Toyota this week unveiled the Urban SUV Concept, previewing a small electric SUV for the European market. But such a vehicle could also makes sense in the U.S. The concept measures 169.2 inches long, 71.6 inches wide, and 63.7 inches tall, making it a few inches shorter than a Toyota Corolla Cross. The eventual production version is aimed at the… Read more…
Chinese EV maker Nio to spin off battery unit: report
For years, Chinese EV maker Nio has essentially done it all, delving into high-end EV manufacturing, in-house batteries, autonomous driving, and chips, as well as innovative battery-swapping tech and even making smartphones, all while pulling in huge investments and talent to make that happen. Now, according to a new report, it’s looking to lighten the load. Read more…
After Paris banned electric scooters, something surprising happened in the city
Paris raised eyebrows earlier this year when the city voted to ban shared electric scooters. While privately owned electric scooters were still allowed, the thousands of shared electric scooters that were commonly used by locals and tourists were forced to vacate the city, with unexpected results. Read more…
Fiat’s upcoming small electric car is called Pandina
The small electric car planned by Fiat will bear the name Pandina and will be produced on three continents. However, European production will not take place together with the technology donor Citroën ë-C3 in Slovakia. Read more…
Comau and LiNa develop manufacturing for solid-state sodium cells
The Italian automation specialist Comau, part of the Stellantis Group, is developing a manufacturing solution for solid-state sodium battery cells with LiNa Energy from the UK. LiNa intends to use this to significantly increase the production capacity of its patented battery cells to make large-scale manufacturing possible. Read more…
Üstra launches power storage system from old eCitaro batteries into operation
Used batteries from the all-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city bus are being given a “second life” for the first time. In the rectifier substation of Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe, a stationary power storage unit made from old eCitaro batteries has gone into operation as part of the GUW+ pilot project. Read more…
Ionity opens new HPC charging park in Germany
Ionity has opened one of its largest charging parks to date in Merklingen near Ulm with a total of 24 HPC charging points. Ionity has also put HYC400 charging points from Alpitronic into operation here for the first time. Read more…
Mini Cooper SE JCW unveiled with more hype than horsepower
Mini’s latest offering, the Mini Cooper SE JCW, may have a sporty look, but it’s nothing more than a sheep in wolf’s clothing. The hype surrounding this new release may have you thinking it’s a powerhouse, but the reality is quite different. Once you strip away the marketing gloss and take a closer look at what the “new” Mini has… Read more…
Renault rumoured to build EVs for Polestar in Euro
According to a Spanish media report, Renault could also build electric cars for Polestar in Europe in the future. Reportedly, Renault is examining the production of Polestar electric cars at its Spanish plant in Palencia for the European market. Read more…
China’s NEV retail sales up 2% MoM to 783,000 in Nov, preliminary CPCA data show
China’s passenger NEV penetration at retail stood at 38 percent in November, up from 37.8 percent in October. Read more…
Three-year delay looms for electric car tariffs between EU and UK
Nio to take over two factories from JAC
In the end, things proceeded very quickly: shortly after Nio received certification from the Chinese government as an independent vehicle manufacturer, Nio took over the two joint factories F1 and F2 in Hefei from its previous production partner JAC. Read more…
New model to be unveiled on Nio Day 2023 could be ultra high-end sedan ‘ET9’, says Deutsche Bank
The model would be a low-volume car, but may serve as a halo vehicle to generate excitement around the brand, Deutsche Bank said. Read more…
Global EV battery market share in Jan-Oct: CATL 36.9%, BYD 15.8%
CATL’s share continues to rank first in the world and remains the only global battery supplier with a market share of more than 30 percent. Read more…
Li Auto offers limited-time financial incentives to boost sales
Li Auto is offering preferential loan rates to customers who buy its models before the end of the year, a rare public promotional move by the company in the past few years. Read more…
Nio to spin off its battery production unit, report says
The spin-off could take place as early as the end of this year, after which the battery unit will seek external investors, with a valuation to be decided at a later date, according to Reuters. Read more…
Tesla whistleblower raises concerns about FSD safety
In a recent interview with the BBC, former Tesla employee Lukasz Krupski, who previously leaked accident reports and internal documents, expressed serious doubts about the safety of Tesla’s autonomous driving system. Krupski’s revelations shed light on what he calls “experiments in public roads” and raise questions about the readiness of FSD hardware and software. Krupski, who received the Whistleblowing Prize… Read more…
New report reveals reasons behind Nio’s acquisition of JAC plant assets
With full control over all core processes of vehicle production, Nio will be able to improve its manufacturing efficiency and have more leverage in the fierce competition. Read more…
Burger Group launches actuators for thermal management
Automotive products developer Burger Group has developed a range of electromechanical valve actuators for tackling the specific requirements of controlling active thermal management systems in vehicles (writes Rory Jackson).
Stefan Schafer, the company’s business development manager, says, “I’ve been working in thermal management for about 10 years now. Based on trends I’ve seen in the industry, EV OEMs are moving towards these kinds of modules for coolant, refrigerant or both. They are being engineered with a rising count of valves for delivering fluid to critical points of thermal concern, be it in battery packs, power electronics, HVACs and so on. Read more…
BYD chairman proposes RMB 200 million in share buybacks
The proposal is based on Wang Chuanfu’s confidence in China’s NEV industry and the company’s prospects, as well as his recognition of BYD’s value to boost investor confidence, BYD said. Read more…
