Scooter Doll

Just about a year after Hyundai Motor Group announced plans to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS), Kia America sits on the cusp of sending plug adapters out to its current customers while its umbrella company works to implement the universal charging inlets on new models.

The Polestar 3 has long been promised to be the first true branded BEV from the Volvo- and Geely-owned automaker, and it has a lot riding on its success. After taking a trip out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to test drive both variants of the Polestar 3, I think this SUV is something pretty special inside and out.

Lightyear, yes, Lightyear (remember them?), is reemerging from the ashes of a failed solar electric vehicle venture and has just secured 10 million euros to boost its operation of developing and providing other OEMs with advanced solar systems. This isn’t the Lightyear you remember, but it is fighting on in its original quest to bring more sustainable energy to the automotive industry.

Less than a month after its public unveiling, ZEEKR has officially launched its new family-friendly 7X SUV in China before it makes its way to global markets. Today, we also learned the 7X’s starting pricing, which comes in at RMB 229,900, or about $32,500.

Battery recycling specialist Redwood Materials has just gained another major automaker as a client, signing a partnership with BMW of North America. Redwood will help recover and recycle end of life lithium-ion cells and their rare materials from BMW Group marques like MINI and Rolls-Royce.

EV infrastructure developer i-charging has introduced a new Megawatt Charging System designed for heavy-duty vehicles to make the replenishing process faster and more efficient. Its latest “i-light” system offers up to 1.5 MW of power and 98-99% efficiency, and it can recharge several vehicles simultaneously.

Three months after opening up sales of its ES8 SUV in Europe, NIO has begun customer deliveries. The refreshed all-electric SUV, renamed the EL8 for the European market, is the sixth NIO model to enter Europe, and the Chinese automaker is showing no signs of slowing down, even as the EU Commission imposed tariffs on imports.

More than a year after legacy automakers announced a transition from the CCS charging port to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), GM EV customers are finally able to purchase an approved adapter and gain access to hundreds of thousands of Tesla chargers.

French automaker Renault recently unveiled an all-electric restomod of its classic R17 model launched in 1971. Imagined through a collaboration with French designer Ora Ïto, this unique Renault EV is a home run blending of a classic past with the technology of the future, and it needs to go into production.

Four months after the Biden Administration announced plans for the Office of the United States Trade Representative to quadruple tariffs on certain Chinese imports, including EVs, to 100%, the White House has confirmed the action, which will go into effect in two weeks. China has threatened retaliation as the trade war continues to intensify.

Hydrogen-electric plane developer ZeroAvia has completed another successful financing round, led by some of its previous investors and some new ones. The sustainable aviation specialist plans to use the fresh funds to expedite the certification of its first powertrain and support selling its in-house components to other electrified aviation OEMs.

Neta – the EV brand of China’s Hozon Auto, is making strides to begin selling its vehicles in Mexico this year. The automaker recently signed multiple partnerships with dealers and financial institutions in the country to enter the local market to the South as early as Q4 2024.

Finnish boat company Axopar has just launched a new all-electric sub-brand called AX/E and has enlisted performance inboard and outboard electric motor specialist Evoy to power them. AX/E has debuted two series production boat models that will feature advanced electric motor systems from Evoy.

General Motors (GM) and Hyundai Motor Group announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to explore potential partnerships across a myriad of automotive tech segments, including joint EV and powertrain development, manufacturing, and supply chain sourcing.

Less than five months after opening Eletre orders in North America, Lotus has debuted a new variant of the hyper-SUV called the Eletre Carbon. This carbon fiber-clad luxury spin on an already premium BEV offers swanky new interiors, sleek exterior paint, and some (slightly) improved performance – all for a significant jump in price compared to the other Eletre trims.

Longtime collaborators General Motors (GM) and EVgo are expanding upon their existing relationship to bring flagship EV charging stations to major metropolitan areas around the United States. The new stations will be home to 400 fast-charging stalls, some of which will deliver charge rates as high as 350kW.

Just over three months after coming out of stealth mode, young electric hydrofoil boat builder Vessev has shared a closer look at its flagship vessel – the VS–9. Today, the boatbuilder shared fresh images of a completed VS–9 vessel and a detailed video below.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shared its top safety picks for 2024, and its leader in the pickup category is 100% electric. The 2024 Rivian R1T pickup is the only BEV in the segment to earn Top Safety Pick+ honors as the best of the best in passenger safety.

XPeng Motors is off to a hot start with the first BEV in its new AI-centric MONA line. After garnering tens of thousands of MONA M03 orders in its first couple of days, XPeng is now asking its component suppliers to bolster their capacity so the Chinese automaker can try and keep up with demand.

A new recreational mobility startup, Polydrops, has recently unveiled its latest model—a solar-electric travel trailer called the P21. This sustainable second home on wheels was designed with comfort and efficiency in mind and features solar technology from Aptera as well as a bunch of other cool features—all for a starting price below $40,000.

The innovative founders of ARKHAUS, a solar-electric floating social club, are venturing into a new segment in marine sustainability around Miami. Today, the team shared plans for a new electric water taxi service, codenamed “E-Lixr,” to help alleviate urban congestion.

NIO has shared its unaudited Q2 financial results for 2024, which detailed record-high EV deliveries that helped the automaker snag an even larger portion of the overall market in China. NIO also surpassed the expectations of financial gurus on Wall Street with its quarterly earnings.

Rivian has just started rolling out a robust software update that improves several features in both generations of its flagship R1S and R1T BEVs. Updates vary by model, but there are some pretty extensive improvements to the Rivian ownership experience, including the opportunity to show off that tri-motor acceleration with a new “Launch Mode” feature.

A sustainable marine mobility developer called Navalt is making a quick impact on a huge part of Asia. It is rolling out some of India’s largest and most efficient solar electric boats on the water. From ferries to water taxis and even yachts, Navalt is doing a little bit of everything.