E-Mobility

Volkswagen has hinted at the possibility of a new class of electric vehicle to be at least part-assembled alongside the existing ID.3 at the marque's major Wolfsburg plant in Europe. 22,000 of the facility's production crew will receive the training necessary to do in the course of a one-day session that incorporates in-house, escape room-based techniques.

When accounting for the US$7,500 new EV federal subsidy, the Tesla Model 3 is now the whopping US$12,500 cheaper than the average new vehicle sold in the US, electric or gas-powered. Even without the government's tax credit, however, the gap between Tesla's car prices and other new vehicles has never been wider.

The F-150 Lightning battery maker reportedly insists that the fire which forced Ford to halt production has been a one-off incident and not an inherent flaw in the manufacturing process that would require deeper investigation. SK On is increasingly worried that giving Ford more access to its battery technology may result in poaching it and go against the Korean government's trade secret guidelines for its EV industry.

A teardown and description of Tesla's upcoming Hardware 4 (HW4) computer has leaked online revealing improved Exynos SoCs, added camera connectors, and references to the new Phoenix radar. A new infotainment board that includes a custom AMD CPU and AMD GPU is also seen. The HW4 sports a completely different form factor, which means it cannot be retrofitted into current Tesla cars.

The long-awaited single-stack update of Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta software that merges city and highway Autopilot driving is rolling out to employees. The FSD Beta v11.3 release notes have been outed, and they include some pretty intriguing new features.

The rumor mill has produced more intriguing details on the electric model variant of the popular VW Tiguan, which will supposedly stick closer to the design of the regular combustion model instead of adopting the design of the automaker's original electric SUV, the Volkswagen ID.4.

The NHTSA will have to add another deadly accident with a Tesla Model S driver slamming into a parked emergency vehicle to its ongoing investigation. It recently found issues with Tesla's self-driving system that may cause speeding or running stop signs, resulting in a major recall for an OTA update.

Heybike's "most advanced" new e-bike has a fairly standard 750W motor, foldable form-factor, augmented with hydraulic front-fork suspension and disc brakes with "excellent stopping power." Then again, it also has the in-built connectivity rated to track its location if necessary via its own app. The Tyson is currently available to pre-order online.

The new electric Golf should cost about US$24,000 before government subsidies and will be a nimble hatchback instead of the initially planned ID.2 crossover form factor. VW may try to wiggle the iconic Golf name into the production version title somehow when the redesigned Tesla Model 2 competitor lands in 2025.

Berkshire's Charlie Munger said that their investment BYD is so far ahead of Tesla in terms of EV sales in China that it is 'almost ridiculous,' and those tepid sales there are starting to bite. CATL is extending an offer to cut battery prices in half to its main customers, and Tesla is not among them.

Tesla has acknowledged FSD Beta software issues that may cause crashes with some 2016-2023 Model S/X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles, and is issuing a recall notice to fix them. According to the NHTSA, FSD Beta may act erratic on intersections and cause speeding as well.

A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the LUCIIDA motorized wheel conversion kit is underway. The kit includes a rear wheel with an integrated 250 W motor and an LCD screen. The motor provides a top speed of 32 kph (~20 mph), and the battery allows you to travel up to 130 km (~81 miles).

An F-150 Lightning that caught on fire while sitting in a quality control holding lot was the reason Ford suspended the electric pickup truck's production earlier. A Ford spokesperson confirmed the fire incident and said the company's engineers have identified the problem and are working to augment the battery production process.

The White House's pressure on Tesla and Elon Musk in particular to unlock its charging network for other electric vehicles has worked, it seems, as it just announced that Tesla will have at least 7,500 of its piles made accessible to other EV brands. This includes both existing and brand new chargers across the 50 states.

The short video clips shared on Twitter give an intriguing insight into the manufacturing process of the Tesla Model Y at the Gigafactory Berlin, which is where more than 1,000 employees and numerous gigantic machines build the sought-after electric SUV.

At the worst period for charging reliability last year, nearly 40% of EV charging attempts across the US resulted in failure says a new study, while the number for the whole of 2022 was 20%, up from 15% in 2021. On the whole, one in five electric vehicle charging sessions didn't go through last year, as chargers were plagued by vandalism and software or hardware glitches.

Ford is looking to make electric vehicles cheaper by using the more affordable LFP battery chemistry that Tesla equips its standard-range Model 3 and Model Y with, but will build the cells itself in a new factory in Michigan. This way Ford will also benefit from the federal subsidies for made-in-US batteries, driving down the price even further.

The new CEO of Toyota Koji Sato announced its management team today and revealed that the future of the company hinges on electrification, interactive cars, and localized options. The first vehicles with the new purely electric platform will come in 2026 as Lexus models.

The craziest feature of the pre-production Ram 1500 REV electric pickup that was unveiled with a Super Bowl ad seems to be the frunk. While that was part of the concept Ram 1500 Revolution teased not long ago, none of the other futuristic new designs and features seems to have made it to the production version and the electric truck will look much like the ICE model.

Sales of Tesla vehicles peak right after its rivals air their Super Bowl ads extolling the virtues of electric cars, even though Tesla never advertises on its own. At Sunday's Super Bowl, however, longtime Tesla critic Dan O'Dowd will be launching the first attack ad against Tesla's self-driving claims.

NIO's ET5 electric sedan costs about US$38,000 when the battery is leased, and the upcoming 150 kWh battery pack with solid-state electrolyte that NIO developed together with WeLion is almost as expensive as the whole car. That is why NIO plans to lease the 620-mile battery for summer trips instead of selling cars with it.

When the US government unveils the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program's subsidy requirements next week, Tesla will be left out of its US$7.5 billion budget if other electric vehicles can't use its Superchargers. Tesla's request that it should qualify if a Supercharger station also has CCS stalls was never seriously considered by the government which now demands direct compatibility of each subsidized unit.

Tesla has made it into the storied J.D. Power vehicle reliability report for the first time, but the good news stops here. With 242 issues per hundred vehicles reported, it sits way above the industry average of 186 problems and can actually be ranked 28th out of the 32 brands tested.

While the American EV maker is not particularly known for its build quality, it took about a week for Tesla to indirectly acknowledge the apparent manufacturing defect as it has now bought back the practically brand-new Model Y of a disappointed customer from New Jersey.

Oukitel has announced the release of its latest portable generators of the new ABEARL line. Its P5000 Pro variant features "huge capacity" 5,120 watt-hour (Wh) LiFePO4 batteries, an output of up to 8,000W and high-speed charging options (solar included). It will be crowd-funded from February 3, 2023 with the potential for "unbelievable" early-bird offers.

Installed battery capacity of electric vehicles sold last year reached half a terawatt-hour for the first time, and there is a reshuffle in the world's biggest EV battery makers ranking. CATL is still king, buoyed by the Model 3 and Model Y LFP cell bonanza, but there is a new number two now.

After finding the camera-based parking system for object detection active on older Tesla models equipped with ultrasonic sensors, now a new Model 3 without USS has been caught measuring close distances only with its camera kit. This time around, it was a test Model 3 produced this year without any ultrasonic sensors installed in the factory.

After mastering the EV production cost efficiency puzzle and raking in record profits per vehicle as a result, Tesla is best positioned to do the same for EV batteries, claim analysts. Its capital expenditures for manufacturing 4680 cells is apparently up to 70% less than those of the leading Korean or even Chinese battery makers.

Bikee has announced that the Lightest ebike kit is now being produced at scale. The lightweight electric bicycle conversion kit can weigh as little as 4.0 kg (~8.8 lbs). Several versions are available, including an EU-compliant 250 W motor and 250 Wh battery set, and a range-topping 1,000 W 120 Nm motor with an 840 Wh power pack.

Some of Nissan's Max-Out, Surf-Out, or Chill-Out electric vehicle concepts may be powered by a true solid-state battery with no liquid electrolyte present developed in tandem with Oxford researchers. The automaker teased its pilot production start as soon as next year, with the first Nissan EV with solid-state battery pegged for 2028 release.

A Tesla net income margin infographic hammers the point of its record profits home, as the second in line GM earns less than a quarter of what Tesla makes per car. Even with the recent price cuts, Tesla is likely to keep its record profit margins intact as a lot of its new affordability target will come from government subsidies.

The big Supercharger queues formed by owners who found their Teslas' range drop by up to 40% in the cold snap raise a call for a dedicated Supercharger queue system. Tesla makes some of the most energy-efficient electric cars in terms of cold weather battery consumption increase, yet little could prepare owners for the Arctic blast temperature and consequential range drops that formed in the last few days.

The Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted being driven around the roads of California. The futuristic-looking vehicle appeared in some still images and in a short video clip. One of the most noticeable changes of this current variant of the Tesla Cybertruck was the shape of the side-view mirrors, which now match the angular design of the electric vehicle (EV).

After cutting its price by the whopping 31% with federal subsidies, Tesla is now slowly raising the Model Y LR tag back up. The Treasury Department reclassified the 5-seater as an SUV for tax credit purposes on Friday, and Tesla immediately raised its price by another US$1500.

The Model Y 5-seater, as well as the Mustang Mach-E, Cadillac Lyriq, or Volkswagen ID.4, got reclassified as SUVs for the purpose of receiving the full US$7,500 new EV subsidy amount by the federal government. The Treasury said it has switched to the EPA's Fuel Economy Labeling standard in determining which models qualify for the tax credit.

An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the ADO Air ultra-light folding e-bike will soon launch. The bicycle can fold in half and weighs only 16 kg (~35.2 lbs). A 36 V battery provides up to 100 km (~62 miles) range on a single charge, and a 37 Nm motor powers the bike. Other features of the Air include an integrated IPS display and an app for remote controls.

The Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT autonomous driving system has become the first to receive SAE Level 3 certification in the US. The technology will be available in 2024 S-Class and EQS Sedan models, with approval currently only in Nevada. The system can increase or decrease the car's speed, steer, react to road signs and detect hazards.

Electric vehicle models made by Kia and the Chinese SAIC where about as efficient in winter as Tesla, whose Model S won the cold weather driving range test. While Tesla's Model S covered the longest distance on a charge during that particular winter test in Norway ever, its range loss was larger than on some Chinese models in the testing group.

Elon Musk recently said that Tesla's biggest competition will come from a Chinese automaker as they 'work hardest, smartest' and even before the affordable Model 2 is announced, NIO already has direct competitors in mind. NIO has now picked sites for both the US$15,000 Firefly and US$25,000 ALPS EVs.

Alleged images of Xiaomi's inaugural EV have leaked. Tipped for a Q1 2024 launch, the Xiaomi is expected to arrive as the Modena, despite the images showing the device as the Xiaomi MS11.

Despite following Tesla's Model S first respondents manual to the letter, firefighters from the Sacramento Metropolitan District still had to put out its 'spontaneously' flaming battery with 20 times the amount of water needed for an ICE vehicle. Tesla does warn in its instructions that up to 8,000 gallons may go towards extinguishing a burning EV.

Volkswagen sees its main competitors in the electric vehicle market emerging from China, just as Elon Musk noted during the Q4 conference call with investors. VW won't participate in the EV price war that Tesla started, confirmed its CEO Oliver Blume, as it has 'trust in the strength of our products and brands.'

Fiido has announced that it will start 2023 by breaking into a number of brand-first e-bike and scooter types. The company has also revealed some more information on these new models, its new "heavy-duty" Titan flagship and M31 "E-MTB" included. They will be joined by the seated Q2 and Kidz push-bike.

The veracity of Elon Musk's self-driving Tesla car statements is now being examined by the Security and Exchange Commission in a potentially criminal investigation. The SEC move comes hot on the heels of several other federal and state probes into Tesla's Autopilot ability and its marketing.

New details about the 2024 Kia EV9 electric vehicle appear to have been leaked in a customer survey. The report suggests that the EV would range from 220 to 290 miles (~354 and 467 km), depending on the trim level, with the price starting from US$56,000. The range-topping trim could have 400 hp and a 0 to 60 mph (~100 kph) acceleration time of 5.2 seconds.

The Ctrl-Bar is an accessory for Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, bringing physical buttons to the electric vehicle. The gadget attaches to the bottom of the central screen, providing scroll wheel heating controls and four programmable buttons to activate heated seats, Defrost Mode and other features without taking your eyes off the road.

Polestar has revealed the 2024 Polestar 2 electric vehicle. Upgrades to the EV include a more extended range of up to 635 km (~395 miles) and more powerful 220 kW motors with 490 Nm of torque. A facelift brings the SmartZone to the front of the car, housing the front-facing camera and radar sensors. Other upgrades include faster charging speeds and more Driver Awareness features as standard.

It now costs less to travel 100 miles in a legacy gas-powered vehicle from the midrange category than charge an electric car in the same price bracket. When accounting for the direct energy costs, a common ICE vehicle can be driven for one hundred miles cheaper than a midrange electric car, thanks to the recent drop in the price of gas.