August 03, 2022
French Forsee Power and German Vitesco are joining the motorbike battery swap consortium formed by the major players in the motorbike sector. The consortium includes motorbike manufacturers and technology suppliers and now counts 21 members willing to jointly develop a new business model. The Japanese and Italian motorbike manufacturers have joined forces through the Swappable […]
August 01, 2022
Chinese premium electric carmaker NIO has reconfirmed its intentions to deliver a 150 kWh battery in Q4 of this year. This battery, which Beijing-based WeLion develops, is a hybrid solid-liquid electrolyte battery that would boost the range of the NIO ET7 sedan above 1 000 km (NEDC). For a heavy SUV like the ES8, a […]
August 01, 2022
BMW has scaled up battery production at its Leipzig plant. The additional battery production line will enable the Leipzig plant to assemble battery units for the i4, after it had previously mainly produced batteries for the iX. The second production line for battery modules has just started up at the Leipzig production site, which began […]
July 29, 2022
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is entering the second phase of testing its all-important next vehicle, the fully electric Spectre coupé. All-in-all, 2,5 million test kilometers have to be run before the company gives the green light for production and commercialization of the car at the end of next year. The next location is the French Riviera. […]
July 28, 2022
Swedish high-performance sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg is investing an undisclosed amount of money in the Dutch solar car start-up Lightyear. The partnership goes further than finances alone, including exchanging technical expertise, both parties announced on Thursday. The Lightyear 0, the first solar car of the Dutch start-up, is to go into a limited production of […]
July 27, 2022
Making ‘green hydrogen’ with a sort of coffee machine at home? A Hong Kong-based renewable energy company called EPRO Advance Technologies (EAT) claims a breakthrough in using metallurgical silicon powder to do so. “Imagine vacuum-packed Si+ cartridges comparable to coffee machine pods and capsules; only add water to generate hydrogen anywhere.” It’s no science fiction, […]
July 27, 2022
In America, van body manufacturers EAVX and Morgan Olson have launched the first drive-by-wire fully electric walk-in step van, based on the P7 platform of Israeli REE Automotive. REE’s fully flat and low platform, unveiled in January 2022, is intended to underpin Class 3-5 fully electric vehicles with payloads up to 3 600 kg, offering […]
July 25, 2022
Together with the fully electric Ariya, Nissan let us take a taste in Sweden of the new Qashqai e-Power, a totally different kind of hybrid. Not the HEV we’re used to knowing from pioneers like Toyota, not a plug-in hybrid you can charge at home, but an electric car with a nearly permanently running generator […]
July 25, 2022
General Motors has finally unwrapped its fully electric flagship, a possible answer to the Mercedes EQS and the BMW i7. The Cadillac Celestiq show car might become the most expensive Cadillac ever, at over $300 000. And it will be the second electric model of the luxury brand after the Lyriq, which is just starting […]
July 25, 2022
Renault’s sports car subsidiary Alpine gives a glimpse at its electric future with a concept car. The Alpine A110 E-ternité is based on the brand’s combustion sports car but has been rebuilt for the study as an all-electric open sports car with 178 kW of power. The cells of the 60 kWh battery for a […]
July 25, 2022
Porsche recalls the Taycan again, which concerns all models including the Cross Turismo and the Sport Turismo. Worldwide, over 40 000 vehicles have been affected this time. There is a possible problem with the wiring harness under the front seats of cars built between July 2019 and May 2018. This is not the first time […]
July 20, 2022
The English sports car producer Lotus, now part of the Chinese Geely automotive group, has completed the construction of its vehicle plant in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It has just produced the first example of its all-electric Eletre SUV model, the first to be built there. The Wuhan factory is designed for an annual […]
July 20, 2022
In Camargue, in the delta of the Rhone, an osmotic power plant will be implanted in 2023. The National Company of the Rhone (CNR), the leading French producer of 100% renewable energy, announced this on Tuesday. Osmotic energy is generated naturally by the difference in salinity between the freshwater of rivers and the salt water […]
July 20, 2022
Porsche has postponed the market launch of the all-electric Macan until 2024. That has been confirmed by Porsche boss Oliver Blume himself. Also noticeable: in addition to the E-Macan, a new electric luxury SUV will roll off the production line in Leipzig in the future. “The market launch is in 2024,” Blume said in an […]
July 19, 2022
The full electric convertible segment seems to be in progress, as Mini shows a one-off of the Cooper Convertible SE that they presented in South Carolina at a local Mini event, ‘Mini takes the States’. If and when an electric Mini Convertible will be launched is currently unclear. For now, the British manufacturer wants to […]
July 19, 2022
Bilmo and Octave, two Brussels start-ups, have launched two innovative projects. Both companies were winners of the competition project organized by Bebat and Leefmilieu Brussel. Octave’s first circular stationary battery was commissioned on Tuesday at Terranova Solar, one of the biggest solar parks in the Benelux. Bilmo provides cargo bikes with energy using recycled bicycle […]
July 19, 2022
There are rumors that BMW has decided that the next generation of models based on the ‘New Class’ platform (‘die Neue Klasse’) planned for 2025 will be built exclusively with purely electric drive systems. In addition, another rumor about the battery cells for the new architecture is confirmed. On the other hand, there’s a growing […]
July 18, 2022
Hyundai has unveiled the RN22e and the N Vision 74, two very different electric car studies from its N performance sub-brand. In addition, the Korean company has also confirmed that the Ioniq 5 N will debut in 2023. The compact electric car is the brand’s first fully electric high-performance model. Although the Ioniq 5 N […]
July 15, 2022
Volkswagen adapted its software to limit the consequences of the so-called dieselgate scandal. The problem is now that the new software is as illegal as the previous one. This has been confirmed by the European Court of Justice, which has been asked for advice by the Austrian Court of Justice. Dieselgate concerns a software fraud […]
July 14, 2022
Boxier SUVs and crossovers are wind scoops compared to sleek sedans costing more energy. Hyundai is proving this once again as it released the specs of its newest fully electric sedan, the Ioniq 6. The latter easily gets 100 km further with the same 77,4 kWh battery as the Ioniq 5 crossover, 610 km compared […]
July 14, 2022
The world’s largest car industry supplier, the German Bosch Group, has announced it will invest €3 billion in semiconductors between now and 2026. It is encouraged by the recently emitted European ambitions to secure Europe’s autonomy in the field. “We are preparing ourselves for an ever-increasing demand for chips,” said Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung on […]
July 14, 2022
Can an electric vehicle (EV) be powered solely by solar energy in the form of carried-on solar panels? The results of a Chinese team of 42 companies and three universities joining forces may show that it’s possible. A team from Tianjin has developed an EV – called the ‘Tianjin’– that is powered entirely by solar […]
July 12, 2022
Flemish public transport company De Lijn has decided to opt for the PSI eBus charging and depot management system from the German PSI Transcom. The PSI software package will control the charging processes of the electric buses and monitor all movements of the buses in De Lijn’s depots. The contract represents an amount of € […]
July 11, 2022
For a few weeks now, an e-ATAK eight-meter-long midibus of Turkish light commercial vehicle builder and bus manufacturer Karsan has been running autonomously on a daily service from Stavanger’s bus operator Kolumbus in Norway. It’s equipped with autonomous Level 4 driving hardware and software supplied by Californian company Adastec and is claimed to be the […]
July 08, 2022
Six years after Tesla completed its first Gigafactory, Volkswagen has begun building its own in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony. The construction start marks the roll-out of no less than six battery cell factories for Europe under Volkswagen’s PowerCo umbrella. “Today is a good day for the automotive industry and Europe.” Those were the words of German […]
July 08, 2022
Just one day after Cruise was granted an official license for commercial autonomous taxi rides, one of its robocars got involved in an accident injuring multiple passengers. The crash is under investigation. According to reports, a robotaxi from Cruise took a left turn on the 3rd of June at a junction in San Francisco but […]
July 07, 2022
At its second Power Day event, Chinese EV start-up Nio announced it wants to start with the roll-out of a fast-charging network capable of 500 kW. To underpin its overseas’ expansion, it plans to bring the technology to Europe. In China, rolling out muscles on charging is somewhat of a national sport… With the announcement, […]
July 06, 2022
Renault is preparing its Cléon engine plant (near Rouen, north-west of France) for the electric era. When one enters the plant, you’re welcomed by the slogan “Bievenue dans la megafactory”, an unequivocal wink at Tesla. Cléon has produced engines and gearboxes for 60 years and will soon be the electromotor specialist of the group, making […]
July 05, 2022
Italian manufacturer of performance motorbikes Ducati took the cover of its first all-electric prototype. The V21L will be competing in the Moto E as of 2023, the racing series of which Ducati is the single supplier. While all eyes are on a street version, Ducati’s lips remain sealed for now. With no e-motorbike in its […]
July 05, 2022
German automotive supplier Mahle has developed a new breed of electromotor with an integrated oil cooling that can run almost endlessly at 90% of its peak power as long as the battery can hold. That’s quite unique as today’s e-motors on the market generally can deliver their peak power only for 50-60 seconds because of […]
June 30, 2022
Audi has started building its first plant dedicated to EVs in the Chinese metropolis Changchun, one of the largest automotive regions in the country. The site partners with state-owned carmaker FAW and will manufacture models based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) for the local market. The new factory is built on 150 hectares and […]
June 30, 2022
Citroën is developing an additional model to be positioned between the existing C4 and the C5 X. The new model will be baptised C4 X and will feature a 100% electric drive. Depending on the market, versions with combustion engines will also be offered for sale. In practice, the C4 X is an evolution based […]
June 30, 2022
Norwegian battery-maker Freyr has received approval from its board to expand its plans for a Gigafactory in the country’s north. Called Arctic Giga, the plant is projected to raise its annual capacity to 29 GWh. The clearance for the larger-than-planned scale was announced simultaneously with Norway’s first official battery strategy. Giga Arctic is Freyr’s – […]
June 28, 2022
After showing the Chinese Mulan earlier this month, SAIC has unveiled more details of its next MG model, the MG 4 Electric, for Europe and the rest of the world. The compact four-door sedan features a very slim battery – only 110 mm high – allowing 51 kWh to 64 kWh packs and even swapping […]
June 28, 2022
On Monday, Volkswagen unwrapped its next electric vehicle in the line-up in China, the ID. Aero. A four-doors sedan with a 77 kWh battery that will offer an estimated WLTP range of 620 km. After the ID.4, this model will be the carmaker’s next global car for Europe, China, and the US, Ralf Brandstätter, CEO […]
June 27, 2022
Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle division of the American manufacturer, presented the Ford Pro Electric Supervan at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, UK. Based on the E-Transit Custom, the boosted van can sprint from 0 to 100 km/hour in just two seconds. For Ford Performance, this particularly fast van is to showcase the potential […]
June 24, 2022
Following a sneak preview in March, CATL presented the production version of its third-generation cell-to-pack battery (CTP), now called Qilin instead of Kirin. The pack should be capable of delivering a mileage of more than 1 000 kilometers and features a “disruptive” cooling technique. No modules. No additional wiring. More battery for the same space. […]
June 24, 2022
On a trip from Stuttgart to Silverstone, the ‘most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever’ breaks its own efficiency record and drives 1 202 km on a single battery charge. Thanks to its innovative thermal management system, the Vision EQXX prototype car achieved an amazing average electricity consumption of 8,3 kWh/100 km. Following its record-breaking maiden trip from […]
June 24, 2022
BMW has inaugurated its state-of-the-art new EV plant in Shenyang, China. Plant Lydia, as it is called, produces for BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd an extended, fully electric version of the classic 3-Series we know, but exclusively for China. Plant Lydia is the first BMW Group plant fully planned and simulated in the virtual world from […]
June 23, 2022
After a few striking teaser images, Peugeot has drawn the veil on the new 408, which is considerably larger than the 308 with which it shares its platform. Remarkably, Peugeot is planning two plug-in hybrid motorizations, with which the manufacturer is aiming at the business driver. The 408 is expected on the Belgian market in […]
June 22, 2022
Sibelga, the manager of the Brussels gas and electricity distribution network, plans to use hydrogen by 2050 to heat old, poorly insulated buildings. According to the newspapers De Tijd, L’Echo, and La Libre Belgique, the company has had a study carried out for this purpose. As the availability of biogas is limited, green hydrogen could […]
June 22, 2022
D’Ieteren Automotive sees mobility from a broader perspective. In addition to the classic car distribution activities of the VW Group brands, it invests in sustainable mobility solutions such as sharing platforms (Poppy), bicycles (Lucien), charging infrastructure (EDI), and now energy supply with the acquisition of Go-Solar, a specialist in solar panels and home batteries. With […]
June 22, 2022
Some 50% of all charging points in the European Union are concentrated in only two countries: The Netherlands and Germany. These findings were published in a study by the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association ACEA, unveiling a substantial disparity among the member states. At the same time, signals are appearing that the further rollout of the […]
June 21, 2022
Sevic? Never heard of it? Well, that might change as the German EV engineering start-up has its first V500e vehicles delivered by Bulgarian contract EV manufacturer Milara International to Bochum for internal testing and client approval. And it’s ready to take the European cities. The compact light utility EV with a unique cargo swap system […]
June 21, 2022
Swedish truck builder Volvo Trucks has unveiled its first heavy-weight fuel cell electric truck with a range of more than 1 000 km and two 300 kW generating fuel cells on board to handle up to 65 tons of weight. Refueling takes only 15 minutes as a regular diesel truck. Cellcentric will provide the fuel […]
June 21, 2022
BMW Group has announced that it will also develop and produce the next generation of electric drives at its main engine plant in Steyr, Upper Austria, from 2025. The plant will be converted to produce 600 000 of the new generation e-drives per year. In Steyr, BMW wants to manufacture the rotor, stator, gearbox, inverter, […]
June 17, 2022
Last year, appointed CEO of Ferrari, Benedetto Vigna, unveiled his strategic plan for the world’s most profitable carmaker at a shareholders’ meeting yesterday. By 2026, the sportscar manufacturer wants to boost revenue to 6,7 billion euros, from the 4,8 billion expected this year, driven by the launch of 15 new products and electrification of 60%. […]
June 17, 2022
Belgian gas grid operator Fluxys and the French company GRTgaz are joining forces to develop an open-access low-carbon hydrogen transmission system between the two countries. In this context, they have launched a call for building a pipeline network of some 70 km between the industrial zones of Valenciennes in France and Mons in Belgium. Fluxys […]
June 16, 2022
The facelift of the Chinese Lynk & Co 01 SUV with its prominent redesigned tail lights won’t make it to Europe. The latter was confirmed by the new Benelux PR manager. So for the 120 000 ‘members’ the Volvo-Geely car brand has today in seven European countries and the 16 000 cars delivered, nothing will […]
June 15, 2022
American fuel cell specialist Hyzon is buying itself an entry into the German zero-emission truck market by acquiring the Orten Group, one of the pioneers in Germany for the electrification of new and used commercial diesel vehicles. “The acquisition brings three fully-operational production facilities and a team of over 80 employees under the Hyzon umbrella. […]
June 15, 2022
Schaeffler presented an innovative drive unit for electric vehicles at the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Oslo. Schaeffler says that the ‘four in one electric axle’ system is compact and up to 14% more economical than a “conventionally” built electric vehicle. Schaeffler is a major supplier of automotive components. The group with Scandinavian roots began with […]
June 15, 2022
Michigan (US) based battery start-up Our Next Energy (ONE) has signed an agreement with BMW Group to integrate its Gemini battery technology into a BMW iX. A prototype is to be completed by the end of this year and can then drive 600 miles or 965 kilometers on one charge. BMW Group is one of […]
June 14, 2022
The regional Walloon administration has drawn up a deployment map for installing electric charging stations. According to Walloon Mobility Minister Philippe Henry (Ecolo), some 2 800 sites have been identified. Of this number, nearly 2 000 sites can reasonably easily be equipped with chargers. Private companies accessible to the public can also be an alternative. […]
June 14, 2022
Seventeen Dutch companies and organizations have set up a partnership to develop a complete zero-emission drivetrain replacement for traditional propeller airplanes for the short-haul, based on electric motors fueled by fuel cells and hydrogen. They want to become a tier-one supplier of their HAPSS system to retrofit existing turboprop airplanes up to 40 to 80 […]
June 13, 2022
The MG Mulan, launched in China end of last week by state-owned parent company SAIC, shows what to expect for the European version of the Chinese electric car with the iconic English brand name, the new MG4. It’s the first five-door sedan SAIC is building on the new Nebula EV platform with rear-wheel drive and […]
June 13, 2022
Following a pilot phase in Nuremberg and “overwhelmingly” positive feedback from customers, Audi has decided to expand its concept of charging hubs and take it beyond the German borders. Swiss Zurich is the next place where a mobile charging lounge of this type will be constructed, with Berlin and Salzburg shortly after. Remember Audi’s charging […]
June 13, 2022
At the 35th (EVS) Electric Vehicle Symposium in Oslo, German Vitesco Technologies, a spin-off from Continental, presented a new generation of electric motors. These no longer use a permanent magnet, but a second (controlled) electromagnetic field to bring the motor in motion. With this technology, far fewer rare earth metals are required for their manufacture. […]
June 13, 2022
Regarding itself as a car maker transforming into a tech company, the Volkswagen Group decided it couldn’t do without a TikTok account. Under the tag “newauto”, also the name of the Group’s future strategy, employer-made short films will be published to inform about electrification and digitalization. ‘You did not wait for us, but here we […]
June 13, 2022
Hungarian low-budget airline Wizz Air will explore with European airplane builder Airbus all facets of flying ultra-low-cost on hydrogen. That includes the hydrogen aircraft, operations, infrastructure, the network, scheduling issues, ground bases, and airports. For this, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus that is to launch its hydrogen planes by 2035. Wizz […]
June 13, 2022
The Belgian Agoria Solar Team has beaten the world record of driving 12 hours continuously in trying to cover the longest distance ever for solar-driven cars. The University of Louvain student team developed their newest car, the BluePoint Atlas, to cover 1 051 km in 12 hours, at an average speed of 87,58 kph. The […]
