E-Mobility

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District had to deal with another spontaneous Tesla Model S combustion, this time of a flooded EV just sitting at a junk yard surrounded by Ferraris and Bentleys. That's just the next Model S ignition for them, after one caught fire on the highway earlier.

The Tesla Cybertruck has been snapped with another of the popular electric pickups in the US - the Rivian R1T - for the first time in the wild. The camera perspective of the lowered Cybertruck with its much shorter front makes it look small compared to the R1T behind it.

Shortly after releasing the Fiat 600e electric cross-over SUV, news has broken that Fiat is pitched to launch a budget electric Panda in mid-2024. The electric Panda would be an affordable small EV designed to tempt prospective buyers away from similar offerings, like the Renault 5 and Mini Cooper SE.

Shortly after Tesla started delivering the Model Y with the new Hardware 4 computer and infotainment system, a teardown has revealed that the new hardware actually features half the RAM and storage of the HW4 system found in the Model S and X. This appears to be a cost-cutting measure that basically rules out the possibility of ever putting Steam on a HW4 Model 3 or Y.

ENGWE has started to hype new and "Super" additions to its X series of foldable electric bikes ahead of their imminent 2023 launch. They consist of new X20 and X24 models, as well as an updated version of the OEM's crowdfunding hit, the X26. All three bikes are backed to beat range anxiety while boosting comfort with features such as fat tires, "triple" suspension and dual-battery systems across the board.

Just a quarter of the US public is looking to buy an electric vehicle compared to half of Europe and this statistic has weighed against a giant solid-state battery factory by ProLogium in the US. Instead, the Mercedes partner will build it in France with US$1.65 billion in grants at the R&D phase.

A New Zealand skier has snapped what could be the first photo confirming Cybertruck trailer towing tests in winter conditions. The Cybertruck and Model 3 Highland were sent down there by Tesla for their pre-release winter testing.

A short video clip of the Tesla Cybertruck production line at Giga Texas has been shared on social media, revealing an interesting detail about the electric pick-up truck. It appears the Cybertruck frunk size will not be particularly substantial but may provide enough space for fun outings in the edgy vehicle.

The instruction set architecture (ISA) RISC-V is increasingly seen as a chip-designing goldmine, mostly thanks to its open-source nature. However, it still needs commercial support to drive its adoption, according to big industry players such as Qualcomm Technologies, NXP Semiconductors and Bosch. To this end, they will fund a new, EU-based body intended to help optimize RISC-V for next-gen automotive and wireless applications.

After some inventive Cybertruck swag like the GigaBier and its edgy bottle housing, Tesla is now introducing far out ideas to popularize the iconic design of its upcoming Cybertruck electric pickup.

With the average prices of used Tesla cars dropping, and cheaper Model 3 Highland on the horizon, buyers would be glad to hear that Tesla has finally sorted out the paperwork to qualify for the up to US$4,000 tax credit. The federal government still asks that they fulfil certain requirements like costing US$25,000 or less.

Audi is pitched to revive its RS6 four-door sports sedan that was discontinued back in 2010 as an E-tron variant. The Audi RS6 E-tron sedan will reportedly be launched in 2025, be based on the already-confirmed A6 E-tron, and feature drivetrain technology developed for Porsche's next Taycan update.

It takes less than half an hour to top up a Tesla Semi electric rig to 95% battery capacity on the dedicated 750kW Megacharger stations that Pepsi uses for them, says one Semi driver. The trucks run for 12 hours a day, according to the beverage giant, while some go on trips that are as long as 450 miles.

The Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup has been caught topping up at a regular Supercharger over at the Gigafactory in Texas in a drone footage. The overflight is giving a view to the black interior through the panoramic glass roof.

Fisker's Product Vision Day gave us our best look yet at a seemingly operational Fisker PEAR prototype. New details of the PEAR indicate that it will be a rather practical compact city car targetted at a younger, wider demographic. Fisker also showed off a few of the PEAR's unique features and space-saving tricks.

After months of teasing, Fisker has finally pulled the covers off its Ronin electric GT convertible, giving us an idea of what to expect when the vehicle eventually launches in 2025. Despite Fisker's insistence on it being in a class of its own, its 1,000+ HP and four-door, five-seater design clearly take aim at the Tesla Model S or upcoming Ronin.

A new trademark registration has sparked rumours that Volkswagen is reinventing the Golf GTI for the age of electrification. Volkswagen has previously stated that it is committed to the petrol-powered Golf GTI until at least 2030, but it left the door open for speculation about the potential electric hot hatch coming in the years following.

A group of enterprising hackers has managed to take advantage of a known exploit in Tesla's in-vehicle software that allowed them to access thousands of dollars in software-locked features, sideload custom apps, and, most alarmingly, access private user data. The researchers say that this exploit is exclusive to newer AMD-based Tesla infotainment systems.

Volkswagen appears to be pursuing another partnership with a Chinese company, this time to produce an electric vehicle under its Jetta subsidiary brand. Insiders indicate that there have been talks between the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture and Chinese company Leap Motor.

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, claims, yet again, that the holy grail of the Full Self-Driving is just around the corner. Based on the CEO's comments on the matter, it appears as though Tesla is moving its vehicle instructions over to an AI-based system that would use a neural net to control the vehicle, instead of a set of pre-determined instructions.

A full 360 walkaround video of the Cybertruck Release Candidate that recently got off the production line at Giga Austin has appeared confirming the minute details of the stainless steel body design. The Cybertruck has also been caught in motion sporting new, flatter wheel covers.

The handsome Fisker Ocean crossover SUV has finally begun landing in the hands of owners and media outlets, giving us our first real independent look at this EV newcomer. While no EV is perfect, there are a number of unique features that make this US$37,499-US$68,999 electric crossover special.

The NHTSA is investigating 280,000 new Tesla Model Y and Model 3 electric vehicles in the US. While it's still in the preliminary stages of the investigation, the NHTSA suspects that a defect in steering hardware is causing the steering wheel to lock up unexpectedly. For obvious reasons, this has prompted a formal investigation that may result in a recall if enough units are found to be problematic.

The immensely successful electric SUV falls short of its EPA range of 326 miles in all tested scenarios according to Consumer Reports, which also couldn't confirm the official range of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. On the other hand, two notable Tesla Model Y competitors, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.4, manage to surpass their advertised range in the summer.

Yadea claims to have put safety first by combining three types of brake in the new KS6 Pro. The scooter is also equipped with 10-inch self-healing, tubeless tires for resistance to punctures and shocks on the road. Then again, it is also rated for a top speed of 18.6 miles per hour (mph) thanks to an up-to-800W motor and a battery rated for an "impressive" range.

After starting production of the Dual-Motor R1T using the efficient Enduro drive units, Rivian has apparently made some tweaks to the platform to trade more torque for a small dip in power figures. Along with more torque, which should improve off-road prowess, the company has also trimmed its warranty period on Dual-Motor R1T units.

While BYD is suing bloggers for defamation, a teardown of its innovative blade battery pack has compared it with the non-structural 2170 battery of the Model 3. The teardown expert claims that Tesla's battery is built with better cooling and is more repairable.

Exxon Mobil is in talks with Tesla and other EV industry pioneers over environmentally friendly lithium extraction and supply to the tune of 100,000 tons annually. The move comes as Tesla is building its own EV battery-grade lithium refinery at the Gulf Coast.

Starting near its new Gigafactories in Mexico and Texas, the proposed Tesla Megacharger corridor will be stretching all the way up to California. Tesla is asking for US$100 million in state and federal funding to roll out Semi chargers there that could benefit the Cybertruck as well.

The Porsche eBike Cross Performance EXC 2023 is now available to pre-order in various countries worldwide. The model has an 85 Nm Shimano motor and battery, alongside an integrated bike computer from the brand. The e-bike also has a carbon frame, FOX suspension system and MAGURA brakes.

Reports suggest that the production version of the Kia EV5 will be unveiled in August at the Chengdu Motor Show. The concept of the SUV was unveiled in March and it is expected to go on sale in the country later this year. The predicted price of the EV5 could make it a strong competitor for the Tesla Model Y.

Recent teasers posted by Fisker and its CEO indicate that the company will soon unveil its electric four-door GT sports car. The Fisker Ronin claims an impressive 966 km (600 miles), which puts it almost 200 miles (322 km) ahead of the Dual Motor Tesla Model S and nearly 85 miles (136 km) ahead of the Lucid Air.

A closer look at the Tesla Model 3 Highland front bumper reveals where its Hardware 4.0 front camera will go. The front bumper placement seems to be similar to that of the Cybertruck's HW4 camera configuration and will aid in curb parking, aside from the FSD tasks.

The folks at Munro Live, who have a long history of disassembling and inspecting Tesla vehicles, think the Cybertruck will be much lighter than the 8,500 to 10,000 lbs (3,855 - 4,536 kg) that Tesla's earlier regulatory filing suggested. The pair also dove into the safety and rigidity of the unique chassis construction.

Tesla has opened what seems to be the first combined Cybertruck/Semi high-output charging station with the so-called Megacharger plug and smaller pull-up space. Tesla's rival charging network, on the other hand, may support up to 400kW charging output.

Even though the eccentric CEO was the most frequently cited reason for former Model 3 owners who have since switched to other brands, the vast majority of customers appears to be quite satisfied with their Tesla EV as indicated by a recently conducted Bloomberg study.

Audi has introduced the e-tron GT as its latest super-premium electric vehicle (EV) for the Chinese market. The luxury sedan has a dual-motor system rated to propel it from 0 to ~62 miles per hour (or 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (km/h)) in well under 5 seconds. It also has ultra-fast charging touted to be able to fill its battery by 75% in under 30 minutes.

The new US fuel economy rules proposed by the Biden administration would likely see EVs occupy 66% market share — an almost tenfold increase — by 2032, if passed. What's more, the new rules impose stricter regulations on pickup truck fuel economy, which have thus far been given more lenient rules under CAFE requirements thanks to “light truck” classifications.

Just as storied EV tester Bjorn Nyland demonstrated, a Tesla EV can travel further even after the battery charge readout shows zero. What he didn't know at the time, however, was that Teslas may have been designed like that in an elaborate range estimate scheme.

Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, has made some interesting comments about the future of Tesla in its recent semi-annual results presentation. The CEO specifically made reference to Tesla's recent dip in profitability as it starts to contend with legacy carmakers in a highly competitive market with aggressive pricing and tight manufacturing requirements.

A special report claims that Tesla knowingly programmed its electric vehicles to reflect woefully optimistic range figures while the battery was above 50%. The company also allegedly established a special team to shut down customers who complained about inaccurate range estimates, closing service tickets in an effort to save the company time and money.

After catching the Cybertruck in preparation to be wrapped as a regular Ford F-150 truck, the final ICE pickup camouflage effort has appeared outside on the streets. The Cybertruck here is dressed as a blue F-150 in what seems to be a marketing masterstroke.

Local automakers like XPeng sold more vehicles than foreign brands for the first time last quarter and, faced with flagging EV sales, VW is now buying a stake in XPeng to build EVs together. The first will be for the midsize market and based on the G9 SUV platform.

Tesla listed 1MW theoretical charging speed peak in its North American Charging Standard white paper when it open-sourced it. Its current V3 Superchargers, however, max out at 250kW, while the new V4 Supercharger system now officially goes up to 350kW output.

Hyundai recently balked at joining Tesla's NACS charging network as its Superchargers are just not powerful enough for its 800V drivetrain EVs. Instead, it now joins a conglomerate of 7 major automakers to build an alternative EV charging network in US cities and along major highways.

General Motors will resurrect the deprecated Chevy Bolt model but it looks like they will build it on a new, more cost-efficient production platform. GM's CEO Mary Barra said that the new Chevy Bolt will 'have much higher levels of customer-facing content.'

Mihogo has revealed the Mini, a compact folding e-bike, which will feature in an upcoming Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The model has a 350W motor, up to 100 km (~62 miles) of range between charges and can fold in three steps. Plus, an integrated display shows information about your journey and can be linked to your smartphone.

The Decathlon Stilus E-Touring e-bike has arrived in EU countries, including the Netherlands, France and Germany. The model has an 85Nm motor with a torque sensor and up to 130 km (~81 miles) range from a Bosch PowerTube battery. Plus, the bike has a Bosch Kiox display and is compatible with the eBike Flow app.