E-Mobility

Volkswagen has put its solid-state battery joint venture cells to the ultimate aging and capacity loss test and confirmed that they 'don't age.' The solid-state battery of its PowerCo partnership went way beyond the current 700-cycle and 20% retention benchmarks.

Fiido asserts that its latest product is the best and safest way possible to make a child's first two-wheeler electric. The Kidz is touted to address some problems the OEM claims to have identified with some balance bikes of its type, which include having a throttle and pedal assist, but in a way that can be controlled by a parent or guardian if necessary.

Fisker Ocean owners took to social media with stories of phantom battery drain leaving them stranded. Meanwhile, a leaked document claims that the company is repeatedly missing internal deadlines, which motivated a recent shift to a dealer-based distribution strategy.

The rollout of the Tesla Cybertruck seems to be echoing early deliveries of the Model 3, with a recent complaint adding water ingress to the shoddy range and slow charging issues. Low delivery numbers make it difficult to assess actual quality control, but late "release candidate" test units still showed misaligned body panels.

General Motors confirmed that it will match the US IRA tax incentives for its Chevrolet Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicles that will no longer be eligible for the tax reduction after the January 1 rule changes. The regular Tesla Model 3 also lost eligibility, and Tesla has not yet commented on whether it will compensate, as it did in Germany in December.

The EPA now tests all EV ranges in extreme ride height or acceleration modes which resulted in a Model Y range estimate cut. All Tesla Model Y and Model 3 units produced after January 1, 2024, will have only one stopping mode, too, in order to make range estimates more accurate.

Elon Musk has been teasing new Model Y colors in the US for more than a year, and Tesla finally delivered two fresh coats of paints, but not the Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red it offers in Europe. Those are reserved for the self-proclaimed 'best body paint shop' in Giga Berlin.

Costco has installed Trinity Structures off-grid solar capture and charging stations at their key distribution center in California where recent passage of CARB and WAIRE mandates are forcing trucking operators to convert from diesel to electric vehicles. Installing solar energy capture and storage on-site will bypass current headaches connecting EV chargers to a strained electrical grid.

Manufacturing tech giant Siemens has announced that it will fulfil its sustainability and carbon-neutrality resolutions by augmenting its company's portfolio of vehicles with more and more new ID.4s from Volkswagen over time. The marque hails the move as another step closer to the more complete electrification of mobility, industrial and otherwise.

The EPA has rated Tesla's Cybertruck for a 320-mile range on a single charge in its testing conditions. A real-world drive, however, showed that the Cybertruck can fall short of delivering on that promise even in fairly mundane scenarios.

After the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area challenge on the Stair Steps climb, the Cybertruck has now been filmed doing proper off-roading after its release. It climbs and descends a very steep hill in lifted mode.

Tesla is gradually building up its network of the latest V4 Supercharger generation that is capable of up to 350 kW output. Besides the higher charging speeds that a Cybertruck can get advantage of, the piles also have longer cables.

The UNNO IKKI Factory and Race e-bikes have been unveiled. The models are the first of their kind from the brand and are relatively lightweight at an average of 18.4 kg (~40.6 lbs). Features of the enduro e-bikes include a full suspension system, a 360Wh battery and a TQ HPR50 motor.

Following Tesla, the two largest car brands in Norway in 2023 were Volkswagen (10.8%, down from 11.6%), and Toyota (12.4%, up from 8.0%). As of 2023, 82.4% of newly sold vehicles were electric, up from 79.3% in 2022, according to data from the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV).

An in-development version of the Porsche Taycan beat both the previous Taycan Turbo S and the Tesla Model S Plaid with Track Pack around the infamous Nürburgring by over 15 seconds. The new Porsche was driven by Porsche Development driver Lars Kern and fitted with a roll cage and bucket seats for safety purposes.

In the end, more electric cars also mean more scrap containing valuable elements and components that are still intact. The development of an electric motor that is easy to repair and dismantle should prevent such mountains of waste from being created in the first place.

Chinese juggernaut BYD is bigger than Tesla now as it moved more electric vehicles to customers than Elon Musk's pride and joy. It is also branching out globally and building its first EV factory in Europe to take on Tesla's Giga Berlin.

The Bozhi 4X from GAC-Toyota is rolling out to dealerships in China. The new model is the first from the sub-brand, with many similarities to the bZ4X, such as the e-TNGA platform and a 66.7 kWh ternary lithium battery. Optional upgrades include X-Mode, an off-roading feature designed with Subaru.

Nanotech Energy has announced its 18650 lithium-ion battery utilizing graphene and a proprietary electrolyte. Unlike traditional lithium batteries that catch fire and explode when subject to excessive pressure, charge, or heat, Nanotech batteries remain safe. This innovation will help reduce injuries caused by burning EV cars and electronics.

The Chinese firm sold 526,409 fully electric cars in the last quarter of 2023, challenging Tesla in the global EV race. Out of the three million, 1.6 million were fully battery-powered.

Equipped with Tesla's first Cybercell 4680 battery with dry electrode production method, the Cybertruck also debuts its first 800V high-voltage architecture. The Cybertruck's charging curve, however, is not all that extraordinary at the moment.

Himiway has announced that it is headed to CES 2024, and that it will bring its latest electric bikes with it. In the meantime, the brand is teasing its plans to expand its offerings with new lines, the first-gen Ultra carbon-fiber variants among them. New Himiway e-bikes for kids, commutes and all-terrain riding will also become available in the new year - not to mention an electric motorbike.

It took three Berlin students 600 euros worth of tools, time, and specialized technical knowledge to activate Tesla's ultimate "Elon mode", a “godlike” function that allows users to take control of the car's autonomous driving features.

Green energy initiatives that will mandate all new semis be electric starting January 1, can lead to losses compared to using diesel trucks. The companies then have to pass a surcharge on to their customers in order to break even as charging times and lesser loads eat into their operating profits.

A Tesla Cybertruck collided with a Toyota Corolla in California. While only minor injuries were sustained during the collision, the Toyota seems to have taken most of the abuse. The stark contrast between the damage sustained by the vehicles seems to validate previous safety concerns about the design of the Cybertruck.

California-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Fisker revealed in its December business update that it successfully assembled 10,142 units of its Ocean electric SUV in the year, with approximately 4,700 units already handed over to customers.

Elon Musk's teased 'very high' production volume plans for Tesla's first mass market electric vehicle may have led to the huge order for next-gen 3nm chips it has placed with TSMC. The new 2024 N3P production mode is faster and more frugal with power consumption than TSMC's current 3nm chips.

Even when it was brand-new from the factory, the electric Volkswagen Golf from the 2016 model year had a comparatively modest EPA range of just 80 miles per charge. As 2023 draws to an end, a well-known YouTuber illustrates how practical the almost 8-year-old VW e-Golf is today with a noticeably degraded EV battery.

Tesla already reworked the Model Y interior back in October to add ambient LED lighting for the interior, and new wheels. A thorough Model Y exterior facelift is in store very soon with upgraded specs, too, scheduled for a 2024 summer release.

Shift Robotics is inviting corporations to test its newest Moonwalkers model at CES 2024. Moonwalkers are 8-wheeled, AI powered skates that improve walking speed up to 3x to help business owners squeeze more productivity out of their workers.

The rumor that Tesla will release the Model 3 highland in the US as soon as next month may hold water in the end. The Model 3 facelift's US release was reportedly delayed by regulatory testing requirements.

The Hyundai N Vision 74 'Rolling Lab', a hybrid hydrogen powered concept EV, will likely enter a limited production run of 100 cars in 2026, according to the latest report from Korea’s ET News. The production version is rumoured to bump up power to 800 hp and offer a 400-500 km range.

The autonomous driving processors in today's electric cars may one day contribute to the climate change phenomenon to the extent that data centers do, but for now the clock frequency race is on. NIO just unveiled a homebrew 5nm Shenji chip that will go into its first premium electric sedan.

Much was written about Xiaomi's ambitions in the EV sector already, but now things are heating up. After detailed images of the SU7 and SU7 Max models were already leaked in recent weeks, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has now announced the first EV technology event, surprisingly before the new year 2024 even begins.

While premium German car brands like Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche dominate the luxury vehicle market in China, NIO just jumped the queue with its new $112,000 ET9 electric sedan. The premium price brings with it unique EV technologies like the first 46105 battery, or a homebrew 5nm autonomous driving chip equal to 4x NVIDIA Drive Orin.

The recycling of batteries is becoming more crucial in the field of electromobility. As the demand for electric cars rises, so does the need for materials to produce lithium-ion batteries. To meet climate targets and maintain affordable prices for electric vehicles, sustainable methods of recycling used batteries are essential.

The MIT Technology Review has compiled a list of the biggest technological failures of 2023. These include the Titan deep-sea submersible, General Motors' wayward cruise robotaxis, and Humane Ai Pin, among others.

With over 30 industrial parks, including production bases in the US, Brazil, Japan, Hungary, and India, Tesla's main competitor BYD is no stranger to branching out globally. It will now open the first big Chinese electric car factory in Europe to take on Tesla there directly.

The heating elements discovered in the front camera kit of the Cybertruck may be a harbinger of things to come to all Tesla vehicles going forward. Tesla has also taken other precautions to keep the parking camera lens clean and unobstructed.

Just a year ago, used Tesla cars were a multibillion business as they fetched prices close to brand new vehicles over supply chain constraints and unprecedented demand. Now, however, nobody seems to want used EVs and prices are falling.

The Holy Grail of fast and cheap 4680 battery production that is the dry coating method is being utilized by Tesla for the first time in the Cybertruck. Unfortunately, it is still proving very difficult to scale up.

The Van Rysel E-EDR AF e-road bike is now on sale at Decathlon in various EU countries. The lightweight model features a Mahle X35 system with multiple connectivity options and an accompanying GPS computer. Other features include an SRAM APEX AXS groupset and a 160 km (~100 miles) assistance range.

VanMoof has been saved as a brand at least and the technology has not completely fallen victim to insolvency. The future of the innovative e-bike manufacturer is now much clearer.

A headlight upgrade that Tesla introduced to the Model 3 way back may finally see its dormant adaptive cornering capabilities unlocked. That's according to some newly unearthed regulatory certification that tips other upcoming headlight features.

CheckMag As the holiday season approaches, e-bikes are becoming increasingly popular gift choices for friends and family. Below are 3 top recommendations for adventure enthusiasts, regular travelers, and even those needing a boost on challenging slopes, ensuring you find the perfect choice for everyone on your gift list.

Not even a day after starting a long-term review of the Chevrolet Blazer EV, an automotive outlet started having problems with the review vehicle that was purchased off the lot. With less than 1,600 miles (2,574.95 km) and just two months on the clock, the electric SUV has had to go in for repairs that have thus far taken two weeks.

Formerly high-flying, e-scooter rental company Bird has filed for US Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The original e-mobility sharing leader was once valued at over $2 billion, but COVID-19 lockdowns forced its stock delisting earlier this year as riders stayed home.

Now that VW budged and adopted Tesla's NACS connector for its electric vehicles going forward, and SAE approved it as a de facto global standard, nothing stands in its way. Even President Biden's administration now stands behind it.

The new Claas e-bike, the first model from the brand, seemingly produced by a German specialist, has been revealed in the EU. The model uses a Bosch Performance Line smart motor with accompanying battery and an Enviolo gear hub. Other features include a Kiox 500 display, an RST Suspension fork and Shimano brakes.

AUTOBEST has given the CATL Shenxing battery its TECHNOBEST 2024 award. The new technology was unveiled earlier this year, boasting super fast charging speeds and over 700 km (~435 miles) range. The lithium iron phosphate battery is expected to arrive in the first EVs early next year.