News

Daimler Truck has acquired a ten-percent stake in the German high-tech machine manufacturer Manz. The two companies will form a strategic partnership to establish a pilot line for the production of battery cells and the assembly of batteries at Daimler Truck’s Mannheim site. The aim is to develop innovative battery technology and associated production processes

Italian vehicle customizer Aznom previously launched the Ram 1500-based Palladium luxury sedan, but now it’s trying something a little greener. The company unveiled an electric Mini restomod called the Mini E-Classic at the 2022 Top Marques Monaco show this past weekend. The first customer example will roll out of Aznom’s shop this summer, with “full

Lilium, the developer of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet, has partnered with Honeywell and DENSO, who will co-develop and manufacture the electric motor that will power the Lilium Jet’s engines. Honeywell, which invested in Lilium in 2021, is already developing the Lilium Jet’s avionics and flight control systems. Honeywell also has an

Solid Power (Nasdaq: SLDP), a developer of all-solid-state battery cells for EVs, has completed installation of a pilot production line designed to produce EV-scale solid-state cells. The company intends to produce its Silicon EV Cells, which use over 50% active silicon in the anode, for internal testing before delivering them to its automotive partners BMW

The numbers tell the story of the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V. As the most expensive, largest, and most powerful Cadillac, it’s no surprise that many of its numbers are extreme. Here are a few of the most relevant: 682, 6,217, 14.2, and 149,990. 682 hp The main difference between the Escalade-V and other Escalades lurks under

Quality Custom Distribution operates a truck fleet that serves thousands of restaurants in Southern California. The company has partnered with Scale Microgrid Solutions and InCharge Energy to electrify its fleet. This $20-million electrification project includes the purchase of 30 Volvo VNR Electric trucks (the company has ordered a total of 45), plus 16 chargers and

Volkswagen plans to introduce a new EV, the ID.4 sedan, which is expected to go into production in 2026, and will be built on a new platform. VW’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) is a skateboard-style architecture that Volkswagen Group Chairman Herbert Diess says will replace the existing Modularen Elektrik Baukasten (MEB) structure as well

Swiss startup company Picasso Automotive revealed a supercar that’s at home on the perfect winding road or on a racetrack. It’s called the 660 LMS, and it combines over 600 hp with a curb weight of less than 2,200 pounds. Lightyear 0 Another startup in the headlines this week was Dutch firm Lightyear which revealed

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized $7.5 billion of investment in EV charging infrastructure, which the Biden Administration says will be used to build a national network of 500,000 public chargers. Over the last year, the government has been developing a plan (complete with the usual alphabet soup of working groups and programs) to distribute that

SOLiTHOR, a spin-off company from the Belgian research organization Imec, recently raised €10 million in a seed investment round led by Imec. The company will use the proceeds to develop and commercialize its solid-state battery cell technology. Imec has been investing in solid-state battery tech for 10 years, and aims to enable an assembly process

A street-legal R34 Nissan GT-R Spec-V II is for sale, Apple announced iOS 16 and the next-generation of CarPlay, and we spotted the 2024 Cadillac XT4. It’s the Week in Reverse, right here at Motor Authority. One of the 16 R34 Nissan GT-Rs imported by Motorex before the company was busted by the feds in

Sponsored by Keysight Technologies Navigating safety, interoperability, and conformance in e-mobility Safety, interoperability, and conformance are important criteria for enabling success in the e-mobility ecosystem. This paper explores: How EV and EVSE manufacturers can cope with a complex regulatory landscape, and deliver high quality products without compromising time-to-market projections.  What automotive OEMs and their suppliers

EvoCharge, a provider of EVSE and cable management solutions, has entered into an agreement with online tool retailer JB Tools to provide Level 2 residential and commercial EV charging equipment through JB’s online store. JB Tools carries the full suite of EvoCharge electric vehicle charging solutions, including single- and dual-port chargers, wall-mount and pedestal chargers,

British coachbuilder Radford has been revived, and its first modern project is a retro sports car inspired by the Lotus Type 62. Called the Lotus Type 62-2 coach-built by Radford, the limited-edition sports car is based on the platform of the former Lotus Evora and was first shown last August. Radford then followed up last

Silicon-carbon battery tech supplier Group14 Technologies has raised $400 million in Series C funding, which it plans to use to open its second battery active materials factory in the US. The plant will produce the company’s proprietary SCC55 lithium-silicon battery material for Porsche subsidiary Cellforce Group, which will use it to begin producing battery cells

The proliferation of supersized vehicles has caused or exacerbated a number of problems—not only do large pickups and SUVs spew more air pollution than smaller vehicles, but they are more likely to kill or injure pedestrians and cyclists, and they increase road wear. Several European jurisdictions have enacted measures to address “truck bloat.” In France,

Fisker has released more details on its highly anticipated Project PEAR, a vehicle which has the potential to bring EVs to a much wider audience thanks to a promised starting price of $29,900. Fisker on Wednesday announced that the PEAR will hit the road in prototype form later this year and make its official debut

Battery cathode materials specialist Nano One has announced the acquisition of Johnson Matthey Battery Materials (JMBM), a Canadian company that operates one of the few LFP cathode production facilities in North America. Nano One will acquire all of the outstanding shares of JMBM for a total of $10.25 million Canadian ($8 million US). The deal

Battery materials maker Sila Nanotechnologies will open an anode material plant in Moses Lake, Washington. The company claims its anode material boosts the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by 20%. The 600,000-square-foot hydro-powered facility will begin producing silicon-based anode material in the second half of 2024, and full production is scheduled for the first half

Audi is out testing prototypes for a redesigned A4 and the latest tester to be spotted is for the sporty S4 model. The prototype is specifically for the S4 Avant wagon body style but testers for the S4 sedan should also be out and about. The current A4, the B9, arrived for the 2017 model

GM hasn’t been getting much respect in the EV press lately. Industry bad boy Tesla continues to dominate the market, racking up global sales of more than 310,000 units in the first quarter of this year. Ford’s still a startup as far as EVs are concerned, but its F-150 Lightning has been getting a lot

Global chemical supplier Nippon Shokubai and materials science specialist Arkema plan to establish a joint venture to build an industrial plant for the production of LiFSI, aka lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, an ultrapure electrolyte salt. The project is intended to support the development of the European battery value chain. The partners mean to enable the mass production

Apple has not announced an electric car yet, but it’s going all-in on taking over vehicle dashboards. On Monday, in the keynote address at the 2022 World Wide Developer’s Conference, Apple previewed iOS 16 for the iPhone as well as its next-generation of Apple CarPlay. Spoiler: Your vehicle’s gauge cluster will now integrate with your

Proterra plans to use an EV transmission made by power management company Eaton’s eMobility business. Eaton’s 4-speed medium-duty transmission will be installed in ProDrive—a Proterra drivetrain used in its ZX5 electric transit buses. The company says the transmission has “electric gearshift actuation that enables manufacturers to use smaller, more efficient motors.” “Our 4-speed transmission provides

Blink Charging’s recent acquisition of UK charging provider EB Charging, added more than 1,150 chargers, installed or committed for delivery, to Blink’s footprint. Blink is now present in over 18 countries. Now EB Charging has announced an agreement with European parking operator Q-Park to deploy nearly 600 charging points across 80 sites in the UK

Automotive supplier Magna on Thursday unveiled lighting hardware that can be integrated with vehicle body panels. Dubbed Breakthrough Lighting, it will be ready for production in 2023, Magna said in a press release. Magna is initially showing Breakthrough Lighting on a thermoplastic liftgate dubbed the “Litgate.” However, the same hardware can be applied to other

Tesla, along with several other automakers and environmental groups, has formally asked the Biden administration to invest in charging infrastructure for electric buses, trucks and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) signed by President Biden last November includes $7.5 billion in funding for EV charging. In an open letter to Energy

A new survey by consumer research specialist J.D. Power finds that US auto shoppers are more likely than ever to consider buying a pure EV, mostly thanks to the growing selection of models. New offerings from trusted brands are turning EV skeptics into possible EV purchasers. The J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study,

The DeLorean Alpha5 made its virtual debut with massive gullwing doors, an electrric powertrain, and design nods to the DMC-12. While not entirely retro, the longer you stare at the photos the more cues from the past you uncover, like the shape of the steering wheel. Polestar 5 patent drawings The Polestar 5 might have

Electrifying commercial vehicles is a critical part of reducing emissions, so it’s frustrating that the pace of fleet electrification has been so slow. Viable commercial EVs have been around for years, but fleet operators insisted on conducting years-long pilots to prove their reliability. Now that phase is over, and companies are starting to place substantial