Category Archives: electric vehicles

GM and Pilot to Build Coast-to-Coast EV Fast-Charging Grid

The network of 2000 charging stalls, co-branded “Pilot Flying J” and “Ultium Charge 360”, will be powered by EVgo eXtend and open to all EV brands at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers. GM customers will receive special benefits such as exclusive reservations, discounts on charging, a streamlined charging process through “Plug and Charge” and integration into GM’s vehicle brand apps providing real-time charger availability and help with route planning. This collaboration is targeting the installation of charging stalls at 50-mile intervals across the US. For GM, this development is one more step in its ~$750 million investment in EV charging infrastructure. Continue reading

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Automobili Pininfarina: Battista Hyper GT Starts Production

Production of  the Battista*, said to be the world’s first pure-electric hyper GT, has begun in a dedicated new Atelier space in Cambiano, Italy, Automobili Pininfarina** said today. Located in the Piemonte region of Italy, this  is a milestone in … Continue reading

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CARB to Launch Small Fleet ZEV Conversion Incentives

The pilot will provide $25 million to implement a range of entries to help small fleets make the transition to zero-emissions. These will include flexible financing, short-term rentals, and full-service leases, such as all-inclusive truck-as-a-service options with enhanced incentives and fueling support. The pilot is contained within the larger Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). Continue reading

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Hyundai Ioniq 5 Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS

The 2022 Ioniq 5 standard front crash prevention system earns superior ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. The SEL and Limited trims come equipped with good-rated LED projector headlights, while the SE trim comes with LED reflectors that earn an acceptable rating. The award applies to vehicles built after December 2021, when Hyundai made changes to the front seats that could affect the head restraint evaluation. Continue reading

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GM Expands EV First Responder Training in US, Canada

This program is focused on responders but potentially also benefits drivers involved in incidents. This is a continuation of GM-led education efforts that began more than a decade ago with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt. With plans to have the capacity to build more than 1 million EVs by 2025, GM continues to increase investments in areas that will enable mass adoption and support those who play a role in the deployment of electrified technology. Continue reading

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Hyundai Motor Ioniq 6 EV Partly Revealed

The interior was developed simultaneously with the exterior. “Efforts were made to maximize and optimize the interior space, stretching it at the front and rear, resulting in a unique streamliner silhouette and spacious interior,” said Hyundai. To AutoInformed, it is strikingly similar to the Mercedes-Benz EQS Continue reading

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Mercedes-Benz and Unions Agree on EV Production Plans

This means that the Works Council and the powerful IG Metall union, which represents the industrial sector in Europe’s largest economy, supports how the factories are being allocated. The production portfolio already includes six all-electric Mercedes-EQ models. These are being bult at six locations on three continents. Continue reading

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Stellantis to be 2nd Largest Shareholder in Vulcan Energy

The equity investment will go towards Vulcan’s planned production expansion drilling in its producing Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field (URVBF). Vulcan is already producing geothermal energy from its URVBF and plans to produce lithium hydroxide with zero fossil fuels and net zero carbon footprint as part of the Zero Carbon Lithium Project. Continue reading

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Nissan and Wallbox to Offer Home EV Charging

The Pulsar Plus charger, the company’s best-seller, is said to be one of the smallest smart universal EV chargers in North America. It can be installed in homes, apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. Continue reading

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Automaker Profits Post-Covid Hiding Supplier Weakness

The continued trend delivers a “complex backdrop for an industry committing $526 billion through 2026,” AlixPartners’ analysis finds, to fund the shift to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The transition, now taking place amid a weakening economic outlook, could cost automakers and suppliers $70 billion if not effectively managed, the analysis finds. There are several implications for consumers here – not all of them benign. Continue reading

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EV Consideration is Up but Skepticism is a Challenge

AutoInformed notes once again that Republican Party opposition to the Build Back Better Bill, which has substantial funding for charging stations needed to help automakers sell EVs, is yet another puzzling position reversal for a party that is now against supporting business? Continue reading

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Toyota, Redwood Materials to Recycle Electric Vehicle Batteries

Redwood Materials claims it is reducing the environmental footprint and cost of lithium-ion batteries by offering large-scale sources of domestic anode and cathode materials produced from recycled batteries. Redwood receives more than ~6 GWh of end-of-life batteries annually for recycling, which are then refined and remanufactured into critical battery materials. The company plans to increase production of anode and cathode components in the US to 100 GWh annually by 2025, enough to produce more than one million electric vehicles a year. Continue reading

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Hyundai Motor, Michelin MoU to Develop Tires for Premium EVs

It appears a prime motivator of the new research is on tire performance to accommodate the increases in vehicle weight that will occur as automakers rush to convert or spawn EVs in the utility vehicle and luxury segments, which generally speaking are larger and less efficient than their counterparts in the more modestly priced car segments. As the size, weight and range of EVs continue to increase, so do the demands placed on the tires. Continue reading

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US EV Purchase Consideration Up. Income Matters

However, “The addition of new EV models has moved the needle on consumer consideration,” said Stewart Stropp, senior director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “In fact, several new models from perennial mass market brands are at the top of that consideration list. Even so, more remains to be done in terms of transitioning from early to mass adoption. Though the study findings show a shift in favor of EVs, about 76% of new-vehicle shoppers say they are not ‘very likely’ to consider buying one.” Continue reading

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Ford Motor US Sales Drop Again in May. Shakeout Coming?

Ford Motor no longer bothers to hold press conferences covering monthly sales. Yesterday Jim Farley, President and Chief Executive Officer when asked at the Alliance Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference about Tesla and five other EV companies with a market cap above $20 billion – meaning the market is saying there’re at least six credible new entrants – said, “We’re going to see very large consolidation and big changes. I would say new EV companies probably will get simpler and Chinese will become more important… Continue reading

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