E-Mobility

Elon Musk is on record saying that the Full Self-Driving Beta feature will be an option to buy for every Tesla owner in the US or Canada later this year. Currently, not only do North American Tesla drivers need to pay the US$12,000 for the FSD software, but they also have to have a 99/100 Safety Score to qualify.

The oddly-behaving electric car without a human driver was pulled over during a traffic stop in San Francisco, which is when the Chevy Bolt unexpectedly drove off and came to another stop on the other side of an intersection.

Hyundai is developing Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology to transfer power from an electric car's battery to a local grid, reducing load at peak times and decreasing our use of fossil fuels. Currently, the company is testing this technology in some Ioniq 5 vehicles in Germany and the Netherlands.

Decathlon is now selling the Elops R500E cargo e-bike in Europe. The bicycle has up to 90 km (~56 miles) range from a 672 Wh Samsung lithium-ion battery. The cargo bike can bear loads up to 170 kg (~75 lbs) and reach speeds up to 25 kph (~16 mph).

An employee of the electric carmaker NIO has admitted to jerry-rigging the company's servers that are used for its self-driving software and other IT applications for mining crypto. NIO's sysadmin started mining Ethereum when its price shot up last year and was caught by the company's compliance and risk management department for presenting an IT security risk.

With up to 625 horsepower and an incredible amount of instant torque, the all-electric Jeep Wrangler concept SUV is not just capable of exploring various types of terrain, its neck-breaking acceleration on paved roads could also rival the Tesla Model S Plaid and other electric sports cars.

For a third time just in 2022, Tesla has raised the prices of its Model 3 Long Range and Model 3 Performance version cars. These are the models that use a nickel battery instead of the cheaper LFP packs that are in the standard range Model 3, yet the price increase comes despite that Tesla hedged the price of the metal long time ago.

Volvo has announced that all new hybrid and fully electric cars will have over-the-air update abilities. This feature was already available on the battery EVs, with the XC90, S60 and V60 models now receiving this tool. Volvo's eighth update is rolling out this week, including Android 11.

Android 11 and other feature improvements are being rolled out via an over-the-air update to Polestar 2 vehicles this month. The new OS will bring additional Google Play store app categories to the car. Other improvements include a real-time charging status in the Polestar app.

A batch of 34,207 imported Tesla Model 3 cars and 93,578 China-made vehicles spanning the January 11, 2019 to January 25, 2022 production period have been recalled for a faulty inverter. The out-of-spec component could result in a loss of power while driving, or a failure to start when in parking mode.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed that the cost system for its Mercedes me Charge scheme will change in Europe from June 2022. The updated tariff system will have three rungs to choose from based on how far and frequently you travel in your electric vehicle. The scheme will also standardize costs across the network of over 300,000 charging points.

Two new e-bikes have been launched by VanMoof, the S5 and the A5. Both bikes have built-in anti-theft features such as a lock and alarm system. The Halo Ring Interface on the vehicle can tell you your speed without looking away from the road. The S5 is designed for cruising, whereas the A5 is suited for agility.

The CNIPA in China has published a patent approval for a vehicle produced by Xiaomi. Reputedly, Xiaomi will showcase a prototype EV this year before it begins mass-producing EVs in Beijing.

President Biden's administration has held a meeting with automotive industry execs, including Tesla's Elon Musk, on how to ensure interoperability of EV charging standards. The White House has earmarked US$7.5 billion for a nationwide charging network as part of the infrastructure bill and needs every stakeholder to be on the same page for the rollout.

Warren Buffett's investment in BYD is now prophetic as the company just became the first legacy carmaker to wean itself off ICE-powered vehicles completely. BYD announced that it hasn't produced or sold a single car that runs only on an internal combustion engine this March, while BYD Australia detailed the release date of the carmaker's direct Tesla Model 3 competitor.

The technology in the impressively efficient Lucid Air, which supposedly provides estimated EPA ranges of up to 520 miles per charge, is apparently worth a closer look, even for the leading EV manufacturer in the world.

Similarly to the Tesla Model X and Model S, the latest interior teaser picture of the highly-anticipated Lexus RZ 450e shows a yoke or butterfly-shaped steering wheel, which presumably won't make it to all international markets due to regulatory reasons.

DeLorean Motor Company has announced that it will reveal the name and design of its electric concept vehicle on August 18. The unveiling will be part of a series of events celebrating the history of DeLorean at Monterey Car Week. The company also shared a teaser image of the vehicle.

Honda is expanding its electric car partnership with GM to include sub-US$30,000 EVs that the two carmakers plan to co-produce in the millions. The budget electric vehicles will be based on GM's Ultium platform and battery, but won't be hitting the market before 2027, giving Tesla plenty of time to counter with its promised US$25,000 car.

Customers in Germany can now pre-order the Urtopia Carbon E-Bike. The bicycle has a lightweight carbon fiber body and weighs 30 lbs. Many smart features are available on the vehicle, such as AI voice control and haptic interaction. Plus, the bike has up to 80 miles of range.

The Toyota bZ4X has a greater than expected range, as confirmed in an official statement by the manufacturer. The entry-level trim of the SUV will be capable of up to 516 km (~321 miles) on a single charge. Customers in Europe can now pre-order the electric vehicle, with prices starting at £41,950.

Hertz will be diversifying its EV rental fleet options with 65,000 Polestar 2 electric cars, after signing up with Tesla to lease 100,000 of its Model 3 sedans. The first Polestar 2 EVs will be available to rent at Hertz locations in Europe, the US, and Australia, starting this spring.

Yamaha has presented the TY-E 2.0, an electric trial bike that offers up to twice the battery life of its predecessor. The Yamaha TY-E 2.0 is expected to be used this summer at the FIM Trial World Championship 2022.

Toyota has announced that it has sold over 20 million electrified vehicles, including hybrid and battery electric cars. Included in the figure are subsidiary brands Daihatsu and Hino. Other record figures in the February 2022 statement include the greatest number of Toyota vehicles produced and sold outside of Japan in a month.

After being chased by two lifted Ford and Chevy pickup trucks and hearing 911 dispatch refuse to send law enforcement at the scene, a young Tesla driver commented: 'Unfortunately, this is the reality of driving an electric vehicle even 40 minutes from Los Angeles. I wouldn’t wish this on any EV owner, especially 16-year-old EV owners.'

If you're looking for a way to beat the traffic, cut down that last 5 km after your bus commute, or even just have a weekend recreational ride in the woods, these electric masterpieces, such as the Zero 10x 1200 W dual motor scooter, may pique your interest.

Tesla and Samsung have hedged their nickel price bets and their battery production remains relatively unscathed when it comes to the stratospheric rise of the metal used for the cathode in extended range batteries. President Biden is doing the government's share by calling the powers of the Defense Production Act to rein in rising EV battery material prices.

The Tesla Model 3 that lodged between an ambulance and a parking lot embankment in San Diego the other day was ruled a human error, rather than caused by engaged Full Self-Driving Beta mode. Instead of jumping on the breaks while parking, the driver slammed the accelerator pedal, resulting in the Tesla landing on the roof of a parked ambulance below.

Tesla fans in select US cities will be given the option to use one of the electric car company's models in a monthly subscription option instead of purchasing or leasing it. Provided by Kyte, the US$995/month Tesla subscription service will start in select New York locations as well as in San Francisco, California.

A new electric scooter is now available to pre-order in China from Xiaomi, the Mijia Electric Scooter 3 Youth Edition, also known as Mijia Electric Scooter 3 Lite. The vehicle has been designed to be lightweight and easy to carry, weighing about 29 lbs (13 kg), with a battery that enables you to travel up to ~12 miles (20 km) between charges.

Lucid Air keeps scoring 2022 Car of the Year awards in the electric vehicles category as, after it won the MotorTrend trophy, it now scored the Cars.com badge of honor. The famous car magazine gave it its EV of the year award on account of its record range on a charge, copious cargo space, and a responsive infotainment system in the luxury interior.

Kia has released a statement confirming that a production version of the concept EV9 SUV will be released in Europe next year. The company also gave the exterior measurements of the new vehicle and affirmed the use of a solar panel to provide additional charge to the car’s battery.

The British automaker, who is mostly known for nimble sports cars like the iconic Lotus Elise, has now officially revealed a new 600 hp strong EV which apparently is a mixture of an SUV and an electric hypercar.

GMC's 9,000 lbs off-road monster appears to be immensely popular among American buyers. The automaker has already received 65,000 reservations, which means that new orders of the electric pickup truck model variant of the Hummer EV will not be fulfilled until the year 2024.

Today's high nickel or cobalt content in extended-range electric vehicle batteries could turn into a recycling bonanza towards the end of the car's useful lifespan, argues Tesla's co-founder JB Straubel. His company is now recycling up to 10 GWh a year and he says current EV batteries will last at least 15 years before the battery is sold for recycling.

The long-range RWD model of the Kia EV6, which is equipped with a sizable 77 kWh battery, has missed its projected WLTP range of 328 miles in a real-life test by a quite considerable margin.

The continuous success of the electric Porsche Taycan, which has easily surpassed the sales numbers of the gasoline-powered Porsche 911 in some markets, apparently convinced the German automaker to develop an EV model variant of its arguably most legendary sports car.

Tesla owners at trafficked Supercharger network locations in Australia such as Broadway in Sydney Pacific Fair at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, or Knockrow in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, have their battery charge level automatically set to 80%. They can still override and charge to full, though, as Tesla employed the measure to avoid congestion.

The parent company of Chrysler alone will now have to pay US$572 million in retroactively applied fuel economy standard penalties as per the NHTSA decision. The new penalties that will be applied as far back as model year 2019 will be a boon for EV makers like Tesla which can now charge even more for CAFE standard compliance credits.

A new electric scooter, the NAVEE N65, is now available to purchase from Geekbuying. Thanks to its larger battery and energy-saving technology, the vehicle has a 65 km (~40 miles) range. The Xiaomi company suggests that this gadget is excellent for commuters, with handy folding features.

In a wide-ranging interview, Tesla's Elon Musk confirmed his belief that Germany should not only stop closing its operational nuclear power plants, but should also reopen the ones it already closed as a stopgap solution on the way to sustainable energy sources. Speaking on the topic of longevity, he called Biden's administration 'ancient' and lacking touch with the people or penchant for innovation like Tesla.

After hiking the prices of its most popular Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles, Tesla no longer qualifies for California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project subsidy with them. Buyers who ordered their Model 3 or Model Y before, or on March 15, will still be able to apply for the US$2000 rebate, though.

The world's largest battery maker CATL inadvertently trolled Tesla's Elon Musk while teasing its upcoming battery technologies by saying it 'found that consumers' quest for long range is still a trend,' contrary to Musk's claim that a 600-mile Tesla is pointless. CATL said it will launch a 4680-type cell with 13% higher capacity this year, as well as a 600-mile battery in 2023.

Due to another shortage of a critical component, Volkswagen is forced to delay its planned April launch of the VW ID.5. The required cable harnesses sourced from Ukraine are, understandably, in short supply due to the ongoing military conflict.

One of the first 30 customers who waited 3 years to receive the keys of a made-in-Europe Model Y from Elon Musk upon the opening of Tesla's new Gigafactory in Berlin, already managed to get into an accident. Rear-ended by an Audi at a red light stop, he was told that the bumper replacement or repair will take a few weeks, mainly while the shop is waiting for the Model Y parts to arrive.

Ford F-150 Lightning already proved that its specs are better than they are on paper by covering 20 miles more on the grueling EPA range test than it is officially supposed to. The next test is of its towing capacity in the extreme heat and cold of the Davis Dam and Colorado's Gauntlet.

It's still a long way to go until the official 2023 release of the new all-electric Porsche Macan, which is why graphic designers have now edited pictures of a recently spotted prototype of the upcoming luxury compact SUV in order to give a better impression of how the production model of the German EV may look like.

Tesla made US$1.5 billion from selling government-mandated carbon tax credits to legacy carmakers, mainly overseas, as well as various smaller subsidies. That's more than a quarter from its US$5.5 billion net income in 2021, forcing the SEC to mandate it report regulatory credits as a separate line item in its annual financial statement.

The grotesque stunt and ensuing crash once again highlight that the sheer quickness and neck-breaking acceleration of a Tesla Model S can in fact become dangerous if the premium electric sedan is being driven in a completely irresponsible manner.

The Deep Crimson Multicoat and Mercury Silver Metallic colors that leaked in the Tesla app last year may turn out to be actual hues in which Model Y SUVs will be coming off the conveyor belts of the Gigafactory Berlin over the coming months. Elon Musk tipped that the red color consists of no less than 13 layers, while the 'liquid silver' needs 8 layers of paint to materialize.