Scooter Doll

EV conversion specialist ECD Automotive continues to do what it does best – learn, evolve, and innovate. The veteran one-of-a-kind vehicle manufacturer has announced a new partnership that brings improvements to the drivetrains and batteries implemented in each of its Jaguar or Land Rover EV conversions. Furthermore, the company has finally added DC fast-charging capabilities for its customers.

Robotaxi developer Waymo will soon be operating an all-electric fleet of fifth-generation Waymo Driver as it is retiring its fourth-generation tech utilized on Chrysler Pacifica hybrids. Looking ahead, Waymo will deploy the Jaguar I-Pace EVs as it continues to develop future autonomous vehicles with Geely and its all-electric ZEEKR brand.

After releasing its tentative race schedule for season 3 in late 2022, we’ve known Extreme E has been planning an all-electric X Prix event in Scotland in May. However, today we have learned that the Scottish event will be a Hydro X Prix held at the site of a former coal mine before it’s revamped as a hydropower plant and wind farm.

As promised, following our first glimpse at official images last week, Kia has fully launched its long-anticipated EV9 SUV ahead of pre-orders next quarter. In addition to further details regarding some of the technology we’ve already seen in Kia’s first third-row EV, the automaker shared exciting news regarding sustainability, autonomy, over-the-air updates, and vehicle-to-grid capabilities.

Winnebago Industries is in the process of acquiring lithium-ion solutions provider Lithionics Battery to implement the sustainable energy solutions provider’s technology and engineering capabilities to aid in its growing focus on electric RVs.

Following talks that carried late into Friday evening, representatives from both the EU and member state Germany have relayed that an agreement has been reached in the proposed 2035 ban of new combustion vehicle sales that will now include exceptions for e-fuels. After 2035, some combustion vehicles can still be sold, as long as they run entirely on carbon-neutral fuel alternatives.

Aptera Motors is back with its second exciting news update this week, announcing it has selected an open-source driver assistance system called “openpilot” as its official system that will be integrated into its production model solar EVs.

Lucid Motors is in the process of delivering all four of the original trims of its flagship Air sedan promised when the ultra-long-range EV made its initial debut a couple of years ago. We’ve had a chance to experience several of those models inside and out, but have wondered when the promised addition of Apple CarPlay would arrive. Today, Lucid has finally confirmed that CarPlay will now come as a standard feature.

Volkswagen Group sub-brand Cupra has been market testing the possible entry into the US market, according to SEAT Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths. Cupra has expanded to new markets outside of Western Europe recently and has multiple all-electric models in its production pipeline in Spain as it looks to grow its recognition as its own standalone EV brand.

Meet Domus – the solar electric sailing yacht concept created as a collaboration between Rob Doyle Design and Van Geest Design. This 40-meter sailing vessel promises to deliver the interior volume of a 60-meter yacht and can propel itself using wind, solar, hydro regeneration, and hydrogen fuels cells to deliver “unlimited range.” All without any carbon emissions. Did we mention it has a movie theater?

Luxury electric boatbuilder ALVA Yachts is back with its latest solar electric catamaran. The upcoming OCEAN ECO 78 will arrive as a mid-size marine vessel in ALVA’s current lineup and comes equipped with the solar and electric propulsion technology to reach a top speed of 14-15 knots (16-17 mph) at sea, plus plenty of battery capacity to go far – all backed by solar panels on its roof.

According to a recent update from Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schaefer, the Group intends to build at least four of its incoming EVs across its sub-brand’s current and upcoming facilities in Spain, including the VW ID.2, whose concept version, the ID.2all, was unveiled last week.

DC fast charging network Electrify America announced its latest complimentary charging program available for EV owners today. Looking ahead, future owners of the upcoming Hyundai IONIQ 6 will receive two years of free 30-minute charging sessions on its network, offering speeds up to 350 kW – perfect for the electric streamliner’s 800V e-GMP platform.

Solar electric vehicle start-up Aptera Motors has announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs and is expected to deliver millions in future revenue. However, what may be more exciting is the prospect of future fleet orders as SustainabilitySooner looks to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs.

According to recent reports out of China, the world’s leading battery manufacturer CATL has successfully achieved mass production of its energy dense Qilin batteries capable of delivering 1,000 km (621 miles) of range. CATL’s new cells utilize the 4680 pack structure and will debut on the upcoming ZEEKR 009 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

According to a draft proposal recently seen by the media, the European Commission has reportedly added an amendment to its 2035 combustion vehicle ban that allows for the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles after the expiry, as long as they run entirely on climate-neutral e-fuels. This move is the latest chapter in a saga to ban ICE vehicles in the EU that has recently been stifled by countries insisting on the additional e-fuel exceptions, led by automotive juggernaut, Germany.

GM’s self-driving rideshare unit, Cruise, has applied for permission to expand testing of its robotaxi rides throughout all of California. The autonomous driving specialist has already been testing rides for over a year in different cities across three states including San Francisco, but hopes to expand further throughout The Golden State.

EV automaker Polestar is picking up where it left off with last year’s limited production Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 with a next-generation version of the sedan with a keener focus on performance design. The Polestar 2 BST 230 debuts new features to the brand both inside in out that you learn more about below.

Build Your Dreams’ (BYD) momentum in global expansion continues to snowball into new markets, including Central Asia where the Chinese automaker is launching three models beginning this month. This includes the Han EV as well as two hybrid plug-ins.

South Korean EV automaker Kia Motor announced its initial entry into the market of China, beginning with its super popular EV6 crossover. The automaker debuted several concepts overseas today, including the EV5, which will be its first global model built in China.

This week, Nissan invited a select group of writers up to Wine Country to test drive the pre-production models of its all-electric 2023 Ariya crossover SUV. This was my first experience in the Ariya and I was excited at the opportunity to try out Nissan’s AWD e-4ORCE technology. It did not disappoint. These upcoming Ariya EVs deserve a look as a viable EV option loaded with standard features you won’t find in many of its competitor’s EVs, but the automaker may still have trouble standing out from the pack.

Apollo Go, tech company Baidu’s robotaxi service, has received a permit to offer fully-driverless rides in Beijing, expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service to three major cities in China. Following the awarded permit, Baidu is now the first company in the entire world to offer fully-driverless rides to the over 21 million residents in China’s capital city.

Mazda Motor Corporation’s Board of Directors have announced a myriad of internal personnel changes today, the most prominent being current Representative Director President and CEO Akira Marumoto stepping down into a role as a senior advisor to make way for Masahiro Moro – a veteran of Mazda for 40 years.

Weeks after successfully completing the longest eVTOL flight to date in its Prosperity I all-electric aircraft, AutoFlight has secured a major purchase commitment from EVFLY. The advanced air mobility services provider has signed a deal with AutoFlight for over 200 of its eVTOL cargo and passenger aircraft, which will eventually operate in one of the first commercially available global fleets.