Scooter Doll

Silicon Valley startup RollAway is offering a novel idea that rethinks the traditional lodging experience. RollAway has unveiled its first generation “Suite on Wheels” – a boutique sleeper rental built from a BrightDrop electric van. The Suites on Wheels are available to reserve and test out now, giving customers the freedom to explore sustainably, park, and lodge in whatever location they’d like.

Electric RV specialist Lightship is officially entering the recreation vehicle segment with a renamed version of its all-electric travel trailer, formerly known as the L1. Today, the company unveiled the Lightship AE.1—the production-ready version of its predecessor. It is now on sale as a limited “Cosmos Edition,” of which only a limited supply will be built and sold.

Costco Wholesale has collaborated with North American EV charging network Electrify America and rolled out a series of DC fast chargers available to all EV drivers at select store locations. The EV chargers are operational at those Costco stores now, beginning in three states.

According to regulatory filings in China, EV automaker XPeng Motors is planning upgrades to at least two current models. The filings detail facelifts to the XPeng G6 and G9 SUVs and hint at the automaker’s strategy of moving on from LiDAR sensors in favor of pure vision cameras, similar to Tesla.

Zero-emissions freight mobility solutions specialist Intramotev continues to expand the use of its technology to new customers in the US. Today, the company shared video footage of its TugVolt battery electric railcar retrofit deployed at a calcium mine in Michigan.

It’s been a four-plus-year journey for Gravity – Lucid Motors’ second flagship SUV. Since it was first unveiled, I’ve followed Gravity’s development closely, itching to get behind the wheel of a full-fledged production version to test drive – and that day has finally come, my friends. Last week, I took a trip to Lucid’s design studio, where I had my most intimate encounter with the Gravity SUV to date, including a brief but informative test drive around the Bay Area. There, I also learned that the official range of the Lucid Gravity is an impressive 450 miles. Check out images and a video of my experience below.

European OEM Stellantis has announced a new joint venture with the world’s largest battery manufacturer CATL, to build a large-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant at one of the former’s existing production sites.

Chinese tech behemoth turned EV automaker Xiaomi Automobile continues to make its presence known in the industry, striking fast and often. Following news earlier this year that it was working on a second flagship model, an SUV, to compete against the Tesla Model Y, Xiaomi has finally unveiled it and shared it will be called the YU7; have a look.

eVTOL developer Archer Aviation has solidified an existing partnership in the Abu Dhabi region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Today, the company announced a new multi-party collaboration agreement with key UAE and Abu Dhabi entities in order to establish evTOL air taxi operations in that area of the Middle East. In doing so, Archer would become the first eVTOL network to begin commercial air taxi flights in Abu Dhabi and intends to do so “as soon as possible.”

Solid-state battery developer QuantumScape shared another critical milestone today: its “Cobra” separator production process has been developed, delivered, installed, and is ready for initial separator processing. The achievement was the last item on QuantumScape’s list of goals for 2024, putting it on track to produce a higher volume of samples of its flagship commercial solid-state battery, the QSE-5.

As promised, robotaxi developer Waymo is expanding its Waymo One service to new US cities. The latest on its service map is Miami, which will see a start of robotaxi testing operations next year before Waymo opens up public rides to all customers. ¡Hasta pronto, Miami!

Rivian has just opened the second of its new lineup of Charging Outposts, where EV owners can recharge, replenish, and, in true Rivian fashion, make their own trail mix. The new site, located in Joshua Tree, California, is the first Rivian Charging Outpost offering access to all EV makes and models as the American automaker works to expand the availability of its charging network throughout the US.

Advanced air mobility (AAM) operator UrbanLink continues to make big moves in establishing a fleet of eVTOL aircraft for air taxi and other aerial mobility applications. Most recently, the company signed a new partnership with CRISALION Mobility out of Spain, committing to purchase 20 of the latter’s Integrity eVTOL aircraft as UrbanLink expands beyond its native state of Florida and overseas to at least two markets in Europe.

Mazda Miata fans rejoice! EV conversion specialist Electrogenic has introduced a new “plug-and-play” conversion kit for the Mazda MX-5 that makes the original model all-electric. This EV conversion kit keeps the soul of the beloved Mazda Miata, but adds more performance and playfulness to a car that is already renowned for being a joy to drive.

We hinted at it last month, and it’s now official – Aptera Motors has re-opened its crowdfunding program, giving fans and believers in the startup’s solar electric vehicle technology the opportunity to invest and help it reach scaled production.

Despite tariffs on imported Chinese EVs in place in Europe, BYD is making good on its vow to continue its global expansion and is showing no signs of deterrence. The Chinese automaker recently put its second BYD-branded ship, “Changzhou,” into operation to export thousands more new energy vehicles (NEVs) to Europe.

We are less than a month away from the official public launch of NIO’s new ultra-affordable EV sub-brand, Firefly, but before that happens, we’ve got our best look at the marque’s first model to date. Recent spy images in China captured a camouflaged look at the side profile of the new Firefly EV, which appears quite compact. See more below.

The Events and Transportation Department at UCLA has secured a grant from the state of California totaling nearly $20 million. The funding will be used to transition the university’s bus fleet to 100% electric vehicles, expand service, and fund California’s first in-road EV charging system with the help of Electreon.

Apollo Go, tech company Baidu’s autonomous robotaxi service, will reportedly expand its services to Hong Kong before the end of 2024. Hong Kong marks the next city in mainland China where Baidu’s robotaxis may be operational as the company continues to grow as the leader in autonomous public rides in the country.

A young marine electric mobility specialist called LIND is delivering a fresh take on watersports by combining the art of surfboard design with sustainability. LIND’s flagship electric surfboard, called Canvas, has hit the market and is the first of what LIND promises to be a series of “game-changing boards.”

NIO executives shared details of the Chinese automaker’s third EV brand, Firefly, as well as what the new marque will call its first model. The news comes about one month before Firefly officially launches in China during its parent company’s 10th annual NIO Day event.

Japanese eVTOL developer SkyDrive continues to grow its order books and is now expanding potential air taxi operations in South Carolina, a state it chose as its US base last year. SkyDrive has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with one of the state’s largest private jet charter companies, which includes purchasing up to ten SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft.

Autonomous vehicle developer Nuro has announced it is significantly expanding the capabilities of its zero-occupant vehicles. Powered by the company’s AI-enabled Nuro Driver system, these Level 4 autonomous vehicles are now operational in two states, expanding in both deployment and capabilities on the road.

US charging network EVgo has announced an expanded partnership with supermarket chain Meijer to install up to 480 new fast chargers at store locations across the Midwestern United States. Meijer has already installed EV chargers at over a third of its store locations.