Kick-starting the Japan Mobility Show Nissan dropped a real bomb: the Nissan Hyper Force concept. If you’ve been tracking Nissan’s series of innovative “hyper” concept vehicles, then this is the climax you’ve been waiting for. Unlike the other wild concepts, this one is not just another pipe dream – this is the potential future face of Nissan’s iconic GT-R. Nissan is pivoting to an all-electric platform, but one that befits the legendary name. The Hyper Force boasts an impressive 1,000 kW (equivalent to 1,341 hp) all-electric powertrain. Expect acceleration to be nothing short of… More…
GM drops major electrification interim-target
General Motors is further scaling back its electric ambitions. The interim goal of producing 400,000 electric vehicles in North America, which had already been postponed by half a year to mid-2024, is being abandoned altogether. The background has only marginally to do with electric mobility. Read more…
CATL and Fraunhofer IKTS predict batteries’ lifetime
The German branch of the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS want to continue their cooperation. A new joint project to determine the service life of batteries will run until 2027. Read more…
Tesla to expand Giga Berlin in 2024
Tesla is currently putting the brakes on the planned Gigafactory in Mexico due to the unclear outlook. At the German Gigafactory in Grünheide, however, the company is sticking to its expansion targets: expansion work is due to start in a few months. Read more…
Lexus presents two new electric concept vehicles
Toyota’s premium brand Lexus will present two battery-electric concept vehicles at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. While the Lexus LF-ZC sedan hints at a production model planned for 2026, the LF-ZL is said to embody the vision of an all-electric SUV flagship. Read more…
Infiniti presents electric sedan concept to launch in 2026
Nissan’s luxury subsidiary Infiniti has given a preview of the design of its first all-electric model with the Vision Qe concept car. This is the electric sedan that is due to be launched in 2026. Read more…
China’s NEV retail sales at 472,000 in Oct 1-22, up 4% from same period last month
China’s retail penetration of NEVs was 38.9 percent in the October 1-22 period. Read more…
Xpeng to report Q3 earnings on Nov 15
Xpeng delivered 40,008 vehicles in Q3, within guidance range, with new SUV G6 contributing 48.6 percent. Read more…
Stellantis and Orano to recycle EV batteries
The two companies want to form a joint venture to recycle used EV batteries and scrap “from gigafactories in Enlarged Europe and North America.” Stellantis hopes to gain access to additional materials needed for new batteries, such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium. Read more…
Go home, Cruise, you’re drunk – but call a Waymo, cause you can’t drive in CA anymore
Cruise’s license to operate autonomous vehicles in the state of California has been suspended effective immediately, announced the California Department of Motor Vehicles today. More…
Honda unveils new Prelude as an electric 2-door coupe
Honda has unveiled a new electric Prelude concept – bringing back the once popular two-door coupe after 20 years. More…
Toyota’s Compact Electric Truck Concept Even Has A Pass-Through Bed
Toyota just out-Maverick’d the Maverick with an EV concept that deserves to be built. More…
Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony confirms $100 million investment from Saudi Arabia
Pony.ai plans to set up a joint venture with Neom in Northwest Saudi Arabia to provide autonomous driving technology solutions for the region. Read more…
The Honda Prelude Concept Looks Production-Ready, Might Come In 2026
The electric two-door coupe brings back the nameplate that died at the beginning of the 2000s. More…
Premium Chinese EV brand HiPhi reportedly making massive layoffs
Rumors on Chinese social media said HiPhi will lay off up to 20 percent of its workforce and up to 50 percent in some divisions. Read more…
California Suspends GM’s Cruise Robotaxis Citing Safety Risks
The state DMV said the company had “misrepresented” the safety of the technology deployed in the driverless taxis. More…
Canalys expects China’s auto exports to reach 5.4 million in 2023, NEVs to contribute 40%
MG, Tesla, and BYD were the brands that exported the most NEVs from China in the first half of the year, contributing 25.3 percent, 22 percent, and 15.4 percent, respectively. Read more…
Busbars and interconnects
Large EV battery packs can contain thousands of cells that have to be connected to form modules and packs, then connected via busbars to other driveline components such as inverters and DC-DC converters to make robust and reliable connections quickly and efficiently in confined spaces while keeping costs down.
That has made the design and construction of busbars and interconnect systems an important subject of r&d as voltages get higher and the thermal conductivity of their components becomes increasingly important to cooling. Engineers therefore face a set of challenges in designing and manufacturing these systems, particularly in mass-production environments. More…
Nissan unveils electric hypercar with insane 1 MW of power
Nissan has unveiled the Hyper Force, an electric hypercar with an insane 1 MW of power output, but there’s no plan to bring it to production. More…
Nio among 1st adopters of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
Qualcomm overnight launched its latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is expected to be standard on flagship Android-powered phones in 2024. Read more…
