E-Mobility

One problem with high-performance batteries in electric cars is the highly flammable electrolyte. Together with the light metals, which are difficult to extinguish, this results in a dangerous combination that could be broken with aqueous batteries, and not just in the event of an accident.

Climate activists stormed the site of Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin yesterday morning, forcing a halt to production. Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the protest on X, calling for tougher police action against the demonstrators.

The Decathlon Riverside EC900 City Nexus is now available in one European country. The model features a Shimano geared hub and SR Suntour suspension. Plus, various accessories are included, such as a frame lock, headlight, and mudguards.

Tesla's main competitor BYD is looking to expand its production facilities abroad, and will build a second factory in Europe next year. In the US, Chinese cars will most likely be slapped with tariffs by the Biden administration.

Tesla has announced that US customers can now buy a Model Y on a 0.99% annual percentage rate loan directly from Tesla, resulting in a lower monthly repayment than the compared to the cheaper Model 3, which does not qualify for the same deal. This deal puts the Model Y at a starting price of $602 per month for 72 months after federal tax incentives.

PVY asserts that its latest e-bike is so stylish and "modern" that it seamlessly hides a second battery in its "lightweight" frame. Its up-to-750W motor is rated to get up to 200 kilometers (~124 miles) of range under certain conditions, and to support effortless acceleration with a torque sensor. The Z20 MAX has been released with an introductory discount on its ~$1,200 price.

While Mercedes beat Tesla in Level 3 autonomous driving approval in the US, FSD may be better for actual everyday driving, according to a new test putting it against the Mercedes Level 2 Driver Assistance service.

Ford is reconsidering its commitment to an all-EV line-up in Europe by 2030, seemingly due to cooling EV demand, likely pushing back electrification to the European Union's 2035 cut-off instead. A company executive also said that it “will not sell at huge losses just to buy compliance,” opting instead to pull ICE sales if EV sales aren't competitive.

Tesla's Supercharger team now also has to deal with a lot of cable theft and vandalism. Just the stations' upkeep costs Tesla more than the $500 million it will spend on the expansion of its charging network this year, says Elon Musk.

The ENGWE X20 SE has appeared in product listings online, though the brand has not officially announced it. The supposed new model is listed as having a smaller battery pack than the original X20, making it cheaper. Other features of the folding e-bike include a triple suspension system and 4-inch thick tires.

The big Tesla FSD 12.4 update would start rolling out next week, and with it comes a big change in alertness checks. Tesla is also now working on boutique autonomous driving scenarios for the next FSD updates.

The Decathlon Rockrider E-FEEL 700S has been launched in Europe following its unveiling last year. The new full-suspension model, with mid-range pricing, offers a 500W peak power motor and up to 90 km (~55 miles) assistance range. It follows the recent release of the more expensive E-FEEL 900S Team Edition.

Elon Musk has managed to extract a few more FSD promises and concessions during his China visit, including for the Robotaxi CyberCab service. Tesla is also now buying thousands of LiDARs.

Among all Tesla electric vehicles, only the Cybertruck offers modern 800V fast charging architecture. When combined with the Supercharger network, however, they shine with an interesting charging virtue.

Apple's uncharacteristic failure to follow through on plans for a first-gen Car is what it is; however, the company might not have given up on the electric vehicle (EV) space after all. The Cupertino giant is now reportedly mulling a "collaboration" with a "start-up" (albeit possibly a very well-known one from the US) in order to make the best of the time and money sunk into its automotive project.

ADO E-bike has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for a new lightweight folding model: the Air Carbon. The e-bike weighs 12.5 kg (~27.6 lbs) and offers a 100 km (~60 miles) assistance range. Plus, those who pledge to the campaign could receive the electric bicycle with a 40% discount.

A Nio executive recently revealed that the L60, a mass-market EV from sub-brand Onvo, is scheduled to launch in May, but the EV has already been pictured at a Nio battery swap station in China. A second new EV and Nio sub-brand, codenamed “Firefly,” will be launched at under $30,000 in early 2025.

ENGWE US has announced a super-limited-time flash sale on one of its up-to-1000W, full suspension electric bikes. The brand is also celebrating Mother's Day with deals on other models such as the step-through L20 series, the cruiser-like M20 or its flagship, potentially long-range X-series bikes.

Peak oil may arrive early because of the electric vehicle revolution in big consumers like China or the US.

CATL is moving towards battery technology licensing to help automakers with local production, and is now in talks with a dozen of them. Ford's LFP battery factory is now in the most advanced stage.

Powered by CNG (compressed natural gas), Bajaj Auto's new motorcycle is designed to offer a more affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to petrol and diesel motorcycles, countering the rising price of fuel.

Tesla will be introducing a pay-to-unlock range scheme to give Model Y owners the option to cover up to 60 more miles on a charge with their current vehicle.

Volkswagen has announced that the Pro S version of the ID.3 electric car can get from 0 to 62 miles per hour (mph) thanks to a more powerful motor. It also has some of the marque's latest infotainment and UI features, and can also charge faster with battery pre-conditioning. It can also be configured with a Harman Kardon sound system.

In one of the first cases of recorded accidents with a Model Y, the Tesla flips a dozen times and the passengers live to tell the tale as one gets on their phone right after.

Rivian is set to receive $827 million in state funding from Illinois, set to be used to prepare the company, its staff, and facilities for the production of its upcoming R2 electric SUV. Meanwhile, Tesla's continued shrink has seen massive lay-offs to its supercharger team and the closure of its summer internship program.

Tesla has developed a universe of aptly named accessories for the Cybertruck, including some like a Cybercooler that it hasn't yet released to the public.

Tesla's unfortunate autowiper function could be fixed with a rain sensor, but until its Vision-only solution pans out, it keeps adjusting the ways around its main problem with the windshield wipers.

Tesla is on a major restructuring and cost-cutting spree and, after it scaled down its Supercharger rollout ambitions, it may be time for the big gigacasting production plans to go.

The three-point turning abilities come with the newest Tesla software update, just as shown in the leaked Model 3 Performance test interface. Model Y needn't apply, though.

After being praised by the CEO of XPeng, another local competitor is now giving Tesla's FSD 12 autonomous driving feature high marks.

Los Angeles is launching AI Metro buses to automatically issue parking tickets to cars blocking bus routes. The AI buses are equipped with cameras to automatically identify illegally parked vehicles and will upload incriminating videos for human verification prior to court enforcement.

The new Tesla 2024.3.25 update brings more than latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) edition. Not all vehicles with ultrasonic parking sensors will be getting the new High Fidelity Assist feature, though.

Fiido has launched a new e-bike worldwide, the Air. The model is exceptionally light thanks to its carbon frame and is powered by a rear hub motor with a hidden battery. Plus, a limited number of early customers are offered a free Mate smartwatch with their purchase; the wearable can connect to the bicycle.

The new Starlink V4 satellite dish and Internet router paraphernalia have now arrived in Target stores with self installation instructions. The retailer also offers Residential and Roam service plan subscriptions and 30-day returns.

EcoFlow is promoting its new 800W Alternator Charger via an up-to-35% sale off its bundles with the DELTA Pro or 2-series portable generators with which it is intended to be used. The Alternator is rated to increase the amount of power they can draw from a vehicle by up to 8x, thereby posing a potentially improved solution for storing energy for off-grid appliances while driving.

The Shenxing Plus battery adds 372 miles in 10 minutes of charging and is built with affordable LFP cell chemistry. CATL also budged on solid-state batteries and will start their mass production.

Elon Musk has reportedly been steered into using Baidu mapping services for Tesla's FSD launch in China. Local self-driving service providers like XPeng welcomed the competition.

While Elon Musk postponed his visit to India, he is now in China to discuss the FSD launch. On the run-up to the release, Tesla has now priced its Enhanced Autopilot there as an expensive subscription option.

Tesla has begun the regulatory push for the approval of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in Europe.

The NHTSA disclosed that Tesla's Autopilot was active during 13 fatal crashes, as determined by its initial investigation. It is now extending it, this time into the very nature of the Autopilot recall that Tesla issued late last year.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has introduced a new program for instant EV purchase or lease rebates that can amount to a $9,000 discount for 3-year leases. For shorter leases or direct purchases, the rebate is $5,000, and qualifying buyers also don't have to pay the state tax.

Two new EVs from Toyota, the bZ3C and bZ3X, were revealed at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The electric SUVs, designed for younger drivers and families, will launch in China. Toyota has shared some details about the vehicles, including interior and exterior images.

The heretofore electronics-focused OEM Xiaomi unleashed its inaugural own-brand car less than a month ago in 2024 - nevertheless, the company now claims to be able to deliver another batch of the vehicle's variants by mid-year. That progress is due in part to the factory where an SU7 can apparently be put together in well under 2 minutes thanks to an army of automatic robots.

Xiaomi is now selling its Electric Scooter 4 Lite (2nd Gen) in France, and the new model is expected to land in other EU countries soon. Compared to its predecessor, the second generation scooter has a higher capacity battery for an extended range. Other features include a 390W peak power motor and an integrated display.

Volkswagen has showcased its latest developments in automotive design at the 2024 Auto China event. The next-gen features are projected to come combined with Level 4 autonomous driving in the upcoming ID. CODE e-SUV. The new range of youth-friendly ID.UX electric vehicles has also been announced during the event.

The Redwood Materials battery recycling company of one Tesla founder is now able to extract most of the valuable metals and critical materials from a used EV battery.

The Robotaxi and cheaper Tesla cars that will launch at the end of the year or early in 2025, will still run FSD HW4. Tesla's Hardware 5, however, is around the corner.

A new folding e-bike is on the way from Decathlon: the B’TWIN E-Fold 900. The model will launch in the next few weeks and has already appeared on the company’s UK site. Its features include a one-second unfolding solution and a battery stored in the seat post, offering up to 55 km (~33 miles) of assistance range.