Category Archives: electric vehicles

Embracing the Inevitable? – Buick all EVs by 2030

The Buick Wildcat EV concept, a large  a 2+2 coupe with challenging sight-lines for the driver, demonstrates the new global brand design language that – it’s claimed – will be apparent in production vehicles going forward. The pointy nose could present a problem – when parking or when parking the badge. Continue reading

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Stellantis, Toyota Expand with New Large Commercial Van

Stellantis and TME’s collaboration started in 2012 with the Toyota’s mid-size LCV produced at Stellantis’ Hordain plant in France, followed in 2019 by a compact-size LCV segment, produced at Stellantis’ plant in Vigo, Spain. The large-size LCV announcement allows Toyota to complete a full LCV line-up in Europe. It also – as many such emerging agreements do – offsets the ruinous development and production costs of the ongoing electrification of offerings demanded by governments and customers. Continue reading

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Adopt a Charger, Rivian Installing EV Chargers in MI Parks

Republicans continue to oppose and block the badly needed Build Back Better national program. Many governors are embracing the future in ways they can help clean energy.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan today joined state and local officials and representatives from Adopt a Charger and startup electric vehicle wanna-be Rivian* at the first of ~15 EV charging sites to be installed at state parks and a fish hatchery in Michigan during the next few years. Two Rivian Waypoints (sic) chargers were unveiled at the 142-acre state park in Ottawa County. Continue reading

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Stellantis and Samsung SDI JV to Build EV Batteries in Kokomo

The joint venture company will invest more than $2.5 billion (€2.3 billion) and create 1400 new jobs in Kokomo and the surrounding areas. The investment could gradually increase up to $3.1 billion (€2.9 billion). The new facility will supply battery modules for a range of vehicles produced at Stellantis’ North American assembly plants. Continue reading

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BMW Group to Open Cell Manufacturing Center this Fall

In an area of ~15,000 square-meters, the BMW Group claims it will demonstrate industrial feasibility of future generations of high-performance battery cells. The pilot line will make it possible to analyze and fully understand cell value creation processes. “This will enable future suppliers to produce cells to the BMW Group’s own specifications and thereby further optimize battery cell production with regard to quality, output and costs. The company is currently ruling out the option of establishing its own large-scale battery cell production,” BMW said. Continue reading

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Hyundai Motor Group to Build EV and Battery Plant in Georgia

The new plant represents an investment of ~$5.54 billion. Commercial production to begin during the first half of  2025 with annual capacity of 300,000 units. With the additional EV and battery production capabilities, the Group aims to become one of the top three EV providers in the US by 2026. Continue reading

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Restricted Sale of Genesis GV60 EV Starts Today at $60,000

The GV60 will be offered in two packages in the United States. Initially, the 2023 Genesis GV60 will only be sold at some Genesis retailers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. It is as much a biometric information sales experiment as it is a vehicle. Customer response will be worth watching. No range numbers were in the release? Continue reading

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A Closer Look at Biden’s 49 MPG CAFE Standard

The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards proposed by the Biden Administration# last month require an industry-wide fleet average of ~49 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks in model year 2026, the strongest fuel efficiency standards to date. On … Continue reading

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Ford India Shelves EV Manufacturing Export Plans

In an official response as Ford’s Annual Meeting was underway in the US, Ford India’s spokesperson confirmed and said, “After careful review, we have decided to no longer pursue EV manufacturing for exports from any Indian plant.” At the Annual Meeting Bill Ford and Jim Farley fielded tough questions about its EV strategy, splitting the company into two arms and ongoing supply chain and perennial guilty problems. Ford shares are down ~40% this year. (AutoInformed: Ford Motor Blues – Q1 Loss of $3.1 Billion; Ford Motor Structure Threatens Viability. Vast Reorg Coming) Continue reading

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Volta Trucks Says it Has a US Market Strategy

Volta Trucks will initially introduce a Pilot Fleet of 100 Class 7 trucks in mid-2023 that will be evaluated by US customers, starting in Los Angeles in mid-2023, with additional cities to follow, ahead of a promised roll out of production vehicles in 2024.

However, thus far  Volta Trucks has built only 24 road-going ‘Design Verification’ prototypes which are currently undergoing testing in Europe. Ahead of the introduction in North America, the company expects to have already built more than 1,500 full-electric Class 7 trucks for European customers. Continue reading

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Electrify America: 2021 EV Charging up 54 Times cf 2020

Electrify America has 800 EV charging stations and about 3,500 individual chargers open or with construction completed. The largest, open ultra-fast DC charging network features up to 150 kilowatts (kW) and 350 kW chargers, some of the fastest speeds available today. Electrify America expects to have more than 1,800 total charging stations with over 10,000 chargers in the United States and Canada by 2026. Expansions plans are helped by the potential to use the chargers as advertising displays. Continue reading

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Subaru 2023 Solterra Electric SUV Starts at $46,220

The “late to the EV party” Solterra has new electrification and in-vehicle technology. The Solterra name was created using (marketing babble alert> “the Latin words for ‘Sun and Earth’ to represent Subaru’s commitment to deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.” Continue reading

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Chinese Commerce – Dongfeng Honda Begins Sale of NS1 EV

The all-new e:NS1 and e:NP1 are the first of the so-called “e:N Series” models developed as the first Honda-brand EV models in China. The newly created e:N architecture consists of an electric motor that delivers instantaneous output and a claimed subtle control in various driving situations. A large-capacity battery enables a range of 510 km (CLTC base in China). It also allows dedicated body frames. Continue reading

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Aston Martin Announces Its Sustainability Strategy

While some of the language and actions around climate change from automakers remain vague, perhaps inevitably so, Aston now joins virtually all automakers who have a roadmap to electrification. Aston Martin will sell its first hybrid electric car, in 2024. Its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is due in 2025. It will have a fully electrified Sport/GT and SUV portfolio by 2030. The question facing all of us even remotely connected to automobility: is this too little too late? Continue reading

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IonQ, Hyundai Motor to Explore Quantum Computing for AVs

IonQ and Hyundai will look to for more efficient machine learning on quantum computers, as they can process enormous amounts of data faster and more accurately than classical systems. “Using a breakthrough in encoding images into quantum states, IonQ is already well underway in classifying 43 types of road signs using IonQ’s quantum processors,” the company claimed. The next phase will see the two companies apply IonQ’s machine learning data to Hyundai’s test environment and simulate various real-world scenarios. Continue reading

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