultium platform will be called Buick Electra E5 and have […] More…

Buick is getting ready to enter China with a new EV model. An application to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology contains the first pictures and info. The battery supplier surprises while other technology comes from GM. The electric SUV based on GM’s Ultium platform will be called Buick Electra E5 and have […] More…

Archer Aviation has presented the series eVTOL Midnight. The air taxi that vertically takes off and lands offers space for one pilot and four passengers, not unlike the prototype Maker. Other spec has changed, however, yet an ambitious production schedule remains. As for data provided, Archer claims a payload of over 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms) […] More…

Nidec is planning to build an electric axle factory in Mexico. The company currently produces electric axles in China and Europe and wants to manufacture them in Mexico in the future in view of an expected surge in demand in North America. This was announced by Nidec CEO Shigenobu Nagamori to the Japanese business newspaper […] More…

Public transport operator Nobina has ordered another 64 electric buses from BYD, expected to join the services in Norway in the spring of next year. The operator has been relying on e-buses from the Chinese manufacturer for some time and is growing the fleet. The latest order of 64 BYD buses includes 40 electric buses […] More…

In Vietnam, construction has begun on the country’s first production facility for LFP battery cells. This is being built as part of a joint venture between VinES Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, and the Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech. The factory in the Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh will be designed […] More…

Swiss technology group ABB has raised capital of around CHF 200 million for its E-Mobility division. Shares in the aforementioned amount are being issued as part of a pre-IPO private placement. 200 million Swiss francs currently corresponds to approximately 203.7 million euros. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2022 and the […] More…

Electric scooter providers Lime, Dott and Tier operate around 15,000 rental scooters in the French capital, but their licences expire in March 2023, and the city council is considering not renewing the permits due to safety concerns. A final decision by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, operators are proposing […] More…

The US government is providing funding totalling nearly $74 million for ten projects to advance technologies and processes for recycling and connecting use of electric vehicle batteries in stationary applications. With demand for critical battery materials such as lithium and graphite growing rapidly – the US Department of Energy forecasts 4,000 per cent growth – […] More…

A registration application in China has revealed the first pictures and data on the second model of the Smart brand. Next to a modified body, the model will also have an all-wheel drive with a second electric motor, and at least one more battery option. The second model after the Smart #1 will thus be […] More…

Geely has signed an agreement to license its all-electric Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) to ElectroMobility Poland (EMP), a budding electric vehicle manufacturer backed by the Polish government. EMP plans to develop several electric models for its Izera brand. Two show cars were unveiled in July 2020. Already at that time, it was said that the […] More…

Volkswagen’s electric car plant in Zwickau set a production record in the week from 7 to 11 November when 7,100 electric cars were produced, more than in any previous week. This means that the plant is close to reaching its maximum capacity. On average, more than 1,400 electric cars were built daily during the record […] More…

In Germany, Honda has received certification for a fleet of mass-produced electric vehicles for primary control reserve (PRL) prequalification by transmission system operator Amprion as part of a pilot project with Next Kraftwerke. Honda calls it a “significant breakthrough in V2G technology.”  In the pilot project, series-produced Honda e vehicles were used in the pilot […] More…

In the USA, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has adopted a five-year, statewide, $1 billion transportation electrification program. This encompasses funding for charging facilities for both heavy and light-duty vehicles. The CPUC has the task of regulating services and utilities to protect consumers, safeguard the environment, and assure Californians’ access to safe and reliable […] More…

Tesla has also started to open Supercharger stations in Italy for electric cars of other brands. The Supercharger map in Italy now also includes the note, “This Supercharger is open to Tesla vehicles and Non-Tesla vehicles with CCS compatibility”. This means that in 15 European countries, selected Tesla fast chargers are now also accessible to […] More…

The US electric car subscription service Autonomy has significantly increased its order from the Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast. With the new order, VinFast is now commissioned to deliver more electric cars to Autonomy than Volkswagen. Autonomy initially ordered 22,790 electric cars from 17 carmakers in August, including 400 from VinFast. Autonomy is now commissioning VinFast to […] More…

In Germany, the electric retrofitter Pepper Motion and the solar electric car developer Sono Motors are cooperating in a joint project to integrate a solar retrofit solution for commercial vehicles. The first vehicle equipped with Sono’s “Solar Bus Kit” is a converted Mercedes Citaro. Sono Motors presented its Solar Bus Kit in the summer in […] More…