E-Mobility

Rivian's stock price traded below its IPO level for the first time after the electric truck maker announced it will miss the 2021 production goals due to battery supply chain issues. As if to counter the bad impressions, Rivian announced the delivery of its first R1S electric SUV vehicles this week, to the company's Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers.

NIO, one of the most innovative Chinese electric car makers, may be preparing to bring its cars to this side of the pond, after managing to launch several of them in Europe. Its 2022 expansion plans include bringing the 600-mile ET7 sedan to Norway and five other EU countries, but a few LinkedIn job listings suggest that it could very well be eyeing the American market, too, despite the formidable presence of Tesla.

Tesla has added a new Megaphone mode in the audio options of the mandated external speakers that are used to raise awareness among pedestrians about a Tesla approaching at low speed. The Megaphone option is in addition to the Boombox mode that was received with the big holiday update last year, and could play pre-recorded audio via that same speaker alert system.

Instead of paying a lot of money for the battery replacement of his Tesla Model S, a man from Finland opted for a rather spectacular kind of disposal of his electric car, which of course was filmed and now put on YouTube.

The world's biggest electric car battery maker - CATL - may have become complacent when it comes to innovation, reports local media. It now has to fight to bring back NIO's business when it comes to the unique 600+ mile battery pack for its ET5 and ET7 sedans. NIO developed the 150 kWh "semi-solid state" battery with a nimbler competitor instead of with CATL, forcing it to go back to the negotiation table with a new "ultrahigh nickel" technology and a new EV battery chemistry offer.

Tesla has announced that its customers can charge their EVs free of cost at 70 Superchargers located around the U.S. Users can take advantage of free charging from December 23 to 26, during off-peak hours. Most of the chargers are clustered around California.

The annual Tesla holiday update has begun rolling out, with features including auto-activation of your car's blind spot camera. The software update also has improvements to the infotainment system, such as a streamlined appearance and new games added to the arcade.

Tesla plans to offset the galloping battery component prices by using the cheaper LFP chemistry in all of its standard range vehicles. Not only that, but it may have entered a U.S. factory agreement with Gotion, a big Chinese LFP battery cells supplier, which includes production on American soil. The potential deal that Gotion bragged about has it procuring the whopping 200 GWh in a 5-year period, an amount that makes Tesla the prime candidate to be that "large listed automobile company in the US" mentioned in the statement.

It has been revealed that the Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric truck will be available with two battery sizes. The larger of these batteries will have a capacity of 131 kWh, with the smaller battery providing 98 kWh of capacity.

The globally expanding Chinese company NIO could grow into a serious competitor for established electric car makers like Tesla, if the now announced ET5 electric sedan can in fact deliver the advertised 620 miles of range while being more affordable than a comparable Tesla Model 3.

Electric cars can grow even bigger than regular SUVs, which General Motors now illustrates with its gigantic GMC Hummer EV pickup truck. As impressive as this 9,000 lbs off-road monster with up to 1,000 electric horsepower may be, its sticker price is also rather astronomical.

A Philadelphia couple - Yiran and Keating Sherry - turned their Tesla into a veritable delivery car as Yiran gave birth to their second child in the EV on the way to the hospital. Her husband Keating had to put the Tesla in Autopilot mode as they got stuck in traffic, and assist with the birth of his daughter Maeve, happening on the passenger seat. When the Tesla drove them to the hospital, the nurses went and cut the umbilical cord right there in the electric car, making Maeve the first true "Tesla baby."

Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles are receiving a new noise reduction tool in an over-the-air update. The feature reduces low-frequency road noise in the cabin to provide a more comfortable journey for the driver and passengers in the front of the car.

An unknown Tesla Model S unit with a larger charging port and slightly different taillights and trim elements can be seen in two admittedly grainy leaked pictures, which have triggered speculations about possible upgrades coming to the electric flagship sedan.

While many other electric cars garner good safety ratings for their combination of modern driving assists and traditional safety features, the top-selling Renault Zoe unfortunately received the worst possible rating in the latest NCAP crash test.

Polestar, the electric brain child of Volvo and Geely, has released a free OTA update for its base Polestar 2 model with a US$45,900 price that increases the range on a charge with a cool 37 miles. The EV managed to achieve 270 miles in the demanding EPA test, which is better than the Standard Range Model Y, if Tesla didn't relegate that one to the dustbin of history. The company also promised an OTA update for its flagship Polestar 2 Long Range Dual motor version that will increase its performance to the whopping 476 hp.

Since electromobility is not just about cars, electric motorcycles are also becoming more and more popular. Similarly to Teslas, the instant torque of electric motors can be a lot of fun on two wheels as well, which is why a Swedish company has now revealed the supposedly fastest motocross bike in the world, the so-called Stark Varg.

Lexus took the stage together with Toyota while the world's largest car maker was announcing its fleet electrification plans. Not only will there be a luxury Lexus sports car on battery power, but fans of the premium brand will be able to buy the first Lexus EV called the RZ 450e as soon as next year. Based on the joint Toyota-Subaru eZ4X platform, the new RZ may nevertheless offer more premium features, while Toyota also teased a full-size electric Lexus SUV for release at a later date.

Hyundai just announced all 2022 Ioniq 5 electric crossover model prices and release dates for America, and they are rather palatable considering the Ioniq 5's specs and features. The cheapest Ioniq 5 will cost just US$39,700, but Hyundai is not launching this Standard Edition Standard Range model until the spring. The SE, SEL, and Limited models will carry the bigger battery, and have up to 303-mile range, depending on whether they are rear wheel drive, or the more powerful 320HP AWD model versions. Their prices go up to US$54,500 for a fully-equipped Limited AWD model, cheaper than a base trim Tesla Model Y.

Rolls-Royce will soon start road-testing its Spectre coupe, the first electric vehicle from the company to go on sale. The Spectre is expected to be released late next year, following a couple of electric vehicle prototypes shown by the company over the last decade.

Tesla is apparently working on many improvements to its more affordable Model 3 and Model Y all-electric vehicles, which will not only be equipped with a higher-performing AMD Ryzen chip, but also get the Superhorn, a new battery and a better drive unit in the Model 3 Performance.

About the only thing left for Hyundai to reveal about the 2022 Ioniq 5 is the price of all the trims in the U.S. It just got certified by the EPA for an impressive 303 miles range on a charge from its upgraded 77.4 kWh battery. In addition, Hyundai released all the specs we've been waiting on so far, like the Ioniq 5's top speed or towing capacity, as well as its interior and exterior color options.

Tesla users can now play video games on their cars’ center screens even if the vehicle is in motion. The feature was pushed out through a software update last summer. The implementation of the feature has come under criticism since the driver can easily start playing games while driving.

For now, Imagination is shipping RISC-V Catapult microcontrollers for the automotive industry, but the roadmap includes real-time CPUs, high performance application processors and functionally safe CPU models releasing throughout 2024. Beyond that, there are plans to release "next gen heterogeneous compute" cores for datacenters and AI applications.

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology responsible for EV certification wants electric cars to do better in cold weather conditions. Citing reduced battery range on a charge when temperatures are low, the Ministry held a panel to coordinate the efforts of electric car makers, regulators, and researchers to serve EV drivers better in cold climates. The list of participants includes the top Chinese EV manufacturers which already hold the range-on-a-charge records, as well as academia that deals with battery chemistry research.

RISC-V International is pushing for increased adoption with the introduction of 15 new specifications for the RISC-V ISA. Most prominent are the Vector specs that expand support for AI / machine learning, the Scalar Cryptography specs that make it easy to add improved security features even on the smallest IoT devices, and the Hypervisor specs that add compatibility with other OSes for data center environments and allow for increased malware protection.

The rush of new all-electric cars continues apace with Polestar teasing its first SUV. The electric-only car brand offshoot of Volvo has relieved a heavily camouflaged version of its forthcoming Polestar 3, but there enough to see to suggest it could be a winner.

Pininfarina has exhibited the Foxconn Model E at the Hong Kong MotorXpo. The 750 hp saloon also has up to a 750 km range and is being showcased under Foxconn's vehicle division, Foxtron.

Today, Tesla announced the Cyberquad, a quad bike heavily influenced by the Cybertruck. The Cyberquad has 10 mph top speed, a 15-mile range and is designed for people weighing up to 150 lbs (~68kg).

At least the performance version of the Tesla Model Y will be equipped with AMD Ryzen processors instead of Intel CPUs in some markets, which should greatly improve the performance of the electric SUV's infotainment system.

Samsung has launched the Exynos Auto V7 SoC, a new processor specifically for cars, alongside the Exynos Auto T5123, which might ensure the same vehicles are connected. This is because it is the OEM's first 5G-capable modem made for the automotive industry. They have been joined in their debut by the S2VPS01, an extra-safe PMIC for cars.

According to reports, Xiaomi has chosen Beijing E-Town as the location for its EV plant and headquarters. The company will join Daimler AG and Chrysler in the technological development zone, among other major companies.

The City of Miami has reversed its decision to place a ban on e-scooters. The somewhat controversial e-mobility transport mode will be back up and running, but only after new safety regulations are put in place.

Nissan announced an electrification program of its own called "Ambition 2030" that will see it introduce 23 new EV models across the Nissan and Infinity brands this decade alone. The company already takes reservations for its first electric SUV, the Ariya, but it introduced more EV concepts, including a MAX-OUT convertible and a Tesla Cybertruck competitor. Besides electric car production, Ambition 2030 includes a plan to develop a proprietary solid-state battery and expand its 4R Energy battery recycling and repurposing program.

Volvo has partnered with Israeli-based Spectralics for the development of optical technology that takes ‘heads-up’ display tech to the next level. The technology uses multi-layered thin combiner (MLTC) film embedded in a windshield to provide an AR overlay of the driver’s view as a driver aid.

After months of delay and red tape compliance, the first Tesla Gigafactory in Europe may begin Model Y production in a matter of days. The Brandenburg State Environment Office will reportedly be signing off on the Berlin Gigafactory opening, allowing up to 30,000 units to be built there in the first half of 2022. That's in addition to the large capacity for Tesla 4680 battery cells production, for which CEO Elon Musk just declined a billion worth of EU subsidies.

Tesla has been raising the prices of its entry-level Model 3 sedan and the Model Y SUV for a while now, explaining it with supply chain issues and the chip shortages. The problems are so severe that Tesla has delivered cars without something as simple as USB charging ports. Tesla has now raised the Model 3 price tag several times already, making even the basic model fall outside the federal or provincial subsidies scope in countries like Canada.

Deliveries of the Hummer Edition 1 will begin next month, 14 months after it was announced. The truck will use GM’s Ultium battery, giving it up to 329 miles (~529 km) of range. The Edition 1 will be the first all-electric vehicle released by Hummer.

Hyundai has reimagined the Grandeur, a car that it released in 1986. The car has undergone an EV restoration and has been available to view at two motor studios in South Korea.

Tesla's Cybertruck reservations beat the market capitalization of BMW or Ford with no deliveries in sight, just a tentative Q4 2022 release timeframe. The electric pickup reservations surpassed 1.2 million, potentially bringing Tesla a US$80 billion windfall in pre-sales. While investors are cautious about the EV stock bubble that is now worth more than storied legacy automakers, the Cybertruck sales success story indicates that the bubble may not pop any time soon.

Starting next year, new British homes or commercial buildings like supermarkets and office spaces will have to be equipped with electric charging stations. The law will mandate retrofitting EV chargers in older buildings that undergo significant renovations, too. According to the government, the home charging legislation could add up to 145,000 new electric car charging stations per year in the UK.

Smartphone maker Oppo has plans to launch an electric car in India by 2024. It will be joined by other BBK-owned companies such as OnePlus and Realme.

Some Tesla users were locked out of their cars on Friday due to global app outages. The outages were the result of the mobile app's inability to connect to the servers. Responding to a Tesla user, Musk blamed network congestion caused by an unexpected increase in traffic.

Apple is said to have reached a major milestone with its Apple Car project, reports Bloomberg. According to insiders, the chip design team has completed the main design elements for its custom processor which will be central to Apple’s plans for a fully autonomous vehicle.

After successfully launching its G3 electric SUV and P7 sedan in Norway, XPeng just unveiled a mid-size G9 SUV designed for international markets from the onset. Fully compliant with the European crash safety and certification standards, the XPeng G9 will feature ultrafast 800V charging, an autonomous driving system, and Gigabit connectivity that allows it to get OTA firmware updates in as little as 30 minutes.

Fisker, a US EV startup, has announced three all-electric SUVs. The two high-end models, the Ocean Extreme and the Ocean Ultra have reported ranges that trump the Tesla Model Y. Fisker will start production of the announced models in November 2022.

Austrian fire truck manufacturer Rosenbaum has developed a new high-pressure nozzle to solve the problem of expensive EV battery fire accidents. The process now involves dousing the electric car with water for hours, creating toxic runoff. The new nozzle pierces the battery pack housing, putting out the burning cells directly.

Nissan has started taking pre-orders for its forthcoming Ariya electric SUV. The new EV will come in a range of configurations ranging from two-wheel drive to all-wheel drive when it launches in America around fall 2022.

Concept creators at Vanorama have created renders of what the Apple Car could look like based on patent applications filed by the Cupertino giant. While hardly the most ideal way to imagine what the Apple Car might eventually look like, it is in an interesting exercise nevertheless.

The latest round of customers to take delivery of their new Tesla Model Ys or 3s have started to complain of some odd and specific deficiencies within their electric cars. It seems they are missing the mobile-device charging specs with which they are marketed, and that this is due to...you guessed it...supply-chain issues.