E-Mobility

The Chimera BMX e-bike will launch this August. The company claims it has the highest power-to-weight ratio on the market, weighing 34 lbs (~15.4 kg) with a 5,000 W engine. The motor can assist you at speeds up to 35 mph (~56 kph) and hit 30 mph (~48 kph) in 4.5 seconds.

Volkswagen has now officially elaborated on teasers of a concept car known as the ID. AERO. The company has affirmed that it is to be a real-life vehicle and will, despite initial hints at Chinese-market exclusivity, eventually be rolled out worldwide. Some more prospective specs and design features of the upcoming 'e-Passat' have also now been shared.

A crowdfunding campaign for the Morfuns Eole X folding e-bike has begun. The pedelec can be powered by a 350 W motor that can assist you at speeds up to 25 kph (~17 mph). The bike’s battery provides up to 115 km (~71 miles) of assisted range. The Eole X can be folded in 10 seconds and weighs 19 kg (~42 lbs).

Toshiba has revealed new LiDAR technology in the form of a palm-sized projector, measuring 71 cm³ (~4.3-in³). The device can be used to increase the detection range of an autonomous vehicle to 300 m (~984 ft). The company claims that the system can accurately read road conditions for a safer driving experience.

Qualcomm asserts that its latest radiofrequency front-end (or RFFE) solution is the ideal companion for an up-to-date mobile modem, as it confers the new spec of "5G/Wi-Fi coexistence" on a given device, as well as battery savings and improved performance. It is compatible with smartphones - as well as other use-cases such as IoT, VR headsets and in-car systems for the first time.

Aiways overseas CEO, Alex Klose, has pledged to launch the U5 electric SUV in the UK within the next 12 months. The EV is already available in 14 European countries, including the Netherlands and France, starting from €38,275 (~US$40,446). The SUV has a 150 kW motor and up to 255 miles (410 km) range.

The Renault Megane E-Tech electric SUV is now available to order in the UK. Three trim models are available with pricing starting from £35,995 (~US$44,247). The EV has up to 280 miles (~451 km) range and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 7.5 seconds, thanks to a 160 kW 220 hp motor.

After problems with the rear motor of the Model 3 delivered from the Gigafactory in Shanghai, now the Model Y may be suffering the same issues. Those who are waiting on their Model Ys assembled at Giga Berlin are reporting order delays or cancellations precisely on account of drive units delivered from Giga Shanghai.

The Blaupunkt Enno Fat Folding E-bike is a new pedelec from the brand. The bike has wide 20-in tires for a comfortable ride. A rear-mounted motor can assist you at speeds up to 25 kph (~16 mph) for around 80 km (~50 miles). The pedelec folds in multiple places, with foldable pedals and handlebar.

State Bicycle Co. has launched its first e-bike, the 6061 eBike Commuter. The pedelec can assist you at speeds up to 20 mph (~32 kph) for up to 100 miles (~161 km). The commuter bike weighs around 38 lbs 13 oz (~17.6 kg) and can recharge fully in 3.5 hours. A backlit display is fitted to the e-bike as standard, with optional add-ons available,

The Gravital eGravel bikes are now on general sale. The lightest pedelec in the range, the UL 1 Ltd, weighs just 13 kg (~29 lbs). Each bike is fitted with a Fazua Ride 50 system, with a 250 W motor and 252 Wh battery. The motor can assist you at speeds up to 32 kph (~20 mph) for up to 80 km (~50 miles).

With an impressively efficient average consumption of 7.5 miles per kWh, the Mercedes Vision EQXX electric concept car managed to drive from southern Germany to the United Kingdom on just a single charge of its 100 kWh battery.

The largest EV battery maker CATL just unveiled its long-teased Kirin battery that uses an innovative cell-to-pack technology to achieve the world's highest volume utilization. The packs are superior to Tesla's 4680 battery by offering higher energy density and better cooling in the same footprint.

Toyota is recalling 2,700 units of the all-electric bZ4X over concerns that the tires could fall off. The issue is caused by hub bolts which can loosen with sharp turning or braking. The company is working to fix the problem, though no timings have been provided. In the meantime, customers are asked not to drive their new car.

After Chinese government official resort gatherings, now the German police premises in Berlin want to ban Tesla's electric vehicles from entering the department's perimeter. The reasoning is that cameras on Teslas constantly record their surroundings and send the footage to a foreign country.

Volkswagen has confirmed it has plans for an upmarket, variant of the all-electric ID. vehicle line. The AERO is in fact being teased as a flagship of the series, although it is only aimed at one market. Then again, it only exists as design sketches showing a car of a long, flowing silhouette with hallmark e-VW accents.

Corporate fleet cars are often used for private purposes and the safeguards that the Chinese state has put in place to ensure they aren't have caught Tesla customers by surprise. Instead of warning them upfront or eat the difference, as other EV makers did, Tesla simply sent messages that government subsidies have to be returned.

Transition has unveiled the Relay, a 2-in-1 bike that combines a mountain bike and an e-bike. A Fazua Ride60 system can assist you with electric power, and you can detach the motor to ride the bike in analog without the additional weight. The company claims that the bike is much lighter than other e-bikes, though it has not confirmed the exact weight; the full specification will be revealed closer to the Spring 2023 launch.

Decathlon has unveiled a new concept bike, the Magic Bike or B’TWIN Concept_01, designed for commuters. An electric motor can assist you at speeds up to 25 kph (~16 mph) for up to 90 km (~56 miles). Other features of the pedelec include an automatic gear system, Keyless Go and an alarmed kickstand.

Toyota has unveiled the O-Uchi Kyuden battery storage system, designed for use in the home. While you can use the gadget daily, it could be advantageous in a power cut. The device has a rated capacity of 8.7 kWh and a rated output of 5.5 kWh. Plus, you can use an intelligent photovoltaic system to regulate your energy consumption at different times of day.

Honda launched its second affordable electric SUV, the e:NP1, that offers up to 320 miles of range on a charge and whose basic model starts from just US$26,160. The company aims to occupy the affordable EV niche by offering several sub-US$30,000 electric vehicles by 2027, and the e:NP1 is a step in that direction.

Xiaomi has revealed the Electric Scooter 4 Pro with 45 km of range and a 25 km/h top speed. The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Pro will be orderable later this year, with prices starting at €799 in Europe.

The ban in the Beidaihe district has presumably been imposed due to an upcoming meeting of high-ranking politicians, who still seem to be afraid that Teslas and their integrated cameras could be utilized to spy on the Chinese government.

Honda start-up Striemo has unveiled a three-wheeled e-scooter of the same name. The micro-mobility vehicle has a top speed of 25 kph (~16 mph) and can travel up to 30 km (~19 miles) between charges. A balance aiding mechanism provides stability, making it hard for you to fall off the scooter, even at lower speeds.

New research suggests that Volkswagen will overtake Tesla as the world's largest producer of electric vehicles by 2024. The German company is already the top EV manufacturer in Europe, with new models such as the ID. Buzz launching this year. Tesla remains the number-one electric vehicle maker in the US, claiming 75% of sales in the first three months of this year.

Skarper has unveiled its e-bike conversion kit to transform a regular bike into a pedelec. The DiskDrive replaces the rear disc rotor and can assist you for up to 60 km (~37 miles) at speeds up to 32 kph (~20 mph). You can easily detach the motor, and a switch on the gadget lets you quickly turn the pedal assistance on or off.

Toyota has announced that its Compact Cruiser concept all-electric vehicle has won the 2022 Car Design Award. Plus, new images of an actual car model have been released. The off-road EV has strong body sections and a built-in ladder and roof rack. Toyota says it has designed the lifestyle-focused car for young city dwellers.

German consumer organisation Stiftung Warentest has pitted nine SUV e-bikes against each other in a recent test. Seven of the nine pedelecs were rated as ‘good’, and the overall winner was the KTM Macina Aera 671 LFC. The e-MTB is powered by a Bosch motor, assisting you at speeds up to 25 kph (~16 mph).

CharIN's new Megawatt Charging System for heavier electric vehicles like long-haul trucks, buses, planes, or ferries, that has been years in the making, is now standardized. The Tesla Semi might be taking advantage of the new MCS standard, while Teslas and other electric cars will be able to charge at the initial 1MW stations, too.

The Hummer EV is the stalwart GMC extra-wide, 9,000lb truck made electric. It currently starts for just over US$80,000 in the US - however, according to the latest report, it is set to get even more expensive than that imminently. Its alleged new mark-up seems to have no effect on its availability, however.

Audio companies Dolby and Dirac have partnered on an in-car vehicle experience. Dirac algorithms optimize the sound for the speaker and vehicle layouts, while Dolby Atmos brings 3D audio. The technology will be used first in the NIO ET7, which will be available in Europe later this year.

The smart/electric car conglomerate Geely has now acquired a major share in the OEM Meizu, thus cementing rumors that the owner of Volvo, Polestar and other brands has an interest in smartphones as well. The merger may prove a lifeline for Meizu, which has fallen far behind others such as Xiaomi and OPPO as of late.

XPeng is preparing to line up major highways with the company's groundbreaking 480kW chargers that can top up its electric vehicles to 80% in just 12 minutes. The electric carmaker's CEO is now predicting that the 'disruptive' fast charging technology will increase electric vehicle uptake significantly, as families will no longer have to maintain two cars.

Kia has announced that it will showcase the EV6 GT all-electric vehicle later this month at the Goodwood Festival of speed. The car has 577 bhp, a top speed of 162 mph (~260 kph) and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (~100 kph) in 3.5 seconds. You currently can pre-order the car in the UK with deliveries starting this December.

The chief engineer of the bZ4X, Daisuke Ido, has revived rumors that Toyota could release a GR Sport performance version of the electric SUV. The company showed a bZ4X GR Sport concept earlier this year; now, Ido suggests that the company is discussing a production model. The standard bZ4X launched in the UK earlier this month with a 150 kW drivetrain.

While the outrageous delivery times for a new Tesla are getting shorter, the prices of its cars across the board are getting higher. Tesla just did another round of price increases, ranging from US$2,000 for the Model Y Performance version, to the whopping $6,000 more for the Long Range Model X.

Mercedes-Benz has announced that the 2022 EQB SUV will start from US$54,500 in the US, with deliveries to dealerships expected this summer. The EV offers up to 257 miles (~414 km) of range and can charge from 10 to 80% via 100 W fast charging in 32 minutes. Two optional trim levels will be available alongside the base model.

CUPRA has revealed more details about the UrbanRebel, which will start to be delivered in 2025. The car will have a 440 km (~273 miles) range and acceleration from 0 to 100 kph (~62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. Two more electrified models are due from the brand in 2024, the Terramar and Tavascan. The trio are expected to retail starting from €20,000 (~US$20,961).

Polestar has announced that it will debut the model 5 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month. The company has also released new images of the four-door EV. At the same event, Polestar will unveil the 2 BST edition 270, which has 469 bhp and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (~97 kph) in 4.2 seconds.

Rivian has reportedly sent letters to some customers informing them of a delay in delivering their R1S electric SUV. The most significant reported wait is an additional nine months until December this year. Supply chain issues have been cited as the reason for the delay, with new customers told to expect delivery in late 2023.

Chevrolet has released a new teaser image of the Blazer EV, which is set to be officially unveiled on July 18th. The first version of the car, with a Super Sport trim, is expected to be available in Spring 2023. Further details about the vehicle, such as its range, acceleration and price, are yet to be revealed.

Firefighters across the globe are facing a new problem with burning electric cars - they can't easily be put out - and require many times the amount of water and efforts to extinguish. A case in point is a wrecked Tesla sitting in a junkyard for weeks before it spontaneously combusted and the fire brigade couldn't kill the flames with their current toolkit.

Lightyear has unveiled the Lightyear 0, a car powered partly by a solar panel on its roof. The vehicle will go into production in the Fall, with deliveries expected to start in November. The car has a 625 km (~388 miles) range and a top speed of 160 kph (~99 mph). The company estimates that the car could last for around seven months between charges in a sunny climate.

The Zipforce ONE kit can transform your standard bicycle into an e-bike. The kit comes with a motor that can assist you at speeds up to 25 kph (~16 mph) and a rechargeable battery with a range of up to 60 km (~37 miles). Also included in the package, currently available in some European countries, are a charger, pedal sensor and bike mount.

About 830,000 electric cars made by Tesla may be subject to a recall over potential issues with the self-driving hardware and software. These include Model 3 units made since 2015, Model S ones after 2013, the Model X built since 2015, and the Model Y built in 2020 and 2021.

Toyota has started to deliver its bZ4X EV to customers in the US, as the vehicle officially launches in the UK. The car will be delivered to European customers this summer, but higher than expected demand has pushed the Australian release date back to next year. The vehicle has a maximum range of 317 miles (~510 km) and a top speed of 100 mph (~161 kph).

Microlino has opened up a configurator tool for customers to adapt their microcar. So far, the EV has received over 30,000 reservations. The vehicle is around a third of the size of an average car, capable of carrying two passengers and up to 220 L of luggage. The Microlino has a top speed of 90 kph (~56 mph) and can accelerate from 0 to 50 kph (0 to 31 mph) in 5 seconds.

Sony touts its new XAV-AX6000 and XAV-AX4000 in-car AV receivers as the most seamless and intuitive installations of their series yet. The iDatalink Maestro-compatible stereo replacements can display Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on their ~7-inch screens, with full smartphone-linked voice controls that are wireless this time to boot. They also support USB type-C, as well as 3-pre out for nearly any speaker configurations.

The Canyon Spectral:ON e-mountain bike range has launched with a 900 Wh battery for up to 60 miles (~97 km) of assisted range. The series has three carbon frame bikes, with the lightest weighing 50.16 lbs (~22.75 kg). A Shimano EP8 motor delivers up to 85 Nm of torque for the 12-gear vehicle.